(Dec 20, 2023) New York is creating a commission to study whether residents who are descendants of slaves should receive monetary reparations; the Lake Luzerne public library is a step closer to reopening after a controversy over a drag queen story hour that never happened; students at St. Lawrence University de-stress with furry friends; a conversation with a nostalgia expert on dealing with grief during the holidays; and Betsy Kepes reviews the debut novel from Ottawa's Kai Thomas.