QUOTE OF THE DAY

'Europe's worst economic nightmare has come true.'

Carsten Brzeski, the chief economist at Dutch bank ING, lamenting Donald Trump's win. He warns it could push the eurozone into a "full-blown recession" next year.

TODAY'S BIG QUESTION

Is COP29 a 'waste of time'?

Papua New Guinea is boycotting this week's World Climate Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan this week, in protest against the "empty promises and inaction" of richer countries. The Pacific island's Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko, who called the U.N. event a "total waste of time," joins a growing list of leaders who will not attend. Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and China's President Xi Jinping are among the absentees.

What did the commentators say?
"It was risky, now it's perilous," said Le Monde. Even before the election of climate sceptic Donald Trump, COP29 had to overcome "numerous difficulties," including wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, uncertain global economic conditions, and a host country that's one of the main exporters of fossil fuels. Combined with the absence of a host of high-level leaders, "dark clouds" are "gathering over the critical U.N. talks" in Azerbaijan's capital Baku, said Sky News. A year of weather disasters has "emboldened developing countries in their demands for climate cash," said Reuters, but they will be "competing for resources and attention" amid all the geopolitical upheaval.

The conference was billed as the "finance COP," with agreement on a major new $1 trillion climate fund for developing countries and strong national climate commitments, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), at the top of the agenda. This has led Papua New Guinea and other smaller developing countries on the front line of the climate crisis to take a stand against what they see as inaction by richer nations that are also among the world's biggest carbon emitters.

What next?
The elephant in the room is Trump. Although the Biden administration will still lead the U.S. negotiations in Baku this week, the "shockwaves of the election are likely to dampen the ambitions of other countries," said Le Monde.

Ultimately, election results "don't alter the laws of physics," said Kaveh Guilanpour, a vice president at the nonprofit Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. "Unless the world collectively steps up its efforts, the impacts of climate change will become increasingly severe and frequent and will be felt by an increasing number of people in all countries, including in the United States."

Statistic of the day

65,000 mph: The speed of meteors in the Taurid shower, which should be visible in the sky tonight. Although this is more than 100 times faster than the average speed of a commercial airline flight, it's relatively slow for meteors. The Perseids, which are usually seen in the summer months, travel at about twice the speed.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Chappell Roan is pushing boundaries by setting them

For newly minted pop star Chappell Roan, fame is a double-edged sword. She has struggled with the spotlight shining so brightly on her, especially as someone with bipolar II disorder. In August, Roan posted a message on Instagram addressing the stalking and harassment she has endured. "I don't agree with the notion that I owe a mutual exchange of energy, time or attention to people I do not know, I do not trust or who creep me out, just because they are expressing admiration," she said.

Expressions of defiance
Roan is not the first woman to stand up for herself against the media or her fans. Singer Billie Eilish, for example, has been open about her displeasure with fans who cross her physical boundaries. "People will kiss me and pick me up, spin me around," she said to Vanity Fair.

Other women have been inspired by Roan's expressions of defiance. Maya Rudolph praises Roan's boundary-setting. "'Boundaries' is not a word that we Gen Xers were taught," she said to Variety. "Every human being walking around with a camera in their pocket has not helped boundaries."

'Refuses to lower her voice to a comfortable volume'
The media's treatment of celebrities has long been invasive, but with the advent of social media, fans have become a part of the problem. A "parasocial relationship," typically defined as a "one-sided social and emotional connection developed with celebrities," can lead some fans to assume they know a famous person they have never met, said Time.

"I can't escape the feeling that the primary reason a lot of people dislike" her is because she "refuses to lower her voice to a comfortable volume," said Louis Staples at Harper's Bazaar. With fame being the "only thing that is more idealized in Western culture than money," people are turned off by Roan daring to question her treatment by the public.

"I don't care that it's normal," Roan said in a TikTok post. "I don't care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job or the career field I have chosen. That does not make it OK."

Good day 🌺

… for rare plant enthusiasts. Thousands are lining up in the Australian city of Geelong for a rare chance to see and smell an Amorphophallus titanum, aka the "corpse flower," named after the rotten stench it releases when it blooms to attract pollinators. The plant blooms unexpectedly, sometimes just once a decade, "making it a highly coveted event that draws huge crowds," said CNN.

Bad day ⛽

… for climate activism. Oil company Shell won a landmark case in the Dutch courts, which overturned an earlier ruling that required it to cut its carbon emissions by 45%. The Hague Court of Appeal could not establish that Shell had a "social standard of care" to reduce its emissions by any amount. However, it agreed Shell had an "obligation to citizens to limit emissions," said the BBC.

Puzzles

Daily crossword

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

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The Week recommends

Stylish, sustainable travel containers

Refillable travel bottles allow you to bring all your necessities along for the ride. You save money and help the planet by filling the vessels with products you already have at home and save room in your luggage by not having to lug around full-size containers. To avoid a potentially sticky situation, go with one of these leak-free options.

Cadence Honeycomb Flex medium capsules
If you travel often with a lot of products, the Cadence Honeycomb set might be your best bet for toiletries. It's pricey, but you can build a seven-piece kit to your exact specifications, picking from several colors and interchangeable labels. The magnetic capsules connect in "any shape or configuration you like," said TripSavvy, and are "incredibly durable." ($168, Cadence)

Redfly toiletry travel bottles
At 3 ounces each, this pack of leak-proof bottles is ready for the TSA line. Fans of the bottles, which come in several different colors, praise the "wide opening" of each, which "makes it easy to access the contents, as well as clean them when you get home," said Travel and Leisure. ($6.79, Amazon)

Wild refillable deodorant
First, pick your reusable aluminum case, then select a deodorant scent. The deodorant's nourishing vegan formula is "next-level" and "kind to both your skin and the planet," and the refills are compostable and biodegradable, said British GQ. For more refillable goodness, check out Wild's lip balms and body washes. (starts at $15.20, Wild)

Poll watch

Nearly a third of U.S. veterans, 31%, are unfamiliar with Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits for toxic substance exposure like burn pits, according to an Ipsos poll. The poll of 516 veterans also found that 41% think the VA needs to provide better health care assistance to veterans.

INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'The US could soon face a threat "more powerful" than nuclear weapons'
Ashish K. Jha, Matt Pottinger and Matthew McKnight at The Washington Post
The "nightmare of a biological holocaust is far from fanciful," say Ashish K. Jha, Matt Pottinger and Matthew McKnight. The "prospect of mutually assured destruction is unlikely to inhibit death-obsessed terrorists who have a better shot at acquiring bioweapons than nuclear weapons." Western allies "must have a robust, pervasive system for tracking and, where possible, eliminating highly dangerous research around the world," and "biological surveillance, detection and attribution must become a core national security function."

'Will the American project survive the anger of white men?'
Carol Anderson at The Guardian
The "fact that Donald Trump's candidacy was even viable" was because of the "support of white men," says Carol Anderson. Trump has "laid out an agenda that will provide the 'wages of whiteness' to his male supporters but very little else." And "white male anger, especially at the nation's inclusion of African Americans, has repeatedly privileged white supremacy." The "anger about a multiracial democracy has put the viability of the United States in jeopardy."

'Make way for the colonel'
David Gornoski at The American Conservative
Americans "expressed a desire for a departure from the entrenched globalist strategies that have long characterized U.S. foreign policy," says David Gornoski. The "former Colonel Douglas Macgregor, a man of valor, intellect and a fierce advocate for national sovereignty, emerges as the quintessential figure to help Trump steer this new course." Macgregor is "not just a fitting candidate but the ideal steward for Trump's vision of a redefined American military and diplomatic strategy."

WORD OF THE DAY

CleanTok

A social media trend in which influencers use a lot of "elbow grease" for "scouring their sinks, descaling their dishwashers or deep-cleaning their rugs in an aesthetically pleasing fashion," said The Independent. But all that glitters is not gold, as the videos may set unattainable standards.

How the trans community is bracing for Trump