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Harvard votes on limiting "A" grades

Faculty begin voting this week on whether to limit top grades to 20% of students per course.

Education

Harvard&#x27;s faculty begins voting Tuesday on limiting the number of top grades professors can award students.Why it matters: Grade inflation is at a tipping point at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Harvard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/14/harvards-endowment-trump-grant-funding-cuts" data-vars-content-id="97b4c468-9320-4190-bfb6-5c2f6f275604" data-vars-headline="Harvard votes on limiting &quot;A&quot; grades" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/14/harvards-endowment-trump-grant-funding-cuts" target="_self">Harvard</a>.<ul><li>A move to make A grades harder to come by at one of the world&#x27;s leading universities could influence grading debates at peer institutions.</li></ul>

Shooting suspect released from hospital days before Cambridge shooting

Tyler Brown left McLean Hospital just three days before making suicidal statements over FaceTime before allegedly opening fire on Memorial Drive, wounding two people critically.

News

Tyler Brown, 46, had left McLean Hospital in Belmont just three days before police say he opened fire and wounded two people on Memorial Drive Monday.<ul><li>Brown allegedly <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="made suicidal statements" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/tyler-brown-cambridge-shooting-memorial-drive-hospital/" data-vars-content-id="fd732ec2-96da-4f0a-bd9f-837e5cf8c864" data-vars-headline="Shooting suspect released from hospital days before Cambridge shooting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/tyler-brown-cambridge-shooting-memorial-drive-hospital/" target="_blank">made suicidal statements</a> to his parole officer over FaceTime and brandished a rifle on the call before police could locate him.</li><li>Authorities said a state trooper and an armed civilian ultimately shot and wounded him.</li></ul>

Markey vs. Moulton race heats up

The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts appears to be tightening.

Politics

Deehan here with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics.All it took was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="one poll" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/05/07/markey-moulton-ma-senate-primary-poll" data-vars-content-id="ce795bde-c3de-4eb6-ad24-993ac450edd0" data-vars-headline="Markey vs. Moulton race heats up" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/05/07/markey-moulton-ma-senate-primary-poll" target="_self">one poll</a> to scramble assumptions about the Massachusetts Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, one of the most watched races in the state this year.Why it matters: After last week&#x27;s Emerson poll showed Rep. Seth Moulton within a five-point striking distance of incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, politicos who expected a sleepy campaign season are rethinking the challenger&#x27;s chances.

2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having "ghost networks"

Two people are suing Point32Health, accusing it of misleading Harvard Pilgrim policyholders.

Health

Two Massachusetts residents filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Harvard Pilgrim" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2018/05/04/partners-healthcare-harvard-pilgrim-acquisition-1525445206" data-vars-content-id="0ccb29d0-17ee-4393-9188-245b3359e222" data-vars-headline="2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having &quot;ghost networks&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2018/05/04/partners-healthcare-harvard-pilgrim-acquisition-1525445206" target="_self">Harvard Pilgrim</a> is skirting laws requiring accurate provider directories.Why it matters: State and federal laws ban &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ghost networks" data-vars-click-url="https://www.propublica.org/article/ghost-networks-health-insurance-regulators" data-vars-content-id="0ccb29d0-17ee-4393-9188-245b3359e222" data-vars-headline="2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having &quot;ghost networks&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/ghost-networks-health-insurance-regulators" target="_blank">ghost networks</a>,&quot; but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="several reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.propublica.org/article/ghost-networks-health-insurance-regulators" data-vars-content-id="0ccb29d0-17ee-4393-9188-245b3359e222" data-vars-headline="2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having &quot;ghost networks&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/ghost-networks-health-insurance-regulators" target="_blank">several reports</a> in recent years have found that they <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="haven&#x27;t gone away" data-vars-click-url="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-secures-sweeping-reforms-improving-access-mental-health" data-vars-content-id="0ccb29d0-17ee-4393-9188-245b3359e222" data-vars-headline="2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having &quot;ghost networks&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-secures-sweeping-reforms-improving-access-mental-health" target="_blank">haven&#x27;t gone away</a>.<ul><li>Now two Bay Staters are pointing the finger at the insurer owned by Canton-based Point32Health.</li></ul>

Artemis II mission includes MIT-developed technology

The technology enables NASA to capture 4K video in space.

Aerospace

The aircraft behind the Artemis II mission around the Moon will carry a piece of Massachusetts as it lifts off Wednesday night.The intrigue: NASA&#x27;s first piloted flight to the Moon in 53 years will include technology developed in the MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Axios Boston&#x27;s partner <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CBS Boston" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/lincoln-laboratory-artemis-laser-communications/" data-vars-content-id="fbce40eb-5c30-4ed0-b582-af898c41119d" data-vars-headline="Artemis II mission includes MIT-developed technology" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/lincoln-laboratory-artemis-laser-communications/" target="_blank">CBS Boston</a> reported.