‘Let’s get right to the violence’

The Russian people are tired of Vladimir Putin’s horrific war on Ukraine. Just days after Putin announced a partial mobilization to call up hundreds of thousands of additional troops to join the fight, Russian citizens—particularly ethnic minorities who say they have been targeted for conscription—have responded with outrage and protests across the vast country. Defiance is spreading in Iran as well. Protests have raged across the country for 11 days in response to the country's "morality police" torturing and killing a young woman for a dress code violation. I can think of few better examples than these of what the late Rep. John Lewis called “good trouble.” Law and order are integral to society, but they must serve human and civil rights—not actively countervail them. It takes tremendous courage to protest in countries like Russia and Iran, and we applaud those demonstrators who are bravely defending their rights and the rights of others. As authoritarian and fascist-adjacent ideologies make headway around the globe, they give us hope. —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor

• Hurricane Ian becomes major Category 3 storm as it hits Cuba, with Florida's west coast in its sights —CBS News

• Electoral Count Act to stop Jan. 6 attack boosted by McConnell backing —USA Today

• Biden's student loan cancellation plan to cost $400B over 30 years, Congressional Budget Office estimates —NBC News

• Iran protests: Death toll rises to 76 as crackdown intensifies —BBC News

• Snowden responds to Putin approval of Russian citizenship —The Hill

‘F—- the voting’

Tomorrow’s scheduled public hearing of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack has been postponed due to Hurricane Ian. But whenever it is rescheduled, there is much ground to cover. A highlight (or lowlight) will be documentary clips of former Trump adviser Roger Stone predicting political violence after the 2020 election—the day before the election. Now, anyone who pays even passing attention to American politics could have predicted there might be unrest following that pivotal vote. The difference, however, is that Stone seemed to want it. “F**k the voting,” he said. “Let’s get right to the violence.” —The Hill

• Putting the secret in Secret Service. Cheney has indicated the panel has received around 800,000 pages of communication materials from the Secret Service, but she noted that most text messages from around Jan. 6 were not recovered. Senior leadership at the Secret Service confiscated the cell phones of 24 agents involved in the agency’s response to the insurrection and handed them over to the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general “shortly after” a July letter was sent by Inspector General Joseph Cuffari’s office. It’s unclear what, if any, information his office has been able to obtain from the phones. —NBC News

• A-ha moments. Former Rep. Denver Riggleman, who worked as an advisor for the committee, has made some startling revelations about the investigation. He says in an upcoming book that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows received hundreds of text messages about ways to aid Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results—including from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife, Ginni. Riggleman also reported that a Trump supporter who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 received a call from White House during the insurrection. —New York Daily News

• Meanwhile… In the highest-profile Jan. 6 prosecution thus far, the trial of Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, and four others linked to the far-right, anti-government group began today. They are accused of spending months recruiting, training, and conspiring to use force to prevent the transfer of presidential power to Joe Biden. Prosecutors allege the plot included stashing guns just outside Washington, D.C. The trial is expected to last around five weeks. Stay tuned. —NPR

MORE: Michael Fanone: What my Jan. 6 assailant deserves —CNN

Leitch: What should we do about social media?

“The functioning of democratic society depends as much on our ability to debate ideas and express dissent as it does on the prevention of violent extremism. Our challenge is to balance free speech against other competing rights on the internet, just as we do elsewhere. The current approach of simply ratcheting up the penalties faced by social media companies is more likely to tip the balance against free speech.” —Shirley Leitch in The Conversation

Shirley Leitch is a professorial fellow and emeritus professor at Australian National University and a co-editor of and contributor to “Rethinking Social Media and Extremism.”

MORE: Facebook takes down Russian, Chinese disinformation networks —NPR

Cirincione: On nukes, we should take Putin at his word 

“Russian President Vladimir Putin is losing his war. If the Ukrainians continue to liberate areas of their country from his invading army, would he actually use nuclear weapons as he has threatened? If so, how? And what would the U.S. response be? … We should do all we can now to prepare a massive political response that might deter Putin from crossing the nuclear line.” —Joseph Cirincione in The Washington Post

Joseph Cirincione is the author of “Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It Is Too Late.”

MORE: U.S. warns of ‘horrific’ consequences if Russia uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine —CNBC

Ed Board: Danger in Italy?

“Political upheaval is the default in Italy, which has had 69 governments in the 77 years since World War II ended. Still, Giorgia Meloni’s premiership would be a watershed event. Amid a drumbeat of anti-immigrant rhetoric—she warns darkly that ethnic Italians are in danger of ‘replacement’—she has advanced the farfetched idea of a naval blockade to stop unauthorized foreigners from reaching Italian shores. That’s unlikely to work. It’s also a toxic echo of the fierce antisemitism of Mussolini, the World War II dictator whom Ms. Meloni once openly admired.” —The Washington Post

MORE: Far-right victory in Italy’s elections could reshape the EU —World Politics Review

Between Cuba and Bulgaria? Really?

That’s where the leader of the free world ranks among all United Nations Member States on the UN Office of Sustainable Development’s recently released report. Countries are ranked based on progress toward achieving 17 Sustainable Development Goals, established in 2015, which focus on such factors as health, education, equality, climate, and economic growth. The U.S.’s set point was higher than many other states to begin with, but even judged against our own progress, we’ve dropped from 32nd in the previous ranking to 41st this year—smack dab in the midst of “developing countries.” Ugh. If you’re someone who’s inclined to say, “Well, it’s the UN, after all,” consider this: the centrist (some might even say conservative-leaning) Economist’s democracy index listed the U.S. as a “flawed democracy” earlier this year as well. We have a lot of work to do. —The Conversation

MORE: Why are so many people now embracing demagogues? —ProPublica

Williams: Utah Senate race is a hopeful sign for American democracy  

“Multiple polls show voters have a strong appetite for something other than tribal politics, bitter personal attacks, and appeals to racial anger. A Pew poll from August found 38% saying they strongly ‘wish there were more political parties to choose from in this country.’ There is an audience for politicians willing to take an independent stand on solving problems. [U.S. Senate candidate Evan] McMullin offers a model to voters nationwide of the potential to find independent-minded politicians in local and congressional races.” —Juan Williams in The Hill

Juan Williams is an author and political analyst.

MORE: New Forward Party emerges in Utah to shake up two-party system —KSL.com

Reading how Florida Gov. Ron deSantis' "agents" enticed migrants with offers of free haircuts, food, and good-paying jobs, how are these actions any different than those of pimps and their "agents," who hung out at the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal in the 1970s, meeting buses that arrived from the hinterlands and making similar offers to young girls?

The only difference is, the bus station pimps probably did not graduate with honors from both Yale University and Harvard Law School. —Jim V., New York

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