‘We’ve made it. All of us’

The elevation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday (though not officially until June) is a cause for celebration, and I say that as someone who generally identifies politically as center-right. Here's why. First and foremost, Judge Jackson is eminently qualified to serve on the high court. Note that “qualified” does not mean “she agrees with me on every possible issue”—and nor should it. Our lawmakers, regardless of political affiliation, should be able to recognize in any nominee for appointed office the skills and experience they will bring to the role. Often, that experience will shape a nominee’s views and decisions in different ways than our own, but in a pluralistic country like ours, we should strive for that. That is a strength, not a weakness. Which brings me to the second reason I'm celebrating Judge Jackson’s confirmation. As the first Black female Supreme Court justice, she will represent a constituency that has long been underrepresented in the halls of American power. We the People are only truly represented when we are all represented. Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the three Republicans who had the backbone in this polarized political climate to confirm Judge Jackson. Kudos to Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney for making a fair and thoughtful decision. Congratulations, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. —Olivia Troye, Chief Strategy Officer, Renew America Movement

• Russian missile attack kills dozens at railway station in Eastern Ukraine —The Wall Street Journal

• Jury finds 2 men not guilty in Whitmer kidnap case; unable to reach verdicts on 2 others —The Detroit News

• FBI arrests 2 men in DC accused of impersonating federal officers; 4 Secret Service agents placed on leave —CNN

• Homeland Security watchdog omitted damaging findings from reports —The New York Times

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene contacts U.S. Capitol Police over Jimmy Kimmel's joke —The Washington Post

‘I am the dream and the hope of the slave’

Just a day after being confirmed by the Senate as the next U.S. Supreme Court justice, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson spoke to a crowd on the South Lawn of the White House today. She expressed gratitude to the Senate for the historic vote, which will make Judge Jackson the first Black woman to serve on the court. She also promised judicial independence, saying she had “spent the better part of the past decade hearing thousands of cases and writing hundreds of opinions.” She added, “At every instance, I have done my level best to stay in my lane and to reach a result that is consistent with my understanding of the law and with the obligation to rule independently, without fear or favor.” —The New York Times

• Three Republicans crossed the aisle. President Biden acknowledged and thanked Renewer Sen. Lisa Murkowski, as well as Sens. Susan Collins and Mitt Romney, who voted with all Democratic senators to confirm Judge Jackson. It was a particularly dicey decision for Murkowski, who is up for re-election this year. However, Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system allows lawmakers to make more independent decisions. —The New York Times

• The “pro-pedophile” conspiracy. Dividers like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, along with several Republican candidates for House and Senate offices around the country, took to Twitter to vilify Collins, Murkowski, and Romney for their vote. Using the same conspiracy-driven narrative that marred the confirmation process, they accused the trio of senators of being “pro-pedophilia,” a standard accusation espoused by followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory. —Deseret News

• QAnon goes mainstream. Unfortunately, QAnon and the disinformation campaign surrounding it has taken firm root among the American public. According to an Economist/YouGov poll, 49% of Republicans say it is “definitely” or “probably” true that top Democrats are or were involved in elite child sex-trafficking rings. —YouGovAmerica

MORE: Donald Moynihan: The QAnon catchphrases that took over the Jackson hearings —The Washington Post

‘We control them all’

Two days after the 2020 presidential election, as votes were still being tallied, Donald Trump's eldest son, Don Jr., texted then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows that "we have operational control" to ensure his father would get a second term, with Republican majorities in the U.S. Senate and swing state legislatures. In the text, Trump Jr. laid out ideas for keeping his father in power by subverting the Electoral College process. "It's very simple," Trump Jr. texted to Meadows on Nov. 5. “We have multiple paths. We control them all." Stay tuned. —CNN

• Not chatty. Former White House adviser Ivanka Trump voluntarily testified before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol for eight hours on Tuesday. Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the committee, told reporters that she wasn't "chatty," but “she came in on her own, [and] that has obviously significant value. We did not have to subpoena.” It's unknown whether she invoked executive privilege or pled the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering any of the panel’s questions. —Insider

• In contempt. Former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt of Congress on Wednesday for their monthlong refusal to comply with subpoenas rendered by the select committee. The near-party-line 220-203 vote will send the criminal referrals for Navarro and Scavino to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Renewer Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger were the only Republicans who voted in favor of the contempt charges. —Associated Press

• Cooperating. A leader of the Proud Boys, charged alongside the group’s national chair Enrique Tarrio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to obstruct Congress’ proceedings on Jan. 6 as well as to impeding police officers. Charles Donohoe, the leader of a North Carolina chapter of the group, reached a plea deal with the government that includes cooperation with prosecutors, a potentially pivotal victory for the Justice Department in one of the most significant cases to emerge from the insurrection. —Politico

MORE: New York AG asks court to hold Donald Trump in contempt —CNN

The latest from Ukraine

As Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, new evidence uncovered by Germany provides further proof of Russia’s war crimes. Germany’s foreign intelligence service has intercepted radio communications in which Russian soldiers are talking about shooting Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. The intelligence findings appear to implicate Russian troops in a pattern of apparent war crimes, despite denials from Moscow, most recently in the indiscriminate killing of civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha. —CNN

• Paying a price. The Senate passed two bipartisan bills suspending trade with Russia due to its human rights violations in Ukraine. The bills allow President Biden to place higher tariffs on certain imports from Russia and Belarus, and also ban oil imports from Russia. The Senate unanimously passed the bills. In the House, Divider Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, and Paul Gosar, as well as Reps. Thomas Massie, Chip Roy, Cori Bush, and Ilhan Omar, opposed at least one bill. Six House Republicans, including Biggs, Gosar, and Greene, also voted against a bill that would direct the White House to report to Congress within 60 days on any U.S. efforts to investigate war crimes in Ukraine. —The Know

• That’s not all. On Wednesday, the U.S. tightened the financial vise on Russia, announcing sanctions that target President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters and block two key Russian banks in retaliation for its war crimes in Ukraine. The UK piled on with asset freezes against two major banks, a ban on British investment in Russia, and a pledge to end dependency on Russian coal and oil by the end of the year. —Buffalo News

• “We have collectively sent a strong message that the suffering of victims and survivors will not be ignored.” The United Nations General Assembly voted yesterday to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council over its human rights violations in Ukraine. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote “a historic moment,” telling the assembly, “Russia must be held accountable “for this unprovoked, unjust, unconscionable war.” —Associated Press

MORE: Russia’s Bucha “facts” versus the evidence —Bellingcat

Democracy Starts with Dialogue: An Invitation

By June Klees

Many Americans’ patriotic hearts are suffering. The news of the day talks of our republic’s condemnation to the dustbin of history. Yet, we’re not alone in wanting our “experiment in democracy” to continue. Throughout the country, people are offering each other hope. Not only will we do the work of keeping this republic, we also will be the writers of a history that shows future generations how people with reasoning hearts and compassionate minds did the serious, patriotic work of understanding and finding common ground despite our differences.

Moreover, we are done with exaggerated or false narratives that diminish the authority of We the People by telling us that the problems we face are insurmountable. We know better, and are no longer willing to be victims of narcissistic, unpatriotic, political manipulations, whatever the source. Common sense and data tell us we’re less divided than we assume. If this is a narrative “war,” as we’re told, then the voices of partisans, special interests, and figureheads, knowingly or unknowingly, are leading us into autocracy, authoritarianism, theocracy, or whatever other worst-case scenario could result from their unhealthy behaviors.

It’s 2022, and by now we know enough about history and the human condition to realize that the times we’re in demand civic action. We need to stop giving time to partisans and media hacks, and do something long overdue, together: something I call DIY Democracy. We know Americans enjoy do-it-yourself problem-solving at home, on the job, and in our communities. Now, we must take that mindset and apply our skills to how we run our republic. The good news is that there are thousands of our fellow Americans out there, right now, creating opportunities for us to get to work.

Are you ready to find common purpose in these times?  Do you want to press pause on the “Left-Right Dog & Phony Show,” as seen on TV and online? If so, I’d like to invite you to America Talks: National Week of Conversation (NWOC), April 24-30. NWOC is space created by Americans for Americans to help us meet our inherited responsibility to our republic. It’s our civic duty to show up. No matter who or where you are, what you believe, or whom you voted for, it’s time to open our hearts and minds, share ideas with civility, and dialogue across differences so as to generate meaningful solutions. Join your fellow problem-solving Americans for NWOC. Follow the links to learn more, and see Citizen Connect for a menu of events.  Remember: children are watching. Democracy starts with dialogue, and thus, we really need to talk, America.

June Klees is an educator and the co-founder of the all-volunteer Compassionate America.

I wonder why the members of the sedition party and their talking head compatriots do not move to Russia or Hungary. Those countries have the leaders and policies the sedition party want more than they do ours, so why stay here? It is obvious they don't support NATO nor democracy, so they should just pack up and live where they'd be welcome. Why take the time to take down democracy in this country when they could live in their own little "nirvana" right now?

To wit, many of them support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They also believe Russia's explanation of false flag BS, staged photos, and so on. Hence, since they like to cosplay as "patriots," and many pretend that they served but didn't (I did), they should pack up their gear with their fake uniforms and go to Ukraine. Show us their true colors and toughness as they fight for Putin. They could go all-in as traitors since many of them speak and act like traitors here. And as all move to Russia, on their way out, I hope they let the wall Trump built and Mexico paid for (LOL) hit them in the backside. —Bill T., Arizona

The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff, the Renew America Movement, or the Renew America Foundation.