The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe

‘Difficult beyond words’: Harvard president Gay resigns

Move comes after crises over the Israel-Hamas war, campus antisemitism, and allegations of plagiarism

Read Claudine Gay's full statement See updates to the story about Claudine Gay's resignation

LIVE UPDATES

5:43 p.m.
Political pressure on university presidents is mounting nationally, scholar says
5:04 p.m.
Ibram X. Kendi defends Gay, calls plagiarism allegations a mask for racism
4:30 p.m.
After Harvard president’s resignation, could MIT be next? MIT students express mixed views.

Claudine Gay testified before a congressional committee in early December.

Harvard University Provost Dr. Alan Garber taught a freshman seminar in an undated photo. Garber will serve as the university's interim president.

Who is Alan Garber, Harvard’s interim leader?

Gay resignation as Harvard president draws strong reactions from critics and supporters

Claudine Gay was Harvard’s shortest-serving president, but Larry Summers and others had brief tenures too

Claudine Gay’s departure highlights lack of diversity in higher education leadership

Dover man fatally shot his wife and daughter before taking his own life, district attorney says

Teena Kamal and her daughter Arianna Kamal were shot to death by their husband and father, who then ended his own life inside their Dover home last Thursday, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s office said.

What we know about the Kamal family

Trump appeals Maine decision barring him from ballot over Jan. 6 attack

The former president was expected to also ask the US Supreme Court to rule on his eligibility to return to the presidency in a related Colorado case.

Trump likely to still appear on Maine ballot despite ruling, Massachusetts’ top elections official says

Forecast | Dave Epstein

Here’s how this weekend’s potential snowstorm could impact Southern New England
Seasonably cold air will overtake the Northeast later this week, setting us up for what could be our first significant snowfall of the season.

Mass. resident dies, R.I. resident released from hospital after Legionnaires’ disease diagnoses following stays at N.H. resort

The New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services is investigating the infections to determine the potential sources of exposure, officials said.

One man killed in 3-alarm fire in Cambridge, another man rescued by ladder, officials say
One man died and another was rescued by a firefighter on a ladder after a three-alarm fire tore through a 30-unit apartment building in Cambridge early Tuesday morning, officials said.

Top Hamas official Saleh Arouri, who headed West Bank operations, killed in Beirut blast

An explosion in Beirut on Tuesday killed Saleh Arouri, a top official with the Palestinian militant group Hamas and three others, officials with Hamas and the Lebanese group Hezbollah said.

Planes collide and catch fire at Japan’s busy Haneda airport, killing 5. Hundreds evacuated safely.

The aircraft was preparing to take off to deliver aid to an area affected by a major earthquake on Monday, officials said.

Powerful earthquakes leave at least 55 dead, destroy buildings along Japan’s western coast

Five-year-old Axel waited for his mother to make his breakfast in an overflow migrant shelter in in the suburbs of Boston.

Migrants with work permits in Mass. tripled in 2 weeks, Healey administration says

The number of new arrivals in Massachusetts with work authorizations increased in the last two weeks, a glimmer of hope for the overburdened state-run shelter system.

Beth Teitell

Is a ‘sleep divorce’ good for your relationship — or as ominous as it sounds?
Cameron Diaz wants to “normalize” separate bedrooms. But what about cuddling?

Your view: What do you think about sleeping in a separate room from your partner?

FOOD

The toughest seat in town? It’s at a Woburn pizzeria
The celebrated, 85-year-old New Haven pizzeria opened its first Massachusetts location in Woburn in December, with lines out the door and around the block.

A fresh batch of cheesy Rebelle bagels.

With new shops and pop-ups, Boston’s bagel business is booming

There was a time not too long ago when it was hard to find a good bagel around here, but bagel fans have more — and better — options now.

Tom Brady attends the grand opening of Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Dec. 13, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tom Brady says he was planning to come out of retirement, again, in 2023

The former Patriots quarterback ended his 2023 recap Instagram post with an interesting tidbit, saying his confidants foiled his plan to unretire for a second time when they held a surprise retirement bash for him in May.

Bill Belichick jokes about announcing his Patriots future on ‘Twitter and MyFace’

People gathered in Pliny Park in Brattleboro, Vt., for a vigil for the three Palestinian American students who were shot while walking near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington on Nov. 25.

In wake of Burlington, Vt., shooting, experts say hate crime prosecutions are difficult and uncommon

The result is that even as reports of hate incidents grow yearly, they are often not met with legal action explicitly condemning hate.

Brad Stevens took over as president of basketball operations after Danny Ainge left in 2021.

Wyc Grousbeck explains how Brad Stevens ended up replacing Danny Ainge in the Celtics’ front office

Ainge stepped away from his role as president of basketball operations in 2021, and Stevens left the bench to become his replacement.

And now, AI will bring you the nightly news

A California startup called Channel 1 plans to launch the first TV news network driven by artificial intelligence, with stories read by lifelike, animated digital avatars rather than real people.

Opinion

People visiting the Harvard campus take photographs near the John Harvard statue, left, on Tuesday. Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school's conduct policy.

Claudine Gay’s resignation is also about the Harvard Corporation

The university’s governing body needs to take a hard look at itself and its handling of Gay’s case before it hires its next president.

Laurence H. Tribe and Dennis Aftergut

In defense of Shenna Bellows’ courageous decision to keep Trump off the ballot

Chris Christie sees — and tries to seize — his moment

The big life of Boston redevelopment director Stephen Coyle

Will Congress fail Ukraine? Putin and Xi are watching.

Beyond the Gilded Gate

The $600,000 problem. Why does it cost so much to build housing in Boston, and what can we do about it?

Many forces drive the housing crisis here, and the sky-high cost of construction is one of the most powerful.

Calculator: How costs affect construction of an apartment building

Explore the project

More recent News

Gene-editing startup Tome Biosciences of Watertown snaps up a San Francisco biotech
The formal launch of Tome and its buyout of Replace Therapeutics come just as regulators in the US and Europe have approved the first gene-editing drug.

Starbucks union fight is grinding down the company — and workers at local cafes
A half-dozen local baristas say they are plodding forward with their unionization fight, despite it dragging on without a contract in the 15 Massachusetts union stores.

Kennedy cousin whose murder conviction was overturned sues former cop, Connecticut town
Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel, whose murder conviction in the 1970s killing of a teenager in Connecticut was overturned, is suing the lead police investigator in the case and the town of Greenwich for alleged malicious prosecution, civil rights violations, and other claimed wrongdoing.

What to expect at the R.I. State House this year

On the Rhode Island Report podcast, the Globe’s Steph Machado and “A Lively Experiment” host Jim Hummel analyze expected legislative action on law enforcement accountability, guns, and housing.

An almighty comparison from 1970s Boston still resonates with Biden and in the 2024 campaign

One of the president's favorite sayings — “Don't compare me to the almighty. Compare me to the alternative” — defines his political persona and frames his challenge in a likely rematch against Donald Trump.

Three people hurt in Falmouth fire that left building ‘uninhabitable,’ officials say

Falmouth firefighters are investigating a three-alarm blaze that sent three people, including one firefighter, to a hospital Monday night and caused significant smoke and water damages to a building, officials said.

Globe Santa

Half a century of remembering Globe Santa
Joseph A. Milano, president of Boston’s Union Oyster House, has many titles and many interests, but an initiative that’s particularly close to his heart is Globe Santa.

Donate to Globe Santa

Globe Santa is a program of the Boston Globe Foundation and exists solely to deliver joy to children.

Recommended reads

Betsy Bourne wears a back brace after helping her son Tyler walk from his electric chair to his recliner where he will spend the majority of the day in Centerville, Mass.

State investment this year helped, but didn’t solve, long waiting lists at programs for people with complex disabilities

For those who have returned, day habilitation programs offer much needed care and socialization.

Santas, bees, and pickles: Photos from the annual L Street Brownies Polar Plunge in South Boston
All told, Monday's plunge drew about 2,500 people, counting swimmers, supporters, and spectators, Brownies president Dan Monahan said.

Many people in Massachusetts will pay less in taxes in 2024. Here’s a look at new laws this year.
The new year also ushers in a new reality for the state’s lowest paid: They won’t be guaranteed a raise for the first time in years.

Spotlight follow-up

Thousands of Mass. children diagnosed with autism are becoming adults. Many families find the state unprepared to help.
A record number of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities turn 22 years old this year and qualify for adult services with the Department of Developmental Services.

Culture & Lifestyle

Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki as Charles and Diana in "The Crown."

Dominic West of ‘The Crown’ speaks of falling-out between him and Prince Harry

10 artists we can’t wait to hear in 2024

Madonna opened the North American leg of her tour at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Dec. 13. After postponing Boston dates last summer due to an illness, she'll be at TD Garden Jan. 8-9.

Mark your calendars, music fans: It’s going to be a packed year of concerts, films, and festivals

Steve McQueen's "Lynching Tree," a lightbox-mounted photograph at the Gardner Museum. The piece will be installed in its Fenway Gallery Jan. 20.

At the Gardner, Steve McQueen calls forth a living reminder of slavery with ‘Lynching Tree’

Special Projects

Stuart share podcast

Listen to ‘Murder in Boston’

Presented in association with HBO, “Murder in Boston: The untold story of the Charles and Carol Stuart shooting,” is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Photo Illustration

Boston thrives off the dreams of young people. But can they make it here?

Baby boomers and Gen Xers benefited from economic conditions that do not exist for millennials. And by many measures, the path ahead for Gen Z is even more fraught.

Boston, MA—12/14/2022 - Commuters wait for the T to arrive at Ruggles Station. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

Boston doesn’t work if the T doesn’t work

With the MBTA engulfed by issues, everyday riders are feeling the pain.

Brittany Tee, Soomaiiah Quraiishi, and Reina Morales Rojas are among thousands of people thought to be missing from Massachusetts.

How the missing become the uncounted

Inside the government’s flawed approach to finding missing persons.

FROM OUR PARTNERS

product by Studio/B. What is this?This content was produced by Boston Globe Media's Studio/B in collaboration with the advertiser. The news and editorial departments of the Boston Globe had no role in its production or display.

product by BG BRANDLAB. What is this?This content was produced by Boston Globe Media's Studio/B in collaboration with the advertiser. The news and editorial departments of the Boston Globe had no role in its production or display.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

It could have been worse

President Biden and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine following a news conference at the White House on Dec. 12.

Why Biden should run in 2024

On March 31, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson concluded a speech to the American people with these words: "I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president.” President Biden should do the same.

Why Biden shouldn’t run again

Something changed in Lexington this year, and it wasn't just the leaves. The suburb was among several others that voted to allow denser housing, a major shift away from their traditional hostility to multifamily housing.

In the battle to build more housing, Massachusetts is making gains

IDEAS | ROBERT ZARETSKY

The humanities are in a bind out of Kafka

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU

Ernesto Barbieri and Jess Ruliffson

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU nurse

Metro

Wellpath, the health care company that provides services to Mass. inmates, faces scrutiny ahead of contract renewal

Critics highlight a history of delayed care, staffing problems, and alleged abuses at Bridgewater State Hospital.

Jay P. Ruais inaugurated as Manchester mayor, to lead largest N.H. city in new direction

The GOP-aligned leader is stepping into the corner office after besting the Democratic incumbent’s hand-picked successor.

‘We can’t stand helpless’: Boston-area doctors struggle to provide humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza

Local physicians have expressed a deepening sense of despair and hopelessness.

Harvard’s provost will serve as interim president in wake of Claudine Gay’s resignation. Follow live updates.

Harvard University President Claudine Gay, the first Black leader of the nation’s most prestigious university, has resigned. Follow live updates.

Sports

Methuen/Tewksbury girls’ hockey head coach Dave O’Hearn (right) huddles with captains Emma Giordano (center) and Kat Schille (left) before a recent practice at the Methuen Ice Rink. "It’s very clear that he’s all in . . . and I think that energy is super contagious," Giordano said of the team's first-year coach.

GIRLS' HOCKEY NOTEBOOK

Methuen-Tewksbury girls’ hockey co-op establishing its identity as a goal-oriented team with defensive grit

Under the direction of first-year head coach Dave O’Hearn, Methuen/Tewksbury has found success in its defense-first mentality.

Max Castillo posted a 4.43 ERA in seven appearances last season (20⅓ innings) for the Royals.

Red Sox claim righthanded pitcher Max Castillo off waivers from Royals

Castillo, 24, was designated for assignment last month in order to make room for outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who signed a one-year deal with Kansas City.

Luke Littler (left) defeated 2018 champion Rob Cross in the semifinals at the world darts championship in London.

England’s Luke Littler, 16, reaches final of world darts championship in one of the sport’s most unlikely stories

Littler, an unseeded player from Runcorn in northwest England, started throwing darts as a toddler.

‘Make the Patriots bring me back’: Kendrick Bourne says he wants to stay in New England

WORLD JUNIORS HOCKEY

United States beats Latvia at world juniors, becomes strong favorite after Canada is upset

College Football Playoff

CFP championship game matches Washington’s prolific passing against Michigan’s best-in-nation defense

Business

Warren Buffett, James Simons, and Phil Knight are among the top charity donors of 2023

Eight of the donors are multibillionaires, and their combined net worth is $305.1 billion.

States and Congress wrestle with cybersecurity after Iran attacks small town water utilities

The danger, officials say, is hackers gaining control of automated equipment to shut down pumps that supply drinking water or contaminate drinking water by reprogramming automated chemical treatments.

Claudine Gay was Harvard’s shortest-serving president, but Larry Summers and others had brief tenures too

Maersk decides the Red Sea is too unsafe for its ships for now

magazine

Dave Barry’s 2023 year in review

WBZ TV's news team of the 1980s and '90s.

The 1980s dream team that made WBZ news must-see TV in New England

Miss Conduct’s four tips for a happier new year in 2024

The writer’s neighbor Mona Kluz (front left) celebrates a birthday at one of the dance parties.

New Year’s Eve will be our street’s 1,386th dance party. Here’s why we celebrate.

metro

Claudine Gay at a Harvard campus event marking Hanukkah in December.

Claudine Gay was Harvard’s shortest-serving president, but Larry Summers and others had brief tenures too

Migrants with work permits in Mass. tripled in 2 weeks, Healey administration says

Dover man fatally shot his wife and daughter before taking his own life, district attorney says

sports

Jennifer Birolini (left) helped deliver a pair of Pembroke wins with five total goals.

EMass girls’ hockey: Finishing off a 5-goal week, Pembroke’s Jennifer Birolini headlines Players of the Week

EMass girls’ hockey: St. Mary’s skates into No. 1 spot in Globe Top 20

With Canada eliminated from World Juniors, Matt Poitras is headed back to Bruins

business

An in vitro fertilization embryologist worked on a petri dish at a fertility clinic in London.

Water main break at Brigham & Women’s affects up to 300 IVF patients

Fidelity’s X stake fell 72% in value since Musk buy

Gene-editing startup Tome Biosciences of Watertown snaps up a San Francisco biotech

politics

Claudine Gay.

Harvard’s provost will serve as interim president in wake of Claudine Gay’s resignation. Follow live updates.

Senator Bob Menendez faces new allegation of bribery, involving Qatar

Trump appeals Maine decision barring him from ballot over Jan. 6 attack

Nation

Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association's longtime leader, spoke at the NRA Convention in Indianapolis in April.

LaPierre, longtime NRA leader, faces a trial that could end his reign

Kennedy cousin whose murder conviction was overturned sues former cop, Connecticut town

More women who are not pregnant are ordering abortion pills just in case

World

In March, protesters denounced the Israeli government's judicial overhaul effort in Jerusalem.

The twin fronts in the battle over Israel’s identity

Russia hammers Kyiv with missiles in large-scale attack

Planes collide and catch fire at Japan’s busy Haneda airport, killing 5. Hundreds evacuated safely.

opinion

A demonstrator held a coat hanger with the words "never again" during a protest in favor of abortion rights in front of the Supreme Court in Washington on May 3, 2022.

Those in states with abortion protections can’t be complacent

Subbing plant-based milk for dairy options is a healthy decision

1999 red Dodge Dakota: a love story

lifestyle

Tom Brady attends the grand opening of Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Dec. 13, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tom Brady says he was planning to come out of retirement, again, in 2023

Thru-hiker Jesse Cody is going the distance for mental health

She hung my ornament

food & dining

Mozzarella and tomato sauce pizza at the newly opened Sally’s Apizza in Woburn.

The toughest seat in town? It’s at a Woburn pizzeria

Tell us: What’s your favorite bagel place in the Boston area?

Celebrate National Gluten-Free Day with frozen pretzels and doughs

travel

Take the kids? Children love to be outdoors learning to cross country ski.

Where to go cross-country skiing in New England with kids

The untold stories behind some of our travel writer’s favorite moments of 2023

Alligators and crabs in paradise

Arts

Robert Sullivan, "Altus." Oil on panel.

Fountain Street Gallery prepares for farewell

With antique portraits of Black Americans, Mickalene Thomas assembles a powerful chorus

At the Gardner, Steve McQueen calls forth a living reminder of slavery with ‘Lynching Tree’

Books

Illustration of a man and a deer at a lake while the sun rises in the background.

How do you live with creatures who ate your hostas to the ground? Erika Howsare provokes questions about our wild neighbors in ‘The Age of Deer’

Annual search for the white whale commences this weekend during the Moby-Dick Marathon

In a new novel by Katherine Faulkner, it’s all wine and playdates until someone bites the dust

Movies

Former president Barack Obama spoke at a rally on Nov. 2, 2020, at Turner Field in Atlanta. Obama recently released his annual list of favorite movies and books.

Barack Obama’s 2023 list of favorite films includes two made in Mass.

The unparalleled reign of Latifah, hip-hop’s one and only Queen

Finding a different sort of narrative for narrative filmmakers

Television

Gary Oldman in "Slow Horses."

Good news: ‘Slow Horses’ to continue run for another season

‘Only Murders in the Building’ and ‘Yellowstone’: a moveable feast?

Dominic West of ‘The Crown’ speaks of falling-out between him and Prince Harry

music

Madonna opened the North American leg of her tour at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Dec. 13. After postponing Boston dates last summer due to an illness, she'll be at TD Garden Jan. 8-9.

Mark your calendars, music fans: It’s going to be a packed year of concerts, films, and festivals

10 artists we can’t wait to hear in 2024

Winter warmth awaits, courtesy of a cornucopia of upcoming classical concerts

Theater/Dance

Lenny Clarke (right) and Tony V. will share a New Year's Eve bill at Giggles Comedy Club in Saugus.

12 New Year’s Eve comedy shows for a last laugh at 2023

Though the pandemic subsided, ImprovBoston never recovered

A ‘Die Hard’ diehard creates ‘Yippee Ki Yay,’ and the Huntington gets in on the action

Health

Nurse Michele Kaine tends to Rodolfo Almeida of Providence at The Miriam Hospital's new Stephen and Diana Lewinstein Center for Innovative Cancer Research, a clinical area where patients will receive investigational cancer treatments.

Ryan T. Conaty for the Boston Globe

Top 6 health care stories to watch in Rhode Island in 2024

CVS to launch new pharmacy reimbursement model aimed at simplifying drug pricing

Many Americans ration insulin to save money. One nonprofit is trying to make the life-saving drug more affordable.

Obituaries

Pastor Tony Lowden gave the eulogy during the funeral service for Rosalynn Carter in Plains, Ga., in November, 2023.

Influential people we lost in 2023

Les McCann, pianist, singer, and soul jazz pioneer, dies at 88

Maxine Yalovitz-Blankenship, an artist and poet who inspired writers, dies at 95