The only way to watch White Sox games is through @chsn-media.bsky.social, and they're playing those vile ICE commercials. We would have kept the service for Blackhawks games, but I will not support them now. We're canceling as soon as baseball is over, and I don't think we will be back next year.

How comfortable do you have to be with taking bribes that you don't suspect someone handing you a literal bag full of cash might be a federal agent?

Weird day when I find Ted Cruz talking sense.

When we were in London recently, we heard a million stories about how Churchill was an amazing wartime leader but also about how he wasn't the right man for the job in the postwar period. Schumer and Jeffries might be fine peacetime leaders, but the Democrats need strong opposition leaders now.

Speech isn't free if you only protect the speech of people whose ideas you agree with.

It's a good day to cancel Disney+ and let them know it's because they took Kimmel off the air.

From Ann Arbor for Family Weekend, here’s my 241st #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, share widely, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ americanstudier.substack.com/p/scholarsun...

King George III: "I cannot for the life of me understand how the colonists think this is some kind of winning political message. Yield man! Let the troops come into your city and show how peace can be increased."

If (when?) we have another Civil War, could we please do Reconstruction right this time and not let the defeated assholes regain power through violence?

My response to Trump as a proud resident of the city of Chicago: Go fuck yourself. Stay the hell out of our city, you fascist.

During our ten days in the UK, we mostly tried to think about anything other than the shitshow in the US, but on the occasions that discussion of current events/new was unavoidable, it was apparent that every single person we talked to thought Trump was a clown who was making the US look terrible.

The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.

Thanks so very much to @feministkelly.bsky.social for having me on the Unsung History pod, especially for asking such thoughtful questions! Such a super treat to get to talk about _Lineage_ and the research.

I've returned to the US after being blissfully ignorant of US news and politics for the past ten days. It was really good for my mental health, but I suppose I need to start paying attention and fighting back again.

Enjoyed talking with @feministkelly.bsky.social about "Threat of Dissent," the Alien & Sedition Acts of 1798, Emma Goldman, & the history of ideological exclusion/deportation on her UNSUNG HISTORY Podcast. 🗃️ Listen here ⬇️ www.unsunghistorypodcast.com/IdeologicalE... www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApPS...

I can't hide my Americanness when I go to the UK. Is there some easy way to signal that I'm not MAGA?

Listen to the Unsung History episode that a long-time listener called "extra fascinating!" and "the best part of my day 🙂"! With the terrific @kawulf.bsky.social

Okay, if I'm going to the UK to go see the places I talk about in my book before I do a rewrite, I really need to actually read the draft I wrote before I go, don't I?

Democrats need to go on the offense here. GOP is for billionaires; Democrats are for the 99% -- it even has the virtue of being true. This isn't hard. You can change the script without throwing trans people under the bus.

I am not generally a person who cares about Mac v PC. I have and like both and think they're basically the same. BUT it annoys me to no end that my top-of-the-line MacBook Pro for work does not have a number pad.

Well, the White Sox seem to have reverted to early-season form. It was nice while it lasted, I guess.

I introduced a motion to subpoena the Epstein files. We got the votes. Today, we got the subpoena. The DOJ has 2 weeks to release the Epstein files to the Oversight Committee. Justice must apply to everyone, no matter how rich, powerful, or well-connected they are.

August is here, and with it my 236th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, share widely, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ + americanstudier.substack.com/p/scholarsun...

Okay, longest of long-shot historic crowdsourcing. During WW2 my grandfather was stationed in London serving in the Adjutant General's Office of the US Air Transport Command (at least according to his local Ohio newspaper in 1946). Does anyone have any idea *where* in London he would have worked?

I did the UK Electronic Travel Authorization via the app, and it was approved in less than a minute. The US government has never done anything for me that efficiently before.

I'm a frequent user – perhaps an overuser – of em dashes. Have I been ChatGPT all along?

Members of Congress, the President, and the Vice President should not be allowed to trade stocks. Ban insider trading now.

The White Sox only need one more win to tie their win number from last year.

New episode of Unsung History is available now!

Three (!) of the books on the Cundill History Prize Longlist have been featured on Unsung History! Congrats to @sethrockman.bsky.social, Emily Callaci, and Marlene Daut!

Thanks, anonymous person on the Internet! I needed this today. 🥰

The White Sox have figured out that if you can't count on your pitchers you just have to score 10+ runs a game.

Trump has successfully implemented his wildly unpopular policies. We can't understand why he's unpopular.

Here it is, my 234th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below, please share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ americanstudier.substack.com/p/scholarsun...

First Northwestern grad to be president? I'm in!

I was told he was so healthy that no one has ever been so healthy. Healthiness the likes of which no one has ever seen.

This thread is amazing and the UChicago/Medici connection makes it 😘

It's past 10pm on a Wednesday night, and Republicans are still working to defund PBS, rural radio, lifesaving aid, and more. Democrats have been forcing amendment votes for hours, and we're still at it. I'm voting NO on these DOGE cuts, and so should every Senator.

This is correct. Any candidate cynically “triangulating” on trans kids is a non-starter, and now is the time to say so. There’s still so much time to advance candidates that DON’T suck.

New #UnsungHistory podcast 🤓 with @feministkelly.bsky.social #MSWMedia Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...

On this day in 1979, the Chicago White Sox killed disco.

I don't care if it's good politics or whether it will work with a GOP-lead House, Democrats should be filing impeachment papers NOW and do it again every time he commits impeachable offenses, even if that's daily. Stand up for the Constitution or get out of office.

👀 Big news! After a several-month hiatus, the Unsung History podcast is BACK! New episodes every other week, starting Monday, July 14. Be sure you're subscribed! www.unsunghistorypodcast.com

Who greenlit lime CUCUMBER Gatorade? And who decided it was okay to make it look like every other green Gatorade and not call attention to the CUCUMBER anywhere on the package?

Trying to convince myself I don't have time to write a biography of Sondheim.

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but as a Chicagoan who has no interest in NASCAR, I actually really like having the race here. I didn't think I would, but I like watching the race on TV and seeing the city, and I've been downtown during the race each year without much hassle.

Does anyone have any good news to share? However small it may seem, I would LOVE to hear your wins right now.

Present me is thanking past me for saying I would send something "early in the week" rather than "on Monday."

Do they not understand what reading is?

i don't want people to drown even if they personally want me to die, and that doesn't feel like a super high bar but 2025 is full of suprises so idk