Deadline near, state gaming panel seats unfilled

A number of potential candidates have bowed out of contention for a position on the new gambling commission, leaving four of the five spots still open.

John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Boston’s would-be chicken farmers lay out case

A movement to allow city residents to build chicken coops and harvest eggs has found an audience with Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

In the final hours before tomorrow’s all-important Republican primary here, Mitt Romney is casting himself as the scrappy underdog.

Mitt Romney scrambles to nail down Michigan

A loss for Romney in the GOP primary in his native state would be a crippling blow, with only a week to recover before Super Tuesday’s 11-state blitz on March 6.

84TH ACADEMY AWARDS

‘The Artist’ triumphs at the Oscars

‘‘The Artist’’ won five Academy Awards, including best picture, becoming the first silent film to claim the top prize since the original Oscar ceremony 83 years ago.

Director Michel Hazanavicius and the cast of “The Artist” accepted the best picture award.

Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Director Michel Hazanavicius and the cast of “The Artist” accepted the best picture award.

Meryl Streep accepted the best actress award for her work in

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Meryl Streep accepted the best actress award for her work in "The Iron Lady."

Jean Dujardin of

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Jean Dujardin of "The Artist" was congratulated by co-star Berenice Bejo before accepting the Oscar for best actor in a leading role.

Director Michel Hazanavicius accepted the best director Oscar for

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Director Michel Hazanavicius accepted the best director Oscar for "The Artist."

Christopher Plummer accepted the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in

Gary Hershorn/REUTERS

Christopher Plummer accepted the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in "Beginners."

Octavia Spencer accepts the best supporting actress Oscar for her role in

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Octavia Spencer accepted the best supporting actress Oscar for her role in "The Help."

Members of the cast of

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Members of the cast of "Bridesmaids” presented the award for best live action short.

Presenters Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy took a drink before announcing the award for best documentary short.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Presenters Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy took a drink before announcing the award for best documentary short.

Angelina Jolie presented the best adapted screenplay award to Alexander Payne for

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Angelina Jolie presented the best adapted screenplay award to Alexander Payne for "The Descendants."

Nat Faxon and Jim Rash accepted the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Nat Faxon and Jim Rashalso also accepted the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for "The Descendants."

Penelope Cruz and Owen Wilson presented the award for best original score.

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Penelope Cruz and Owen Wilson presented the award for best original score.

Ludovic Bource accepted the Oscar for best original score for this work on

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Ludovic Bource accepted the best original score award for this work on "The Artist."

Bret McKenzie accepted the Oscar for best original song for

Gary Hershorn/REUTERS

Bret McKenzie accepted the Oscar for best original song for "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets."

Gwyneth Paltrow grabs the jacket of Robert Downey Jr. before they presented the Oscar for best documentary feature.

Gary Hershorn/REUTERS

Gwyneth Paltrow grabbed the jacket of Robert Downey Jr. before they presented the Oscar for best documentary feature.

Director TJ Martin (c), Dan Lindsay (r) and Rich Middlemas accept their Oscars for best documentary feature film for

Gary Hershorn/REUTERS

Director TJ Martin (c), Dan Lindsay (r) and Rich Middlemas accepted their Oscars for best documentary feature film for "Undefeated."

Presenter Chris Rock joked with the audience.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Presenter Chris Rock joked with the audience.

Members of the audience looked on as Cirque du Soleil performed.

Gary Hershorn/REUTERS

Members of the audience looked on as Cirque du Soleil performed.

Asghar Farhadi, director of Iranian film

Gary Hershorn/REUTERS

Asghar Farhadi, director of Iranian film "A Separation," accepted the award for best foreign language film.

Presenters Tina Fey and Bradley Cooper laughed together onstage.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Presenters Tina Fey and Bradley Cooper laughed together onstage.

Sandra Bullock presented the Oscar for best foreign language film.

Gary Hershorn/REUTERS

Sandra Bullock presented the Oscar for best foreign language film.

Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall accept the Oscar for best film editing for

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall accepted the Oscar for best film editing for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

Host Billy Crystal performed a dance during his show kick-off.

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Host Billy Crystal performed a dance during his show kick-off.

Hanks handed over the award for best art direction to Dante Feretti and Francesca lo Schiavo for

AFP/Getty Images

Hanks handed over the award for best art direction to Dante Feretti and Francesca lo Schiavo for "Hugo."

Host Billy Crystal sings at the beginning of the Academy Awards broadcast last night.

84th Academy Awards | The show

A Crystal ball on a night of nostalgia

After the Great Youth Experiment of ’11 failed, you could almost sense the relief in the star-studded audience when Billy Crystal returned ‘‘home’’ as the host.

This Alexander McQueen gown had a very high potential for looking like something worn by a maiden at a renaissance fair.

84TH ACADEMY AWARDS | The Fashion

A red carpet of many colors

At last night's Academy Awards, there was no dominant theme, no color of the night, and definitely no shape that appeared over and over.

“Most chicken owners consider their birds as family pets and would be devastated to lose them.”

Dakota Butterfield,  58, of Jamaica Plain

Globe Insiders

Globe Insider Event | March 5, 5:30 p.m.

http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2012/02/17/BostonGlobe.com/Special/Images/508746086[1]--90x90.jpg ‘The Real Romney’

Globe editorial page editor Peter S. Canellos moderates a discussion with Globe writers Scott Helman, Scot Lehigh, and Frank Phillips on the Republican presidential candidate.

Inside The Boston Globe

Amanda Seyfried stars in ‘‘Gone,’’ reinforcing her talent for playing unstable characters in a way that creeps up on viewers.

MOVIE REVIEW

Seyfried keeps ‘Gone’ going only so far

G Cover

Constant distractions can take a toll

IN PRACTICE

‘The Hateful Patient’ revisited

Medical sensors could phone for help
Heavy rain soaked Daytona International Speedway today in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Rain forces postponement of Daytona 500

Living longer, living better

Can surgery help you stay in the game?

Your Taxes

Romneys’ 1040s offer tips for filing

Product Reviews

Doing your mortgage homework

Coupling

Proposing on February 29

video

Bobby Valentine: No more beer

Perspective

High school and its discontents
The Death Star, from “Star Wars.”

Brainiac

The Death Star? That’ll run you at least $8.52 quadrillion

Metro

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Brian Crowley and Maria Pelrine on the stump of the pine tree that fell through their home in Wilmington on Saturday. Crowley proposed to his girlfriend shortly after the tree’s fall.

Wind’s havoc inspires a proposal in Wilmington

The powerful gusts that wreaked havoc across Massachusetts over the weekend delivered a brace of surprises to Wilmington resident Maria Pelrine.

Business

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TV gets social, thanks to Web

In the Internet era, viewers chat with fellow fans as they watch, giving new life to an old medium.

Columnists

Adrian Walker

Scott Brown’s presumption

Juliette Kayyem

Smart nuclear reduction
Red Sox owner John Henry didn’t address the full team yesterday, but he and Kevin Youkilis shared a moment.

Dan Shaughnessy

Chatter from Sox owner John Henry was minimal

Yvonne Abraham

Making Magic at North Bennet Street School
Participants happily get on the move with multi-sport activities in Somerville.

DERRICK Z. JACKSON | Generation fitness

In Arlington, a model for nation

LOVE LETTERS

He’s a workaholic
Rihanna and Chris Brown perform in NewYork in 2008, the year before he attacked her.

Joan Vennochi

Domestic abuse, without the fame and glamour

Dan Shaughnessy

David Ortiz identifies critical error

Christopher L. Gasper

Widely known that they need a receiver

Lawrence Harmon

The weak-kneed BU Law School

Boston Capital

Clean Harbors Inc. cleans up financially

EDWARD L. GLAESER

Excitement deserves a tax break

Politics

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK

Mitt Romney was asked on ‘‘Fox News Sunday’’ whether he understands why voters see him as out of touch.

Mitt Romney defends ability to relate to voters

Romney was forced again yesterday to defend his wealth — and his ability to relate to average Americans.

Nation & World

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Sheriff’s Deputy Amanda Hill prepared to use a Draganflyer X6 camera drone to help search for a suspect in Colorado.

FAA pressed to allow civilian drone flights in the US

Civilian cousins of military drones are in demand by police departments, border patrols, and others wanting a bird’s-eye view that is too impractical or dangerous to get otherwise.

Sports

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Paul Pierce’s focus on a title run

While management must decide on the Celtics’ transition to the next era, Paul Pierce is consumed with making the best of a difficult season.

Health and wellness

G Force

Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff

Targeting toxic stress in children

Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard, has launched a national campaign against ‘‘toxic stress’’ in childhood.

Arts

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BOOK REVIEW

“The End of Money” by David Wolman

‘The End of Money’ by David Wolman

Wolman examines the current state of the physical cash system worldwide, why we might be better off without it, and what the future might hold.

Living Longer, Living Better

Special Section

Guide to health, wealth, and happiness

Advice on how to get the most out of your retirement.

Magazine

The cover for the February 26 2012 issue

24 hours in Kendall Square
The cover for the February 19 2012 issue

Renovated Newport firehouse is calm, cool, and collected
The cover for the February 12 2012 issue

Boston wedding venue guide
The cover for the February 5 2012 issue

What if the lights go out?

Opinion

“We still love the Bomb. We need the Bomb. We just don’t need so many of them.”

Juliette Kayyem 

Ideas

“As criminal justice became a clash of mandates and bureaucratic rules, it became untethered from what was once its basic function: separating the guilty from the innocent and delivering fair punishment.”

Leon Neyfakh, on “The Collapse of American Criminal Justice”