Republican George Santos resigns from House committee seats

WASHINGTON – Embattled New York Republican Rep. George Santos stepped down from his House committee seats early Tuesday as pressure mounted for him to step down from Congress.

But Santos, a freshman who has defied criticism and pledged to serve his full two-year term despite calls for his removal, indicated that recusing himself from committees may be a temporary move and that he would return to his positions once his legal and ethical reviews are resolved.

“With the ongoing attention surrounding both my personal and campaign financial investigations, I have submitted a request to Speaker McCarthy that I be temporarily recused from my committee assignments until I am cleared,” said Congressman Santos. “This was a decision that I take very seriously."

Santos "voluntarily" stepped aside, said Rep. Elise Stefanik, a fellow New York Republican and the House GOP conference chair, in a news conference with House GOP leaders Tuesday morning at the Capitol.

His resignation from the House Small Business and Science, Space and Technology committees comes a day after he met with Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

McCarthy told reporters Tuesday that Santos stepping aside was "an appropriate decision."

What we know::Companies linked to embattled congressman George Santos draw scrutiny

Santos resignation raises questions

The decision confused some Democrats, analysts and academics.

“It strikes me as an unusual step as somebody who has been so adamant about staying in office, basically dismissing his fabrications as embellishments and basically staying the course," said Gregory Wawro, a professor of political science at Columbia University.

House Democratic Chair Pete Aguilar said Tuesday at a Democratic leadership news conference that he was "struck by the chaos, confusion, dysfunction of the Republican conference."

"They defended putting him on committees and now they're announcing that he's not going to serve on committees," he said. "I just don't know what the play of the day is."

A 'letter' from George Santos:'I am recusing myself from committees. Also, I am Batman.'

Why did Republican George Santos resign from committees?

Santos is facing increased legal scrutiny about his campaign finances, a House Ethics Committee complaint and calls to resign, including from within his own party.

Some of that pressure was extending to McCarthy and other House Republican leaders, who seated Santos on committees but are trying to galvanize votes to oust Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday that Republicans wouldn't object to her nomination but that they would move to vote her off the committee. She would be able to be seated on other committees, but not Foreign Affairs, he said.

Santos told a reporter Tuesday that the Omar debate factored into his decision to temporarily step down and that he didn't want to distract from the opportunity to remove her.

"He doesn't have a lot of levers to pull to get the attention off him," said Casey Burgat, director of the legislative affairs program at George Washington University. "Without resigning from Congress completely ... pressure will continue to build."

Live updates:Santos resigns from House Committees; Biden to meet with black lawmakers on police reform

Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace.

A letter from George Santos: 'I am recusing myself from committees ...

A letter (probably) from embattled Republican Rep. George Santos of New York:

Dear America, the country I helped found,

My name is Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

KIDDING! It’s me, Republican Rep. George Santos of New York. You might remember me from my starring role in the hit NBC television show “Frasier” (I played the dog) or from one of my playful aliases, which include Anthony Devolder, Anthony Zabrovsky, Milton Berle and Fozzie Bear.

Since being elected President of the Universe by my amazing constituents in (NOTE TO SELF: remember to look up which district I claim I’m representing), there has been some unfortunate drama surrounding “things I’ve said” and “claims I’ve made about my background.”

Blah, blah, blah. The people of (INSERT DISTRICT NAME HERE – DON’T FORGET!) spoke when they elected me, and I plan on serving them in Congress just as I served my country as a member of SEAL Team 6 during the Clone Wars.

That said, the last thing I want to be is a distraction, so as of today I am recusing myself from the committee assignments my fellow Republicans gave me a couple of weeks ago when they apparently didn’t care about the so-called myriad lies I’ve been accused of telling.

In a conversation with my close personal friend and fellow Led Zeppelin bandmate Kevin McCarthy, we agreed it’s in the GOP’s best interest that I do not sit on the House Small Business and Science, Space and Technology committees until ongoing investigations into my finances and record-setting collegiate volleyball career are concluded.

As Speaker McCarthy said during our meeting, this move will allow me to devote more time to my central mission in Congress, which is voting for whatever he tells me to vote for.

It will also allow me to focus on my primary role as The Batman. Many of the committee meetings would have kept me tied up during peak crime-fighting hours, and I owe it to the people of Gotham City to be there for them.

Don't just blame the media:Santos fraud scandal shows winning at all costs is costing America

Santos scammed voters:Congress has a moral duty to kick him out

I realize many Democrats are calling for me to resign simply because I may or may not have embellished details about: where I went to high school; where I went to college; what sport I played; where I worked; where my mother was on 9/11; my name; my faith; my finances; and a number of things nobody has caught onto yet. (THINK ABOUT DELETING THAT LAST PART – SOUNDS SASSY/FUN, BUT COULD BE A PROBLEM.)

I know a new Newsday/Siena College poll found that 78% of voters in (INSERT DISTRICT NAME HERE AGAIN) want me to resign, including 71% of Republican voters. But as a proud graduate of Siena College who received a master’s degree in polling, I can tell you those numbers are fake, and I would know because I invented the word "fake" in a word laboratory at the University of Oxford in 1991.

So don’t worry, George Devol … sorry, George Santos is not going anywhere, and there is nothing to these scurrilous accusations leveled against me, presumably by people jealous of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction I won in 2007 under my pen name Cormac McCarthy.

As sure as I was able to transform lead to gold in the alchemy class I taught at Harvard University, I will return to my committees once I have helped my party complete the wholesale evisceration of the word “hypocrisy.”

I appreciate your time. May God bless America and all of you, as well as my beloved husband Paul Rudd and our darling daughter Zendaya.

Most sincerely,

– George Santos-ish

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Twitter @RexHuppke and Facebook facebook.com/RexIsAJerk, or contact him at rhuppke@usatoday.com

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Voters have clearly told Republicans to change their ways. GOP has said, 'Nope.'

The rocky path for NY Rep. George Santos: Here's what his future in ...

WASHINGTON – No longer on any committees and facing daily calls to resign, New York Rep. George Santos faces an uncertain future in Congress as he tries to move past damaging revelations that he embellished his resume, personal background and his finances.

The Republican representative stepped away from his committee seats Wednesday calling it a temporary move until investigations into his background are conducted and he is "cleared."

Despite calls from his colleagues to resign from Congress entirely, Santos remains adamant that he will serve his full two-year term.

Smart analysis delivered to your inbox: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

George Santos controversy: Here's a look at investigations of the House Republican

Here's how things could play out for Santos in Congress:

What happens if Santos is expelled?

Republican leaders could choose to hold a vote that would expel Santos from the House. However, there's no indication Republicans plan to do this.

The expulsion would require a full vote on the House floor with a two-thirds majority in favor.

Gregory Wawro, a political science professor at Columbia University, said getting a supermajority to support an expulsion is extremely unlikely.

More:George Santos' college education is a myth. Is he the only one lying? We checked

The vote likely would get the backing of all Democrats, he said, but it would be challenging to get enough Republicans on board in a chamber where the GOP margin is only a handful of lawmakers.

Five members of the House have been expelled in U.S. history – three for supporting the Confederacy, one for bribery and the most recent, former Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, for filing false tax returns, among other charges.

What happens if Santos resigns?

Santos could willingly resign from his seat, but he doesn't like someone who will leave quietly.

"I will NOT resign!" Santos tweeted on Jan. 11.

Resignations happen far more frequently in the House than expulsions. Dozens of representatives have resigned before the end of their terms for a variety of reasons including medical issues, the decision to run for a different seat or personal reasons.

A resignation, as well as an expulsion, would lead to a special election in Santos' district to fill the seat.

Who will fill the empty seat?

If Santos resigns or is expelled, the governor of New York is required to call a special election. Party committees would select nominees and state party leadership would choose the nominee for each party.

"This is a scenario that Republicans are not especially eager to have to defend the seat," said Jonathan Hanson, a lecturer at Michigan University's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

President Joe Biden carried Santos' district in 2020. The 3rd congressional district, which encompasses part of Long Island outside of Manhattan, was redrawn in May to lean slightly less Democratic. Biden carried the district in 2020, but Republicans flipped it red in the 2022 midterms.

What is the outlook for Santos?

Santos has not indicated plans beyond serving out his current term but experts believe it is unlikely Santos will run for reelection if he continues to serve out his term. If he does run in 2024, those same experts doubt he'd be re-elected, experts say.

A recent Newsday/Siena College poll found 78% of voters in his district say he should resign.

"It's hard to imagine him surviving any further revelation," Hanson said. "I think that's just clearly not tenable for him to try to stay in office at that point."

More:Rep. George Santos pushes back on 'insane' claim he stole funds for veteran's dying dog

If Santos violated campaign finance law, he could be indicted, Hanson said.

Under House rules, sitting members of the House who are indicted or convicted can still keep their seat. However, convicted members are instructed by House rules to not vote on the floor or in committees as well as risk losing chairmanships or ranking member status on committees.

What would a Santos exit mean for McCarthy?

Santos' departure would make the four-seat Republican majority in the House even narrower – limiting McCarthy's ability to drive legislation through the chamber.

"I think Republicans feel like they can't afford to lose any more seats," Hanson said. "They already have a very tenuous situation where they can't afford barely any defections on a vote if they want something to pass."

Wawro said it's a "gamble" for Republicans as to whether they back Santos in the short term despite daily revelations about his fabricated background or risk losing the seat in a special election.

"I think it's fair to say it's a pretty big embarrassment for the party," he said.

NY GOP wants George Santos to resign, McCarthy says it's up to ...

WASHINGTON – As pressure mounts for embattled freshman Rep. George Santos to resign, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said it's up to the New Yorkers who put him in office to decide.

"The voters elected him to serve," McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol Wednesday afternoon in an exchange shown on CNN. "He has to answer to the voters."

He also said Santos, who voted last week to install McCarthy as speaker, would be placed on committees but did not elaborate.

His comments come hours after Nassau County Republicans called on Santos to resign for telling a litany of lies that are "too numerous to count."

Santos has been facing scrutiny after multiple reports revealed he lied about his personal story and professional resume in his bid for a congressional seat.

The new Congress:McCarthy's secret deal, George Santos, Biden and Trump docs, abortion prompt fiery debate in new Congress

Rise of the GOP right:How the GOP got here: The rise of ultra conservatives from Barry Goldwater to Donald Trump

"He's not welcome here," Nassau committee GOP Chairman Joseph Cairo said of the county's Republican headquarters. "We do not consider him one of our congresspeople."

One of the most egregious lies he told, according to the county Republicans, is that he was Jewish from a family of Holocaust survivors. Many residents of his district are Holocaust survivors, and the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.

Santos has since walked back his statement that he's Jewish to say he meant "Jew-ish."

"He's not a normal person," said County Executive Bruce Blakeman. "He needs to get help."

Blakeman said America is forgiving, particularly when people atone for their mistakes and get help, but vowed the county would not work with Santos until he corrects course.

A fellow congressman from New York, Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, also called for Santos to step down and said he will not associate with Santos in Congress. D'Esposito said he will encourage other members to shun him as well.

Meanwhile, a defiant Santos told reporters he "will not" resign.

At about 1 p.m., he issued a similar statement on Twitter:

"I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living. I will NOT resign!"

Santos, who was sworn in early Saturday morning, is facing backlash and criminal scrutiny related to campaign finances and alleged lies about his personal and professional resume.

The Nassau County Republicans, who on Wednesday called for Santos' resignation during a news conference on Long Island, also blamed themselves and their vetting process.

When Santos approached the county committee in 2020 to seek their endorsement, they believed the resume he submitted was "totally truthful," but much of it was "untrue," Cairo said.

"Shame on me for believing people," he said.

Cairo said the Santos campaign was full of fabrications, including that he was a volleyball star at a college he never attended.

"He deceived voters," he said. "His lies were not mere fibs. He disgraced the House of Representatives."

More:What can Congress do about Rep.-elect George Santos, who lied ahead of winning his election?

The latest call follows action Tuesday from New York Democratic Reps. Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres, who filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee and requested an investigation.

During a news conference yesterday morning, Scalise said the matter was being handled through internal discussions.

The New York Conservative Party is also joining the calls for Santos to resign.

"Mr. Santos's profound use of mistruths as a candidate morally disqualifies him from serving in public office and exposes him to potential legal action, seriously compromising his ability to represent his constituents," party Chairman Gerard Kassar said in a statement.

The options:What can Congress do about Rep.-elect George Santos, who lied ahead of winning his election?

The first week:McCarthy's secret deal, George Santos, Biden and Trump docs, abortion prompt fiery debate in new Congress

Contributing: Ledyard King

Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace.

Rep. George Santos' finances are raising questions. What records ...

Santos reported very little earnings and no assets in 2019 and 2020.

By 2021, Santos was reporting a salary of $750,000 a year.

Santos loaned more than $800,000 to his campaign and PACs.

How does a candidate for Congress loan more money to his campaign in a given year than he says he makes at a job or has in his bank account? And how does he suddenly start making a high six-figure salary a year later?

Those are questions that critics are now raising about Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who weeks ago admitted to fabricating major parts of his resume. The embattled congressman has since taken his oath of office and will be allowed to sit on congressional committees, a key job responsibility.

This week, a nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog filed a complaint with federal regulators alleging Santos had funneled money from unknown sources into his campaign in order to help get elected. The organization forwarded the complaint to the Department of Justice, which handles federal criminal matters.

On Tuesday, two Democrats filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee raising questions about Santos’ financial disclosures, after he claimed almost no assets or income in 2020, but by the next year said he had a condo in Brazil and $750,000 in salary through his own company that was valued at up to $5 million.

Santos wrote on Twitter Wednesday, amid calls from some other House Republicans for his resignation: "I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living. I will NOT resign!"

Thursday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., refused to bow to pressure to remove Santos and instead said he would let the Ethics Committee process play out.

An inquiry to the main contact for his campaign accounts was not immediately returned. USA TODAY also reached out to Santos' office on Capitol Hill.

Here is a look at aspects of Santos’ finances and campaign finance reporting that have been raising questions.

'Not mere fibs.':NY Republicans call for George Santos to resign, McCarthy won't remove him

What Congress can do:Rep.-elect George Santos lied ahead of winning his election.

Loaned $75,000 to his campaign but claimed he made no money

In his first disclosure to the House, filed in May 2020, Santos reported a commission bonus worth somewhere north of $5,000 from a New York company called LinkBridge Investors. The same day, he filed an amendment to the disclosure saying he made $55,000 from LinkBridge in 2019.

At the time, Santos was running an ultimately unsuccessful campaign for the Long Island congressional seat and loaning his campaign money, according to records from the Federal Election Commission. His campaign reported his occupation as self-employed on the FEC paperwork for all of these donations.

In late 2019, the year he claimed he did not have assets or income, he loaned the campaign $5,300. In the first three months of 2020, he loaned his campaign $74,750, despite claiming no income or assets that year. In June of that year, he loaned his campaign an additional $1,200.

“Mr. Santos’s financial disclosure reports for 2020 and 2022 are sparse and perplexing,” Reps. Ritchie Torres and Dan Goldman of New York wrote in their complaint to the House Ethics Committee. “At a minimum, it is apparent that he did not file timely disclosure reports for his most recent campaign.

“Moreover, his own public statements have contradicted some information included in the 2022 financial disclosure and confirmed that the 2022 financial disclosure failed to disclose other required information,” the complaint says.

Santos defiant:McCarthy declines to act amid GOP pressure

Reports: Federal prosecutors launching investigation into Rep.-elect George Santos' finances

Reported huge increase in wealth through Devolder Organization LLC

In 2021, shortly after launching his second bid for Congress, Santos filed paperwork to create a new limited liability company in Florida, Devolder Organization LLC. (Devolder is his maternal surname.) He is the only member listed with the company, and it’s not clear from public filings what it does or who its clients are.

In his 2022 financial disclosure to the House, he wrote that the company does “capital intro consulting” and that he is the sole owner. Capital introduction is a type of matchmaking in the world of hedge funds between wealthy potential investors and the managers of such funds.

Santos reported the company brought in between $1 million and $5 million each year in 2021 and 2022, and that he made a salary of $750,000 in each of those years.

For the first time, he also reported assets: an apartment in Rio de Janiero, Brazil valued at up to $1 million; up to $250,000 in his checking account; and between $1 million and $5 million in his savings account.

“The scale of the sudden, overnight windfall that he had is really striking,” said Saurav Ghosh, the director of federal campaign finance reform at the nonpartisan watchdog Campaign Legal Center. His organization’s complaint notes Santos’ public statements where he gives confusing answers about what Devolder does.

Santos then donated more money to his campaign

Santos may have used his newfound wealth to loan additional money to his congressional campaign. During 2021 and 2022, Santos reported to the FEC that he loaned $705,000 to his campaign and $27,000 to GADS PAC. That would account for about a year's salary.

GADS PAC is a leadership PAC Santos created in December 2020, about a month after he lost his first congressional race. The abbreviation is an apparent reference to his full initials for George Anthony Devolder Santos. Leadership PACs are often used to help a member of Congress gain influence with colleagues and donate to their campaigns. The committee made dozens of donations in 2021 and 2022, including $25,000 to the campaign of Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., $10,800 to a committee tied to Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and $10,000 to a county Republican committee.

The Campaign Legal Center alleged in its complaint that Santos must have received money from someone else and then loaned the money to his campaign in an illegal straw donor scheme. Ghosh said the organization took the unusual step of forwarding it to the Department of Justice, which handles federal criminal investigations.

Ghosh said using straw donors to donate to a candidate is “one of the oldest tricks in the book,” but it’s more commonly coordinated among donors. For example, a donor might give a friend or relative money to make a donation, or will set up a limited liability company to funnel money through, he said.

“The most egregious straw donor scheme is one that actually involves the candidate itself,” Ghosh said.

Santos campaign spent money right below reporting thresholds

When the Santos campaign reported how it spent money during the recent election cycle, it reported dozens of expenses that were just below the FEC’s $200 threshold that requires a campaign to retain a receipt and other details of the spending.

Campaign Legal Center cited 37 items that were listed as costing $199.99, including for a room in an upscale hotel that advertises nightly rates over $700 and a parking facility where the organization said no combination of fees would add up to a number that ended in .99.

“His reporting isn’t just erroneous in kind of a commonplace way,” Ghosh said. “It actually looks like they’ve reported things falsely, which is very odd. You just don’t see campaigns do that. But again, everything about Santos’s campaign seems to be odd.”

Campaign finance regulators skeptical of large donations

The FEC is also raising questions about Santos’ fundraising from outside parties. In a Jan. 4 letter, the agency said one of Santos’ fundraising accounts took in too much money from some donors and did not report enough information about them.

The fundraising vehicle in question, Devolder Santos Nassau Victory Committee, reported raising $201,000 since it was registered in August, and splits money among Santos’ primary campaign account, a leadership PAC he sponsors and a county Republican committee. The FEC limits donations to such a committee to a $5,800 limit for his campaign account plus $5,000 for PACs.

The FEC cited donations from three people as potentially violating campaign finance law: A man who gave $26,000 but had no listed occupation or employer, and two men with the same address who gave $25,000 each and reported their occupations as “NYCBS/MD” and “NYCBS/Self Employed.”

Dan Weiner, the director of elections and government at New York University’s Brennan Center, said it’s common for people to give above the limit if they go to multiple events and aren’t tracking the checks they write, but this scenario is less common.

“Writing a $25,000 check in one sitting that is well above the limit that you can give to those three committees — that is a more unusual and frankly troubling scenario because that’s just well beyond the limits for those committees,” Weiner said.

Video shows Trump taking Fifth; Santos leaves House panels: recap

Newly released video shows former President Donald Trump being questioned under oath last year for the massive civil fraud lawsuit filed against him, his businesses and his oldest children by the New York Attorney General's office – and pleading the Fifth repeatedly.

Here's what else is going on in politics Tuesday.

George Santos steps away from committees amid furor: Facing increased legal and public scrutiny, New York Rep. George Santos told his House Republican colleagues Tuesday morning he will step aside himself from his committee positions until his name is cleared.

Facing increased legal and public scrutiny, New York Rep. George Santos told his House Republican colleagues Tuesday morning he will step aside himself from his committee positions until his name is cleared. FBI searched Joe Biden's former office: It happened shortly after the president's lawyers discovered an initial batch of documents Nov. 2.

It happened shortly after the president's lawyers discovered an initial batch of documents Nov. 2. Kamala Harris to attend Tyre Nichols' funeral: The vice president will be at the service Wednesday with four other White House officials.

The vice president will be at the service Wednesday with four other White House officials. President to discuss police accountability legislation : President Joe Biden will meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus Thursday to discuss police reform legislation in the wake of Nichols’ brutal beating that led to his death in Memphis, Tennessee.

: President Joe Biden will meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus Thursday to discuss police reform legislation in the wake of Nichols’ brutal beating that led to his death in Memphis, Tennessee. Debt limit debate: Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will discuss federal spending Wednesday in a highly-anticipated one-on-one meeting that could indicate how far apart both sides are on addressing the debt ceiling deadline.

Brazil’s president to meet with Biden

President Joe Biden will meet with Brazil’s newly inaugurated leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva next week, the White House announced Tuesday.

Biden invited Lula to visit the White House shortly after thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro swarmed Brazil’s government buildings earlier this month in protest of Lula’s election.

Topics on the agenda for the meeting include how the U.S. and Brazil can work together to promote inclusion and democratic values in the region and around the world.

- Maureen Groppe

Brazil politics:In echo of Jan. 6 attack in U.S., Brazilian protesters storm their Congress, high court and palace

White House praises Minnesota for codifying Roe v. Wade

The White House Tuesday praised Minnesota for being the first state to codify Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in the case had established a federal constitutional right to abortion that subsisted for nearly half a century until it was overruled by the high court in June.

“Americans overwhelmingly support a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions, as so clearly demonstrated last fall when voters turned out to defend access to abortion – including for ballot initiatives in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, and Vermont,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. Jean-Pierre also applauded Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for signing the legislation.

Since the high court overturned Roe, abortion rights advocates are now trying to get protections at the state level.

– Rebecca Morin

More:Post-Roe abortion battle draws attention to state judicial elections, new legal strategies

Joe Biden: Kevin McCarthy is a 'decent man' but caters to extremists

President Joe Biden offered both a compliment and a dig at House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the day before the leaders will meet at the White House to discuss federal spending and the need to raise the federal debt limit.

Speaking to supporters at a Democratic Party fundraiser in New York City on Tuesday, Biden called McCarthy a “decent man” but said he’s beholden to extremist Republicans.

The commitments McCarthy had to make to get enough votes to become speaker were “just absolutely off the wall,” Biden said.

– Maureen Groppe

Rep. Jamie Raskin asks Secret Service for Trump, Pence visitor logs

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, wants the Secret service to turn over the visitor logs from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and former Vice President Mike Pence’s Indiana home.

The move is a counterpoint to committee chair James Comer, R-Ky., who is zeroing in on documents found in President Joe Biden’s Delaware garage and former office in Washington, D.C.

Raskin asked Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle for all documents and communication related to visitor information from Jan. 21, 2021, to present, and he asked her to submit the information by Feb. 14.

– Candy Woodall

Vice President Kamala Harris to attend Tyre Nichols’ funeral

Vice President Kamala Harris will attend Tyre Nichols’ funeral Wednesday, the White House announced.

In early January, Nichols was brutally beaten by five Memphis police officers who have been charged with his murder.

In addition to Harris, four other White House officials are attending. They are: Keisha Lance Bottoms, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; Tara Murray, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; senior adviser Mitch Landrieu; and Erica Loewe, White House director of African American media.

– Maureen Groppe

FBI searched Joe Biden's former DC office after first document discovery

The FBI searched President Joe Biden's former Washington, D.C. office after the president's lawyers initially alerted the National Archives about the discovery of classified documents at the location, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

No search warrant was issued in connection with the previously undisclosed action, which involved the consent of the president's legal team, said the source who is not authorized to comment publicly on the investigation.

The search was conducted in November, after lawyers discovered an initial batch of documents Nov. 2, at the think tank office that Biden used after serving as vice president.

– Kevin Johnson

Biden documents latest:FBI searched Biden's former DC office after first classified document discovery

Trump repeatedly invokes Fifth Amendment in deposition for fraud lawsuit

Newly released video showed former President Donald Trump being questioned under oath for the massive civil fraud lawsuit filed against him, his businesses and his oldest children by the New York Attorney General's office.

After answering preliminary questions from New York Attorney General Letitia James, Trump used an introductory statement to characterize the investigation as a "witch hunt," an accusation he has repeated since the case was filed in 2022.

The video confirmed that Trump used much of the deposition to invoke his Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions on grounds that he might incriminate himself. Trump said anyone in his position who did not take the Fifth "would be a fool, an absolute fool," according to CBS News, which first obtained the video.

- Kevin McCoy

George Santos steps down from House committees

Facing increased legal scrutiny about his campaign finances, a House Ethics complaint and numerous calls to resign, New York Rep. George Santos told his House Republican colleagues Tuesday morning he will recuse himself from his committee positions.

“With the ongoing attention surrounding both my personal and campaign financial investigations, I have submitted a request to Speaker McCarthy that I be temporarily recused from my committee assignments until I am cleared,” Santos said in a statement released by his office Tuesday. “This was a decision that I take very seriously. The business of the 118th Congress must continue without media fanfare."

Santos indicated it may be temporary and that he would return to his committee seats once his legal and ethical reviews resolve. His resignation from the House Small Business and Science, Space and Technology committees comes a day after he had a meeting with GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The speaker said he initiated the meeting Monday, but he did not disclose their discussion.

- Candy Woodall

Biden to meet with Congressional Black Caucus to discuss police accountability

President Joe Biden will meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday to discuss police reform legislation in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ brutal beating that led to his death in Memphis, Tennessee.

“Executive action can’t take the place of federal legislation and we need Congress to come together and take action to ensure our justice lives up to its name,” said Olivia Dalton, White House principal deputy press secretary.

Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., chair of the CBC, requested a meeting with the president according to a statement released Sunday. “No one in our nation should fear interacting with the police officers who serve our diverse communities, large and small. We all want to be safe,” said Horsford.

- Ken Tran

How will ending COVID emergency affect Supreme Court's student loan, Title 42 cases?

President Joe Biden’s decision to end the national and public emergencies tied to COVID-19 raises questions about what will become of major cases pending at the Supreme Court dealing with the Title 42 immigration effort and the administration’s student loan forgiveness plan.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in several cases dealing with those programs in February and early March. Because the programs are tied to the pandemic emergencies, it’s not clear how declaring the emergencies officially over will affect the cases.

“The fact that we’ve declared the emergency officially over is a strong political symbol that Title 42 is no longer needed and I think the Supreme Court will pick up on that signal,” said Lawrence Gostin, faculty director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center.

Title 42 allows for the swift removal of some migrants seeking asylum without the usual review during an emergency. The high court is set to hear arguments March 1 on whether a number of conservative states could intervene in the case to defend the policy, which began during the Trump administration. The student loan cases, which question whether the administration had the power to forgive $400 billion in student loan debt, are set for argument Feb. 28.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

- John Fritze and Chris Quintana

Capitol Police arrest impersonator with knife stash

US Capitol Police found multiple knives and a chainsaw blade when they stopped and searched 37-year-old Max Eli Viner blocks from the Hill Monday evening, according to a press release.

Viner was wanted for questioning by the Secret Service, who after arriving on the scene searched his vehicle and found fake police equipment, along with shell casings, a smoke grenade and gas mask.

The suspect was arrested and faces pending charges for impersonating a law enforcement officer and possession of a prohibited weapon.

- Savannah Kuchar

House GOP will remove Omar from Foreign Affairs committee, Scalise says

If House Democrats follow through with naming Rep. Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs committee, the majority party will move to a full House vote to remove her, Majority Leader Steve Scalise said during news conference Tuesday.

“Even if Omar were to be removed from the Foreign Affairs committee, she’d still be allowed to serve on other committees,” he said.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy unilaterally removed Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence committee, but it will take a two-thirds vote of the House to remove Omar from Foreign Affairs.

- Candy Woodall

Pelosi won’t serve on House committees

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who left the powerful leadership position after the 2022 midterm elections, will not serve on any of the chamber’s committees.

The California lawmaker had previously indicated she would not take any committee assignments this term, with her spokesperson Drew Hammill telling the Daily Beast in November that her “only focus will be San Francisco.”

Pelosi’s biography on the House clerk’s website lists no current assignments.

– Ella Lee

House GOP budget expected by April deadline, Scalise says

After President Joe Biden challenged House Republicans to show him their budget, Majority Leader Steve Scalise said his caucus is working to meet its April 15 deadline.

Presidents are expected to share their budgets the first Monday in February, but many have missed that deadline. Biden said his will be ready on March 9.

“I hope the president meets his deadline just like we’re going to work to meet our deadline,” Scalise said.

He also commented on the scheduled meeting Wednesday between Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy about the debt ceiling and government spending.

The White House has said there will be no negotiations on the debt ceiling and Biden will not entertain any spending cuts.

“It’s a recklessly irresponsible position for President Biden to say just give him more money so he can keep spending money that we don’t have,” he said. “We have got to get control over spending in Washington.”

-- Candy Woodall

West Virginia: ‘In God We Trust’ mandate advances through state Senate

A West Virginia bill that would require all public K-12 schools and higher learning institutions to display the phrase “In God We Trust” in a “conspicuous place” in the building is one step closer to becoming law after the state’s Senate passed the measure Monday.

“We know there’s a lot of kids that have problems at home, tough times at home that we don’t know anything about,” Azinger said on the state Senate floor. “Maybe they’ll look up one day and say, ‘In God We Trust’ and know they can put their hope in God.”

The bill must pass the West Virginia House of Delegates before heading to the state’s governor, Republican Jim Justice, to be signed into law.

- Ella Lee and The Associated Press

Grand jury to see Trump hush money case in NYC: reports

A New York grand jury will hear evidence about former President Donald Trump’s potentially criminal role in making payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her from sharing details of an alleged sexual encounter with the former president, according to multiple news reports.

Manhattan prosecutors began presenting evidence to a new grand jury Monday, the New York Times and NPR reported. It would be the latest of Trump’s legal woes as he ramps up his 2024 bid for president.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the “‘Stormy’ nonsense” happened a long time ago – “long past the very publicly known & accepted deadline of the Statute of Limitations,” he said. The former president added that he placed “full Reliance” on his counsel at the time, Michael Cohen.

-Ella Lee

Conservative media group goes undercover in search of CRT in Ohio

Several Cincinnati-area school districts are featured in an anti-critical race theory sting published over the weekend by Accuracy in Media, a national, conservative media watchdog organization. In the video, local school administrators say they would continue to teach about diversity and social justice even if Ohio law forbids teaching such concepts.

"We'll just call it something else," Mason Early Childhood Center Assistant Principal Vivian Alvarez says in the video. "We're still going to do the same work."

Mason City Schools spokesperson Tracey Carson told the Cincinnati Enquirer, a USA TODAY affiliate, that the district does not teach CRT, "nor do we teach it in practice while calling it something else."

-- Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati Enquirer

Will white women be more reliable voters for Democrats in 2024?

Though women as a whole lean Democratic, white women tend to vote more conservatively than women of color.

In recent years, Republicans' messaging on schools' purported teachings on "critical race theory" — the idea that racism is embedded in all American laws and institutions — has been particularly effective at pushing white women voters to the right, said Jatia Wrighten, an African American studies professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Critical race theory is an academic concept that is not taught in public schools.

But the 2022 overturning of Roe brought many white women back into the Democratic fold. In the midterm elections, Democrats successfully defended every incumbent Senate seat and managed to minimize substantial losses in the House, largely due to women who were furious about the decision.

That leaves Democrats with a daunting task for 2024: Persuading white women to join — and stick with — the party, giving Democrats a shot at control of Washington.

-- Ella Lee, Mabinty Quarshie

Biden traveling to NYC Tuesday

President Joe Biden heads to New York City Tuesday, where he will announce Amtrak is receiving $292 million for the Hudson Tunnel Project.

His trip is the second of three this week to promote benefits of the infrastructure bill. The president highlighted a rail tunnel project in Baltimore on Monday and will discuss lead pipe removal in Philadelphia on Friday.

In New York, Biden’s trip also includes a fundraising stop for the Democratic National Committee.

-- Maureen Groppe

'We're here':Donald Trump hits the campaign trail again in New Hampshire, South Carolina

Biden family hearing in House Oversight slated for next week

The day after he delivers the State of the Union, President Joe Biden and his family will be the subject of a GOP-led House Oversight Committee hearing.

A hearing on Twitter’s decision to initially block the New York Post’s reporting on the “Biden family’s business schemes” and Hunter Biden’s laptop will be held Wednesday, Feb. 8, a committee spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY.

Committee Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, has repeatedly said the panel is focused on the president, not his son. Former Twitter employees Vijaya Gadde, Yoel Roth and James Baker will testify at the hearing, according to the committee.

- Candy Woodall

More:Biden’s most vocal Republican antagonists emerge from the sidelines – with subpoena power

George Santos faces mounting pressure to step down by GOP leaders

The chorus of prominent Republicans calling on freshman Rep. George Santos to resign keeps rising with former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., joining the list.

"This isn't an embellished candidacy. It's a fraudulent candidacy. He hoaxed his voters. So, of course he should step down," Ryan told CNN's Jake Tapper Thursday. "He doesn't strike me as an honorable person, though."

Ryan is the latest Republican calling for Santos' resignation, adding his name to a list which includes, U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, who chairs the New York State Republican Committee, and a group of Republican leaders from Nassau County which Santos partly represents.

Which House GOP members have called for Santos to step down?

At least seven other GOP House members besides Langworthy have also called for Santos to step down.

They are: Ohio Rep. Max Miller, South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace and New York Reps. Marcus Molinaro, Nick LaLota, Rep. Michael Lawler, Brandon WIlliams and Anthony D'Esposito.

New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kasser also called for Santos to resign in a statement released Wednesday, stating that the freshman's lies "morally disqualifies" him from serving in office.

Santos adamant he will serve his term

Santos has faced mounting pressure to resign in recent weeks, following revelations uncovered by The New York Times in December that he lied about his background and resume while running for office. However, the freshman has vowed to serve out his two-year term.

More:Rep. George Santos' finances are raising questions. Here's what public records show.

"I came here to serve the people, not politicians and party leaders and I'm going to do just that," Santos told Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Thursday on Steve Bannon's War Room podcast. Gaetz was filling in for Bannon, a former Trump White House strategist.

What's Speaker Kevin McCarthy saying about Santos amid the rising pressure?

Despite the growing numbers of Republicans calling for the New York lawmaker to step down, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has remained unswayed as he still plans to allow Santos to serve on House committees.

"The voters have elected George Santos. If there is a concern, he will go through ethics (committee)," McCarthy said during a press conference Thursday. "If there is something that is found, he will be dealt with in that manner but they have a voice in this process.”

More:Defiant George Santos vows to serve out term; McCarthy declines to act amid GOP pressure

The removal of Santos might further erode the GOP's razor-thin majority in the House as Democrats could flip the competitive New York district, which spans northeastern Queens and part of Long Island's North Shore in a special election.

Over the tumultuous House Speaker election spanning four-days earlier this month, Santos remained steadfast in his support for McCarthy. He voted for the California Republican on each of the 15 ballots, helping him win the speakership by a razor-thin margin.

Go deeper

George Santos faces growing condemnation as House GOP ...

CNN —

GOP Rep.-elect George Santos is facing growing condemnation from House Democrats, some of whom have called on him to step aside, and even from some corners of the GOP, with at least one of his fellow incoming Republicans calling for him to face an ethics investigation. House GOP leadership, however, remains silent over revelations that the New York Republican lied about parts of his biography.

Santos has admitted to fabricating sections of his resume – including his past work experience and education – and has apologized but says he intends to serve in Congress.

Democratic Reps. Joaquin Castro of Texas and Ted Lieu of California were among those calling on Santos – after the congressman-elect gave interviews acknowledging “embellishing” his resume – to resign and if he refuses, for the House to expel him.

Video Ad Feedback Reporter who broke the inconsistencies of GOP Rep.-elect Santos' resume says there's more to explore 06:35 - Source: CNN

Castro called for Santos to be investigated by authorities and argued if the New York Republican is allowed to serve in Congress after lying about his resume, “There will be more who seek office up and down the ballot who will believe that they can completely fabricate credentials, personal features and accomplishments to win office.”

Democratic Rep.-elect Dan Goldman of New York, a former federal prosecutor, called Santos a “total fraud.” He criticized House Republicans, saying, “Congress also has an obligation to hold George Santos accountable, but it is sadly clear that we cannot trust House Republicans to initiate an investigation in the House Ethics Committee.”

At least one incoming member of the GOP conference called for Santos to face scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee – an investigative panel that is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats but has limited options for doling out repercussions.

“As a Navy man who campaigned on restoring accountability and integrity to our government, I believe a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement, is required,” GOP Rep.-elect Nick LaLota said in a statement that marks the sharpest rebuke yet from a Republican coming to Congress or currently serving.

Video Ad Feedback He lost to Santos. Hear him weigh in on his opponent's lies 02:46 - Source: CNN

“New Yorkers deserve the truth and House Republicans deserve an opportunity to govern without this distraction,” LaLota added.

Another incoming GOP lawmaker from New York, Rep.-elect Anthony D’Esposito, condemned Santos’ false statements and called on him to “pursue a path of honesty,” although he stopped short of calling for an investigation.

“Neighbors across Long Island are deeply hurt and rightly offended by the lies and misstatements made by Congressman-Elect George Santos,” he said in a statement. “While Santos has taken a required first step by ‘coming clean’ with respect to his education, work experience and other issues, he must continue to pursue a path of honesty.”

It is unlikely House Republican leadership will refuse to seat Santos, who is scheduled to be sworn in with the rest of the new members of Congress next Tuesday. The House has the power under the Constitution to expel any member with a two-thirds vote, but doing so is extremely rare and only five lawmakers have been expelled in US history.

Besides making a referral to the House Ethics Committee, other potential options for dealing with Santos include not giving him any committee assignments, which would be up to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Video Ad Feedback Analysis: Why a decades-old federal law could be Santos' undoing 01:40 - Source: CNN

In the past, the California Republican has shown little appetite for punishing his own members for bad behavior – particularly when it comes to actions from before they were a member of Congress. McCarthy has also declined to weigh in when members are under investigation, arguing he will let the probes play out before determining how to proceed.

“This will not deter me from being an effective member of the United States Congress in the 118th session,” Santos told City & State in an interview posted Monday night.

McCarthy’s office and the National Republican Congressional Committee did not respond to CNN’s request for comment Monday evening.

Republican condemnation has, however, come from outside Congress.

Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph G. Cairo, Jr., said Tuesday that Santos “has broken the public trust” and “has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of voters.”

“I am deeply disappointed in Mr. Santos, and I expected more than just a blanket apology,” Cairo said in a statement. “The damage that his lies have caused to many people, especially those who have been impacted by the Holocaust, are profound.”

Video Ad Feedback Records contradict Santos' claim grandparents fled Holocaust 04:02 - Source: CNN

CNN’s KFile reported that claims by Santos that his grandparents “survived the Holocaust” as Ukrainian Jewish refugees from Belgium who changed their surname are contradicted by sources including family trees compiled by genealogy websites, records on Jewish refugees and interviews with multiple genealogists.

“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos told the New York Post on Monday. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”

But Santos described himself as a “proud American Jew” in a document shared with Jewish groups during the campaign, which was first reported by the Forward and confirmed by CNN.

When asked about that statement on Tuesday night by former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who was guest hosting Fox’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Santos said, “My heritage is Jewish. I’ve always identified as Jewish. I was raised a practicing Catholic.”

The Republican Jewish Coalition on Tuesday said the incoming congressman had “misrepresented his heritage” and “will not be welcome at any future RJC event.”

“We are very disappointed in Congressman-elect Santos,” RJC CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement. “He deceived us and misrepresented his heritage. In public comments and to us personally he previously claimed to be Jewish. He has begun his tenure in Congress on a very wrong note.”

Santos admitted Monday he didn’t graduate from any college or university, despite previously claiming he had degrees from Baruch College and New York University.

He also admitted that he never worked directly for the financial firms Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, as he has previously suggested, but claimed that he did do work for them through his company, telling the New York Post it was a “poor choice of words” to say he worked for them.

The New York Times first revealed last week that Santos’ biography appeared to be partly fictional. CNN confirmed details of that reporting, including about his college education and employment history.

Kate Sullivan Melanie Zanona
Kate Sullivan
Melanie Zanona

Republican George Santos finishes month in Congress with few ...

WASHINGTON—Republican George Santos is starting February in a weakened political position, battered by public pressure and growing legal scrutiny after he admitted to lying about parts of his personal and professional resume.

He's facing intense criticism for campaign finance disclosures that have raised several red flags.

But perhaps the biggest shift in a month is Speaker Kevin McCarthy moving from strongly defending Santos as the voters' choice to saying it was "appropriate" for the embattled freshman from New York to recuse himself from two House committees.

What Kevin McCarthy is saying about George Santos

"Santos stepping down is based upon Santos issues. I think it's better that Santos is not on committees right now until he clears up these issues," McCarthy told reporters Wednesday night.

When asked why it was good for Santos to step down weeks after being seated on committees, McCarthy said, "I had some new questions."

The speaker didn't describe his questions.

"I think going through ethics will answer some others," McCarthy said. "I think until he goes through that, it would be better that he doesn't serve on committees."

George Santos controversy:Here's a look at investigations of the House Republican

Ilhan Omar committee vote and Republican George Santos

Santos said this week part of his calculation for resigning from committees was to avoid being a distraction as House Republicans prepared to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the Foreign Affairs committee.

GOP members ousted her from the committee Thursday, citing some of Omar's past comments that were criticized by both parties as antisemitic.

She was criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for suggesting pro-Israel lobbyists were buying political favors – a comment for which she apologized.

But Omar and Democrats have said removing her – and Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell last week – is political payback for GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar being removed in the last Congress for incendiary comments and sharing posts that depicted violence against another representative. They had also been accusing Republicans of hypocrisy for seating Santos and removing Omar.

Committees are where bipartisan relationships are formed and where members can craft legislation that is important to their districts, according to Steve Israel, a former Democratic congressman from New York.

"One thing I learned in sixteen years in Congress is that most of the hard work is done in committees," he said in a statement.

Israel, who served in the House from 2001 to 2017, is now a government and policy professor at Cornell University.

"We’re now paying George Santos not to do the hard work," he said.

What we know:Rep. George Santos quits House committee seats amid uproar over lies

Santos news: FBI investigation, treasurer quits

The FBI is investigating a U.S. Navy veteran's claims that Santos led a fundraising scheme, a development that was first reported by Politico.

Richard Osthoff told Politico two agents contacted him Wednesday to learn more about Santos starting a GoFundMe account to raise $3,000 for the veteran's pit bull mix, Sapphire, and taking off with the money.

The GoFundMe probe is one of several issues facing Santos after a month of Congress, where reporters are investigating his biography and campaign finances.

On Tuesday, Santos campaign treasurer Nancy Marks filed her resignation with the Federal Election Commission.

A new treasurer, Andrew Olson, is listed on his most recent campaign filing.

The change also comes shortly after progressive magazine Mother Jones reported they could not confirm the identities of more than a dozen of Santos' major campaign donors and the Miami Herald reported several expenditures on his campaign finance reports did not match vendors' records in Florida.

These latest reports come as Santos is facing multiple legal inquires at the local and federal levels.

Joseph Murray, Santos' personal attorney, told USA TODAY this week, "it would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation."

The pressure campaign against Santos continues next when a caravan of his New York constituents will arrive by bus to the Capitol Tuesday to call on him to resign and deliver to McCarthy a petition of more than a thousand district residents calling for his removal.

A deeper look:Companies linked to embattled congressman George Santos draw scrutiny. What we know.

Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace.

Rep. George Santos, classified documents, winter storm: The Short ...

Rep. George Santos resigned from his House committee seats amid increased legal scrutiny about his campaign finances and an ethics complaint. The prices of some Super Bowl snacks will cost less this year. And scientists are trying to resurrect an extinct bird.

👋 Happy Tuesday! It's Julius. Let's get into today's news, shall we?

But first: A group of brave otters. 🦦 A viral video shows a bevy of otters circle a deadly cobra in Singapore.

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Santos quits committee seats amid calls for his resignation

Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos resigned from his House committee seats Tuesday as pressure mounts for him to step down from Congress. But Santos – who has defied criticism and pledged to serve his term despite admitting that he lied about his background – indicated recusing himself from committees may be a temporary move and that he would return to his positions once his legal and ethical reviews resolve. His resignation from the House Small Business and Science, Space and Technology committees comes a day after he had a meeting with Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Read more about Santos' decision.

What we know: Companies linked to embattled congressman George Santos draw scrutiny.

FBI searched Biden's former DC office after first document discovery

The FBI searched President Joe Biden's former Washington, D.C., office after the president's lawyers initially alerted the National Archives about the discovery of classified documents at the location, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday. No search warrant was issued in connection with the previously undisclosed action, which involved the consent of the president's legal team, said a source who is not authorized to comment publicly on the investigation. The search was conducted in November after lawyers discovered an initial batch of documents at the think tank office that Biden used after serving as vice president. It was not immediately clear whether additional documents were recovered at the time. Read more.

More politics updates: Trump invokes Fifth repeatedly in deposition video.

What everyone's talking about

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Severe winter storm thwarts travel

Winter storm warnings and weather advisories stretched from Texas to New York on Tuesday as snow, sleet and freezing rain snarled air traffic and brought havoc to roadways. More than 50 million Americans were under some sort of winter weather warning or watch Tuesday. Almost 3,000 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. were delayed or canceled before 10:30 a.m. In Texas, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field issued ground stops Tuesday morning because of snow and ice. See the latest weather updates.

Super Bowl foods may be cheaper this year

Although inflation has driven up prices for at-home food by 11.8% over the past year, some Super Bowl party staples like chicken wings and guacamole will cost less this year, according to a new report from Wells Fargo. The report shows a decline in price for foods like chicken wings means the grocery bill for this year's game should cost less than last year for savvy shoppers. “The last two years have been a real shock to a lot of people, but we're starting to see a lot of things start working in our favor again," said Michael Swanson, Wells Fargo's chief agricultural economist. Conversely, the report says goods such as beer, chips and soda are more expensive this year. Read more on the prices of Super Bowl favorites.

'Egg-scuse me, this carton is how much?'Here's why egg prices are soaring across the U.S.

Real quick

Scientists are trying to resurrect the dodo

Genetic engineering company Colossal wants to bring the dodo back to life. “The dodo is a prime example of a species that became extinct because we – people – made it impossible for them to survive in their native habitat," said Beth Shapiro, lead paleogeneticist and a member of Colossal's scientific advisory board. The last dodo was killed in 1681, according to Britannica.com. Colossal said it is creating an Avian Genomics Group to bring back the dodo and other extinct bird species "through genetic rescue techniques and its de-extinction toolkit." Read more about Colossal's efforts to resurrect extinct species.

More on Colossal: Scientists are trying to bring back the Tasmanian tiger nearly a century after extinction.

A break from the news