Sleep disorders common among police

A Brigham and Women’s Hospital national study found that 26 percent of officers fall asleep while driving at least once a month because of drowsiness.

Deal extends Medicaid funding in Mass.

The $26.75 billion plan, which is vital to the state’s innovative health insurance law, extends the so-called Medicaid waiver through mid-2014.

Romney offers ‘closing argument’ speech

The Republican candidate roundly criticized Barack Obama and said the 2012 election will be “a battle for America’s soul.”

House rejects two-month extension of payroll tax cut

Millions of Americans could see smaller paychecks in January if lawmakers don’t solve the latest example of political gridlock.

Weta Digital via REUTERS

EXCLUSIVE WEDNESDAY PREVIEW | MOVIE REVIEW

‘Tintin’ is a timeless adventure that sadly keeps its distance

With motion-capture technology and CGI, “The Adventures of Tintin’’ is a model of modern movie craftsmanship but, sadly, it’s also rather dull.

Exclusive Wednesday Preview | Food

http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2011/12/20/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/maeda_21gingerbread_g4--90x90.jpg The enduring appeal of gingerbread

This old-fashioned cake is one of the simplest confections in any baker’s repertoire and the taste is powerful enough to evoke childhood memories.

Souad Mehanna, second from right, left court after her son, Tarek Mehanna, was found guilty on terror related charges.

In swift decision, Mehanna convicted of terror charges

The trial ended when a jury, after 10 hours of deliberations, found that the Sudbury resident conspired to support Al Qaeda.

“We accept the jury’s verdict, but today is not the last chapter. I know that he knows in his heart he is not guilty.”

J.W. Carney Jr.,  Tarek Mehanna’s defense attorney

Metro

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Postal Santa tries to deliver on letter requests

Operation Santa is a project of the USPS to connect families in need with families who want to help. This year, the Boston office received 1,200 letters from parents in need.

Nation & World

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The body of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was displayed in a glass coffin in Pyongyang today.

Kim Jong Il’s body put on display in North Korea

As the country mourned Kim’s death, state media fed a budding personality cult around his anointed heir, Kim Jong Un, hailing him as a ‘‘lighthouse of hope.”

Sports

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Patriots coach Bill Belichick, left, and quarterback Tom Brady held the AFC’s No. 1 seed after week 15.

Patriots now have clear path to No. 1 seed

Thanks to the Steelers’ loss, if the Patriots win out, they will be the top seed in the AFC and hold home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Lifestyle

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TV’s best dressed: Behind the seams

What’s the best-dressed show? With the exception of “Mad Men’’ and “Gossip Girl,’’ which have officially been retired to the Globe’s hall of fame, here are a few contenders for the title.

Arts

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FRAME BY FRAME

At the scene of slaughter, a visual triumph

Everything is lovingly described in the “Butcher Shop’’ at the MFA from the blood pooling beneath the ox’s nose to the nicks and chalk marks on the timber column behind.

Best of the new

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Best of the New

Boston’s best people and ideas of 2011

Safer neighborhoods, quieter commutes, and one really brainy historian.