State to probe drunken driving acquittal rates

The state’s highest court opened an inquiry following a Globe Spotlight investigation into high acquittal rates in trials presided over by district court judges.

http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2011/10/31/BostonGlobe.com/National/Images/130990086.jpg Herman Cain decries ‘witch hunt’

The GOP presidential candidate said allegations that he sexually harassed women in the 1990s were false.

Critics say voters aren’t happy with Mayor Lisa Wong’s austerity cuts in Fitchburg.

Groundbreaking mayor losing favor

After helping pull Fitchburg from the brink of bankruptcy, Mayor Lisa Wong is being criticized for cutting and saving rather than spending some of that money.

Policing strategy making headway

Shootings and robberies have declined in the Boston hot spots where special police teams have been deployed, but there has been little change in killings and sexual assaults.

Patrick urges patience as crews work to restore power

Governor Patrick said crews were “making progress” on restoring power, but officials warned outages could last until Friday.

In some towns, Halloween is postponed due to storm

Dozens of towns and cities in Massachusetts have postponed trick-or-treating in the storm’s aftermath.

Athol, MA, 10/31/11, The Halloween storm brought down power lines, wreaking havoc. Trick or treating at night was cancelled due to snow conditions, so the town held a snowy day-time trick or treat on Main Street. Two year old Landen Lovely, cq. was too cold to wear his skeleton costume and it wouldn't fit over his snow suit. Section: metro Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

Two-year-old Landen Lovely went trick-or-treating on Main Street in Athol today. The town canceled nighttime trick-or-treating.

for Metro - 01storm - A lawn sign alerts neighbors that a Halloween Bash is cancelled at a house in Montague Center on Monday, October 31, 2011. Many towns have cancelled trick or treating due to downed trees and power lines. (Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe)

Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe

A lawn sign alerted neighbors that a Halloween bash was canceled at a house in Montague Center today.

Athol, MA, 10/31/11, The Halloween storm brought down power lines, wreaking havoc. Trick or treating at night was cancelled due to snow conditions, so the town held a snowy day-time trick or treat on Main Street. Jennifer Coppolino and her daughters Jazmyn, 10 and one year old Jaya, all cq, wait for Jennifer's mother to catch up before going into their powerless home (rear left) to retrieve things for the baby's birthday party. They are told the will not have power until Thursday and are staying with relatives. Section: metro Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

Jennifer Coppolino and her daughters Jazmyn, 10, and Jaya, 1, were without power due to downed power lines.

Acton, Ma., 10/31/11, Power lines brought low by the storm were toppled by a truck behind the Roach Brothers Supermarket. The live wires caught the asphalt on fire. Firefighters waited for the power company to come turn off the power before they could put out the fire. Section: metro Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

In Acton, low power lines were toppled by a truck behind a supermarket, and the live wires caught the asphalt on fire.

for Metro - 01storm - A utility crew replaces a broken pole on Cheapside St in Greenfield, MA on Monday, October 31, 2011. Many people in Western Mass are facing the possibility of days without power due to the early winter storm. (Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe)

Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe

A utility crew replaced a broken pole in Greenfield today. More than 519,000 homes in the state were without power this morning.

for Metro - 01storm - A sign directs local residents to a Red Cross shelter for storm victims at Turners Falls High School in Turners Falls, MA on Monday, October 31, 2011. Many people in Western Mass are facing the possibility of days without power due to the early winter storm. (Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe)

Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe

A sign directed residents to a Red Cross shelter for storm victims at Turners Falls High School today.

for Metro - 01storm - 5 year old Angelica Jennings (R) and her 8 year old sister Harmony play a board game to pass the time at a Red Cross shelter for storm victims at Turners Falls High School in Turners Falls, MA on Monday, October 31, 2011. The girls and their family are staying at the shelter because their Shutesbury home has no power, water or heat. Many people in Western Mass are facing the possibility of days without power due to the early winter storm. (Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe)

Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe

Angelica and Harmony Jennings passed the time by playing games at the Turner Falls shelter.

for Metro - 01storm - 84 Year old Beverly Miner of Turners Falls rests on a cot at a Red Cross shelter for storm victims at Turners Falls High School in Turners Falls, MA on Monday, October 31, 2011. Miner has no power or heat at her home. Many people in Western Mass are facing the possibility of days without power due to the early winter storm. (Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe)

Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe

Beverly Miner, 84, rested on a cot at the Red Cross shelter at Turners Falls High School.

Athol, MA, 10/31/11, The Halloween storm brought down power lines, wreaking havoc. Trick or treating at night was cancelled due to snow conditions, so the town held a snowy day-time trick or treat on Main Street. Managing snow banks was work and fun for, left to right, Isaac Swan, cq, Xavier Ceja, 4, cq, Owen Chaplin, 4, cq, Kaleb Swan, 2, cq, Zachary Swan, cq., Section: metro Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

Children went trick-or-treating on Main Street in Athol today.

for Metro - 01storm - A car that hit a fallen tree limb sits in the middle of Montague City Road in Greenfield, MA on Monday, October 31, 2011. Due to all the storm damage, many people in Western Mass are facing the possibility of days without power. (Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe)

Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe

A car that hit a fallen tree limb was in the middle of the road in Greenfield today.

Athol, MA, 10/31/11, The Halloween storm brought down power lines, wreaking havoc. Trick or treating at night was cancelled due to snow conditions, so the town held a snowy day-time trick or treat on Main Street. Susan Burns, cq, had a tree fall into her house. This is a view from the attic. See other photo of Susan bundled up with no power in her living room. Section: metro Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

During the storm, a tree fell into the attic of a home in Athol.

for Metro - 01storm - A sign outside Carmelina's restaurant in Hadley, MA on Monday, October 31, 2011. Many Western Mass residents are without power due to downed trees and power lines from the winter storm. (Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe)

Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe

A sign outside Carmelina's restaurant in Hadley tried to entice passersby.

State of fear: Four haunting Mass. tales

It’s the season when the spirits come alive, and Massachusetts abounds in scary tales. Here are four of them.

Roxbury, MA -- 10/28/11 -- Brandy K. Cruthird displays a basket of the healthy alternatives that she is offering kids for Halloween as she stands inside Body by Brandy 4 Kidz, in Roxbury, MA. (Kayana Szymczak for The Boston Globe)

Halloween defies push for healthy habits

Child health advocates are advising parents to restrict their children’s candy intake on Halloween. But local parents seem to have one response: Yeah, right.

“This bullseye on my back has gotten bigger. We have no idea the source of this witch hunt, which is really what it is.”

Herman Cain,  GOP presidential candidate

Inside The Boston Globe

Noise from staff conversations, ringing telephones, equipment carts with squeaky wheels, and powerful air conditioning systems may be harming many patients in subtle ways.

G Cover

Noisy treatment in hospitals
Tony La Russa

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa retires
Pat Greenhouse/Globe staff

Globe Magazine | The Medical Issue

The C-section boom
FOR SPOTLIGHT - Massachusetts State Troopers perform a sobriety test on a driver at a sobriety check point operated jointly with the Chicopee Police, on Memorial Avenue in Chicopee on Friday, April 29, 2011. (Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe)

Globe Spotlight Report

Leniency for drunk drivers

Northeastern putting down stakes across the country
Critics say voters aren’t happy with Mayor Lisa Wong’s austerity cuts in Fitchburg.

Groundbreaking mayor losing favor
Duran Duran (shown performing in Las Vegas last month) played to a Citi Wang Theatre crowd of diehards.

MUSIC REVIEW

Duran Duran celebrates history, present
“It’s hard to be in baseball for 30-plus years and not have clashed with people,” said Larry Lucchino, Red Sox president and CEO (right), with the team’s new general manager, Ben Cherington.

Larry Lucchino is the rock for Red Sox

State of fear: Four haunting Mass. tales

Chelsea housing chief’s pay draws fire

College aid — the daunting calculus

IDEAS

How long will America last?

Columnists

Patrick Chung

Tony Massarotti

Numbers don’t lie: Patriots defense is bad

Juliette Kayyem

The battle of military suicides
Tom Brady

Dan Shaughnessy

Patriots don’t scare anyone

Kevin Cullen

Government informant has dream job

INNOVATION ECONOMY

Boston is not being all that it actually is

Adrian Walker

Fenway High doesn’t want to leave

Bob Ryan

Patriots success isn’t measured in wins alone
The new Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven: An oddly girly choice in an age of unisex kitchens.

Joanna Weiss

What new toys say about our values

Yvonne Abraham

A youthful take on business

Jeff Jacoby

US losing the peace in Iraq

Joan Vennochi

Pundits get what they want: Warren vs. Brown

Gareth Cook

TV’s sleeper effect

Metro

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Robert Kraft

Patriots owner Kraft evasive on casino plans

Robert Kraft was evasive, and a bit cryptic, this afternoon when asked about the potential for a casino on land he owns across from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Business

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Robots as soldier stand-ins

Waltham’s Boston Dynamics has developed a Terminator-like robot that will help the Army test protective clothing.

Politics

Ron Paul pursues a unique agenda.

Despite fiery base, Paul’s spark yet to spread

Ron Paul’s harsh critique of US overseas commitments has kept him from winning more support among the GOP’s powerful Tea Party wing.

Nation & World

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President Obama signed an executive order to head off drug shortages and to prevent price gouging in the Oval Office of the White House today.

Obama orders FDA to help reduce drug shortages

President Obama is seeking to stop a ‘‘slow-rolling problem’’ that puts patients at risk and raises the potential for price gouging.

Sports

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On Football

Mark Anderson and the Patriots fell to 5-2 after yesterday’s loss.

Humbling by Steelers shows Patriots aren’t NFL elite

The Patriots have won and will win a lot of games, and that is a credit to coach Bill Belichick. But against teams with a certain formula, they can’t compete.

Health and wellness

G force

John McDonough, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Ensuring health care insurance

John McDonough, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, has just published a new book, "Inside National Health Reform."

Arts

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Stage Review

“Peter Pan,’’ as presented by threesixty° entertainment, is more J.M. Barrie’s original story and less the Disney version of the boy who never wanted to grow up.

Wonder of ‘Peter Pan’ hooks all ages

The familiar tale of the boy who wouldn’t grow up gets a thrilling new production in threesixty° entertainment’s tent.

Special reports

Globe Spotlight Report

FOR SPOTLIGHT - Massachusetts State Troopers perform a sobriety test on a driver at a sobriety check point operated jointly with the Chicopee Police, on Memorial Avenue in Chicopee on Friday, April 29, 2011. (Matthew Cavanaugh for The Boston Globe)

Under the influence

Full coverage of the Globe’s investigation into OUI acquittal rates.

Opinion

“Whether it’s housing or student lending, carving up borrowers into political constituencies only makes problems worse.”

John E. Sununu 

Magazine

The cover for the October 30 2011 issue

Building better doctors
The cover for the October 23 2011 issue

Feathering their nest
The cover for the October 16 2011 issue

Double visions
The cover for the October 9 2011 issue

The test ahead

Ideas

“The only thing we may know about education is that inquisitive kids respond to it.”

Paul Nix,  on exam schools