Jack Jenkins

Astronaut Jim Lovell, famed Apollo 13 commander, dies at 97 Lovell was also the first astronaut to go to space four times and part of the Apollo 8 crew, the first to launch on the Saturn V rocket and first to orbit the moon.

BREAKING: Astronaut Jim Lovell, famed for leading the Apollo 13 mission safely back to Earth after a life-threatening explosion, dies at 97, according to a family statement.

More to the point: Acolyte (outside of literal church usage) is also often used in religion reporting to describe devotees of a leader who operate independently, whereas here Wilson’s acolytes often just literally work for him.

No, it’s super fair to use it here!

I’m more just pointing out that Wilson has a tendency to bring fans of his work into his own immediate circles — or just, like, straight-up hire them.

People use “acolyte” a lot, and that’s certainly true for the person in question here (Joe Rigney), but it’s worth noting just how close the connection is.

Joe Rigney, who wrote “The Sin of Empathy” book, is a theology professor at Wilson’s college and frequently hosts Wilson’s own podcasts.

JUST IN: The Trump administration detained and is attempting to quickly deport a Syrian Druze woman, paroled into the US in 2022 while seeking asylum.

A judge today ordered her released from custody. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

How big Christian nationalism has come courting in North Idaho COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho (RNS) — ‘If we put God back in Idaho, then God will always protect Idaho‚ amen?’

3. But for a bit more detailed backstory here — especially the Idaho context in which Wilson operates — see here: religionnews.com/2023/02/22/h...

With Pete Hegseth in the pews, a Christian nationalist church plant launches in DC WASHINGTON (RNS) — Christ Kirk DC is the latest example of pastor Doug Wilson's growing sphere of influence among a cadre of conservatives sometimes described as the 'New Right.'

2. This become more explicit recently, when Wilson planted a church in DC near the U.S. Capitol: religionnews.com/2025/07/14/w...

1. For the curious, a bit of background: This has been building for a while.

Wilson has been around for some time, but he began making political inroads over the last 5-ish years. religionnews.com/2024/05/31/t...

U.S. Defense Secretary promotes interview in which Christian nationalist Doug Wilson says women shouldn't have the right to vote. Hegseth goes to a Wilson-affiliated church and sends his kids to one of Wilson’s schools. 1/2

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intends to take military control of all of Gaza. The comments come despite intensifying criticism over the devastating war in the Palestinian enclave. Follow Reuters live coverage: reut.rs/3H0OnaQ

Scoop: U.S. brokers meeting between UN and Gaza Humanitarian Foundation The U.S. wants the UN and GHF to cooperate. Until now, they hadn't been speaking.

JUST IN: U.S. brokers meeting between UN and Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

U.S. plans to ease human rights criticism of El Salvador, Israel, Russia Leaked draft reports show the Trump administration is planning to eliminate or downplay accounts of prisoner abuse, corruption, LGBTQ+ discrimination and other claims.

Leaked draft reports show the Trump administration is planning to eliminate or downplay accounts of prisoner abuse, corruption, LGBTQ+ discrimination and other alleged abuses. @mradamtaylor.bsky.social @hannahnatanson.bsky.social @johnphudson.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Cornyn Says F.B.I. Will Help Find Texas Lawmakers Who Fled State

“Senator John Cornyn said on Thursday that the F.B.I. had agreed to his request to help track down dozens of Democratic Texas state lawmakers who left the state to prevent a vote on a redistricting plan.”

Building map, marked "Divinity Hall, first floor," with all rooms marked byt one with white paper taped over the prior name.

When I went to my office yesterday to get some books, I noticed that all the signs in Divinity Hall have small pieces of white paper taped over wherever any references to "diversity" or "inclusion" used to be...

Sen. Cotton urges IRS to review CAIR's nonprofit status, alleges ties with terror groups (RNS) — Cotton’s letter is the latest in a series of accusations claiming CAIR has ties to terror organizations and denouncing the group’s pro-Palestinian activism.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has urged the IRS to open an investigation into the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ nonprofit status over its alleged “deep ties to terrorist organizations.”
religionnews.com/2025/08/06/s...

PSA: (Mostly) off social media for a bit, but feel free to @ me or shoot me a line whenever — just might be a delayed response.

See y’all soon.

Even wilder: Trump has hinted multiple times over the years that he kinda-sorta wishes he could take a victory lap for developing the COVID vaccine — which, under a different president, would be a legacy-defining achievement.

But he basically can’t, because his base is in a very different place.

The thing about this: it’s targeted at mRNA tech.

It’s just an extremely 2025 thing. In the 20th century, the idea that the U.S. would willingly slash funding for a domestically developed tech acclaimed worldwide would be unthinkable.

Just a wild departure from the mindset of the American Century.

Texas Rep. James Talarico calls Democrats' redistricting exodus an act of faith (RNS) — Talarico said: ‘It’s not just a political struggle, it is a spiritual struggle, and we need to shield ourselves and be ready for the fight ahead.’

“Democracy is a lot more than just a constitution; it’s a covenant,” said Texas Rep. James Talarico, one of dozens of Democratic legislators who have left Texas in redistricting dispute. My @rns.org story: religionnews.com/2025/08/05/j...

RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for vaccine development The Department of Health and Human Services plans to cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary and a longtime vaccine critic, announced in a statement Tuesday that $500 million worth of vaccine development projects, all using mRNA technology, will be halted.”

Ryan Burge joins the Danforth Center at Washington University (RNS) — A political scientist and former small-church pastor, Burge has long studied the intersection of religion and politics.

Had a chat with Ryan Burge, best know for his bit-sized, viral graphs about religion, about his new role ‪@ctrrelpol-washu.bsky.social‬

religionnews.com/2025/08/05/r...

Josh Shapiro calls Netanyahu’s denial of starvation ‘abhorrent’, urges Trump to ‘flood the zone’ With Gaza aid Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s sharp language comes as Democrats have been increasingly critical of Israel’s war conduct.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of international hunger reports “abhorrent” and “wrong,” a signal of how far Israel’s government has drifted from the Jewish Democratic establishment Shapiro exemplifies.

REPORTER: Speaker Johnson was in the West Bank and said it belongs to the Jewish people. Is that official US policy?

TAMMY BRUCE: Clearly that's his opinion

REPORTER: But it's not the opinion of the govt?

BRUCE: I'm not going to speak about the opinion of the govt

FBI reports hate crimes hit 2nd largest record in 2024 More than half of hate crimes involved attacks involving race or ethnicity

Hate crimes in the United States last year hit their second-largest total since the FBI started keeping data, in a sign that bias-motivated crimes aren't subsiding, according to new numbers www.axios.com/2025/08/05/h...

'This is domestic terror': Shaken by ICE raids, pastors rethink ministries (RNS) — The fear of raids has pushed some congregations back to pandemic-era worship strategies.

ICYMI: For weeks, DHS has denied ICE/gov agents are conducting immigration enforcement on the grounds of houses of worship.

DHS finally acknowledged it was happening last week to RNS, but insisted it’s “rare.”

RNS tracked at least 10 instances at or near churches. religionnews.com/2025/08/04/w...

'This is domestic terror': Shaken by ICE raids, pastors rethink ministries (RNS) — The fear of raids has pushed some congregations back to pandemic-era worship strategies.

NEW: @rns.org has tracked at least 10 incidents of apparent federal agents conducting immigration enforcement activity on church grounds or in the immediate area, with incidents spread across five states and Puerto Rico.

“This is domestic terror,” one pastor said. religionnews.com/2025/08/04/w...

Far-right militias adored the Constitution. Then came Trump. Right-wing activists have long warned of the coming federal invasion. Where are they now that it's happened?

America's militia movement may adore Donald Trump. But that doesn't include Ammon Bundy.

Bundy, who has been something of a folk hero in the patriot movement, has been vocally critical of Trump's immigration raids, calling them a "direct opposition to the founding principles of this nation.”

'This is domestic terror': Shaken by ICE raids, pastors rethink ministries (RNS) — The fear of raids has pushed some congregations back to pandemic-era worship strategies.

When church is no longer a refuge. Great reporting by @jackjenkins.me religionnews.com/2025/08/04/w...

The head of the Anglican church in Korea had put out a statement calling for her release, so this escalated quickly.