N.H. town sees no easy fix for deficit
People in Ashland, N.H., which almost always picks the state’s GOP primary winner, are struggling to name their own solutions for the country’s fiscal woes.
Push made for key ally in bid for clerk’s job
This fall, Maureen Feeney campaigned for City Council President Stephen Murphy, giving him a boost in Dorchester. Now, in the face of criticism, Murphy is pushing for her to be the next city clerk.
Brian McGrory
Gambling on Mayor Menino’s ire
If you don’t see cranes in Downtown Crossing in the coming months, you won’t likely ever see cards turning at Suffolk Downs.
US extends Medicaid waiver for Massachusetts
The waiver is key to funding the 2006 health care law that provides subsidized insurance plans for low-income people and requires most state residents to have health insurance.
Sarah Moomaw for the Boston Globe
Valet parking violations punished lightly, if at all
Boston rarely acts on valet parking violations, which may explain why reporters observed wholesale violations outside restaurants in the city’s busiest restaurant districts.
Tarek Mehanna guilty of terror charges
The Sudbury man was convicted in a swift verdict that found he sought paramilitary training in Yemen so he could carry out jihad, or holy war, against US soldiers in Iraq.
2011 a banner year for Boston ad agencies
In 2011, local ad agencies churned out campaigns designed to both play well on TV or go viral on YouTube. Here’s a look at some of the most memorable.
Sleep disorders plague police officers
A new Brigham and Women’s Hospital study found that 40 percent of officers have a chronic sleep problem, which in most cases had previously been undiagnosed.
“It is not just a milestone; it was the goal we were all headed for - and now, we turn toward repeating this success at cooler environments.”
David Charbonneau, coauthor of the paper describing the discovery of planet similar to Earth
Inside The Boston Globe
Columnists
Metro
One-of-a-kind ring lost on train is found
Katelyn Peckham never loses anything. She swears. But somehow, the 25-year-old Reading woman left her engagement ring on the commuter rail’s Haverhill line.
Business
Talbots rejects takeover, may seek deal on own terms
After rejecting an unsolicited takeover bid from a private equity firm, beleaguered Talbots Inc. said it will explore a range of options, which could include putting itself up for sale.
Politics
House GOP rejects Senate tax cut compromise
House Republicans soundly rejected a bill approved by the Senate that would have extended the payroll tax cut and jobless benefits beyond year’s end.
Nation & World
Women protesters march on Cairo
Some 10,000 women protested in Cairo following the beating of a female demonstrator, bringing an apology from the military rulers.
Sports
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.
Food and dining
The year’s cookbooks are passionate, homestyle volumes
There are certain cookbooks that bear a deeply personal imprint. The stories and headnotes tell of passionate experiences, a kind of history of life through a single sense.
Arts
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.
Best of the new
Best of the New
Boston’s best people and ideas of 2011
Safer neighborhoods, quieter commutes, and one really brainy historian.
Opinion
“A war sold on shock and awe did not leave room for the effects of a long slog.”
Juliette Kayyem
Ideas
As tempting as it might be to imagine the Christmas trees we see today in public parks and central plazas as a quaint relic of small town life, it turns out that our modern public trees have politics woven right into their roots.
Leon Neyfakh