Hello there,

Today is Cyber Monday. Here, ergo, is your Cyber Monday public service announcement telling you that Amazon had a record year in 2020 and avoided paying $2.3 billion in federal taxes. 

The big news today is of course the Omicron variant. President Biden last Friday announced a travel ban on several countries in southern Africa, but of course the variant has already spread to Canada and, experts believe, to the United States, but we just don’t know it for sure yet. Do we need a new vaccine? If so, how fast can we get it? And if this doesn’t light a fire under governments to force the manufacturers to distribute the vaccine around the world, what will? In South Africa, where this originated, the fully vaccinated rate is just 24 percent. Globally, 54 percent of people have received at least one dose, but in the developing world that number is 6 percent.

Republicans are being their usual helpful selves. Here was a tweet over the weekend from Ronny Jackson, an actual member of Congress from, where else, Texas (well, it could also be South Carolina, but in this case it’s Texas):

Right. So epidemiologists in South Africa last month said, “Hey, you know what? I’m really worried about whether Elissa Slotkin can hold her congressional seat in Michigan. Let’s invite a new variant that will enable Democrats to rig next year’s election.” I joke, but these people are poisonous beyond description. And this man is a doctor.

Depressed enough yet? Good. Let’s talk about Congress. They need to pass some kind of debt ceiling measure by Friday or the government will shut down. But then another deadline arrives two weeks later, The Washington Post reports. It all makes my head hurt. They’ve always worked something out on the debt ceiling at the last minute, and they’ll probably do it again. Then there’s still reconciliation to deal with. Our recent one-week respite from hearing incessantly from Co-President Manchin is about to end.

At NewRepublic.com this morning, we’ve posted the cover story of the December issue. “What Is Michael Flynn’s Long Game?” by Matthew Farwell is a deep (and pretty gonzo and very entertaining) dive into how the general went from being a mostly pretty respected intel guy whom beat reporters admired to being, well, whatever it is he is right now. Farwell has tracked Flynn for years and has sharp insight into his character and motivations. Abdul El-Sayed, who is a doctor as well as a columnist, advises that you go out and get that health care now, before the year ends. And you can read my take on the divide between elite Democrats and the party’s rank and file, and what they can do about it.

Hang in there,

Michael Tomasky, editor

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.

Today’s Covid-19 question: Covid is raging through Europe right now. What was the first European country, last Friday, to announce it had detected a case of the Omicron variant? This country is also closing nightclubs and requiring people to work from home.

Today’s politics question: Ronny Jackson is one of 23 physicians currently in Congress. Twenty are Republicans. Name at least one of the three Democrats.