Harvard President Claudine Gay’s fate hangs in the balance after university’s board meeting
Harvard President Claudine Gay remains at the helm after the school’s board of directors met Sunday amid calls for her removal for failing to effectively denounce threats of violence against Jewish students on campus. Though the agenda of the meeting was not publicized, it is likely that Gay’s future was discussed given the contentious congressional testimony last week of three university presidents that led to the resignation of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill on Saturday. The Sunday meeting was not an emergency meeting and had been scheduled long in advance, the source said. It remains unclear whether Gay has enough support to keep her job, though hundreds of faculty members have rushed to her defense in a letter to the administration. Gay apologized last week for testimony before a House committee on December 5, in which she, Magill and MIT President Sally Kornbluth failed to explicitly say calls for genocide of Jews would violate their schools’ codes of conduct. Harvard has encountered difficulty combating a rise in antisemitic incidents on campus, although recent claims of antisemitism at Penn were considered far worse. Still, a growing number of members of Congress, donors and other prominent leaders are still calling for Gay to step down.
Purchasing a $20,000 French Home Sight Unseen—The Unveiling Journey
Ellen's love affair with France began during a 1970s summer spent as an au pair, sparking a lifelong commitment to visiting the country whenever possible; her family, led by her West Coast husband Joseph, playfully teased her for her unwavering preference for French vacations during their regular travels every two years.
Harvard president apologizes for her disastrous testimony at antisemitism hearing: ‘Words matte
The president of Harvard University apologized in an interview with the school’s student newspaper after facing widespread condemnation for her disastrous congressional testimony this week, in which she and other university presidents failed to explicitly say calls for genocide of Jewish people constituted bullying and harassment on campus. “I am sorry,” Harvard University president Claudine Gay said to The Harvard Crimson on Thursday. “Words matter.” The apology came just days after Gay, the president of the University of Pennsylvania and the president of MIT testified at a House committee hearing focused on antisemitism on campus, to widespread criticism that they have not done enough to ensure the safety of Jewish students and others at their respective schools. Harvard, UPenn and MIT have all come under fire – along with other US academic institutions – over perceived inaction against antisemitism on their campuses, especially in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel and the subsequent war. At UPenn, for example, President Liz Magill has been under pressure to resign for weeks, as major donors and others say they have lost confidence in her ability to lead the school.
Alabama officer on leave after video shows her using stun gun on handcuffed Black man
An officer in a small city in western Alabama was placed on administrative leave after video surfaced showing her using a stun gun on a handcuffed Black man last week. The video, posted by a witness, starts with a White female officer from the Reform Police Department and a Black man handcuffed on the ground on the side of a road on December 2. It is not publicly known what happened before the video started and authorities have not identified the man or the officer involved in the interaction, though both are named in an arrest complaint provided to CNN by the man’s attorney. Attorney Leroy Maxwell, Jr. said the man in the video is his client, 24-year-old Micah Washington. Maxwell said before the video begins, Washington was on the side of the road changing a tire when the officer, identified in the arrest complaint as Dana Elmore, approached him and asked for his identification. Maxwell said after initially telling the officer no, Washington gave it to her but took out his phone and started recording. Maxwell claims that is when the officer first used her stun gun on Washington and then handcuffed him when he was on the ground.
Elon Musk says conspiracy theorist Alex Jones may be restored on X
Elon Musk says he may restore conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, pending the results of an unscientific poll of his followers. The move comes after Musk previously said he would not lift the ban on Jones, despite some users’ requests, because of his false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In a post on X Saturday, Musk said he disagreed with Jones’ comments about Sandy Hook but asked, “are we a platform that believes in freedom of speech or are we not?” “If the people vote him back on, this will be bad for X financially, but principles matter more than money,” Musk said. The poll asking Musk’s followers whether Jones should be reinstated showed Jones’ return winning by a healthy margin as of Saturday afternoon. Musk has aggressively defended what he calls his “free speech” stance, telling advertisers in an interview last month to “go f**k yourself” even as he apologized for his post boosting the antisemitic conspiracy theory. Musk last week also called for the firing of Disney CEO Bob Iger after the entertainment giant — previously one of the platform’s largest brand partners — pulled its ad dollars from X last month. Twitter permanently suspended Jones and other accounts linked to his website, InfoWars, in September 2018, citing abusive behavior and following similar moves by YouTube, Apple and Facebook. Twitter’s ban came one month after Jones had been temporarily suspended after he posted a video saying, “Now is time to act on the enemy before they do a false flag.”
Good Samaritans saved Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home in Atlanta from being burned to the ground, officials say
Good Samaritans helped thwart a woman’s attempt to set a fire at the birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, police said. Police were called to the historic home in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood around 5:45 p.m. Thursday on a vandalism report, the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement. When officers arrived, they found multiple people had stopped the 26-year-old after she poured gasoline on the property, the statement said. The woman, who CNN has not identified, is a US Navy veteran, according to Navy spokesperson CDR Andrew Bertucci. She served for 4 years before leaving in 2020. She was arrested and charged with attempted arson and interference with government property, Atlanta police said. She’s being held at the Fulton County Jail. “It was a little scary there for a minute because we didn’t know who she was, we didn’t know if she had weapons on her, we didn’t know anything,” Zach Kempf told CNN affiliate WSB of seeing the woman throwing gas on the home.
At least 4 dead after fire breaks out in hospital in Rome
At least four people have died and more than 200 people evacuated after a devastating fire broke out near the mortuary of the San Giovanni Evangelista hospital in the Roman suburb of Tivoli late Friday night, according to Italy’s fire brigade. The fire broke out on the lower level between the mortuary, clinic and kitchen area at around 10:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. ET) and quickly spread to the emergency room area on the floor above. Witnesses who were in the emergency room waiting for treatment said the electricity went out and the fire seemed to then engulf the entire wing quickly, according to Italian press reports. Two of the four victims died as a result of smoke inhalation, one died from a heart attack and one as a result of burns. Other bodies that were in the mortuary at the time were also burned, the fire brigade said. Seven children and several newborns were among those evacuated. A hospital spokesperson told CNN affiliate Sky24 that 134 of the evacuees were transferred to nearby hospitals.
District Attorney Kim Ogg of Harris County Submits Candidacy for Re-election
Kim Ogg, the District Attorney for Harris County, has officially submitted her candidacy for a third term in the upcoming election. On Wednesday, she filed the necessary paperwork to appear on the Democratic Party ballot.
Emergency Meeting Convened by University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees Following President Liz Magill's Troublesome Testimony
The University of Pennsylvania’s board of trustees held an emergency meeting Thursday as school president Liz Magill faces scathing criticism over her performance at a House hearing earlier this week.
Taylor Swift says Kanye West and Kim Kardashian feud felt like a ‘career death’
Taylor Swift has said that a 2016 feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian felt like “a career death,” adding it “took me down psychologically.”
A Texas man is accused of killing his parents near San Antonio and then 4 people in the Austin area. Here’s what we know
A man in custody in central Texas is suspected of fatally shooting his parents near San Antonio this week before traveling to the Austin area and killing four people and injuring three others in an eight-hour span Tuesday, authorities said.
Illnesses linked to lead in applesauce pouches mount as FDA narrows in on source
The US Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers to continue to avoid recalled applesauce pouches amid an ongoing investigation and a growing number of illnesses linked to lead in cinnamon.
New Mexico lawsuit accuses Meta of creating ‘breeding ground’ for child predators
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has accused Meta Platforms of creating a “breeding ground” for child predators on Facebook and Instagram in a lawsuit filed Tuesday, the latest in a string of legal actions related to alleged harms to young users caused by the social media giant.
UNLV gunman was a career professor who had applied for a job at the school, source says
The shooter who killed three people Wednesday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was a 67-year-old career college professor, a law enforcement source said. And investigators are looking into the possibility that he may have been passed over for a job at the university.
Janet Jackson Ignites Houston with Stellar Performance At AHF World AIDS Day Concert Pop Icon Delivers
International pop legend Janet Jack- son set the stage ablaze with a high-energy, full-length performance, captivating a sold-out audience at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s (AHF) World AIDS Day Concert held at the NRG Arena in Houston, Texas last night. Launching into the evening with her 1997 anthem “Together Again,” Jackson paid homage to friends and fans affected by HIV/AIDS, sparking an evening of remembrance and solidarity.
Overcoming the Oil and Gas Industry's Influence at COP28
Last Douglass said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
Final Call To Voters For Houston's Decisive City Elections, Dec. 9th
This Saturday, December 9, 2023, marks a pivotal day for Houston as election polls, open from 7 am to 7 pm, invite voters to conclude the heated run-off elections. The positions up for grabs include the mayoral seats for Houston and Bellaire, the Houston City Controller, and council seats for Houston and Baytown. Up until Monday, an impressive count of over 107,000 Houstonians have already cast their ballots, in-person and by mail.
A Night of Stars and Solidarity: Tina Knowles Celebrates the 2023 EOD HAUL Gala
Houston Style Magazine is once again at the forefront of the city’s most star-studded and meaningful events. As the first to spotlight Beyoncé, we take pride in celebrating another luminary in the Knowles family, Tina Knowles, at the 2023 Equal Opportunity Day (EOD) Gala. This year, the Houston Area Urban League (HAUL) commemorates 55 years of trans- formative work with their theme “Legacy of Leadership,” honoring those who have paved pathways for progress within our vibrant community.
The 16th Annual Ashe Holiday Market at The Community Artist Collective
The Collective’s Ashé Market offers unique giftsThe Community Artists' Collective kicks off its sixteenth Annual Ashé Market on December 9 at The Collective, 4101 San Jacinto, Suite 116.
Marsai Martin's Health Journey: Understanding Ovarian Cysts and Advocating For Women's Health
Marsai Martin, the dynamic ac- tress we've all watched evolve from the sharp-witted Diane on “Black-ish” to a record-breaking young film producer, has recently shared her personal health struggle with ovarian cysts, shedding light on a critical women's health issue.
