In my call to Thune today, I read aloud his own words about the passing of Pope Francis. Then I paused and asked this question: If you honor a man of compassion, a man of good news, a man of joy, how can you possibly also serve Trump, serve his cruel, illiterate, uncompassionate, ruinous demands? When will you return to a moral high ground? These are Thune's own words: “Pope Francis led a life of faithful witness to the Gospel,” said Thune. “He dedicated himself to spreading the Good News with joy, and he will be remembered as a humble servant of God and a man of great compassion for those in need. May he rest in peace and receive his reward.”
One would hope. Oh, one would hope. Everything you read about Thune suggests that he actually is a man who listens. Even though I disagree with him on nearly everything, I didn’t think he’d be this awful.
I attended a memorial service last week where this reading from Philippians 4 had political as well as spiritual meaning for me: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worth of praise, think about these things. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you." Yes, I'm struck by how many who profess loudly and militantly to be Christian don't behave as Paul--or Pope Francis--would have counseled. Let us, at least, strive to be just and honorable, whatever our religious traditions.
Thank you for these shared words, Meg. They actually made me cry. Just because this is who we should be, and a minority, a ruling minority, is so far away from this, while wearing their oversized crosses and feigning piety.
Louisiana U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy said the Trump administration made a mistake in deporting a Maryland man [Kilmar Abrego Garcia] to El Salvador.
“This is a screw-up in my opinion. The administration won’t admit it, but this was a screw up,” Kennedy, R-Madisonville, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I understand why the administration bowed up. It won’t admit it was a mistake because if they do they’ll have their throats torn out. But it was screw up. I don’t see any pattern here.”
Right?! This was the guy who told a Muslim woman to "hide her head in a bag" after repeatedly accusing her of being pro-Hamas...when she was literally there as an expert to testify about Islamophobia.
Over one hundred fifty university presidents signed an open letter standing for academic freedom and against undue government intrusion. Here is the article from the Guardian:
Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed, with immediate effect, HB 1321, which "prohibits other states, territories or districts from sending their National Guard troops to Washington state without approval from the governor." Here is the Seattle Times article:
Bob Ferguson is quoted as saying, "We just cannot allow as a state to have armed forces come into our home and enforce policies that are against our core values. State autonomy is the foundation of our federalist system — this bill is a simple, but very important expression, of that system.”
Note Gov. Ferguson's use of the term "State autonomy."
Wow. As a WA resident I’m very proud of our government and flagship university. While we may be a “blue” state we have a dangerous MAGA minority and can’t take anything for granted. Our state party is well organized and always working. And I think we were the only state (maybe one other) that didn’t give any ground to Trump in 2024 vs 2020.
Amazing! Amongst university leaderships as well, courage is clearly contagious. As the note you received indicates, people such as the President of the University of Washington are extremely grateful when you and others voice support. So encouraging to see. Well done!
There's a pecking order among universities, and Harvard is at the top (arguably with a few others). Schools that want to see themselves as Harvard-league now are under pressure to match Harvard's stand. When they do, the next tier down wants to match the new brave ones and so on. As a former academic, I'm delighted and shocked to see this dynamic working for us!
Great idea that I just copied. I wrote to the interim president of my Alma mater, Colorado College. I thanked her for signing the letter and also encouraged her to advocate in academia for ‘cross pollination’. ie academia voicing support for the big law that’s fighting back. Or science funding. Or judges who are holding the line. Etc.
I was working on planning a demonstration at our local Social Security office here in
Evanston, IL…to support the workers and have signs for passersby to see in the afternoon, as it’s on a busy street…and yesterday I received my weekly newsletter from Indivisible Evanston, which is a terrific, well organized, hard working group here that does lots of stuff, and they have already planned such a demonstration for this Thursday, April 24th, at 3pm!!! I sent out the notice immediately to the folks at the senior home I spoke at last week in an effort to drum up some support, but I’m sure there will be a good turnout! So wonderful to live in an action oriented community with lots of folks willing to fight for our democracy, rights, and Constitution! I had a good conversation with someone in Dick Durbin’s office yesterday as well…rare to reach a human being there. I was clear that many of his constituents aren’t happy with him about his recent behavior and said that we expect him to find the microphones and speak up, daily and with passion…and I asked both senators not just to vote “no” on the SAVE act, which is critical, but to reach out to the few Republicans who aren’t totally insane, some of whom my senators have known for some time, to gather enough votes to defeat the bill. Today I will call about the tariffs and the other issues Simon speaks of…I’ve also worked to motivate my little “Worth Fighting For” group that had its first meeting right after the election to also make these calls regularly. A handful of us demonstrated in Des Plaines, IL, outside Chicago, on Saturday and I’m especially pleased that a couple from the group actually went up to Kenosha ahead of the Supreme Ct election there and canvassed for the first time! That felt really great to me…love to feel like a bit of a mentor for younger folks just getting into activism!
It was good and a relief to finally see the national swell of protest that one has waited on for years.
Due to age and ill health this correspondent can only join by sending letters to Congress and small dollars to a few of the campaigns mentioned by Dr. Rosenberg such as that of Cory Booker.
Please let this one express admiration and encouragement to everyone who can do as much or more. Thank You Citizen.
Self reporting that I made my 100th total call to my senators and rep through the 5 Calls app this morning! I started in February and try to call every weekday. I'm in Missouri so it's an uphill battle, but I'm just trying to stay consistent about it to send a message that I won't stop pushing. Plus it's a nice little space to (politely) vent.
I’ve been corresponding with my Wisconsin State Senator, Chris Larson, who is speaking out about the awful excesses of the Trump regime. He was one of at least four state legislators who showed up at the empty chair/Ron Johnson town hall this past weekend. I just sent Chris your paragraph (with attribution) about the need for states to generate “letters of condemnation”. Thank you. Have also made my calls. Senator Johnson’s office never responds. He is one of the biggest Trump collaborators out there, and the power he has to block inquiries into Trumps misdeeds in his position on the Committee for Homeland Security and Government Affairs (Chair of its Investigations subcommittee!) is sickening.
Self report: contacted my former US Rep (Michigan) who is a consistent supporter of the president, drawing heavily from today's email.
"Although I am not currently your constituent, I was. I lived in New Buffalo until a few weeks ago, but am in transition to Ann Arbor. I have written my senators many times urging them to action and previously wrote you as well. I am doing it one last time although I currently live outside your district.
In the past week we’ve seen growing, powerful defiance of Trump from Harvard, Senator Chris Van Hollen, leading Jewish organizations, Trump loyalists at the Pentagon, Governor Newsom and the state of California, the Supreme Court of the United States, Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the global financial markets. Four House Democrats visited El Salvador to fight for release of the many wrongly imprisoned there. Yesterday the U. S. stock market continued to slide and on so many fronts our country is losing the respect of much of the world, and or moral compass as well. We are in a place my father, a W. W. II veteran, would be embarassed to see let alone know it was because of actions that were taken by the country’s elected leaders. Headed for being less strong, less well off financially and less healthy.
Please stop all this. Only four Republican Senators and three Republican representatives in the House need to split from Trump to wrest Congressional control back on tariffs. Tariffs are not just harming all Americans in every state and district, they are also unconstitutional. Any president simply does not have the power to levy tariffs like this, ones that effect literally every person in America and the world, without Congressional assent. Please do your job. Stop this usurpation of power. Given how central, abusive and capricious tariffs were to fomenting our revolution, there simply is no scenario where our Founders would have allowed a President to have this power alone. For these tariffs are - literally - present day “taxation without representation.”"
Thank you Simon. I am so glad to be part of Hopium and have your assistance and leadership during this time. The clip of Lisa Murkowski shown on Brooks and Capehart posted on PBS NewsHour 3 days ago was telling (so I think posted on April 19, 5:31 minutes in): https://youtu.be/Hs2hrpPmx7k?si=xOakQWNOzqd2hkAn
Self reporting: a call to Republican Rep Tony Gonzales to hold an in-person town hall and to voice his opposition to the Medicaid cuts that will hurt his constituents. Another call to Senator Cruz and urged a push to fire Secretary of Defense Hegseth and vote NO for the SAVE Act.
Please use the Constitution’s Preamble to set the stage.
The Declaration of Independence is a critical document but the Constitution, with its moral underpinnings and clarity of the rule of law that Trump is using as toilet paper, the document he swore to protect and defend, is the more appropriate document to use as a springboard for your Letter.
Wednesdays now conflict with a mtg with a local grassroots organization, SEE Alliance (Social Equity through Education Alliance). DARN! Tough decision.
Question: I have 3 topics for my representatives today: Due process, tariffs, and Russia. Do I send 1 email with all three topics or 3 separate emails?
Self report: Attended the SARASOTA Protest this past Saturday. Bought a set of American flags and handed them out randomly. Discussed my protesting activity and contacting my reps with a niece...she was shocked at me (in a good way) and said she would start contacting her Wisconsin reps.
Where can I sign up for Wednesday's paid subscribers gathering? I don't see the link in today's column. Thanks!
Sally, three ways:
1) there is a link in the column
2) It's always in the Events page on the Nav bar
3) you can always go onto the site and find the email announcing it. Every post you ever receive is on the site including the event announcements
See you tomorrow! Simon
In my call to Thune today, I read aloud his own words about the passing of Pope Francis. Then I paused and asked this question: If you honor a man of compassion, a man of good news, a man of joy, how can you possibly also serve Trump, serve his cruel, illiterate, uncompassionate, ruinous demands? When will you return to a moral high ground? These are Thune's own words: “Pope Francis led a life of faithful witness to the Gospel,” said Thune. “He dedicated himself to spreading the Good News with joy, and he will be remembered as a humble servant of God and a man of great compassion for those in need. May he rest in peace and receive his reward.”
Nicely done! Words matter – at least they should matter, even for John Thune.
One would hope. Oh, one would hope. Everything you read about Thune suggests that he actually is a man who listens. Even though I disagree with him on nearly everything, I didn’t think he’d be this awful.
Are you from South Dakota?
No. I am calling and leaving messages for Thune and Johnson. Praying someone listens to them. I can give you the numbers if you like when I get home.
I attended a memorial service last week where this reading from Philippians 4 had political as well as spiritual meaning for me: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worth of praise, think about these things. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you." Yes, I'm struck by how many who profess loudly and militantly to be Christian don't behave as Paul--or Pope Francis--would have counseled. Let us, at least, strive to be just and honorable, whatever our religious traditions.
Thank you for these shared words, Meg. They actually made me cry. Just because this is who we should be, and a minority, a ruling minority, is so far away from this, while wearing their oversized crosses and feigning piety.
I've been thinking of Pope Francis' words "Build bridges, not walls."
Well done!
Great way to call Thune out-- appeal to the sense of humanity which he seems to have demonstrated in his words honoring Pope Francis.
$10 trillion loss in stock market. tariffs were to get $1-2 trillion. so art of the deal??
NEW CRACKS: TRUMP HAS LOST SENATOR KENNEDY…
Louisiana U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy said the Trump administration made a mistake in deporting a Maryland man [Kilmar Abrego Garcia] to El Salvador.
“This is a screw-up in my opinion. The administration won’t admit it, but this was a screw up,” Kennedy, R-Madisonville, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I understand why the administration bowed up. It won’t admit it was a mistake because if they do they’ll have their throats torn out. But it was screw up. I don’t see any pattern here.”
https://www.nola.com/news/politics/john-kennedy-trump-wont-admit-mistake-in-deportation-case/article_de5801ae-d49f-41d3-b0a2-952d00c9ea28.html
I watched the whole interview. It was fascinating on every level.
Right?! This was the guy who told a Muslim woman to "hide her head in a bag" after repeatedly accusing her of being pro-Hamas...when she was literally there as an expert to testify about Islamophobia.
What to do with the outrage. How to stay sane, keep breathing.
Wow - Seems as if he didn't equivocate. This is huge. I will read it later. Thank you!
I see a pattern... of screw ups everywhere.
Thank you for your service. You keep everything simple to understand and give a boost to being of service in the fight!
In the news you can use category:
Over one hundred fifty university presidents signed an open letter standing for academic freedom and against undue government intrusion. Here is the article from the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/21/us-university-presidents-trump-administration
Here is the letter:
https://www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-call-for-constructive-engagement
I immediately fired off an email of thanks to University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce and within minutes received a short, personal reply:
"Thanks David. These are tough times.
Ana Mari Cauce
Professor of Psychology
President
University of Washington"
Wow.
More interesting news.
Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed, with immediate effect, HB 1321, which "prohibits other states, territories or districts from sending their National Guard troops to Washington state without approval from the governor." Here is the Seattle Times article:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/wa-can-now-restrict-outside-national-guard-from-entering-state/
Bob Ferguson is quoted as saying, "We just cannot allow as a state to have armed forces come into our home and enforce policies that are against our core values. State autonomy is the foundation of our federalist system — this bill is a simple, but very important expression, of that system.”
Note Gov. Ferguson's use of the term "State autonomy."
Wow. As a WA resident I’m very proud of our government and flagship university. While we may be a “blue” state we have a dangerous MAGA minority and can’t take anything for granted. Our state party is well organized and always working. And I think we were the only state (maybe one other) that didn’t give any ground to Trump in 2024 vs 2020.
Amazing! Amongst university leaderships as well, courage is clearly contagious. As the note you received indicates, people such as the President of the University of Washington are extremely grateful when you and others voice support. So encouraging to see. Well done!
There's a pecking order among universities, and Harvard is at the top (arguably with a few others). Schools that want to see themselves as Harvard-league now are under pressure to match Harvard's stand. When they do, the next tier down wants to match the new brave ones and so on. As a former academic, I'm delighted and shocked to see this dynamic working for us!
And here I thought Liberty University and Trump University were at the top.
/s
I could make a list where they'd be at the top, but this is a family newsletter, right?
'First followers' can be a powerful force for validation.
Go Dawgs!
Great idea that I just copied. I wrote to the interim president of my Alma mater, Colorado College. I thanked her for signing the letter and also encouraged her to advocate in academia for ‘cross pollination’. ie academia voicing support for the big law that’s fighting back. Or science funding. Or judges who are holding the line. Etc.
I was working on planning a demonstration at our local Social Security office here in
Evanston, IL…to support the workers and have signs for passersby to see in the afternoon, as it’s on a busy street…and yesterday I received my weekly newsletter from Indivisible Evanston, which is a terrific, well organized, hard working group here that does lots of stuff, and they have already planned such a demonstration for this Thursday, April 24th, at 3pm!!! I sent out the notice immediately to the folks at the senior home I spoke at last week in an effort to drum up some support, but I’m sure there will be a good turnout! So wonderful to live in an action oriented community with lots of folks willing to fight for our democracy, rights, and Constitution! I had a good conversation with someone in Dick Durbin’s office yesterday as well…rare to reach a human being there. I was clear that many of his constituents aren’t happy with him about his recent behavior and said that we expect him to find the microphones and speak up, daily and with passion…and I asked both senators not just to vote “no” on the SAVE act, which is critical, but to reach out to the few Republicans who aren’t totally insane, some of whom my senators have known for some time, to gather enough votes to defeat the bill. Today I will call about the tariffs and the other issues Simon speaks of…I’ve also worked to motivate my little “Worth Fighting For” group that had its first meeting right after the election to also make these calls regularly. A handful of us demonstrated in Des Plaines, IL, outside Chicago, on Saturday and I’m especially pleased that a couple from the group actually went up to Kenosha ahead of the Supreme Ct election there and canvassed for the first time! That felt really great to me…love to feel like a bit of a mentor for younger folks just getting into activism!
Wonderful work Nancy! 💃🏻🙌🏻
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
It was good and a relief to finally see the national swell of protest that one has waited on for years.
Due to age and ill health this correspondent can only join by sending letters to Congress and small dollars to a few of the campaigns mentioned by Dr. Rosenberg such as that of Cory Booker.
Please let this one express admiration and encouragement to everyone who can do as much or more. Thank You Citizen.
Self reporting that I made my 100th total call to my senators and rep through the 5 Calls app this morning! I started in February and try to call every weekday. I'm in Missouri so it's an uphill battle, but I'm just trying to stay consistent about it to send a message that I won't stop pushing. Plus it's a nice little space to (politely) vent.
These are the ones who need these calls the most! Thanks for being the mosquito in their bedrooms.
I’ve been corresponding with my Wisconsin State Senator, Chris Larson, who is speaking out about the awful excesses of the Trump regime. He was one of at least four state legislators who showed up at the empty chair/Ron Johnson town hall this past weekend. I just sent Chris your paragraph (with attribution) about the need for states to generate “letters of condemnation”. Thank you. Have also made my calls. Senator Johnson’s office never responds. He is one of the biggest Trump collaborators out there, and the power he has to block inquiries into Trumps misdeeds in his position on the Committee for Homeland Security and Government Affairs (Chair of its Investigations subcommittee!) is sickening.
Ron Johnson is very busy with extremely pressing business https://thehill.com/homenews/5259111-senator-ron-johnson-9-11-hearings/
Self report: contacted my former US Rep (Michigan) who is a consistent supporter of the president, drawing heavily from today's email.
"Although I am not currently your constituent, I was. I lived in New Buffalo until a few weeks ago, but am in transition to Ann Arbor. I have written my senators many times urging them to action and previously wrote you as well. I am doing it one last time although I currently live outside your district.
In the past week we’ve seen growing, powerful defiance of Trump from Harvard, Senator Chris Van Hollen, leading Jewish organizations, Trump loyalists at the Pentagon, Governor Newsom and the state of California, the Supreme Court of the United States, Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the global financial markets. Four House Democrats visited El Salvador to fight for release of the many wrongly imprisoned there. Yesterday the U. S. stock market continued to slide and on so many fronts our country is losing the respect of much of the world, and or moral compass as well. We are in a place my father, a W. W. II veteran, would be embarassed to see let alone know it was because of actions that were taken by the country’s elected leaders. Headed for being less strong, less well off financially and less healthy.
Please stop all this. Only four Republican Senators and three Republican representatives in the House need to split from Trump to wrest Congressional control back on tariffs. Tariffs are not just harming all Americans in every state and district, they are also unconstitutional. Any president simply does not have the power to levy tariffs like this, ones that effect literally every person in America and the world, without Congressional assent. Please do your job. Stop this usurpation of power. Given how central, abusive and capricious tariffs were to fomenting our revolution, there simply is no scenario where our Founders would have allowed a President to have this power alone. For these tariffs are - literally - present day “taxation without representation.”"
So articulate and to the point!
Thank you so much. Appreciate the comment...
totally stealing for my terrible R rep - thanks!
Steal away! :-)
Such a great write up Paula; thank you for sharing it with us!🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you! I had Simon's great source material...
Thank you Simon. I am so glad to be part of Hopium and have your assistance and leadership during this time. The clip of Lisa Murkowski shown on Brooks and Capehart posted on PBS NewsHour 3 days ago was telling (so I think posted on April 19, 5:31 minutes in): https://youtu.be/Hs2hrpPmx7k?si=xOakQWNOzqd2hkAn
Self reporting: a call to Republican Rep Tony Gonzales to hold an in-person town hall and to voice his opposition to the Medicaid cuts that will hurt his constituents. Another call to Senator Cruz and urged a push to fire Secretary of Defense Hegseth and vote NO for the SAVE Act.
Your inadvertent use of "pubic" rather then "public" is certainly appropriate.
Dick, would be helpful if you could point where it is so I can fix it.
Underneath the video of Rep. Ansari.
fixed, thank you.
Re Letter to America.
Please make it one page.
Please use the Constitution’s Preamble to set the stage.
The Declaration of Independence is a critical document but the Constitution, with its moral underpinnings and clarity of the rule of law that Trump is using as toilet paper, the document he swore to protect and defend, is the more appropriate document to use as a springboard for your Letter.
Please write the Letter, today.
Thank you.
Wednesdays now conflict with a mtg with a local grassroots organization, SEE Alliance (Social Equity through Education Alliance). DARN! Tough decision.
Question: I have 3 topics for my representatives today: Due process, tariffs, and Russia. Do I send 1 email with all three topics or 3 separate emails?
Self report: Attended the SARASOTA Protest this past Saturday. Bought a set of American flags and handed them out randomly. Discussed my protesting activity and contacting my reps with a niece...she was shocked at me (in a good way) and said she would start contacting her Wisconsin reps.
Great work Michele! I love shocking my grandkids and nieces and nephews ( in a good way) 🤣🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸