Nostr notes by Jack Jenkins

Nostr event nevent1qqsgnyx6v4lr5jsc6kj54hm08pynsypjeew4gjf5hd9kn9rsnhk92hqzyzqwse9a9cst0s8ntfh3k7uq5d8lmq6j9q44e0q5cs0fqgzxxy7hgw0kjzw

2026-04-19T13:54:36Z

What are you reading this weekend?

In which President Trump, among other things, claims Pope Leo is ...

2026-04-13T02:24:15Z

In which President Trump, among other things, claims Pope Leo is only the pontiff because the papal electors — who are from all over the globe — "thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump."

Trump also posted the picture on the right a short time later.

EXCLUSIVE: ~400 Christian leaders have issued an Ash Wednesday ...

2026-02-18T16:57:54Z

EXCLUSIVE: ~400 Christian leaders have issued an Ash Wednesday statement decrying the Trump admin as “cruel and oppressive,” arguing the govt has been corrupted by an aberrant form of the faith and calling on Christians to perform “greater acts of courage to resist.” https://religionnews.com/2026/02/18/400-christian-leaders-urge-resistance-to-trump-administration-on-ash-wednesday/

NEW: I was one of only 3 reporters granted access to a convening ...

2026-01-24T01:57:16Z

NEW: I was one of only 3 reporters granted access to a convening of 600+ clergy in Minneapolis this week.

It was a striking show of solidarity with local clergy who have been resisting ICE, but the gathering also heralded something else: the emergence of a vast, faith-based network trained to resist ICE. https://religionnews.com/2026/01/23/inside-the-effort-to-organize-clergy-nationwide-to-resist-ice-minneapolis/

Outside Chicago, a Nativity scene features a zip-tied baby Jesus ...

2025-12-08T13:04:28Z

Outside Chicago, a Nativity scene features a zip-tied baby Jesus and Roman centurions in "ICE" vests.

Near Boston, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are absent from a Nativity scene, replaced with a sign reading "ICE was here."

It's all part of growing religious blowback to ICE. https://religionnews.com/2025/12/05/ice-nativity-scenes-churches-reimagine-christmas-story-amid-deportations/

“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would ...

2025-11-08T12:04:29Z

“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be ‘no more prayer’ in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility, in a move that mystified local leaders and raised legal questions.” https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/feds-tell-faith-leaders-no-more-prayer-outside-broadview-facility/

NEW from Aleja and me: As Trump seeks to flood DC’s streets ...

2025-08-19T23:58:11Z

NEW from Aleja and me: As Trump seeks to flood DC’s streets with federal agents and troops, churches are grappling with attendance drops, fear, and detentions.

Seven members of one immigrant-heavy church have been detained — including an usher on his way to worship. https://religionnews.com/2025/08/19/attendance-drops-fear-rises-in-immigrant-churches-as-trump-takes-over-dc/

Nostr event nevent1qqsxgu4f2gntwuu64gtza8ql74gnxlfsxzs72ckeggwfm5dlsfnadrszyzqwse9a9cst0s8ntfh3k7uq5d8lmq6j9q44e0q5cs0fqgzxxy7hg3c5y46

2025-07-08T00:44:53Z

!!!
https://flipboard.com/@newyorktimes/u.s.-6tjik97dz/-/a-sBL518f_TA6MBw8IB-Ud2w%3Aa%3A3195393-%2F0

Via Fiona André at @religionnewssvc: For years, persecuted ...

2025-06-27T19:16:55Z

Via Fiona André at @religionnewssvc: For years, persecuted Christians abroad — including Iranian Christians — has been a cause célèbre on the right, including Trump.

But this week, CBP arrested Iranian Christian asylum-seekers as their pastor looked on, his voice cracking as he begged to know why they were being detained. https://religionnews.com/2025/06/27/pastor-films-as-masked-federal-agents-arrest-iranian-christian-asylum-seekers-in-la/

Man, a Wood Thrush has no business having a song that pretty. ...

2025-06-12T12:04:30Z

Man, a Wood Thrush has no business having a song that pretty.

It’s like one of those talented friends you’ve known for years who suddenly starts belting out during karaoke and you’re like “oh come on you can sing too?!”

In convo with someone who asked a good question that has turned ...

2025-05-09T00:17:08Z

In convo with someone who asked a good question that has turned into many questions: Can Pope Leo still vote in a U.S. election, or does he lose citizenship entirely by becoming the head of state of another country?

BREAKING: Police just surrounded Rev. William Barber, prominent ...

2025-04-28T18:02:12Z

BREAKING: Police just surrounded Rev. William Barber, prominent activist and pastor, as he and others prayed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

Police then expelled everyone (including credentialed press!) from the Rotunda to (presumably) arrest them.

I've covered protests here a lot. Never seen anything like it.

My hot take on Mastodon is that, yes, it doesn’t have the user ...

2025-03-15T13:20:12Z

My hot take on Mastodon is that, yes, it doesn’t have the user base of Threads or the “juice” of Bluesky, etc.

But as a journalist, I have no plans to ever completely abandon this platform, because, if nothing else, the *overall structure* is de facto more durable than anything else out there. That durability is proven, and in an unsettled world, could prove vital to getting out information should other platforms fail/get taken down, etc.

Also, folks are mostly pretty nice here.

“I’m so proud of my fellow New York Jews and their allies for ...

2025-03-14T00:12:41Z

“I’m so proud of my fellow New York Jews and their allies for showing up, standing up, demanding the freedom for Mahmoud Khalil and also the protection for all of us,” said Award-winning screenwriter James Schamus, a Jewish faculty member at Columbia University.
https://mastodon.online/@jackmjenkins/114157507656984340

Elon Musk and DOGE are now publicly targeting religious groups ...

2025-02-02T15:28:41Z

Elon Musk and DOGE are now publicly targeting religious groups — specifically, Lutheran groups — for cuts.

Among those listed: Global Refuge (formerly LIRS), one of 6 faith-based groups that have long helped the government resettle refugees.

Not at all clear why Musk contends this funding, which is longstanding and well known, is "illegal."

Something deeply American about America’s Second Catholic ...

2024-12-30T14:30:34Z

Something deeply American about America’s Second Catholic President eulogizing America’s first evangelical president (both of whom are Democrats) at the Washington National Cathedral, which is an Episcopal Church. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/30/us/politics/jimmy-carter-funeral.html

So, if you want to attend a worship service with President-elect ...

2024-12-23T22:39:20Z

So, if you want to attend a worship service with President-elect Trump at his inauguration this year, you can.

But so far, there's only one option, and there's a catch: you'll need to either donate $100,000 or raise $200,000.

It's pay-to-pray. https://religionnews.com/2024/12/23/amid-uncertainty-around-religion-at-trumps-inauguration-reports-of-a-pay-to-pray/

1. Okay, hear me out: given the rise of protocol-based, ...

2024-11-09T15:06:55Z

1. Okay, hear me out: given the rise of protocol-based, decentralized social media (Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon) where you can follow people on *other* platforms…

…what if journalists created their own little nonprofit platform that, in addition to features, essentially functioned as verification?

The idea would echo how news wire services were built a century and a half ago, where outlets agreed going in together on shared stuff was a good idea.

Looking at polling, etc., and I still keep coming back to my ...

2024-10-30T12:41:40Z

Looking at polling, etc., and I still keep coming back to my analysis that has held steady for the past two weeks: there really, truly isn’t any solid indication so far of how the election will go.

It’s anybody’s race up to the wire. Or there’s an industry-wide polling error and one candidate will run away with it. Or it’ll be razor-thin on election night and controversy erupts.

All those are entirely — and almost equally — plausible.

NEW from me: In which I track Trump's closing argument to ...

2024-10-23T21:16:30Z

NEW from me: In which I track Trump's closing argument to evangelicals, a message rooted in the argument that Harris and Democrats are persecuting U.S. Christians.

Also: a little more detail on the "Christ is King" protesters at the Harris rally. https://religionnews.com/2024/10/23/trumps-closing-argument-to-evangelicals-i-will-protect-you-harris-wont/

Bluey: :: depicts heteronormative father who obsesses over sports ...

2024-10-07T21:00:11Z

Bluey: :: depicts heteronormative father who obsesses over sports also just loving his kids and playing with them for 8 minutes at a time ::

The Blaze: :: clutches pearls :: oh no what has become of the traditional father

Props to @npub1qjd…0eah for tracking this down: It turns out ...

2024-08-31T18:41:59Z

Props to Swapna Krishna (npub1qjd…0eah) for tracking this down: It turns out the U.S. astronauts that are unexpectedly stranded on the ISS through the November election will, in fact, be able to vote…via a hilariously complicated but nonetheless fascinating process. https://www.adastraspace.com/p/nasa-boeing-starliner-vote-iss?_bhlid=68d3773309a03b5698eefe5007aa01ebf7208c30&utm_campaign=can-boeing-starliner-astronauts-vote-from-the-iss&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=www.adastraspace.com

A thing about the DNC that kinda flew under the radar: a speech ...

2024-08-24T20:43:49Z

A thing about the DNC that kinda flew under the radar: a speech from activists pushing to eradicate lead pipes.

It highlighted the Biden admin’s action on that issue, but also, lead pipes are one of those *massive* civilizational issues that impacts millions but other folks all too often just kinda forget about.

Not that anyone here cares what I think about this stuff, but ...

2024-08-24T16:26:21Z

Not that anyone here cares what I think about this stuff, but FWIW: As a relative newcomer to the Fediverse, this does strike me as a pretty cool and potentially useful symbol, if only because it’s easily replicated and minimalistic, and, thus, scales well (and as a giant nerd, I appreciate its relevance to astronomy).
https://typo.social/@FediverseSymbol/113005945049360750