News with Nuance: July 11, 2025
Your Friday dose of News with Nuance: the week's biggest stories, unpacked + more ..
Hi Readers,
We’re in the midst of a stretch of some beautiful summer evenings - and I’m writing to you while staring off into a bright blue sky and a yard full of blooming lilies in gold, red, pink and orange. So I’ll keep this intro short - hoping that you too are finding are finding moments of peace and beauty wherever you are - even as I continue to lift in grief and prayers all those (including I know some of you) who are dealing with all sorts of climate and weather disasters this summer.
Let’s get to the news … with nuance …
But hey - if you have read Disciples of White Jesus, would you consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads? You don’t have to have purchased on Amazon to review there, but I’d very much appreciate it! Thanks so much. I know a few of you have already left reviews, and please know I cherish them from the very bottom of my heart. Your words and thoughts and time mean the world!
The Headline: Texas officials say more than 160 people still missing from floods that killed over 100 others
Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt on July 5, 2025
Photo by Brenda Bazán, The Texas Tribune
As a mom of kids of summer-camp-age, including one who went to his first-ever church camp last year, I’ve had a hard time coming to terms with the scope of devastation in Texas this past week, especially among young girls who were attending camp when disastrous floods inundated the Hill Country.
Of course there are lots of places to read about what’s happening in Texas (if you’d like to donate money to help flood victims and reconstruction efforts, I recommend giving here to the Lutheran Disaster Relief fund; they’re reputable and do such important work). I’m sharing this particular piece with you from the Texas Tribune because I’m such an admirer of their journalism work in the state of Texas, and also because they’re home to one of my favorite reporters, Robert Downen.
I also wanted to point out something that made me pause in my reading in this article, a quote from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that I think just speaks to the “off” framing in the way so many right-wing American politicians are currently approaching policy-making and framing of people in need of help.
Abbott did not provide further details into what the committees will be investigating, but responded to a reporter's question of who to point blame to as “the word choice of losers.”
“The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who's to blame,” Abbott said. "The championship teams are the ones that say, ‘Don't worry about it, man, we got this.’”
“The way winners talk is not to point fingers, they talk about solutions. What Texas is all about is solutions,” he later added.
Now, it is not at all my intention to criticize Abbott when he’s clearly dealing with a very, very difficult tragedy in his state. What I do want to note is a) the defensiveness with which he’s engaging with reporters, which doesn’t help anyone when people need information in a time of natural disaster, anxiety, and fall-out that includes people who’ve lost their homes and livelihoods. I also want to note this odd framing of “winners and losers” when it comes to natural disasters. There’s a sense that somehow the whole world must be made up of “good guys” and “bad guys.” And Abbott and his ilk are so desperate to prove that they’re the “good guys,” that they’re the “winners,” when the reality is - in an age of impending climate disaster and unrelenting climate change - there are no winners here. We are all going to need to work together, much in the same way communities and countries have to come together and pitch in together to help people who’ve endured natural disasters. And I absolutely believe Abbott’s rhetoric here is an outgrowth of Trump/MAGA/Christian Nationalism framing that says that people who go through hard times: poor people, persecuted minorities, immigrants: they must somehow deserve it. Those who are “winners” have the “solutions,” except in a time when our world’s climate is constantly shifting, changing, and extreme weather is threatening lives and livelihoods and homes - there are not easy solutions, and there are no solutions that don’t involve everyone.
The Quote:
Search and rescue teams are looking for 161 missing people in Kerr County, possible victims of the July 4 Hill Country flood whose death toll has climbed to 109 victims, according to an update from Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday afternoon.
“We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,” said Abbott, who toured the areas impacted by the flooding Tuesday.
Abbott added Tuesday that five children from Camp Mystic and a counselor were among the missing. One child who was not associated with the camp is also missing, he said. Twelve other people throughout the state are still missing, as well. …
Among those killed were 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a summertime Christian retreat for generations of Texas girls. The camp’s director, Richard “Dick” Eastland, also died.
Story by Sneha Day, Alejandro Serrano, Jayme Lozano Carver, Eleanor Klibanoff, and Colleen Deguzman, The Texas Tribune
The Headline: The United States Is About to Embark on a Terrifying Experiment in Mass Statelessness
As the second Trump administration continues its assault on immigrants (and, more broadly, the attempt to change the definition of America from a country primarily defined by its ideals to a country more defined by a common culture (a real dog whistle here to “blood and soil”) - it seems necessary every time in this newsletter to continue to explain what’s happening, and how this kind of massive change is petered out in tiny, incremental steps - that people don’t think are extreme until it’s too late.
This SLATE piece is a couple of weeks old now, so it’s not completely up-to-date with the minute-by-minute changes around this topic. But it does helpfully (and terrifyingly?) lay out the consequences of the recent Supreme Court decision that allows the Trump administration to begin to tinker with birthright citizenship.
Maybe the most important thing about this article is that it makes the abstract concrete. It’s easy for those of us non-lawyers and non-politicians to have our eyes sort of glaze over when we start reading policy or court decisions (in fact, they’re often written in this esoteric style, with lots of jargon, in order to make it difficult or unpleasant for us to read and understand). Supreme Court decisions often seem very abstract, as does politics for a majority of Americans. But as this piece states clearly: the impact of these political decisions and court cases is absolutely concrete, with very real implications for all of our lives.
The Quote:
There will be no announcement. No formal declaration that a newborn has been excluded from the promise of citizenship. Instead, there will be delays. Silences. A birth certificate that never arrives. A passport application that disappears into administrative review. A Social Security number that is never assigned, leaving a child ineligible for Medicaid, public preschool, or programs like Head Start. The family will wait. They will make phone calls, send follow-up emails, perhaps even visit a local office. Eventually they will stop trying. In some states—those that challenged the executive order early—court injunctions may block its enforcement, preserving the right to documentation. But in others, no such protections exist. And so the landscape will fracture. Two children born on the same morning in different states may receive entirely different legal treatment. One child, born in California, will grow up with access to health care, schooling, and identification. Another, born in Georgia or Indiana or Arizona, will begin life without any of those tools—not because of anything she did, but because of where her mother gave birth.
And for that second child, the consequences will not simply be delayed paperwork or bureaucratic hassle. They will be life-defining.
She will enter school late or not at all, because her parents cannot prove her age or residency. If she is enrolled, she may be dropped from programs that require federal verification. She will not qualify for school meals, Medicaid, or disability benefits. Her family may avoid clinics and hospitals, fearing attention or deportation. She will grow up hearing “no” in a dozen quiet ways: No, we can’t sign you up. No, you’re missing documentation. No, we can’t make an exception. When her classmates apply for driver’s licenses at 16, she will stay home. When they work part-time jobs or fill out the FAFSA, she will know it’s not worth trying. If she becomes pregnant at 20, she may be unable to deliver her child in a hospital without risking exposure. If she applies for housing or credit, she will be denied for lack of a legal identity. If she tries to get married, register to vote, or access public services, she will be asked to produce a document that was never issued. Her exclusion will not be dramatic. It will simply shape everything she is allowed to do.
Statelessness is not abstract. It is a condition that touches every part of daily life. International law defines a stateless person as someone “not considered a national by any state under the operation of its law.” But that language fails to capture what the experience actually means. It means not being able to enroll your child in school. It means being denied a routine vaccination because you do not have a state-issued ID. It means being turned away from an after-school program, a public library, or a doctor’s office. It means not being able to prove your age to play youth sports, not being able to sign up for a community college course, not being able to take the driving test. It means growing up knowing that systems are not built for you. And that no one is coming to fix it.
Story by Matt Watkins, SLATE
Related: Congress Throws More Money at Removing Immigrants than Most Countries Spend on Their Armies
Related: In Melissa Hortman’s Minnesota, no one’s humanity is up for debate
Related: US Supreme Court limits injunctions, allows Trump to act on birthright citizenship ban
A few more must-read stories since our last News with Nuance …
Russian drones swarm Kyiv from all sides in apparent shift of tactics
Border Wall Plans at New Mexico’s Mount Cristo Rey Raise Environmental Concerns
Poison in the water: the town with the world’s worst case of forever chemicals contamination
Hmong Minnesotan ordered deported to Laos speaks out about arrest: ‘It’s a tear in my heart’
Bonn Climate Talks Rife With Roadblocks and Dead Ends
How Do You Escape a Heat Wave When You Have Nowhere to Go?
Kenyan Christians Adapt as Churches Are Destroyed by Climate-Impacted Flooding
There’s nothing beautiful about this bill that Congress is considering
Disciples of White Jesus: Tracking down those who are weaponizing radicalization and a masculine identity that’s dangerous for men and boys
Every edition in this section of the newsletter, we’ll look at stories from around the U.S. and the world that lift up the ways in which this trend of hawking radicalization and violence to young white men and boys (often in the guise of Christianity and conservative politics - with dog whistles of white supremacy) is leading to anger, chaos, disenfranchisement, and fear for everyone. You’ll notice that many of the storylines and main characters here overlap with my previous research (and this newsletter’s previous focus) on Christian Nationalism. You’ll also read stories of the impacts of this kind of messaging on ordinary men and boys who can’t measure up to this fabricated ideal: especially financially, in a global economy that’s emphasizing massive inequality and greed.
But don’t worry - because after this section - we’ll focus on stories of hope, ways masculine identity for young men and boys is being found in compassion, care, diversity, and - when it comes to Christianity - a story closer to the gospel of Jesus himself, rooted in truth, kindness, justice, and love.
This Edition:
Remember: the underside of the propaganda about violence, winning, extreme masculine identity rooted in anger - is a story about who profits from such a myth. That’s why it’s so important to follow the $$:
GOP megabill littered with special tax breaks
Because again remember: cracking down on immigration is not about saving America money, or about preserving jobs for “Americans.” In reality: these punitive measures are all about creating an environment of fear and violence (and they cost a ton of $$). Take note:
Eight migrants deported from Djibouti to South Sudan, Homeland Security says
Then, there’s the visible cruelty of climate-related rhetoric that forces you to pretend you can’t see what’s right in front of your eyes, and that exacts its own pain, suffering, and death:
Will the Trump Administration Save Workers from Preventable Overheating Deaths?
Meanwhile, this government-sponsored propaganda hit email inboxes last week:
Remember: the abstract is concrete …
GOP budget to raise Minnesota household energy bills by 28%, analysts say
And then there’s the mental toll on those indoctrinated by violent masculinity, violence directed inwards (especially among those already at-risk and undergoing family trauma and poverty):
The foster care system has a suicide problem. Federal cuts threaten to slow fixes.
Christian Nationalists are trying to call themselves “Christian Zionists” and claiming that they have Israel’s best interests at heart, while meanwhile they stoke the flames of terrorism in Gaza, inflicting entrenched suffering for all in the Holy Land:
When Humanitarian Aid Becomes a Death Trap: A Christian Response to the Betrayal of Gaza
And then they came for the schools (and they have been) and more broadly, for education in general:
Trump administration tells states it’s freezing $6.8 billion for K-12 school programs
That money is going somewhere else …
When the Justice Department becomes a political arm meant to defend and protect the authoritarian leader:
Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Who Threatened Police Joins Justice Dept.
So much for “Back the Blue,” I guess …
This is also an era of, when the watchdog of the government relinquishes its role:
Paramount settles Trump lawsuit over Kamala Harris interview on '60 Minutes' for $16 million
And those of us who came of age in the 90s and early 00s realize how much of the groundwork for this rise of violent masculinity was laid then …
But again, those who were victims of the radicalization made popular by celebrities - often end up victims of violence directed inward as well:
Gun suicides in US reached record high in 2023
Most “Christian” administration?
ICE Goes After Church Leaders and Christians Fleeing Persecution
Fundamentalists are more connected to one another than they are connected to those who share their religious beliefs but not their fundamentalism:
Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills 25, Syrian authorities say
It’s not about babies, it’s about power:
US Supreme Court backs South Carolina effort to defund Planned Parenthood
Hopeful stories of a more excellent way forward for boys, men, and all of us:
As I mentioned at the top, it has been such a moving experience to meet so many of you out and about at events for Disciples of White Jesus. Last week, I got to meet a packed room of pastors and church leaders during a Zoom presentation at the Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly (thanks so much for the invitation, Pastor Andy!) I really feel called to doing this work especially with church leaders and volunteers, so I always love being a part of synod events. Let me know if you’d like to get on my speaking calendar for upcoming events next fall, winter or spring.
One of the most hopeful things I’ve been a part of lately has been a congressional campaign in the state of Iowa. Rep. Sarah Trone-Garriott is a fellow ELCA pastor and a friend of mine who has served the past five years in the Iowa Senate, in a previously red district, while also continuing her ministry work. She is now actively running for U.S. Congress in Iowa’s third district, attempting to flip a seat from red to blue in what has been called one of the top 10 most important Congressional races of the next election cycle.
Along with Diamond Lake Lutheran (South Minneapolis) Pastor (and friend!) Andrea Roske-Metcalfe and former ELCA presiding bishop Mark Hanson - I’m helping to put on a local fundraiser here in the Twin Cities for Sarah, on July 22 at 6 p.m. at the home of Matthew and Kirsten Anderson. If you’re local, you can RSVP here - and if you’re not local, you can also learn more about Sarah and support here at this link.
As I’ve said often - with my roles as a journalist and a parish pastor, partisan politics is not always (ever?) a comfortable place for me to be. But as the Trump Administration and Republicans continue to foster unfettered Christian Nationalism and lift up a masculinity and fundamentalism grounded in violence, now is the time to make our voices heard in opposition. Electing Sarah would be a great way to do just that.
I’ve continued to record several audio and video podcasts. Late last month, my podcast with The Revealer was released. Look for their Summer issue coming soon with an excerpt from Disciples of White Jesus. The Revealer is published by the Center for Religion and Media at NYU; grateful to work with them.
Also published recently:
This piece in response to the BBB
This writeup of my panel discussion on Disciples of White Jesus in St. Louis last month at the Cooperative Baptists Fellowship general assembly
This study/discussion guide to be used with Disciples of White Jesus (great resource for book clubs and discussion groups!)
This Substack video on the Fourth of July:
(Make sure to read Frederick Douglass’ original speech that inspired my video: What to the slave is the Fourth of July?)
And this post on preaching Fourth of July weekend:
A huge thank you as well to all of you who have shared reviews on Amazon (you don’t have to buy the book there to review there!) and Goodreads. It’s a big help to share about the book and means a lot to me. If you have read the book, please consider writing one - we could use a few more!
Upcoming Events this Month
JULY 13, 9:30 a.m. (This Sunday!)
Preaching
Cross of Glory Lutheran Church
Mounds View, MN
Find a full list of upcoming events (adding more every day) at https://www.angeladenker.com/upcoming-events
Now more (non-book-focused) encouraging developments …
I so appreciated this heartfelt article about MN Rep. Erin Murphy reflecting on the huge loss of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and her legacy
ICYMI, I wrote about Hortman here
Oklahomans continue to fight back against CN from a broad coalition
This piece of news was personal to me. I first wrote about the exploitation of college athletes in Sports Illustrated back in 2006. Now, after a few years of NIL wildness and lots of transfers, hopefully college athletics are getting onto a better path:
ICYMI, here is
’s writeup of the conference in St. Louis (don’t miss it!)
Way to go St. Francis (MN) Schools!
How One MN School District Killed Its Right-Wing Book Ban
The heroism of women during wartime is important to recount:
Unsung heroes: Hmong nurses had key role during U.S. ‘Secret War’ in Laos
And this from Germany:
As Germany’s Far Right Builds Ties With US Conservatives, Churches Push Back
The Senate Parliamentarian protecting the separation of church and state:
Clergy speaking out and speaking truth to power makes a big difference!
ICE agents scatter as SD Bishop Pham, other clergy visit immigration court
Remember that Southern Baptists make up less than half of all Baptists in the U.S.! This is a Baptist story, too:
‘The Holy Grail’: Lost 19th century anti-slavery scroll found in Mass. closet
Scandinavian churches set an example for repentance:
And I thought this article was interesting. There would be issues with this style of voting - but it’s something to consider in an age where people are often ashamed to admit who they voted for …
No polls, no machines, just hands in the air—here’s how one Swiss canton votes
Must-Reads on Substack
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This was a special FREE version of News with Nuance because there was a lot of important information I wanted to share with all readers. Thank you to all paid subscribers for making this kind of work and access possible!
Angela
A Few Notes:
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