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TRENDING:

Who might President Biden nominate to the Supreme Court? Here’s a look at five potential picks.

President Biden pledged during the 2020 campaign to nominate a Black woman in what would mark the first time a Black woman has been nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. Here’s a look at names that have been floated as potential nominees.

Justice Stephen Breyer will retire, giving Biden the first Supreme Court pick of his presidency, AP sources say

Breyer, 83, has been a pragmatic force on a court that has grown increasingly conservative in recent years, trying to forge majorities with more moderate justices right and left of center.
Justice Breyer’s legal career has strong ties to Massachusetts

Biden has pledged to nominate a Black woman on the Supreme Court. Two other factors may also influence his final pick

‘It’s time for a Black woman on the Supreme Court’: Praise, speculation swirl amid news of Breyer’s retirement

Maps: An early look at how much snow to expect from the upcoming winter storm
Massachusetts is bracing for a snowstorm that could bring more than 16 inches to eastern parts of the state, though forecasters are cautioning that it’s too early to predict the details so many days from its arrival.

Storm could bring 16 inches of snow, 60-mile-per-hour gusts

Forecasters on Wednesday issued a winter storm watch for areas in eastern, northeastern, and southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, saying 8 to 16 inches of snow could fall.
Dave Epstein | Forecast

Here’s the latest on a possible Southern New England snowstorm this weekend

While this weekend's major winter storm will likely bring plenty of snow, it's not going to be an unprecedented weather event.

‘Walking into the lion’s den’: Cities and towns say they need help as climate change dangers grow
A survey of officials from 111 Massachusetts cities and towns found that virtually all respondents observed climate change impacts in their communities.

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Mostly educators of color could face termination due to vaccine mandate, Boston Teachers Union says

The loss could disrupt learning for many students and carry long-term implications in the district, where three-quarters of students are Black or Latino, but only 42 percent of educators are.

7,918 confirmed cases and 80 deaths. See today’s COVID-19 data from Mass.

T plans to add Green Line crash prevention tech a year earlier than scheduled
MBTA general manager Steve Poftak said on Wednesday the agency plans to speed up the implementation of a technology meant to prevent crashes on the Green Line, 13 years after federal officials first recommended the T install it and six months after a trolley crash sent 27 people to the hospital.

THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS

Boston unions file appeal regarding vaccination mandate for city workforce

YVONNE ABRAHAM

Are we going to see democracy work?

Is it possible that a Democratic president, who won the popular vote, is going to be able to fill a vacancy on the US Supreme Court?

New Bedford’s former acting fire chief fired for ‘putting on an act’ to get injury leave benefits

Surveillance video footage shows the former acting chief “performing activities inconsistent with his alleged injuries,” including unloading a 176-pound barbeque smoker grill from the back of his pickup truck by himself, city officials said.

Governor Charlie Baker proposes nearly $700 million in tax breaks for residents as part of state budget plan

Here are some of the details about the breaks for parents, seniors, low-income workers, and renters. The plan would need the approval of the Democratic-controlled Legislature before becoming law.

Backlash grows after Tufts announces closure of children’s hospital

Doctors, nurses, and families are mourning the impending loss of a beloved institution and worry that some sick children could lose access to critical care.

Federal Reserve is ready to boost interest rates in March as inflation worsens

“There is quite a bit of room to raise interest rates without hurting the labor market,” Fed chairman Jerome Powell said.
Opinion
EDITORIAL

With pragmatism, Breyer brought real-world justice to the high court

In choosing a replacement, President Biden should keep front of mind the legacy that Breyer leaves on the court as his tenure nears its end.
John Fernandez

Critics of Mass General Brigham expansion plan ignore key facts

EDITORIAL

How to punish Putin if Russia invades Ukraine

Joan Vennochi

Teflon Charlie Baker rides off into the sunset

SCOT LEHIGH

Scaring cats, forgetting words and authors: A bout of ‘mild’ COVID-19 strikes Globe columnist

Mass. coronavirus at a glance | on
Total
.
Doses Administered
Boosters Administered
 
Fully Vaccinated:
Percent of population:
Cases and deaths
.
Total cases:
Total deaths:
Other resources:
NOTE: Mass DPH releases data Monday-Friday. Fully vaccinated means Mass. residents with 2 doses of Moderna/Pfizer vaccine or a dose of J&J. Boosters include Pfizer or Moderna. Mass. population of 6,892,503 is used to calculate vaccination percentages. SOURCE: Mass. Dept. of Public Health
Project Takeout

3 places we supported this week

Want to order from local, independent restaurants? Here are some suggestions from Globe staff.
Browse a map of reader-recommended takeout spots Explore the full project

More recent stories

Boston’s rental market has reached an all-time high
Rents here have bounced back since early in the pandemic, rebounding faster than West Coast cities that have typically been even pricier.

David Mugar, philanthropist who added fireworks to Boston’s July Fourth celebration, dies at 82
As chairman and CEO of Mugar Enterprises Inc., Mr. Mugar oversaw a sprawling, privately held empire comprising real estate holdings, retail businesses, performance venues, and other investment- and arts-oriented enterprises.

Jeneé Osterheldt
Democracy is in danger and so are the people fighting for it, because white comfort leads to American violence
From Michelle Wu to Rachael Rollins, women of color in politics have always had to deal with debate and dissent. But it shouldn’t mean death threats and violence.

US offers no concessions in response to Russia on Ukraine
In separate written responses delivered to the Russians, the US and NATO held firm to the alliance’s open-door policy for membership, rejected a demand to permanently ban Ukraine from joining, and said allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are nonnegotiable.

Spotify to pull Neil Young music after artist’s objections to Joe Rogan podcast, reports say
Spotify is in the process of removing all of Neil Young’s music from its platform after the artist fired off a public missive to his management on Monday, demanding they remove his music from the streamer in protest of Joe Rogan spreading COVID-19 misinformation through his podcast.

Innovation Economy
‘Everybody is down’: Pandemic burnout hits Boston startups, despite the boom
The cumulative toll of the past two years has led to widespread pandemic burnout.

Recommended reads

There’s a new frontier in detecting cancer: blood tests

Often called liquid biopsies, the gene-based tests from several US startups hone in on worrisome biomarkers that can signal cancer.

TOM FARRAGHER
A Berkshire forest blossoms into a new kind of graveyard
Florida, Mass., is home to a new-fangled cemetery on stunning, tree-studded land.

It’s skating season on lakes, ponds. Here’s how to stay safe.
The New England tradition comes with risks.

Uber passenger paralyzed in crash sues company for $63 million
Will Good’s lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Suffolk Superior Court, demands a jury trial and seeks $63 million in damages, including severe physical, mental, and emotional injuries, extraordinary pain and suffering, and permanent disability.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

Spotify to pull Neil Young music after artist’s objections to Joe Rogan podcast, reports say

DOCUMENTARY

In documentary ‘The Panola Project,’ two Somerville filmmakers show how one woman got her small town vaccinated

‘There’s a collector for everything’: House of Mirth helps lost and found photos find a home

Warm up, game on, and rock out: 10 video games featuring Boston-bred bands and artists

Special Projects

Into the Red: How the Globe will cover climate change

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

Under the wheel

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

EDITORIAL

How to punish Putin if Russia invades Ukraine

SCOT LEHIGH

Scaring cats, forgetting words and authors: A bout of ‘mild’ COVID-19 strikes Globe columnist

ABDALLAH FAYYAD

A key hire shows Wu really meant her campaign promises

JEFF JACOBY

There’s a phrase for senators like Kyrsten Sinema

RENÉE GRAHAM

Ron DeSantis — white supremacy’s helicopter parent

IDEAS | MILES HOWARD

Set the underground rivers free

Metro

Maps: An early look at how much snow to expect from the upcoming winter storm

Massachusetts is bracing for a snowstorm that could bring more than 16 inches to eastern parts of the state, though forecasters are cautioning that it’s too early to predict the details so many days from its arrival.

Mass. House advances bill to make no-excuse mail voting permanent

With municipal elections around the bend in the spring, the House bill is expected to move quickly to a vote on Thursday.
Coronavirus Live Updates

Boston unions file appeal regarding vaccination mandate for city workforce

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

Backlash grows after Tufts announces closure of children’s hospital

Doctors, nurses, and families are mourning the impending loss of a beloved institution and worry that some sick children could lose access to critical care.

Sports

NFL notebook

Minnesota Vikings hire Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their general manager

Adofo-Mensah, 40, the vice president of football operations for the Browns for the past two years, was one of two finalists from an initial pool of eight candidates.
Celtics Notebook

7-foot-2-inch Bol Bol slowly acclimating himself to the Celtics while rehabbing a foot injury

While he is expected to be out 8-12 weeks, Bol has taken part in team meetings and attended practices as he tries to digest the Celtics system.
Peter Abraham I On baseball

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling are off the Hall of Fame ballot. What comes next?

Now Bonds, Clemens, and Schilling place their hopes in the hands of the Today’s Game Committee, which will meet in December.
GIRLS' BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

The tradition continues: Big Three leading Brooks girls to basketball glory

Sports Log

Providence names Steven Napolillo as next athletic director

women's college hockey notebook

That year off did not seem to affect the Harvard women’s hockey team

Business

Gates Foundation expands board following Bill, Melinda split

Wednesday’s announcement means the global charitable group will now have six people to guide its work and its $50 billion endowment. However, Gates and French Gates will continue to have additional authority as cochairs of the foundation.

Officials: Boom aims to build supersonic jets in N. Carolina

A Colorado-based aviation company wants to build a plant for next-generation supersonic passenger jets at a North Carolina airport, government officials said Wednesday as local and state boards approved hefty financial incentives for the parent company of Boom Supersonic.

Mass. needs more housing. Why not at Devens?

Moderna says Omicron antibodies from its booster fall sharply from initial peak, but are still present after six months

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
Globe Magazine

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

Globe Magazine

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

YOUR WEEK AHEAD

Five things to do in and around Boston, Jan. 24-30

Style Watch

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

metro

David Mugar, philanthropist who added fireworks to Boston’s July Fourth celebration, dies at 82

T plans to add Green Line crash prevention tech a year earlier than scheduled

Treasurer Seth Magaziner will run for Congress rather than RI governor

sports

EMass girls’ basketball: Central Catholic’s Ashley Dinges headlines Players of the Week

What does the Patriots’ calendar look like for the next few months?

With David Ortiz in, who will be the next to sport a Red Sox hat on his Hall of Fame plaque?

business

The situation inside R.I. nursing homes is dire again, but not because of COVID-19

Federal Reserve is ready to boost interest rates in March as inflation worsens

Amazon is ramping up its push for legalizing marijuana

politics

Justice Stephen Breyer will retire, giving Biden the first Supreme Court pick of his presidency, AP sources say

Who might President Biden nominate to the Supreme Court? Here’s a look at five potential picks.

Navy discharges 1st active duty sailors for vaccine refusal

Nation

Boston unions file appeal regarding vaccination mandate for city workforce

Justice Stephen Breyer will retire, giving Biden the first Supreme Court pick of his presidency, AP sources say

Feds accuse Texas man of selling gun to man who took hostages inside synagogue

World

In West Bank, Israeli settlers flex power, Palestinians struggle

US offers no concessions in response to Russia on Ukraine

Indonesia’s capital is sinking, polluted, and now moving

opinion

Ron DeSantis — white supremacy’s helicopter parent

There’s a phrase for senators like Kyrsten Sinema

Enough talk. Implement the city vaccine mandate.

lifestyle

In documentary ‘The Panola Project,’ two Somerville filmmakers show how one woman got her small town vaccinated

Embracing the short, sweet maple season

These art enthusiasts are also world travelers

food & dining

3 places we supported this week

A new generation of chefs is embracing — and updating — the classic American Chinese restaurant

Get Tasting Counter’s preserves, sauces, and vinegars to use at home

travel

Embracing the short, sweet maple season

These art enthusiasts are also world travelers

‘We’re off to a very robust start’: On opening day, thousands book Martha’s Vineyard ferry reservations for summer 2022

Arts

Judy Glickman Lauder gifts 600-plus photographs to Portland Museum of Art

How the Boston Dynamics robot Spot became one artist’s muse — then, her assistant

10 museum must-sees

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

In documentary ‘The Panola Project,’ two Somerville filmmakers show how one woman got her small town vaccinated

The burden of being human in ‘Jockey’

21 film performances from 2021 worthy of an Oscar nomination

Television

Stick around for ‘The Afterparty,’ an inventive whodunit played for laughs

Influential ‘Late Night’ turns 40 with humor intact

A path to sobriety worth following in ‘Single Drunk Female’

music

Spotify to pull Neil Young music after artist’s objections to Joe Rogan podcast, reports say

An enterprising Berklee pianist’s next gig: Live at the Apollo

Bad Bunny to play Fenway Park Aug. 18

Theater/Dance

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

Five dance performances to carry you through the snowy season

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

globe local

Boys & Girls Club of Metro South opens new hydroponic freight farm

‘Walking into the lion’s den’: Cities and towns say they need help as climate change dangers grow

Wake up woodchucks, and tell us how long winter’s going to last

Obituaries

David Mugar, philanthropist who added fireworks to Boston’s July Fourth celebration, dies at 82

Steve Schapiro, a witness, with camera, to seminal moments and people in the American tapestry, dies

Bill Owens, first Black state senator in Massachusetts, dies at 84