Lab technician may have been exposed to Ebola, CDC says

A technician in a secure laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta may have come into contact with Ebola, an official said.

North Korea likely will have no ?physical reaction? to new film

A North Korean official condemned the release of ?The Interview? but said the nation likely would have no further response.

Evan Goldberg (left) and Seth Rogen, co-directors of ?The Interview,? during a visit to Boston.

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff

?Interview? directors say they were just looking for laughs

Co-directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg had no idea of the furor that would ensue over their controversial comedy.

Mayor Theodore Hoskins spoke during a news conference in Berkeley, Mo.

Mayor calls for calm after teen shot, killed by police in Mo.

The shooting of an allegedly armed teen reignited tensions that have lingered since the death of Michael Brown in neighboring Ferguson.

Boston sees spike in suspected drug overdoses

Police are investigating whether drugs on the street are more potent or laced with potentially fatal substances.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2014/12/24/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/tsarnaev150-7723.jpg Prosecutors oppose Tsarnaev request for trial delay

Attorneys for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev submitted a last-minute request to delay the trial?s start from January to September.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2014/12/24/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/25uber102.jpg Uber driver charged with rape held without bail

Alejandro Done, 46, waived a hearing to determine whether he could be released on bail.

On average, delayed flights only make up around 5 minutes of lost time.

Getty Images/File

Evan Horowitz

Do delayed flights really make up time in the air?

Can pilots actually reclaim minutes or hours that had been lost to delay? Sometimes, but not often.

Soup dumplings from Dumpling House in Cambridge, which is open on Christmas.

Where to get Chinese food on Christmas in Boston area

Here?s a list of some restaurants that will be open on Dec. 25.

Sam Sevian (right) recently attended a chess workshop in New York run by former world  champion Garry Kasparov (left). Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff

Southbridge?s Sam Sevian, 13, is youngest US chess grandmaster

The teen prodigy?s goal is to become the first American world champion since Bobby Fischer in the 1970s.

Governor-elect Charlie Baker handed a dish to a guest at the Pine Stree Inn.

Charlie Baker, Cardinal O?Malley visit Pine Street Inn

A holiday tradition brought the governor-elect and Cardinal O?Malley to one of the region?s largest homeless shelters.

FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2014, file photo, Denver Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton celebrates a stop during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Denver. The big debate in the Broncos locker room is whether or not 350-pound nose tackle Knighton can dunk a basketball. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)

Scouting the Patriots? potential playoff opponents

While the final qualifier and seeds for the AFC playoffs are not set, here?s a look at how the contenders shape up.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2014/12/24/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/converse150-3901.jpg New Balance sues Converse over trademark actions

The lawsuit decries Converse?s ?aggressive efforts? to protect its Chuck Taylor All-Star sneakers from imitators.

Jen Kirkman found success as a panelist on Chelsea Handler?s talk show.

Jen Kirkman (reluctantly) can come home again

The Needham native is performing four shows at Laugh Boston, and she?s a little worried about how friends and family might react.

Movie reviews

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2014/12/18/BostonGlobe.com/Arts/Images/2432_FPT3_00234R_CROP.JPG_cmyk.jpg ?Unbroken? recalls Louis Zamperini?s triumphs

?Disappointment? is too harsh a word for the glossy, well-made, curiously remote movie.

Opinion

FARAH STOCKMAN

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2014/12/24/BostonGlobe.com/EditorialOpinion/Images/stockman-1150.jpg The secret life of Santa Claus

A Canadian historian offers insight into the man and the myth, including legends and stories of centuries past.

The Big Picture

Tsering Topgyal/AP

Hands in the news

The hands in these photographs represent hope, communication, power, connection and longing.