Sign in

Pagan Kennedy

@pagankennedy.bsky.social
1.2K followers 569 following 118 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
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
Liz Szabo @lizszabo.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Helen's death is a huge loss for health journalism and anyone who cares about infectious diseases, which she covered better than anyone else in the profession. Helen Branswell, whose reporting on public health drew acclaim, dies at 69 www.statnews.com/2026/10/13/h... via @statnews.com
statnews.com
Helen Branswell, whose reporting on infectious diseases and public health drew acclaim, dies at 69
Helen Branswell, STAT's infectious disease reporter who earned the respect of experts and public health officials with her accessible, prescient dispatches, has died at age 69.
28029
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
ProPublica @propublica.org · 13/10/2026
Our analysis found that from 2020 to 2025, the rate of deaths involving ectopic pregnancies nearly doubled compared with the previous six-year period. The uptick was steeper in states with abortion bans.
propublica.org
Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans.
With prompt and appropriate medical care, experts say, people shouldn’t die from an ectopic pregnancy. Women in Texas and Oklahoma have sued over delays in care, which, coupled with our new analysis, ...
6218031050
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
James Watson won a Nobel for discovering the double-helix structure of DNA. Turns out that he likely stole the idea from Rosalind Franklin's notes... Terrific piece just published in Science Mag = www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
How did Rosalind Franklin miss the helix in her iconic DNA image? She didn’t
New analysis refutes James Watson’s claim he was first to recognize significance of famed photograph 51
010
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
Science Magazine @science.org · 05/10/2026
Exclusive: A new analysis refutes James Watson’s claim that he was the first to recognize the significance of the famed photograph 51. scim.ag/4rTKck8
scim.ag
How did Rosalind Franklin miss the helix in her iconic DNA image? She didn’t
New analysis refutes James Watson’s claim he was first to recognize significance of famed photograph 51
432188778
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 04/10/2026
Federal prosecutors say an interstate crime ring stole used cooking oil from restaurants across 10 states. Why steal old frying oil? It can be turned into biodiesel. The case reveals a bigger story about how “waste” can become a valuable commodity.
theconversation.com
Criminal conspiracy to steal used cooking oil shows how trash can become treasure
No longer viewed only as waste, used cooking oil is a common ingredient in biofuels.
1179
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
thank you... and sorry! I wish that my book weren't so timely all the time.
010
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
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.
050
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.
010
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Also because most of those people who complain about "the news" expect to get everything for free, rather than paying to support journalism and journalists.
040
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.
110
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.
060
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Thank you so much for your generous and thought-provoking review. I love the term "redress slop" and will be deploying it in all my political conversations from now on!
110
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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.
474188976
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.
030
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~
020
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.
021
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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
22093902273
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Thank you!!!
110
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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
187
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Yeah!
060
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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.
5644551226
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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...
282184868
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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)
37958492927
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Doh!
120
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
"None of the [NPR] executives saw a reduction in their base salaries, which for nine of them exceeded $300,000 annually." From a 2024 investigation of NPR. radioink.com/2024/06/10/g...
radioink.com
GBH Staff Angry As High Executive Pay Persists Despite Layoffs - Radio Ink
Boston public radio operator GBH laid off 31 staff members in May, now employees are questioning executive pay, which remains unchanged.
030
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Thank you!! My thought exactly! This is right up there with Dr Oz telling women that we're "under-babied."
4650
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Mood: feeling blissfully under-babied.
041
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
I AM DAD @iamdad.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
745624891
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Thrilled that my book is in the running for Canada's top True Crime award!
031
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?
260
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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.
1071065198
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
David Gura @davidgura.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
A Pulitzer for Julie K. Brown. Richly deserved, and overdue!
13685381849
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???
000
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.
140
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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
28384175
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
I just finished the audiobook! So good!!!
121
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?
084
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.
000
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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.
6652741142
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/
020
Pagan Kennedy @pagankennedy.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Ooof!
002
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
020
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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.
5845591712
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.
140
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
000
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...
021
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?
010
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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.
16273081876
Reposted by Pagan Kennedy
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...
30333107