THERE IS a lot to dislike about the climate reparations deal hammered out last month at the United Nation's climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Under presidents of both parties, the United States had for years firmly opposed the idea. Heading into the conference, US climate envoy John Kerry insisted that any deal "tied to compensation or liability [is] just not happening." But in the end, succumbing to pressure, delegates from the wealthy countries agreed to compensate developing nations for the costs of coping with storms, heat waves, and droughts worsened by climate change. The plan to create what the conference called a "loss and damage fund" was greeted by supporters as a "new dawn for climate justice." Cynics called it a "Sharm el-Shakedown."

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ON MONDAY, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis. The case was brought by Lorie Smith, a graphic artist in Colorado who wishes to expand into the field of custom-made wedding websites. For religious reasons, Smith opposes same-sex marriage and is unwilling to design websites promoting gay or lesbian weddings. Under Colorado law, however, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal, and Smith may not refuse her services to same-sex couples.

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VOTERS HAD A LOT on their minds as they cast their ballots in this month's midterm elections, but inflation topped the list. In exit polls, nearly 1 out of 3 respondents said the issue that most influenced their vote for Congress was the relentless rise in consumer prices, which are up more than 13 percent since January 2021. With inflation running at a 40-year high, Democrats were lucky to lose only their majority in the House. They may fare considerably worse if inflation is still raging in 2024. As the fates of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter suggest, if Democrats cannot get inflation under control, they are apt to lose the White House.

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WHAT DOES it take to be a good citizen?

When the Pew Research Center recently asked nearly 3,600 Americans what traits or behaviors go to the heart of good citizenship, the most common response was voting: Seven out of 10 US adults described voting as a "very important" aspect of being a good citizen.

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Maimonides on the Mayflower

Thanksgiving has officially been cancelled at the University of Alaska Southeast. Students, faculty, and staff will have off from Nov. 24 through Nov. 27, but on the university calendar, what used to be identified as "Thanksgiving Closure" is now labeled "Fall Break." UAS adopted the change at the urging of X̱'unei Lance Twitchell, a professor of Native Languages, who called for "decolonizing Thanksgiving," a holiday that he said leads some people to feel excluded.

"We are not a white Christian organization," he said. "We are a university."

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