This Thanksgiving, a political reprieve

FIVE NON-POLITICAL CONVERSATION STARTERS TO USE THIS HOLIDAY
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent

Let us cast aside the usual party questions going into Thanksgiving (pumpkin or sweet potato?) and get down to the situation in 2020.

The nation that invented this holiday of thanks is in the middle of a worsening pandemic and just emerging from one of the most divisive elections in modern history. Most of us cannot see our families or friends in person. And when we do connect, there could be a huge Trump- or Biden-shaped elephant in the (Zoom) room.

With this in mind, we at Here’s the Deal put together a list of potential holiday conversation starters that are NOT about politics. Yes, we love politics. And yes, it has been a fascinating political week already. But for some, leaving political disagreements at the door makes for a more enjoyable celebration. If that’s you, this list is excellent for changing the subject instantly, whether on the phone or in person.

The (robot) dogs of war. Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida announced last week it is now using robot dogs to help with security. Consider this a Rohrschach test of the line between creepy and fascinating. To your many questions, we respond by suggesting that you watch the video. Possible group discussion points: progress versus dystopian overreach, the best/scariest robot movies and would you buy a robot dog? (Because you can.)

Not creepy enough for your clan? How about the idea of tiny, living robots in your bloodstream? At the beginning of 2020, the University of Vermont and Tufts University announced they have created what they said could be a new kind of life form, a “xenobot” made from frog embryos and living cells that can be programmed to travel to particular areas in cells or bodies and perform particular functions. See talking points above.

Now to something more universally loved. Music. Let’s talk about K-Pop, short for Korean pop music, and the world-dominating group BTS. The seven-member dancing and singing phenomenon won two American Music Awards on Sunday night, and performed live in an empty stadium in South Korea for the show. They are the first act since the Beatles to have three Billboard No. 1 songs in a year. If there are BTS fans in your life, impress them with the knowledge that BTS stands for a Korean phrase that means “bulletproof Boy Scouts.” If asked for your favorite band member, perhaps say “J. Hope” because it’s a surprising answer. He’s a dancer, rapper and the most overlooked of the guys in the band, according to the internet.

Philosophy. If you prefer to go deep, there is a heated debate in the study of modern philosophy between more science-like “analytic” philosophers and the more free-wheeling “continental” philosophers. At issue are questions of both substance and style, you can tell your most well-read community member. Should philosophy be more concrete and approached like a logic science? Or should it be more flexible and hard-to-pin-down? You can be the ultimate smarty pants by remarking that some people debate whether there is any meaningful difference between the two. Ah, philosophy!

Has all of that failed? Here are some riddles I wrote and which could help make things lively. Answers at the bottom of this week’s newsletter. Email us at [email protected] to let us know how you did.

1. Born in silk and covered in gold, I turn both more dull
and more explosive when I grow old. What am I?

2. I belong entirely to you, but when in your company,
others use me more than you do. What am I?

3. Which nation is the greatest threat to the world?

4. What has nine lives and a lot of insurance?

5. I start tough, then grow soft, then get tough again.
First small, then tall, then made small by men. What am I?

6. I enter your house but don’t need a key. I help you with t
asks, and I do it silently. I can be young, or quite old.
Easy to touch, but impossible to hold. What am I?

FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Ian Couzens, @iancouzenz
Politics production assistant

Texas Democratic Losses Reflect Broader Statehouse Trend. Nov. 19. Election results suggest Democrats overestimated how much their base had expanded and underestimated President Donald Trump’s ability to get conservative voters to the polls. Why it matters: Though Democrats won the White House, they failed to take control of several key state legislatures, which they targeted because in most states, legislators are in charge of redrawing state and congressional districts next year. — Stateline

Cook County’s 2017 bail reform didn’t result in more violent crime, Loyola study finds. Nov. 19. The reform required judges to set affordable bail for defendants deemed not to be a threat to public safety so that they could be released while awaiting trial. Why it matters: The study debunks a claim by police that the reform is one of the driving factors behind the growing number of shootings in the city. — Chicago Sun-Times

Dems eye ways to fight back against GOP procedural 'game'. Nov. 20. As the House’s minority party, Republicans have used a tactic known as the motion to recommit to pressure vulnerable Democrats on controversial votes, sometimes causing them to depart from the party position at the last minute. Why it matters: As the new Congress takes office in January, Democrats, who keep their majority, will have to choose whether to blunt a tool that has been weaponized against them and could be used to put vulnerable Democrats at risk of losing their seats, or preserve one of the few tools the minority party has at its disposal. — Politico

House Democrats push Biden to pick Haaland as next Interior secretary. Nov 20. Rep. Deb Haaland in 2018 became one of the first Native American women elected to Congress, and she would be the first Native American to serve in a president’s Cabinet. Why it matters: More than 50 lawmakers noted in a letter to Biden’s transition team that not only would Haaland make history, helping to fulfill the president-elect’s promise to pick a Cabinet that reflects the country’s diversity, but she would also be well positioned as Interior secretary to work on improving the nation-to-nation relationship between the U.S. and Indigenous tribes. — The Hill

Trump election challenges sound alarm among voters of color. Nov. 22. President Donald Trump and his allies have sought to expose voter fraud that does not exist in urban centers with large Black populations that voted heavily for Biden. Why it matters: The attempts to disenfranchise Black voters, even if not successful, could erode Black voters’ trust in elections and suppress participation in future elections. — The Associated Press

#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Kate Grumke, @KGrumke
Politics producer

Today, President Donald Trump pardoned the last turkey of his presidential term. The turkey pardon is a long and storied tradition in American politics. Harry S. Truman was the first president to hold a public reception for a turkey, although turkeys then were bound for the dinner table. John F. Kennedy was the first to pardon a Thanksgiving turkey, Ronald Reagan was the first to use the word “pardon,” and pardoning became formalized under George H.W. Bush. But well before all of that, one founding father called the turkey a “Bird of Courage,” and wrote that it “would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

Our question: Which founding father called the turkey a “Bird of Courage?”

Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: Where did the first congress originally meet?

The answer: New York City

The first Congress met at Federal Hall in New York City. It was set to meet on March 4, 1789, but it failed to reach a quorum on that day. More than 200 years later, Congress met again at Federal Hall. It held a special ceremonial session on Sept. 6, 2002, to honor the victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

Congratulations to our winners: Bob Schmid and Lorna Grenadier!

RIDDLE ANSWERS
By Lisa Desjardins

1. A kernel of corn or just "corn"
2. Your name
3. Ruination
4. A baseball team
5. A tree (most specifically an oak, though others fit)
6. Light

Thank you all for reading and watching. We wish you a healthy and restful holiday. Stay safe.

We’ll drop into your inbox next week.

A grandmother, a granddaughter and a deep post-election divide