Also: Why Trump's name will be on the Mass. primary ballot; Green Line closure begins [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser]( Â January 3, 2024Â ⛅ Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Good Morning Boston, Our post-holiday gradual ease back into the work week came to an abrupt end yesterday with [the shocking news of Claudine Gay's resignation]( as president of Harvard after only six months on the job. The announcement came a day after new plagiarism accusations against Gay surfaced, and amid continued pressure by pro-Israel donors and activists for her to resign over the school's response to pro-Palestinian protests on campus. [Listen here for a breakdown]( by WBUR's Max Larkin on what we specifically know â and don't know â about what led to her resignation. While the news made international headlines, we wanted to know more about how it was being received by Gay's colleagues here. WBUR reporters reached out to several members of Harvard's faculty for their reactions to the news: - Ryan Enos, a professor of government at Harvard, said he has been "very critical" of some of Gay's decisions. But he added the "general consensus" at Harvard was that allowing outside forces to have such influence over the school sets a "dangerous" precedent. "Quite frankly, this is somebody being forced out of a position by mob rule," Enos said. "Regardless of what you think of the merits of her positions on international issues or ... the accusations against her around plagiarism, those are all things that need careful debate and careful consideration, and this was certainly not an example of that."
- Omar Haque, a physician and faculty member at Harvard Medical School, called the pattern of duplication in Gayâs work â even if they weren't her core ideas â âreckless" and said resigning as president was the right thing to do. "I think Harvard should hold presidents to higher standards than they hold their faculty," Haque said. "And they should hold their faculty to higher standards than they hold their students, who are still learning how to write academic papers."
- Jaime Sanchez Jr, a political historian and post-doc fellow, said being president at an elite university means heightened scrutiny. But he added Gay faced even more scrutiny as a Black woman. "Anyone in a leadership position from a marginalized group has to prove themselves twice as much because there are already stereotypes and assumptions going against you," he said. "That's something I imagine Claudine Gay had up against her from the beginning of her appointment." For more on what's next for Harvard, [read Max's full story]( and tune into Radio Boston today at 11 a.m. - All eyes on the Senate: Beacon Hill lawmakers return from their holiday break today. And as WBUR's Walter Wuthmann reports, gun reform advocates have high hopes that state lawmakers will come to an agreement on a new gun control package. This month could shed new light on what the legislation will ultimately look like.
- The House already [passed a sweeping gun control bill this past October]( that includes measures to strengthen the state's assault weapons ban, track unregistered "ghost guns, and prohibit guns from being carried in schools and other government buildings.
- Senate leaders also want to pass restrictions on ghost guns, Walt reports. However, the Senate has yet to unveil a counterproposal to the House bill, which faced [vocal opposition from gun owners and police](. The gun control package was also [the subject of a procedural clash]( between the two chambers last summer.
- What's next: Legislators must report any proposed legislation out of committee by the first full week of February. Senate President Karen Spilka has also said she ["definitely"]( believes they'll work out a compromise by the end of the session this summer. - Cambridge's new mayor is (once again) E. Denise Simmons. The longtime city councilor â who previously served non-consecutive mayoral terms in 2008 and 2016 â was elected by her fellow councilors this week. She replaces fellow Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui, who was re-elected by voters this past fall, but [accused of creating a toxic workplace]( during her tenure.
- FYI: In Cambridge, the mayor [serves as head of the City Council and School Committee]( but otherwise is mostly a ceremonial post. P.S.â That big Green Line closure [we mentioned yesterday]( has officially begun. Check out [the MBTA's guide to alternative transit options here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa
Editor, Newsletters
[Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown
[Galvin says Trump will appear on Mass. primary ballot](
Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin left the state Republican Party's list of choices as-is, including Trump, whose inclusion on primary ballots has been challenged in other states. [Read more.](
[Galvin says Trump will appear on Mass. primary ballot](
Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin left the state Republican Party's list of choices as-is, including Trump, whose inclusion on primary ballots has been challenged in other states. [Read more.](
[Mass. resident dies from Legionnairesâ disease after visiting N.H. resort](
Two people contracted Legionnairesâ disease after visiting the resort in Whitefield. The stateâs Department of Health and Human Services is still investigating how the people were exposed. [Read more.](
[Mass. resident dies from Legionnairesâ disease after visiting N.H. resort](
Two people contracted Legionnairesâ disease after visiting the resort in Whitefield. The stateâs Department of Health and Human Services is still investigating how the people were exposed. [Read more.](
[To help rare whales, Mass. and Maine get $27 million to improve data and fishing gear](
Maine and Massachusetts are receiving more than $27 million to enhance data collection, improve fishing gear and make other changes designed to protect the North Atlantic right whale. The species is jeopardized by entanglement in commercial fishing gear and collisions with large ships. [Read more.](
[To help rare whales, Mass. and Maine get $27 million to improve data and fishing gear](
Maine and Massachusetts are receiving more than $27 million to enhance data collection, improve fishing gear and make other changes designed to protect the North Atlantic right whale. The species is jeopardized by entanglement in commercial fishing gear and collisions with large ships. [Read more.](
[Kennedy cousin whose murder conviction was overturned sues former cop, Connecticut town](
Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel is suing a police investigator and the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, more than five years after his murder conviction was overturned. His lawsuit alleges malicious prosecution, civil rights violations and other wrongdoing. Skakel says the police investigator, Frank Garr, withheld key evidence that favored Skakel. [Read more.](
[Kennedy cousin whose murder conviction was overturned sues former cop, Connecticut town](
Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel is suing a police investigator and the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, more than five years after his murder conviction was overturned. His lawsuit alleges malicious prosecution, civil rights violations and other wrongdoing. Skakel says the police investigator, Frank Garr, withheld key evidence that favored Skakel. [Read more.](
[A Hamas leader is killed in an explosion in Beirut](
A senior official of the Palestinian militant group Hamas has been killed in what it believes to be an Israeli strike in Lebanon's capital of Beirut. Israel has not taken responsibility. [Read more.](
[A Hamas leader is killed in an explosion in Beirut](
A senior official of the Palestinian militant group Hamas has been killed in what it believes to be an Israeli strike in Lebanon's capital of Beirut. Israel has not taken responsibility. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The federal governmentâs $7,500 carrot for buying an electric car will be easier to access this year â but fewer models could qualify. [Hereâs what to know about the changes and eligible cars in 2024](. - After being saved from obscurity by its writers, the wryly funny 1993 film "Household Saints" â about an immigrant community in New York's Little Italy through the mid-20th century â is back on the big screen, airing [at the Brattle Theatre in a new 4K restoration](. - Rich Barlow proposes three root-to-stem solutions to make American health care less expensive in [this Cognoscenti commentary](. Â What We're Reading 📚 - Why the Patriotsâ Bill Belichick-Robert Kraft partnership is on the verge of a breakup ([The Athletic]( - 3 academic experts analyze OâBrienâs comments ([CommonWealth Beacon]( - My Unraveling ([Intelligencer]( Â Tell Me Something Good
[A Boston firefighter saved a 3-year-old from a house fire in 1978. They reunited 45 years later. (The Boston Globe)](
Last Wednesday, the little boy â now a 48-year-old man â and his mother met the firefighter for the first time at Dorchesterâs Florian Hall to express 45 years of gratitude. [Read more.](
[A Boston firefighter saved a 3-year-old from a house fire in 1978. They reunited 45 years later. (The Boston Globe)](
Last Wednesday, the little boy â now a 48-year-old man â and his mother met the firefighter for the first time at Dorchesterâs Florian Hall to express 45 years of gratitude. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [tours the food scene in East Boston](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [How are we not ranked first?!]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news  Â
 Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.