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Black History Month begins tomorrow, and we join the whole country in celebrating the unique and indispensable contributions of Black Americans to our national story. Recognizing that racism and systemic injustices remain a persistent stain on our society, throughout the month, we will profile individuals who honor the dignity of Black Americans by working tirelessly to uphold the founding ideal of our nation—that all men are created equal. Do you have a story to share with us? Let us know. —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor
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Biden demands details on budget cuts from McCarthy —The New York Times
Tyre Nichols' killing revives calls for Congress to address police reform —NPR
President Biden announces an end to COVID-19 emergency declarations —USA Today
$5.4 billion in COVID-19 aid may have gone to firms using suspect Social Security numbers —The Washington Post
Blinken departs Mideast, leaving U.S. officials behind to help restore calm —Bloomberg
FBI searched the Penn Biden Center in mid-November —CBS News
Trump pleads the fifth more than 400 times in fraud deposition —The Guardian
Top Arizona election official requests investigation of Kari Lake for potential violation —CNN
NATO chief urges closer ties with Japan to defend democracy —Associated Press
Death toll rises to at least 100 in Pakistan mosque suspected suicide bombing —CNN
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‘He’s a distraction’
Rep. George Santos, the U.S. congressman who has admitted to fabricating details about his education, work, family, religion, and heritage, is stepping down from his House committee assignments. Santos told House Republicans in a closed meeting today that he would remove himself from the Small Business and Science, Space & Technology committees. The conversation comes one day after Santos met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to discuss his situation. Santos asked if his committee spots could be held in reserve until the conclusion of a bipartisan Ethics Committee investigation of his campaign finances. McCarthy apparently expressed support for that idea. —The Washington Post
For some, it doesn’t go far enough. Santos’ move coincides with the release of a Newsday/Siena College poll that shows 78% of voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District want their new congressman to resign. Across party registration, a whopping 89% of Democrats, 72% of independents/others, and even 71% of Republicans believe Santos should do the honorable thing and step down. —NBC News
The feds are involved. In addition to the House probe, Santos faces at least one federal investigation. The Justice Department has asked the Federal Election Commission to hold off on any enforcement action against him as its prosecutors conduct a parallel criminal probe. The request, which came from the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section, also asked that the FEC provide any relevant documents to the Justice Department. —The Washington Post
If only someone had listened. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the Santos saga is that the whole thing could have been avoided. Back in September, Long Island's The North Shore Leader reported that Santos hadn’t adequately explained a sudden increase in his net wealth, and that he appeared to own no U.S. real estate despite claims of owning mansions. "He's most likely just a fabulist," the paper wrote. "A fake." That should have been the end of his candidacy, but no one appeared to be paying attention. Lesson learned. —Chattanooga Times Free Press
MORE: Republicans who deny 2020 election results lead key oversight committees —PBS
Press: New campaign, same old Trump
“[W]hat’s most amazing about Trump’s campaign appearances last week is that there was almost no mention of the fact that this is a man who, as former president, unleashed an armed mob on the U.S. Capitol. That alone should disqualify Trump from running for president again. … [T]he Republican Party’s not lacking for other candidates. If it sticks with Donald Trump, it will be mired in the past. And it will be bound to lose.” —The Hill
Bill Press is the host of “The Bill Press Pod” and the author of “From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire.”
MORE: xxxxxx poll: 28% of ‘always Trumpers’ would go third party —The xxxxxx
A new moderate moment?
If the nation’s political independents formed a party, they could dominate American politics, Gallup polls suggest. The rise of the independents comes at a time of widespread public disillusionment with the two major parties and as more than two dozen states offer open primaries, enabling unaffiliated voters to cast ballots for either party. Two may not be enough. According to Pew surveys, roughly 70% of Americans wish they had more parties to choose from. Gallup’s polling shows that only two-fifths of Americans have a favorable opinion of Democrats or Republicans. The last time both parties enjoyed majority favor was 2005, and “independent” has polled better than Democrat or Republican since 2009. —The Hill
MORE: Moderate Democratic governors are having a boomlet —The Washington Post
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Nichols: Bring back civilized debate
“This is something that’s critical to understand about the misinformation and disinformation that so frequently warps our contemporary discourse. The primary impact of simplistic false narratives that seek to categorize every opinion as moral or immoral is to drive us so far apart that we stop listening to one another, stop trying to figure out what’s true, and simply dismiss those who disagree with us as bad actors.” —John Nichols in The Capital Times
John Nichols is associate editor of The Capital Times.
MORE: Danielle Allen: How to fix American democracy during a ‘Great Pulling Apart’ —The Washington Post
Olson: Welcome to the independent party
“When reading the news, you would never know there is life outside of the two-party system. However, Gallup surveys in 2021 found that 42% of Americans identified as Independents versus 29% as Democrats and 27% as Republicans. Independents form a powerful voting block that can sway any election. As an Independent, you won’t ever be accused of being a RINO or DINO for not walking the straight and narrow party path. The independent nonparty is the big tent party. All views are welcome. Both conservatives and liberals are free to join. Politics should be about improving government so it works for the people. The more ideas the better.” —Paul Olson in Summit Daily News
Paul Olson is the author of the “A Friendly Conservative” biweekly column in the Summit Daily News.
MORE: Whitman 'enthusiastic' as Forward Party advances —The Bernardsville News
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This month’s read is: “We Are Proud Boys: How a Right-Wing Street Gang Ushered in a New Era of American Extremism” by Andy Campbell
As someone who spent time studying terrorism at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), I was particularly interested to read “We Are Proud Boys” by Andy Campbell. I wanted to see what more I could learn from a journalist who has spent a lot of time reporting on the Proud Boys, an extremist organization founded by Gavin McInnes. Campbell’s ground-level view into the world of domestic extremism and how the Proud Boys metastasized into a national extremist organization did not disappoint.
From organizing marches and protests on the West Coast to the inner workings of their plan to seize the U.S. Capitol and upend American democracy on Jan. 6, 2021, Campbell explores the origins and growth of the organization and shares inside information from those who’ve worked hard to thwart the Proud Boys' efforts. If you are looking for a primer on how the Proud Boys gained a foothold in American society and helped desensitize Americans to political violence, this book is for you. —Mary Anna Mancuso, Political Strategist
Have you read this? Share your thoughts with me on Twitter @MaryAnnaMancuso
Want to purchase this book? Click here.
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No one spits out grievances and grudges like Trump. If he can dig into the indignation and frustrations of the people who are riding the CRT and indoctrination-of-the-schoolchildren train, he’ll be a formidable force in 2024. He’s got some form of insanity, but he has a way of showing everyone the chips on their shoulders. —Jim S., Texas
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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.
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