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Today is Wednesday, Dec. 4, 47 days before Inauguration Day. In today’s Truth and Action Roundup, we report on the turmoil surrounding some of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for top administration positions, reflect on the impact of North Carolina’s strict voter identification law, and bring you the latest on political upheaval in South Korea. We also provide a resource for centering the voices of migrant people in your Advent devotions and encourage you to send us your own reflections and experiences of Advent hope. Finally, we offer you spiritual sustenance for the season ahead, including some that you’ve shared with us.

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

In the News

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

1) Some of Trump’s picks for key positions in his administration are running into significant turbulence. Most prominently, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice for secretary of defense, has come under intense scrutiny as even some Trump allies raise questions about his fitness for the role. At issue are allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse, sexism, and financial mismanagement that have emerged in recent days. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst are two of the possible replacements reportedly being considered for the role. Meanwhile, Trump’s choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Agency, Sheriff Chad Chronister, withdrew his name from consideration after only three days. His selection had generated backlash from the right due to his enforcement of covid protocols in Hillsborough County, Florida, which includes the city of Tampa.

2) North Carolina has continued to be at the center of the national debate around the right to vote. After a series of court battles, last month’s election was the first major test of its controversial photo ID voting law. The good news is that only 1,670 people’s ballots were rejected due to lack of an ID, which amounts to one in every 3,400 ballots cast — just 0.02%. The bad news is that Black voters’ ballots were rejected disproportionately, with 30% of rejected ballots belonging to Black voters despite Black voters making up about 20% of the electorate in the state. Furthermore, voting rights attorneys have pointed out that it’s not possible to know how many voters were discouraged from even trying to vote due to the ID requirements. Research has shown that the alleged voter fraud that proponents of these laws cite as the reason for restrictions is largely a myth.

3) In international news, South Korea was shaken yesterday when its current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, declared martial law but was forced to revoke it just hours later after Parliament unanimously voted it down and the military backed off. The incident has already generated a wave of protests, and impeachment proceedings have been initiated against President Yoon by the opposition party.

Take Action

Consider using Sojourners’ Journeying Together Advent Devotional this season. It focuses on uplifting the voices and journeys of migrant people, which is especially important in a time such as this. You can download it for free here.
What’s giving you hope this Advent? We deeply appreciated all the stories and reflections of thanksgiving that you shared with us last week. Given that the season of Advent is about anticipation of what is to come, we want to know: What's giving you hope this Advent? Please email us your answers at TARU[email protected], and we’ll share as many as possible in future editions of the Truth and Action Roundup (we’ll keep sharing your submissions on what you’re thankful for, too!).

Deep Breaths

As we reflect on hope during this Advent season, we draw strength for today and look for brighter hope for tomorrow. Howard Thurman beautifully expresses our dependence upon God in his prayer, “O God, I Need Thee,” which speaks to our deepest needs for time, order, and a future grounded in divine hope.

Today we share a note from reader Eve W. May we all find hope in the small things and our connections with one another.

“I’m grateful for human contact, whether it’s with the young man bagging my groceries or a close friend who listens to my concerns, or maybe someone who has an interesting idea at Bible study, or someone else somewhere who finds an idea of mine interesting. I’m grateful for the things I hear and read that are wise and hopeful. And I’m thankful for the generosity of nature, the trees, the birds, the light, all of it.”

I invite you to join me on a soulful journey in this playlist of Advent hope. Let these songs be a soundtrack for your journey through this season of waiting and renewal.

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

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
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

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