fb-pixel Skip to main content
The Boston Globe
TRENDING:

Mass. reports 5,074 new confirmed coronavirus cases, 75 new deaths

The state also said 93,597 people were estimated to have active cases of the potentially deadly virus.
The latest COVID-19 numbers from Massachusetts

Broad Institute?s Eric Lander stepping away to become Biden?s science adviser
Lander, the founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, will take an unpaid leave of absence as cabinet-level science adviser in the Biden administration.

National Rifle Association files for bankruptcy

The National Rifle Association announced Friday it has filed for bankruptcy and will seek to incorporate the nation?s most politically influential gun-rights group in Texas instead of New York.

CDC warns the new virus variant could fuel huge spikes in COVID cases

Federal health officials sounded the alarm Friday about a fast-spreading, far more contagious variant of the coronavirus that is projected to become the dominant source of infection in the country by March, potentially fueling another wrenching surge of cases and deaths.

Joe Biden unveils vaccine plan fueled by billions in federal money

President-elect Biden spoke a day after unveiling a $1.9 trillion ?American Rescue Plan? to confront the virus and provide temporary support for a shaky economy.
Vaccine reserve was already exhausted when Trump administration vowed to release it, dashing hopes of expanded access

Governor Baker says state wasn?t planning for more vaccines, despite hopes raised by Trump administration this week

Rhode Island doctor suspended indefinitely for deliberately exposing patients, staff to COVID-19

Dr. Anthony Farina is accused of working while sick and other misconduct that the state Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline said made him ?an immediate danger to the public.?

New small-business loans and state grants target entrepreneurs of color and those hardest hit

The Small Business Administration began accepting new Paycheck Protection Program loan applications this week, with new measures in place to ensure the fund distribution is more equitable and transparent. There were many complaints that the original PPP last spring left behind the smallest businesses and entrepreneurs of color. This time community banks and small lenders were able to offer loans first.
Here?s what you need to know about the newest PPP and state COVID-19 small business grants

The Capitol mob came dangerously close to Vice President Pence
The violent mob that stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6 came perilously close to Vice President Mike Pence, who was not evacuated from the Senate chamber for about 14 minutes after the Capitol Police reported an initial attempted breach of the complex.

Live Updates

Pence calls Harris to congratulate her on election

Trump?s approval rating drops to new lows after Capitol riot, poll finds
A new poll shows President Trump is exiting the White House with his lowest-ever job approval rating, and a majority of respondents believe he bears at least some responsibility for last week?s deadly Capitol riot.

Trump to leave Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning, before Biden?s inauguration

Lawyer for Capitol rioter in fur headdress says client was ?answering the call of the president?

Get takeout. Save restaurants you love.

Ordering dinner will help small local businesses survive the pandemic. But that?s just the start.

More about Project Takeout

The Globe is asking readers, if they can, to get takeout and help our local restaurants get through this dark winter.

Tell us your favorite restaurants

Explore a map of some local restaurants and submit your hometown favorites

Mass. casinos continue to struggle amid pandemic restrictions
Gambling revenue was up slightly in December, but it was still way down from the same month in 2019.

Reporter Nidhi Razdan claims she was victim of ?phishing attack? that led her to believe she?d been hired as a journalism professor at Harvard
In a lengthy statement on Twitter Friday, Razdan, who spent 21 years as a reporter at New Delhi Television ? or NDTV ? a news network and online media company in India, said she was falsely led to believe that she had been offered a position teaching at Harvard beginning in the fall.

Opinion

Talia Lavin

Confronting white supremacy among our neighbors, our families ? and ourselves

The list of those arrested or identified as participants grows: legislators, lawyers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, current and former members of the armed forces, and police officers.
Vidhya Ramalingam

Big Tech stepped up in the fight against far-right extremism. Where does it go from here?
Bandy X. Lee and Jeffrey D. Sachs

Trump shows why mental health must be part of political discourse
Scot Lehigh

The 14th Amendment offers an easier way than impeachment to ban Trump from future office
EDITORIAL

Police departments must take a hard line on insurrectionist and white supremacist cops

Red Sox and Rafael Devers reach a deal, avoiding arbitration
The third baseman will receive a salary of $4.575 million for the 2021 season.

Beloved restaurant Peach Farm used to be open until 3 a.m. ? now it struggles to stay open at all
Despite being a darling of the Boston food scene, this Chinatown staple and the late-night spectacle it once offered has been muzzled by a 9:30 p.m. curfew and the punishing, protracted pandemic.

Attorney arrested on rape charges

Boston Police arrested defense attorney Gary Zerola Friday, after a warrant was issued for his arrest Wednesday for rape and breaking and entering during the nighttime. .At his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court, Zerola was held without bail awaiting the outcome of a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Thursday, officials said.

Will Governor Raimondo speak again? Her office has no comment
Neither the governor nor Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh have taken questions from the media since they were nominated to President-elect Joe Biden?s cabinet.

Gov. Baker signs ?Laura?s Law?
In a solemn ceremony Friday, Governor Charlie Baker signed ?Laura?s Law,? which requires state officials to set standards for access to hospital emergency rooms following the tragic death of Laura Levis, who collapsed outside the locked door of a Somerville ER in 2016 and later died.

From 2018: Losing Laura | Globe Magazine

State pardon board recommends a murderer?s life sentence be commuted

The recommendation by the board was made public Friday. Members pointed in their recommendation to the inmate's ?extraordinary commitment to self-improvement and self-development.?

Matthew Gilbert
?Insecure,? ?High Maintenance? call it a day the right way
They?ll leave us wanting more, not less.

Red Sox open international signing period by adding ?exceptional talent? Miguel Bleis, four others

Switch-hitting Dominican shortstop Luis Ravelo, 17, and 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher Enderso Lira are among the signees.

Recommended Reads

Tracking who has been vaccinated in Massachusetts

With a limited supply of vaccine doses, almost seven million residents, and some hesitation among specific communities, Massachusetts? long-awaited end to the COVID-19 pandemic feels within reach, but we?re not there yet.

KEVIN CULLEN
The gun nuts who stormed the Capitol proved that gun control works
The riot at the Capitol would have been infinitely worse if the gun-loving insurrectionists had carried weapons as openly as so many of them do in their home states.

Need a precedent for what?s going on in Boston politics? Look to 1993
President-elect Joe Biden choosing Mayor Martin J. Walsh to be his labor secretary has a striking precedent. In 1993, Raymond L. Flynn was tapped by Bill Clinton to become ambassador to the Vatican, setting up an open election to become the next Boston mayor.

metro

Pence calls Harris to congratulate her on election
Violent mobs loyal to President Trump stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday and forced lawmakers into hiding, in a stunning attempt to overturn America?s presidential election, undercut the nation?s democracy and keep Democrat Joe Biden from replacing Trump in the White House.

RI CRIME

Rhode Island doctor suspended indefinitely for deliberately exposing patients, staff to COVID-19

Attorney arrested on rape charges

Sports

NBA loses dozen games across 16 teams to COVID-19 postponements in a week
Seventeen players tested positive in recent days, including Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns, which was more than the NBA had seen in the last five weeks combined. Also, three more games were postponed Friday.

NFL Notebook

Falcons hire Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith as coach
School Swimming Notebook

At King Philip, swim program sets example in competing and giving

business

Desktop Metal buys 3D-printing competitor for $300 million
The Boston-area company went public through a merger in late 2020. EnvisionTEC, based in Dearborn, Mich., sells printers to medical, professional, and industrial clients.

New small-business loans and state grants target entrepreneurs of color and those hardest hit

Broad Institute?s Eric Lander stepping away to become Biden?s science adviser

politics

Lawyer for Capitol rioter in fur headdress says client was ?answering the call of the president?
In an interview on CNN, lawyer Albert Watkins appealed to President Trump to pardon his client, Jacob Chansley, who was among the dozens of Trump supporters charged after storming the Capitol.

President-elect Biden names Broad Institute founding director as science adviser, elevates position to Cabinet level

Trump?s approval rating drops to new lows after Capitol riot, poll finds

lifestyle

COMFORT ZONE
Grammy-nominated rapper Joyner Lucas awarded Key to the City of Worcester
The honor went to those who made significant contributions to the arts in a difficult year.

I wanted to meet someone in 2020
IN THE FAMILY WAY

How to talk to your kids about what happened in Washington

arts

Beyond ?One Night in Miami:? Where to find more of the movie?s iconic foursome
Where to find more movies with Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Malcolm X, and Sam Cooke.

COMFORT ZONE

MFA to celebrate MLK Day by imagining ?a world we want to live in?
TELEVISION

?Insecure,? ?High Maintenance? call it a day the right way

rhode island

RI CRIME
Rhode Island doctor suspended indefinitely for deliberately exposing patients, staff to COVID-19
Dr. Anthony Farina is accused of working while sick and other misconduct that the state Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline said made him ?an immediate danger to the public.?

POLITICS

Will Governor Raimondo speak again? Her office has no comment

As RI surpasses 2,000 deaths, demand for COVID-19 vaccine is outpacing supply

Newton

Special Projects

A beautiful resistance | JENEÉ OSTERHELDT

With every sip, a labor of love

In Vermont, a winemaker is cultivating a legacy that pays homage to the Black folk who built this country and is celebrating life and the future of farming.
See more from 'A Beautiful Resistance' Follow on Instagram

On the Street

In tackling the pandemic, Chelsea finds new strength

Brockton offers a gateway to a new generation

This time, Quincy Center?s revival looks legit

Revere was going through a revival before COVID-19. Can it stay on track?

See more from our business series ?On the Street?: The changing face of Greater Boston neighborhoods

More

2020 Bostonians of the Year: The Front Line
They stood up to fight the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice. Meet the people leading us through a harrowing year.

Last Words: Is death the great equalizer?
Quite the contrary, a Spotlight investigation shows. Death exposes in high relief the layers of inequities, in race and income, care and opportunity, that shape life down to its final hours. It is a truth the pandemic has only underscored ? one hard to see, because it is so much easier to look away.

I knew getting prostate cancer at 48 would change me. I had no idea how much
For the past year, Mark Shanahan has been working on Mr. 80 Percent, a six-episode podcast miniseries about his experience with prostate cancer. It?s a deeply personal, sometimes harrowing, often funny story about a disease that affects millions of men. The heroes are his doctors and family, who put up with some appalling behavior. You?ll hear from both.

Comfort Zone

COMFORT ZONE

MFA to celebrate MLK Day by imagining ?a world we want to live in?

Highlights include a ?Voices on King? segment featuring artists, politicians, and community leaders.

Beyond ?One Night in Miami:? Where to find more of the movie?s iconic foursome

Where to find more movies with Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Malcolm X, and Sam Cooke.
COMFORT ZONE

Grammy-nominated rapper Joyner Lucas awarded Key to the City of Worcester

The honor went to those who made significant contributions to the arts in a difficult year.
ASK MATTHEW

A reader looks to lasso more upbeat TV shows

Our critic has some ideas for comedies that offer a perfect escape from the real world.
IN THE FAMILY WAY

How to talk to your kids about what happened in Washington

As parents, we need to project calm and reassurance, even if we?re faking it.
WINTER GETAWAYS

The lush life, close to home: Hotel deals in and around Boston

If you?re looking for a home away from home, at least for a night or two, check out these local hotels.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

IDEAS | DAVID SCHARFENBERG

An Amherst professor predicted exactly how Trump would try to overturn the election. Now he fears for 2024
Renée Loth

With Trump era ending, the unwinding begins

IDEAS | MONICA RODDEN

Would I have stormed the Capitol?
Renée Graham

Weeping for my country, again
EDITORIAL

One red hot mayoral race is enough
IDEAS | DAVID SCHARFENBERG

?I was shaking. And I didn?t want my kids to see me.?

STAT

The Road Ahead: Charting the pandemic over the next 12 months ? and beyond
In this project, STAT describes 30 key moments, possible turning points that could steer the pandemic onto a different course or barometers for how the virus is reshaping our lives.

From a small N.C. town to big-city hospitals, how software infuses racism into U.S. health care
The racial bias can produce huge differences in assessing patients? need for special care to manage conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or depression, a STAT investigation found.

Covid-19?s wintry mix: Dry indoor air helps the virus spread
The worry is not just that people might mingle more closely inside, but that the air they breathe will make the virus more dangerous.

In the Covid-19 death of a hospital food worker, a microcosm of the pandemic
The hospital's first employee to die of Covid-19 was a kitchen worker named Marie Deus ? and her illness sparked a question. Why weren't bedside clinicians getting sick at the highest rates?

magazine
On the Cover

Jujubee?s fierce optimism is what we all need right now

Connections

Growing up, I thought my brother was the selfish one. Not any more.
Exclusive Excerpt

How many friends do we really need to be happy?
Dinner With Cupid

What happened next? Did these Cupid daters find love?

sports

Red Sox and Rafael Devers reach a deal, avoiding arbitration

Program director Joe Zarbano leaves WEEI after 14 years

Northeastern postpones men?s hockey series with Boston College after positive COVID-19 test

metro

Will Governor Raimondo speak again? Her office has no comment

Gillette Stadium's mass coronavirus vaccination site

Media gets sneak peek at Gillette Stadium mass coronavirus vaccination site

Nation

Mass. reports 5,074 new confirmed coronavirus cases, 75 new deaths

National Rifle Association files for bankruptcy

Lawyer for Capitol rioter in fur headdress says client was ?answering the call of the president?

World

Russia to exit Open Skies Treaty, escalating military rivalry with US

North Korea unveils new submarine-launched ballistic missile

The global death toll from the coronavirus has topped 2 million

politics

Watch live: President-elect Joe Biden to discuss vaccines

Trump to leave Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning, before Biden?s inauguration

Watch live: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds press conference

business

Mass. casinos continue to struggle amid pandemic restrictions

Massive renovation of Bunker Hill public housing wins a key approval

Beloved restaurant Peach Farm used to be open until 3 a.m. ? now it struggles to stay open at all

lifestyle

Boston artist Kofi Lost writes the Google Year in Search

Ghost King Thai opens in the South End, Gepetto arrives in Cambridge, and Yellow Door does brunch

Has he developed a work crush?

marijuana

Healey appoints new commissioner to Mass. marijuana agency

Study: smoking pot raises level of harmful chemicals in body but smoking tobacco is more harmful

Q&A with outgoing cannabis commissioner Shaleen Title

opinion

Big Tech stepped up in the fight against far-right extremism. Where does it go from here?

Trump shows why mental health must be part of political discourse

Confronting white supremacy among our neighbors, our families ? and ourselves

food & dining

Ghost King Thai opens in the South End, Gepetto arrives in Cambridge, and Yellow Door does brunch

Project Takeout

Get takeout. It?s your civic duty.

travel

Looking for wild snow? Here are 6 backcountry skiing tours to explore

One pandemic perk? Plenty more volunteers at Unity Farm Sanctuary

Nantucket hoteliers buy a private Caribbean island for their latest resort

Books

In ?Land,? Simon Winchester looks at what the hunger for land ownership has wrought

Essays on the magic and poetry of art and place by André Aciman

Paulette Jiles on reading about crime, action, and exploration

Movies

Beyond ?One Night in Miami:? Where to find more of the movie?s iconic foursome

Regina King on making ?One Night? memorable

12 activities to quell your nerves in these dark times

Television

?Insecure,? ?High Maintenance? call it a day the right way

A reader looks to lasso more upbeat TV shows

Inauguration events will be all over TV and the Web

music

What it takes to build a ?modular? opera

Passim sends grants totaling $40,000 to 24 project-minded musicians

Celebrity Series offers home concerts recorded around the world

Theater/Dance

Theater leaders lean into 2021 with plenty of programming and a measure of optimism

For some arts venues, a lifeline

Boston record label Dead & Mellow marks a first year in which nothing went according to plan

globe local

?They are our family?: Neighborhood bars struggle to survive during pandemic

Should the federal government cancel all student loan debt?

It?s not every day you see someone driving with a bird in the vehicle

Obituaries

Harold Bornstein, Trump?s former personal physician, dies at 73

Siegfried Fischbacher, magician of Siegfried & Roy, dies at 81

Barry Goldsmith, who escaped, dropped out, and came back