April 23: Laura Coates ’01 Reports a Crisis Live at Trump Trial

CNN analyst Laura Coates ’01 was reporting live Friday from the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump is on trial when a man lit himself on fire nearby; she called it “emotional and unbelievably disturbing.” — Variety
 
Independent presidential candidate Cornel West *80 joined Columbia University students’ April 18 protest supporting Palestinians, telling them, “I just want to say I stand here in solidarity with you. I stand in solidarity with human suffering.” — The New York Times
 
David McCormick *94 *96, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania, has publicly said he grew up on his family’s farm, but he lived on the campus of Bloomsberg University, where his father was the University president. McCormick disputed the story and said he did do summer farm work and his family owned a Christmas tree farm down the road. — The New York Times
 
Poet Monica Youn ’93 is among the writers who withdrew from PEN America’s literary awards, writing on social media: “Like many others, I believe that @penamerica has failed in its mission to support Palestinian writers facing genocide.” — Forward
 
Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy ’77 said he opposes the practice of mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion statements in academic hiring, writing that the “realities surrounding” them “make me wince.” — The Atlantic
 
For Earth Day, heart surgeon and Nature Conservancy board chair Bill Frist ’74 penned an op-ed that suggested we try viewing the climate change debate through the lens of public health. — Forbes

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell ’04 issued a warning to AI creators and users in her state that AI can create misleading and potentially discriminatory content, which could violate consumer protection laws. — Rhode Island Current
 
Ariel Investments co-CEO Mellody Hobson ’91 will publish a new children’s book Oct. 1 titled Priceless Facts About Money intended to teach kids financial literacy. — People Magazine
 
In an op-ed, Michael O’Hanlon ’82 *91 of the Brookings Institution analyzed what Ukraine could do with the $60 billion package of U.S. aid, concluding the answer to whether Ukraine could beat Russia is “a solid maybe.” — The Washington Post
 
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott ’92 didn’t respond when Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticized her giving efforts, but she did more than double her latest round of grants. — Inc.

“When you start removing those books from a school library, you are not protecting children. You are preventing them from having tools to survive in an increasingly complex world.”

— Novelist Jodi Picoult ’87 discussing why she’s against a New Hampshire bill that would give state officials more of a say in which books are appropriate for children. — New Hampshire Public Radio

Epidemiologist Céline Gounder ’97 co-wrote an op-ed arguing for “treating public health as an economic imperative.” — The Keene Sentinel
 
Gustavus Adolphus College president Rebecca Bergman ’78 announced she’ll retire in summer 2025 after 11 years as the first woman to lead the Minnesota liberal arts college. — Pioneer Press
 
Fashion entrepreneur Nell Diamond ’11 said when she worked in finance after college (designer Betsy Johnson gasped when she said that) she hated wearing dark suits: “I felt so unable to do the basic things I needed to do in a day when I felt like I was in somebody else’s skin.”  — The New York Times
 
According to journalist Richard Rein ’69, local architect Kevin Wilkes ’83 has been working on renovations to the old post office on Palmer Square, where Triumph Brew Pub will open shortly, and remodeling a home in the Sourlands for his high school sweetheart, whom he married April 6. — TAP into Princeton and The New York Times

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