Joel Abrams
@joelabrams.com
Spreading fact-based journalism from
@us.theconversation.com. Fueled by tea.
@us.theconversation.com. Fueled by tea.
Reposted by Joel Abrams
When Americans insist "it can't happen here," they’re wrong. A sociologist who studies collective memory and identity examines how the U.S. forgot its own fascist movements and what that collective amnesia means today. buff.ly/9mzgR3S
America faced domestic fascists before and buried that history
Although thousands of Americans embraced fascist ideas during the interwar years, a new study examines why the US has had little appetite to remember that past.
buff.ly
December 24, 2025 at 5:35 AM
When Americans insist "it can't happen here," they’re wrong. A sociologist who studies collective memory and identity examines how the U.S. forgot its own fascist movements and what that collective amnesia means today. buff.ly/9mzgR3S
Reposted by Joel Abrams
Seventy years ago, Jonas Salk and his team worked in a lab between a morgue and a darkroom to develop the world’s first successful polio vaccine.
A filmmaker who made a documentary on Salk’s work explains why forgetting life before vaccines has real consequences: buff.ly/VYpqOy4
#vaccineswork
A filmmaker who made a documentary on Salk’s work explains why forgetting life before vaccines has real consequences: buff.ly/VYpqOy4
#vaccineswork
The world risks forgetting one of humanity’s greatest triumphs as polio nears global eradication − 70 years after Jonas Salk developed the vaccine in a Pittsburgh lab
Polio may finally be defeated in the next 5 years. Will the world recognize what an extraordinary achievement that is?
buff.ly
December 25, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Seventy years ago, Jonas Salk and his team worked in a lab between a morgue and a darkroom to develop the world’s first successful polio vaccine.
A filmmaker who made a documentary on Salk’s work explains why forgetting life before vaccines has real consequences: buff.ly/VYpqOy4
#vaccineswork
A filmmaker who made a documentary on Salk’s work explains why forgetting life before vaccines has real consequences: buff.ly/VYpqOy4
#vaccineswork
Reposted by Joel Abrams
Yes, the government can track your location.
ICE and other agencies can track your movements using data gathered by apps and online ads on your phone, and sold by private companies. You probably don't realize how easily you can be found.
ICE and other agencies can track your movements using data gathered by apps and online ads on your phone, and sold by private companies. You probably don't realize how easily you can be found.
December 18, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Yes, the government can track your location.
ICE and other agencies can track your movements using data gathered by apps and online ads on your phone, and sold by private companies. You probably don't realize how easily you can be found.
ICE and other agencies can track your movements using data gathered by apps and online ads on your phone, and sold by private companies. You probably don't realize how easily you can be found.
Reposted by Joel Abrams
33% of hospital workers in California are foreign born.
25% in Florida.
5% in Tennessee.
The U.S. faces shortages of health care workers, and #immigration restrictions will make the situation worse. buff.ly/c6i8sAv
25% in Florida.
5% in Tennessee.
The U.S. faces shortages of health care workers, and #immigration restrictions will make the situation worse. buff.ly/c6i8sAv
December 18, 2025 at 5:14 PM
33% of hospital workers in California are foreign born.
25% in Florida.
5% in Tennessee.
The U.S. faces shortages of health care workers, and #immigration restrictions will make the situation worse. buff.ly/c6i8sAv
25% in Florida.
5% in Tennessee.
The U.S. faces shortages of health care workers, and #immigration restrictions will make the situation worse. buff.ly/c6i8sAv
Reposted by Joel Abrams
In “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Pottersville is a dystopian warning about concentrated power, corruption and a community numbed to cruelty.
The parallels to today are hard to ignore, writes a film studies professor.
The parallels to today are hard to ignore, writes a film studies professor.
The dystopian Pottersville in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is starting to feel less like fiction
Frank Capra’s dark vision of corruption and greed highlights both the dangers of concentrated power and the quiet effectiveness of collective action.
buff.ly
December 12, 2025 at 7:48 AM
In “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Pottersville is a dystopian warning about concentrated power, corruption and a community numbed to cruelty.
The parallels to today are hard to ignore, writes a film studies professor.
The parallels to today are hard to ignore, writes a film studies professor.
Reposted by Joel Abrams
Fuck Times New Roman. Stupid modern shit. We need to return to this: illuminations. We need to return to the first letter on the page being a big picture.
December 10, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Fuck Times New Roman. Stupid modern shit. We need to return to this: illuminations. We need to return to the first letter on the page being a big picture.
This is a great Jewish American story, and a great #journalism story. They don't make 'em like Jerry Izenberg any more.
It's a great feed cleanser: www.esquire.com/entertainmen... (cc @daviddaniel.bsky.social, who I know will appreciate this)
It's a great feed cleanser: www.esquire.com/entertainmen... (cc @daviddaniel.bsky.social, who I know will appreciate this)
Jerry Izenberg Is a 95-Year-Old Sportswriter. He’s Got Stories to Tell.
He covered ball for 'Stars and Stripes,' drank with DiMaggio at Toots Shor's, and chopped it up with Ali. Yes, the man is full of wisdom, but that’s not even the best part.
www.esquire.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:29 PM
This is a great Jewish American story, and a great #journalism story. They don't make 'em like Jerry Izenberg any more.
It's a great feed cleanser: www.esquire.com/entertainmen... (cc @daviddaniel.bsky.social, who I know will appreciate this)
It's a great feed cleanser: www.esquire.com/entertainmen... (cc @daviddaniel.bsky.social, who I know will appreciate this)
Its been 🔟 years since I started working at @us.theconversation.com! 🎉
That's 3 years longer than I've been any place else in my career. But I still love it! They even got me to make a video: www.youtube.com/shorts/hCcia...
It's a #news organization well worth supporting. Here's why I 😍 it:
🧵
That's 3 years longer than I've been any place else in my career. But I still love it! They even got me to make a video: www.youtube.com/shorts/hCcia...
It's a #news organization well worth supporting. Here's why I 😍 it:
🧵
Why I’m still inspired by The Conversation U.S.
YouTube video by The Conversation
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Its been 🔟 years since I started working at @us.theconversation.com! 🎉
That's 3 years longer than I've been any place else in my career. But I still love it! They even got me to make a video: www.youtube.com/shorts/hCcia...
It's a #news organization well worth supporting. Here's why I 😍 it:
🧵
That's 3 years longer than I've been any place else in my career. But I still love it! They even got me to make a video: www.youtube.com/shorts/hCcia...
It's a #news organization well worth supporting. Here's why I 😍 it:
🧵
Happy Friday! This is my favorite question in this week’s @us.theconversation.com #NewsQuiz
theconversation.com/the-conversa...
theconversation.com/the-conversa...
December 5, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Happy Friday! This is my favorite question in this week’s @us.theconversation.com #NewsQuiz
theconversation.com/the-conversa...
theconversation.com/the-conversa...
Reposted by Joel Abrams
We’ve got a good palate cleanser for you: a special news #quiz focussed on nice news of the year: theconversation.com/the-conversa... (Yes, there were at least 8 stories we published that qualified)
November 28, 2025 at 7:40 PM
We’ve got a good palate cleanser for you: a special news #quiz focussed on nice news of the year: theconversation.com/the-conversa... (Yes, there were at least 8 stories we published that qualified)
This comment on a Facebook post I wrote made my day. I am human and unpredictable, whereas ChatGPT is entirely based on the probability of what word comes next www.facebook.com/theconversat...
November 21, 2025 at 5:08 PM
This comment on a Facebook post I wrote made my day. I am human and unpredictable, whereas ChatGPT is entirely based on the probability of what word comes next www.facebook.com/theconversat...
Reposted by Joel Abrams
"The chemtrail theory is ultimately prideful. It’s a way for theorists to feel powerful + smart when they face things beyond their comprehension and control."
People cling to ridiculous theories to meet their emotional needs - great explanation by @dratropos.bsky.social for @theconversation.com
People cling to ridiculous theories to meet their emotional needs - great explanation by @dratropos.bsky.social for @theconversation.com
Why the chemtrail conspiracy theory lingers and grows – and why Tucker Carlson is talking about it
A communications researcher lays out the dynamics of conspiracy theory belief and why they gain traction in times of anxiety and uncertainty.
theconversation.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:30 PM
"The chemtrail theory is ultimately prideful. It’s a way for theorists to feel powerful + smart when they face things beyond their comprehension and control."
People cling to ridiculous theories to meet their emotional needs - great explanation by @dratropos.bsky.social for @theconversation.com
People cling to ridiculous theories to meet their emotional needs - great explanation by @dratropos.bsky.social for @theconversation.com
Reposted by Joel Abrams
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Reposted by Joel Abrams
Florida’s laws allow open carry, permitless carry and “stand your ground” are a potentially deadly combination.
A historian points to a 31.6% increase in firearm homicides after the ‘stand your ground’ law passed in 2005.
buff.ly/7LPIFNn
A historian points to a 31.6% increase in firearm homicides after the ‘stand your ground’ law passed in 2005.
buff.ly/7LPIFNn
Florida’s new open carry ruling combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms – and new dangers
Evidence shows that 20 years on, Florida’s stand your ground law hasn’t made communities in the state any safer.
buff.ly
November 19, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Florida’s laws allow open carry, permitless carry and “stand your ground” are a potentially deadly combination.
A historian points to a 31.6% increase in firearm homicides after the ‘stand your ground’ law passed in 2005.
buff.ly/7LPIFNn
A historian points to a 31.6% increase in firearm homicides after the ‘stand your ground’ law passed in 2005.
buff.ly/7LPIFNn
My favorite sentence of the day, about the restart of the "Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania", by @walthickey.bsky.social www.numlock.com/p/numlock-ne...
November 19, 2025 at 7:31 PM
My favorite sentence of the day, about the restart of the "Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania", by @walthickey.bsky.social www.numlock.com/p/numlock-ne...
Reposted by Joel Abrams
No wonder I'm especially down this week: according to @us.theconversation.com , I've been paying close attention to the news. ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅
theconversation.com/the-conversa...
theconversation.com/the-conversa...
The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz
Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories.
theconversation.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:48 PM
No wonder I'm especially down this week: according to @us.theconversation.com , I've been paying close attention to the news. ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅
theconversation.com/the-conversa...
theconversation.com/the-conversa...
Reposted by Joel Abrams
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
So I'm not too worried about ICE monitoring Google+, but the rest of this is scary #privacy theconversation.com/always-watch...
Always watching: How ICE’s plan to monitor social media 24/7 threatens privacy and civic participation
ICE’s dragnet is expanding across social media, putting everyone’s digital lives into the realm of border and immigration enforcement.
theconversation.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:04 PM
So I'm not too worried about ICE monitoring Google+, but the rest of this is scary #privacy theconversation.com/always-watch...
Reposted by Joel Abrams
Everything you need to know to understand that joke, in 1:25 🧪
October 31, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Everything you need to know to understand that joke, in 1:25 🧪
Reposted by Joel Abrams
Don’t get tricked by misinformation 🎃 We share serious and spooky stuff all year long with articles written by people who really know their stuff, because they’ve been studying their topic for years or even decades.
Some of favorite #Halloween stories include: 🧵
Some of favorite #Halloween stories include: 🧵
October 31, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Don’t get tricked by misinformation 🎃 We share serious and spooky stuff all year long with articles written by people who really know their stuff, because they’ve been studying their topic for years or even decades.
Some of favorite #Halloween stories include: 🧵
Some of favorite #Halloween stories include: 🧵
Reposted by Joel Abrams
Trump’s military strikes on boats near Venezuela have killed 43 people the administration claims were drug smugglers. A former Pentagon analyst questions whether there’s any real strategy behind the largest Caribbean deployment since the Cuban Missile Crisis.
buff.ly/GCxSia2
buff.ly/GCxSia2
Trump’s anti-Venezuela actions lack strategy, justifiable targets and legal authorization
President Trump OK’d a naval buildup in the Caribbean, strikes on boats in international waters and covert operations in Venezuela. A military analyst can’t see a coherent strategy or objective.
theconversation.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Trump’s military strikes on boats near Venezuela have killed 43 people the administration claims were drug smugglers. A former Pentagon analyst questions whether there’s any real strategy behind the largest Caribbean deployment since the Cuban Missile Crisis.
buff.ly/GCxSia2
buff.ly/GCxSia2
On the day that the NY Daily News headlined "Ford to City: Drop Dead" the @nytimes.com headline was “Ford, Castigating City, Asserts He’d Veto Federal Bailout; Offers Bankruptcy Bill”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/n...
50 Years Ago, My Father Wrote the Headline That Refuses to Die
www.nytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:51 PM
On the day that the NY Daily News headlined "Ford to City: Drop Dead" the @nytimes.com headline was “Ford, Castigating City, Asserts He’d Veto Federal Bailout; Offers Bankruptcy Bill”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/n...
Last time there was a government shutdown and EPA regulators were furloughed, coal plants nationwide turned off pollutions controls. Pollution went right back doen afterwards 😡 theconversation.com/coal-plants-...
Coal plants emitted more pollution during the last government shutdown, while regulators were furloughed
As soon as the 2018-2019 shutdown began, coal-fired power plants started emitting more particulate matter pollution. And when the inspections resumed, the levels dropped back to normal.
theconversation.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Last time there was a government shutdown and EPA regulators were furloughed, coal plants nationwide turned off pollutions controls. Pollution went right back doen afterwards 😡 theconversation.com/coal-plants-...
I love this little bit of history - so glad that @katrinaaman.bsky.social thought to recirculate it today
#OTD 54 years ago, "Computer Space", the first commercial video game, launched.
It failed miserably.
It wasn’t until its makers left the company, founded Atari and released Pong the next year that the #gaming industry launched.
It failed miserably.
It wasn’t until its makers left the company, founded Atari and released Pong the next year that the #gaming industry launched.
“Computer Space” launched the video game industry — then fell into a black hole
The game that launched today’s massive video game industry was not a roaring success when it debuted 52 years ago. The oft-told story of why turns out to be off the mark.
buff.ly
October 15, 2025 at 8:08 PM
I love this little bit of history - so glad that @katrinaaman.bsky.social thought to recirculate it today
Google News seems to need a remedial course in "Physics"
October 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Google News seems to need a remedial course in "Physics"