Evening Roundup, April 1
Cheering on Wisconsin and Sen. Cory Booker. Also featuring Nick Anderson, Jeff Nesbit, Dr. Julie Sweetland, Meredith Blake, Mimi Rocah, Jennifer Weiss Wolf, & the Democracy Movement
Good Evening Contrarians!
April has arrived, with enough happening today to provide content for the rest of the month. Our eyes are focused primarily on Wisconsin, as votes are still being cast for the pivotal State Supreme Court seat. No matter the outcome, we appreciate and admire all of you who have done your part to campaign honestly and with dignity—in stark contrast to the coward meddling in our elections, writing dirty checks, and looking like a dipsh*t doing so:
Keep checking in with us at the Contrarian for a Live reaction once the votes have been counted. Let’s Go, Wisconsin!
We are also focused on the extraordinary activism of Senator Cory Booker, the Democrat from New Jersey who has been speaking on the Senate floor for nearly 23 hours (at the time of posting this). Should he make it past 7:19 p.m. ET, he will break the record of Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1957 civil rights debate on the Senate floor. Booker’s motivation is to underscore that these are not normal times, and should not be treated as such. It is a bold form of protest against Trump’s appalling policies, which continue tearing apart our most crucial agencies, with no regard for the lives and livelihoods he is ruining. When Sen. Booker took the floor at 7 p.m. he stated:
John Lewis and so many heroes before us would say that this is the time to stand up, to speak up...This is the time to get in some good trouble, to get into necessary trouble. I can’t allow this body to continue without doing something different, speaking out.
Thank you to all of the Democratic senators who are standing with him, by asking questions and showing their solidarity. Most of all, we thank and honor Senator Booker for meeting this moment.
Good trouble
Nick Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist whose cartoons have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post and elsewhere. Find him on Substack at nickanderson.substack.com.
Trump and Kennedy just put America at risk
By Jeff Nesbit
A dark day at Health and Human Services portends a much darker future.
Smart framing can increase immunization rates
The measles outbreak that began in West Texas in late January has led to more than 400 cases, at least 70 hospitalizations, and the first U.S. deaths from measles in a decade. Low confidence in vaccination in the affected region means the outbreak could last for at least several more months.
Amber Ruffin fires back after WHCA cancellation
Over the weekend, the White House Correspondents’ Association announced that comedian Amber Ruffin would no longer be performing at its annual dinner on April 26. It marked a historic low for the WHCA, which has never publicly announced an entertainer—then rescinded the booking because of political pressure from the White House.
Signal-gate shows what happens when accountability is broken
The Trump administration is eliminating all official accountability for any potential wrongdoing by the president and his allies.
By Mimi Rocah
F is For Fertilization (And Fool)
When I started this column two months ago, I wondered if there would be enough fodder to cover on a weekly basis. As if. Flagging the myriad ways gender rears its head—as both a warning signal of democratic decline and real-time target of authoritarian impulses—is pretty much a full-time gig.
The Contrarian covers the Democracy Movement
Every day (Monday-Friday), we’ll update this space with protests, signs and other public demonstrations against the actions of the administration. Keep checking to see how Americans all across the country are protecting and defending democracy.
Along with WI voters I hope FL voters in Districts 1& 6 get out the vote! Voting is a privilege. After what happened in November, I hope everyone realizes how important their vote is.
Senator Cory Booker rocks. We all need to do GOOD TROUBLE on Saturday. I’m planning on it and can’t wait!
Praying for election victories for the white hats in WI and FL. May God bless Cory Booker❣️❣️❣️❣️