My heart hurts for Ukraine, and I am ashamed of how our country’s leaders treated Zelensky on Friday. I just made a large donation to an organization helping Ukraine. I have posted a list of such organizations, please see if one of them touches your heart.
Trump
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How you can help Ukraine
I am harvesting these links from multiple issues of Tim Snyder’s “Thinking About…” Substack newsletter. Ironically, although these are available online, and I received them as part of a free subscription, the online version cannot be viewed without a paid subscription – sad.
If you are thinking today about how to help Ukrainians, here are some possibilities: Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian NGO that supports soldiers on the battlefield and veterans; United 24, the Ukrainian state platform for donations, with many excellent projects); RAZOM, an American NGO, tax-deductible for US citizens, which cooperates with Ukrainian NGOS to support civilians; and BlueCheck Ukraine, which aims for efficient cooperation with Ukrainian groups and is also tax-deductible.
https://snyder.substack.com/p/help-stop-a-genocide
So rather than indulge my own preferences, I asked where I could be most immediately helpful. The answer from the Ukrainians I asked was a system to defend against the Iranian drones. And so that is what, as an ambassador of the president’s United24 platform, I have pledged to do: to raise $1.25 million for such a system, a Shahed Hunter.
https://snyder.substack.com/p/the-challenge-of-6
1. Safe Skies. This is passive drone-detection system that allows Ukrainians to detect drones and cruise missiles in time to shoot them down. President Zelens’kyi just posted some photos of that end of the operation. Thanks to thousands of people, including many of you here, I was able (with support from some great historian colleagues) to raise enough money to protect eight Ukrainian regions with five thousand sensors (map here). Ukraine needs 12,000 total sensors to protect the entire country, so 7,000 more. The technology is inexpensive and effective. I have seen it at work. It saves lives. This is a very direct way that you can help Ukrainians protect themselves. Just go to this page and hit the button “Protect Ukrainian Skies.”
2. Razom for Ukraine. This is an American 501(c)3 that carries out important policy advocacy work in Washington DC and around the country. Aside from their terrific advocate team, they have a large group of volunteers who work tirelessly with Ukrainian NGOs to deliver aid and supplies to Ukraine. I have worked together with their great team on events for years and am always filled with admiration of their energy, efficacy, and devotion. A donation to them is a very safe bet. Please visit their page and donate.
3. Come Back Alive Foundation. More and more I hear from people who wish to help the Ukrainian army directly. A Ukrainian NGO that supplies soldiers on the front with what they need is Come Back Alive. They have been doing this job since the first Russian invasion and are very well reputed and highly reliable. You can see their fundraisers here.
4. 1 Team 1 Fight Foundation. This is a group with some very active European volunteers who have shown their mettle and devotion in getting supplies to the front in Ukraine. They are also an American 501(c)3. You can find their campaigns here.
5. Liberty Ukraine Foundation. Here we have a small group of (mostly) Texans who have done a great job in delivering humanitarian and military aid to Ukrainians. You can find their current projects here. They are a US 501(c)3.
6. Documenting Ukraine. As many of you will know, I helped establish this project to support Ukrainian scholars, journalists, writers, artists, photographers, librarians, archivists, and others who are documenting the war, each according to their own talents and following their own projects. We have given grants to 360 Ukrainians at this point, and are aiming for 500 by the end of the year. (One of those 360 was Mstyslav Chernov, the director of 20 Days in Mariupol, which just won an Oscar). I am proud of this effort to give Ukrainians a voice and to create a record of the war in real time and across multiple media. You can donate here. This is also a US 501(c)3.
https://snyder.substack.com/p/how-to-help-ukrainians-during-the (flood)
1. Ukraïner have a small group on the scene who have been evacuating people right from the beginning. Your donation would mean a lot to them. You can support them on Paypal from abroad via tymoshenkoyulia99@gmail.com or follow this link.
2. Rescue Now UA is a Ukrainian evacuation organization founded when this invasion began now active in Kherson. They are constituted as a US 501(c)3 so donations by Americans are tax-deductible. You can send money by PayPal here or consult the donation link here.
3. The Ukrainian Firefighters Foundation is raising money to buy pumps for the Kherson Emergency Services. You can help via Paypal via bimbirayte@gmail.com or by going to this page and hitting the Paypal button.
4. Vostok SOS is a Ukrainian evacuation organization working in the flooded Kherson region now to move people with limited mobility, children, and animals. You can support them through Paypal on nfo@vostok-sos.org or use this donation link
5. The Prytula Foundation is an established Ukrainian NGO specializing in matching equipment to local needs. They are already delivering boats and other gear. You can support them via Paypal on serhiy.prytula.kyiv@gmail.com (specify goal) or follow this donation link.
6. UAnimals has been evacuating and caring for animals throughout the war and is raising funds to do so now in Kherson region. As you might have noticed Ukraine is a country that cares for its land and its animals. Donation link is here.
7. Razom is an American NGO that cooperates with local Ukrainian NGOs. If you donate to Razom, they will make sure your support is appropriately directed. It is a US 501(c)3. You can donate here.
8. World Central Kitchen is an international NGO that has done extraordinary work in Ukraine during this war. They are providing excellent nutritious food in Kherson region right now. You can support them here.
9. United24 is President Volodymyr Zelens’kyi’s official fundraising platform (I am an ambassador). Their “Lifeboat Ukraine” project is raising money for gear for rescue operations. Follow this link and look for the Help button.
10. ComeBackAlive is a trusted NGO that supports Ukrainian soldiers. Ukrainian soldiers are now evacuating disabled people and the elderly. They are also using their drones to deliver water to people stranded on rooftops. Beyond that: rescue operations are hindered by Russian artillery and snipers. Only Ukrainian soldiers can get them out of range. Here’s a link.
Thugs and Bullies
I have just watched the video of the Trump/Zelensky meeting and Kaitlan Collins’ assessment of the meeting. I think something needs to be done to hold Trump and Vance to account for their disgraceful and disrespectful behavior toward Zelensky. I am trying to think of what I should do. For now, I have labeled the participants as seen in the photo below.

Yeah!
RFK confirmed as HHS secretary – really? Trump has really managed to keep Senate Republicans in line, only one bozo was kicked off the clown car – ugh!
The perfect response to Trump’s territorial trolling
Via Brian Beutler, the response from the Mexican President on convicted felon Donald Trump’s idea of changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America:
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Wednesday that the United States revert to a historic name for the territory, America Mexicana, in a clapback at President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico.
And on the subject of making Canada the 51st state of the United States, MP Elizabeth May puts forth a proposal for Washington, Oregon, and California to become the 11th province of Canada:
Take that, Mr. Convicted Felon!
The sentencing of Donald Trump
Today, Donald Trump was sentenced for his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to interfere with the 2016 US presidential election.

Coverage: (CNN – Takeaways) (CNN – live blog) (CNN – audio of hearing) (MSNBC – audio of hearing) (USA Today – article and downloadble audio) (CBS – audio excerpts from hearing).
I listened to the USA Today audio (download), it was a little clearer than the audio file provided by the NY State Unified Court System (download). I am providing the USA Today audio download in a player at the end of this post.
Here are my notes of the hearing:
- Counsel introductions (People and Defense)
- Both sides are reviewing the probation report, neither side had anything to add to the record
- Clerk informed People and Defense that they could make statements before sentencing
- People/Josh Steinglass
- People recommend unconditional discharge
- Reviewed how Trump showed no remorse and threatened to retaliate against prosecutors in this case
- Jury reached a unanimous verdict
- Probation report says defendant sees himself as “above the law”
- Must be mindful of the office of the presidency
- Todd Blanche
- Disagrees with what the government just said
- Case should not have been brought
- We will seek an appeal
- Donald Trump
- Very terrible experience
- Political witch hunt
- Lots of complaints
- DOJ is very involved
- I won the election
- This is a weaponization of government
- I was treated very unfairly
- Juan Merchan
- Wishes to explain reasoning for sentencing decision
- A judge must decide what is correct sentence
- Court must consider the facts of the case and any other mitigating circumstances
- Extraordinary circumstances involved in this case
- One power that the presidency does not provide is the power to erase a jury verdict
- Pronounced sentence of unconditional discharge
Court Documents
- Decision on Motion to Stay (1/6/2025)
- People’s Filing (1/6/2025)
- Trump Response to Stay (1/6/2025)
- Clayton Decision (1/3/2025)
What is the plan for Democrats?
So, here we are. Mike Johnson was elected speaker of the House 218-215 (in a 90 minute vote with phone calls to the holdouts by Donald Trump). What was the next opportunity to test the Republicans? The rules package. What was the vote? 215-209, with 10 not voting and one Democrat voting for the package.
WHAT!
If all Democrats voted against (including that one outcast), it would have lost 214-215. Why didn’t the Democratic conference flex their muscle there? Ugh.
Next, the electoral count. I was not expecting any challenges, and there were none, which is as it should be. Today, the House passed the Laken Riley Act. The Hill reports that “The legislation cleared the chamber in a 264-159 vote, with 48 Democrats joining all Republicans in support. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation this week…..Democratic leadership did not whip for or against the Laken Riley Act, allowing members of the caucus to vote their conscience.”. Well, I guess the Democrats are “keeping their powder dry”….
Now Trump is boasting about buying Greenland and taking back the Panama Canal, among other stupid ideas. Representative Jim McGovern has the right idea:
This would be a good start – don’t let the people forget about what Trump “promised” he would do when he became President. Democrats, let’s get out there and keep the pressure up! And, let’s try not to feed the troll…
The certification of the 2024 US presidential election
Today, a joint session of the US Congress, chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris, certified the results of the 2024 US presidential election, declaring Donald Trump the winner.
This was not the result I wanted, but it is a result which honored the votes of the American people, via the system of voting in the US called the Electoral College. The length of the proceeding was less than 30 minutes, as there were no objections by any Representative or Senator. It was amazing how quickly it went, as opposed to 2021 where numerous objections were raised by Republican (see my liveblog from the 2021 certification).
Kamala Harris released a video today stating that she would fulfill her constitutional duty to preside over the electoral count today:
The House and Senate Congressional leaders held a brief ceremony to remember the events of January 6, 2021:
In CNN’s liveblog coverage for today, Jamie Raskin shared part of a conversation with fellow representative Bennie Thompson:
“I was reflecting on the fact that we can feel proud of standing up for the constitutional order and the election process as it is supposed to work, but it’s also a very tough pill to swallow” Raskin told CNN of his private conversation with Thompson.
Previously on this weblog:
- My initial summary of the 2021 electoral count
- My impressions of Joe Biden’s inauguration
- My 2022 remembrance
- My 2023 remembrance
- My 2024 remembrance
Other coverage:
- The Atlantic/David Frum: Don’t Mention The Coup! The memory of January 6 vanishes from Trump’s new Washington
- The Atlantic/Jacob Glick: What I Saw on the January 6th Committee
- Politico: Jan. 6, 2021 is in the rearview. The battle to define it for history is in full swing
- The Bulwark: Our national day of shame
- Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from An America – January 6, 2025