Jan. 5:  MacKenzie Scott ’92 Makes Major Donations to Underserved Groups

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott ’92 continued her major donations to groups including colleges and universities that serve regional, minority, and lower-income students. In the months leading to mid-December, she donated $4.2 billion to 384 organizations. — The New York Times
 
When Congress tallies Electoral College results Jan. 6, Sen. Ted Cruz ’92 plans to lead 10 senators in voting to reject electors from some states where President Trump alleges election fraud. — Reuters

Harvard professor Danielle Allen ’93 is considering a 2022 run for governor of Massachusetts. — Boston.com
 
Roger Berlind ’52, the Broadway producer of shows including Amadeus and The Book of Mormon, died at 90 of cardiopulmonary arrest. — Bloomberg

“I miss so deeply the joy of performance, the live creative moment; the presence; the conversation among us onstage — the magic that can happen, the unexpected.”

— Blues bassist Amy Madden ’75 discussing the struggles she and other artists have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. — The New York Times

Author and “happiness expert” Christine Whelan ’99 suggests people start 2021 by writing a purpose statement about what matters most and what they want to do with their time. — Channel3000
 
Katie Mack *09’s The End of Everything succeeds where Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time failed: making astrophysics so enjoyably readable that people will finish the book. — The Sydney Morning Herald
 
Gen. Mark Milley ’80, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held an unannounced meeting with Taliban leaders to set the stage for peace talks with the Afghan government — “a remarkable milestone.” — The Orlando Sentinel
 
The year 2020 wasn’t so bad, author John Stossel ’69 argued in a conversation with historian Johan Norberg. Literacy rates are up, pollution is down, and the pandemic was made easier by the internet. — Creators