Truth and Action Roundup 1.10.25

View this email in your browser 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, Jan. 10, 10 days before Inauguration Day. In today’s Truth and Action Roundup, we cover the ongoing wildfire emergency in southern California, Jimmy Carter’s National Cathedral funeral, and the release of 11 detainees from Guantanamo Bay after more than 20 years of being held without charges. We also provide opportunities for action on the federal death penalty and Trump administration nominees. Finally, we offer our “Deep Breaths” spiritual resources to equip you for the days ahead. — Rev. Adam Taylor, Sojourners In the News Here’s what we know at the time of writing: 1) The worst wildfires in the history of Los Angeles have forced more than 100,000 to evacuate their homes and killed at least five people so far. President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for the fires and canceled a trip to meet with Pope Francis to focus on the federal response. Meanwhile, the response to the fires has quickly turned political, with President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and some California Republicans blaming California’s water and forest management policies for the fires. The federal government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment, published in November 2023, points to rapid urbanization and human-amplified climate change as key factors behind worsening wildfires, with climate change contributing to “prolonged droughts that stress forest vegetation...leading to the accumulation of surface fuel.” 2) Yesterday all five living U.S. presidents attended the funeral for Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., as part of a national day of mourning for the former president. Carter, a self-described born-again Christian who made clear connections between his faith and his political convictions, was the longest-living U.S. president, dying last month at the age of 100. He gained worldwide respect and cemented his legacy during his long post-presidency for his work promoting peace, democracy, and global health. 3) This week the Pentagon announced it had transferred 11 Yemeni men from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Oman after holding them for more than two decades without charge. The move is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to empty the notorious detention center of prisoners who were never charged with crimes. Six never-charged detainees now remain at Guantanamo out of 15 total prisoners, the lowest number since 2002 for a detention site that held about 800 people at its peak. Take Action Urge President Biden to finish the job! Death Penalty Action is urging Biden to commute the remaining federal and military death sentences. You can find resources for Christian actions against the death penalty on their website here. Tell the Senate: Take vetting Trump’s nominees seriously. Sign the petition urging the Senate to fulfill their responsibility to thoroughly vet Trump’s cabinet nominees now! Sojourners is one of several organizations co-sponsoring this letter. Deep Breaths Today’s spiritual nourishment comes from Rev. Kaeley McEvoy, Sojourners fellowship program director and staff chaplain. I’ve been closely watching as wildfires rage in Southern California, just months after Hurricane Helene ravaged the East Coast. The winds of climate change and natural disaster are strong, mighty, and scary. But in the sea of chaos that is displacement, I’ve also seen people making lists of mutual aid hubs. From bookstores and churches to libraries and animal shelters, community gathering spaces are popping up all across impacted areas. Mutual aid, as advocated by writer and activist Dean Spade, happens when people meet each other’s survival needs when governments fail to provide care and protection. For me, mutual aid appears in the Bible when Jesus becomes chef for the 5,000 and provides sustenance for the road ahead (Matthew 14:13-21). The healing narratives also provide examples not of professionals providing treatments for the sick, but Jesus coming with mud and spit (John 9:1-12) to cure those who were suffering. Mutual aid has radical Christian roots, according to this 2022 Sojourners piece by Isaac S. Villegas. In the midst of worry and destruction, remember: deep breaths. There are ways to care for each other as God cares for all of us. Tap into mutual aid groups near you to give and receive God’s tangible love. 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 Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Sojourners | 408 C St. NE | Washington, DC 20002 Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842