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Boston Globe
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
To end the war in Ukraine, Trump should treat Putin the way he's treating Harvard
But if Trump used the same punitive tactics on Putin that he continues to inflict on universities and international students in the US, Russia's war against Ukraine might be coming to an end. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Unable to bend Harvard to his will, Trump has launched an onslaught of attacks against the university. They include Advertisement And since the Trump administration's assault on higher education is much bigger than Harvard, Secretary of State But it's a much different story in Trump's dealings with Putin. Even some Republican legislators who usually keep their lips buttoned when it comes to criticizing the president are prodding him to do more than say that he's 'disappointed' in Putin. Advertisement 'I believe president trump was sincere when he thought his friendship [with] Putin [would] end the war,' Republican Grassley went further. 'Pres Trump [should] take the decisive action [against] Putin that he takes [against] Harvard. Sanctions for Putin like no fed grants for Harvard.' Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, as stalwart a Trump sycophant as they come, said in The Wall Street Journal that the Senate is willing to do what Trump so far has not: slap severe sanctions on Russia. 'As [Senate Majority Leader John] Thune said last week, if Mr. Putin continues to play games, the Senate will act,' Graham wrote. 'I'm hoping for the best, but when it comes to the thug in Moscow, we should all prepare for more of the same.' Trump has said that he's considering sanctions against Russia, but so far that's been a hollow threat. On his social media site, Trump said: 'What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened in Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He's playing with fire!' There's about as much heat coming from the White House as from a televised holiday Trump is dithering as Ukrainians die, and Putin does whatever he wants. The president loves to portray himself as strong and decisive, but that's never been the case where Putin is concerned. Advertisement Even after Trump called Putin 'crazy' on social media and claimed that 'something happened to him,' the Kremlin reacted to him as if he were a child having a meltdown. Trump, Russian officials said, was experiencing 'emotional overload.' Whatever Trump is going through, it's not provoking him to hatch a decisive plan to confront Putin and force him to comply with a fairly negotiated plan to exit his war. Asked by a reporter on May 28 whether he believed that Putin 'actually wants to end the war,' the president gave a cryptic answer. 'I can't tell you that, but I'll let you know in about two weeks, within two weeks,' he said. If Putin is 'tapping us along,' Trump said his administration 'would respond a little bit differently.' It's unlikely anything will change in two weeks. When it comes to Putin, the president has the goalposts on wheels. It's easier for Trump to attack education and international students than to face down the dictator he has called a 'friend,' because when Putin flexes, Trump flinches. Renée Graham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
To farmers beset by his policies, Trump is still the salt of the earth
Advertisement A fulsome debate on energy, regulations, and taxes is essential, but the current Congress and administration seem incapable of delivering such a debate. Rather, we seem to be paddling full speed toward the lip of the dam trusting more in ideology than in common sense. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Tom Ford West Falmouth But not to worry — subsidies will soften the blow of Trump's tariffs Tim Keegan suggests toward the end of his op-ed, 'I'm a farmer, and I back Trump's tariffs even if they will hurt me,' that he is not, in fact, going to be hurt by Donald Trump's tariffs because he expects to receive 'trade interruption payments' that will shield him from financial harm. So, what was the point of running this opinion piece when its entire premise is faulty? Does Keegan care about the harm Trump's tariffs will cause those of us who are not going to be compensated, who will lose jobs because of reduced demand for products due to price increases, or whose small businesses will be forced to close? Whatever happens, Keegan will get his. The rest of us are on our own. Advertisement Roy Pardi Somerville These Trump supporters earn no sympathy The Vermont dairy farmer seemingly assumed that deportations would address our 'border problem' by weeding out the 'bad people.' Now he's shocked that he and his business might suffer because of Trump. The Iowan, meanwhile, is confident that he will be bailed out by a big government subsidy. Indeed, the current House budget bill has proposed increasing farm subsidies by about $50 billion over the next 10 years. I grew up on an Iowa farm, and I know the challenges they face. But I also know the safety net that has held up Iowa agriculture for decades. The farmers have their (corn) cake and eat it too. Tobin Wirt Sandwich They were sold a bill of goods Vermont dairy farmer Dustin Machia says he voted for Donald Trump for president last year in part because 'we had a border problem. ... We don't need the drugs and the gangbangers.' Now he feels misled because he was under the impression that 'they weren't going to come on farms and take our guys.' Advertisement Yes, I would tell Machia, you were misled, but it was by right-wing media that told you a) to fear immigrant crime and b) that Trump would make you better off. Mark Hooker Newton Highlands
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
Yo, robot: A word or two from Boston humans about self-driving taxis
The parochialism of my fellow Bostonians can be embarrassing sometimes. I've used Waymos in LA — hardly a paradise for drivers — and they did an incredible job. Not once did my Waymo sit at a green light because it was busy looking at its phone. (E Zola) The only thing worse than a Boston driver is a Boston pedestrian. You will realize this by visiting other cities where drivers and pedestrians actually obey rules and laws. Having computers guiding cars can only be an improvement. (NicksterNH) Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up How can they be programmed to know that using your blinker is a sign of weakness? (mrdman850) Advertisement I don't think they will do well in Boston when traffic is heavy because they have a hard time merging into traffic. I have used Waymo a few times in both LA and San Francisco. When humans are trying to pull into the traffic lane from the side of the road there, a decent person will eventually give way and let the car in. I noticed in California that drivers are less likely to yield to a car with no driver. At one point I sat in a car for 15 minutes as it tried to merge, and I eventually got out and called an Uber. (Tim_Hill) Advertisement Years ago when my wife and I moved from Texas, where the road signs read, 'Drive Friendly,' to the city of Boston, where there is no such thing, we were rudely welcomed with many car horns for our ineptitude, particularly if we were first in line at an intersection and wanted to turn left but failed to bolt when the light turned green. We eventually learned, but only after months of cowardice. (MisterEd47) Welcome to the definition of 3 milliseconds: the time from when the light turns green until someone honks at you. (user_1127668) AI is coming for the human race. Make no mistake about it. In 100 years the human, as we know it today, will be extinct. (dewitt clinton)
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
This is getting out of hand
So while some President Trump-supported reforms, and humility, at the nation's oldest, wealthiest, and most prestigious university might be warranted, the question of 'at what cost' should also be front and center, for conservatives as well as liberals. Advertisement We're not talking here simply about some of the more limited demands from the Trump administration, such as ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, hiring additional conservative faculty, or instituting policies to better police antisemitism. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up We're talking about drastic threats to cut off We've reached a point, that is, where the Trump administration's pressure tactics are on the verge of causing long-standing damage to a great American institution, one that produces world-changing science, medicine, and literature, as well as business and political leaders — including conservatives. Advertisement One would hope, then, that some of those Harvard-trained conservatives have begun asking themselves whether all of this has gone too far. And if they are asking themselves that question, is it not time to start conveying their concerns to the White House? None of this would require public admissions of regret or performative social media posts. Indeed, such public actions could provoke a doubling-down from our stubborn president. But there is a MAGA political infrastructure, and it seems as pliable to private lobbying as any White House of the past, and perhaps more so. Maybe this is a step too far for some members of Trump's inner circle, including Steve Bannon ( But what about Ken Griffin, a conservative hedge fund billionaire who has been a sharp critic of Harvard's leftward tilt — but has also given the university Might they play a role in calling a truce to this massively counterproductive war? Advertisement Harvard clearly has a role to play in this. Recent reporting suggests that while the university was making quiet attempts earlier this year to negotiate, those Like any great power conflict, peace talks usually start with secret overtures through intermediaries. If Harvard hasn't reached out to those intermediaries, we hope it does, and soon. To resolve this battle with the least damage to the country, to a higher education system that is the envy of the world, and to Harvard itself, the university will clearly have to make some concessions. That should not be impossible, because not everything Trump is demanding is unreasonable: reining in at least some DEI programs; implementing stronger protections for Jewish students; bringing greater ideological diversity into its faculty. It also seems entirely possible that the university would benefit from weaning itself from some federal dollars. Harvard's only red lines should be its academic freedom and independence — meaning the Trump administration would have to step back from some of its demands, like micromanaging hiring. To those who would dismiss these ideas as liberal pablum, consider this: The Wall Street Journal's Advertisement Even We agree. The president ran on pledges to strengthen America's industrial base and shrink its trade deficit, to control its borders, and to eliminate 'wokeness' from the federal bureaucracy. Permanently wounding one of the world's great universities, one that is also a magnet for international talent and a critical engine for the country's economy, wasn't particularly high on that agenda. It's time to talk about ending this fight and getting on with more pressing issues. Who is willing to be the university's shuttle diplomat? Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Recent bad rap aside, the millionaires tax is making an impact
After reading Carine Hajjar's May 23 opinion piece, Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Just as learning never really ends, public policy can always grow and improve. While Hajjar identifies areas where such policy can be refined, it would be a disservice to overlook the amazing opportunities created by these dollars. Thank you, Massachusetts, for investing in residents like me. My classmates and I promise to make that investment worthwhile. Advertisement Mike McDougal Haverhill Fair Share funds have been a boon to public higher ed In response to Carine Hajjar's opinion piece regarding the Fair Share Amendment, it's important to also highlight the transformative impact this funding is having on public higher education in Massachusetts. The House's fiscal 2025 supplemental budget includes a $20 million investment in higher education, with $10 million allocated to the University of Massachusetts for its endowment matching program. This initiative provides a $1 state match for every $2 in private contributions to the school and has already created or supported 700 scholarship funds worth $135 million, which distribute $4.6 million in student aid annually. Advertisement The Senate's proposal of $125 million in capital support would provide much-needed state funding for deferred maintenance, and it aligns with Governor Maura Healey's visionary BRIGHT Act, which would modernize and improve sustainability on public campuses. A notable Senate earmark is the $10 million designated for a nursing simulation lab at UMass Amherst. This facility would double the enrollment capacity for the Amherst campus's nursing program, helping to address the statewide health care workforce shortage. The UMass system educates 73,000 students annually and is celebrating 19,000 new graduates entering the workforce, predominantly in Massachusetts. These strategic investments fulfill the promises made when voters approved the Fair Share Amendment and ensure a robust future for public higher education and the Commonwealth's economy. Christopher Dunn Associate vice chancellor for government relations UMass Amherst
