The Boston Globe

For some, ‘mild’ illness from Omicron feels like anything but

An unlucky group of COVID-positive people have found that the variant's “mild” categorization is something of an understatement.

Nearly half of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Massachusetts are ‘incidental’ cases, new state data show

State data show that about half the people hospitalized with COVID-19 were admitted for other reasons.

COVID-19 cases have peaked in Massachusetts

What happens after Omicron?

THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS

Booster shots improve protection against Omicron; COVID-19 cases have peaked in Massachusetts

12:29 p.m.
Almost a quarter of Bulgarians testing positive for COVID, country responds
11:37 a.m.
Booster shots improve protection against Omicron, CDC studies show

University of Rhode Island revokes honorary degrees for Michael Flynn, Rudy Giuliani

“Revoking these honorary degrees reinforces our values and allows us to lead with truth and integrity,” URI President Marc Parlange said.

Louie Anderson, Emmy-winning comedian, has died

Louie Anderson, whose more than four-decade career as a comedian and actor included his unlikely, Emmy-winning performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series “Baskets,” died Friday. He was 68.

Meat Loaf, ‘Bat Out of Hell’ superstar, dies at 74

Winter Arts Guide

Julia Garner as real-life scam artist Anna Delvey in Netflix's "Inventing Anna."

10 TV shows to watch while we’re waiting out winter

Uma Thurman, Tiffany Haddish, Samuel L. Jackson, and Julia Garner are among the stars of new series and miniseries premiering in the weeks ahead.

Jabari Banks as Will in "Bel Air."

The drama ‘Bel Air’ offers a fresh take on the Fresh Prince

Adam Granduciel (left) and The War on Drugs.

For the War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel, a return to a place he once called home

See more in our full winter arts guide

Globe Magazine

The 30 best comfort foods you’ll find at Boston area restaurants

When temperatures drop and New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside, we all need something to warm our souls. Here are 30 great comfort foods and where to find them. (You'll be glad you did!)

For small restaurants, Guy Fieri and ‘Triple D’ are ‘the gift that keeps on giving’

When the frosted-tip celebrity chef rolls up for a segment of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,’ restaurant owners buckle up for a wild ride.

Senator Mitch McConnell gestured during a news conference on Wednesday night.

Mitch McConnell says Black people vote at similar rates to ‘Americans’

The Senate minority leader’s comment underscored the concerns of voting rights advocates that Republicans across the country are explicitly seeking to disenfranchise Black voters.

Elle Fanning as Michelle Carter, and Michael Mosley as Joseph Cataldo.

First look at Elle Fanning as Michelle Carter in Hulu’s ‘The Girl from Plainville’

Fanning will play Carter in the upcoming eight-episode series, which explores Carter’s relationship with her then-boyfriend, 18-year-old Conrad Roy III, and the events leading up to his July 2014 suicide.

Pedestrians brave freezing cold weather in Boston on Tremont and Stuart streets.

Dave Epstein | Forecast

It will be a cold weekend, with snow for some south of Boston

There’s some interesting localized weather going on over the next 24 hours, with some in New England getting sun, and others getting snow.

Opinion

The Muddy River as it emerges beneath Perkins Street from its source in Jamaica Pond.

IDEAS | MILES HOWARD

Set the underground rivers free

Once upon a time, cities buried waterways to reduce flooding and make room for cars. Now climate change and other factors are reversing that logic.

Body cameras not just for cops any more

I was arrested under the DOJ’s China Initiative. Congress must investigate the program.

Legislature must fully protect survivors of sexual assault

The virtues of not selling out

Project Takeout Illustration

DEVRA FIRST | PROJECT TAKEOUT

We thought we’d be past this by now. We were wrong. Support your local restaurants.

We’re bringing back Project Takeout. Call it Project Take Two.

Browse a map of reader-recommended takeout spots Tell us: Where is your favorite place to order from? 3 places we supported this week Explore the full project

More recent stories

What does Boston want in its next police commissioner?

Over 200 people attended a virtual community forum designed to solicit feedback about the city’s force and what kind of individual should lead it.

Tell us: What do you want to see in Boston's next police commissioner?

More than 300,000 Mushie and Co. pacifiers recalled after choking hazard discovered

Mushie and Co., a Denmark-based company, has issued a recall for its FRIGG silicone pacifiers and a US consumer safety agency is urging parents to immediately stop using them over choking concerns.

Fenway Sports Group moves up to No. 3 in Forbes’ latest rankings of sports empires

FSG swapped rankings with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, whose portfolio also includes real estate, hospitality and gaming.

A professor said her students think average Americans make six figures. That’s a long way off.

"I asked Wharton students what they thought the average American worker makes per year and 25% of them thought it was over six figures," Wharton professor Nina Strohminger tweeted. "One of them thought it was $800k."

Some rich people are fighting the ‘millionaires tax’ in Massachusetts

Campaign reports show who the supporters and opponents are of the campaign to hike taxes on high-earners in Massachusetts.

Dinner with Cupid

Blind date: ‘My mom has tried to set me up on blind dates. That has not quite worked out.’

Will this chess master find his queen?

Into the Red illustration.

Introducing our new climate initiative

To report on the most pressing issue of our time, the Globe’s climate team is expanding and rethinking its coverage.

Explore the new section, 'Into the Red'

Recommended reads

The state says it is being pushed by the federal government to recover the overpaid claims.

State needs to slow down on clawing back unemployment overpayments

The situation is a mess. The number of open overpayments is huge. Hitting the pause button to sort everything out seems like the right thing to do.

Sotomayor blasts Supreme Court over handling of Texas abortion case

Calling it a “disaster for the rule of law,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a blistering dissent on Thursday after the high court rejected the latest request from Texas abortion providers to intervene.

KEVIN CULLEN

The guilty, the innocent, and government secrecy

Hiding behind privacy laws, at this point, is more than pointless; it endangers the next kid who needs government intervention to save them from their own flesh and blood.

PARENTING UNFILTERED

No more sad sandwiches: Where to find kid-friendly takeout

Dial down mealtime stress with roti or Korean corndogs.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

Cheeseburger pizza from Ernesto's in Somerville.

PARENTING UNFILTERED

No more sad sandwiches: Where to find kid-friendly takeout

Kacey Musgraves performs Jan. 27 at TD Garden.

Things to do around Boston this weekend and beyond

Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector in HBO's "The Gilded Age."

TELEVISION REVIEW

In HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age,’ old money vs. new money makes for a richly rewarding drama

Introducing "National Plan for Vacation Day: The Game." (The game you didn't want to play.)

CHRISTOPHER MUTHER

Welcome to the game you didn’t want to play: Roll the dice and hope COVID doesn’t ruin your vacation (again)

Special Projects

Under the wheel

This is the story of Anthony Pledger and his mother, of Anthony’s lives and deaths, of Anthony and me.

Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, then president of Brigham Health, brought a Boston delegation in April 2018 to celebrate the opening of the Boao Evergrande International Hospital in China, constructed in a new medical tourism hub.

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.

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.

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

The Unity flag waves in the wind above Boston City Hall Plaza next to an American flag and a Massachusetts state flag on June 5, 2020.

Kimberly Atkins Stohr

A high court loss for Boston could come at a high price — unless it acts fast

A face mask on a statue of Andrew Dickson White, cofounder of Cornell University, on Jan. 14. The university moved final exams online in December, and students will attend classes virtually from Jan. 24 through Feb. 4.

IDEAS | Beth Humberd, Carlo Dallapiccola, Scott Latham, and Adrian Staub

College COVID restrictions have become overkill

André Leon Talley went from the Jim Crow South to the front rows of Paris couture. He died on Tuesday at age 73.

André Leon Talley’s inspiring belief in belonging

Congregation Beth Israel synagogue on Jan. 16, in Colleyville, Texas, where a gunman took four people hostage. All four people escaped; the gunman died.

Samantha Joseph

Protecting our right to pray safely

A homemade worry doll.

IDEAS | JULIAN FRIEDLAND

Another thing to worry about

Kareem Farah, who founded the Modern Classrooms Project, in his classroom in Washington, D.C., in 2017.

IDEAS | THOMAS ARNETT

A better way to do online learning

Metro

Coronavirus Live Updates

Booster shots improve protection against Omicron; COVID-19 cases have peaked in Massachusetts

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

Somerville health panel rejects indoor business vaccine mandate

Somerville’s Board of Health on Thursday voted 2-1 to reject a proposed COVID-19 vaccination requirement for indoor businesses such as restaurants, gyms, clubs, and theaters.

Tell us: Share your memories of the Floating Hospital for Children, now known as Tufts Children’s Hospital

Was anyone in your family involved with the Floating Hospital for Children? Tell us your memories of the hospital that began onboard a ship sailing in Boston Harbor.

URI revokes honorary degrees for Flynn, Giuliani

“Revoking these honorary degrees reinforces our values and allows us to lead with truth and integrity,” URI President Marc Parlange said.

Sports

Carl Crawford (right) played for the Red Sox from 2011 to 2012.

Dan Shaughnessy

Is there anything to the cryptic criticism from Bill James on the 2011 Red Sox, and other thoughts

The former Red Sox analytics guru recently made some strong comments about the role of team chemistry regarding the ‘11 Sox.

Ivan Fears, shown here working with James White, has been the running backs coach for the Patriots since 2002.

If running backs coach Ivan Fears is retiring, the next move for the Patriots is an easy one

If he wants the job, Kevin Faulk should be New England's next running backs' coach

St. John's Prep hosted the MIAA All-State wrestling championships in 2019.

MIAA WRESTLING COMMITTEE

MIAA pins down one site for divisional and all-state wrestling: Game On Fitchburg

The divisional state championships are scheduled for Feb. 19-20 and the All-State and Girls’ State tournaments on Feb. 25.

Fenway Sports Group moves up to No. 3 in Forbes’ latest rankings of sports empires

MLB labor dispute: With less than a month until spring training, players and owners gear up for Monday meeting

Defending champion Naomi Osaka loses in third round of Australian Open

Business

Tell us: Share your memories of the Floating Hospital for Children, now known as Tufts Children’s Hospital

Was anyone in your family involved with the Floating Hospital for Children? Tell us your memories of the hospital that began onboard a ship sailing in Boston Harbor.

IBM sells some Watson Health assets for more than $1 billion

IBM launched Cambridge-based Watson Health in 2015 with the aim of using its core artificial intelligence platform to help health care providers analyze troves of data and ultimately revolutionize cancer treatment.

For some, ‘mild’ illness from Omicron feels like anything but

A professor said her students think average Americans make six figures. That’s a long way off.

STAT

Listen to our "First Opinion" podcast

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Listen to our "Readout LOUD" podcast

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Subscribe to STAT Plus

‘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

The 30 best comfort foods you’ll find at Boston area restaurants

For small restaurants, Guy Fieri and ‘Triple D’ are ‘the gift that keeps on giving’

The power of having a great role model, whether you’re 9 or 99

My husband gave me a present and I gave it away

metro

Pedestrians brave freezing cold weather in Boston on Tremont and Stuart streets.

It will be a cold weekend, with snow for some south of Boston

Firefighters union pushes back against vaccination mandate for Boston’s workforce

Tell us: What do you want to see in Boston’s next police commissioner?

sports

Naomi Osaka (left) lost to Amanda Anisimova in three sets.

Defending champion Naomi Osaka loses in third round of Australian Open

Jaeden Greenleaf eclipses 2,000 career points for Cape Cod Academy boys’ basketball in home win over Dennis-Yarmouth

Charlie McAvoy added the finishing touch as the Bruins bounced back from a bad loss with an impressive win

business

A Peloton stationary bike for sale at the company's showroom in Dedham.

Peloton considers layoffs but denies report it will pause production

In latest ‘right to repair’ move, Kia shuts off new car tech in Massachusetts

Some rich people are fighting the ‘millionaires tax’ in Massachusetts

politics

With his approval rating around 42-percent, Biden approached the end of his first year in the Oval Office with inflation soaring, COVID-19 raging, and his legislative agenda stalled on Capitol Hill.

Biden vowed to do more for Black Americans. For some, it’s too little too late.

Sotomayor blasts Supreme Court over handling of Texas abortion case

McConnell backs effort to overhaul electoral vote count law

Nation

A man waited his turn to receive the dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022.

Booster shots improve protection against Omicron; COVID-19 cases have peaked in Massachusetts

Somerville health panel rejects indoor business vaccine mandate

Booster shots improve protection against Omicron, CDC studies show

World

Rumen Radev was sworn in for a second term as Bulgaria's President during a ceremony at the Bulgarian Parliament in Sofia on January 19, 2022.

Almost a quarter of Bulgarians testing positive for COVID, country responds

More than 300,000 Mushie and Co. pacifiers recalled after choking hazard discovered

COVID boosters should start with most vulnerable, says WHO

opinion

André Leon Talley went from the Jim Crow South to the front rows of Paris couture. He died on Tuesday at age 73.

André Leon Talley’s inspiring belief in belonging

A high court loss for Boston could come at a high price — unless it acts fast

Putting the squeeze on the Biden agenda

lifestyle

Before it was redesigned, this primary bedroom in a historic Mission Hill brownstone had too much brown furniture and too little ambiance.

Home design: Turning a bland Mission Hill bedroom into a refuge

Peloton considers layoffs but denies report it will pause production

No more sad sandwiches: Where to find kid-friendly takeout

food & dining

For small restaurants, Guy Fieri and ‘Triple D’ are ‘the gift that keeps on giving’

The 30 best comfort foods you’ll find at Boston area restaurants

Eleven Madison Park and Per Se alums will open Twelve in Portland over Memorial Day weekend

travel

The Lodge at Spruce Peak in Stowe, Vermont.

This Vermont town was named among the best places to travel in February

Help! My Expedia tour credit is about to expire

A romantic weekend in Portsmouth

Arts

Joseph Mallord William Turner, "Slave Ship (Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming On)," 1840, oil on canvas. (Henry Lillie Pierce Fund/Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). The painting will feature in the March exhibition "Turner's Modern World) at the MFA.

10 museum must-sees that will banish the winter blahs

‘Vernacular Glamour’ excavates the material world

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

Books

New novel ‘Devil House’ looks at our true crime obsessions

Jabari Asim: an ‘eclectic, voracious’ reader

Science, fiction, and fantasy blend in ‘A Snake Falls to Earth’

Movies

Health care activist Ady Barkan, shown during his arrest at a Capitol Hill protest in 2017.

Doc Talk: An incurable optimist, a fleeing fugitive, and an undaunted soul

Death becomes him

The Danish documentary ‘Flee’ is the latest reminder that animation doesn’t have to be just for children

Television

Elle Fanning as Michelle Carter, and Michael Mosley as Joseph Cataldo.

First look at Elle Fanning as Michelle Carter in Hulu’s ‘The Girl from Plainville’

10 TV shows to watch while we’re waiting out winter

The drama ‘Bel Air’ offers a fresh take on the Fresh Prince

music

From left to right, top to bottom: Eric Burton of Black Pumas, Avril Lavigne, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, Angelique Kidjo and Johnny Venus of EARTHGANG, and Robert Trujillo, James Hetfield, and Kirk Hammett of Metallica.

Boston Calling announces 2022 lineup with headliners Foo Fighters, the Strokes, Metallica

For the War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel, a return to a place he once called home

10 concerts sure to crank up the heat this winter

Theater/Dance

Director Awoye Timpo (left) leads a rehearsal of the Huntington Theatre Company's "The Bluest Eye" at the Calderwood Pavilion, with actors Hadar Busia-Singleton (center) and Alexandria King.

In ‘The Bluest Eye’ at the Huntington, the challenge of capturing Toni Morrison’s unerring vision

Dramas, musicals, and a trio of blue men: 10 shows for theatergoers this winter

Five dance performances to carry you through the snowy season

globe local

Cal Ramsdell of Randolph views "Flower Blooming in The Heaven 2021" by Emi Fujita and Emiko Makino at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton.

What to do in this bleak midwinter: How about visiting a museum?

Should Massachusetts guarantee anyone serving a life sentence the chance for parole?

Wouldn’t it be nice? Fifty-four years after we married, it still is.

Obituaries

Mr. Kruger's screen presence had significance beyond the box office. He would play an important role in soothing the anti-German feelings that had spread during the war.

Hardy Kruger, German-born Hollywood star, is dead at 93

Sara McLanahan, who studied single motherhood, dies at 81

Ray McNamara, firefighter who survived an explosion to inspire others, dies at 79