Jennifer Jordan
@sociologyofplants.bsky.social
Historical sociologist working on beer, food, cities, waterways, textiles. My book on hops in 19th century Wisconsin out in Fall 2026, https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo271049878.html aka @sociologyofplants aka @historicalhops
There are a lot of details in here about Zuck releasing a half-baked product, but one thing that really stands out is just how weird these folks are. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/t...
Our long national nightmare of minimizing toxic chemicals in our food is finally over. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
FDA may allow some toxic chemicals to be added to food without safety review. Experts are alarmed
Regulator looks to expand loophole to allow dangerous compounds in food as long as they’re not carcinogenic
theguardian.com
“In some rural counties from Oregon to New Hampshire, older Americans shopping for private Medicare Advantage plans will find that options have vanished completely or are dwindling to just a few plans… as open enrollment begins this month, roughly five million people will be forced to switch plans”
Private Medicare Plans Are Raising Costs And Forcing Millions To Find New Insurance
As enrollment for Medicare Advantage begins this month, older Americans are confronting fewer options because insurers are discontinuing coverage in many areas.
nytimes.com
New report on economic cost of anti-immigration campaign projects 8.6% reduction in retirement payments by 2034
Trump immigrant purge could cut social security for Americans by $2,000 a year
theguardian.com
More than two dozen workers at three major publishing houses—HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette—tell WIRED that LLMs are being used for publicity, cover art, back cover copy, and emails, as some execs push junior staff to champion the tech. Read the full story: buff.ly/p0ymGmN
Anthropic's new User Policy forbids you from engaging in "sustained and needless abusive or cruel behavior toward our models". It does not, however, explain what the fuck this could possibly mean.
2026 Usage Policy update
We’re publishing a new version of our Usage Policy. In this post, we summarize the changes we’ve made.
anthropic.com
"My assailant was found responsible for my sexual assault ... His punishment? He received a 'written reprimand,' was ordered to write a 'reflection paper,' and was placed on behavioral probation until he graduated two months later." Must-read by a Cornell grad: www.thecut.com/article/i-wa...
I’m Not the Only Cornell Student Title IX Failed
When I was raped in 2023, my attacker, too, only had to write an essay. Now, I see I’m not alone.
thecut.com
I reanalyzed the CDC data behind the LGB “free fall” headline. It rests on a change in bisexual identification among one grade, in one wave, of one survey. Gay or lesbian identification did not change significantly. Calling it a "free fall" is sensational and just gives bad actors talking points.
The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com · 4d agoYoung teenagers are less likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual than a few years ago, according to a new analysis. “It really does look like a free fall,” Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology, said. “But what’s causing it is unclear.”
SOURCE CALL: I'm looking to interview with folks who sold PBR (either as an employee of Pabst Brewing Co., or one of its distributors or retail accounts) in the early Aughts. If that's you or someone you know, please get in touch. Email dave@dinfontay.com or text dinfontay.11 on Signal.
Hey come work with me at the Inquirer! We're hiring a food reporter. A union job!
inquirer.rec.pro.ukg.net
Editing Wikipedia is as easy as hosting a party with your bffs 🎉 🎥 spencer.place on TikTok
On two of my favorite food books of the season
Vegetable diversity
On two wondrous new books by Ali Frances, Adriana Picker, Lane Selman, and Margarett Waterbury
newsletter.wordloaf.org
⚾️
Ben Railton@americanstudier.bsky.social · 6d agoEnjoying the build-up to the World Series? Me too, but imagine if there were three baseball championships in a single autumn! That was the case 100 years ago, a sports history moment that, like baseball always has, embodied the worst & the best of America. My new column! 🗃️ @keithlaw.bsky.social
Coincidentally, today is exactly one week from publication day for The Bartender's Library. Order it now for free shipping from @bookshop.org! bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
The Bartender's Library: A Guide to Curating Spirits and Creating Cocktails--From the Multnomah Whiskey Library
The ultimate guide to whiskey, brandy, rum, agave spirits, gin, vodka, and more--and how best to drink them. From Portland's Multnomah Whiskey Library spirits educators and authors of Raising the Bar....
bookshop.org
Bookshop.org@bookshop.org · 7d agoAnti-Prime Day starts…NOW! 🥳 Today through midnight on 10/7, enjoy free shipping site-wide, all while supporting local, independent bookstores.
We're big fans of @bookshop.org's anti-Prime day! Free shipping today and tomorrow. Your purchase supports independent bookstores and, through our shop, independent book coverage! Find lists of books by podcast guests, new books we're anticipating, craft books, & more: bookshop.org/shop/draftin...
Drafting the Past Bookshop
Drafting the Past is a podcast dedicated to the craft of writing history, hosted by Kate Carpenter. Shop books by our guests, their recommendations, and some of our favorite craft books and support th...
bookshop.org
Screw Alito. His book comes out today, same day as mine, but my book is about the brilliance of Black women, power of community action, resistance to racism & oppression, & world-changing impact of books. Oh, and music. Which one do you think should be a bestseller? bookshop.org/p/books/free...
Freedom's Daughters: How a Generation of Black Women Resisted Oppression Through Literacy and Education
A stirring contribution to America’s historical narrative.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)From bestselling author Celeste Headlee, an urgent and eye-opening story of the women who risked everything t...
bookshop.org
“Corporate-owned utilities charged the average household $823 a year, compared with $494 for publicly owned systems – a difference of $329, or 67%.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
US households pay 62% more for water than they did a decade ago, study finds
For-profit water corporations, federal cuts and climate crisis are ‘supercharging water rate hikes’, study co-author says
theguardian.com
The government *still* isn’t tracking how often immigration agents detain U.S. citizens. We are. 500+ Americans have been handcuffed, held at gunpoint or held against their will in Trump’s second term. Our tally is almost certainly an undercount. THREAD (content warning: violence) ⬇️
The IceCube neutrino detector has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics. The Trump administration has proposed slashing its budget in half in 2027.
In rural western Wisconsin, campaigning is all about meeting voters and shaking hands at parades. Online, it’s getting weird. My dispatch from a weekend reporting from La Crosse & Gays Mills on the race in Wisconsin’s 3rd District 19thnews.org/2026/10/rebe...
In rural Wisconsin, politics is still about meeting voters. Online, it’s getting weird.
Rebecca Cooke is taking her campaign directly to rural Wisconsin communities, all while an AI-fueled online fight with her Republican opponent adds a distinctly 2026 twist to the race.
19thnews.org
Several voters NPR spoke with said they rely on chatbots for down-ballot races — with thinner news coverage, to make tables comparing candidates for governors' races and to verify or debunk viral claims. 🔗 Find out more: vist.ly/5m6et ✍️ Maham Javaid | NPR 📸 Getty Images
ChatGPT is adding real cartoonists’ signatures to fake New Yorker cartoons buff.ly/YJ1mAiP
ChatGPT is adding real cartoonists’ signatures to fake New Yorker cartoons
OpenAI's chatbot isn't just imitating the magazine's style. It's also falsely attributing AI-generated images to real artists.
buff.ly
Jennifer de Mooy talks Minnesota's vast peatland ecosystem and climate change on @mprnews.org 's Minnesota Now: www.mprnews.org/episode/2026...
New book explores Minnesota's vast peatland ecosystem and climate change
Peatlands cover 10 percent of Minnesota, more than 7 million acres, making the state home to the most peatlands in the contiguous United States. Peatlands are a type of wetland that prevents plant mat...
mprnews.org
TODAY (Monday, Oct. 5) is the deadline for registering to vote for the midterms in: AMERICAN SAMOA ARIZONA ARKANSAS FLORIDA GEORGIA INDIANA KENTUCKY LOUISIANA — in-person, mail (10/13 online) MISSISSIPPI MONTANA — mail (11/3 in-person) OHIO SOUTH CAROLINA — mail TENNESSEE TEXAS npr.org/vote
How to register to vote and check your registration status
For the 2026 elections, NPR has collected deadlines and information on how to register to vote — online, in person or by mail — in every U.S. state and territory.
npr.org
#31daysofgraves • Vehicle 🪦 GOD SPEED THE PLOUGH 🐎 📍St Bartholomew's Church • Llanover ⛪ #Wales #History
