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TRENDING:

US regulators lift in-person restrictions on abortion pill

Under the change, millions of American women will be able to get a prescription via an online consultation and receive the pills through the mail.
THE BIG IDEA | KARA MILLER

Has COVID made us too clean?

Cleanliness has been dispensed in squirts, wipes, and sprays for two years of the pandemic. But to scientists looking back on this time, the upsides may be outweighed by some serious downsides.

Have we started aging in dog years? Science is trying to put a number on it (but we already know the answer).

One poll found women feel they aged four years in 2020. Others say: That’s all???
Tom Randele (far left) is wearing sunglasses in this photograph taken at the Pembroke Country Club where he worked with Glenn Kelly (far right), who is now the golf pro at Woods Hole Golf Club. Kelly’s brother, Brian (second from left) golfed there as well. Golf pro Chick Fisher shook Glenn Kelly's hand as he presented him with a trophy for winning a tournament.

‘It’s unbelievable. It’s the stuff of movies.’ New details emerge about a most-wanted fugitive who taught golf at a country club in Pembroke

When Glenn Kelly got a job at the Pembroke Country Club as a teenager in the 1970s, he had no idea that he would be working alongside one of the most wanted fugitives in the country.
Hiding in plain sight: How one of the country’s most-wanted fugitives led a quiet life in Lynnfield
SPOTLIGHT FOLLLOW-UP

In less than a year, the number of Boston hospital chiefs on corporate boards is down by half

The new heads of Boston Children’s, Mass. General, and Brigham and Women’s differ from their predecessors in not serving on paid corporate boards. But it’s unclear if the change signals that hospital trustees plan to tighten policies.
Spotlight: Boston’s hospital chiefs moonlight on corporate boards at rates far beyond the national level
An ambulance bay at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford on Jan. 27, 2021. (Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff)

Hospital group boss cites ‘terrifying increase’ in COVID-19 patients in Mass.

The head of an influential hospital trade group on Thursday told a legislative committee that there’s been a “terrifying increase” in COVID-19 patients in Massachusetts hospitals over the past month, as medical facilities deal with staffing shortages and a crunch on available beds.
5,883 confirmed cases and 30 deaths. See today’s COVID-19 data from Mass. Restaurants grapple with host of challenges heading into second pandemic winter

CDC panel recommends Pfizer or Moderna vaccines over Johnson & Johnson shot

Most Americans should be given the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines instead of the Johnson & Johnson shot that can cause rare but serious blood clots, US health advisers recommended Thursday.

Town-by-town COVID-19 data in Massachusetts
Scientists at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, South Africa, worked on the Omicron variant on Wednesday.

Omicron by the numbers: Five things we know about the new variant

Since Omicron was discovered a few weeks ago, initial data has emerged that provides researchers an early glimpse at how serious the new variant could be. Here's a look at five numbers that shed light on Omicron.
COVID-19: THE LATEST

Nearly $160 million later, the state’s COVID-19 contact tracing program is ending

Ben Volin | Sunday football notes
Urban Meyer’s 2-11 record, and lack of a coherent plan to develop franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, were only the starting point for his downfall.
Urban Meyer was a walking disaster with the Jaguars
A series of gaffes and self-inflicted wounds proved ex-Jaguars coach was a bully and a con man.

Spotlight Fellowship

Tanner Lazaro broke apart frozen bait while working as a sternman on Frankie Thompson’s boat, Obsession, which launches out of Vinalhaven, Maine.
The Lobster Trap

Lobstering, climate change, and Maine. Read 7 takeaways from our ‘Lobster Trap’ series

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.”
Rachael Denhollander, Indianapolis-based lawyer and former gymnast, was the first person to put her name to accusations against Larry Nassar.
Tara Sullivan

Settlement in Larry Nassar sexual abuse case not about the $380 million, but rather the courageous women who spoke out against him

No amount of money can fix what happened to Nassar’s victims. But what this money can do is help the victims on their road to recovery.
Senator Joe Manchin departed a meeting at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday.

$2 trillion social spending bill stalled; Senate Democrats seem ready to move on for now

Democrats’ vast social and environment package languished in Senate limbo Thursday as leaders’ hopes for resolving holdout Senator Joe Manchin’s demands and considering the bill in this year’s waning days seemed all but dead.
Yvonne Abraham: The expanded child tax credit is a success. So naturally, it has to end.
The lobby of the Langham Boston was decked out with disco Christmas trees.
CHRISTOPHER MUTHER

Our stealth reviews of Boston’s new and newly-renovated hotels finds some hits — and a miss

The Newbury and the Langham battle for luxury supremacy; the Omni Seaport thinks big; and the Colonnade misses its chance to get groovy.
Choreographer Ebony Williams has created moves for Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Alicia Keys, "In The Heights," and more.
A Beautiful Resistance | Jeneé Osterheldt

Finding freedom in the rhythm of dance

Black choreographers and dancers use movement to move us forward. They use dance to tell stories, evoke memories, and unite us.
Follow @abeautifulresistance on Instagram Explore more from A Beautiful Resistance
Opinion
IDEAS | ABDALLAH FAYYAD

Editing the Constitution

The Constitution is undergoing massive changes in the Supreme Court. It’s time to put the founding document in the hands of the people.
Armed men stand on the steps at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on Jan. 6.
IDEAS | MARY ANNE FRANKS

Redo the first two amendments
US Army Specialist Jesmaid Vondee embraces her daughter, Gracen Vondee, 4, following a naturalization ceremony where Jesmaid was sworn in as a new citizen at US Citizenship and Immigration Services headquarters on Nov. 9 in Camp Springs, Md.
IDEAS | JEFF JACOBY

Restore the original immigration policy: an open door
Rust and mold is seen in the bathroom medicine cabinet of an apartment in public housing in Pittsburgh.
IDEAS | William J. Barber II

Guarantee decent living conditions
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 15: The U.S. Capitol is seen as MoveOn supporters and students attend a sit in for a Build Back Better "Jingle Back Better" action on the Senate Steps of the U.S. Capitol on December 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. Supporters are asking senators to pass Build Back Better before they go home for the holidays. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for MoveOn)
IDEAS | STEPHEN E. SACHS

Let states get the ball rolling on amendments
Mass. coronavirus at a glance
Vaccinations
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Trend:
1+ dose received:
Fully vaccinated:
Cases and deaths
Total cases:
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Total deaths:
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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

The Boston School Committee voted to close the Irving, Timilty, and Jackson/Mann K-8 School.
Boston School Committee votes to close three schools
All three schools will close in June 2022 as a part of a plan to phase out middle schools across the city in an effort to limit the number of transitions students make during their time within Boston Public Schools.

TELEVISION
MSNBC's Brian Williams was the first of three cable news hosts to leave a plum post in recent weeks.
Turmoil and turnover in cable news
Plum anchor jobs are suddenly open at MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News.

A small bouquet of flowers and a cup were placed on the side of Medical Center on Washington Street near where Ann O’Flaherty was fatally struck by a car Wednesday morning.
Heartbroken neighbors recall kindness of nurse who was fatally struck by vehicle on her way to work at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
Vicky Nawn saw the news report Wednesday about the woman who’d been struck and killed outside a Boston hospital earlier that day. But it never crossed her mind that the victim was her longtime neighbor, Ann O’Flaherty, the friendly 60-something nurse with the beautiful yard who brought her cookies and wine on holidays.

Barack Obama dropped his annual list of favorite movies.
Barack Obama shares his favorite movies of 2021, including ‘West Side Story,’ ‘The Last Duel,’ and ‘Summer of Soul’
The former president is rolling out his annual “best of” picks and on Thursday, he revealed his 14 favorite films of 2021.

Love Letters
My girlfriend is very close with her female friend, and it makes me nervous
This married woman friend calls and texts my girlfriend often. At the onset of our relationship, this did not bother me. Now, I am concerned.

Ben Affleck attended the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon Studio's "The Tender Bar" at TCL Chinese Theatre on Sunday in Hollywood.
Ben Affleck looks to set the record straight on comments about Jennifer Garner: ‘That’s not true’
An emotional Ben Affleck sought to tamp down backlash Wednesday night over comments he made earlier in the week about his divorce from Jennifer Garner and his struggles with sobriety.

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

Recipients keep paying it forward

Recipients of gifts from Globe Santa find ways to return the holiday favor.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GLOBE SANTA

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

Recommended reads

Boston entrepreneur Zoe Barry created a new mobile stock and option trading app called Zingeroo.
INNOVATION BEAT

Meet Boston’s ‘She-wolf of Wall Street’

Zoe Barry created Zingeroo, a new entrant on the mobile app stock-trading scene that raised $8.5 million in funding this week.
Sign up for the Innovation Beat newsletter

The People's Scientist
Kizzmekia Corbett photographed at The Boston Globe.
Immunologist Kizzmekia Corbett’s work represents the best of what science offered us in 2021
Years’ worth of dedicated research, including hers, is paying off in lifesaving shots in arms and conversations with people who have questions. For Corbett, science and community cannot be separated.

A Boston Police vehicle passes the site on a recent tent fire near the intersection known as Mass. and Cass in Boston, MA on Dec. 10, 2021.
Tents to be cleared from Mass. and Cass by Jan. 12, Wu announces
People living in the homeless encampment will be connected with housing and other services.

Clockwise from top: Yankee Fishermen's Cooperative in Seabrook, N.H., Kittery Point, Maine, Stonington, Conn., Provincetown, and Gloucester.
It’s a New England thing. Fishing buoy and lobster trap trees are a point of pride during the holiday season.
To the uninitiated, it can be an odd sight: Trees towering over the harbor, fashioned together with zip ties and wire. But they're a nod to the working waterfront and an increasingly beloved tradition.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

Genesis performed at TD Garden Wednesday.
MUSIC REVIEW

At TD Garden, Genesis answers their own question
STORY BEHIND THE BOOK

Last-minute holiday shopping? You can’t go wrong with the right book
Tim Colegrove, owner of the BYTE Shop, posed for a portrait at his Jamaica Plain store on Thursday. The BYTE Shop, home to one of the largest collections of historic home computers in New England, also offers electronics repair, resale, and recycling.

At Jamaica Plain’s new BYTE Shop, you can geek out over very old computers, or get your 21st-century model fixed
Dawn Simmons and Jazzmin Bonner of Stage Source, at a pre-pandemic NAAC/Boston reception.

ArtsBoston program pairs emerging BIPOC arts administrators with sponsors and mentors

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

Michelle Butler of Eutaw, Ala., holds her son Curtis, who was born at 21 weeks of gestation.
JEFF JACOBY

Roe’s ‘viability’ standard has been overtaken by science
Jerry Rappaport auctioned off his Holstein herd in East Montpelier, Vt., in 2018.
Joan Vennochi

Jerry Rappaport was a great philanthropist — and a developer who helped destroy a neighborhood
Former president Donald Trump
SCOT LEHIGH

The truth will come out on the Jan. 6 insurrection
Tatiana Ly, 10, is in a hydroponics room at the Jean Charles Academy, an independent school in Lynn.
LETTERS

New school in Lynn is a call to arms against public education’s failings
A person wearing a mask emerges from a shop in Provincetown on July 30.
EDITORIAL

Massachusetts needs another mask mandate
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

Recipients keep paying it forward

Recipients of gifts from Globe Santa find ways to return the holiday favor.
Coronavirus Live Updates

Nearly $160 million later, the state’s COVID-19 contact tracing program is ending

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

Mass. reports 7,223 new coronavirus cases among public school students and 1,153 among staff

The 8,376 total cases were 392 more than those reported last week, showing about a five percent increase in cases overall.

Charts: Who has been vaccinated in Massachusetts, and how many doses has the state received?

The charts break down vaccination recipients by age, vaccination date, location, and race/ethnicity, while also outlining vaccination brand and administration site type.

Sports

There will be no fans in the stands Thursday in Montreal.
live updates

COVID-19 live updates: Montreal’s game vs. Philadelphia Thursday night will be played without fans; status of Friday’s Canadiens-Bruins game remains in doubt

We’ll be tracking the latest news, including postponements, positive tests, and other adjustments.
Kyle Van Noy has four sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception. The eight-year veteran also has a career-high 10 passes defensed.
Patriots notebook

Back in 2016, Kyle Van Noy had good reason to get up to speed quickly on the Patriots’ defense

Van Noy is enjoying another standout season after returning to New England following a one-year stop in Miami.
The MIAA's 'pause' of the Super 8 tournament has “basically changed the Division 1 state tournament as we have known it for the past 30 years. Instead of 12-15 teams having a legitimate chance to win D1, now you have 3-4 teams — doesn’t make sense." JOHN MAGUIRE, Waltham hockey coach (center)
JIM CLARK | BOYS' HOCKEY

State hockey teams have been adjusting to new MIAA procedures

There has been significant realignment after the expansion of the statewide tournament to four divisions.
BOYS' HOCKEY | PLAYERS TO WATCH

EMass boys’ hockey: Belmont’s Cam Fici headlines Players to Watch
Tara Sullivan

Settlement in Larry Nassar sexual abuse case not about the $380 million, but rather the courageous women who spoke out against him
nfl

NFL updates COVID-19 protocols in response to spike: More masking, no visitors, and more

Business

Across the US, school shooting threats on TikTok prompt closures and more police

Generally the threats don’t name specific schools, and local authorities have said many of lack credibility. Still, schools across the country temporarily closed or bolstered police presence as a precaution.

$2 trillion social spending bill stalled; Senate Democrats seem ready to move on for now

Democrats’ vast social and environment package languished in Senate limbo Thursday as leaders’ hopes for resolving holdout Senator Joe Manchin’s demands and considering the bill in this year’s waning days seemed all but dead.

Thermo Fisher wants suit by family of Henrietta Lacks thrown out
RI HEALTH

New breathalyzer device to detect COVID-19 could soon be submitted for emergency use authorization

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
Devin McCourty and Ruben DaSilva.
PERSPECTIVE

Devin McCourty and Tito SantosSilva on ending gang violence now

MISS CONDUCT

I'm heading to QAnon country for Christmas. How do I stay cool?

Salted Peanut and Caramel Tart.
Cooking

3 holiday tarts made with dough that doesn't need to be rolled
Top Places to Work

The 2021 Top Places to Work in Massachusetts

metro

A dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Philadelphia.

CDC panel recommends Pfizer or Moderna vaccines over Johnson & Johnson shot

Small homes could make a big difference amid R.I. housing crisis

New breathalyzer device to detect COVID-19 could soon be submitted for emergency use authorization

sports

At 33, Stephen Curry is in the midst of another MVP-caliber season, and he has guided the Warriors (23-5) back to the top of the NBA.

Trying to shut down record-holder Stephen Curry will be quite a challenge for Celtics

After being spurned by Josh McDaniels in 2018, the Colts got lucky and ended up with the perfect fit in Frank Reich

How BC men’s hockey coach Jerry York’s Hall of Fame weekend couldn’t have ended better

business

The now-empty lot of Muzi Ford in Needham. Developer The Bulfinch Cos. purchased the 10-acre site with plans to build a half-million square foot office or life science complex there.

Instead of Amazon, Needham will likely get a major lab or office complex at the shuttered Muzi dealership

Has COVID made us too clean?

Meet Boston’s ‘She-wolf of Wall Street’

politics

Senator Joe Manchin departed a meeting at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday.

$2 trillion social spending bill stalled; Senate Democrats seem ready to move on for now

US regulators lift in-person restrictions on abortion pill

Army says nearly 98% got the COVID-19 vaccine by deadline

Nation

Bottles of abortion pills at a clinic in Des Moines, Iowa.

FDA eliminates key restriction on abortion pill as Supreme Court weighs case that challenges Roe v. Wade

As holidays approach, COVID-19 casts pall over celebrations

$2 trillion social spending bill stalled; Senate Democrats seem ready to move on for now

World

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (right) greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference after their bilateral meeting at the European Union headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.

NATO signals support for Ukraine in face of threat from Russia

5 schoolchildren are killed in fall from bouncy castle in Australia

All from US missionary group freed in Haiti, police say

opinion

Welcoming friends, family, and fresh air for the holidays

Jerry Rappaport was a great philanthropist — and a developer who helped destroy a neighborhood

Expand the Supreme Court

lifestyle

Barack Obama dropped his annual list of favorite movies.

Barack Obama shares his favorite movies of 2021, including ‘West Side Story,’ ‘The Last Duel,’ and ‘Summer of Soul’

At The Heights Pub in Arlington, neighborhood cheer during sobering times

My girlfriend is very close with her female friend, and it makes me nervous

food & dining

A jogger runs past The Heights Pub in Arlington.

At The Heights Pub in Arlington, neighborhood cheer during sobering times

Giulia’s Michael Pagliarini will open Moeca this spring

‘I have never seen such bad behavior in my life’: Restaurants grapple with host of challenges heading into second pandemic winter

travel

An Uber sign is displayed inside a car in Chicago.

Uber charged me for a ride I never took. Can I get a refund?

The New England Carousel Museum was the ride I needed it to be

Trains at the Museum of Science, holiday events in P-town, and a travel mattress that’s actually comfortable

Arts

Linda Sormin, "Stream," 2020-21.

At Mass MoCA, ceramic art proves its power

Jorge R. Pombo’s ‘Variations on Sargent’s Daughters’ is a dark and dizzying portrait of the times

Small wonders: Miniature portraits by the Way Sisters at Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London

Books

Former president Barack Obama.

Barack Obama shares his favorite books of 2021

Reconsidering opera in ‘The Impossible Art: Adventures in Opera’

Judith Mackrell: rereading the classics, but on a Kindle

Movies

Barack Obama dropped his annual list of favorite movies.

Barack Obama shares his favorite movies of 2021, including ‘West Side Story,’ ‘The Last Duel,’ and ‘Summer of Soul’

‘The Hand of God’ showcases a filmmaker’s eye

The year’s best documentaries? Here are 10

Television

MSNBC's Brian Williams was the first of three cable news hosts to leave a plum post in recent weeks.

Turmoil and turnover in cable news

Ben Affleck looks to set the record straight on comments about Jennifer Garner: ‘That’s not true’

The face of addiction: Kaitlyn Dever excels in opioid drama ‘Dopesick’

music

The Wellesley Chamber Players performing in 2019. Pictured (from left): Jayoung Kim, Tanja Roos, Brannon Cho, Zhanbo Zheng

For Jayoung Kim, Wellesley Chamber Players is a passion project

At TD Garden, Genesis answers their own question

With his siblings, Ralph Tavares channeled brotherly love into chart-topping success

Theater/Dance

The national tour of “Cirque Dreams Holidaze,” at the Providence Performing Arts Center Dec. 17 and 18, features dancers, acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and the gravity-defying feats Cirque du Soleil is known for.

Dancer’s childhood dreams come true with magical ‘Nutcracker” role

‘Odd birds welcome’: Casting call for upcoming Annie Baker movie filming in Western Mass. next summer

A ‘Witness’ to the history of antisemitism

globe local

Juliana Chen and Tai Katzenstein, co-directors of Resilience Project’s Parents and Caregivers Program, standing in front of Crystal Lake in Newton.

‘We’re not alone in this’: Newton-Wellesley Hospital reaches out to parents and caregivers

Newton City Hall lights up for the holidays

For artists struggling with anxiety, Newton podcaster offers a pathway to help

Obituaries

Dr. hooks taught at several colleges, including Yale University, before joining Berea College in Kentucky.

Dr. bell hooks, groundbreaking feminist thinker, dies at 69

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