Private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, MA, founded 1636
Walid Khalidi, a leading scholar of Palestinian history and co-founder of the Institute for Palestine Studies, passed away in Massachusetts at age 100. His meticulous research on the Nakba and Palestinian villages shaped modern understanding of Palestinian history. Tributes highlight his influence on scholarship and diplomacy.
The annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, traditionally held in Boston, will be hosted in Zurich this year due to safety concerns and visa issues affecting international travel to the US. The event will alternate between Zurich and other European cities every other year, with no immediate plans to return to the US.
Tracy Kidder, acclaimed for his immersive, research-driven narratives, has died at age 80. Known for works like 'The Soul of a New Machine' and 'Mountains Beyond Mountains,' he spent decades exploring complex worlds, earning major awards and inspiring generations of readers. He passed away from lung cancer.
Minutes from the Fed's March meeting show some policymakers support future rate hikes, citing inflation risks from rising oil prices. The Fed has kept rates steady at 3.6%, but ongoing geopolitical tensions and energy disruptions are complicating its outlook. The Iran conflict is influencing monetary policy considerations today.
A European study has quantified how inequality increases temperature-related deaths. If Europe’s regions reached the lowest level of material deprivation, heat and cold-related mortality could fall by up to 30%, a major policy argument for targeted relief and poverty reduction.
A UK-led study shows a finger-prick blood test combined with online cognitive testing could triage dementia risk from home, while another tool using interpretable AI predicts 10-year obesity-related health risks to guide NHS interventions. Separately, an AI-assisted triage study in emergency medicine suggests AI may outperform humans in rapid decision-making, signaling a shift in clinical workflows.
Fires have burned record extents this year, El Niño is strengthening global heat and drought patterns, and inequality is linked to higher temperature-related deaths in Europe, with warnings of worsening extremes in coming months.
A 46-year-old man has fired more than 50 rounds along Memorial Drive in Cambridge, near Harvard and MIT. He has been wounded and faces multiple gun-offense charges as investigators say there is no connection to the victims. Authorities are reinforcing safety measures and continuing to investigate motive.
Instructure has said it has reached an agreement with the unauthorized actor behind the Canvas breach, with data copies reportedly destroyed. The incident disrupted exams and deadlines across thousands of schools and millions of users, prompting investigations and forensic work.
Stanford's Educational Opportunity Project has found that, in most U.S. districts, reading scores have declined over the past decade, with 83% reporting lower reading results last year. Math has declined in about 70% of districts. The data underscore a long-term trend predating the pandemic and point toward a shift toward phonics-based instruction in some states.
Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences has voted to limit undergraduate A grades to 20% of a class, with room for four additional A’s in smaller courses, starting fall 2027. The policy also shifts honors comparisons from GPA to average percentile rank. The measure aims to curb grade inflation after data showed a large share of grades were A-range in recent years, with debate echoing in other elite universities.
Since mid May, multiple outlets have reported that the Justice Department has reached a settlement resolving President Trump’s $10bn lawsuit against the IRS, creating a $1.8bn "anti-weaponization" fund and barring existing IRS audits of Trump, his family and affiliates. Critics, courts and lawmakers have raised legal and ethical objections; separate reporting shows Trump is also directing high-profile public-works projects and White House renovations that are drawing criticism over cost and optics.
Canada faces a surge in antisemitic hate crimes, with the government announcing a Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion to coordinate a national response. The Times of Israel reports pressure from Jewish groups and political divisions over council makeup, while other incidents in the U.S. and U.K. underscore a broader pattern of anti-Jewish hostility.
Robert Coles, Harvard psychiatrist and author of the five-volume Children of Crisis, has died at a Lincoln hospice. His work documented the lives of children across desegregation, migrant labor, poverty, and migration, earning prizes including a Pulitzer and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.