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Dow surges more than 300 points after fiscal deal

The Dow had its best day since December 2011 after Congress passed a bill to avert massive tax increases and spending cuts.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Christie rips Boehner for delay on Sandy aid

New Jersey’s Republican governor said it was ‘‘absolutely disgraceful’’ that the US House failed to act on a bill to aid storm victims.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2012/12/30/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/1230oped_keane--90x90.jpg Brown questions Markey’s residency

The jab was directed at Scott Brown’s possible opponent for John Kerry’s Senate seat.

Boston-based reporter kidnapped, missing in Syria

James Foley’s family said he was kidnapped on Thanksgiving Day.

Clinton talking to staff by phone from hospital

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is at a New York hospital where she is recovering from a blood clot in her head.

After rehabbing from surgery on both shoulders, Celtics guard Avery Bradley is eager to show his moves in games again.

JIM DAVIS/GLOBE STAFF

grizzlies at celtics | 7:30 p.m.

Celtics’ Avery Bradley ready to return

The guard is set to make his season debut tonight at TD Garden after having spent seven months rehabbing his surgically repaired shoulders.

Avis Budget Group Inc. will pay $12.25 per share for Zipcar.

Avis buys Zipcar for $500 million

Cambridge-based Zipcar, which was founded in 2000, went public in 2011 and has more than 760,000 members.

The Red Sox are counting on Jon Lester (left) and John Lackey to have bounce-back years.

Red Sox starting pitchers still a concern

For all of the moves made in the offseason, only 16 percent of the money spent has gone to improve the team’s greatest weakness: the starting rotation.

Special section

2012 — Year in Review

A look back at the year that was, with the year’s best in TV, movies, sports, music, art, and more.

Boston Globe ePaper

ePaper

Read the ePaper edition

The complete print edition, in its exact layout. Browse the print edition page by page, including stories and ads.

Globe Insiders

Editorial Event | Jan. 19, 2 p.m.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2012/12/27/BostonGlobe.com/Special/Images/brooklyncastle_onesheet_final_27x40_alt.jpg Exclusive Screening of Brooklyn Castle

See the film and participate in a talk with cast members, moderated by Boston Globe movie editor Janice Page.

Globe exclusives

GOP members led by Eric Cantor of Virginia and John Boehner of Ohio headed toameeting to discuss the fiscal cliff deal.

Limited deal does little to ease deficit pressures, analysts say

JEFF JACOBY

People are truly good at heart? Sadly, no
Christine Richards and a colleague designed Peru’s flag.

More towns creating flags
At The Farm School in Athol, student farmer Sarah Habeck of Middletown, N.J., fed hay to Patience, a Jersey cow, during a morning milking in October.

G Cover

Letter from Farm School
A classic banh mi at West Roxbury’s Banh Mi Ngon.

Cheap Eats

Banh mi crawl leads to some great sandwiches

Books

The year in books
Senate President Therese Murray is expected to return to the welfare issue in a speech to the Senate Wednesday. It is an issue that made her a force in the chamber in the 1990’s.

Therese Murray planning an ambitious agenda
Cubby Oil’s John Alefantis on a recent delivery. Less than one-third of Massachusetts homes heat with fuel oil, according to census figures.

Fuel oil industry feeling the heat
Janice Crean (left) and Lorraine Thomson, founders of WunderSmoothies with a display at Roche Brothers.

This natural fruit juice is really all fruit
Top row: Kevin White, Helen Gurley Brown, Phyllis Diller, George McGovern. Middle: Mike Wallace, Nora Ephron, Rodney King, Dave Brubeck. Bottom: Chuck Colson, Whitney Houston, John Silber, Don Cornelius.

Remembering those lost in 2012
Jimmy Craig (left) and Justin Parker. The duo behind Fatawesome, who have been friends since high school, had a viral hit with the video “Cat-Friend vs. Dog-Friend,” which spurred some national attention.

G Cover

Trying to ride viral videos to wider fame
Brenda Van Der Merwe, a real estate agent, says she is not making any resolutions. “You should already be doing it,” she said.

Many not making New Year’s resolutions

Sports

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Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis intends to retire after playoffs

A 13-time Pro Bowler, Lewis, 37, has been hobbled by injuries this season, and intends to end his career after the Ravens’ postseason run ends.

Metro

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House Speaker Robert DeLeo waitedto enter the House Chamber after he was reelected House Speaker on Wednesday.

DeLeo calls for study of ‘intersection of guns and mental illness’

Massachusetts House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo called for the study in the wake of the Connecticut school massacre.

Columnists

Boston Capital

Economy to grow if politics abate

JEFF JACOBY

People are truly good at heart? Sadly, no
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady could face each other again in the AFC Championship game.

Dan Shaughnessy

Get ready for Brady vs. Manning for AFC title
A dancer performs in a New Year’s Eve celebration in Bali Monday.

James Carroll

A new year of pluralism
Bobo’s device measures heart rate.

Innovation Economy

A heart rate sensor that’s easy to wear

Tech Lab Plus

Meet the scale that talks to your phone
Rob Gronkowski scored a touchdown for the Patriots in the fourth quarter against the Dolphins.

Christopher L. Gasper

Worth the risk to play Rob Gronkowski
President Barack Obama greets Chief Justice John Roberts before delivering his State of the Union Address on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2012.

Joan Vennochi

Bipartisan bright spots, met with derision
Congressman Ed Markey won’t be facing the name power of Ben Affleck—who announced he won’t be running—but he still has the chance to act like a star.

Joanna Weiss

Ed Markey needs to find his inner celebrity
In recent years, Boston has reveled in championships by the Bruins, Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics — but it certainly appears that this widespread “golden era” is over.

Bob Ryan

State of Boston’s sports teams in 2013
The Super Bowl is exactly 11 years after the Pats won their first title.

Christopher L. Gasper

Patriots tough enough to make it back to Super Bowl

JEFF JACOBY

Kerry’s ‘realist’ approach slips into callousness

Nation & World

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Free Syrian Army fighters ran for cover at the front line near Menagh military airport in north Aleppo on Monday.

UN says Syrian death toll at least 60,000

An analysis suggests that the death toll from the 22-month conflict is higher than the 45,000 figure reported by Syrian activists.

Politics

Senate President Therese Murray is expected to return to the welfare issue in a speech to the Senate Wednesday. It is an issue that made her a force in the chamber in the 1990’s.

Therese Murray planning an ambitious agenda

The state Senate president’s agenda will include early voting, welfare, and transportation.

Business

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A bad year for car recalls due to defects did not slow down sales during 2012.

Sales of vehicles helped save US economy in 2012

Vehicle purchases by consumers alone accounted for roughly 30 percent of all economic growth in the first half of the year.

Arts

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Music Review

Lee Fields and the Expressions covered a broad spectrum of soul Monday night that stretched from the pain of loss to playful joy.

Soulful master marvelously runs the emotional gamut

Lee Fields and the Expressions covered a broad spectrum of soul Monday that stretched from the pain of loss to playful joy.

Food & dining

Culinary chef Jesse LaMontagne, left, with his mom, Michele Holbrook, right, posed for a picture in the 'Poparazzi' popcorn bucket set up for customers to take fun pictures, inside her business, Michele's Sweet Shoppe in Epsom, N.H.

Kernels of gourmet goodness are popping up all over

At least five specialty popcorn stores opened this year in Massachusetts and more are sprouting around the country.

Magazine

The cover for the December 23 2012 issue

Bostonians of the Year: Raisman and Harrison

The cover for the December 16 2012 issue

Best of the New: Diversions
The cover for the December 9 2012 issue

The drug lab scandal: Who’s cleaning it up?
The cover for the December 2 2012 issue

5 inspired rooms

Opinion

“All of us are tugged by conflicting moral impulses, and whether we do the right thing or the wrong thing is up to each of us.”

Jeff Jacoby 

Ideas

“An ending has more life in it, more story in it, and is far more instructive than a beginning.”

James Parker, on the things, phenomena, and ideas that ended in 2012 

“Hopefully in the new year, we can put a package like this together with a little less brinksmanship, a little less drama, not scare the heck out of folks quite as much.”

President Obama