Harvard, MIT presidents grilled on responses to antisemitism, Israel-Hamas war

1 big thing: Harvard pres faces congress on Israel-Hamas response

Harvard University President Claudine Gay, left, testifies at a congressional panel about antisemitism on college campuses in Washington, D.C., Dec. 5, 2023.

2.📱Ride-share push modeled by NY

Ride App signs and areas at Logan Airport on July 14, 2020 in Boston.

3. 🔙 Back that Mass. Up: Clover closure

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4. Stat du jour: Restaurant wage growth

5. 1 photo to go: POTUS edition

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1 big thing: Migrant shelter funds in GOP hands

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Rowing coaches discuss gender gap in Boston gathering

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Steph can't wait for the in-laws to break out the Lil' Bub yule log video.

Middlesex tops Massachusetts counties in electric vehicle use

1 big thing: 🚗 EVs on the road


Massachusetts Democrats pass $3.1 billion budget after failed attempts

2. ✅ Shelter funding bill advances

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Situational awareness: Harvard President Claudine Gay will testify before Congress today about antisemitism on college campuses.

She's expected to face tough questions about Harvard's response to Hamas' attack on Israel and activism on campus surrounding Israel and Palestinians.

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A landmark labor settlement between the New York attorney general's office and ride-sharing companies has inspired a push for a similar agreement in Massachusetts.

Why it matters: Other states are watching Massachusetts closely as a ballot measure fight heats up between union-backed drivers who want the protections of employees and ride-sharing companies who say it would cost drivers' flexibility.

Catch up fast: Uber and Lyft agreed to pay a combined $328 million to New York last month to settle allegations that the ride-sharing companies illegally withheld wages from drivers and failed to provide mandatory paid sick leave.

Uber and Lyft must pay drivers outside of NYC a guaranteed minimum of $26 per hour, which will be adjusted each year for inflation (NYC drivers already get guaranteed minimum earnings).

They must also give drivers compensation breakdowns and paid sick leave.

Driving the news: More than 5,000 Uber drivers in Massachusetts signed a petition urging state lawmakers to codify their status as independent contractors while implementing an earnings guarantee and expanding protections and benefits, using the New York settlement as a model.

The other side: Gabe Morgan, 32BJ SEIU vice president, says lawmakers should act to ensure ride-sharing drivers can get unemployment, workers compensation and minimum wage, as well as the right to organize and collectively bargain.

What's next: Dueling ballot measures could land on the ballot in November 2024.

The campaign to unionize ride-sharing drivers said it gained enough signatures to make the ballot two weeks before today's deadline. 

The opposing coalition, Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts, also said it has enough signatures.

Massachusetts Uber drivers push for terms similar to NY settlement

More than 5,000 Mass. drivers signed a petition urging lawmakers use New York's settlement as a model.

Uber and Lyft pickup signs at Logan Airport. Photo: Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images

A landmark labor settlement between the New York attorney general&#x27;s office and ride-sharing companies has inspired a push for a similar agreement in Massachusetts.Why it matters: Other states are watching Massachusetts closely as a ballot measure fight heats up between union-backed drivers who want the protections of employees and ride-sharing companies who say it would cost drivers&#x27; flexibility.

News

Politics

Massachusetts electric vehicle users were most active in Middlesex County this year, but nowhere in the state can compete with the nation's top counties for EV use.

Why it matters: Massachusetts is pushing for residents to buy electric vehicles to reduce the state's carbon footprint, yet remains far from its target of having 200,000 EVs on the road by 2025.

What's happening: Middlesex County saw an estimated 331 electric vehicle miles driven per 1,000 residents on a typical weekday in the second quarter of 2023, Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report from data shared with Axios.

That's far higher than Hampden and Suffolk counties, which saw under 90 miles per 1,000 residents, but far below Marin County, California, which ranked first in the nation among large counties with 1,942 miles.

How it works: The data, from mobility analytics platform Replica, is based on anonymized mobile device info, roadside sensors, transit agencies and more.

The big picture: Much of the country's EV use is concentrated in the "four corners" of California, the Pacific Northwest, the Northeast and the Southeast.

Two glaring exceptions? Colorado and Hawai'i.

Zoom in: Massachusetts has more electric vehicles on the road than expected, but is still falling short of its climate targets.

There were 70,689 light-duty EVs on the road in 2022, the most recent year available, per the state's climate report card released last week.

The state projected there would be 60,000 in 2022.

Yes, but: Massachusetts needs more charging stations.

Grid capacity is already a constraint for charging infrastructure, and supply chain issues and high interest rates will likely pose a challenge, per the climate report card.

Between the lines: The areas with the most EV activity are generally those with better-developed charging infrastructure, as well as higher-income households that can more easily afford the electric car premium.

A map showing electric vehicle miles traveled per 1K residents in Mass. Middlesex, Franklin and Barnstable counties had more than 300 EV miles per 1K residents in 2023, the highest counties.

Massachusetts electric vehicle users were most active in Middlesex County this year, but nowhere in the state can compete with the nation&#x27;s top counties for EV use.Why it matters: Massachusetts is pushing for residents to buy electric vehicles to reduce the state&#x27;s carbon footprint, yet remains far from its target of having 200,000 EVs on the road by 2025.

Climate

Harvard University President Claudine Gay, facing scrutiny from a congressional panel yesterday, defended the administration's response to the Oct. 7 attack in Israel and antisemitism on campus.

Why it matters: University leaders have come under fire for their statements following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and responses to protests on campus.

Harvard now faces a federal investigation over allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus.

Catch up fast: Lawmakers asked Gay, MIT President Sally Kornbluth and University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill to appear before the education and workforce committee to discuss antisemitism on campus.

Many of the questions focused on Harvard.

Driving the news: Gay said the administration has responded to incidents of antisemitism, but she declined to say what repercussions students, faculty or staff faced, if any, citing privacy concerns for individual students and personnel.

She said she has condemned chants like "intifada," an Arabic word referencing Palestinian uprisings in the West Bank and Gaza against Israel, but that the university protects free speech until it escalates into bullying, harassment or intimidation, prompting rebukes from GOP lawmakers.  

Gay also pushed back against suggestions that Harvard didn't respond fast enough to the Oct. 7 attack.

Flashback: Harvard's initial statement, issued days after the attack, garnered criticism nationwide for failing to explicitly condemn Hamas and antisemitism.

Gay released another statement less than a day later condemning Hamas and distancing the university  from a statement by 30 student groups blaming Israel for the attack, the Harvard Crimson reported. Students allegedly tied to the letter were doxxed later that week.

The university has remained in the spotlight over student protests against the Israeli government, including one physical confrontation involving a Jewish student who walked through a pro-Palestinian "die-in" and filmed the protesters, per the Crimson.

The federal Office of Civil Rights' investigation into Harvard is focusing on five allegations of antisemitic harassment and two allegations of anti-Muslim harassment.

What they're saying: "Had I known that the statement issued by the students would have been wrongly attributed to the university, I would have spoken sooner about it," Gay said.

"But I was focused on action that weekend, not statements."

Zoom in: Gay said her administration spent that day identifying whether any students or faculty were in Israel and needed help getting out.

The next day, she said, she joined Jewish students and others at Harvard Hillel for a solidarity dinner and on Monday issued the widely criticized statement.

Between the lines: Republican lawmakers at times during questioning blamed diversity and inclusion policies for the rise of antisemitism.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) asked university presidents to share what percentage of faculty members are conservative and blasted the presidents when they said they don't track that information.

Pamela Nadell, a professor of history and Jewish studies at American University and a witness, later said antisemitism exists on the left and the right, and ranges from Kanye West's comments online to the Tree of Life shooting in 2018.

University leaders have come under fire since the Oct. 7 attack in Israel by Hamas.

Harvard University President Claudine Gay was one of four witnesses called to testify.  Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Harvard University President Claudine Gay, facing scrutiny from a congressional panel yesterday, defended the administration&#x27;s response to the Oct. 7 attack in Israel and antisemitism on campus.Why it matters: University leaders have<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" come under fire" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/18/israel-hamas-palestine-gaza-college-universities-statement" data-vars-content-id="7b993e8d-f1af-4201-a7b0-858432c7a9c0" data-vars-headline="Harvard, MIT presidents grilled on responses to antisemitism, Israel-Hamas war" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/18/israel-hamas-palestine-gaza-college-universities-statement" target="_self"> come under fire</a> for their statements following Hamas&#x27; Oct. 7 attack on Israel and responses to protests on campus.

Education

After multiple failed attempts, Massachusetts lawmakers passed a $3.1 billion spending bill with emergency family shelter funding.

Gov. Maura Healey signed the budget just hours after the House and Senate passed it.

Why it matters: Funding for union contracts, disaster relief and emergency family shelter, including shelter for migrants, hung in the balance.

One of those provisions requires the state to set up an overflow shelter by Dec. 31.

Driving the news: The House voted in an informal session to send the budget bill to the Senate, 105-14, per the State House News Service.

The Senate swiftly passed the spending bill with no objections to the process, sending the proposal to Healey's desk.

Between the lines: Democrats had blown past their formal law-making deadline last month after the House and Senate failed to reach a consensus around how to disburse the shelter funding for migrants.

House Democrats tried to advance the bill last week, but informal sessions allow any single lawmaker to disrupt proceedings by questioning the existence of a quorum.

Republicans did just that during Thursday's lightly attended session, calling for a formal session so they could  again debate the migrant shelter funding and other provisions they opposed.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the Senate's passage of the budget bill and Gov. Maura Healey's signing of the bill.

The spending bill requires the state to set up an overflow shelter by Dec. 31.

After multiple failed attempts, Massachusetts lawmakers passed a $3.1 billion spending bill with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="emergency family shelter funding" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2023/12/01/massachusetts-migrant-shelter-funds-budget" data-vars-content-id="a03ce882-26d0-4c22-a78b-302039a00207" data-vars-headline="Massachusetts Democrats pass $3.1 billion budget after failed attempts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2023/12/01/massachusetts-migrant-shelter-funds-budget" target="_self">emergency family shelter funding</a>.<ul><li>Gov. Maura Healey signed the budget just hours after the House and Senate passed it.</li></ul>

For the first time, dozens of women and nonbinary rowing coaches from across the country gathered in a room in Boston and shared concerns about pay disparities, work-life balance and professional development.

Why it matters: Division 1 college rowing lost 11 women head coaches over the past year, including Boston University's director of women's rowing, Maddie Davis Tully. Nearly half were replaced by men.

The series of resignations and retirements shook women in the sport, but it also sparked a broader conversation about persistent gender disparities

What's happening: Some 54 rowing coaches across all levels met for the first Women's Coaching Conference for a three-day gathering organized by Tully and hosted at Hydrow's headquarters.

Attendees learned about how to balance training with the administrative responsibilities of coaching.

They also traded tips on better advocating for themselves and helping women rowers navigate a sport where men dominate leadership positions.

What they're saying: "My dream would be that this becomes obsolete," Tully tells Axios.

There's always a need to foster community, but ideally the sport would evolve to a point where women coaches are equally represented at all levels, Tully says.

"I think we're very, very far away from that."

Zoom in: Tully, who coached college rowing for 13 years, resigned earlier this year after months of juggling a newborn and the six-day-a-week rowing schedule.

She wanted a new challenge, and one that didn't make her choose between work and her child.

Division 1 college rowing lost 11 women head coaches over the past year, including Boston University's head coach.

Holly Austin, founder of Ready Set Row, leads a panel at the Women's Coaching Conference. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios

For the first time, dozens of women and nonbinary rowing coaches from across the country gathered in a room in Boston and shared concerns about pay disparities, work-life balance and professional development.Why it matters: Division 1 college rowing lost <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="11 women head coaches" data-vars-click-url="https://www.rowingnews.com/first-ever-conference-for-women-rowing-coaches/" data-vars-content-id="dc863756-0733-4a25-b8ff-2a1bc5e6cdda" data-vars-headline="Rowing coaches discuss gender gap in Boston gathering" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.rowingnews.com/first-ever-conference-for-women-rowing-coaches/" target="_blank">11 women head coaches</a> over the past year, including Boston University&#x27;s director of women&#x27;s rowing, Maddie Davis Tully. Nearly half were replaced by men.<ul><li>The series of resignations and retirements shook women in the sport, but it also sparked a broader conversation about persistent gender disparities</li></ul>What&#x27;s happening: Some 54 rowing coaches across all levels met for the first Women&#x27;s Coaching Conference for a three-day gathering organized by Tully and hosted at Hydrow&#x27;s headquarters.<ul><li>Attendees learned about how to balance training with the administrative responsibilities of coaching.</li><li>They also traded tips on better advocating for themselves and helping women rowers navigate a sport where men dominate leadership positions.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: &quot;My dream would be that this becomes obsolete,&quot; Tully tells Axios.<ul><li>There&#x27;s always a need to foster community, but ideally the sport would evolve to a point where women coaches are equally represented at all levels, Tully says.</li><li>&quot;I think we&#x27;re very, very far away from that.&quot;</li></ul>Zoom in: Tully, who coached college rowing for 13 years, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="resigned earlier this year" data-vars-click-url="https://goterriers.com/news/2023/5/24/davis-tully-to-step-down-from-womens-rowing-post" data-vars-content-id="dc863756-0733-4a25-b8ff-2a1bc5e6cdda" data-vars-headline="Rowing coaches discuss gender gap in Boston gathering" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://goterriers.com/news/2023/5/24/davis-tully-to-step-down-from-womens-rowing-post" target="_blank">resigned earlier this year</a> after months of juggling a newborn and the six-day-a-week rowing schedule.<ul><li>She wanted a new challenge, and one that didn&#x27;t make her choose between work and her child.</li></ul>

Steph Solis

Stories

Rowing coaches discuss gender gap in Boston gathering

Massachusetts Uber drivers push for terms similar to NY settlement

Harvard, MIT presidents grilled on responses to antisemitism, Israel-Hamas war

Middlesex tops Massachusetts counties in electric vehicle use

Massachusetts Democrats pass $3.1 billion budget after failed attempts

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