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As experts advise better masks to protect against Omicron, government is starting to provide them

N95, KN95, and KF94 masks are made of material with an electrostatic charge, so they block aerosol particles more effectively than masks made of cloth. The price has dropped considerably since the beginning of the pandemic.

Firefighters, police unions sue to block Boston’s vaccination mandate for city workers

Boston Firefighters Local 718, the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, and the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society filed a petition for a temporary restraining order to halt the policy’s implementation, according to a statement from the firefighters union.

Nearly 1,000 state workers, out of a total of 41,000, left jobs over vaccine mandate

Of the 41,629 employees who are subject to the mandate, 40,441 of them, or just more than 97 percent, are in compliance with the mandate.

21,137 confirmed cases and 36 deaths. See today’s COVID-19 data from Mass.

Here’s a look at the latest coronavirus numbers in Massachusetts, including case numbers, deaths, demographics, and more.
See how many people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in your Mass. town

See the latest town-by-town COVID data in Mass.
THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS

Multiple US states set COVID-19 case records

Special Project

UNDER THE WHEEL

This is the story of Anthony Pledger and his mother, of Anthony’s lives and deaths, of Anthony and me.
Opinion
People lined up to receive at-home COVID-19 tests in New York on Dec. 23. While investing heavily in vaccines for Americans, the administration neglected until the final weeks of 2021 to put into place a free testing strategy for the country that could help prevent the spread of new variants.
EDITORIAL

Stop reacting to the pandemic. Start planning ahead for it.

Far too often, the Biden administration has been caught flat-footed responding to the latest front in the COVID-19 crisis. The White House must take a longer view and prepare for what’s to come.
Proud Boys member Matthew Greene was among the first wave to rush up the Capitol steps in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Greene pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding.
Kimberly Atkins Stohr

A year after a seditious insurrection, why won’t federal prosecutors treat it that way?
President Biden delivers opening remarks at the virtual Summit for Democracy on Dec. 9.
IDEAS | FRANK VOGL

Stopping international corruption begins here at home
The human propensity for storytelling makes us particularly receptive to narratives of good vs. evil, as in the "Star Wars" series. LUCASFILM
IDEAS | Jonathan Gottschall

Our fondness for narratives is driving us mad
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick speaks during a news conference in September in Foxboro.
Joan Vennochi

In praise of the reporter who asked Bill Belichick his New Year’s resolutions
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
A Beautiful Resistance | Jeneé Osterheldt

Behind the scenes of Season 2

We didn't just feature Black folk in front of the camera. We teamed up with three local visual storytellers to help direct and film every episode.
Watch Season 2 Follow @abeautifulresistance on Instagram
Controversies within the Duxbury football team and the Danvers boys' hockey team loomed large over 2021.

Hate speech in Mass. school sports: Painful progress was made in 2021, but challenges remain

It was a turbulent year within local schools, with high-profile incidents in Duxbury and Danvers. What's changed?
President of basketball operations Brad Stevens is hoping for more after the Celtics' frustrating 16-19 start.

Brad Stevens says Celtics have ‘had moments, but they’ve been too few and far between’

With the Feb. 10 trade deadline fast approaching, the Celtics could find themselves at a bit of a crossroads.
From Christopher L. Gasper: Some New Year’s resolutions for our local sports teams
Louisa Jacobson (left) and Denée Benton in HBO's "The Gilded Age," a drama from "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes.
MATTHEW GILBERT

The TV shows we’re eager to see in 2022

A "Game of Thrones" prequel, more "Ozark" evildoing, a "Bel Air" reboot, and Jeff Bridges as "The Old Man" are just some of the highlights of the year to come.
16 podcasts to keep an ear out for in 2022

More recent stories

President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden, Putin trade frank talk as alarm rises over Ukraine
Putin requested the call, the second between the leaders this month, ahead of scheduled talks between senior US and Russian officials set for Jan. 10 in Geneva.

Rochester fire will donate a firetruck to crews in Cayce, Kentucky, which lost all its equipment in a tornado outbreak earlier this month.
Rochester fire department set to donate fire truck to tornado-stricken fire crew in Kentucky
The truck will be transported to Cayce, Kentucky with the help of local construction business RYCO Excavating.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (above) can make all the throws, Bill Belichick said.
Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 draft pick from Clemson, has gone from first to worst
The can't-miss prospect is the quarterback of the worst offense in the NFL.

Ghislaine Maxwell.
What’s next for Ghislaine Maxwell after guilty verdict?
With Wednesday’s guilty verdict in the sex-trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, here’s a look at what Jeffrey Epstein's confidante was accused of and what’s next for her.

Ghislaine Maxwell verdict bodes ill for Prince Andrew’s civil case

We asked several local therapists their best advice as we enter 2022, the third year we will be grappling with a pandemic that has brought the importance of mental health to the forefront.
We asked 10 local therapists their advice as we enter 2022. Here are their responses
"Of course you’re tired, unmotivated, sad, etc," said therapist Monique Bellefleur. "We are in the third year of a global pandemic and that cannot be discounted."

MISS CONDUCT
Advice: My friend billed me after I attended her birthday party
Plus, is it appropriate to wish someone a “happy” birthday when they’re seriously ill?

THE GREAT DIVIDE ⟶

See the latest from our education team focused on race, class, and opportunity in schools.

RHODE ISLAND ⟶

See the latest from Globe Rhode Island.

NEWTON ⟶

See the Globe’s expanded Newton coverage in partnership with Boston University.

Recommended reads

Clockwise from top left: Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert, President Biden, former hockey player Jimmy Hayes, people waiting in line at a COVID-19 testing site, and former Globe reporter Jack Thomas.

The Globe’s 10 most read stories of 2021

As the year comes to a close and we prepare to enter 2022, we’re taking a look back at the stories that resonated most with our readers.

hospitalizations forecast
These charts show how much COVID-19 is expected to surge in the US and Mass., according to projection models
COVID-19 cases are surging across the country and the state, largely driven by the rise in the highly transmissible Omicron variant. According to projection models, the situation is only expected to worsen.

Roseta Carroll, who went first to show her 5-year-old daughter, Keziah Scarlett, that it wasn’t painful, received a COVID test at Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center’s site inside Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Grove Hall.
‘Oppressive’ and ‘unbelievable’: Long testing lines frustrate Mass. residents and obscure COVID surge reality
Throughout the state, Massachusetts residents have swarmed testing sites this week. The chaotic scenes here are a snapshot of a larger nationwide problem.

Globe Magazine
The best photos of 2021 from Boston Globe photographers.
The 24 best photos of the year by Boston Globe photographers
Staff photographers share how and why they captured some of the most memorable images of 2021.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

These are some of our favorite music discoveries of the year.
MUSIC

Artists past and present, podcasts, rarities, and songs that hit the spot: Our favorite music discoveries of the year
Getting fresh air is one way to stay sane during quarantine.

Found yourself in quarantine? We asked public health experts for suggestions on how to spend the time
A room with a fireplace? Yes, please. The Rose Room at Castle Hill Inn, shown here, is one option.
TRAVEL

The snuggle is real: These are the five coziest inns for a winter getaway
What will travel look like this year?
CHRISTOPHER MUTHER

What experts say about planning your 2022 vacation as Omicron surges

Special Projects

An older lobsterman passed by Tanner Lazaro as he hauled up his traps in his boat, Used N Abused, on Aug. 24. During the summer Tanner hauled his own traps on whatever days his mentor Frankie Thompson or another lobsterman didn't need his help.

The lobster trap

The plentiful catch that brought wealth to fishing families is at risk, 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.

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.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Haitian migrants rest outside a shelter in Monterrey, Mexico, on Sept. 26, where they awaited their immigration resolution.
EDITORIAL

It’s past time for America to do right by Haiti
Géralde Gabeau, executive director of Immigrant Family Services Institute, Inc., smiles outside of the JFK building in Boston in September to protest the treatment of Haitian migrants by the Biden administration.
Ruthzee Louijeune

Every level of government must do more for Haitian migrants
Shoes worn on court by Enes Kanter Freedom of the Boston Celtics.
Enes Kanter Freedom

The Boston Celtics, my political activism, and a call for greater freedom
A restaurant in San Francisco.
IDEAS | Lakshmi Ganapathi and Ramnath Subbaraman

The equity-enhancing power of mandates
OPINION

Words of the Year
"I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t know how I’d pull it off." The author runs along a dilapidated street in Maracaibo.
IDEAS | ANTONIO MATHEUS

The lunacy of the long distance runner

Metro

Coronavirus Live Updates

Multiple US states set COVID-19 case records

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

Rochester fire department set to donate fire truck to tornado-stricken fire crew in Kentucky

The truck will be transported to Cayce, Kentucky with the help of local construction business RYCO Excavating.

Mass. Teachers Association assails state’s ‘last minute scramble’ to test educators, as state announces tests are delayed

The president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association slammed what she called the state’s “last-minute scramble” to get 200,000 COVID-19 test kits to teachers and school staffers before the return to class from the holiday break, as state officials announced Thursday that the tests would be delayed.

As experts advise better masks to protect against Omicron, government is starting to provide them

N95, KN95, and KF94 masks are made of material with an electrostatic charge, so they block aerosol particles more effectively than masks made of cloth. The price has dropped considerably since the beginning of the pandemic.

Sports

Louisville's Norika Konno (left) battled BC's JoJo Lacey for a rebound.
Women's college basketball: Louisville 79, BC 49

Boston College women off the mark in loss to No. 3 Louisville in college basketball

BC entered as the third-best shooting team in the country but shot a season-low 35.4 percent.
Missouri guard Lauren Hansen (left) goes in for the layup that toppled the No. 1 South Carolina women's basketball team in overtime on Thursday.
Women's college basketball | Missouri 70, South Carolina 69

Lauren Hansen, Missouri stun No. 1 South Carolina women in overtime victory

Hansen made a driving layup with 0.1 seconds left to lift Missouri to a stunning 70-69 upset over top-ranked South Carolina in overtime.
Cameron Watkins (left) of Dracut attacks the rim against the strong-armed defensive pressure of Norwell's Chloe Richardson (right) during Dracut's 56-47 victory in the championship game of the Edmund Murphy Winter Classic.
Thursday's schools roundup

Cameron Watkins sparks Dracut girls’ basketball past fifth-ranked Norwell in the Edmund Murphy Winter Classic championship

Behind a swarming defense, an unwavering toughness, and 24 points from their senior captain, the Middies pulled away late for a 56-47 victory.
CORONAVIRUS ROUNDUP

NBA postpones Golden State-Denver, with two more coaches entering protocols
Sports Log

Purdue outlasts Tennessee in OT for wild Music City Bowl victory
NFL

Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 draft pick from Clemson, has gone from first to worst

Business

What’s next for Ghislaine Maxwell after guilty verdict?

With Wednesday’s guilty verdict in the sex-trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, here’s a look at what Jeffrey Epstein's confidante was accused of and what’s next for her.
Shirley Leung

Walking Mass. and Cass with bleach kits, granola bars, and a chance to get off the streets

As Boston's homelessness and opioid crisis spirals, social workers are often the last, and most determined, lifeline for people struggling on the city's streets.
RI BUSINESS

Here’s what a newly merged system between Lifespan and Care New England would look like, executives say

1,000 flights canceled Thursday as airlines struggle to recover from omicron, weather disruption

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
The best photos of 2021 from Boston Globe photographers.
2021

The 24 best photos of the year by Globe photographers
PERSPECTIVE

2021 was so weird, that big UFO news totally went over our heads
best features

The top 12 most popular Globe Magazine stories of 2021
Dave Barry looks back at the newsmakers of 2021.
GLOBE MAGAZINE

Dave Barry’s 2021 Year in Review: A variant of 2020, so to speak

metro

A nurse prepared a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 booster at Park Avenue Health Center in Arlington.

Nearly 1,000 state workers, out of a total of 41,000, left jobs over vaccine mandate

Here’s what a newly merged system between Lifespan and Care New England would look like, executives say

New policies restrict visitors at Kent Hospital, Women & Infants

sports

Colts linebacker Darius Leonard missed last Saturday's game at Arizona.

Colts star linebacker Darius Leonard off COVID list, ready to face Raiders Sunday

Patriots’ Brandon Bolden, who was diagnosed with a form of carcinoma in 2018, has been cancer free

Coach Bruce Cassidy believes Bruins are ‘ready to go’ after long layoff

business

Jessica Andrijauskas, from Buenos Aires, rested her head on her luggage as she awaited the results of her COVID-19 test at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday in Arlington, Va.

Why are so many flights being canceled?

GOP-led states slam ‘crude and odious’ Nasdaq diversity rule

Biogen falls back to earth as Samsung denies merger reports

politics

President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Biden, Putin trade frank talk as alarm rises over Ukraine

Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin to speak Thursday as Russia steps up security demands

Biden, Putin to hold call over stepped up security demands

Nation

Fans take a COVID-19 test in the parking lot of the Honda Center before an NHL hockey game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Vancouver Canucks, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif.

Multiple US states set COVID-19 case records

Behind the wait for a verdict at Maxwell jury deliberations

Mass. Teachers Association assails state’s ‘last minute scramble’ to test educators, as state announces tests are delayed

World

Shoppers, some wearing a facemask to combat the spread of COVID-19, walked along Regent Street in London on Tuesday.

UK, on ‘war footing’ against COVID-19, provides lessons for US

Ghislaine Maxwell verdict bodes ill for Prince Andrew’s civil case

BBC will look into Alan Dershowitz appearance on Ghislaine Maxwell Segment

opinion

A change in New Year’s Eve plans

The Boston Celtics, my political activism, and a call for greater freedom

The connection of gift-giving

lifestyle

Designer Cecilia Casagrande commissioned a tile company to re-create a section of floor from an old photo of Seattle’s Union Station for this bathroom redesign.

Home design ideas: An Art Deco bathroom inspired by railroads

We asked 10 local therapists their advice as we enter 2022. Here are their responses

TV news anchor Jessica Brown on Greece, going for the gold in London, and eating her way through Boston

food & dining

Spam musabi at Wusong Road.

Despite a few bumps, Wusong Road is on the fast track to becoming a local favorite

Cafe Sushi plans a Japanese deli; Toscanini’s original location returns

Recipes: Tortilla soup and two more spicy soups to warm a winter night

travel

Jessica Brown in Greece.

TV news anchor Jessica Brown on Greece, going for the gold in London, and eating her way through Boston

What experts say about planning your 2022 vacation as Omicron surges

This Legoland deal included tickets. Where are they?

Arts

Documentary photographer Henry Horenstein has two exhibitions opening Jan. 7.

Photographer Henry Horenstein elevates the overlooked with shows in Portsmouth and Boston

In Helina Metaferia’s show at the MFA, an ‘army of women’ wear history on their heads

In SoWa Art + Design District, video gallery brings art to the sidewalk 24/7

Books

Thrity Umrigar on ‘Honor’ and dishonor

Jason Mott: reading Greek myths and comic books

A puzzling child in ‘The Boy We Made’

Movies

Delbert Ward, in "Brother's Keeper."

True crime; doubtful solutions

‘Green’ technology of a different sort

They called him ‘The Torso Killer’

Television

Olivia Colman in "Landscapers."

Rich performances shine past narrative tricks in ‘Landscapers’

The TV shows we’re eager to see in 2022

Happy trumps sappy on Amazon’s ‘With Love’

music

Top row (from left): Phil Chan, Kathleen Fay, Iman Habibi. Bottom row (from left): Lucia Lin, Keith Lockhart, Miki Sawada.

6 standouts in classical music on the changes they hope to see, and make, in the new year

Artists past and present, podcasts, rarities, and songs that hit the spot: Our favorite music discoveries of the year

Hey, what’s that sound?

Theater/Dance

Lyricist Tim Rice believes that if "Jesus Christ Superstar" had been a stage musical before it was an album, it likely would have flopped.

Lord knows lyricist Tim Rice didn’t foresee ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ becoming such a huge hit

‘Teenage Dick’ closes early at the Huntington due to COVID cases

Six local New Year’s Eve comedy shows to help you get the last laugh on 2021

globe local

Molly Smith, 5, listened during the Young Scientist STEM program event Dec. 8 at the Northborough Free Library.

Local libraries are writing new chapters during the pandemic

The mouse in the muffins

Officer offers a helping hand to a wayward cat

Obituaries

In addition to counseling individual retirees and union members about their benefits, Ms. Ferguson often testified before Congress and advised legislators

Karen Ferguson, founder of pension watchdog group, dies at 80

Mameve Medwed, who filled her novels with humor and heartbreak, dies at 79

J.D. Crowe, banjo virtuoso and bluegrass innovator, dies at 84