A heated debate on ballot question on assisted suicide

The controversial ballot referendum on physician-assisted suicide has prompted a flurry of late-breaking, heart-wrenching TV ads and fierce opposition.

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, accompanied by his wife Ann Romney, held a rally at Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire.

Romney campaigns in New Hampshire

Mitt Romney rallied a crowd in Newington on Saturday morning with pledges to form a bipartisan coalition on Capitol Hill if he is elected.

Stubbornly unconvinced could swing the election

Undecided voters may have an outsize impact on the outcome in the critical swing state of New Hampshire.

Grant Bennett said Mitt Romney takes his church responsibilities seriously.

Belmont at home with Romneys

The quiet community where Mitt Romney has lived since 1971 has gotten used to the commotion of his celebrity, and many people in town have a Romney story.

Senate rivals divided on future of health care law

Senator Scott Brown has said that the federal health care overhaul hurts Massachusetts, while Elizabeth Warren has countered that the state has much to gain.

Chinese Poles Act

Olivier Samson Arcand © 2007 Cirque du Soleil Inc.

Stage Review

Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Saltimbanco’ bids adieu

Cirque du Soleil’s longest-running touring show is making its farewell tour, after which it is to be retired.

Nate Ebner (left) had a nose for the ball on both the rugby and football fields while at Ohio State.

Ex-rugby player Ebner fitting in with Patriots

Nate Ebner, who never played high school football, parlayed his special teams skills at Ohio State and his rugby background into an NFL job.

A sign at a job fair in Colonie, N.Y., last month. Companies are hiring steadily but cautiously, data show.

Whiff of optimism draws out job seekers

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are again looking for work as they perceive improving job prospects.

Compounding pharmacies fill important medical niche

Hundreds of US hospitals bought medications from the lightly regulated Framingham pharmacy that was implicated in a national meningitis outbreak.

Sports

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David Ortiz, who turns 37 on Nov. 18, has been with the Red Sox since 2003.

David Ortiz, Red Sox reach deal

The designated hitter agreed on Friday night to a two-year contract worth $26 million. Incentives could bring the total value to $30 million.

Business

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Whole Foods bought the Johnnie’s Foodmaster in Charlestown.

Johnnie’s Foodmaster to shut all locations

All 10 supermarkets are closing, not just the six being taken over by Whole Foods Market, according to a company hired to liquidate the local chain.

Politics

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Political notebook

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney believes Pa. is still in play

Romney is making a strong push into Pennsylvania, aided by outside political groups spending millions in last-minute ads.

Nation & World

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People lined up behind a fence for distribution of food, water, and other supplies in Manhattan on Friday.

New Yorkers impatient with pace of recovery

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg decided Friday afternoon to cancel the New York City Marathon, as patience wore thin over gas shortages, power failures, and long lines.

Arts

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Brandon Tabassi in Los Angeles.

Local man has small but pivotal role in ‘Argo’

North Andover’s Brandon Tabassi landed a spot in Ben Affleck’s spy thriller, and hopes to one day play a part in Massachusetts politics.