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

Hotel proposed for transitional housing near Mass. and Cass has a long history of transformation

Mayor Michelle Wu has announced plans to use the six-story building, the currently closed Best Western Roundhouse hotel, for temporary housing and addiction treatment.
Residents raise questions, concerns over role of Roundhouse hotel in Mass. and Cass plan

A never ending battle? A rocky journey as US enters third year fighting COVID

As COVID-19 enters its third year of upending life around the globe, the US is still not applying hard-earned lessons from the pandemic as it continues to fight what seems like a never-ending battle.
COVID-19: THE LATEST

Pfizer offers 70 percent protection against Omicron hospitalizations in South Africa study

Mass. Medical Society calls for indoor mask mandate amid rising COVID-19 case numbers

The Massachusetts Medical Society is pushing for a mask mandate at indoor public spaces, with COVID-19 cases rising and straining hospital systems.
Brigham and Women’s nurses accuse hospital of defying state order to delay certain surgeries

Anthony D'Ambrosio, left, is a Revere school committee member running against Boston city councilor Lydia Edwards, right, in the special election for an open state Senate seat.
Voters head to polls for special state Senate contest between Lydia Edwards and Anthony D’Ambrosio
Voters will have their say Tuesday in a sharp-elbowed Democratic primary for a Massachusetts Senate seat that, for the third time in 14 years, will be decided in an off-the-radar special election.

Rolling blackouts possible in New England this winter, regional grid warns

Rolling blackouts may hit New England if there’s an extended cold snap this winter, as the regional power grid operator warns of a “precarious” situation due to snags in the natural gas supply.
Gingerbread Cookies.
SPICE CAPADES

Bake a quartet of cookies with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice that will fill your house with holiday spirit

These spicy cookies — none has a real kick of heat, just enticing tastes from ground spices — will wait in airtight tins for several days and may just improve.
Crispy Crunchy Molasses Thins.

Recipe: Crispy crunchy molasses cookies are thin, gingery, and have a little snap
Dutch Spice Cookies (Speculaas).

Recipe: Speculaas, thin, crisp Dutch spice cookies, are close cousins of Biscoff

Recipe: Her no-fuss childhood gingerbread cookies come from a magazine her mother saved

Recipe: These spicy German Pfeffernusse cookies are more flavorful days after baking
Red’s Best Local Salmon Plate at Fresh Food Generation in Dorchester.
WHAT SHE'S HAVING | DEVRA FIRST

At Fresh Food Generation, farm-to-plate for all

The new restaurant brings healthy local fare and a love of community to Codman Square.
Toscanini’s ice cream to reopen in Cambridge Jan. 1
Food activist Neftalí Durán co-founded the I-Collective in 2017.
GETTING SALTY

Food activist Neftalí Durán discusses migrant workers and indigenous experiences

"We cook your food. We work in the fields. We work in the slaughterhouses. We take care of your children."
Mac Jones and the Patriots are 9-4.
Chad Finn

In a season that’s been anything but predictable, here are four Patriots predictions with four games to go

Will the Patriots lose another game in the regular season? What stats milestones will be reached? Chad Finn broke out the crystal ball and here's what he saw.
Mac Jones and the Patriots are 28th in the NFL in pass attempts.

A Colts linebacker explained how Indy plans to thwart Mac Jones on Saturday

It's all about shifting the focus onto Jones and off the running game, Bobby Okereke said this week.

Spotlight Fellowship

Michael Grimshaw’s son Roderick helped him to put his boots on, a task that has become more difficult for Michael since he suffered a stroke last winter. Michael is among the last commercial lobstermen on Long Island Sound.
The Lobster Trap

One of Connecticut’s last lobstermen sticks with it, despite his near empty hauls

The bounteous catch that brought wealth to fishing families is declining, as climate change warms the Gulf of Maine. A way of life is on the line, but lobstermen can't, or won't, imagine another.
Read Part 1: Where lobster is king Read Part 2: Protests and prayers About this project
Cathy Watt broke down after learning of the new regulations, including a seasonal closure for offshore lobstermen on Aug 31. “These kids did it right. The men who are offshore did it right. They work their way up. They work hard. And then someone comes and just flips it upside down on you... You’re out of a job, that’s it. You’re too high for the birds.”
Passengers leave the new Amory Street MBTA station.

Michelle Wu wants Bostonians to chat on the T — but MBTA riders aren’t having it

Wu, a frequent MBTA rider, made the appeal during an interview with Politico after being asked whether people chat with her when she commutes.
John DiNatale and his brother Richard DiNatale look over a detailed diagram of murder victim Sophie Clark's apartment that was drawn up by their father, Phil DiNatale, who was a Boston police detective and one of the lead investigators in the Boston Strangler case.

New ‘Boston Strangler’ movie will hit close to home for victims’ families, those connected to the case

After the first strangling happened in Boston in June 1962, and slayings continued into 1964 and the body count grew, a feeling of terror gripped the city.
Vermont Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, a Democrat.
KEVIN CULLEN

Vermont’s first female member of Congress is looking like a sure thing

That Vermont has never elected a woman to the Senate or House of Representatives is the source of not a little embarrassment here and flies in the face of the state’s reputation as a liberal, progressive place. But that could change soon.
Opinion
Member of the New Democracy Coalition and the Indivisible Massachusetts Coalition gathered to support voting rights at Nubian Station last month, creating a giant letter urging President Biden to pressure the Senate to bypass its filibuster rules and pass the Freedom to Vote Act.
EDITORIAL

Why aren’t all New England’s senators unified to end the filibuster for voting rights?

Seven senators are failing to send a clear message about their commitment to procedural reform that would help protect Americans’ right to vote.
French actresses Catherine Deneuve, left, and Dominique Lavanant chat at Fouquet's brasserie in Paris in 1983. Would you call them "guys"?
IDEAS | BARBARA WALLRAFF

May I have a word: Tackling the ‘you plural’ problem
Tim Reardon, Rachel Heller, and Jesse Kanson-Benanav

Bold guidance for MBTA communities
Tents line Southampton Street near the intersection known as Mass. and Cass in Boston, on September 29.
Joan Vennochi

The tents at Mass. and Cass should come down
Graves listen carefully. They never interrupt. They take it all in, endlessly receptive. Something in their silence makes a person want to talk.
Elissa Ely

‘Death ends a life. It doesn’t end a relationship.’
Mya Pol is a advocate for those with disabilities and a fourth-year student at UMass Amherst.
A Beautiful Resistance | Jeneé Osterheldt

Disability should not mean invisibility

Mya Pol, a student disability activist, is fighting for equity and joy for disabled folks. Living with chronic pain, she has learned to navigate her way to feeling good. Access should not be a barrier to being joyful.
See more from A Beautiful Resistance
Mass. coronavirus at a glance
Vaccinations
.
Trend:
1+ dose received:
Fully vaccinated:
Cases and deaths
Total cases:
.
Total deaths:
.
Other resources:
Last updated: . NOTE: Mass DPH releases data Monday-Friday starting July 2021. Mass. population of 6,892,503 is used to calculate vaccination percentages. SOURCE: Mass. Dept. of Public Health

More recent stories

‘You’re looking at just a huge shortage.’ Eggs could largely disappear from store shelves in January without legislative action, industry warns.

Massachusetts lawmakers are at an impasse over an animal welfare bill, a delay that threatens the state's egg supply.

Dave Epstein | Forecast
More mild air, but some rain or snow this weekend could materialize
A warm front is approaching the area and there's a chance for a 60-degree day on Thursday.

Barry Longden, Harrisburg High School teacher, shoves dollar bills down the neck of his shirt on Saturday.
South Dakota event featuring teachers crawling for cash prompts apology
The organizers of a fundraiser that featured teachers on their hands and knees grabbing for dollar bills at a junior hockey league game in South Dakota are apologizing after the event drew criticism.

INNOVATION BEAT
Eric Paley, managing partner at Founder Collective.
Boston startups: ‘Don’t get high’ on all that cash
When it comes to funding for entrepreneurs, this year has been one for the record books. But how much is too much? Where’s all this cash going? And is this boom time going to continue in 2022?

Sign up for the Innovation Beat newsletter

Fox News hosts sent texts to Meadows urging Trump to act as Jan. 6 attack unfolded

Three prominent Fox News anchors sent concerned text messages on Jan. 6 to Mark Meadows, the last chief of staff for President Donald Trump, urging him to persuade the president to take the riot seriously and to make an effort to stop it.
House to vote on holding Mark Meadows in contempt in Capitol insurrection probe

The Thwaites Glacier, which helps to keep the much larger West Antarctic Ice Shelf stable.
Crucial Antarctic ice shelf could fail within five years, scientists say
Scientists have discovered a series of worrying weaknesses in the ice shelf holding back one of Antarctica's most dangerous glaciers, suggesting that this important buttress against sea level rise could shatter within the next three to five years.

Best of the holidays

People under the holiday lights on Boston Common.

9 places around Boston where you can get into the holiday spirit (for free)

Every holiday season comes with a gamut of things to do and gifts to buy, and it can take a toll on the old wallet. That got us thinking about some activities in and around the city where you can revel in the holiday spirit for free.
Boston is dressed in its wintery best. Here’s where to see Christmas trees, menorahs, and other decorations 20 family-friendly events to put you in the holiday spirit
Globe Santa

Families in the grip of the pandemic struggle on

Families writing in for Globe Santa's help in providing joy this holiday season are suffering from the effects of COVID-19.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GLOBE SANTA

 Read the latest stories Make a donation. Make a difference.

Recommended reads

Tania Fernandes Anderson, newly elected to the Boston City Council, will be the first Muslim, first formerly undocumented person, and first African immigrant to hold office in the city.

She overcame monumental challenges after arriving in Boston as a child. Now, Tania Fernandes Anderson will break multiple barriers as city councilor.

In January, the 42-year-old will be sworn in as the first Muslim to serve on the Boston City Council, joining a body that increasingly reflects the city’s racial and ethnic diversity. She will also be its first formerly undocumented member and first African immigrant.

A photo of Edward K. Chapman of Portland published in 1924 in Maine Central Railroad Magazine.
A century ago, this Santa Claus lookalike from Maine was considered the ‘Christmas Tree King of America’
From 1866 until his death in 1928, if you lived in certain major cities and had a Christmas tree in your home, there was a good chance that Edward Chapman had a hand in getting it there.

Juries twice have acquitted Gary Zerola of rape.
A Boston lawyer accused of rape by as many as a dozen women has avoided conviction since 1996. Now, prosecutors are trying a different tack.
Women have come forward to allege lawyer Gary Zerola raped them in nearly indistinguishable assaults dating to 1996, court records show.

A collaboration between E-ZPass Group and Boston-based PayByCar can help Massachusetts residents save at the pump.
Now you can save money on gas with an E-ZPass
Installed at 27 Alltown service stations around the state, the system lets you save 30 cents a gallon and was developed by Boston-based PayByCar.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

From left: Luke Ferrari, YDE, and Paravi Das with members of the Boston Children's Chorus in "WILD: A Musical Becoming" at American Repertory Theater.
STAGE REVIEW

In ‘WILD,’ a dire climate warning delivered with exuberance and passion at the ART
A still from the film "All the Lonely People," a documentary about the impact of social isolation. Shown here is a statue in Liverpool of Eleanor Rigby, the fictional subject of a 1966 Beatles song.

‘All the Lonely People’ documents worldwide isolation and its cures
Siobhan Miller performs in 2019's "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn" at Cutler Majestic Theatre. The show is back live this year.

‘A Christmas Celtic Sojourn’ returns to Cutler Majestic Theatre

"A Christmas Story: The Musical" will be playing the Boch Center Wang Theatre Dec. 7-19. Actor Sam Hartley with Reba and Jethro, who are in the show.

‘A Christmas Story: The Musical’ basset hounds are stars of the show

Special Projects

The 2021 Top Places to Work in Massachusetts

Is your employer among the 150 companies to make the list?
Jeneé Osterheldt

A Beautiful Resistance

Black joy, Black lives, as celebrated by culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt.

‘On the Street’: The changing face of Greater Boston neighborhoods

The changing face of Greater Boston neighborhoods.
Special Report

In Harm’s Way

Vehicle rammings against protesters are on the rise, but the justice system often sides with drivers

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Activists participate in a rally in New York on the steps of City Hall ahead of a City Council vote in early December to allow lawful permanent residents to cast votes in elections to pick the mayor, City Council members, and other municipal officeholders.
MARCELA GARCÍA

Boston should follow New York’s lead and allow noncitizens to vote in local elections
Bria Gadsden and Sasha Goodfriend

This is what menstrual equity looks like

Graves listen carefully. They never interrupt. They take it all in, endlessly receptive. Something in their silence makes a person want to talk.
Elissa Ely

‘Death ends a life. It doesn’t end a relationship.’
Chickens mill about at Brown's Farm, which produces sustainable eggs for NestFresh, in Gonzales, Texas in May.
EDITORIAL

Legislature must get cracking on egg reform
Kristen Soderman, 16, watches out the family room window for packages to arrive to her family’s home in Barre in July. Kristen Soderman spent more than a month "boarding" at Boston Children's Hospital, waiting for a psych bed so she could receive treatment. Patients who need treatment for mental illness are often waiting days or even weeks in hospital emergency departments or other parts of hospitals until a psych bed becomes available.
Maurizio Fava

The country’s mental health crisis: A pandemic within the pandemic
Tourists observe the lava flow from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on Spain's La Palma island.
IDEAS | Boštjan Videmšek and Matjaž Krivic

Here come the catastrophe tourists

Metro

Coronavirus Live Updates

Pfizer offers 70 percent protection against Omicron hospitalizations in South Africa study

The latest news and guidance on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in New England and beyond.

Omicron accounts for 3 percent of US COVID cases

The Omicron variant now makes up 3% of all sequenced COVID-19 cases in the US, rising from less than 0.1% in early December, health officials said, a sign of the rapid spread of the new coronavirus version.

Voters head to polls for special state Senate contest between Lydia Edwards and Anthony D’Ambrosio

Voters will have their say Tuesday in a sharp-elbowed Democratic primary for a Massachusetts Senate seat that, for the third time in 14 years, will be decided in an off-the-radar special election.

Air Force discharges 27 service members in first apparent dismissals over vaccine refusal

The Air Force removed 27 people for not obeying orders to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, a spokeswoman said Monday, apparently marking the US military's first dismissals of those who refuse the shots.

Sports

Craig Smith, right, has two goals and five assists in 19 games this season.

Bruins place forward Craig Smith in COVID-19 protocol

The move comes after the Calgary Flames, whom the Bruins played Saturday night, had three games postponed after a COVID-19 outbreak in their locker room.
Northeastern's leading scorer Shaquille Walters has only missed one game this season, rare durability for the Huskies' squad.
MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

Northeastern men’s basketball showing flashes, but ever-present injuries holding Huskies back

Northeastern has put on some impressive performances this season, but has struggled at times without its whole roster.
Mac Jones and the Patriots are 28th in the NFL in pass attempts.
patriots

A Colts linebacker explained how Indy plans to thwart Mac Jones on Saturday

It's all about shifting the focus onto Jones and off the running game, Bobby Okereke said this week.
Chad Finn

In a season that’s been anything but predictable, here are four Patriots predictions with four games to go

As Olympics open, Uyghurs set to take rights case to court

Coroner to issue brain test results of NFL player accused of shooting 6

Business

Larry Edelman

Les Otten lines up new financing for his Balsams resort reboot

The New Hampshire project’s new investor is Provident Resources Group, a Louisiana nonprofit with the mission of arranging low-cost financing for community-based projects.

Kronos warns cyberattack may knock HR software offline for weeks

Ultimate Kronos Group subsidiary Kronos, a provider of payroll and time-sheet software, said it suffered a ransomware attack that may force its systems offline for weeks.
INNOVATION BEAT

Boston startups: ‘Don’t get high’ on all that cash

Adagio stock tanks after data show its experimental antibody treatment isn’t effective against Omicron

STAT

Dr. Monica McLemore, Associate Professor in the Family Health Care Nursing Department at UCSF, stands for a portrait at the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza on Friday, September 10th, 2021 in Oakland, Calif.
‘Health equity tourists’: How white scholars are colonizing research on health disparities
A STAT investigation shows that researchers with little or no background or training in health equity research are rushing in to scoop up grants and publish papers.

Covid winter illustration
Winter is coming, again: What to expect from Covid-19 as the season looms
STAT spoke with infectious disease experts and others about what to expect from Covid-19 as the seasons change.

Funeral goers sing during a service for Daisy Pace at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in January 2021.
DISTANCED: Pandemic stories of Black life in the rural South
Photographer Bethany Mollenkof spent six months documenting the impact of Covid-19 on residents of rural Black communities in the South.

Boston, MA -- 05/12/21 -- Dr. Matthew Carty examines patient Jerry Majethic at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital on May 12, 2021, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Kayana Szymczak for STAT)
Groundbreaking arm amputation surgery makes a ‘phantom’ hand seem real
The procedure aims to restore proprioception, the ability to sense where our limbs are in space and how fast and forcefully they’re moving.

magazine
Top Places to Work

The 2021 Top Places to Work in Massachusetts
Top Places to Work

Employees share why they love being at these Top Places to Work
Senior director of sales engineering at Rapid7, David Bosquet, sets up his computer at the desk he picked the night before.
Top Places to Work

Getting into the office sure isn't as easy as it used to be
Kate Booth of Vertex Pharmaceuticals watches over daughter Lila’s online art class, paid for by her employer.
Top Places to Work

How some companies are helping parents and other caregivers

metro

Masks are required in indoor public places, in Chelsea.

Mass. Medical Society calls for indoor mask mandate amid rising COVID-19 case numbers

Pfizer offers 70 percent protection against Omicron hospitalizations in South Africa study

Suffolk jury awards $1.7M to Black teacher after finding Boston schools retaliated against him for discrimination complaints

sports

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (left) fights through the defensive pressure from Bucks forward Khris Middleton for two of his game-high 42 points in the Celtics' 117-103 win.

The Celtics finally got physical, and they delivered one of the most important wins of the season

Matthew Stafford, Rams beat Cardinals through air to pull within a game in NFC West

Stephen Curry now one short of 3-point record but leads Warriors past Pacers

business

LogMeIn chief executive Bill Wagner.

LastPass to stand alone as LogMeIn owners say they’ll spin off the password management company

Boston nonprofit gets Gates Foundation backing to help African farmers

Women continue to do most chores and child care, AP-NORC poll finds

politics

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu cheers at the 80th annual Christmas tree lighting event at the Boston Common on Dec. 2.

Michelle Wu heads to the White House Tuesday. Here’s what we know

House to vote on holding Mark Meadows in contempt in Capitol insurrection probe

Air Force discharges 27 for refusal to get COVID vaccine

Nation

People head into the Chelsea Senior Center, where COVID-19 vaccinations are being administered to adults and children by Cataldo Ambulance Service.

Pfizer offers 70 percent protection against Omicron hospitalizations in South Africa study

Michelle Wu heads to the White House Tuesday. Here’s what we know

South Dakota event featuring teachers crawling for cash prompts apology

World

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a press conference at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia on December 14, 2021.

Europe, US frustrated with Iranian stance in nuclear talks

As Olympics open, Uyghurs set to take rights case to court

New Australian plant could make 100 million vaccines a year

opinion

An airport worker handles the cargo of COVID-19 vaccines, donated through the UN-backed COVAX program, on arrival in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on May 8.

Congress should step up in global fight against COVID

Under opaque US system, almost every medical bill is a surprise

Smarter steps to make air travel safer

lifestyle

"A Christmas Story: The Musical" will be playing the Boch Center Wang Theatre Dec. 7-19. Actor Sam Hartley with Reba and Jethro, who are in the show.

‘A Christmas Story: The Musical’ basset hounds are stars of the show

Can dogfish and skate save the Cape’s fishing industry?

8 HEA holiday rom-com movies you’ll fall in love with

food & dining

Dogfish waiting to be off-loaded at the Chatham Fish Pier in 2015.

Can dogfish and skate save the Cape’s fishing industry?

A tribute to Sandy Block, Master of Wine

At Fresh Food Generation, farm-to-plate for all

travel

Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina’s Stay and Skate package includes unlimited skating with skate rentals.

A stay-and-skate package in Newport, a museum of miniatures in Tucson, and a dash cam to go

New England ski resorts with throwback charm and (relatively) retro prices

White Elephant, a Nantucket mainstay, opened a sister hotel in Palm Beach. We had to meet her

Arts

Dresses from the Apple TV+ show "Dickinson" that were donated to the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst.

Amherst’s Emily Dickinson Museum receives hundreds of set pieces from ‘Dickinson’

ICA announces name, details of US exhibition at Venice Biennale: ‘Simone Leigh: GRITTIN’

Painter Katherine Bradford and weaver Diedrick Brackens pair up in exhibition at Harvard’s Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts

Books

“I wrote novels about people who are shut out of life for various reasons,” Ms. Rice wrote.

Anne Rice, author of vampire novels, dead at 80

A new work from a Maine-based illustrator Jamie Hogan and Ralph Culver’s first full-length collection

Author readings for Dec. 12-18

Movies

The filming of Hocus Pocus 2 began on Federal Hill, on Atwells Avenue in Providence on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. It will continue through the weekend. The Sanderson sisters, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy were expected to be on set at some point during the weekend filming a flying broom scene. Here, film crew members set up a night scene on Atwells Avenue.

🧙🏻‍♀️The latest on ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ in Rhode Island

Golden Globes announces nominations to a skeptical Hollywood. Here’s the complete list

‘Drive My Car’ big Boston Society of Film Critics winner

Television

Jeremy Strong in "Succession."

Jeremy Strong of ‘Succession’ is fully committed — and that worries some

Peloton claps back at ‘And Just Like That’ moment with viral ad — and an assist from Ryan Reynolds

Golden Globes announces nominations to a skeptical Hollywood. Here’s the complete list

music

Megan Thee Stallion.

Megan Thee Stallion graduated from college Saturday, and the outpouring of support was real

R.E.M., Coltrane, Buena Vista Social Club, and more: 10 of the best reissues, box sets, and archival releases of 2021

The sounds of 617: Local music aficionados choose their favorites of the year

Theater/Dance

Soneka Anderson and Davron Monroe in Moonbox Productions' "Passing Strange."

Rising to the challenge of ‘Passing Strange’

For Eugene Mirman’s holiday show, the more the merrier

At the Orpheum, a Louis C.K. reboot

globe local

Wenham Museum train curator Rob Flanagan (left) and railroad volunteer Walt Meibaum pose with one of the seasonal train layouts.

All aboard for holiday fun at the Wenham Museum

Should the state impose a tax on high-sugar drinks?

A car drives into a swimming pool in Norwood

Obituaries

Juliet Relis Bernstein set up a GoFundMe so she die in her home. CHATHAM, MA - 6/24/2021 Juliet Bernstein sits in the bedroom of her Chatham home on Thursday afternoon. Juliet, who will be 108 in July, doesn’t want to leave her home for care and is raising money online to pay for the cost of home care so she can continue to live independently. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

Juliet Relis Bernstein, activist who set up a GoFundMe so she could die in her home, passes away at 108

Billy Chin, who brought Boston’s Chinatown ‘into the mainstream,’ dies at 92

Rev. C. Herbert Oliver, civil rights activist, dies at 96