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TRENDING:

William Gross, Boston?s first Black police commissioner, abruptly announces retirement

Boston Police Superintendent Dennis White, who?s been serving as Gross?s chief of staff, will assume the duties and responsibilities of the position, Mayor Martin J. Walsh said in a statement.

As others struggle with low vaccine supply, colleges and hospitals have a surplus problem

Conflicting and ambiguous state guidance regarding the coronavirus vaccine is creating uncertainty for health care providers in Massachusetts, and for some of the state's colleges and universities.
Seniors frustrated with vaccine sign-up process Some frequently asked questions and answers about getting the vaccine

Oregon health workers, stuck in snow, give COVID-19 vaccine to other drivers
The workers got stuck in a snowstorm on their way back from a COVID-19 vaccination event, so they went car to car injecting stranded drivers before several of the doses expired.

Coronavirus variant from South Africa detected in US for first time
A new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa has been found in the United States for the first time, with two cases diagnosed in South Carolina, state health officials said Thursday.

Coronavirus at a glance |
Massachusetts
Cases
Today
14-day trend
Deaths
Today
14-day trend
Mass. vaccinations
1st doses administered:
2nd doses administered:
United States
Cases
Deaths
Other resources:
SOURCES: Mass. Dept. of Public Health, CDC, Johns Hopkins University

?A dedicated public servant and a steadfast friend?: Former New Bedford mayor Frederick Kalisz succumbs to COVID-19

Kalisz, who served from 1998 to 2006, died Wednesday morning from complications brought on by the coronavirus, according to his family and city officials. He was 63.

GameStop shares surge as other stocks targeted by Reddit users plummet
The phenomenon has transfixed Wall Street and beyond this week, pitting an apparent army of ordinary investors congregating online against well-heeled Wall Street hedge funds.

Here?s what you should know about the GameStop chaos

GameStop was worth about $2 billion in December. Now it is worth $24 billion, roughly the same as the meat giant Tyson and the fuel refiner Valero Energy. On paper, at least.
The Globe's Fresh Start initiative

Boston Globe launches ?Fresh Start? initiative: People can apply to have past coverage about them reviewed

Similar to ?right to forget? programs that have cropped up across the country, the undertaking is meant to address the lasting impact that stories about past embarrassments, mistakes, or minor crimes, forever online, can have on a person?s life.

? Submit

Going forward, the Globe will allow all people to appeal their presence in older stories published on our websites. If you?re looking for a Fresh Start, please fill out this form.

? FAQ

This is a new initiative for us and we expect it to evolve with regular assessments and tweaks along the way. Read some frequently asked questions about the Globe?s Fresh Start initiative.
Watch live tonight at 7:30 EST

The State of Race: The Housing Gap

Join us tonight for a conversation about housing inequality, part of our free forum series, ?The State of Race,? hosted by GBH, the Boston Globe, NAACP Boston Branch, and WORLD Channel.

Opinion

Sheldon Whitehouse

Following US Capitol attack, we senators must investigate fellow members of Congress ? and follow the money

We need to understand what took place that day. We need to understand who was behind the tide of disinformation that led to the insurrection, and we need to understand who orchestrated the deadly actions that took place.
Rachelle G. Cohen

A pillow becomes the stuff of nightmares
EDITORIAL

Baker must make adjustments to the state?s vaccination plan
Joan Vennochi

The curious case of Charlie Baker?s State of the State address
JEFF JACOBY

Billionaire Trump doesn?t need a government pension

Project Takeout: Get takeout. Save restaurants you love.
Ordering dinner will help small local businesses survive the pandemic. But that?s just the start.

3 restaurants we supported this week How to help local spots without spending money Learn more about Project Takeout

TY BURR
A dozen or so great moments in screen overacting
These stars have put ham on the menu and made it the main course.

Work underway on nine-story lab building in Watertown
It?s part of a major redevelopment of the Arsenal Mall property.

34 Mass. companies named to national Top Places to Work list
At a time when remote work is on the rise, a company?s physical location matters less than it used to. But it?s still nice to know there are some top-ranking organizations nearby.

CEO of new Tufts-Harvard Pilgrim health insurer to retire
The two companies officially combined Jan. 1 and have not yet announced a new name.

Bishop Feehan hockey player A.J. Quetta hospitalized with ?significant injury? after headfirst crash on ice
Quetta was taken off on a stretcher to a hospital after going headlong into the boards. A GoFundMe has been set up to help his family defray costs of care.

ART
Making faces out the windows at Brookline Art Center
Alexi Antoniadis's abstracted faces can be viewed through the arts center?s showcase windows.

Chasing a painter?s long-lost rainbow at Brook Farm

Perspective | Magazine
Is reconciliation in a divided America possible? Look to Northern Ireland to see what could happen.
A Boston-based conflict resolution expert surveys what has gone wrong elsewhere, to show what can go right here.

MISS CONDUCT
Advice: My fiance?s dad won?t stop trying to talk politics
I love my future father-in-law, but our views don?t align.

More recent headlines

US economy shrank 3.5 percent in 2020 after growing 4 percent last quarter

On 35th anniversary of Challenger disaster, a look back at Globe coverage of the tragedy

?It?s a big day for Boston every day?: Mass. native Gina McCarthy had the perfect response when introduced at a White House briefing

Recommended Reads

Yvonne Abraham

Ending the Muslim ban is just a start

Lifting the ban will change lives, and save them. But it will take a great deal more than an executive order and good intentions to undo the damage done.

Housing is one of the biggest challenges facing Boston?s next mayor
For the last six years, anyone who wanted to build housing in Boston knew they had a friend in the corner office at City Hall. But with Mayor Marty Walsh bound for Washington, advocates are wondering how his successor will tackle one of Boston?s thorniest challenges: the steep cost of housing.

This Boston-area home inspector shares bizarre and humorous findings on Instagram
The account, @bostonhomeinspectors, has built a strong following for its amusing, at times mind-boggling, look at the pitfalls of homeownership.

metro

Watch live: Governor Baker to speak about small business relief
Governor Baker is expected to speak from Plymouth.

Watch live: The Housing Gap | The State of Race

William Gross, Boston?s first Black police commissioner, abruptly announces retirement

Sports

NFL
Deshaun Watson reportedly requests trade from Texans; has not spoken with new GM Nick Caserio
The hiring of David Culley as head coach apparently has not changed Watson's thinking.

Penguins at Bruins | 7 p.m. (NESN)

Jaroslav Halak will be in net as Bruins face Penguins again

There is no blueprint for staging an Olympic Games in a pandemic. The IOC is pushing ahead with Tokyo anyway

business

Work underway on nine-story lab building in Watertown
It?s part of a major redevelopment of the Arsenal Mall property.

CEO of new Tufts-Harvard Pilgrim health insurer to retire

GameStop shares surge as other stocks targeted by Reddit users plummet

politics

Representative Jimmy Gomez drafts resolution to oust Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress
Gomez, along with Mass. Representatives Jim McGovern and Jake Auchincloss, called on Greene?s removal after a series of social media posts surfaced this week, pushing right-wing extremist conspiracy theories and threatening messages toward progressive members of Congress.

US issues domestic terrorism alert about possible additional attacks after Capitol riot
Analysis

Leahy?s health scare is a reminder of just how fragile Democratic control is in D.C.

lifestyle

I?m so close to giving in
This letter writer is about to cheat. Or already cheating?

COMFORT ZONE

Three walks with poets through their favorite landscapes
TRENDSPOTTING

When travel resumes, politics is ?absolutely? likely to affect where people want to go and where they?ll feel welcome

arts

ART
Making faces out the windows at Brookline Art Center
Alexi Antoniadis's abstracted faces can be viewed through the arts center?s showcase windows.

TY BURR

A dozen or so great moments in screen overacting
PILGRIMAGE

Chasing a painter?s long-lost rainbow at Brook Farm

rhode island

RHODE MAP
Brett Smiley just raised big money in the race for Providence mayor
He?s ready to import a significant uptick in contributions, including donations from the governor and her husband.

RI SPORTS

Rhode Island?s top-ranked high school basketball player won?t let a mask ruin his senior season
ENVIRONMENT

Dead fish washing up along beaches in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York

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

So you loved Amanda Gorman?s inaugural poem. Here?s who to read next

Poetry recommendations for those inspired by "The Hill We Climb."
MUSIC

Finally, conductor Anna Rakitina makes her BSO debut

The assistant conductor?s scheduled dates were scuttled by coronavirus, so she'll make her debut with a made-for-streaming program.
PROJECT TAKEOUT

How to help local restaurants without spending money

Seven tips from marketing experts for writing reviews that will actually help the places we love.
TELEVISION

TV disagreements are the fun part of the job

My opinion about a show may not align with the views of many readers, which is . . . healthy.

Boylston?s Lazour brothers give their songs from ?Cairo? a second life

Instead of re-creating the songs as they were performed at the ART in 2019, the album emphasizes new interpretations.
COMFORT ZONE

6 TV shows that will make you feel like you?ve traveled somewhere

These might help get you through the winter, and inspire you when it?s time to travel again.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Renée Graham

Thousands are dying from COVID-19. Deborah Birx wants to save her reputation

Scot Lehigh

In GOP?s incipient civil war, who is standing up and who is toadying up?
EDITORIAL

Biden?s education secretary nominee is the right choice to lead on school reopenings
JEFF JACOBY

The politics of an Auschwitz survivor?s son
IDEAS | Mekela Panditharatne

How to keep farms from making us sick
IDEAS | VERONIQUE GREENWOOD

A viral mystery: Does one infection prevent another?

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

Music's first responder: How Yo-Yo Ma consoled a reeling nation
Perspective

Three reasons why I know we have a great couple years ahead

Connections

No gym, no problem. My 20 relatives and I work out on Zoom now

Cooking

Recipes: Italian flatbread, focaccia, and pizza dough

sports

Brad Stevens?s funky lineups might have cost the Celtics a win over the Spurs

Tewksbury boys? hockey tallies three power-play goals in win over Central Catholic

Kaleigh Fratkin isn?t just one of the NWHL?s top defenders. She?s also the coach of the Weymouth girls? hockey team

metro

Families of truck crash victims make plea to Biden, cite his past family tragedy in calling for reforms

Brett Smiley just raised big money in the race for Providence mayor

On 35th anniversary of Challenger disaster, a look back at Globe coverage of the tragedy

Nation

Dr. Fauci, Dr. Walensky say cloth masks are enough, stick with CDC mask guidance

Coronavirus variant from South Africa detected in US for first time

Representative Jimmy Gomez drafts resolution to oust Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress

World

WHO team in Wuhan departs quarantine for COVID origins study

Vaccine shortages hit EU in a setback for its immunization race

Racial profiling by French police challenged in class action

politics

Watch live: White House to hold press briefing featuring John Kerry, Gina McCarthy

Citing plight of Black and brown communities, Pressley urges Baker to emphasize equity in vaccine distribution

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy returns home after hospital visit

business

GameStop?s rally halts as trading platforms prevent purchases

Here?s what you should know about the GameStop chaos

US economy shrank 3.5 percent in 2020 after growing 4 percent last quarter

lifestyle

On Chinese food around the world, a love of snacks, and the wonder of planes

?Things will never be as they were before.? An expert offers 12 COVID-era air travel trends and predictions

Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman chosen to recite poem at Super Bowl LV

marijuana

Northampton drops controversial fees on marijuana companies

Marijuana trade group drops lawsuit against state after backlash

2 years after legalizing cannabis, has Canada kept its promises?

opinion

As seen in Calif. vote, many gig workers want both independence and benefits

A pillow becomes the stuff of nightmares

Assault on Capitol was outrageous, but it?s some nerve to liken it to a ?banana republic?

food & dining

3 restaurants we supported this week

Recipe: Next weekend make this Southern classic with 5-minute grits topped with shrimp

A four pack of healthy pantry staples, delivered to your door

travel

When travel resumes, politics is ?absolutely? likely to affect where people want to go and where they?ll feel welcome

On Chinese food around the world, a love of snacks, and the wonder of planes

?Things will never be as they were before.? An expert offers 12 COVID-era air travel trends and predictions

Books

Grace Lin was early to champion diversity in children?s literature

So you loved Amanda Gorman?s inaugural poem. Here?s who to read next

Two Boston-area authors among the finalists for National Book Critics Circle Award

Movies

A dozen or so great moments in screen overacting

Doc Talk: Escher aesthetics, extremist extrication, homelessness in Hungary

A long night?s journey in ?Malcolm & Marie?

Television

Golden Globes to honor legendary TV producer and Emerson alum Norman Lear

In ?The Long Song,? an unflinching eye on slavery

Independent Spirit Awards expand to television

music

Louie Phipps is about to release his debut album, with help from some first-class musicians. He?s 9.

Boston Lyric Opera drops a fully animated ?Fall of the House of Usher? production

Finally, conductor Anna Rakitina makes her BSO debut

Theater/Dance

Actor Denis O?Hare on ?King Lear,? Trump, and the one role he never wants to play again

Boston Ballet revisits Yakobson gems and previews new work for spring

We, the jury: How courtroom dramas have primed us for Trump?s impeachment trial

globe local

Newton Cultural Development working to help fund art projects in city

New bicycle, pedestrian access planned for Hammond Pond Parkway in Newton

In Newton, leaks in gas lines are a never-ending challenge

Obituaries

Cloris Leachman, who earned an Oscar for dramatic role and endless laughs for other roles, dies at 94

Carol R. Johnson, who founded a pioneering women-led landscape architecture firm, dies at 91

Walter Bernstein, celebrated screenwriter, is dead at 101