84 Comments
User's avatar
Dan Merz's avatar

I hope you will interview in the near future a highly qualified and well regarded expert on child abuse to outline the traumatic effects on a child's mental,emotional, and physical well being when forcefully separated from their parents or a parental figure. The Trump cruelty that is coming next is his reverse willingness to deport children without their parents. For me this constitutes child abuse and Trump should face immediate Senate and/or Congressional hearingsshould his policy to departing minor children without their parents continues. This action by Trump in my opinion is a crime against humanity. Are you watching Alito, Thomas, and Roberts?

Expand full comment
MNnice's avatar

We need to keep this story on the front pages so no one forgets these children who cannot speak for themselves.

Of course, Trump would start with the most vulnerable. If he gets away with "deporting" minor children, citizens of the USA, it will set the stage for the deportation of any person he doesn't like or wants to punish.

This has to stop now before it gets to be commonplace and the public just ignores it.

Expand full comment
Judith Swink (CA)'s avatar

I expect you meant to type 'perverse' rather than 'reverse'.

Expand full comment
Rachel Brownstein's avatar

I would love to hear you guys on the crypto scandal—the billions rather Trumps are making with their coins!

Rachel B

Expand full comment
Daniel Solomon's avatar

Me too. Please ask a securities plaintiffs attorney: what is Trump's eexposure?

What about individual members of the cabinet?

Expand full comment
Phil Johnson's avatar

Just joined and getting my bearings. Heretofore, all other contrarian sites will have trouble holding a candle to this one. Not that they are bad. It is just that this site corrals all the sources that say our country is in deep trouble a la Timothy Snyder - - and I cannot get that out of my head. I have a lot to learn, even though I am a 1960s USAF, overseas veteran, getting out in 1968 (less than 8 years) after seeing the cryptic scripts on the wall. Quick story: my chiropractor, who is excellent for my back's sake, is a flaming supporter of Mr. Trump and overwhelmed me yesterday with his blazing honoraria on his behalf. I could not get a word in edgewise (we are still good friends, however). In part, that is why I spent all AM and a lot of the PM time reading the site's input and composing this. After consulting my finances, I will go one more and join those who seem to at least give me a fighting chance to counter what my friend's basis for disregarding the signs of autocracy that seem to be everywhere. I still can't figure out how and/or why so many people are wedded to this replica of a certain autocrat that drove Germany into the ground. One suggestion: read Snyder's works, starting with "On Tyranny" - - written in 2017. He saw it coming - - in spades. Being Catholic, I am doing my best to be charitable and not a raging bull in a china shop. Thanks for reading....

Expand full comment
Diana Baker's avatar

Norm...huge thanks to you , Jen et al for all you are doing to keep our hopes alive and to keep us informed of all the positive news through this insanely negative time! Keep up the great work!!

Expand full comment
Lynn Hagedorn's avatar

Do we taxpayers really have to pay for a military parade for djt birthday?? Or maybe Mexico or China will pay.....Any nationwide protests planned for that day?

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

You're paying for all his trips nascar,golf,sup bowl,speeches,maralardo every weekend so yes.

Expand full comment
Ed Weber's avatar

If there was an opposition party, there would be tens of thousands of protesters spoiling Trump’s militarized birthday bash.

Expand full comment
Judith Swink (CA)'s avatar

If he follows through on his Birthday Parade, there will be many thousands of protesters along the parade route.

Expand full comment
Ed Weber's avatar

No doubt. My concern is that just a few thousand protesters will be too easy to minimize by Fox “News” and ignored by the GOP. The wall between MAGA and reality is a thick one. Only a sea…an ocean of protesters - at least in the tens of thousands - will give pause to the MAGA-fearing and Trump-obedient GOP legislators.

Expand full comment
Lynn Hagedorn's avatar

The GOP need to be made to fear their voters more than a Musk chosen opposition candidate. Protest!!

Expand full comment
Steve 218's avatar

When the tariff-induced high prices start picking their pockets, there are likely to be more GOP folk souring on the administration. We're already hearing some cries of "we didn't vote for this." No, you fell for this, and now everyone is paying.

Expand full comment
Judith Swink (CA)'s avatar

Given what we've seen across the U.S., in all 50 states including in many small towns in 'red' states and districts, it won't be "just a few thousand protesters". Because the date has been announced (Trump's birthday on June 14), there will be protesters flooding into DC from all parts of the country.

Making his plan to celebrate his birthday with a massive military parade on June 14 is all the more egregious - the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/donald-trump-birthday-to-coincide-with-massive-military-parade

Expand full comment
Kim Sherwood's avatar

OR, consider Indivisible's alternative. Protesters ignore the imbecilic and expensive military parade, and take to the streets everywhere else. I don't see the link to it, but if you can find their "May 1 - What's the Plan" meeting video on YT, you can hear them outline the logic.

Expand full comment
Judith Swink (CA)'s avatar

I don't see this as an either/or. I expect there will be many thousands who show up in DC, no one will ignore the parade, but there also will be numerous protests around the country by people who cannot travel to DC to protest there.

Expand full comment
Steve 218's avatar

Consider 14 June is also Flag Day. Has anyone seen Trump's birth certificate? The date he states as his birthday may be another lie.

Expand full comment
Judith Swink (CA)'s avatar

I almost forgot - the protests have nothing to do with political parties. They are citizen-organized and -led outpourings of anger and frustration.

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

would really be great if no one came...

Expand full comment
Marshall Hershberg's avatar

DJT should be made to pay for it himself!

Expand full comment
Ed Weber's avatar

I hope that you are right.

Expand full comment
Robert's avatar

I think that the greatest protest song is "We will overcome - someday" but I don't have the the patience (nor at age 87 the life expectancy) to wait for 'someday'.

Though not a protest song, 'You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch (with Trump substituting for Grinch) keeps going through my head.

Expand full comment
Judith Swink (CA)'s avatar

I agree about the song also but it's "We SHALL overcome...", a much stronger statement that it WILL happen someday.

Expand full comment
SBwrites's avatar

I agree about the song, and I also don't have the patience and, in my case stamina and health (I'm 75) to wait for some day. Ever since Trump assumed the presidency this time, I am finding it extraordinarily difficult to withstand his perpetration of evil, lawlessness, malevolence, vindictiveness, arrogance, viciousness, deceit, revengefulness, cruelty, and now Catholic Nationalist propaganda. He's clearly committing "crimes against humanity," and working to destroy one of the pillars our democracy, which is the separation of church and state, and we're all watching it happen!

Expand full comment
Nancy's avatar

I like this approach very much.

Expand full comment
Jeff's avatar

I would like to shout-out Jesse Welles as a contemporary musician who has written some great protest songs. He was recently awarded a John Prine songwriter fellowship. Here is one example of his music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9LJh81n_zA

Expand full comment
Leslie's avatar

awesome. Thanks.

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

And yet trump is still in charge doing all kinds of supposedly illegal stuff, leaving a path of destruction. Hello sup crt ?

Expand full comment
Susan Hochberg's avatar

Your positivity is contagious, especially in 402. Thank you!!

Expand full comment
Kathy Sowers's avatar

Just in time! I listen to "Coffee" 3 days/week and by Saturday it seems like forever since Thursday! Enter Norm's "Publisher's Roundup" on Saturdays, and I am once again buoyed by the summary of the resistance of the previous week and I know - yes! That really happened and we're still standing! And I'm hanging in there with The Contrarians!!!

Expand full comment
Liane paap's avatar

Thank you once again for another impressive weekly roundup Norm! My favorite line “democracy has proved more resilient than we might have hoped.” Yes, and we all must continue to put in the work! Thank you for your hard work and dedication!

A song that comes to mind for the playlist is Donna Summer’s I Will Survive; because I believe we must never give up hope!

Expand full comment
patricia's avatar

repeat : America, Goodbye for now. Please call when you recover your sanity. We will miss you, The World

Expand full comment
Susan L Allen's avatar

“Singing for Our Lives,” Holly Near. “Yell Fire,” Michael Franti.

Expand full comment
Roxanna Springer's avatar

WeThePeople have the power. This is our government, our democratic republic, our country. WeThePeople insist, resist, and persist in continuing to work for a more perfect Union. Represent us or go away.

Expand full comment
Charlie Kentnor's avatar

The Eagles “Lying Eyes”. Thanks to Jojofromjerz for bringing this to my attention.

Expand full comment