Abigail Swingen
@abigailswingen.bsky.social
EM British & Atlantic history. Competing Visions of Empire (Yale, 2015). Now: Britain's Financial Revolution & Moral Crisis. She/her. New Englander (usually) in Texas. Views my own. Latest article: https://doi.org/10.1017/jbr.2023.74
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
November 11, 2025 at 1:50 AM
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
If you’re trying to catch up on what went down with #SNAP late last night at #SCOTUS, here’s my attempt to read the breadcrumbs on the “administrative stay” issued by Justice Jackson—and why a justice so critical of the Court’s grants of emergency relief to Trump still granted temporary relief here:
190. SNAP WTF?
A very quick explainer on why Justice Jackson issued an "administrative stay" in the SNAP case late on Friday night, and on what's likely to happen next
www.stevevladeck.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:18 PM
If you’re trying to catch up on what went down with #SNAP late last night at #SCOTUS, here’s my attempt to read the breadcrumbs on the “administrative stay” issued by Justice Jackson—and why a justice so critical of the Court’s grants of emergency relief to Trump still granted temporary relief here:
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
WTF are we doing here
OVER A MILLION USERS
DISCUSS SUICIDE WITH CHATGPT
EVERY *WEEK*
what the fuck are we DOING here
DISCUSS SUICIDE WITH CHATGPT
EVERY *WEEK*
what the fuck are we DOING here
Panera’s moderately caffeinated lemonade was loosely associated with 2 deaths before it was taken off market.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
November 7, 2025 at 11:14 PM
WTF are we doing here
I am inhumanly tired. Just, oof.
November 7, 2025 at 11:43 PM
I am inhumanly tired. Just, oof.
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Call me controversial, but technology that leads vulnerable people into crisis and even holds their hand as they die by suicide should not be endorsed by schools and universities, we should not be giving discounted subscriptions to this monstrous tech to young people AT ALL
The boyfriend of a friend of my son's has spent several weeks in a psych ward due to Chat GPT induced psychosis. He isn't suicidal but AI encouraged him down a toxic and paranoid wormhole until he became completely delusional. Evil stuff.
1.This is not the only known example we know of ChatGPT cheering on a vulnerable young person to die by suicide, this time it is a recent Texas A&M grad
2. Every single university that has invited OpenAI into our midst should be asked to account for their choices.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
2. Every single university that has invited OpenAI into our midst should be asked to account for their choices.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
November 7, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Call me controversial, but technology that leads vulnerable people into crisis and even holds their hand as they die by suicide should not be endorsed by schools and universities, we should not be giving discounted subscriptions to this monstrous tech to young people AT ALL
This seems big.
After 13 years, Mississippi Democrats have broken the Republican Party’s supermajority in the Mississippi Senate.
Democrats flipped two GOP-held Senate seats and one House seat in the special elections.
buff.ly/nTvLlFI
Democrats flipped two GOP-held Senate seats and one House seat in the special elections.
buff.ly/nTvLlFI
Mississippi Democrats Break Republican Senate Supermajority, Flipping 3 Legislative Seats
After 13 years, Mississippi Democrats broke the Republican Party's supermajority in the Mississippi Senate, flipping 3 legislative seats.
www.mississippifreepress.org
November 5, 2025 at 1:35 PM
This seems big.
PSA: I am not Abigail Spanberger.
November 5, 2025 at 1:32 PM
PSA: I am not Abigail Spanberger.
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Remember, remember, the fifth of November... four historians consider the extraordinary longevity of the #BonfireNight celebration and the memory of Guy Fawkes.
🔓 This archive article is free for 7 days
www.historytoday.com/archive/head...
🔓 This archive article is free for 7 days
www.historytoday.com/archive/head...
Why Has the Gunpowder Plot Been Remembered for Centuries?
www.historytoday.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Remember, remember, the fifth of November... four historians consider the extraordinary longevity of the #BonfireNight celebration and the memory of Guy Fawkes.
🔓 This archive article is free for 7 days
www.historytoday.com/archive/head...
🔓 This archive article is free for 7 days
www.historytoday.com/archive/head...
Sincere question: What is the Georgia Public Service Commission? Thanks in advance.
November 5, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Sincere question: What is the Georgia Public Service Commission? Thanks in advance.
The mailbox was Haldeman!
30 Rock did a joke about Nixon's chief of staff H. R. Haldeman in an episode from 2007. The joke was that young people wouldn't understand a reference to events from 34 years earlier.
A TV episode airing in 2025 could do the same thing about a political event from 34 years ago, which would be 1991.
A TV episode airing in 2025 could do the same thing about a political event from 34 years ago, which would be 1991.
My wife’s 25 year old coworker asked who Dick Cheney was today
November 5, 2025 at 12:56 AM
The mailbox was Haldeman!
Why didn't anyone tell me that Ross Poldark is in the new season of The Diplomat?
November 4, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Why didn't anyone tell me that Ross Poldark is in the new season of The Diplomat?
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Posting this from September now since Conde Nast is merging Teen Vogue into Vogue and cutting the politics section.
www.teenvogue.com/story/men-dr...
www.teenvogue.com/story/men-dr...
How ICE Raids Are Making It Easier for Civilian Men to Assault Immigrant Women
"This phenomenon is only possible because of the outsized power that state agents have always had to abuse and control women and victims' bodies," argues Kylie Cheung.
www.teenvogue.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Posting this from September now since Conde Nast is merging Teen Vogue into Vogue and cutting the politics section.
www.teenvogue.com/story/men-dr...
www.teenvogue.com/story/men-dr...
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
November 3, 2025 at 11:25 PM
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm so glad that the sun now rises around 7am instead of around 8am. Daylight savings when you live at the far western end of a time zone sucks.
November 3, 2025 at 1:39 PM
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm so glad that the sun now rises around 7am instead of around 8am. Daylight savings when you live at the far western end of a time zone sucks.
Great costumes spotted today: Martin Luther and Ace Frehley, both in a class of mine. And tonight a kid dressed as Smooth Criminal with an amazing dance. Delightful.
November 1, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Great costumes spotted today: Martin Luther and Ace Frehley, both in a class of mine. And tonight a kid dressed as Smooth Criminal with an amazing dance. Delightful.
Highly recommend the series Long Story Short on Netflix. ❤️
October 31, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Highly recommend the series Long Story Short on Netflix. ❤️
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Genuinely delighted to download a PhD thesis from a university repository where the author has neglected to remove the words "BITCH THIS IS YOUR THESIS" from the filename.
October 30, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Genuinely delighted to download a PhD thesis from a university repository where the author has neglected to remove the words "BITCH THIS IS YOUR THESIS" from the filename.
I told my students today that their use of generative AI really "bummed me out" and made me fear for the future I honestly think some of them felt bad about that? A few looked a little sheepish, anyway. We'll see.
October 30, 2025 at 12:29 AM
I told my students today that their use of generative AI really "bummed me out" and made me fear for the future I honestly think some of them felt bad about that? A few looked a little sheepish, anyway. We'll see.
In good news, I worked on my book today for the first time in about a month. 🤓
October 29, 2025 at 1:13 AM
In good news, I worked on my book today for the first time in about a month. 🤓
Oh a wise guy...
Mar Awa III, patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, also born in Chicago, gave Pope Leo a Cubs jersey.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Oh a wise guy...
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Tomorrow. D.C. The National Mall. Sunup to sundown.
October 26, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Tomorrow. D.C. The National Mall. Sunup to sundown.
That was a very satisfying game! Thanks, Blue Jays!
October 25, 2025 at 3:37 AM
That was a very satisfying game! Thanks, Blue Jays!
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Wow. Harvard nuking its PhD programs
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles | News | The Harvard Crimson
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for th...
www.thecrimson.com
October 21, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Wow. Harvard nuking its PhD programs
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
Details about the new Texas Tech Chancellor's contract. www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/s...
Creighton to be paid $1.2 million as chancellor of Texas Tech System plus perks, bonuses
Texas Tech System's new chancellor will earn $1.2 million a year — plus bonuses, travel perks and more. Here's what’s in Creighton’s contract.
www.lubbockonline.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Details about the new Texas Tech Chancellor's contract. www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/s...
OH MY GOD!!! GO JAYS!!!
October 21, 2025 at 3:02 AM
OH MY GOD!!! GO JAYS!!!