The Boston Globe

exclusive friday preview | opinion

When reality TV collides with reality

Bill and Giuliana Rancic star in a reality show that took a very serious turn.

Evan Agostini/associated press

A popular reality show took a very serious turn, but showed viewers something important, lovely, and true, writes Joan Wickersham.

exclusive friday preview | g cover

Woody Guthrie’s words still ring true

American Repertory Theater’s “Woody Sez” captures Guthrie’s vision as a political agitator and spiritual influence on everyone from Bob Dylan to Wilco.

friday preview | Book review

‘My Cross To Bear’ by Gregg Allman

The story traces the wild and sometimes troubled life of the rock musician.

Farmers put focus on retailing

Agriculture’s new retail-oriented entrepreneurs are finding success by becoming more diverse — offering everything from baby lettuces to farm tours.

Casino lobbyist addresses Mass. regulators

Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, asked state officials on Thursday not to overregulate the industry.

Judge rules Buonomo can collect pension

Former Middlesex Register of Probate John R. Buonomo, convicted of stealing $100,000 in cash from state copying machines, will continue to receive a pension of about $39,000 a year.

Blue Cross Blue Shield revises premium rate hike requests

The state’s largest health insurance company had initially asked for base rate hikes of 1.2 percent for its HMO business and 2.7 percent for its non-HMO insurance.

Documents show frustrated bin Laden

In letters from his last hideout, Osama bin Laden fretted about dysfunction in his terrorist network, according to documents released Thursday.

Junior Seau, 1969-2012

Junior Seau’s death ruled a suicide

An autopsy Thursday confirmed the former NFL linebacker died of a gunshot wound to the chest, the San Diego County medical examiner’s office said.

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Globe Insiders

Globe Talk | May 23, 6 p.m.

A conversation with Ben Mezrich

The New York Times best-selling author discusses his novels “Bringing Down the House” and “The Social Network.”

BostonGlobe.com exclusives

Bunny Yeager with her camera.

Iconic photos are more than skin deep

About 30,000 people jammed City Hall Plaza in 1974 to see the Celtics in post-playoff celebrations. The ceremony included Johnny the Most, then-owner Bob Schmertz, and legend Red Auerbach. NBA Finals MVP John Havlicek (pictured) shook hands with fans in the parade motorcade.

From the Archives | Photos

Celtics in the NBA playoffs

Yvonne Abraham

Bound by a shared act of heroism

Sex assault case haunts gambling director

Fred DeVito of Superior Landscape uses a gas-powered leaf blower in Marblehead, where a vote on limiting the devices is scheduled.

globe north

Marblehead considers ban on leaf blowers

70-acre Nantucket compound

Nantucket home on sale for $59m

Munch’s ‘Scream’ sells for $119.9m at auction

Harvard President Drew Faust (left) and MIT President Susan Hockfield announced a new partnership in online education at the Hyatt Hotel in Cambridge.

Harvard, MIT plan free Web classes

Robert Covelle of the Medford Housing Authority

Housing chief’s removal sought

Paul Pierce led the Celtics to a win in Game 2 in Atlanta.

Dan Shaughnessy

Paul Pierce may be one of Celtics’ greatest now

Blake Pfeil as Seymour with the blood-thirsty plant Audrey II in “Little Shop of Horrors.”

STAGE REVIEW

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is serious fun

INSIDE GOLF

Boston Golf Club charts own course now

Sports

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On Golf

Tiger Woods skirted questions with the media before participating in the pro-am at the Wells Fargo Championship on Wednesday.

Shame on Tiger Woods for dodging tough questions

Dodging the media when there’s a chance Woods would be asked about his unruly behavior and subpar play smacks of someone with extremely thin skin.

Metro

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Joseph Wright at his arraignment in Lynn District Court on Thursday.

Double-murder suspect ordered held without bail

A 23-year-old man was arraigned today in Lynn on charges that he murdered his mother and grandmother, slitting their throats from “ear to ear.”

Columnists

Edward L. Glaeser

The keys to keeping Boston free of riots

Tech Lab

Latest Nook e-reader is apt to make customers glow

A vessel monitored an oil burn in the area of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Opinion | Joan Vennochi

The BP aftermath? Nothing

Juliette Kayyem

Al Qaeda loses its way

Scot Lehigh

Massachusetts: The candidate state

Jeff Jacoby

What Brown’s and Warren’s tax returns show

joanna weiss

A reason to turn off digital devices

Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz handed the ball over to manager Bobby Valentine after allowing 5 runs in the seventh inning against the Athletics.

Dan Shaughnessy

Clay Buchholz keeps winning, somehow

JULIETTE KAYYEM

A revolution: women fight in Marines

Yvonne Abraham

How far we’ve come on race — and yet must go

JOAN VENNOCHI

Nonprofit greed’s real victims

Innovation Economy

What if? The question that powers Boston’s innovation economy

Arts

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MOVIE REVIEW

Superhero stars (from left) Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo join together.

‘Marvel’s The Avengers’ is action-packed comic book fun

There’s almost nothing to dislike; it’s as close as a movie can come to the fantastical reality of a good comic book.

Politics

Senator Collins frequently works with Senator Brown as part of an informal caucus of New England Republicans.

Susan Collins to endorse Brown

Senator Susan Collins of Maine plans to formally endorse Senator Scott Brown Friday morning at his campaign headquarters.

Business

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Facebook is valuing itself at as much as $96 billion in its initial public offering.

Facebook sets $28 to $35 price range for IPO

The company, which will seek between $28 and $35 a share, is valuing itself at as much as $96 billion in its initial public offering.

Nation & World

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Blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng, in wheel chair, met his wife Yuan Weijing, right, daughter Chen Kesi, in blue shirt at second right, and son Chen Kerui, left, at a hospital in Beijing on Wednesday.

US confirms blind activist wants to leave China

The rural Chinese activist at the center of a diplomatic standoff between Washington and Beijing now wants to leave China with his family, a US spokeswoman said.

Style

Philip Treacy creates infamous hats for the famous.

Philip Treacy is a man of many hats

The celebrated milliner is creating a hat for a historic fashion show in Portsmouth, N.H.

Magazine

The cover for the April 29 2012 issue

Apr 29, 2012

Dying wishes expected to be decided on November ballot

The cover for the April 22 2012 issue

Apr 22, 2012

144 free things to do around Boston

The cover for the April 15 2012 issue

Apr 15, 2012

In an artist’s garden

The cover for the April 8 2012 issue

Apr 8, 2012

Are fat baseball players a problem?

Opinion

Ideas