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Pagan Kennedy

@pagankennedy.bsky.social
1.2K followers 567 following 116 posts

Author of "The Secret History of the Rape Kit" and 11 other books. Contributor to NY Times, Atlantic, New Yorker, etc. Former "zine queen" of the 1990s.

PostsRepliesMedia
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 20h
Goodbye to my old friend John Sedgwick, a whirlwind of charm, sparkle, genius, and mischief. He once wrote, with penetrating self-awareness, "I was the life of the party, even when there was no party." www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/b...
nytimes.com
A ‘Family Disease’ Stalked the Sedgwicks. He Hoped to Escape It.
The writer John Sedgwick was born into an illustrious family, but privilege was only part of the story.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
So a US military chatbot just hallucinated a Chinese nuke that didn't exist and nearly started WW III. Cool, cool. gizmodo.com/almost-start...
gizmodo.com
'Almost Started a War': US Military Nearly Boarded a Chinese Ship Based on Bad Intel From AI
One source told CNN that the "hallucination" was part of a trend in the U.S. military, not an isolated incident.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
This jaw-dropping chart from The Economist reveals that to get a job in America, a woman needs to be thin. Females who transformed their bodies with GLP-1s were almost 30 percent more likely to land jobs than those who didn't.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Hear me out: We keep funding the police departments, but re-allocate all of their resources to helping people find lost kitchen tools. The item below is from the Turners Falls, MA, police blotter.
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Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Interesting choice by NYT to publish an op-ed bemoaning America’s projected population decline by a guy who’s massively racist against immigrants and compares IVF to “Nazi eugenics.” The “pronatalists” only want more of a very specific kind of person in this country. It gives the game away.
The Population Forecasts Are Grim. Theyre Still Too Optimistic.
By Lyman StoneIt's difficult to articulate the extent to which Somalian immigrants are a *unique* problem.
Other immigrant groups may not always have stellar outcomes, but there are almost none who as persistently have the absolute worst outcomes in every country they move to as Somalians.FWIW I think attacking IVF really is a massively losing political position, and I say that as someone with serious moral concerns around
IVF.
I think if you must attack IVF, you would argue against discarding embryos as a form of Nazi eugenics, not on the basis of personhood.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
This WSJ investigation tells a jaw-dropping story of two assholes went looking for a "red-meat Democrat" in Maine, picked Platner out of obscurity, and ignored abundant signs (in 2024) that he was a rapist... and then staffed his campaign office with bro-y bros. www.wsj.com/politics/ele...
wsj.com
The Red Flag That Led to Graham Platner’s Implosion Was Hiding in Plain Sight
Maine’s populist Senate candidate made a costly miscalculation when he doubled down on his troubled background.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
My partner, Kevin, just started a substack on the politics of sports. Please enjoy his first post~
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
It's Hot Girl Socialist Summer ...so reminder to wax your Karl Marx beard and wear your Emma Goldman skinny pince nez.
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Hemry, Local Bartender @bartenderhemry.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Shift drink: Reflecting Pool 1oz rum 1oz mezcal .75oz lime .75oz honey barspoon matcha muddled mint
The described cocktail in a coupe glass.  It's very algae lookin
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Erik Hoffner @erikhoffner.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
A new data center constructed by Meta in Georgia is allegedly turning the drinking water for nearby residents brown, forcing people to drink bottled water At a recent hearing @aoc.bsky.social shared that #datacenters are also affecting appliances & water pressure @h2oradio.bsky.social reports:
h2oradio.org
A Data Center Turns Water Brown | H2O Radio
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Yeah!
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Sam G. Howard @samghoward.riliberator.com · 26/05/2026
What if taxing the rich works?
bostonglobe.com
The ‘millionaires tax’ was pitched as a $2 billion revenue source. It’s blown past that, yet again. - The Boston Globe
The state’s so-called millionaires tax has already generated more than $3.1 billion in revenue from Massachusetts' highest earners this fiscal year.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 23/05/2026
We found that the sepsis rate in second-trimester pregnancy loss hospitalizations increased by more than 50% under Texas’ abortion ban. Here’s how we did our analysis. (Published Feb. 2025)
propublica.org
Texas Won’t Study How Its Abortion Ban Impacts Women, So We Did
Since Texas banned abortion, no one has studied the statewide effects on pregnant women experiencing complications. Here’s how we sifted through data on millions of pregnancy hospitalizations and anal...
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 22/05/2026
These 8 Democrats voted to pass a national ban on trans teachers and mention of LGBTQ topics. Rep Henry Cuellar (TX) Rep. Don Davis (NC) Rep. Cleo Fields (LA) Rep. Laura Gillen (NY) Rep. Vicente González (TX) Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH) Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA) Rep. Eugene Vindman (VA)
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Doh!
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Mood: feeling blissfully under-babied.
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I AM DAD @iamdad.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Thrilled that my book is in the running for Canada's top True Crime award!
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Oh dear god, is there nothing that can't be "man-branded"? What will be the next thing to get a man-makeover? Shoelaces? Herb tea? Tampons?
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David H. Montgomery @dhmontgomery.com · 06/05/2026
This week, Donald Trump asked a child, "You think you could take me in a fight?" So we at @today.yougov.com obviously polled Americans on the topic. Our results:
yougovamerica.substack.com
Presidential fight club
Surveys about Donald Trump and fights, the 2010s, Spirit Airlines, abortion pills, and short-form video.
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David Gura @davidgura.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
A Pulitzer for Julie K. Brown. Richly deserved, and overdue!
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Me, yelling at Spelling Bee: Bitch, why don't you know this an elemental particle? You acknowledge the existence of EVERY fancy food word (naan, bialy, arancini) but not the building blocks of the universe???
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
BANJOS TERRORIZING LIBERAL TOWNS! This is the front-page image on Fox News right now... showing the MAYHEM of lame hippies ineptly playing Credence covers and drinking Yoohoo while chilling with chihuahuas wearing onesies.
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 22/04/2026
The FCC is soliciting feedback on whether to push the TV ratings system to ban trans and nonbinary characters from children's TV shows. www.imdb.com/it/news/ni65...
imdb.com
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Apparently, in four states it's legal to marry a baby. Maybe we should do something about that?
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Mind-blowing sexual-abuse fact of the day: It was legal to rape your wife in Ohio until... two years ago. spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/...
spectrumnews1.com
Ohio law banning spousal rape now in effect
House Bill 161 has eliminated the spousal rape loophole in the revised code.
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UAINE @mahtowin1.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
👏🏼The Choctaw Nation has purchased a warehouse in Oklahoma that ICE was trying to buy and use as a detention center. www.projectsaltbox.com/p/choctaw-na...
projectsaltbox.com
Choctaw Nation Buys Former Big Lots Warehouse, Closing Off Oklahoma ICE Detention Site
The sale is the second time in months that a large Oklahoma warehouse pursued by ICE for detention use has instead gone to another buyer.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
You an author? Then the AI scam bots are coming for you. Even Mr. Da Vinci Code himself -- Dan Brown -- is getting boot-licked by fake PR "helpers." Read all about in this Hollywood Reporter piece - www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/ai-scams-authors-booktok-publishing-1236547192/
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Ooof!
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
All hail Afroman! You are my new Bob Ross. www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Ai...
youtube.com
RANDY WALTERS IS A SON OF A BITCH
YouTube video by ogafroman
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I Scare You Like Sound Dog @chadstanton.blacksky.app · 20/03/2026
It’s amazing how quickly Black women have been targeted by these laws and doubly so how little this factors into the analysis around the sexual and gender politics of this movement.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
It turns out that ordinary vaccines are vacuum cleaners for our bodies that slow down aging. The shingles vax prevents systemic inflammation. The flu vax improves our cardiology numbers. Sadly, vaccines are old-lady-coded and non "manly" so this stunning longevity hack probably won't catch on.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
Hey Chicago! -- Did you know that your city is the home of the first modern rape kit? I'm thrilled to be able to discuss that and more with Delmarie Cobb, @shard-tate.bsky.social, Dr Traci Kurtzer, and Chenel Vandan Berk
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Greetings, Handmaids of Gilead -- It's Women's History Month so make sure that you obtain and hide away these books in a secure location, because reading is strictly forbidden by the Commanders! OK - seriously -- I'm thrilled that my book made this list www.goodreads.com/blog/show/30...
goodreads.com
New Nonfiction to Read This Women's History Month
Each year, in honor of Women's History Month, we like to pull together some kind of curated collection featuring nonfiction books on women's hist...
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Fascinating study that lines up with what is "not nice" to admit -- that it's good for us to eject exhausting people from our lives. But also: SOMEONE in society has to take care of the "hasslers." Who will do it?
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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
I can't get over this number: in 2007, there were 360,000 newspaper jobs. Now, there are 80,000. "My local paper sucked!" Sure. What sucks even more? The void. "I get all my news from the Guardian!" No, the Guardian doesn't report on your town council, your school board, local cops.
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Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
"Eighty percent of Americans said voters have a responsibility to keep up with the news, but just 8% said they had a responsibility to pay for it." www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
0 degrees! Cross country skis!
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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 29/01/2026
GET IN, DORKS! The stakes are high and we have a LOT to stand up for in 2026. Join us on March 7th, 2026! www.standupforscience.net/march7 Want to host an event in your area? Sign up here: fight2win.standupforscience.net/sign_up/14434/ #Standupforscience #takebackourscience
Take back our science rally! March 7th 2026. standupforscience.net/march7
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Sarah Tolcser @tolcser.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
In case anyone was wondering how it’s going over on American Girl doll Instagram
User @backintimeag: 
The text “Kirsten will be happy when ICE gets the fuck out of Minnesota” over a picture of 1850s immigrant and Minnesota-dwelling doll character Kirsten Larson in the snow.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
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Kathleen Belew @kathleenbelew.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
I saw that The Graduate hotel is hosting ICE in Minneapolis. I won't be staying at that chain until they stop. @graduatehotels.bsky.social Please contact your local Graduate hotel if you agree.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
OK, ladies, it's off to "marriage bootcamp"! You'll give birth to 20 babies every day while making 50 loaves of white bread! www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
politico.com
Heritage Foundation calls on US to prioritize marriage and family in new report
The think tank recommends a “marriage bootcamp" to prepare cohabitating couples for matrimony and discourages online dating.
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Mark Ruffalo @markruffalo.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
variety.com/2026/digital... And… we f-ing won another one! Keep it coming. Watch out Home Depot. Karma is a stink that stays on you.
variety.com
Spotify Confirms ICE Recruitment Ads Are No Longer Running on Platform
Spotify has confirimed that ICE recruitment ads are no longer running on its platform following criticism from last year.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
How to fight back against ICE? Boycotts! After boycotts across the nation threatened its consumer business, Avelo Airlines announced it will no longer provide rendition flights for the US government. www.newhavenindependent.org/2026/01/07/a...
newhavenindependent.org
Avelo To Exit Deportation Biz - New Haven Independent
Avelo Airlines plans to stop running deportation flights for the Trump administration later this month after deciding that its participation in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program is too...
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
NPR says that you MUST read my book (and 11 others) in 2026. So get to work, people!
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 05/01/2026
Utah commissioned it's department of health to do a systematic review of gender affirming care for trans youth. In a 1000 page plus report found it was beneficial and the evidence was substantial. The lawmakers rejected it anyways. www.deseret.com/politics/202...
deseret.com
Utah debate over transgender treatments for minors divides policymakers, experts over state 'systematic review'
Do No Harm alleges Utah Department of Health and Human Services "systematic review" misleads on transgender outcomes.
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Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
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