On March 28, millions of people marched in peaceful “No Kings” protests across the United States and Europe, against the war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s actions.
In cities like Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, in the US, and Rome, London, and Paris in Europe, people gathered shoulder-to-shoulder to show their resistance to the Trump administration — and their signs were remarkable. Here are some of the most impressive ones:
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Posted inprotests|Comments Off on The 50 best signs!
Over the past few months, the Trump administration has unleashed an alarming series of attacks on US cultural, arts, and historical institutions. On March 27, 2025, the administration released Executive Order 14253, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” This order took specific aim at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, singling out exhibits at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the planned Smithsonian Women’s History Museum. The administration demanded that the Smithsonian “remove improper ideology” within the institution’s museums, education and research centers, and National Zoo.1 On August 12, 2025, the Trump administration sent a letter to the Smithsonian Institution titled “Internal Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions and Materials,” which stated that “we will be leading a comprehensive internal review of selected Smithsonian museums and exhibitions. This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.”2
In addition to the Smithsonian, the executive order had another explicit target: the cultural sites under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior (DOI), including the National Park Service (NPS). The DOI was ordered to scrub any “content that inappropriately disparage[s] Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times)” from its sites, which include public monuments, memorials, statues, and markers.3 On May 20, 2025, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued Secretarial Order 3431, also titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” In this order, Burgum directed all NPS sites to perform an internal review of all their signage and additionally required these sites to post new signs asking the public to report “any signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans or that fail to emphasize the beauty, grandeur, and abundance of landscapes and other natural features.”4 Burgum laid out deadlines for interpretative signs to be changed to comply with the executive order.
Collectively, these documents reveal a chilling reality: the current US administration views existing practices of preservation and interpretation of history, culture, and art as an active threat. As Trump stated in Executive Order 14253,
It is the policy of my Administration to restore Federal sites dedicated to history, including parks and museums, to solemn and uplifting public monuments that remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage, consistent progress toward becoming a more perfect Union, and unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing.5
In sum, these documents detail the administration’s goals to stifle works of culture and accounts of history that go against their chosen ideology and remove portions of history that, in the administration’s view, do not cast the United States in a good light.
While it may seem incomprehensible why this administration has chosen to attack an institution that has long been appreciated by Americans across the political spectrum, we can better understand when we remember that the National Park Service, established in 1916, is, in essence, the nation’s “largest outdoor history classroom.”6 While we may traditionally picture parks like Yosemite when thinking of National Parks, the NPS also includes National Historic Sites, National Monuments, National Battlefields, and more. Every NPS site, regardless of type, is designated by Congress and has a unique mandate to tell the story of the historic significance of that site. To meet this goal, each site displays interpretive signs and text to help visitors learn about the land and historic events in that location, connecting them to American history, often beyond what can be learned in a classroom.7 Creating interpretations for these sites is a long process that involves consultation with local community groups and stakeholders, consideration of accessibility for visitors with differing reading levels and disabilities, and incorporation of interactive activities and videos. (continue on Page 2 or here)
If you happen to have a disabled parking pass, you’re allowed to drive on the restricted road in the upper part of the arboretum (plenty of parking and a restroom). There are still some lovely camelia blossoms as they near the end of their early bloom. Can’t wait for the azaleas and rhodys.
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This Saturday, March 28, we’re broadcasting live from No Kings protests across the country.Three streams. Reporters and contributors embedded at multiple sites. More on-the-ground coverage than you’ll find anywhere else!What’s happeningThe list of reasons why we protest grows every day. Our friends at Indivisible, MoveOn, and The 50501 Movement say that over 3,000 events are planned, with millions expected to take to the streets to reject lawless authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.April Ryanwill take us through the day’s events aNo Kings protests in New Orleans, Kansas. October 2025.nd bring you on-the-ground protest coverage from all over the country.Jennifer Rubin, Katie Phang, and Tim Dickinson will be on the ground reporting from key protests in Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and Portland — and we are working directly with organizers in dozens more cities to bring you coverage from across the nation.We’ll welcome some of our favorite Contrarians, including Norman Eisen, to talk about how we got here, what’s happening in major cities and small towns across America, and where we go from here.No Kings protests in New Orleans, Kansas. October 2025.How to find The Contrarian No Kings coverageWe will livestream 3 times throughout the day on Saturday, March 28: 3pm, 6pm, and 8:30pm ETThe shows will be available LIVE on contrariannews.org and on the Contrarian YouTube channel. You can join on desktop or mobile.Subscribers, whether you are free or paid, will get access to the stream links ahead of time, so stay tuned for an email with those details later this week.We will also post the shows after they air, so if you’re out protesting, you can catch up on all the happenings from across the U.S. when you get backHow can you help?Show up to a protest and find your fellow Contrarians! Find an event near you.Attend a No Kings training this week before the big day.Share this to help spread the word about the millions of people around the world who are standing up for democracy and don’t want to sit back while Trump’s fascism takes hold.
Posted inAdvocacy, Government, Media, Politics, protests|Comments Off on Join us for LIVE coast-to-coast coverage of the United States standing up against Trump’s corruption—because America doesn’t bow to kings.
When switching to a lower dose of this medication, a patient found that the cost for a three month supply increased from $24.88 for the 90 mg dose to $644.01 for the 60 mg dose. That’s about a 25 fold increase. No explanation could be found, but there was a solution. Following the insert directions it was discovered the 90 mg. pill could be crushed with a spoon and easily dissolved in a cup of water–then by simply drinking 2/3 of the cup the correct dose was achieved. Wonder if others have discovered this.
Posted inHealth|Comments Off on Less can be much much more–caveat emptor
WHEN: March 28—Saturday–In support of the No Kings! rally and march. We will demonstrate from 10:30-11:30, at 8th & Madison. This timing will allow interested people to attend the noon No Kings! rally at Cal Anderson Park and the march from Cal Anderson to the Seattle Center. This event is one of 3100 demonstrations across the country by those protesting the actions and policies of the government and attacks on our democracy.
Bring your signs and voices! Spread the word!
Seniors at the Crossroads Steering Committee
NOTICE: please let us know if you don’t want to receive our emails and we’ll be happy to take your name off the mailing list
**Seniors at the Crossroads is an informal network of seniors who regularly gather at their nearby busy crossroads and intersections to use their First Amendment rights in defense of the Constitution, the Rule of Law, and Justice. We call for a country that values and cares for all its people. Twice a month, on the second and fourth Thursdays, our local group gathers for an hour, with home-made signs and our voices, to defend these principles. We meet from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.
A monumental tulip sculpture finds a new home at Seattle U. Plus, the local dance piece that ‘fractals into a vortex and veers into a grocery list.’
pring waltzes in with the vernal equinox tomorrow, but certain seasonal flowers have already sprung. Even a short, damp neighborhood walk reveals exuberant camellias, fluffy magnolias, bright daffodils and the pleasing punch-in-the-face scent of daphne odora.
On the Seattle University campus you can spot a giant specimen known as the “Seattle Tulip,” which was welcomed with a dedication ceremony on March 5. Featuring wavy green leaves and a bright red blossom, the 12-foot-tall enameled aluminum sculpture was created by Pop Artist Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004). You might recognize it.
The towering tulip was originally commissioned in 1988, by Wright Runstad & Company, to bloom outside their building at 999 Third Avenue (formerly Wells Fargo, currently the Docusign Tower). When the building was sold in 2019, the sculpture was dismantled and lay dormant — like a bulb — at Artech Fine Arts Storage in Renton. An anonymous group called “Friends of the Seattle Tulip” financed its return to the light, on the grass of the SU Union Green.
“Seattle Tulip” will serve as a sunny welcome to the $300 million collection (courtesy of local donor Richard Hedreen) slated for SU’s forthcoming museum of art, opening in late 2028. (Continued on Page 2 or here)
Each year on March 24, World TB Day is recognized globally to build public awareness around TB and recommit to ending the world’s deadliest infectious disease, which claims about 1.25 million lives annually. The date commemorates the 1882 discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the germ that causes TB, which at the time, killed 1 in 7 people in the United States and Europe.
Ed note about “petard” from AI: “A petard is a small, conical-shaped medieval bomb used to breach gates or walls by sappers, frequently prone to backfiring, which originated the phrase ‘hoist by your own petard’—meaning to be destroyed by one’s own trap. Originating in the 16th-century, the term comes from Middle French péter (to break wind), implying an explosive, ‘fart-like’ device.”
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Ed note: There are a number of interventional procedures available to us that sound good, but are they really beneficial. The current New England Journal of Medicine gives fair warning that current research does not support a common procedure used in those of us who have atrial fibrillation. The side effects and death rates simply are unacceptable in many instances. It’s difficult to question a recommended procedure, but one question to ask your doctor –“So what do you make of this article in the NEJM?”
by Katelyn Jetelina in Your Friendly Epidemiologist
Ed note: This is likely more that you want to know, but it’s an excellent summary of what we know and still don’t know.
Six years ago today, I put my baby in a camping carrier, strapped her on, opened my laptop on my dining room table, and started typing as fast as I could. I couldn’t believe how little communication existed that was timely, understandable, and actionable, with the humility and honesty the public deserved. So I tried to fill that gap, bringing my fellow faculty, staff, and students along for the Covid-19 journey in real time, signing every email the same way: Love, Your Local Epidemiologist. I told my husband I would only have to do this for six weeks. Surely someone would fill this gap… The rest is a blur (with many lessons learned along the way.)
March 22, 2020 during the lockdown. Strapped the baby in order to work from home. The start of YLE. A lot has changed since then. I don’t do many deep dives on Covid-19 anymore because the landscape has dramatically changed for the better, but also because, honestly, it brings back some overwhelming emotions. But this anniversary matters not only so you can protect yourself from this virus that is still circulating, and not only to honor the 1.5 million people who died, but also because this moment deserves serious reflection.
So, six years later, this is where we stand.
A lot has changed, and continues to do so.
Covid-19 is no longer the third leading cause of death. In fact, it now carries roughly the same severity as the flu. While flu is nothing to brush off, this virus not being a top killer is genuine relief.
Data from CDC; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist. Even better news: Peaks are getting smaller and smaller. Each successive wave has been lower than the last, a pattern reflected in almost every metric, including hospitalizations (see below). This isn’t surprising: as our collective immunity builds, the virus has a harder time breaking through. SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve along the same narrow path, which is unusual but very helpful in reducing the number of people with the disease. The Covid-19 cousins we call coronaviruses are now responsible for the common cold, and there’s a hypothesis that this virus may eventually follow the same path. We are clearly not there yet, as hospitalization rates tell us, but the trajectory is meaningful.
Covid-19 Hospitalizations per 100,000. Source: CDC; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist. Interestingly, seasonality has recently shifted. We now reliably see two waves each year: one in winter, one in summer. But nationally over the past two years, the summer wave has been larger than the winter wave (see above). We don’t know why.
Unfortunately, vaccination rates continue to fall. Roughly 3.5 million fewer older Americans were vaccinated this year compared to last year. That means 3.5 million people in the highest-risk group are now less protected from a largely preventable disease. With all the federal vaccine confusion, I expect this to continue to decline. (continued on Page 2 or here)
PITTSBURGH — The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh will offer free admission for all visitors on Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Thanks to Pam P.)
The event celebrates the museum being named the No. 1 children’s museum in the country by the 2026 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The museum reached the top ranking this year after placing second for the previous three years.
The free admission day also coincides with the birthday of Fred Rogers, whose legacy remains a central focus of the museum’s interactive exhibits and programs.
The museum attributes its distinct identity and recent ranking to its ongoing partnership with Rogers Productions.
“We’re proud that Fred’s incredible legacy of understanding and kindness informs our daily work and continues through our relationship with Rogers Productions,” Executive Director Jane Werner said.
Guests can visit several exhibits inspired by the late television host, including the Kindness Gallery. This space allows visitors to view one of Rogers’ sweaters and listen to Daniel Tiger’s Strategy Songs while practicing everyday acts of kindness.
The museum also houses original puppets from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” such as King Friday XIII, Queen Sara Saturday, Henrietta Pussycat and Daniel Striped Tiger.
An interactive portrait experience by artist Wayne Brezinka, titled “Mister Rogers: Just The Way You Are,” is also on display.
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No Kings protests in New Orleans, Kansas. October 2025.nd bring you on-the-ground protest coverage from all over the country.
No Kings protests in New Orleans, Kansas. October 2025.How to find The Contrarian No Kings coverageWe will livestream 3 times throughout the day on Saturday, March 28:
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