The man who alleged actor Kevin Spacey groped him in a Nantucket bar in July 2016 abruptly dropped his civil lawsuit Friday, a legal maneuver that raises questions about the viability of the ongoing criminal case against the performer.

Trump revives mystery of Pence?s N.H. trip cancellation

When Vice President Mike Pence canceled a trip to New Hampshire this week, his office didn?t explain but said there was no cause for alarm. 2 hours ago

Victim identified in fatal Worcester restaurant stabbing

A man accused of fatally stabbing a woman he briefly dated who was attending a book club meeting at a busy restaurant was held for a mental health evaluation at his arraignment Friday.

Woman stabbed in Worcester restaurant allegedly attacked by same man two months before

Dave Epstein

Humidity, showers to dominate the weekend

It may be uncomfortable for many of you who don?t have air conditioning to sleep as temperatures stay in the 70s throughout Friday night. 30 minutes ago

Man pulled from water at Carson Beach pronounced dead

A 52-year-old man died during an apparent drowning at Carson Beach in South Boston Friday afternoon, State Police said. an hour ago

Chad Finn

Dear Nets fans: Here?s what you?re getting in Kyrie Irving

Based on Irving?s time in Boston, it?s not hard to see what the future could bring in Brooklyn.

JENEÉ OSTERHELDT | COMMENTARY

?And that little girl was me?: A fighter?s mantra

When Kamala Harris said, ?And that little girl was me,? she let out a war cry that transcends generations of women.

Where did the time go? Melrose High School?s Class of ?72 is eligible for Medicare

They came from across town, and across the ocean. They hugged old friends and old flames, and wondered how they could possibly be turning 65 this year.

Sean P. Murphy | The Fine Print

A broken windshield wiper on a rental car and the company?s less-than-ideal response ? initially

A complaint about a missing windshield wiper blade on an Avis rental vehicle discovered in a rain storm on a desert road may force the company to better focus on safety issues.

Matthew Gilbert

At his ?Salute,? a rote performance from a president who didn?t mean what he said

TV viewers got a one-day reprieve from Trump being Trump, but the words he recited rang hollow.

Trump blames teleprompter for statement about Colonial-era airports Photos: Trump?s Fourth of July parade at the National Mall

opinion

Editorial Cartoon

Like a girl

IDEAS | JASON SOKOL

Boston aside, busing was a success ? and it has a future

BARBARA BRITTINGHAM

State plan could make college closures a self-fulfilling prophecy

IDEAS | S.I. ROSENBAUM

Trump wants to deny transgender rights on religious grounds. But what if gender identity, itself, is a matter of the soul?

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Fourth of July

Half a million gather in Boston for July 4 tradition

At Old State House, tears and patriotism for Declaration of Independence reading

Photos: Fourth of July in Boston

Bristol does it right for Fourth of July

The 2019 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular ? at 10x speed

An estimated half-million people flocked to the banks of the Charles River on the Fourth of July for the fireworks show. (Photo: Matthew J. Lee / Globe Staff, Video: Mark Gartsbeyn / Globe Correspondent)

NAMES

Marvel?s first openly trans actor Zach Barack calls for more portrayals

The first openly transgender actor in the Marvel Universe says there needs to be more representation of his experience. 2:54 p.m.

Dinner with Cupid

Blind date: ?He told me how cute his dog was and did not even have a picture?

Will a love of canines be enough to bond these daters?

Mayor Pete Buttigieg will head to Provincetown for a fund-raiser and town hall event on Friday afternoon

Mayor Pete Buttigieg will head to Provincetown for a fund-raiser and town hall event on Friday afternoon.

Stop and Shop employee, 18, stabbed; two arrested

An 18-year-old man was stabbed at Stop and Shop in Hyde Park Thursday evening, officials said. 3 hours ago

NAMES

Jay-Z?s companies sue NYC licensing firm for fraud

The lawsuit accuses Iconix Brand Group Inc. of lying about its finances when it made deals with the rapper?s Roc Nation apparel company. 2:31 p.m.

Stoughton man dies after rollover crash on Storrow Drive near the Esplanade

Police say evidence suggests the driver drove around barriers blocking off parts of Storrow Drive before the crash.

5 juveniles rescued from Plymouth pond after leaving youth facility

The Massachusetts State Police rescued five juveniles in Plymouth Wednesday night who left a children?s facility on a raft and could not swim, police said.

Witness describes sounds of gunfire and panic in Dorchester park during 4th of July celebration

A Fourth of July celebration in a Dorchester park was interrupted by a shooting that wounded a 35-year-old man and an 8-year-old girl Thursday, a resident said.

Man, 8-year-old shot in Dorchester park

US to pursue citizenship question on census, but path unclear

The Justice Department said Friday it will continue to look for legal grounds to force the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census, hours after President Trump said he is ??very seriously?? considering an executive order to get the question included.

Billionaire coal baron Chris Cline among those killed in Bahamas helicopter crash

A helicopter carrying seven Americans crashed Thursday off Grand Cay island in the Bahamas, killing everyone on aboard, Bahamian police said.

She recorded her boss? lewd phone call to her. Now she?s going to jail

An Indonesian woman who recorded her boss? lewd phone call as proof she was being harassed must serve at least six months in prison for distributing obscene material, the country?s Supreme Court has ruled.

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Rhode island

The clock is ticking for Raimondo to sign the state budget. Inside Commissioner Infante-Green?s truth-telling tour.

Can R.I. hit an ambitious education goal by 2025? Inside Providence?s budget battle

In Providence, mayor and City Council just can?t seem to get along

Love him or hate him, Charlie Lombardi is a lot like Rhode Island itself: small, tough, and a bit profane

For the first time since the church sexual abuse scandal began, the Providence diocese lists clergy accused of abusing minors

Rhode Islanders are no fans of being told they don?t measure up. But this time they?re listening

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Why free speech matters

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By running for mayor, Michelle Wu can make history or lose to it

Michael A. Cohen

Trump?s bromance with authoritarians

RENÉE GRAHAM

Trump?s July Fourth parade is a tribute to himself

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In Iran, politics exacts a human toll

In White River Junction, sisters are doing it for themselves

Once tired and run down, downtown White River Junction in Vermont has been revitalized, mostly by a cadre of enterprising women.

DAN SHAUGHNESSY

Jerry Remy doesn?t hold back in new book

Remy writes about his baseball and broadcasting careers, before detailing his personal hardships and horrors.

I?ve seen the Stones play live since the ?60s, and it?s been a gas, gas, gas

Former Globe music critic Steve Morse recalls the many shows that stood out, from a riot-abbreviated concert in Lynn in 1966 all the way to the band?s most recent tour.

As search for UMass Boston head begins, interim leader makes her mark

A year into her job as interim chancellor, Katherine Newman has charged forward with plans to stabilize UMass Boston?s future and its shaky finances with new hires, construction projects, and cost-cutting measures to shrink certain programs and employees.

In her Michelle Carter documentary, filmmaker asks viewers to be the jury

More than a dozen trampled in Chicago after fireworks display

3 police officers pay for accused shoplifter?s groceries

This vegan ?meat? is impossibly popular

Police break up huge ?modern day slavery? ring in UK

US employers added a robust 224,000 jobs in June

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Crossword

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Food & Dining

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Comics

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First ?Knives Out? trailer teases a star-studded, modern-day whodunnit led by Chris Evans

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New Kids play generous hosts in TD Garden show

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Coming this summer, all the old dudes

Metro

Obituaries

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Globe Local

A parking lot in Boston sells for $40 million. Yes, $40 million.

A Chicago investment firm this week bought the nondescript lot at the corner of Newbury and Dartmouth streets, scooping up what is effectively the last open land in the Back Bay?s high-end shopping district.

Humidity, showers to dominate the weekend

As a southerly flow of air continues, it will become quite humid. It may be uncomfortable for many of you who don?t have air conditioning to sleep as temperatures stay in the 70s through Friday night.

Man pulled from water at Carson Beach pronounced dead

A 52-year-old man died during an apparent drowning at Carson Beach in South Boston Friday afternoon, State Police said.

Cellphone battery pack thought to have grounded London-bound plane in Boston

A cellphone battery pack ignited a seat cushion on an Virgin Atlantic plane Thursday night, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing at Boston?s Logan International Airport, State Police said Friday.

Trump revives mystery of Pence?s N.H. trip cancellation

When Vice President Mike Pence canceled a trip to New Hampshire this week, his office didn?t explain but said there was no cause for alarm.

Stop and Shop employee, 18, stabbed; two arrested

An 18-year-old man was stabbed at Stop and Shop in Hyde Park Thursday evening, officials said.

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