Friday, December 13, 2024

Truth and Action Roundup 12.13.24

Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, a reliable source of information, inspiration, and action for the post-election period. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it.

Today is Friday, Dec. 13, 38 days before Inauguration Day. In today’s Truth and Action Roundup, we look at the implications of FBI Director Chris Wray’s announcement that he intends to resign, discuss President Biden’s announced clemency for more than 1,500 people, and address the state of global armed conflict in 2024. We also provide another opportunity to oppose President-elect Donald Trump’s attempt to short circuit the Senate confirmation process for his nominees, as well as provide you with a step-by-step guide to writing a letter to the editor. As always, we offer spiritual resources for the road ahead, which focus on the theme of peace during this second week of Advent.

— Rev. Adam Taylor and Rev. Moya Harris, Sojourners

In the News

Here’s what we know at the time of writing:

1) Current FBI Director Chris Wray, who was appointed by Trump during his first term as president, will resign at the end of Biden’s term, the agency announced Wednesday. Given that Wray had more than two years remaining in his term, this development clears the way for Trump to appoint his chosen pick, Kash Patel, to replace Wray. Trump called the announcement of Wray’s intent to resign “a great day for America.” The President-elect has wanted Wray’s removal for years, due to the FBI’s handling of the investigation into his ties to Russia and the classified documents case brought against him after the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago home, among other grievances. Patel, who has pledged to go after Trump’s political enemies, is a particularly alarming choice for FBI director — and Wray’s resignation makes Patel’s confirmation much more likely.

2) Biden announced Thursday that he was commuting the prison sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoning 39 others, which the White House called the largest act of clemency in a single day in modern presidential history. Those whose sentences were commuted had already been moved from prison to home confinement due to the COVID pandemic, while the pardons went to people convicted of nonviolent crimes, including drug offenses. Advocates for abolishing the federal death penalty continue to urge Biden to commute the sentences of the 40 prisoners on federal death row before he leaves office.

3) As we come to the end of the second week in Advent, we note that the liturgical focus on peace for this week is more urgent than ever. A new report from Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) shows that global conflicts surged in 2024, resulting in the deaths of at least 233,000 people, an increase of 30% from 2023. ACLED’s report found that one in eight people worldwide were exposed to armed conflict in 2024, with Ukraine, Palestine, and Lebanon seeing the most people killed in violent conflicts this year. Another report, published this summer by the Institute for Economics and Peace, identified 56 active conflicts, the most since the end of World War II.

A red, white, and blue collage of a donkey, elephant, courthouse, capitol building, along with the preamble of the U.S. Constitution

Take Action

Tell your Senators: Say no to Trump’s recess appointments! Trump wants to exploit a Constitutional loophole and circumvent accountability from the legislative branch by using “recess appointments” to ensure that he can install exactly who he wants in his Cabinet and other key positions, no matter how unqualified or extreme his picks might be. If the Senate were to allow Trump to carry out his plan, it would amount to a serious abdication of Senate leadership with dire consequences. Contact your Senators today and urge them to defend the checks and balances of our democracy.
Write a letter to the editor! Another great way to get your legislators’ attention and build public support for the justice issues you’re most passionate about is to write a letter to the editor. Sojourners has a free step-by-step guide that makes the process easy.

Deep Breaths

As Inauguration Day approaches, many in our community face potential existential crises. This reality can make it challenging to hold onto hope, seek peace, and embody joy. In these moments, remember to pause and breathe. Focus on your breath, and the breath of God, for God’s Spirit is our Holy Comforter.

This weekend, we shift our focus from peace to joy. The prophet Isaiah, in chapter 9, reminds us to reflect on the times God has made a way out of no way. Looking back at God’s faithfulness strengthens our resilience to face the coming chaos and allows us to find glimpses of joy, even if only for a moment.

Take time to reflect and rejoice for every blessing, no matter how small. Joy is an act of resistance and a testament to the enduring power of faith. As you reflect, I invite you to worship with the song “For Every Mountain” — a powerful reminder to thank God for every mountain he has brought you over, every trial he has seen you through, and every blessing you’ve received. Let it be your anthem of gratitude and joy in this season.

— Rev. Moya Harris, Director of Racial Justice, Sojourners

P.S. You can access previous Truth and Action Roundup playlists here.

The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff:
President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor
Director of Racial Justice: Rev. Moya Harris
Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson
Senior Adviser and Director to the President’s Office: Elizabeth Denlinger Reaves
Senior Director of Campaigns and Mobilizing: Sandy Ovalle Martínez
Director of Congregational Outreach & Education: Rev. Andrea Saccoccio
Digital Communications Associate: Lexi Schnaser
Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims