Charities fight bid to cap gift deduction

The Mass. nonprofits are joining hundreds of charities nationwide in lobbying against any changes to the tax code that could reduce incentives for charitable giving.

Filene’s Basement to shutter four stores in Mass.

Struggling discounter Filene’s Basement is closing four Massachusetts stores — about 15 percent of the chain’s locations — by the end of the year.

Medieval honey biscuits based on ones from the George R.R. Martin series.

Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff

The creamed swan is made with meringue, filled with vanilla ice cream, and placed on a bed of fresh fruit.

Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff

The creamed swan recipe requires unique ingredients such as fresh pomegranate seeds.

Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff

The new book

Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff

Sister's Stew is the ancient version of seafood chowder.

Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff

G Cover

Inspired by a book series, bloggers produce a culinary phenomenon

Millions of readers around the world have been devouring the George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series — some more literally than others.

Chris Young/The Canadian Press

Carrier goes retro, looks ahead

The old-fashioned, upscale feel of Porter Airlines, which features free snacks and attendants in pillbox hats, is drawing passengers for Logan flights.

Zombies and witches declare war in Salem

Witches and zombies clashed in Salem as two haunted houses vied for customers in peak pre-Halloween season.

In addition to admitting the beer/chicken report, Jon Lester gave up something that reflects poorly on the managerial reign of Terry Francona.

Dan Shaughnessy

Jon Lester’s confession fails to absolve

Your turn, Josh Beckett. You, too, John Lackey. Time for the rest of the beer-swillin’, biscuit-eatin’, fried-chicken munchin’ Red Sox starting pitchers to fess up.

Coakley may sue lenders for foreclosure abuses

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said she is preparing to sue some mortgage lenders for foreclosure-related improprieties.

Metro

Tags in this section:

Safety of Eastie property unclear

City inspectors are still determining the fate of several evacuated apartment buildings in East Boston on a block shaken by the collapse of a vacant apartment house late last week. That collapse forced the demolition of an adjacent building that left four families homeless, and it also prompted the city to order residents to leave the apartments at 39-43 and 53 Chelsea St. early Saturday. Engineers could rule as early as today on the condition of those buildings, city officials said.

Business

Tags in this section:

Nation & World

Tags in this section:

Red Cross vehicles and buses from Egypt arrived yesterday at Gaza’s Rafah crossing to help with today’s transfer pf Palestinian prisoners.

Israelis, Palestinians begin exchange of prisoners

Palestinian officials in Gaza said a captured Israeli soldier was moved across the border into Egypt early today, beginning an elaborate prisoner swap deal.

Sports

Tags in this section:

Jon Lester said the drinking was confined to starting pitchers who weren’t in the game that day.

Red Sox’ Jon Lester 1st to admit clubhouse drinking

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester admitted during a lengthy interview that he did drink in the clubhouse, but disputed the idea that it helped lead to the team’s downfall.

Arts

Tags in this section:

Book Review

‘Van Gogh’ by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith

Now, at last, with “Van Gogh: The Life’’ by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, we have what could very well be the definitive life of the great artist, comparable to Hilary Spurling’s work on Matisse or John Richardson’s on Picasso. In it we get a much fuller view of Van Gogh, owing to the decade Naifeh and White Smith spent on research to create this scholarly and spell-binding work.

Lifestyle

Tags in this section:

G Cover

Inspired by a book series, bloggers produce a culinary phenomenon

Millions of readers around the world have been devouring the George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series — some more literally than others.