Is Harvard Redefining Plagiarism in the name of DEI?

Hi Global Recap readers,

Before the leaves fell in October, the name Dr. Claudine Gay, Harvard President, might not have rung a bell - unless you bleed Harvard crimson, of course.

But who would’ve thought she’d be catapulted into the limelight, not for her leadership, but for a recent plagiarism scandal…

🌐 Around the world:

• Pakistan: Terrorist suicide attack.

• Houthis attack Norwegian tanker.

• Navalny vanishes from prison.

• Polish MP’s antisemitic hate crime.

• Is Harvard redefining plagiarism in the name of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)?

Let’s get into today’s news.

🇵🇰 Pakistan: Terrorist Suicide Blast

A new Islamist militant group claimed responsibility for a terror attack on a police station in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday.

The assault killed at least 23 troops and injured 32 others in a gun and suicide bomb rampage.

• Group: Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) is a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, established in 2023.

• Context: Pakistan is facing political and economic turmoil, as well as a resurgence of Taliban violence since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

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🚀 Houthis Attack Norwegian Tanker

Yemen’s Houthis fired a rocket on a Norwegian tanker.

The Iran-backed group said they targeted the vessel because it was delivering crude oil to Israel, but the tanker’s owner said the vessel was heading toward Italy. 🤦‍♂️

• Damage: The attack caused a fire and damage on board the tanker, but no casualties were reported.

• Response: A French frigate intercepted and destroyed a drone that was part of the attack, which originated from Yemen.

• Context: The Houthis have been attacking ships and firing missiles at Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians, amid a regional conflict between the two nations.

This is getting way too close to an international conflict.

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🏷️ Where From?

Okay, I have to come clean.

I am an Amazon addict…

But here’s the catch: I’m always playing a guessing game.

Where was this product made?

In the bustling factories of China? Or in the heartland of the US of A?

That’s why: I’ve cooked up a nifty browser extension that’s like a crystal ball for your Amazon shopping. It tells you exactly where your products hail from.

I initially created it for personal use, but I am sharing it here for y’all.

Give it a try!

Click for more

🇷🇺 Navalny Vanishes from Prison

Russia’s arguably most prominent opposition to Putin, Alexei Navalny, has disappeared from his prison colony without a trace.

His allies and lawyers fear that the Kremlin is trying to isolate him during Putin’s reelection campaign.

• Poisoning: Navalny survived a nerve agent attack in 2020 that he blamed on Putin.

• Arrest: Navalny was arrested in 2021 upon his return from Germany, where he recovered from the poisoning, and sentenced to 19 years on extremism charges.

• Transfer: Navalny was due to be moved from his penal colony in Melekhovo to an unknown location, possibly a more “secure” facility.

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🕎 Hanukkah Hate Crime

A far-right Polish MP ruined a Hanukkah celebration in the parliament by spraying a fire extinguisher at the menorah.

The MP, Grzegorz Braun, called the Jewish holiday “satanic” and claimed he was restoring "normality."

• Attack: Braun assaulted a Jewish woman who tried to stop him and left her covered in white powder.

• Condemnation: Braun was kicked out of the session, fined, and reported to prosecutors.

• Reaction: The Jewish community relit the candles and said they would not be extinguished by their enemies.

Click for more

United States

Is Harvard Redefining Plagiarism?

If you haven’t already, please read the in-depth section of yesterday’s newsletter for full context.

👩‍🎓 Harvard President Under Fire. President Claudine Gay faces allegations of plagiarism and antisemitism, which if true, is a violation of the school’s code of conduct. However, the university seems to be in full support of her.

📜 Timeline.

• October 2023: Harvard Corporation receives accusations about three articles written by Dr. Gay and initiates an independent review.

• Dec. 10, 2023: Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist, publicizes the plagiarism charges in his Substack newsletter, focusing on Dr. Gay’s 1997 doctoral dissertation, Taking Charge: Black Electoral Success and the Redefinition of American Politics.

• Dec. 11, 2023: The Washington Free Beacon reports more instances of plagiarism in Dr. Gay’s dissertation and three other papers she published between 1993 and 2017.

• Dec. 12, 2023: Harvard Corporation announces that Dr. Gay did not violate the university’s standards for “research misconduct,” acknowledges “a few instances of inadequate citation,” and requests “four corrections in two articles” for inadequate citation.

✉️ Gay’s Defense. In response to the allegations, Gay put out a statement to the Boston Globe on Monday:

👏 Harvard’s Support. Despite the controversies, Harvard’s governing board announced on Tuesday that Dr. Gay would keep her job, reaffirming the board’s “support for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University.”

👎 The Opposition’s Reaction. The university’s decision to retain Dr. Gay was met with disappointment and anger by some of her detractors.

• The Republican congresswoman who questioned Gay during the hearing accused the university of lowering its code of conduct to allow a plagiarist as president.

• The infamous satire website, The Babylon Bee, also chimed in.

• Renowned hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has been a vocal critic of the college presidents’ congressional hearing appearance. He is also a Harvard alum of Jewish descent.

• Dr. Carol Swain, a legal scholar, believes that “she is getting a free pass because she was the product of the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) industry.”