John Lis 🇺🇦
@jjlis.bsky.social
USAID Democracy and Governance consultant. Former Hill staffer. Dad. Cleveland sports trauma survivor. Insights on democracy, foreign aid, Ukraine, Congress & the Curse of Rocky Colavito.
"Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then.” - Bob Seger
"Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then.” - Bob Seger
Pinned
John Lis 🇺🇦
@jjlis.bsky.social
· Feb 10
I have worked the past 20 years to help to strengthen democratic institutions around the world to make a safer, more stable world for us and our allies. This administration has spent the last 20 days trying to destroy that work. Now is the time, then, to strengthen our own democratic institutions.
Several years ago, my son and I saw first-hand the tremendous work that Sister Norma and others were doing in McAllen and around the Rio Grand Valley. Truly heartless action by the regime.
NEW: The Trump-Vance White House has falsely accused an ally of Pope Leo — Sr. Norma Pimentel — of illegal activity tied to migrant aid, and cut off all federal funding to Catholic Charities in Texas.
Church leaders say it’s a targeted, political reprisal against Pope Leo and the Catholic Church.
Church leaders say it’s a targeted, political reprisal against Pope Leo and the Catholic Church.
Trump-Vance White House Targets Beloved Nun in Texas, Retaliates Against Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley — praised by Pope Leo as an “agent of hope” — now faces a six-year federal funding ban. Church leaders say it’s a vendetta by the Trump-Vance White House.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Several years ago, my son and I saw first-hand the tremendous work that Sister Norma and others were doing in McAllen and around the Rio Grand Valley. Truly heartless action by the regime.
Reposted by John Lis 🇺🇦
You can really trace America's decline from the fact that we once had Zbig Brzezinski, and now have Steve Witkoff.
www.ft.com/content/746f...
www.ft.com/content/746f...
December 11, 2025 at 8:24 PM
You can really trace America's decline from the fact that we once had Zbig Brzezinski, and now have Steve Witkoff.
www.ft.com/content/746f...
www.ft.com/content/746f...
Ranked choice voting in congressional elections would be a positive development for American democracy, reducing incentives for partisan extremism, combating polarization, and incentivizing candidates to form broad and diverse coalitions. www.arlnow.com/press-releas...
Raskin, Beyer, Welch Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Expand Ranked Choice Voting to all Congressional Elections (Press Release) | ARLnow.com
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Don Beyer (VA-08) and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced bicameral legislation to bring ranked choice voting (RCV) to congressional ...
www.arlnow.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Ranked choice voting in congressional elections would be a positive development for American democracy, reducing incentives for partisan extremism, combating polarization, and incentivizing candidates to form broad and diverse coalitions. www.arlnow.com/press-releas...
Leo has moved Vatican policy in a positive direction by recognizing the moral imperative in standing firmly with Ukraine as it fends off Russian aggression. www.newsweek.com/pope-critici... #NAFO #StandWithUkraine
White House responds to Pope Leo’s rebuke of Trump peace plan for Ukraine
Pontiff accused President of 'trying to break apart' the 'very important alliance' between Europe and the U.S.
www.newsweek.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Leo has moved Vatican policy in a positive direction by recognizing the moral imperative in standing firmly with Ukraine as it fends off Russian aggression. www.newsweek.com/pope-critici... #NAFO #StandWithUkraine
The conspiracy theorist whose "outlandish claims appeared to ignite Musk’s animus toward USAID" is now working on the inside to try to substantiate his tales. "Current and former USAID employees predicted that Benz’s research is going to come up short." www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
USAID Hired the Right-Wing Influencer Responsible for Its Decimation
Mike Benz was brought aboard to find evidence for his claims that the agency is secretly a spy operation.
www.theatlantic.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:43 AM
The conspiracy theorist whose "outlandish claims appeared to ignite Musk’s animus toward USAID" is now working on the inside to try to substantiate his tales. "Current and former USAID employees predicted that Benz’s research is going to come up short." www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
With the Trump administration gutting democracy and governance funding for USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy, Europeans will need to provide more support for democratic resilience, particularly in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th... #democracy #EU
After USAID: Europe’s Moment to Lead
The 2025 closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has reshaped the global development landscape and created a strategic inflection point for Europe close to home. With...
bst-europe.eu
December 10, 2025 at 2:30 AM
With the Trump administration gutting democracy and governance funding for USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy, Europeans will need to provide more support for democratic resilience, particularly in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th... #democracy #EU
Reposted by John Lis 🇺🇦
USAID used to keep the country safer by tackling crises before they spread. Its health and relief work cost less than one percent of the budget yet gave the United States real moral credibility. Once it was shut down, the vacuum let adversaries like Russia and China step in.
November 27, 2025 at 4:12 AM
USAID used to keep the country safer by tackling crises before they spread. Its health and relief work cost less than one percent of the budget yet gave the United States real moral credibility. Once it was shut down, the vacuum let adversaries like Russia and China step in.
“A free and independent Ukraine will be no more tolerable to President Vladimir Putin after a cease-fire than it was before, and any peace agreement now has to be evaluated on the basis of a single key question—can Ukraine remain free after the shooting stops?” #NAFO www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/o...
Opinion | ‘We Are Going to Have to Fight Three Wars’
www.nytimes.com
November 28, 2025 at 1:02 AM
“A free and independent Ukraine will be no more tolerable to President Vladimir Putin after a cease-fire than it was before, and any peace agreement now has to be evaluated on the basis of a single key question—can Ukraine remain free after the shooting stops?” #NAFO www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/o...
Reposted by John Lis 🇺🇦
Steve Witkoff isn’t promoting peace. His interventions are helping Vladimir Putin and prolonging the war
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
What Is Steve Witkoff Trying to Do?
Trump’s envoy isn’t promoting peace. His interventions are helping Vladimir Putin and prolonging the war.
www.theatlantic.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Steve Witkoff isn’t promoting peace. His interventions are helping Vladimir Putin and prolonging the war
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by John Lis 🇺🇦
"If Ukraine is, indeed, forced to surrender...[Thanksgiving] will become a Russian holiday. It will become a day of thanks that victory...was delivered to Russia not by the superiority of its arms or the virtue of its claims, but by an American administration." #NAFO www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/o...
Opinion | Trump’s Neville Chamberlain Prize
www.nytimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:15 PM
"If Ukraine is, indeed, forced to surrender...[Thanksgiving] will become a Russian holiday. It will become a day of thanks that victory...was delivered to Russia not by the superiority of its arms or the virtue of its claims, but by an American administration." #NAFO www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/o...
Here is the best academic analysis so far of what’s happening tonight with the 28-point peace plan.
I maybe be just a small-town political scientist but I reckon that the Trump administration's right hand has no fucking idea what its far-right hand is doing.
"US senators say they spoke with Rubio about Trump’s Ukraine peace plan who denied it is a US plan." Welcome to the Topsy Turvy administration in which six or seven people are pursuing their own private foreign policy, and much of it is scripted by a hostile foreign power.
November 23, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Here is the best academic analysis so far of what’s happening tonight with the 28-point peace plan.
For a brief moment, it feels like 2015 on The Farm. #GoStanford #BeatCal
November 23, 2025 at 3:31 AM
For a brief moment, it feels like 2015 on The Farm. #GoStanford #BeatCal
Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright
November 23, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright
An offensive touchdown?! Can we begin to dream? Give ‘em the Axe! #GoStanford #BeatCal
November 23, 2025 at 3:22 AM
An offensive touchdown?! Can we begin to dream? Give ‘em the Axe! #GoStanford #BeatCal
Stanford offense finally scores after 40 minutes. Defense still has 14 points, offense now has 3.
November 23, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Stanford offense finally scores after 40 minutes. Defense still has 14 points, offense now has 3.
It feels like the Stanford defense needs to outscore the offense if we’re going to win tonight. And right on cue … #GoStanford #BeatCal
November 23, 2025 at 1:31 AM
It feels like the Stanford defense needs to outscore the offense if we’re going to win tonight. And right on cue … #GoStanford #BeatCal
Still getting used to Stanford and Cal being in the ACC. Instead of Pacific Life commercials with whales breaching, we now get 4Patriots hawking the Patriot Power Generator. “See that square in the corner? That’s a QR code.” Words generally not aimed at Silicon Valley viewers. #GoStanford #BeatCal
November 23, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Still getting used to Stanford and Cal being in the ACC. Instead of Pacific Life commercials with whales breaching, we now get 4Patriots hawking the Patriot Power Generator. “See that square in the corner? That’s a QR code.” Words generally not aimed at Silicon Valley viewers. #GoStanford #BeatCal
Getting ready for Big Game. #GoStanford #BeatCal
November 23, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Getting ready for Big Game. #GoStanford #BeatCal
Concise analysis on why the Trump plan is a disaster from our most recent ambassador to Ukraine and next congresswoman from the 7th District of Michigan. #NAFO #StandWithUkraine
I served as our Ambassador in Ukraine for 3 years under Putin’s missiles and drones but resigned when Trump kept appeasing Putin. America does not bow to dictators. It’s not who we are.
Here's why this Trump-Putin so-called "peace plan" is a disaster:
Here's why this Trump-Putin so-called "peace plan" is a disaster:
November 22, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Concise analysis on why the Trump plan is a disaster from our most recent ambassador to Ukraine and next congresswoman from the 7th District of Michigan. #NAFO #StandWithUkraine
Good point by point analysis here of Trump’s capitulation … I mean “peace plan.” It is even worse than the news reports. #NAFO #StandWithUkraine
This “peace plan” is what happens when the Kremlin’s propaganda eats your brain
The only solution is confident European leadership
“Ukraine is Europe” is the point of departure for this new vision of European power — and the idea that will make it a success
www.greatpower.us/p/28-points-...
The only solution is confident European leadership
“Ukraine is Europe” is the point of departure for this new vision of European power — and the idea that will make it a success
www.greatpower.us/p/28-points-...
28 Points Later
A definitive guide to the Russian zombie diplomacy of Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine — aka what happens when you let the Russians eat your brains
www.greatpower.us
November 22, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Good point by point analysis here of Trump’s capitulation … I mean “peace plan.” It is even worse than the news reports. #NAFO #StandWithUkraine