Russian revelations, police confrontations, and more

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The Biden Administration imposed sanctions against dozens of Russian individuals and companies yesterday in retaliation for the Kremlin's interference in U.S. elections and hacking of federal agencies. In the process, the Treasury Department confirmed what many who paid attention to the Mueller Investigation already suspected—Konstantin Kilimnik provided internal Trump campaign polling data he received from Paul Manafort and Rick Gates in 2016 to Russian intelligence agencies. This is the first time the U.S. government has labeled Kilimnik an agent of Russian intelligence, who was implementing influence operations on their behalf. The revelation also officially closes the circle on Russian collusion, which the former president repeatedly told the country was a "hoax." —Evan McMullin

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** Marques: Putin is tempting fate
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"Could this be the moment Vladimir Putin opens himself up to unforced errors of the authority-threatening kind? After more than two decades under his watch, Russia has entered a darker, more repressive phase. A bounce in his popularity after the 2014 annexation of Crimea has waned and efforts to shore up his legitimacy include a growing intolerance for any kind of dissent. Recent decisions hint at paranoia, and he appears increasingly isolated, shielded from discordant voices." —Clara Ferreira Marques in Bloomberg ([link removed])

Clara Ferreira Marques is a Bloomberg columnist covering commodities and environmental, social, and governance issues.

MORE: Kremlin to expel 10 U.S. diplomats in response to Biden actions —Associated Press ([link removed])


** Freeman: The other cancel culture
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"Blacks protest and are told to leave the country. Blacks say our lives matter and we're told, no, blue lives do, or all lives do. Seditionists stormed the beacon of democracy, then walked home like they'd gone to a ballgame. Meanwhile, peaceful protestors angry over the killing of George Floyd are tear-gassed." —Mike Freeman in USA Today ([link removed])

Mike Freeman is the race and inequality editor at USA Today.

MORE: Adam Toledo shooting: Bodycam video of teen killed by Chicago police released —ABC News ([link removed])


** Byman: Hateful rhetoric connects to real-world violence
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"There is a deceptively simple answer to the problem of incendiary rhetoric: Politicians should exercise restraint themselves and condemn their fellow leaders when they cross the line that separates inspiring their followers from encouraging violence. Unfortunately, this advice is unlikely to be heeded. President Trump succeeded politically in part because he broke political taboos, and a host of would-be successors are eager to capitalize on the energy of his base. For now, it is vital for social media companies to be vigilant in stopping violent rhetoric and for law enforcement to anticipate, and quickly suppress, violence before it spreads." —Daniel Byman at the ([link removed]) Brookings Institution ([link removed])

Daniel Byman is a senior fellow of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution's Center for Middle East Policy.

MORE: Who is suspected FedEx mass shooter Brandon Scott Hole? —CBS News ([link removed])


** Folke: COVID-19 teaches the value of resilience
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"The pandemic has cruelly highlighted the risks of ignoring resilience. Our economies have become so mutually dependent that the fate of one rests on the performance of others half a world away. Our cities, usually hives of industry and innovation, have become disease hotspots. Our transport systems are perfectly designed for shuttling pathogens around the planet. And some of our main communication networks prioritize lies and misinformation over truth, making it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction." —Carl Folke on ([link removed]) Project Syndicate ([link removed])

Carl Folke is the director of the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the founder and science director of the Stockholm Resilience Center at Stockholm University.

MORE: Red states on U.S. electoral map lagging on vaccinations —Associated Press ([link removed])
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** Azari: Democratic values are under attack
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"Threats to democratic values—and failure to live up to democratic ideals—have a long history in America. And in many ways, these systemic challenges defy the influence of any one leader or administration. But there is evidence that Trumpism and its challenges to democratic values are lingering in the political system. We see this in the persistence of rhetoric that delegitimizes the opposition and voices racist views, and in the decline of bipartisan cooperation in the face of deeper governing divides." —Julia Azari on ([link removed]) FiveThirtyEight ([link removed])

Julia Azari is an associate professor of political science at Marquette University and the author of "Delivering the People's Message: The Changing Politics of the Presidential Mandate."

MORE: Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch agree: Misinformation is threat to America —ABC News ([link removed])


** Rubin: Get off the fence
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"The GOP...needs not only a new leader and new members of Congress but also a new ideology and a new base. Since that surely is not happening anytime soon, the Liz Cheneys will need to consider why they are still Republicans and whether their efforts to support MAGA-compliant colleagues (for re-election in 2022, for example) make their and the country's dilemma worse." —Jennifer Rubin in The Washington Post ([link removed])

Jennifer Rubin is an attorney and political opinion columnist at The Washington Post.

MORE: Document reveals new details of dramatic Mike Pence call during Capitol attack: 'Building not secure' —CBS News ([link removed])


** Heimlich: From democracy to dictatorship—could it happen here?
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"The power of Trumpism is reflected in the U.S. Senate race in Ohio where the two leading Republican candidates are competing over who is more pro-Trump. The danger that this movement poses to our rights should alarm every one of us. Unless patriotic Americans take action to defeat it, we may end up like other nations whose elected leaders stole their freedoms." —Phil Heimlich in ([link removed]) The Cincinnati Enquirer ([link removed])

Phil Heimlich is a former assistant prosecutor in Cincinnati, where he served as a Republican on the city council. In 2020, he helped lead Operation Grant, the Ohio affiliate of Republican Voters Against Trump.

MORE: American Quandary: Conspiracy theorists are winning local elections. Can they be stopped? —TIME ([link removed])
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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 Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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