Supervision of pharmacies is questioned

The Framingham company implicated in a nationwide meningitis outbreak apparently took thousands of orders from doctors, clinics, and hospitals in at least 23 states.

WGBH’s Brighton headquarters. The public television station received $4.2 million from the state’s film tax credit program last year.

Romney indirectly aided PBS as governor

Mitt Romney signed a film tax credit bill that indirectly created a huge pool of funding for WGBH and other Massachusetts companies that make shows for public television.

The Ping4Alerts! app will send messages to users about safety hazards.

Mass. adds app for emergency alerts

Officials will now be sending out warnings about hurricanes, floods, blizzards, and other potential dangers, even terrorist threats, via a mobile app developed by a Nashua start-up.

DA says hundreds could be freed in drug lab scandal

Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said 300 to 500 people could be released in his jurisdiction due to the state drug lab scandal.

Obama gets lift on jobs front

President Obama got an unexpected boost on Friday, with the unemployment rate dropping below 8 percent for the first time since he took office.

Climate change helps local man set Arctic sailing record

With an assist from global warming, Cambridge’s Morgan Peissel, 25, and his two shipmates achieved the northernmost Northwest Passage ever made.

Morgan Peissel, Nicolas Peissel, and Edvin Buregren stood on the ice in the McClure Strait in front of their sailboat, the Belzebub II.

A Passage Through Ice

Morgan Peissel, Nicolas Peissel, and Edvin Buregren stood on the ice in the McClure Strait in front of their sailboat, the Belzebub II.

The crew saw polar bears and narwhals as they navigated the icy waters at the top of the world.

Morgan Peissel

The crew saw polar bears and narwhals as they navigated the icy waters at the top of the world.

The three men crewing the Belzebub II were the first sailors known to have sailed the Northwest Passage via the McClure Straight.

Morgan Peissel

The three men crewing the Belzebub II were the first sailors known to have sailed the Northwest Passage via the McClure Straight.

Only a handful of other ships have ever been through the McClure, and none of them went on to make the Northwest Passage.

Morgan Peissel

Only a handful of other ships have ever been through the McClure, and none of them went on to make the Northwest Passage.

The crew's 31-foot fiberglass boat made it through the strait when the pack ice shifted during a 36-hour window.

Morgan Peissel

The crew's 31-foot fiberglass boat made it through the strait when the pack ice shifted during a 36-hour window.

By the time the sailors made it through, the pack ice had already closed up behind them.

A Passage Through Ice

By the time the sailors made it through, the pack ice had already closed up behind them.

Ken Howard, a coach in “The White Shadow,’ ’was heard loud and clear — in Turkey.

‘White Shadow’ led to basketball boon in Turkey

Ask any Turkish citizen over the age of 35 what led to the stunning growth of basketball during the 1980s, and they’ll credit Coolidge, Salami, Gomez, and Coach Reeves.

 Red Sox manager Bucky Harris, left, and Washington Senators manager Joe Cronin look over improvements at Fenway Park on April 17, 1934, just before the first game of the season.

opinion | michael kranish

The day baseball left town

Baseball really is back in Washington, and so, too, is a piece of my childhood.

J.K. Rowling’s “The Casual Vacancy” focuses on the troubles in the small town of Pagford.

Book Review

‘The Casual Vacancy’ by J.K. Rowling

Rowling’s first novel for adults teems with sex, but is not torrid; it is saturated with characters’ unhappiness, but not depressing; it plods, but it also entertains.

Sports

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John Farrell

Farrell is flawed candidate for Red Sox

It sounds illogical, but what could make John Farrell available to become the next manager of the Red Sox is the fact that he hasn’t found success in that job with the Blue Jays.

Business

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Madoff fraud’s last days recounted in NYC document

An indictment brings into sharper focus the final few years of a fraud the government says dated to at least the early 1970s, two decades before Bernard Madoff said it began.

Politics

political notebook

Michael Bloomberg is one of the major backers behind an ad campaign for Angus King.

Bloomberg backs Maine independent Angus King

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is throwing his financial support behind the Senate candidate, who is battling a stronger-than-expected challenge from a Republican contender.

Nation & World

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The Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters is reflected in a shop window in Moscow.

FBI says firm illegally sold items to Russia

Federal agents arrested the owner of Arc Electronics Inc. and seven of his employees, who are accused of being involved in a scheme to illicitly sell military technology to Russia.

Arts

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Classical Notes

New executive director Miguel Rodriguez cites the annual First Day Concert at Sanders Theatre (above) as a good example of how Boston Baroque can engage with the community. He suggests even projecting the show outdoors to a larger audience.

New leader hopes to boost Boston Baroque’s visibility

Trained as a tenor, new executive director Miguel A. Rodriguez has worked with Opera Boston, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, and Boston Musica Viva.