Evening Roundup, Jan 15
Featuring Contrarian Calls to Action, April Ryan with Rep. Meeks, Carron J. Phillips, Jennifer Rubin and Suzan Delbene, Meredith Blake, Democracy Movement, "The Tea," & The Contrarian Podcast
Contrarian Calls To Action
Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your congressperson, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.
America is a Rogue State
[ VIDEO ] Yesterday, reports of U.S. personnel being evacuated from Qatar made the rounds amid Trump’s military threats towards Iran. According to AP News, at least 2,615 demonstrators have been killed since the protests in Iran broke out two weeks ago.
The WNBA is Getting Closer to a Work Stoppage. That’s Not a Bad Thing.
By Carron J. Phillips
The collective bargaining agreement has expired; drama could ensue at any moment.
The Battle For 2026 Midterms
[ VIDEO ] The battle for victory in the 2026 midterms is well underway. Voters across the country are expressing their rising disapproval of our elected officials at both the state and federal level. People are looking for someone to deliver strong, decisive action amidst a crowd of Congressional quitters.
Getting the Story Right Was Never Easy
In the closing minutes of the documentary Cover-Up, Seymour Hersh, the celebrated investigative journalist who broke stories about the My Lai massacre and torture at Abu Ghraib prison, among countless oth…
The Contrarian Covers the Democracy Movement
Thursday: Protests against ICE in California, Minnesota, Oregon and more.
Every weekday, we 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.
The Tea w/ April Ryan ft. Peggy Flanagan & Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi
Thank you Herman Beck-Chenoweth, Carl Shubitowski, Omar Moore, An Mcgreevy, Donna Dupont, and many others for tuning into The Tea with April Ryan.
This week April was joined by Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's Lieutenant Governor, and Dr. Jehan (Gigi) El-Bayoumi, Founding Director and Executive Director of the Rodham Institute.
Global Instability, and Trump’s Ten Steps to Authoritarianism
The Trump regime removed Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, but the country’s power structure mostly remains, its oil infrastructure is decimated, and drug trafficking continues. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, talked to Jen about what could happen next in Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, and Taiwan.
Oops...
'Troops from France, Germany, the UK, Norway and Sweden, among others, were on their way to Greenland, a largely autonomous territory of the kingdom of Denmark, on Thursday. Denmark also announced it would be increasing its military presence.'
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/15/greenland-defence-nato-denmark-prime-minister-european-troops
Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Presented the Medal for her Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump at a Private White House Meeting Today
Trump Will Place the Medal in What Will Be his New Gilded Trophy Room , That Will Occupy Half the New Ballroom That His Big Corporate Admirers and Beneficiaries Are Building for Him.
Trump gloated when she handed over her medal after Trump’s series of cajoleries, insinuations, put-downs, threats and bad-mouthing that so ingratiated himself with her that she felt it was the least - the very least - she could or would do.
Trump, with his usual flair for boasting, self-aggrandizement, pomposity and self-congratulation, graciously accepted her surrender of it and assured her that whatever may happen with the U.S.’s seizure of Venezuela’s oil reserves, she could always count on a full tank of gas in her car.
Trump will be placing the medal among the hoards of medals, awards, honorariums, tributes, and other tangible displays of admiration which he had solicited over the years. These go back to an honorary imitation gold school crossing-guard badge that was bestowed upon him by his junior high school principal as a demonstration of the school’s appreciation for his brief service as a school crossing guard, that was terminated prematurely when it was discovered that he was shaking down the children for loose change to allow them to cross at his intersection.
On display in the Oval Office is just a small sample of the awards, trophies and other manifestations of the love and admiration that he managed to extract from people and institutions.