FINAL | Patriots 27, Dolphins 24
Patriots rally to clinch playoff bye
The Patriots improved to 12-3 and secured a first round playoff bye as they fought back from a 17-0 halftime deficit to defeat the Miami Dolphins.
Arson not suspected in fatal Peabody blaze
Officials have discarded arson as a possible cause of the three-alarm fire that claimed the life of a veteran firefighter yesterday.
Bus 19
Hospital housekeeper sets aside her dream
Esther Chase came to America with dreams of a house of her own and a few extra dollars for retirement. At age 62, she is unable to inch closer to her goal.
Opinion
No, it doesn’t matter what you majored in
What matters is that you pursued training in mastering complexity, writes Carlo Rotella.
Exclusive Sunday Preview
A sampling of stories from this Sunday's Globe.
VOISHMEL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
travel
Beauty out of hiding
Myanmar, the former Burma, is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia and has been accused of being among the most corrupt. But for travelers it is reminiscent of what Vietnam was 50 years ago.
Q&A | IDEAS
Iranian TV news, punk-rock style
When the State Department wants to reach Iran’s youth, it turns to an underground show called “Parazit.”
“A third of the time, it’s really good skiing at Christmas; a third of the time, it’s marginal at Christmas; and a third of the time, it’s closed.”
Eric Friedman, spokesman of Mad River Glen
Inside The Boston Globe
Columnists
Metro
Calendar spotlights creative parking-space savers
A South Boston calendar shows off residents’ novel ways to protect their hard-earned parking spots.
Business
Amazon office in Mass. could mean tax on sales
If Amazon opens a Cambridge office next year, it may be compelled to collect taxes on purchases made in the state.
Politics
Political Notebook
Romney says Biden lives in 'fantasy land’
Mitt Romney responded to Vice President Joe Biden’s op-ed, in which he criticized the presidential candidate for trying to assume the role of protector of the middle class.
Nation & World
Protesters demand Putin’s exit
Tens of thousands of people rallied in Moscow today to demand free elections and an end to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s 12-year rule.
Sports
giants 29, jets 14
Giants shut down Jets
The New York Giants won bragging rights against their city rivals and kept their playoff hopes alive with tonight’s victory.
Arts
Opera Boston to close
With no advance warning, the city’s second-largest opera company said it will close on Jan. 1 because of an “insurmountable budget deficit.”
Celtics season preview
NBA preview 2011-12
Celtics season tips off with dream of 1 more title
A little late starting this year, the Celtics open their new season on Sunday. Rajon Rondo and the aging Big Three are out to re-create the championship ride they had in 2008.
Opinion
“UMass students now graduate, on average, with $24,000 in debt, up from $14,000 only four years ago.”
Robert L. Caret
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