March 7 Friday roundup

We’ve expanded our cast of fruit to include the vice president.

March 07, 2025

This week’s “Next Comes What” podcast episode looks at the depravity of Donald Trump and JD Vance wielding the power of the U.S. government against Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine, as well as revisiting the February 2022 morning I woke up in Moscow to find that Russia had launched a massive invasion against Ukraine. You can watch the episode on YouTube or listen to it via Apple, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.

A large orange and a small lemon sit side by side on a dark wood floor.

This will be a short post because I want to get links to the episode out this afternoon, but I just returned from today’s Stand Up for Science demonstration in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Next week, I’ll write about this event and other protests around the country and why they matter in ways you might not have thought about before. Here’s a peek at some of what I saw today.

A view of a demonstration over the shoulders of two people in a crowd, with the Lincoln Memorial visible in the background.

Stand Up for Science demonstration on March 7 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Andrea. Pitzer)

The situation for Ukraine vis-a-vis the U.S. and in the field against Russia has only gotten worse since Tuesday’s post and when we recorded this week’s podcast episode. So I’ll underline here again that if you can help the people of Ukraine in any way right now (one way is through Assist-Ukraine), I encourage you to do so. Given the Trump administration’s willingness to tacitly back Putin in his war effort, it won’t be surprising if the ability of U.S. citizens to donate to organizations supporting Ukraine may face limits in the coming months.

In the meantime, however, I’ll share a tiny bit of personal good news: My history of concentration camps, One Long Night, is being published this month in French by Editions Les Perséides as Une Long Nuit: Une histoire globale des camps de concentration. If you know French already, you’re all set! And if not, here’s your motivation to learn.

An image of a book cover with barbed wire over an unfocused gray background and a title that reads UNE LONGE NUIT: Une histoire globale des camps de concentration (ONE LONG NIGHT: A global history of concentration camps).

Remember that the government has only the power we give it. Reminding our elected leaders of that isn’t always easy and takes real work. Consider what balance of time, money, and energy you can put toward keeping democracy and building a more perfect union going forward. Think of one thing you love about this country, and do something specific to strengthen it. In the end, it’s up to us.



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