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This newsletter was born on Nov. 1, 2024, as a resource during the post-election period. Next week, the Roundup will go out three times, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, to help keep our readers informed. Feel free to share it with anyone who would find this information useful. If you would like to opt out of next week’s round of the newsletter, you can do so here.

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. We’d also like to share these tips on how churches can protect the midterms from our President, Rev. Adam Taylor.

Next Tuesday, Nov. 3, people across the country will head to the polls to choose their representatives in local, state, and federal offices. This week has shown just how much these choices matter, as we continue to learn about preparations to once again launch missile strikes against Iran. This news, along with reports of more deadly U.S. military strikes in the eastern Pacific and continued threats against Cuba, demonstrates the urgent need for an active legislature to hold an increasingly militaristic White House accountable.

These life-or-death decisions cannot be left up to any single person or branch of government. We can see for ourselves the consequences of this haphazard approach to deadly force in the lives lost throughout this monthslong war. Not only have we seen civilians killed in Iran, along with combatants on both sides of the conflict, but we’ve also seen the cost of living jump to levels that are causing pain around the world.

Here at home, tariffs, also imposed at the whim of the White House, are compounding this pain. Our communities continue to suffer as our loved ones are targeted for mass deportation, with our neighbors picked up and shipped across the world to places they’ve never been. As people cast their ballots, we must understand that this vital act of self-determination is only the first step in creating an accountable government that safeguards the lives of everyone.

–– 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:

There was a flurry of international developments in the news as elections and protests took place and conflicts continued.
- Flávio Bolsonaro, a far-right senator, fled Brazil for the United States after losing Sunday’s presidential runoff to the incumbent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil’s Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender his passports over his possible involvement in a $905 million money laundering scheme. The Trump administration has granted him and his family U.S. visas.
- A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Tuesday ordered an investigation into alleged ties between Rockbridge Network, a donor group co-founded by Vice President JD Vance, and Flávio Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign. Before the election, Rockbridge’s alleged activities in Brazil had triggered several complaints from Bolsonaro’s political opponents.
- Iranian families are cutting back on food, housing, and education amid a surge in inflation fueled by the eight-month-old war with the United States, which has compounded the impact of decades of economic sanctions. Consumer prices in September were nearly 90% higher than a year earlier.
- Youth-led protests continue across several European countries, driven by frustrations with shabby schools, lack of economic opportunity, cost of living, corruption, housing and more. In Serbia, nearly two years of student-led protests culminated this week in the ouster of longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic, as a student-backed slate defeated his ruling party in Sunday’s parliamentary election.
The Trump administration’s deportation regime continued its cruel work.
- In the last eight months, the number of state and local police officers working with ICE has doubled, according to a new report. The immigration reform advocacy group FWD.us analyzed ICE’s 287(g) program, which deputizes state and local police for immigration enforcement. It found that more than 29,000 officers have been deputized since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, more than double the 11,600 deportation officers ICE employs directly.
- The 5th U.S. Circuit Court ruled 10-7 Friday that immigrants who entered the country illegally don’t have a right to seek bond while they’re in custody and facing deportation proceedings. One of the dissenting judges wrote that the ruling has created “an impenetrable wall between the Constitution and these long-term residents.”
- The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the Trump administration to stop immigration judges from temporarily pausing some deportation cases. In a one-sentence order, the court denied an emergency request to reinstate administrative closure, a practice that allows judges to do just that. The group that filed the request argues that the Trump administration colluded with Texas to end the practice.
Election Day is right around the corner, and developments are coming fast and furious around the country.
- The latest polling shows Democrats leading in several pivotal Senate races, suggesting that Republicans are on the verge of losing their majority in the chamber. Democratic candidates are ahead in Texas, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Minnesota, Georgia, and Alaska, among others.
- The FBI raided a Beverly Hills, California home in connection with its investigation into former Rep. Eric Swalwell. Swalwell resigned from Congress earlier this year after allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.
- Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and Republican Senate candidate, has built a relationship with Tracy Duhon, an aspiring Christian influencer, and the two have traveled abroad and celebrated holidays together, according to the New York Times. Paxton’s wife, Angela, filed for divorce last year on “biblical grounds.”
- Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, was reportedly warned by campaign staffers and Ohio Republicans not to run a controversial attack ad on his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, that featured her estranged mother. Some staffers have reportedly considered resigning over his decision to run it.
- Georgetown law professor Steve Vladeck breaks down two lawsuits the Justice Department filed in California and Alaska, which he argues amount to preemptive interference in next Tuesday’s elections. Vladeck writes that in both cases,“the federal government is taking it upon itself to seek to cast doubt on the results of the elections before people have even finished voting.”

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.
Faith Communities for Free and Fair Elections is asking people to email their election officials and urge them to protect every vote.

What We’re Reading

“I Vote Because I’m A Christian” | “Voting is a way for us to make our earthly home more closely resemble the eternal reign of God to which we all look forward.” (by Rev. Adam Russell Taylor)
“The Tough Midterms Choices Facing Mainline Protestants” | “As a pastor, denominations like mine have seen better days. But this election season gives us an opportunity to lead responsibly and faithfully.” (by Michael Woolf)

Deep Breaths

Take Care of Yourself

Beloved, we have been breathing together for almost two years. The Truth and Action Roundup began as a response to the threat of election subversion in 2024. Week after week, we have shared truth, ways to engage in resistance and moments of reflection and prayer. Thank you for returning week after week. We are in this together.

I have to admit: I have not been focusing on my breathing these last few weeks. I have been so busy doing the work and anticipating my next task that I forgot to breathe. Yesterday, someone asked me what I am doing this weekend to take care of myself before Election Day. I honestly hadn't considered it. I had to pause. Nothing came to mind. I mean, nothing.

The very first Deep Breath entry came from a column I wrote on Oct. 31, 2024, titled "This Election Is Critical. So Is Taking Time to Rest." Here are some reminders, lightly updated, that I had pushed to the back of my mind:

Rest is a powerful and essential tool we often overlook when overwhelmed. God has gifted us with an incredible nervous system that alerts us when we are taking in too many stimuli. For example, if you've ever caught yourself doomscrolling and feeling anxious about the state of our democracy, you may have experienced heart palpitations, insomnia, headaches, difficulty focusing, or increased irritability. These are all signs of being overwhelmed; our bodies will tell us when they need a break.

Unfortunately, many of us — myself included — have learned to ignore these alarms inside us. When I worked as a nurse, we called this alarm fatigue, or the subconscious tendency to tune out lower-level monitor alarms when they go off repetitively in error, such as when a patient shifts in bed, or a heart rate monitor becomes loose. In our daily lives, we might ignore these alarms because we're on a deadline, or because we have this passion for helping people in need that often results in us burning the candle at both ends. In both nursing and our daily lives, when we ignore the minor alarms, we train our nervous system to ignore all alarms, including the critical ones telling us to rest. We then cannot recognize when something is wrong. This long election season has created the perfect environment for alarm fatigue.

Prolonged stress takes a physical toll on our bodies, keeping us in a constant state of heightened awareness — what we call "fight-or-flight" mode. During this state, our brain releases chemicals like adrenaline, dopamine, and cortisol to help us react quickly. Unfortunately, keeping these chemical levels high for too long harms our bodily functions and well-being. We get stuck in a vicious cycle that can increase anxiety, depression, blood pressure, and heart rate.

The good news is that God has given us tools to help our bodies reset — tools we can't buy on Amazon. We can stop this vicious cycle by including cycles of rest in our daily lives, especially as we hold on just a little while longer during the uncertainty after Election Day.

Resetting our nervous system doesn't mean we must take a two-week vacation to Iceland to experience the geothermal hot springs (although, hey, it wouldn't hurt). Rest also means more than just taking a nap for 30 minutes. Rest can mean practicing breathwork for a minute as you shift tasks. It can look like creating boundaries, allowing for a few minutes of buffer between online meetings. Rest can look like looking out your window at the trees across the street. In the words of musical artist George Clinton, rest can look like dancing "your way out of your constrictions." Rest can be whatever you need to shake off the feelings of dread that this election season has created.

Did you know that the simple act of slow, deep breathing for a minute can decrease the cortisol in our bodies that causes anxiety? We tend to hold our breath when stressed, which increases cortisol. Slow, deep breaths blow off carbon dioxide and increase the oxygen to our brains, which begins to regulate our nervous systems. Try it! There are apps like Calm and Headspace that can guide you in breathing.

Rest also includes prayer. Research has shown physiological benefits of worship, like lowered blood pressure and heart rate and improved mental health. Prayers of gratitude and thanksgiving go a long way during the day. It is easy to forget the most basic discipline of our faith when we move into a cycle of despair. Rituals of prayer, both in solitude and in community, help the soul rest in God's amazing love.

So, back to that question. This weekend, I am going to spend some simple time with family and friends. It is not grand, and it does not need to be. I invite you to do the same: Before Tuesday, name one way you will rest. Write it down. Tell someone. Then breathe with me, in for four counts and out for six. We can hold on a little while longer, together.

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
Education and Engagement Program Manager: Cortnie Brooks Mobilizing & Policy Fellows: Alyssa Parker & Aleah LaForce

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Friday, October 30, 2026

Truth and Action Roundup 10.30.26