Truth and Action Roundup 10.17.25

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, your reliable weekly source of information, inspiration, and opportunities for action during the second Trump administration.   Tomorrow, thousands of people are planning to participate in “No Kings” demonstrations and protests expressing dissent from the Trump Administration. Communities from Connecticut to California will demonstrate despite Republican rhetoric aimed at painting them and their neighbors as dangerous and seditious. They will gather to express their belief in a multiracial democracy that serves the interests of everyone. While this isn’t an explicitly religious vision, it aligns with the principle of honoring the divine in everyone. Unlike this broad and diverse idea of the nation, we have seen the worst currents of thought in U.S. history repeatedly displayed this week. A group chat among Republican operatives leaked to the press, showing them regularly using demeaning language and racist, antisemitic, misogynistic, and homophobic stereotypes. In response, Vice President J.D. Vance argues that these were simply “stupid jokes” from “kids” that shouldn’t carry any consequences. In this vision of the nation, we cannot expect people in their thirties seeking positions of responsibility not to be bigots in their thinking and speech. More important than the bigoted language, however, are the consequences we’re seeing from this myopic vision being enacted nationwide. As the government shutdown continues, the president himself is gleefully firing government workers and threatening to deny those who are furloughed their back pay. As the administration characterizes these retributive firings as targeting “Democrat” programs, analysis has shown that the departments targeted are those with the highest numbers of Black employees. We’re seeing the broader impact of this and the targeting of DEI programs in general, with 300,000 Black women leaving the workforce this year. As we will see tomorrow, there is an alternative vision of the nation that we can loudly embrace and champion. This is a vision that challenges us to do more than accept hateful rhetoric quietly; it calls us to build a culture and community where everyone can thrive. As people of faith, we must take an active role in advocating for this expansive vision, which acknowledges the humanity in all of us. - Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners In the News The Trump Administration continues its attempts to assert authority and project power: In response to the newly proposed restrictions on reporting, news outlets broadly rejected the guidelines before the deadline for agreement, with many planning to continue their journalism without direct access to the Pentagon. Trump has also continued to target Venezuela with an announcement of another strike on a civilian vessel, which posed no immediate danger in international waters. He’s also threatening land attacks on the country while announcing he’s authorized covert operations without any Congressional approval or apparent hostile act from Venezuela. Admiral Alvin Hosey, who leads military operations in Latin America, will resign at the end of the year, reportedly over concerns about the operations in the Caribbean. We’re also seeing the Trump Administration favor political allies in increased aid for Argentina, totaling forty billion dollars, while attempting to overhaul the refugee system to favor ideological allies and white Europeans. Meanwhile, analysis shows 230,000 people will lose access to food aid in the District of Columbia area alone as a result of the recent legislation passed by Congress. Meanwhile, we see racism expressed in different forms and on various levels: In a move that could severely impact southern states, the Supreme Court, following oral arguments on Wednesday, appears ready to weaken the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Eliminating Section 2 would enable states to gerrymander freely, allowing those in power to redraw districts without federal oversight. A trove of leaked chats among Young Republican leaders revealed racist and violent language, offering a troubling glimpse into the group’s culture. The Young Republican National Federation has since urged those involved to step down. While leaders from both parties condemned the messages, Vice President J.D. Vance downplayed them, saying young people shouldn’t be “canceled” over an “offensive, stupid joke.” U.S. Capitol Police are investigating an altered American flag with red and white stripes shaped into a swastika found in Rep. Dave Taylor’s office. The flag, displayed in a staffer’s cubicle and seen during a virtual meeting, has been denounced by Taylor, who suspects “foul play.” The Trump administration’s new spending package provides significant tax breaks to the top 1%, while increasing taxes on the poorest Americans and offering limited relief to the middle class. In doing so, lawmakers have reinforced the nation’s long pattern of economic racism—favoring the wealthy and powerful while widening the racial wealth divide that continues to burden Black and brown communities. The impact of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation regime continues to be felt as well: In Chicago, parishioners at St. Jerome Catholic Church were urged to be cautious as federal agents were seen in the community during Sunday Mass. Border Patrol agents also deployed tear gas after a high-speed chase in the South Side of the city. Marimar Martinez, who was shot at by Border Patrol in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago, pleaded “not guilty” to assault charges after video contradicted law enforcement’s characterization of the incident. The continued fallout from the indiscriminate targeting in deportation operations is being felt among workers nationally and is particularly acute in Washington, DC. Community members are also memorializing missing community members with signs denoting their removal and absence. Veterans are also finding themselves as targets for arrests in ICE raid protests. The Justice Department also demanded the removal of a group that warned people of ICE’s presence from Facebook. In further international news, we’re seeing hopeful developments in many areas while continuing to monitor developments in conflict zones: The first phase of the ceasefire agreement remains in place despite restrictions on aid and continued violence in Gaza, which are against the agreed terms. Palestinians released by Israel are returning home to celebration while contending with the fallout of the bombardment, which has transformed their communities in their absence. We are also seeing joyous scenes of Israelis returning home after their release from Hamas. In Sudan, there is increasing scrutiny around the role of the United Arab Emirates in the ongoing civil conflict after it blocked an attempt at a United States-brokered framework for a ceasefire in the conflict. Deliberations continue as forces continue to besiege the city of El-Fasher where civilians have been targeted by forces opposed to the government. Take Action As we mentioned in the introduction, we’re partnering with Indivisible and organizations across the country tomorrow for the second “No Kings” protest. We’re asking people to contact their Senators and Representatives and demand they keep healthcare affordable. Join Sojourners President Rev. Adam Russell Taylor at NYAPC next week for the McClendon Scholar lecture on a “Call for Moral Courage,” which people can register to attend in person or online. All in-person attendees will receive a copy of his latest book, “A More Perfect Union”. On October 20th, there will be a live session with Dr. Harold Dean Trulear on theology and incarceration; you can register for it here. What We’re Reading “The Christian Activists Supporting A Conversion Therapy Ban.” | “Conversion therapy denies the image of God in queer people; it tells them they must change to be loved by God,” (By Emma Cieslik) “How Pope Leo Is Challenging American Catholics on Immigration” | “It’s a big change in their self-understanding,” Faggioli said. “Because if you see yourself as a native, you see the others as migrants who don’t belong.” (By Naomi Taxay) Deep Breaths  right /rīt/ noun plural noun: rights something to which one has a just claim; a power or privilege to which one is justly entitled. Our rights–they are civil and sacred. And they are under attack.  In civic life, “right” is what rhetoricians call an ideograph, a word so powerful it shapes how we live, even when we disagree on what it means. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the crown jewel of the civil rights movement. This landmark law leveled the civic playing field for African Americans, removing barriers to the right to vote as citizens of the United States. Yet it has been under siege since its inception. This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could further gut the Voting Rights Act by dismantling Section 2. During oral arguments, Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested that protections against racial discrimination in redistricting should have an end date—as if the struggle for equal representation has an expiration. We are under attack from every side. A Congress protecting its own interests allows a government shutdown to harm workers and families. An executive branch punishes dissent. A conservative Supreme Court erodes the rights of marginalized communities. But scripture reminds us: We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. The power of resurrection and community still lives in us. The framers of the Constitution recognized the importance of the right to assemble—to petition the government when it fails the people. Gathering together is how we make visible that something is wrong, and that we will not be silent. This weekend, I’ll join others at a No Kings Rally close to home—standing with those who envision a world where every vote is respected, every body valued, and every child safe. When we come together, we remind those in power that they serve the people—not the other way around. So I ask: What are you doing this weekend? Grab a friend or neighbor. Show up at a rally near you. Speak up. Let your voice be heard. May our gathering be our testimony. Rev. Moya Harris, Senior Director of Programs, Sojourners The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps Political Director: Chad V. Stanton Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842