Jeff Nichols
@backwardsriver.bsky.social
Chicago blueystorian, UIC ABD
jeffnicholshistory.com
jeffnicholshistory.com
Pinned
I queue up Chicago images and footage on days when I am multitasking or just burned out. If Trump has ordered tanks to roll over peaceful demonstrators in Los Angeles or anywhere else, my Chicago posts aren't some kind of passive aggressive message.
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
When I was at NC state, I had lunch with a visiting scholar from Sweden who was visiting US universities for the first time. He described his experience as touring “hedge funds with football teams.”
That is so much money
5:45 pm on Thanksgiving Eve?
Now THIS is how you news dump.
Now THIS is how you news dump.
November 27, 2025 at 1:09 PM
When I was at NC state, I had lunch with a visiting scholar from Sweden who was visiting US universities for the first time. He described his experience as touring “hedge funds with football teams.”
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
Maybe quick ask your history department how capitulation to tyrants works out.
BREAKING from New York Times: Northwestern is nearing a $75 million deal with the Trump administration to free up federal funding and close out ongoing antisemitism investigations
The find would be the second largest after Columbia's $200m payment www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
The find would be the second largest after Columbia's $200m payment www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Northwestern University Nears Deal to Resolve Its Conflict With the White House
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Maybe quick ask your history department how capitulation to tyrants works out.
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
The more that gerrymandering tries to squeeze more seats out a fixed pool of voters by lowering expected margins of victory, the more vulnerable it becomes to a wave in which the expectations are upset. There are self-interested reasons why many Republican incumbents haven't wanted to redistrict.
This race is close and, given how much Democrats outperformed the polls a few weeks ago, a win is actually possible.
But even a narrow loss in a gerrymandered district Trump won by 22 points last year would be a sign of significant progress.
But even a narrow loss in a gerrymandered district Trump won by 22 points last year would be a sign of significant progress.
Emerson poll | 11/22-11/24 LV
Tennessee’s 7th congressional special election (Trump +22)
(Leaners pushed)
🟥Matt Van Epps 49.4%
🟦Aftyn Behn 47.0%
Others 3.5%
emersoncollegepolling.com/tennessee-7t...
Tennessee’s 7th congressional special election (Trump +22)
(Leaners pushed)
🟥Matt Van Epps 49.4%
🟦Aftyn Behn 47.0%
Others 3.5%
emersoncollegepolling.com/tennessee-7t...
November 26, 2025 at 5:21 PM
The more that gerrymandering tries to squeeze more seats out a fixed pool of voters by lowering expected margins of victory, the more vulnerable it becomes to a wave in which the expectations are upset. There are self-interested reasons why many Republican incumbents haven't wanted to redistrict.
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
Are you still massively against me breaking into your home and stealing all your stuff so I can sell it or have you moved more towards acceptance?
Is this platform still massively against AI or has it moved more towards acceptance?
November 26, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Are you still massively against me breaking into your home and stealing all your stuff so I can sell it or have you moved more towards acceptance?
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
Rare example of a political cartoon where the good guy/chad is portrayed as a fat guy in a top hat and waistcoat holding a large bag with a dollar sign on it.
November 25, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Rare example of a political cartoon where the good guy/chad is portrayed as a fat guy in a top hat and waistcoat holding a large bag with a dollar sign on it.
Has-been I Will Maiden, St. Louis 1896
November 25, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Has-been I Will Maiden, St. Louis 1896
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
Cannot overstate how, from my perch as a national-security reporter, this would have been an earth-shattering scandal in a prior era.
Billionaire Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, pardoned by Donald Trump, has been accused of facilitating millions of dollars’ worth of payments to Hamas in the wake of its attack on Israel on October 7 2023. Zhao also financed the Trump family's entrance into the cryptocurrency market.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao accused of facilitating payments to Hamas
Crypto tycoon pardoned by Donald Trump faces US court complaint from families of victims of October 7 attack
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Cannot overstate how, from my perch as a national-security reporter, this would have been an earth-shattering scandal in a prior era.
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
This is how you do it
November 24, 2025 at 7:07 PM
This is how you do it
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
MST3K is one of the great artistic achievements of the twentieth century.
And of course episode 505 is its peak achievement.
And of course episode 505 is its peak achievement.
Today in 1988 Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered on KTMA in St. Paul Minnesota. #MST3K
November 25, 2025 at 3:12 AM
MST3K is one of the great artistic achievements of the twentieth century.
And of course episode 505 is its peak achievement.
And of course episode 505 is its peak achievement.
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
It’s like the people behind the Fyre Festival decided to throw a little war
Really looks like the United States is about to launch a regime change war against Venezuela with:
-No casus belli
-No authorization from Congress
-No allies or international support
-No plan for a post-Maduro Venezuela
-No preparation for any sort of stabilization or containment of the fallout
-No casus belli
-No authorization from Congress
-No allies or international support
-No plan for a post-Maduro Venezuela
-No preparation for any sort of stabilization or containment of the fallout
November 24, 2025 at 3:59 PM
It’s like the people behind the Fyre Festival decided to throw a little war
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
any system that showers hundreds of billions on this person for building zero sustainably profitable businesses is a bad system
Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
November 24, 2025 at 3:57 PM
any system that showers hundreds of billions on this person for building zero sustainably profitable businesses is a bad system
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
good work guys you picked a fight in which Dems can stand up out of their permanent defensive crouch and go “our guy is a fucking astronaut and you’re an alcoholic tv host”
Gallego to Hegseth: "You will never ever be half the man that Sen. Kelly is. You, sir, are a coward. And the fact that you are following this order from the president shows how big of a coward you are. I can't wait until you are no longer the secretary of defense."
November 24, 2025 at 9:49 PM
good work guys you picked a fight in which Dems can stand up out of their permanent defensive crouch and go “our guy is a fucking astronaut and you’re an alcoholic tv host”
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
“She beckoned to Veikko” (1922) by Jay Van Everen, from Mighty Mikko: A Book of Finnish Fairy Tales and Folk Tales.
Source: @nypl.bsky.social / Internet Archive
https://pdimagearchive.org/images/038bd2b1-27e1-44fa-9de6-f5f76b4a6eb7
#scandinavia #animals #nature #myth #finland #patterns #trees
Source: @nypl.bsky.social / Internet Archive
https://pdimagearchive.org/images/038bd2b1-27e1-44fa-9de6-f5f76b4a6eb7
#scandinavia #animals #nature #myth #finland #patterns #trees
November 24, 2025 at 7:02 PM
“She beckoned to Veikko” (1922) by Jay Van Everen, from Mighty Mikko: A Book of Finnish Fairy Tales and Folk Tales.
Source: @nypl.bsky.social / Internet Archive
https://pdimagearchive.org/images/038bd2b1-27e1-44fa-9de6-f5f76b4a6eb7
#scandinavia #animals #nature #myth #finland #patterns #trees
Source: @nypl.bsky.social / Internet Archive
https://pdimagearchive.org/images/038bd2b1-27e1-44fa-9de6-f5f76b4a6eb7
#scandinavia #animals #nature #myth #finland #patterns #trees
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
Continuing my obnoxious tradition of showing you where people are interred, here's where Marion reposes within the Chapel Hill Columbarium at Graceland Cemetery.
November 23, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Continuing my obnoxious tradition of showing you where people are interred, here's where Marion reposes within the Chapel Hill Columbarium at Graceland Cemetery.
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
Walter Payton uses a paper transfer to ride public transit on the 1979 RTA commercial.
November 24, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Walter Payton uses a paper transfer to ride public transit on the 1979 RTA commercial.
Glad this dude isn't dead yet on the off chance he could feel embarrassment for the first time in his life.
November 24, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Glad this dude isn't dead yet on the off chance he could feel embarrassment for the first time in his life.
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
The irony of these people complaining about the invented dangers of immigrants and then welcoming brain pollution from overseas hustlers.
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 1:46 PM
The irony of these people complaining about the invented dangers of immigrants and then welcoming brain pollution from overseas hustlers.
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
Your friendly reminder that Elon's DOGE cuts have already resulted in mass death.
Impact Dashboard - Impact Counter | Impact Counter
Visualize the human impact of funding changes for aid and support organizations.
www.impactcounter.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Your friendly reminder that Elon's DOGE cuts have already resulted in mass death.
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
Check out this 1923 transit plan commissioned by the Chicago City Council. We use to be insanely ambitious. A network like this would've supported Paris-level population densities.
It's never too late!
It's never too late!
November 21, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Check out this 1923 transit plan commissioned by the Chicago City Council. We use to be insanely ambitious. A network like this would've supported Paris-level population densities.
It's never too late!
It's never too late!
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
"Congress deliberately created two different oaths…That structure is not…trivia; it is grounded on the bedrock American civil–military relations. Ignoring it leads to the misleading assumption that everyone in uniform bears equal responsibility when confronted with an unlawful command."
What Americans Should Understand About the Military Disobeying Illegal Orders
And why it matters there are two military oaths.
www.thebulwark.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:06 PM
"Congress deliberately created two different oaths…That structure is not…trivia; it is grounded on the bedrock American civil–military relations. Ignoring it leads to the misleading assumption that everyone in uniform bears equal responsibility when confronted with an unlawful command."
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
on this day we were warned that:
Swastikas and nooses do not betoken hate
&
Reminding the military to abide by the law is punishable by death.
g’night
Swastikas and nooses do not betoken hate
&
Reminding the military to abide by the law is punishable by death.
g’night
November 21, 2025 at 5:02 AM
on this day we were warned that:
Swastikas and nooses do not betoken hate
&
Reminding the military to abide by the law is punishable by death.
g’night
Swastikas and nooses do not betoken hate
&
Reminding the military to abide by the law is punishable by death.
g’night
Chicago skyline, 1958
November 21, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Chicago skyline, 1958
Reposted by Jeff Nichols
NEW: For Rev. David Black, the pastor seen shot in the head w/pepper balls by DHS agents in a viral clip, protesting ICE is part of an old Christian tradition.
“I’m seeing almost a revival of Christianity through what’s happening at Broadview in Chicago,” he says. religionnews.com/2025/11/19/f...
“I’m seeing almost a revival of Christianity through what’s happening at Broadview in Chicago,” he says. religionnews.com/2025/11/19/f...
For the Rev. David Black, protesting ICE is part of an old Christian tradition
(RNS) — ‘I’m seeing almost a revival of Christianity through what’s happening at Broadview in Chicago,’ the Rev. David Black said.
religionnews.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:00 PM
NEW: For Rev. David Black, the pastor seen shot in the head w/pepper balls by DHS agents in a viral clip, protesting ICE is part of an old Christian tradition.
“I’m seeing almost a revival of Christianity through what’s happening at Broadview in Chicago,” he says. religionnews.com/2025/11/19/f...
“I’m seeing almost a revival of Christianity through what’s happening at Broadview in Chicago,” he says. religionnews.com/2025/11/19/f...
Charles Dana Gibson sketches of Buffalo Bill and members of his troop at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
November 20, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Charles Dana Gibson sketches of Buffalo Bill and members of his troop at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition