QUOTE OF THE DAY

'We've made progress since the Paris climate agreement. But it's all fragile and can be questioned at any moment by [nations] that don't respect the terms or make an exit.'

French President Emmanuel Macron making a veiled reference to Donald Trump's promise to once again pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement during a speech at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro this week

THE EXPLAINER

How safe are cruise ships in storms?

A passenger on a Saga cruise ship died and 100 others were injured when storm conditions brought "force 11 winds over 64 mph and 25-foot waves battered the vessel," said The Independent. Despite this serious incident, events like these are few and far between, so cruise-goers, fear not.

Do storms make cruises dangerous?
Rough seas are not new, and cruise ship designers and those working on board know that. Cruise ships "are, in general, incredibly safe," Stephanie Goldberg-Glazer, the owner of travel agency Live Well, Travel Often, said to USA Today. "The officers in charge of navigating have years and years of experience, and their focus is to keep passengers safe and comfortable."

The ships themselves are built to weather rocky waters. Most have "thick steel hulls that can withstand the ravages of a storm," said The Times. "The vessel might list to one side, then the other, in a motion known as rolling," or a "forward movement might pitch down into the swells before rearing up again." These rocking mechanisms are designed to stabilize the ship against rough water.

If storms come more suddenly or are worse than expected, ships have the means to change routes to take a safer path. With that comes the possibility of itinerary changes. Cruise lines' "number one priority is going to be guest safety," Colleen McDaniel, the editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, said to Travel + Leisure.

What can you do to prepare?
While cruise ships are generally safe, taking certain measures can ensure a better experience. First, one can avoid cruises during hurricane seasons. "Time your voyage to minimize the chance of bad weather," said The Times. Even when avoiding hurricane season, the storms can be "unpredictable and can both form and pick up strength quickly," said USA Today.

"Book a cabin low down in the center of the ship" instead of avoiding cruises altogether," said The Times. "If the captain announces rough weather ahead, put loose items in your cabin away where they can't fly around. And don't forget the motion-sickness pills."

Statistic of the day

50: The amount of times by which the air pollution in New Delhi currently exceeds the recommended safe limit, according to The Associated Press. India's capital city has long struggled with unclear air, and city authorities have started taking action this week. This includes holding most school classes online and banning nonessential trucks.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

What Mike Huckabee means for US-Israel relations

While some of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet choices are relative political neophytes, his pick to represent the U.S. in Israel, Mike Huckabee, is anything but. Beyond serving as the governor of Arkansas for more than a decade, he has been a fixture in conservative politics for nearly 40 years. Huckabee's nomination has raised red flags among those who believe his past comments about Israel and Palestine and his strict evangelical theology will complicate his plenipotentiary duties.

'No such thing as an occupation'
Throughout his career, Huckabee has "repeatedly signaled his staunch support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu" and argued against the creation of an independent Palestinian country, said The Associated Press. This stance "contradicts longstanding official U.S. support for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state."

Huckabee has also been "vocal about his evangelical Christian faith, which he ties to his policies toward Israel," said Al Jazeera. "There's no such thing as a West Bank. It's Judea and Samaria," Huckabee said in 2017, using the biblical names for the territories favored by Israeli settlers. "There's no such thing as an occupation."

'I will carry out the policy of the president'
Huckabee has been cautious when it comes to revealing specifics of what the U.S.-Israel relationship might look like under the incoming administration, said the BBC, even as Israel's right-wing has celebrated his nomination. Full Israeli annexation of the West Bank might occur during Trump's second term, Huckabee said in his first Israeli interview since being nominated. "I won't make the policy," he said. "I will carry out the policy of the president."

The left-leaning U.S.-Israel relations lobby J Street warned that the consequences of a Huckabee ambassadorship could be dire. If implemented, Huckabee's policies toward Israel would "shatter the foundations on which a healthy and strong U.S.-Israel relationship has been built over the past 75 years," said the group.

Good day 🚀

… for University of Southern California students. The university's student-run Rocket Propulsion Lab designed and built a suborbital rocket that broke the record for the highest altitude reached by an independently designed rocket. The Aftershock II flew 470,000 feet above Earth's surface, making it the "first nongovernment or private-company-owned rocket to reach this far into space," said Gizmodo.

Bad day ✈️

… for Spirit Airlines. The budget airline has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after struggling with "losses, growing debt and a failed merger during the post-pandemic travel lull," said NBC News. Ticket sales and all other operations will continue as normal. Spirit reached a prearranged deal with bondholders that includes "$300 million in financing to keep it afloat," with the business planning to end its bankruptcy in the first quarter of 2025.

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The Week recommends

Convenient items to transform your airplane seat

Halfway through a long-haul flight, squished in economy, it may seem like there's no way this kind of experience could ever be comfortable. Think again. Inflatable foot and memory foam cushions are a few of the tricks you can have loaded into your carry-on bag for your next journey.

Everlasting Comfort memory foam seat cushion
This ventilated cushion is a pilot's secret weapon, making "sitting on a plane for hours on end a lot more comfortable," said Travel and Leisure. Made of gel-infused memory foam, its U shape "improves spinal alignment" and reduces pressure on the back. The design also helps provide relief for those with sciatica and hip and joint pain. ($50, Amazon)

Kashwere travel blanket
Prepare to get cozy. This super-soft chenille blanket is "warm and lightweight without being too heavy or drafty," said Southern Living. It also "doesn't shed" and can be thrown in the washing machine and dryer after your trip. Stick the blanket into its accompanying zippered carrying case, and you can use it as a pillow, too. ($94, Amazon)

Sunany inflatable foot rest pillow
Say goodbye to dangling feet. Sunany's inflatable foot rest pillow weighs less than a pound and can be blown up to three different sizes. It is "similar to a poofy ottoman," helps improve circulation and takes the "pressure off your back and spine," said Well + Good. Because it "inflates and deflates quickly," you can ready it right before boarding and easily stow it during landing. ($25, Amazon)

Poll watch

Road accidents remain people's highest perceived safety risk, according to a Gallup poll. The survey of people in 142 countries found that 16% of respondents think road accidents are their highest safety risk, followed by crime and violence at 13% and personal health conditions at 11%.

INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'There's no longer any doubt that Hollywood writing is powering AI'
Alex Reisner at The Atlantic
People can "say with absolute confidence that many AI systems have been trained on TV and film writers' work," says Alex Reisner. It may seem "like a strange source for AI-training data," but "subtitles are valuable because they are a raw form of written dialogue." They may be "especially valuable for training chatbots to 'speak' naturally." Subtitles are "on the internet, and there's no telling how many independent generative-AI programs they have been used for."

'Democrats: Don't abandon identity politics, get them right'
Kam Buckner at The Hill
The "issue isn't with identity politics itself; it's with the way we are applying it," says Illinois State Rep. Kam Buckner (D). Democrats' "approach has become overly simplistic, compartmentalizing people into single dimensions rather than embracing the layered and intersecting identities that shape real lives." Democrats "need to embrace identity politics as a framework for understanding people's layered realities," and "only then, can we build the connections that resonate on a personal level."

'Parents are stressed and overwhelmed. They need help.'
Jay Lee at the San Francisco Chronicle
A "cruel irony is that young families with the youngest children tend to have the least resources when they need them the most," says Jay Lee. When caregivers "can't meet their family's basic needs, their emotional distress increases. And when their emotional distress increases, so does the emotional distress of children." Caring for children "means caring for their parents, too. That's one lesson we all can start putting into practice better."

WORD OF THE DAY

super-survivor

Researchers from French biotech company Cure51 are investigating how some people beat the odds to survive long after being diagnosed with three of the deadliest cancers. The study aims to pinpoint the biological factors shared by "super-survivors" of advanced small-cell lung cancer, advanced pancreatic cancer, and glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, and to discover new forms of treatment.

What message is Trump sending with his Cabinet picks?