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Jack Jenkins

@jackjenkins.me

23K followers 710 following 5.5K posts

National Reporter for Religion News Service. "Workaday writer." — The New Yorker. Author of "American Prophets," a book on the religious left. Tips? Try me on Signal: jackmjenkins.60 Website: jackjenkins.me

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · Nov 22

Hey new followers!

I'm Jack. I write about religion and politics for @rns.org.

I also wrote a book, American Prophets, which is about the modern religious left.

If you've tips or things you'd wanna leak me, my Signal is in my bio!

Also, you can grab my book here: www.amazon.com/American-Pro...

American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country

American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country [Jenkins, Jack] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country

www.amazon.com

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The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 2h

Things are happening at Portland's ICE facility tonight.

Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

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Gil Durán @gilduran.com · 5h

News: I have obtained full transcripts of Peter Thiel's Secret Antichrist Lectures (as have multiple other journalists).

They were supposed to be embargoed until 9 a.m. tomorrow, but Reuters has a story up. (They may have gotten them from a different source)

www.reuters.com/world/us/pet...

www.reuters.com

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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 6h

BREAKING: A judge blocks the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area for two weeks.

Judge blocks National Guard deployment in Illinois for 2 weeks

A judge has blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area for two weeks, finding no substantial evidence that a “danger of rebellion” is brewing in Illinois.

bit.ly

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max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 7h

New: Bari Weiss booked Hillary Clinton, Mike Pompeo, and Antony Blinken for a roundtable on Gaza, her first major move at CBS.

Notably on a CBS call today in which the panel was floated, one producer also repeatedly emphasized the need to hear from Palestinians in Gaza (Weiss did not respond).

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 9h

Rev. David Swanson, pastor at New Community Covenant Church on Chicago’s South Side, said this about his encounter w/Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino — a visible part of DHS activities.

It's not in the piece, but Swanson added: "It did feel like this is being staged for some kind of audience."

However, faith leaders in Chicago say tensions surrounding the Broadview facility have escalated over the past few weeks.
The Rev. David Swanson, pastor at New Community Covenant Church on Chicago's South Side, declined to comment directly on the lawsuit, explaining that he's only been a part of demonstrations at Broadview on one occasion.
But he said that during his visit, when large numbers of demonstrators assembled near the facility last Friday, the behavior of DHS agents left him unnerved.
At one point, he said, senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino — who has become a visible presence in DHS immigration enforcement - walked over to where Swanson and others were standing and began shoving the pastor while yelling in his face. Swanson, who was wearing a clerical collar, said Bovino yelled "I'm not going to tell you again" even as the pastor continued to move back. Part of the incident was documented by a Associated Press photographer; however, DHS officials did not respond immediately to comment on the interaction.

Swanson said the experience differed dramatically from demonstrations elsewhere he has attended. In the past, he said, he has tried to be "a presence for peace in situations that can get volatile" and a "person who different sides can be able to approach and talk with and have conversations with." But his experience at Broadview felt different.
"This was the first time that I felt like there was absolutely no regard and no respect for a person who was visibly associated with a faith tradition," Swanson said. "It did not seem like it made one iota of difference."

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 9h

NEW: A federal judge hands win to clergy (and others) who say ICE agents violated their religious freedom by, among other things, shooting them with pepper balls.

Also: a pastor tells me senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino personally shoved him last week. religionnews.com/2025/10/09/f...

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 11h

This apparently came up during the court proceedings, but I was surprised to see that it actually made it in to the TRO.

K. Chen @tznkai.bsky.social · 12h

A lot of the injunction is basically "don't do cop violence without justification" but this popped out at me

2. It is further ORDERED that all Federal Agents, excepting those who do not wear a
uniform or other distinguishing clothing or equipment in the regular performance of their official
Case: 1:25-cv-12173 Document #: 42 Filed: 10/09/25 Page 4 of 6 PageID #:838
5
duties or are engaged in undercover operations in the regular performance of their official duties,
must have visible identification (for which a unique recognizable alphanumeric identifier sequence
will suffice) affixed to their uniforms or helmets and prominently displayed, including when
wearing riot gear

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 12h

Dadgummit I forgot to tell y'all again: I was just on MSNBC talking about this.

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 12h

NEW: A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order barring Chicago-area fed agents from several violent actions they’ve taken against journalists, activists and “religious practitioners” protesting ICE — including Rev. Black, a plaintiff in the case. www.courtlistener.com/docket/71559...

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unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 12h

So this is a pretty wild part of the TRO: mandating agents wear visible identification. Taking bets on how long before they violate it, lol

It is further ORDERED that all Federal Agents, excepting those who do not wear a uniform or other distinguishing clothing or equipment in the regular performance of their official

duties or are engaged in undercover operations in the regular performance of their official duties, must have visible identification (for which a unique recognizable alphanumeric identifier sequence will suffice) affixed to their uniforms or helmets and prominently displayed, including when wearing riot gear.

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 12h

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 12h

Note: this is false. www.statnews.com/2025/10/02/a...

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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 14h

Right now, the 9th Circuit is considering whether to allow troops to deploy to Portland's ICE facility. At this moment, looks like there are only Know Your Rights and a clergyperson outside.

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 14h

This is your regular reminder that if you have a story idea, want to leak something or want share what you're seeing inside the government and/or your faith community, you can reach me via Signal here: jackmjenkins.60

There are also other ways to reach me in my bio.

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 14h

Via @clairegiangrave.bsky.social: Pope Leo calls on Catholics to care for the poor in first official exhortation —> religionnews.com/2025/10/09/p...

Pope Leo calls on Catholics to care for the poor in first official exhortation

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Leo picks up on the themes of Francis, who called for a ‘preferential treatment for the poor’ and the need for a ‘poor church for the poor.’

religionnews.com

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Michelle Boorstein @michelleboorstein.bsky.social · 14h

Police say the man who attacked Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur proclaimed allegiance to ISIS. Officials say there is no evidence the man, whose attack left two dead and three seriously wounded, was affiliated with any organized group.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

Man who attacked synagogue on Yom Kippur proclaimed allegiance to ISIS

The man called police and declared his Islamic State allegiance, but officials said there was no evidence that he was affiliated with any organized group.

www.washingtonpost.com

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 15h

He’s a Presbyterian minister.

And he told me he was, in fact, praying for the ICE agents: religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

Religious protesters say ICE threatens religious freedom in Chicago

(RNS) — Despite potential danger, religious leaders and faith activists have been a visible presence at Chicago-area ICE protests, some waving signs with slogans such as ‘Love thy neighbor’ and ‘Who w...

religionnews.com

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 16h

FWIW, this is why I literally began my own report featuring this incident with the words "last month," and recounted the stories of several faith-based demonstrators who were part of a series of protests that have occurred over the past few weeks. religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 17h

Around 200 Texas National Guard soldiers and 300 soldiers from the Illinois National Guard have been mobilized in the greater Chicago area for an initial period of 60 days, according to the military unit in command of the troops.

Texas National Guard troops are active in Chicago area, military says

Around 200 Texas National Guard soldiers and 300 soldiers from the Illinois National Guard will protect ICE agents and federal property, the military said.

www.washingtonpost.com

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RNS @rns.org · 19h

RNS reporter @jackjenkins.me joins "Complexified" to unpack how Pete Hegseth’s theology of power is reshaping one of America’s most secular institutions, what it reveals about Christian nationalism’s hold and why it matters for our democracy. Listen now!
religionnews.com/2025/10/06/b...

Baptizing the Battlefield: Pete Hegseth’s Holy War at the Pentagon

What happens when the Pentagon becomes a pulpit?

religionnews.com

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 19h

For the Musk reference, see the texts in here: gizmodo.com/elon-musk-te...

Read Elon Musk's Private Texts With Joe Rogan, Jack Dorsey, Larry Ellison, and More

The messages were filed in court as part of Twitter's lawsuit against the SpaceX CEO.

gizmodo.com

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 19h

In which the managing editor of the Babylon Bee, a conservative Christian satire website whose suspension from Twitter in 2022 spurred people in Elon Musk’s orbit to urge him to by the platform, mocks the shooting of a pastor (Rev. David Black) in the head with a pepper ball by ICE agents.

Joel Berry
@JoelWBerry • 14h
•••
He's a professional communist Antifa agitator who professionally gets pepper-sprayed in the face while wearing clerical shirts for photo ops.
He's done this several times already.
ice sprays directly in the face the lead pastor for First Presbyterian in Chicago. This photo I believe will go down in history.
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CENTRE ST
TRAN
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Joel Berry
lolol
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @Reich... •22h
The video of this incident is just as bad as it sounds. The priest is standing there, not
0:25
doing anything remotely illegal, and without warning...
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@JoelWBerry

A tweet from Joel Berry showing the moment a pepper ball struck Rev. David Black in the head, with the caption “lolol”

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Jacob Soboroff @jacobsoboroff.bsky.social · 1d

Michigan Avenue right now.

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 1d

:: blinks ::

Does…does the president think Truth Social DMs are…secure?

Sarah Posner @sarahposner.bsky.social · 1d

So of course the weirdest and most alarming thing here is that Trump intended to DM the AG on Truth Social to order her to indict Comey and accidentally posted it publicly. But there are other very weird details within...

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Inside the Justice Department Where the President Calls the Shots

The president has executed a wholesale transformation of the Justice Department, taking control in ways he could have only dreamed of in his first term.

www.wsj.com

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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 1d

BREAKING: Israel and Hamas reach agreement on "first phase" of plan to stop fighting, release hostages and prisoners, Trump says.

Israel, Hamas agree to 'first phase' of plan to end fighting, release hostages, Trump says

President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first Phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.

bit.ly

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 1d

Yes, and, also, I still think it's likely an overall negative for society.

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 2d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

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