Hi There,

Covid cases are on the rise in the United States. They’re really on the rise in Europe. Austria is on lockdown. The risk of community transmission is high in most of the United States. And a new poll shows that 64 percent of people planning on hosting Thanksgiving will not ask their guests if they’re vaccinated, while just 27 percent will. 

What will the January 6 committee’s subpoenas of Roger Stone and Alex Jones yield? Well, to start with, it would seem they’re just as likely to ignore the subpoenas as everyone else has. Jones, predictably, has already called the subpoena “worse than McCarthyism.” It seems inevitable this is going to wind up in the Supreme Court, and if the Court orders them all to appear, and they still refused, then what? Will federal marshalls arrest them, haul them up to the Hill in handcuffs? What happens then? 

Meanwhile, one insurrectionist has acknowledged, or strongly implied anyway, that he went to the Capitol with a loaded weapon looking specifically for Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Said 56-year-old Mark Mazza of Indiana: "I thought Nan and I would hit it off. I was glad I didn't because you'd be here for another reason. And I told my kids that if they show up, I'm surrendering. Nope, they can have me, because I may go down a hero."

Donald Trump endorsement watch: His candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, Sean Parnell, has dropped out of the race after facing abuse allegations from his estranged wife and losing a custody battle. She alleges that he once choked her to the point that she had to bite him (he denies this). And Monday, in the GOP gubernatorial primary in Maryland, Trump endorsed a state delegate named Daniel Cox of Frederick, who called Mike Pence a “traitor.” Governor. Larry Hogan is term-limited, but Cox is challenging his hand-picked candidate. Hogan tweeted: “Personally, I’d prefer endorsements from people who didn’t lose Maryland by 33 points.” 

A new poll out of Arizona shows that somemaybe people pay some attention to Congress after all: Kyrsten Sinema is underwater among Democrats and more popular among Republicans than she is among Democrats. Also, in a hypothetical Democratic primary against Congressman Ruben Gallego, he beats her—check this out—47 to 24 percent. (Lo and behold, who just posted a timely Zoom interview with Gallego? Oh, me; check it out.)  

Great tweet from Oliver Willis on Biden’s turkey “shortage.” The comments are pretty hilarious, too.

Looking for an alternative to mashed potatoes? I thought so. Here are some interesting and creative potato recipes.

Today at NewRepublic.com, LynNell Hancock has a terrific feature from the December print issue looking back on a lamentable bout of 1990s crime-wave hysteria in Denver. Melody Schreiber examines the politics of our first post-Covid Thanksgiving dinners. And Timothy Noah defends Biden’s decision to renominate Jerome Powell at the Fed.

Happy Tuesday,

Michael Tomasky, editor

Yesterday’s politics question: Since it is, as I noted, the anniversary of the Kennedy assassination: According to a 2019 poll, what percentage of Americans still believe that the assassination was a conspiracy of some kind and that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone?

Answer: 59 percent, says this poll. 

Yesterday’s Let It Be question, amateurs division: John Lennon was of course normally rhythm guitar, but he did play lead guitar on a handful of Beatles songs. Interestingly, two of those were featured on Let It Be. What were the songs?

Answer: “Get Back” and “For You Blue.”

Yesterday’s Let It Be questions, professionals division: What unusual instrument did Lennon and George Harrison both play on different songs? And what unusual instrument did Lennon play on one Harrison song, and by what company was it manufactured?

Answers: One,a Fender VI, which is a six-string bass guitar. Lennon played it on “Let It Be” and “Dig It,” while Harrison played it on “Two of Us.” Two, a Hawaiian lap steel guitar made by Hofner, the manufacturer of McCartney’s famous violin bass. Buy this very cool book, if this sort of thing interests you.

The Question, like the old Car Talk Puzzler during the summer months, has the day off today, and the daily newsletter will be back Monday. Enjoy your holiday weekend.

Every day, our journalists are exposing the right’s assaults on our democracy—and pushing the Democrats to go bold to preserve the republic. Here’s a special offer from The New Republic so you won’t miss their scoops and sharp analysis.