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TRENDING:

For new Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, it’s trial by fire

Wu has already made Boston history as the first woman, person of color, millennial, and mother elected mayor. Now, with the fate of her early initiatives, she’ll show whether she can transform the city’s future.
Wu describes toll of protests at her home Yvonne Abraham: At the mayor’s house, a measure of how low people can go
Bills 47, Patriots 17

Chad Finn | Unconventional Review
The Patriots’ embarrassing playoff loss — one of their worst ever — left plenty to question, and plenty to fix
The Patriots fell behind early, again. They struggled to stop the run, again. They committed undisciplined penalties, again.

Bill Belichick praised the Patriots’ effort in 2021, and is already focused on turning the page to next season Patriots lose to Bills, 47-17, in one of the worst playoff defeats in franchise history
Tara Sullivan

Josh Allen has emerged as an elite quarterback, and the Patriots can only hope to get the same from Mac Jones

Allen has silenced the doubters after being taken No. 7 overall in 2018, and Jones - the No. 15 pick last April - impressed with his consistency, preparation and maturity.
Dan Shaughnessy

In an embarrassing performance, Bill Belichick and the Patriots get it rubbed in their faces by the Bills

The Bills won every matchup — including coaching — as they demolished the Patriots from the get-go.

Another COVID surge, another desolate winter in downtown Boston
This year was supposed to mark a triumphant return for the heart of the city. But office workers have yet to return, theaters are canceling performances, and a lull has swept through the neighborhood — again.

In less vaccinated Western Mass., overwhelmed hospitals, but progress on vaccinations

As the highly contagious Omicron variant storms across the state, Hampden — home to Springfield, Chicopee, and Holyoke — remains the least vaccinated county in Massachusetts.

After a rough first year, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky tries to correct course
A series of stumbles by the former star physician and scientist from Massachusetts General Hospital have underscored just how rough the transition from running a 70-person infectious disease department at Mass General to a sprawling, public-facing government agency has been.

COVID-19 vaccine mandate begins in Boston amid demonstrations by opponents
THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS

Djokovic, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, is leaving Australia after losing deportation appeal

SNL is back from winter break and Ariana DeBose used her Broadway talents as host

Everyone needs a bit of Broadway in their lives right now, and Ariana DeBose offered just that on Saturday Night Live.

‘Jim Crow relic’: A short history of the filibuster

Dating to the 1800s, the filibuster has been used by lawmakers to both advance and thwart Black racial progress — but it is in the thwarting of that progress that it has been used with greatest frequency and success.
Analysis

Biden is ending his first year in office with arguably the worst week of his presidency

Next week, President Biden will celebrate his first year in office. But the past week was so bad for Biden on multiple fronts that it might be hard to claim victory on much.
With voting bills dead, Democrats face costly fight to overcome Republican restrictions
Opinion
RENÉE GRAHAM

A former federal prosecutor interrogates the inequities of the criminal justice system

With her new book, Laura Coates processes the pain of “being a part of a system I wanted to reform.”
IDEAS | Ayelet Fishbach and Bradley Turnwald

Feeding two birds with one scone

Rachel Laser and Brian Kaylor

Boston was right to refuse to fly Christian flag

IDEAS | Boštjan Videmšek with photos by Matjaž Krivic

In search of Bolivia’s white gold

EDITORIAL

In Charlestown, the seed for a new kind of school — in a city failing too many of its kids

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

Hostages rescued safely, suspect dies in Texas synagogue standoff

Police on Saturday night rescued a rabbi and several hostages who had been held by a man who claimed to have weapons and explosives at a synagogue in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, ending a tense 11-hour standoff, authorities said.

Five Lynn officers resign, another fired, following investigation into ‘racially offensive’ texts, drug use
Five Lynn police officers have resigned, one was fired, and two have been suspended following a monthslong investigation into a text exchange that included “racially offensive language” and evidence of drug use by officers, the city’s police department said in a statement.

Six duck hunters rescued by Coast Guard helicopter after being stranded in low tide on Cape Cod

All six people were rescued safely and no injuries were reported, USCG officials said.

FBI offers $10,000 for information leading to arrest of alleged Lowell gang member
Darasy S. Chhim is the only remaining fugitive from an operation that saw 14 other members and associates of the One Family Clique taken into custody, said the FBI’s Boston office in a statement.

Amtrak conductor dies after falling from train in Westerly, R.I.

The female conductor is believed to have fallen off Amtrak train 163, which was traveling from Boston to Washington, D.C., as it pulled out of Westerly station Saturday, officials said.

Woman dies after being pushed onto subway tracks in Times Square

An Asian woman was killed Saturday morning after she was pushed in front of an oncoming subway train at the Times Square station, the police said.
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.

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

Why so many empty shelves at your local supermarket? It’s complicated.

Grocery stores across the United States are seeing empty shelves that once held products ranging from bread to produce to meat, as a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant adds another layer of complication to a system already strained by supply chain issues and worker shortages.

Tsunami threat recedes from huge Pacific volcanic eruption
Satellite images showed the spectacular eruption that took place Saturday evening, with a plume of ash, steam and gas rising like a mushroom above the blue Pacific waters.

Everything you need to know about masks: What kind to get, where to buy them, and how often you can reuse them
Shifting guidance and shady online retailers marketing masks that turn out to be counterfeit have left many scratching their heads.

KEVIN CULLEN
The driest of dry Januarys
There are all these stories about COVID fatigue. I have COVID fatigue fatigue.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

NEW ENGLAND LITERARY NEWS

A poet’s inviting new collection, drawing lessons, and speaking for the silenced

MOVIE REVIEW | ★★★½

Denzel Washington is magnificent in Joel Coen’s ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’

THE TICKET

Things to do around Boston this weekend and beyond

MATTHEW GILBERT

In ‘Station Eleven,’ the arts outlast an apocalypse

Special Projects

Spotlight team report

How Brigham Health helped create a Chinese hospital for elites — and almost nobody came

In a deal worth millions with Chinese developer Evergrande, a Harvard teaching hospital risked its reputation on what would become a near-empty shell.
high schools

Meet the Globe’s Fall 2021 All-Scholastics

The Globe salutes the region's best high school athletes and coaches in the seven fall sports.
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

SCOT LEHIGH

Democrats need to get real on Build Back Better

EDITORIAL

Workers who braved darkest days of COVID-19 deserve extra pay

Haley Sullivan and Leah Pierson

With students remote, universities should put COVID-19 testing capacity to good use

Cole Moran

BPS needs a democratic vision for the future of open-enrollment schools

Joan Vennochi

Governor Baker, we have a COVID-19 data problem

IDEAS | THOMAS ARNETT

A better way to do online learning

Metro

Storm system expected to dump heavy snow and rain across the region overnight

Western Massachusetts can expect a heavy dumping of snow overnight before temperatures tick up and the precipitation shifts to rain. Areas near Pittsfield and North Adams can expect upwards of six inches of snow.

Six duck hunters rescued by Coast Guard helicopter after being stranded in low tide on Cape Cod

All six people were rescued safely and no injuries were reported, USCG officials said.
Coronavirus Live Updates

Djokovic, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, is leaving Australia after losing deportation appeal

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

Christopher is an active 13-year-old who loves to create and build things

Sunday’s Child is a weekly column featuring a child currently in foster care awaiting adoption.

Sports

Patriots

Bill Belichick praised the Patriots’ effort in 2021, and is already focused on turning the page to next season

“I think we need to, and will, go back and take a longer view of everything,” the coach said.
Chad Finn | Unconventional Review

The Patriots’ embarrassing playoff loss — one of their worst ever — left plenty to question, and plenty to fix

The Patriots fell behind early, again. They struggled to stop the run, again. They committed undisciplined penalties, again.
BILLS 47, PATRIOTS 17

Here’s how Josh Allen shredded the Patriots’ defense and knocked them out of the playoffs

For the second straight meeting between the teams, the New England defense didn't force a Buffalo punt, and Josh Allen finished with more touchdown passes (5) than incompletions (4).
Tennis

Novak Djokovic loses final bid to stay in Australia, and won’t be able to play in Australian Open

Patriots

It was a rough ending, but it’s only just the beginning for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones

Patriots

Patriots’ defense simply overmatched and overwhelmed by Bills

Business

Denmark lifts COVID restrictions, opens many public venues

Denmark lifted a number of coronavirus restrictions and allowed the reopening of certain venues Sunday despite the spread of the omicron variant in the country.

COVID program delivers 1 billion doses to poorer countries

The World Health Organization said Sunday that an UN-backed program shipping coronavirus vaccines to many poor countries has now delivered 1 billion doses, but that milestone “is only a reminder of the work that remains” after hoarding and stockpiling in rich countries.

Omicron exposes inflexibility of Europe’s public hospitals

CVS and Walgreens temporarily shut some stores as Omicron cases soar

STAT

‘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.

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.

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.

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
MISS CONDUCT

I'm a woman of color often overlooked at work - until people realize I outrank them

CONNECTIONS

How rescuing a runaway chicken taught me about accepting others

Television

In 1972, the kids took over TV on the first "Zoom" to enter our homes

Local history

The roller-skating heroes who fought racism in Boston

metro

Five Lynn officers resign, another fired, following investigation into ‘racially offensive’ texts, drug use

COVID-19 vaccine mandate begins in Boston amid demonstrations by opponents

In less vaccinated Western Mass., overwhelmed hospitals, but progress on vaccinations

sports

Josh Allen has emerged as an elite quarterback, and the Patriots can only hope to get the same from Mac Jones

‘They were too much for us tonight.’ Bill Belichick praises Bills after rout of Patriots in playoffs

Just how bad was the Patriots’ loss to the Bills? Here’s where it ranks in the history books.

business

Another COVID surge, another desolate winter in downtown Boston

A digital divide haunts schools adapting to virus hurdles

Medical professionals urge Spotify to crack down on COVID misinformation

politics

After a rough first year, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky tries to correct course

‘Jim Crow relic’: A short history of the filibuster

Census memo cites ‘unprecedented’ meddling by Trump administration

Nation

Djokovic, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, is leaving Australia after losing deportation appeal

Hostage taker was not focused on Jewish community, FBI says

Denmark lifts COVID restrictions, opens many public venues

World

Omicron exposes inflexibility of Europe’s public hospitals

Microsoft warns of destructive cyberattack on Ukrainian computer networks

Russia issuing subtle threats that go far beyond a Ukraine invasion

opinion

Mayor Wu exceeds expectations with swift, humane action at Mass. and Cass

COVID toll requires empathy in ERs to flow both ways

Artists can’t expect perpetually cheap real estate

lifestyle

Typhoons, wildfires, missiles: Teen flies solo round world

Like a good neighbor, tool libraries are there. Sites are popping up across the US

‘Morbid’ hosts talk ‘Cinema Macabre,’ true crime, and Massachusetts’ ‘spooky horror’ history

food & dining

Mayor Wu: vaccine mandates for city workers, businesses, not meant to ‘punish’ people

Omicron lowers sales and threatens bankruptcy for US restaurants

100 years later, Providence Brewery Company makes its return

travel

Sing some gospel, bust a move, and feel the love at Nashville’s African American music museum

Best things to do in RI this week: Jan. 14-21

Adam Pascal on TSA PreCheck, his crossword app, and ancient megalithic cultures

Arts

‘The Embrace,’ Boston’s long-awaited tribute to the Kings, will be unveiled on MLK Day 2023

At the MFA, a sleeping giant awakens

Humanity hangs in the balance in Sally B. Moore’s ‘Teetering’

Books

A history of addiction in ‘The Urge’

‘The Hard Sell’ is a vivid tale of opioid firm showcased at Boston trial

Lisa Gardner: She reads for story, not genre

Movies

‘I think acting is an impossibly difficult thing’: Talking with Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, director of ‘Drive My Car’

Two films to observe Martin Luther King Day

Doc Talk: garden-fresh ideas; portraits from the artist; prison diary

Television

SNL is back from winter break and Ariana DeBose used her Broadway talents as host

A film, and a filmmaker, transformed in ‘A Reckoning in Boston’

In ‘Station Eleven,’ the arts outlast an apocalypse

music

Glimpsing what a new era at the BSO might bring

After some of the darkest days of Gregory Porter’s life, music lights the way

From Berlin to the BSO: Pianist Igor Levit returns to Boston

Theater/Dance

How ‘Pretty Woman’ became a head-turner

This driveway dancing duo is helping to lighten neighbors’ spirits

Comedian Demetri Martin has something he’d like to say, but he’ll keep it short

globe local

Seven new mayors across Greater Boston offer hope, visions for the future

Should Massachusetts require public projects to give priority to American-made steel?

Clean, quiet lawn care is within our power

Obituaries

Clyde Bellecourt, a founder of the American Indian Movement, dies at 85

Longtime high school hockey coach Bill Belisle dies

Ronnie Spector, ’60s icon who sang ‘Be My Baby,’ dies at 78