Former Democratic Congresswoman Jane Harman will fill her late husband's seat on the Newsweek Daily Beast board. The announcement comes as both a relief and a surprise. Many doubted Newsweek's fate when Sydney Harman passed away last week leaving the Harman family seat on the company's board vacant and no plan for a successor. Since his wife Jane had publicly announced she would not join the company and instead would continue to run the Woodrow Wilson Center which she joined after leaving Congressional office in February. Rumors then pointed to Harman's 29 year-old son Daniel, allegedly the only family member who'd actually visited the Newsbeast offices. Speculation over the change of heart will light up media gossip circles. It's the second time that a widow has assumed control over the magazine. Harman, a career politician, doesn't have the same background in media and journalism. 

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Adam Clark Estes