Ethan Freedman
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ethanpfreedman.com
Ethan Freedman
@ethanpfreedman.com
Reporter: science, nature, agriculture, climate. Bylines at Scientific American, Live Science, Hakai, Sierra, Slate, Fatherly, etc.

He/Him. RTs =/= Endorsement. Opinions solely my own. Old posts regularly delete en masse.

Chicago

www.ethanpfreedman.com
“The Steelers offense is better with Mason Rudolph”

No it’s not. That’s not true.
November 23, 2025 at 8:30 PM
"Since becoming Green Bay’s QB1 in 2008, Rodgers has piled up more wins [in Chicago] than almost anyone — the third-most of any starting quarterback in that span. Including Bears QBs."
What I’m hearing about Brandon Aiyuk, Joe Burrow’s status and Shedeur Sanders’ first start
Also: What the Browns are seeing from Shedeur Sanders, the Chiefs face a nemesis and the perfect Thanksgiving debate topic.
www.nytimes.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:10 PM
"Trump’s denial of disaster aid has left thousands of residents in Cook County, which encompasses Chicago, waiting to remove mold and to repair homes that were damaged by flooding from a storm in July or a storm in August"
Trump refused to send disaster aid to Chicago after 2 devastating storms
The destruction caused by the summer storms was enough that past presidents likely would have approved requests for federal assistance.
www.eenews.net
November 21, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Looking forward to the next season of Emily in Paris
United Talent Agency has signed literal type of cheese Parmigiano Reggiano to its roster with the goal of finding product-placement opportunities for the brand in film and TV
www.vulture.com/article/parm...?
Beloved Cheese Parmigiano Reggiano Signs With UTA
The blonde Italian bombshell is about to be all over film and TV.
www.vulture.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:25 PM
I was just talking about this with some other freelancers -- if you're worried about the quality of journalism nowadays, you should be worried about the incredibly unstable economics of freelance journalism.

Freelancers are the bottom of the journalism pyramid, holding it up and bearing its weight.
November 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
"Freelance journalism in 2025 is an incredibly difficult place to build a career. But, it turns out, it’s a decent enough arena for a scam."
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Reposted by Ethan Freedman
once again forced to conclude that the cultural dynamic of late 2025 is 'i have lead poisoning' or 'there is a gas leak'
November 18, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Legitimate chance the Bears (yes the ones from Chicago) are solely on top of the NFC North after tonight
November 17, 2025 at 2:43 AM
As of right now Shedeur has a passer rating of 8.3
Shedeur in an NFL game is going to be hilarious either way. I think we all know which way but let's go
November 16, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Nevermind the zero-sum game implied here, it's wild to just assume that tourists won't be interested in visiting the places where there is better food, unique cultural establishments, world-class theater, and walkable neigborhoods
From the editorial board:

Even though downtown Chicago desperately needs a shot in the arm, woe betide you if you imply that it is more important than the “neighborhoods.”
Editorial: Chicago tourism fundamentally is about downtown, not all 77 neighborhoods.
Chicago tourists primarily are coming for downtown, not “all 77 neighborhoods.”
trib.al
November 16, 2025 at 11:16 PM
It’s 2019. Mason Rudolph replaces an injured Ben Roethlisberger and does pretty good.
It’s 2023. Mason Rudolph replaces an injured Kenny Pickett and does pretty good.
It’s 2025. Mason Rudolph replaces an injured Aaron Rodgers and does pretty good.
It‘s 2032.…
November 16, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by Ethan Freedman
Not Sure How They Deal With Criminals In Your Town, But ’Round Here We Use A Restorative Justice Process
Not Sure How They Deal With Criminals In Your Town, But ’Round Here We Use A Restorative Justice Process
Well, well, well. What have we got here? Another city slicker who thinks he can waltz into my town and start causin’ all sorts of trouble. I’d be careful if I was you, fella. Because however they do t...
theonion.com
November 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Ethan Freedman
Whenever it rains in LA, I always think about the “Emerald Necklace Vision Plan”, which, if implemented, would result in expanded parks and green space along several waterways in the area.
November 15, 2025 at 11:35 PM
I really can’t understand why a lot of people on here seem to defend the idea (also shared by the tech platforms!) that social media *isn't* a cause of mental distress, other than maybe some kind of user Stockholm syndrome

From Superbloom, Nicholas Carr
November 15, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Reposted by Ethan Freedman
I will no doubt read and enjoy all your very good Nuzzi jokes, but I also want to say earnestly, so many of us (myself included) are on the verge of being pushed out of this industry and it's genuinely so dispiriting to see the worst among us, ethics-wise, get such preferential treatment.
November 14, 2025 at 5:54 PM
It is not quite 5:30 and it is dark as night — we are really living on a rotating orb, folks
November 12, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Reposted by Ethan Freedman
Neural data may be the most precious commodity of the century on.ft.com/4nRaaki | opinion
Neural data may be the most precious commodity of the century
While presenting opportunities, a new field of technology threatens our freedom of thought
on.ft.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Last thing I’ll say about this for now:

What is the _actually existing publication_ that you evangelize for? That you consistently hype when they do good things, urge people to support, and are a sustaining donor or subscriber to?

This isn’t a prompt; it’s a reminder to hold yourself accountable.
November 12, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Ethan Freedman
BREAKING: We won!

Today the 3rd Circuit Court ordered the @post-gazette.com to restore our contract it illegally tore up 5 years ago. That’s our health care, PTO, right to a 40-hr. work week, short-term disability and so much more we’ve struck for 3+ years.

pghguild.com/2025/11/10/p...
November 10, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Spider Population: 111,000
Midge Population: 2.4 million
Web: Over 1,000 square feet
Air: Full of Sulfur

World's largest spiderweb complex where two species not previously known to coexist live together in a massive, pitch-black arachnid metropolis where nightmares are born?

Priceless

🌍🧪
Stinking, Spongy, Dark, Huge: A Spider Web Unlike Any Seen Before
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:12 PM
You think you know how much tech is killing journalism and then you see numbers like that this, to remind you *how much* tech is killing journalism
“the so-called "media traffic apocalypse" caused by Google's pivot to AI search has cut our ad revenue by 70%” i paid up, read too much status ain’t hood and number ones not to
Big changes at Stereogum today.

A message from our founder: stereogum.com/2478838/ster...
November 11, 2025 at 1:53 AM
A lot of Steeler fans in SoCal tonight
November 10, 2025 at 2:20 AM
November 8, 2025 at 11:23 PM
The populist platform
November 8, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Has anyone written a piece looking at Nobody Wants This and Long Story Short in contrast with each other? Would love to read
November 8, 2025 at 8:39 PM