Truth and Action Roundup 10.17.26

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, your reliable weekly source for information, inspiration, and opportunities for action during the second Trump administration.  Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it. Election Section: As we prepare for the midterm elections, we want to share some of the work being done to protect fair and free elections. Start with this Sojourners story on how faith leaders are preparing for the midterms. There will also be a national No Kings call on the 29th people can sign up to attend here. This week, as early voting has begun in this year’s midterm election, we’ve seen the President’s administration escalate its assault on the constitutional order by having the Department of Justice target Representative Ilhan Omar for a politically motivated investigation. This latest act from Donald Trump’s executive branch comes after years of personal invective aimed at the House member from Minneapolis, attacking her, as well as a broad pattern of denigration aimed towards Somali people in general from the administration. Trump’s personal racism towards Somali people and the Islamophobia animating much of the administration’s policy are now being used directly in the service of undermining democracy as Americans go to the polls. As we witness an administration openly putting the full weight of the government behind prosecuting a woman out of ethnic and religious animus, Christians must commit to speaking out against this abuse of power being carried out against Congresswoman Omar. As we enter this critical flashpoint for our country, we must consider the full breadth of the meaning of democracy and our participation in it. As the country is once again asked to decide the character of our nation by voting for our own representatives, we must think about what it means if the administration can at the same time target a representative of the people, in an attempt to render her beyond the civic community, because she represents communities they hold in contempt. We must also understand that the same administration willing to aim the machinery of mass deportation toward a sitting U.S. Congressperson is also sweeping up thousands and thousands of people who are often never named. In considering our path forward, we must also speak out for the people in our communities who have been targeted with violence from the administration enabled by the same hate we see on display in this current moment. Christians across the country have often been on the front lines of resistance, and as we enter voting season, we must again answer the call our faith demands of us. –– Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners P.S. We are continuing to build an intentional community of people looking to live out their faith in our Sojourners Faith and Practice Forum on Mighty Networks. Please consider joining us. In the News Here’s a look at what happened this week: Voting has already begun in this year’s midterm elections, and we’re seeing efforts to counter Trump’s attempts to intimidate voters. Elon Musk is the biggest donor of the 2026 election cycle, giving about $366 million to conservative candidates and right-wing causes according to a federal filing. His spending this cycle outpaces the $300 million he put into Donald Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign. Georgia set a midterm record Tuesday on its first day of early voting, with more than 188,000 people casting their ballots. Black voters are driving the high turnout, making up more than 36% of the votes cast on Tuesday. Civil rights and pro-democracy groups have begun sending out trained volunteers to polling locations around the country to counter any possible deployment of armed federal agents. The volunteers, who will be unarmed and non-partisan, are there to explain voting rights, de-escalate confrontations, and document any voter intimidation or other misconduct. Trump continued to weaponize the federal government against both states and individuals. Minnesota’s top Medicaid official is worried the state could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for claims it has already paid out. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has frozen more than $550 million in Minnesota Medicaid funding since February. If CMS never pays Minnesota, the state may need to ask providers for the money back. On Monday, federal agents searched the home of U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D. – Minn.). The Justice Department historically has avoided public investigative actions involving a candidate within 60 days of an election, which has led top Democrats to seize on the timing of this search as an example of “continued corrupt weaponization” of the Justice Department against President Trump’s political adversaries. President Trump has formed a committee of his own political appointees to investigate unproven allegations against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, who Trump has sought to oust. Many analysts believe the committee is meant to enable Trump to fire Cook by clearing procedural hurdles raised by the June Supreme Court ruling that blocked Cook’s firing. International news remained turbulent, especially as it relates to Ukraine, Iran, and Cuba. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he would not abide by the U.S. plea not to attack Russian refineries, and Russian President Vladimir Putin refused President Trump’s demand for a cease-fire, making an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine seem more distant than ever. Tensions between Zelensky and Trump were already high after the U.S. decided last week to lift sanctions on Russian diesel. The U.S. military has new strike plans that include possibly using the “mother of all bombs (MOAB)” on Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Trump gives the order to resume combat operations. There’s significant concern that the bomb could be used due to its surface level destructive power and psychological effects as an attempt to declare victory despite the fact that it lacks the penetrative power to destroy possible nuclear facilities located deep underground. The Cuban government is planning to transition the island to renewable energy amid the oil blockade imposed by the United States that is strangling the nation’s economy. Even before the blockade, Cuba had already been installing solar farms with China-supplied panels, shipments of which have increased since the blockade took effect in January. Take Action SojoAction is currently calling on Attorneys General to commit to protecting free and fair elections. The Worker’s Circle is also calling on Sheriffs to pledge to protect free and fair elections. What We’re Reading “Ms. Rachel Is Simply Prophetic” | “For two years, in the rectory where I live, my spouse and I hosted two parents seeking asylum along with their Canadian-born child.” (by Gerlyn Henry)” “This Is What An Antifascist Spirituality Looks Like” | “At the beginning of the second Trump administration, a homemade yard sign appeared in my neighborhood.” (by Adam Joyce) Deep Breaths This week, the SojoAction team gathered with the Kettering Foundation at Airlie for "Future Tense: Imagining What Comes Next." We came together as faith leaders, organizers, scholars, and others to ask what kind of future we're building and how we build it together. It felt fitting to ask those questions at Airlie, a place that hosted the NAACP’s first annual Civil Rights Conference, the only venue south of the Mason-Dixon line to host an integrated gathering at the time. Being at Airlie reminded me that the work we explored this week is part of a larger legacy, one carried forward by the leaders and movements that came before us.  In that space, we were challenged to move beyond practice into theory, to dream with a prophetic imagination, and to clarify what a shared goal looks like together. But one line from youth panelist Rev. T. Micah Washington has stayed with me: "Ready is a decision, not a feeling." This was a needed reminder for me, as someone deeply committed to justice, that it can often feel like taking one impactful step forward is not enough, but it is. As we near the final days before the election, I pray we decide to be ready. I pray we use our hands and feet to show our hearts. I pray we take time to lament with our neighbors who are hurting because of immigration policy, the economy, and the ongoing fight for racial justice. In a world that feels like it's drawing further away from care and compassion, I pray we remain curious, empathetic, and constantly in search of joy. I pray we pay attention to the things that feel challenging yet that pull our hearts. I pray our hearts remain tender, gentle, and firmly committed to a love embodied through action. I pray this election is one step toward concretely creating a world that seeks to freely give and embody agape love like God. I pray that we would not only be filled with the Spirit but also persistently negate selfish motives. I hope we dare ourselves to create worlds that center on giving up our privileges for the betterment of humanity. — Aleah LaForce, SojoAction Fellow 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 Education and Engagement Program Manager: Cortnie Brooks Mobilizing & Policy Fellows: Alyssa Parker & Aleah LaForce Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842