Two of our stories today speak to efforts to build and maintain communities. Anna Mulrine Grobe talked to veterans monitoring the nomination of Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense. These women and men, often driven by personal experience, were watching today’s confirmation hearings closely for indications of whether their community will sustain efforts to confront sexual assault in its ranks.

Patrik Jonsson, meanwhile, takes us to Darien, Georgia, which voted for President-elect Donald Trump, as well as their first Black sheriff, a Democrat. To many, the town’s common ground is creating a place with shared values and respect in a polarized time. But, as Patrik notes, it’s complicated – and requires a long-term commitment to the collective good.