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‘Tuesday is too late’: Health experts urge Biden to move faster amid Omicron threat

Amid fears that the Omicron variant will lead to soaring numbers of new cases and overwhelmed hospitals in hard-hit areas, local health officials Sunday called on President Biden to take stronger measures to get more people tested, vaccinated, and protected against the coronavirus threat.

Mayor Wu to make announcement on Boston’s COVID-19 response

COVID-19: THE LATEST

Most of the world’s vaccines likely won’t prevent infection from Omicron

Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke to a reporter on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday.

Senator Elizabeth Warren said she tested positive for COVID, only experiencing ‘mild symptoms’

COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising, but some cases are milder than before

Lawmakers reach deal to set new standards for egg industry in Mass., seeking to avert supply shortage next year

State legislative leaders on Sunday reached an 11th-hour deal that would set new standards for the egg industry in Massachusetts, potentially averting what industry experts warn will be a catastrophic supply shortage come Jan. 1.

Manchin’s ‘no’ on $2t social spending bill leaves White House, liberals fuming

The White House and progressives blasted Senator Joe Manchin's switch as a betrayal.
White House calls Manchin’s opposition to $2 trillion bill ‘sudden and inexplicable’

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.”
Mourners at a candlelight vigil honored Shirley Branco Owen, who was killed Friday morning.

In Franklin, community mourns loss of woman killed in horrific attack, allegedly by ex-husband

Shirley Owen was a “daughter, a mother, a sister, an aunt, and a friend to everyone that had the blessing to know her,” her friend, Bethany Manning, said. “She was the light in every room, and she was a hot ticket. She got things done. And boy, boy, did she advocate and do everything for her amazing children.”
The average occupancy rate for local hotels in 2021 is 45 percent, or roughly half of what it was in 2019.

Boston hotels rush to adopt new assessment, bringing in millions for tourism promotion

The 1.5 percent surcharge will increase local tourism funding five-fold to help the industry at a crucial time.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a rigorous school filled with students who excel in science and technology.

‘The urgency is greater than it has ever been’: Four suicides rock WPI campus as colleges grapple with student mental health concerns

Students across the country have spoken out for years about the need for better systems to support their mental health. Now, amid the pandemic, the conversation has taken on an unprecedented level of gravity and candor.
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
A candlelight vigil in Pittsfield, Mass., in honor of Jahaira DeAlto, a trans woman murdered in May.
RENÉE GRAHAM

Lives taken, dreams lost, and communities shattered by anti-trans violence

“The person that’s responsible has no idea what they took from us,” said one victim’s grieving mother.
LETTERS

‘I came as close as one can to dying in childbirth’
OnPoint in Harlem, the newly formed nonprofit running two safe injection sites in New York.
EDITORIAL

New York is home to the first supervised injection sites in America. Let Boston be next.
An unlikely source has offered a helping hand to local newspapers and sites: Congress.
Renée Loth

Saving democracy’s front lines — local newspapers
A male Bruce spanworm, another cold-weather moth similar to the fall cankerworm, flies in Vermont and elsewhere in northern New England, mostly in November.
IDEAS | BRYAN PFEIFFER

Copulating in the cold on the shortest day of the year
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

State Rep. Alyson Sullivan says man tried to lure her out of vehicle in Stoughton

State Representative Alyson Sullivan on Sunday warned Stoughton-area residents to be aware of their surroundings after she said a man tried to coax her out of her vehicle by falsely claiming it had an oil leak outside a Target store there.

Authorities bust cocaine ring in western Mass. after seven-month investigation

Two brothers pleaded not guilty to cocaine trafficking charges this week after prosecutors claimed they sold 100 to 200 grams of cocaine on a typical day.

Fog lifted over Lake Bomoseen in the early morning on Oct. 11, as seagulls occupied a boat dock.
Nothing gold can stay
Fall’s beauty is fragile. The chill deepens and the light fades. Winter is coming, with the solstice arriving Tuesday, bringing the longest night of the year.

hirley McBay was the first Black dean for student affairs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Photo: Donna Coveney
Shirley McBay, who created a template for addressing racial inequities in education, dies at 86
Dr. McBay was the first Black student and first woman to graduate with a doctorate from the University of Georgia.

Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., meets with his staff in his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 2, 2019, as he prepares to deliver his farewell address on the floor of the Senate tomorrow.
Johnny Isakson, former Georgia Republican US senator, dies
Former Georgia Republican US Senator Johnny Isakson dies at 76; a millionaire businessman was known as consensus builder.

LOVE LETTERS
Love Letters
I have a crush on a younger co-worker
"Obviously, I am older than his mother."

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

When misfortunes pile up, Globe Santa steps in

For many families, life’s woes have been compounded by other problems, through an unfortunate run of bad luck or because one misfortune triggers another, causing a ripple effect.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GLOBE SANTA

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

Recommended reads

Clockwise from top left: Shaun Jenkins. Served 18 years. Motion for a new trial pending. Released 9/24/2021; Robert Foxworth. Served nearly 30 years. Conviction vacated. Nolle prossed. Released 12/23/20; James Lucien. Served 27 years. Conviction vacated. nolle prossed. Released 12/7/21; Tyrone Clark. Served 47 years. Conviction vacated. Nolle prossed. Released. 11/24/21 ; Ronald D. Qualls. Served 27 years. Conviction vacated. Nolle prossed. Released 03/10/2020 ; Raymond Gaines. Served 45 years. Motion for a new trial pending. Released 4/28/2021

‘They were willing to let me die in there.’ The sins of Boston police past are leading to overturned convictions and prison releases

Since 2020, judges have released at least nine men from prison because of Boston police or prosecutorial misconduct, shoddy investigations, or evidence that pointed to someone else.

high schools
Johnathan Coucelos, with his family: from left, mother, Jeanny, brother Jaxon, Johnathan, sister, Karmen, brother Jacob, and father, Kevin.
After Woburn football player endures multiple alleged assaults, parents left outraged by official response
A freshman player's anguish began after he was allegedly groped in the locker room. He reported the incident, but no charges have been filed, no coach held accountable, and the player stayed on the team. The victim, meanwhile, had to withdraw from school.

Celtics
Ime Udoka's brother, James, said he knew it took longer than Ime had hoped to land an NBA head-coaching job. But Ime knows there's nothing wrong with being a basketball lifer.
Inside the long, winding, sometimes tragic journey Ime Udoka took to the Celtics
Growing up, life for Ime Udoka was "just basketball." But Udoka lost his father at the moment he cracked a roster, and his mother when his child was born. Despite the tragedy, he's always saved space for hope. Now, that's paying off.

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.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

Isabella DeHerdt and Isaac Eliot of High Tea.

Indie-folk duo High Tea emerge from lockdown with an adventurous new set of songs
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

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

Co-hosts Jill Shah and Ross Wilson at a recent taping of the "Last Night at School Committee" podcast.
MARCELA GARCÍA

Dissecting Boston School Committee meetings, one podcast episode at a time
IDEAS | ABDALLAH FAYYAD

Editing the Constitution
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
Flags and wreaths honor veterans on the grounds of the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, April 28, 2020, where 76 people died due to COVID-19. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said on Tuesday that she's seeking to reverse the dismissal of criminal neglect charges against two former leaders of the veterans home.
EDITORIAL

Soldiers’ Home deaths show more clarity needed on elder abuse accountability
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

Most of the world’s vaccines likely won’t prevent infection from Omicron

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

Santa delivers gifts at Boston police stations during Shop with a Cop events

Santa Claus visited least four stations, in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, the South End, and East Boston, as part of the department’s annual Shop with a Cop event, Boston police said in postings on the department’s website.

Mayor Wu to make announcement on Boston’s COVID-19 response

Mayor Michelle Wu is scheduled to make an announcement about Boston’s response to the coronavirus pandemic at a news conference Monday morning, as cases continue to rise locally and nationally, and the Omicron variant continues to spread.

Black News Hour Episode 4

“Black News Hour” takes a look at the experiences of Black sports fans and journalists in Boston, a city known for its teams.

Sports

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill is well protected as he looks for his receiver against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half in Tampa, Fla.
Saints 9, Buccaneers 0

Saints’ defense shuts out Tom Brady and the Buccaneers

The victory gave New Orleans a sweep of the season series between the NFC South rivals and boosted the Saints into playoff position.
TD Garden.

COVID-19 postponements roil sports as leagues push ahead with schedules

Facing an alarming increase in pro athletes testing positive for the coronavirus, along with the rest of the country, the NBA announced Sunday that it would postpone five games, bringing to seven the total number of coronavirus-related postponements in the NBA this season.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma and Dorka Juhasz talk it over in the first half.
Women's college basketball: Louisville 69, UConn 64

No. 7 UConn women lose again, falling to No. 6 Louisville in Hall of Fame Showcase

This is the first time UConn has lost three games before January in a season since 2004.
NFL NOTEBOOK

Cowboys’ offense may be the only thing holding Big D back
Patriots

Upcoming Bills game the key to Patriots’ postseason plans

PACKERS 31, RAVENS 30

Another failed Baltimore 2-point try delivers Green Bay the NFC North title

Business

De Blasio urges US support for New York City amid viral surge

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called on the federal government to step up supplies of tests and treatments to the city amid a spike in infections caused by the Omicron variant.

Boston hotels rush to adopt new assessment, bringing in millions for tourism promotion

The 1.5 percent surcharge will increase local tourism funding five-fold to help the industry at a crucial time.

‘Anxiety is high.’ As employers keep delaying return to office, will we ever go back?

CNN closes its US offices to nonessential staff

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
Immunlologist Kizzmekia Corbett and Boston's new mayor, Michelle Wu, on the cover of the Globe Magazine's 2021 Bostonians of the Year issue.
2021

Meet this year's Bostonians of the Year
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

metro

President Biden spoke during a meeting to discuss the latest information about the Omicron variant at the White House in Washington on Thursday.

‘Tuesday is too late’: Health experts urge Biden to move faster amid Omicron threat

In Franklin, community mourns loss of woman killed in horrific attack, allegedly by ex-husband

Black News Hour Episode 3

sports

Tiger Woods embraced son Charlie Woods after completing the PNC Championship.

Tiger Woods and son’s 11 straight birdies fall short of John Daly and son at PNC Championship

NBA postpones five more games Sunday; Hawks star Trae Young enters protocol

Buffalo ends skid, sets up AFC East showdown with Patriots by pounding Carolina

business

Chef and owner Amy Brandwein poses for a photograph in a kitchen at her restaurant, Centrolina, Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Washington.

Restaurants anxious as Omicron, high food costs take toll

Hopes, fears in Finnish Christmas country as Omicron looms

Labor Department extends deadline for companies to mandate vaccines

politics

Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, departed the Senate Chamber at the US Capitol in Washington on Dec. 9.

Biden agenda sinks under its own ambitions

Manchin’s ‘no’ on $2t social spending bill leaves White House, liberals fuming

White House calls Senator Manchin’s opposition to $2 trillion social and environment bill ‘sudden and inexplicable’

Nation

A healthcare worker registers a member of the public in a car at a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021.

Most of the world’s vaccines likely won’t prevent infection from Omicron

Biden agenda sinks under its own ambitions

Manchin’s ‘no’ on $2t social spending bill leaves White House, liberals fuming

World

Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, right, space flight participants Yusaku Maezawa, center, and Yozo Hirano attend a news conference ahead of the expedition to the International Space Station.

Japanese space tourists safely return to Earth

Leftist millennial wins election as Chile’s next president

Hong Kong voters stay away from ‘patriots-only’ election in rejection of Beijing’s control

opinion

OnPoint in Harlem, the newly formed nonprofit running two safe injection sites in New York.

New York is home to the first supervised injection sites in America. Let Boston be next.

Our democracy, fraying at the edges, maybe even hanging by a thread

Let states get the ball rolling on amendments

lifestyle

Love Letters

I have a crush on a younger co-worker

Berklee College of Music professor George Howard is named in Newsweek’s ‘Greatest Disruptors’ issue

On cruise ships, Omicron puts safety protocols to the test

food & dining

People line up outside of Sameday Health to be tested for the coronavirus in D.C. on Dec. 16.

Restaurants are closing again as staff test positive for coronavirus amid Omicron surge

A former Providence speakeasy returns to its roots

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

travel

People pause to look at Norwegian Cruise Line's ship, Norwegian Breakaway, on the Hudson River, in New York, on May 8, 2013.

On cruise ships, Omicron puts safety protocols to the test

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

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

Arts

A nighttime view of the "Ledelle Moe: When" at Mass MoCA.

7 museum moments that stick

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

Books

Louise Penny's "The Madness of Crowds"

Escapist reads for long winter nights

Barack Obama shares his favorite books of 2021

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

Movies

Ariana DeBose, as Anita, and David Alvarez, as Bernardo, in "West Side Story."

Globe writers share their favorite movies of 2021

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

Television

Margaret Qualley as Alex and Andie MacDowell as Paula in "Maid."

Netflix’s ‘Maid’ shines a light on struggles of low-wage workers

16 titles to stream if you’re stuck inside on Saturday

John Mulaney and Olivia Munn welcome a baby boy, report says

music

Isabella DeHerdt and Isaac Eliot of High Tea.

Indie-folk duo High Tea emerge from lockdown with an adventurous new set of songs

The classical concerts that made me fall in love with live music again

9 notable recordings in a year of local listening

Theater/Dance

From left: William Forchion, Regie Gibson, and Mark Jaster perform a scene from the mummers play in "The Christmas Revels."

The ‘Christmas Revels’ celebrates a new direction

John Mulaney and Olivia Munn welcome a baby boy, report says

For dance, a few big steps forward

globe local

Boston police posed with children from the community at the District D-4 police station in the South End.

Santa delivers gifts at Boston police stations during Shop with a Cop events

Teen’s cancer survival story wins $50k grant for Sweet Paws Rescue of Groveland

Celebrating five centenarians, all ‘young at heart’

Obituaries

hirley McBay was the first Black dean for student affairs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Photo: Donna Coveney

Shirley McBay, who created a template for addressing racial inequities in education, dies at 86

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