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He was caught trying to defraud a COVID relief fund. Then he faked his death.

Charged in the first such case in the nation, he seemingly abandoned his SUV in Quincy and walked into the Atlantic. But as with much in his life, the truth wasn’t what it seemed.

Research from Harvard economists confirms elite colleges favor wealthy students
The findings confirm what many have suspected: Prestigious private colleges tend to give advantage to applicants from high-income families over less affluent ones, even when they have comparable academic qualifications.

MIAA cites pattern of ‘serious, egregious’ violations in Fenwick case
The punishment follows a legal dispute over Fenwick’s request for the MIAA to grant a waiver for a 19-year-old student to play baseball last spring in his fifth year of high school.

Cheyne Cousens, 40, recently posted videos on TikTok and other social media about his attempt to revisit a shore access point in Middletown, R.I., that he often used when he was growing up.

The story behind the R.I. shoreline confrontation you may have seen on TikTok

Cheyne Cousens, 40, often used a public shore access point in Middletown when he was growing up nearby. He recently returned to the spot to take a swim, and is now facing a trespassing charge.

As Boston office market stagnates, worry grows about the value of big buildings

Few office towers have sold this year, and the ones that have are selling for a discount.

Harvard student’s ChatGPT experiment reveals disruption in store for higher education

The experiment reveals a major challenge for educators scrambling to keep up with the fast-pace adoption of a tool that is hard to detect and capable of composing college-level prose.

Body of chef to Barack and Michelle Obama recovered from Martha’s Vineyard pond

The body of a chef who cooked for Barack and Michelle Obama from the White House through the post-presidency was pulled from a pond on Martha’s Vineyard on after he went missing while paddleboarding the previous evening, officials said.

Nantucket oceanfront home condemned after erosion strips away 35 feet of dune since November, official says
The Nantucket Board of Health issued an emergency condemnation order for a home at 21 Sheep Pond Road last week, citing the precarious position of the structure on the beach and violations of state sanitary codes.

A VT town went without drinking water for ten days. Some blame the private water company.

The outage has some residents talking about whether the town should take over the water system.

Recent outbreak at Everett migrant hotel shelter shows dueling crises ‘coming to a head,’ advocates say

Berklee College of Music announces president Erica Muhl will not return

Jay Strother paused to view the Boston skyline while hiking atop Peters Hill in the Arnold Arboretum.

A 27-mile community-made trail brings urban hiking to Boston

The Walking City Trail, spanning 17 neighborhoods, marries the city’s green spaces and urban landscapes to create an immersive experience for locals and tourists.

Boston--7/12/99--During Home Run Derby, fans on both sides, in and out. LIBRARY TAG 07131999 NATIONAL - SPORTS - PAGE ONE

seven wonders of the sports world

The story of a 50-year love affair with Fenway Park

Globe journalist Stan Grossfeld was introduced to the old ballpark during the 1967 "Impossible Dream" season. Ever since, he's been documenting its quirks.

Tell us: What’s the greatest sports venue in America? In the world?

Since the beginning of June, Triston Casas leads the Red Sox in OPS and is slashing .308/.400/.585 in that time.

This recent surge by the Red Sox’ Triston Casas is all part of the process

The first baseman believes strongly in establishing routines and maintaining them through struggles, but he is not averse to adjustments, either.

Opinion

Free prison calls provide a lifeline for inmates, families

Now a year overdue, ending burdensome costs needs one final push.

MARCELA GARCÍA

Texas’s barbaric treatment of migrants

Kendra Lara must hold herself to the same standard as everyone else

Jeremy Kofsky and Kael Weston

Senate must confirm Marine Corps commandant

What about that third Cape Cod bridge?

More recent News

Boys spot ‘incredibly rare’ blue frogs in Rhode Island
Jack Ragosta was “over the moon” his mother said, after finding the glistening blue frog and researching the unusual find.

Here’s why you don’t want to ignore that ‘No Swimming’ sign these days
It might seem harmless just to jump in the water at a beach closed for swimming. But you should think twice, officials say.

See where beaches are closed in Mass. All Plum Island beaches reopen to swimming after drop in bacteria levels

Healey administration opposes release of waste water from decommissioned Pilgrim nuclear power plant into Cape Cod Bay
But legal experts said that the federal government, not state authorities, may have the final say.

Justice Department will make prosecutor in Hunter Biden case available to testify before Congress

The lead prosecutor in the case against President Biden’s son Hunter says he is willing to testify publicly this fall, setting up a clash with House Republicans who have demanded he come in soon for a closed-door interview.

FMC Devens employee agrees to plead guilty to accepting payments from inmate under his care
William S. Tidwell, 49, of Keene, N.H., agreed to waive indictment and plead guilty to charges of bribery in violation of his official duties, making false statements to a bank, and identity theft, according to officials and court records.

Dorchester man held on assault charges; allegedly attacked woman for not saying ‘Good morning’
Home security video allegedly shows Ian Atkinson punch the woman at least seven times in her head before walking back to a Mercedes, reversing it, and swerving in the direction of the victim before driving away, prosecutors said.

Recommended reads

BETH TEITELL | COMMENTARY

Welcome to the grievance-packed world of electric vehicle charging

EV drivers are hogging chargers. Motorists driving gas-powered cars are trying to reclaim parking spots lost to EV charging.

‘What else are you going to do with it?’: Developer Bill Cummings is giving away his fortune.
How a hard-working fruit punch salesman built a suburban real estate empire — and why he’s now focused on turning it into game-changing donations.

KEVIN CULLEN

Behind the Maine flag debate, an identity crisis
The decision on the future of the flag likely will be decided by voters in a November referendum. But Mainers appear very divided on the idea.

Rise in cancer among younger people worries and puzzles doctors
An array of cancers are striking people younger than 50 at higher rates than in previous decades, prompting new screening guidelines, new research, and growing concern.

Culture & Lifestyle

The cast of "The Boy Who Kissed the Sky," including Errol Service Jr. (third from right) as The Boy.

Company One’s ‘Boy Who Kissed the Sky’ mythologizes a young Jimi Hendrix’s experience

Luke Combs performs at Gillette Stadium Saturday in the second of his two weekend concerts there.

After a rain-shortened first night, Luke Combs makes a splash at Gillette

Dorrance Dance in "45th & 8th" at the 2023 Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.

Dorrance Dance an engaging treat for eyes and ears at Jacob’s Pillow

Edward Hopper, “Freight Cars, Gloucester,” 1928.

For Edward Hopper, Gloucester was a last chance and a fresh start

Special Projects

Photo Illustration

Boston thrives off the dreams of young people. But can they make it here?

Baby boomers and Gen Xers benefited from economic conditions that do not exist for millennials. And by many measures, the path ahead for Gen Z is even more fraught.

Boston, MA—12/14/2022 - Commuters wait for the T to arrive at Ruggles Station. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

Boston doesn’t work if the T doesn’t work

With the MBTA engulfed by issues, everyday riders are feeling the pain.

Brittany Tee, Soomaiiah Quraiishi, and Reina Morales Rojas are among thousands of people thought to be missing from Massachusetts.

How the missing become the uncounted

Inside the government’s flawed approach to finding missing persons.

Two Weeks in America

Two Weeks in America

We sent a dozen journalists on the road across this complex country. They found it’s better than you think.

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

PODCAST | SHIRLEY LEUNG

Introducing Globe Opinion podcast ‘Say More with Shirley Leung’

A sign advertising the NAACP convention was seen from the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center on July 17.

With the NAACP convention, Boston looks to repair its reputation

A view of the emergency entrance to the emergency room in Weymouth. Burnout is a major problem among workers throughout health care, leading to retirements and quitting.

Want to fix health care burnout? Improve work conditions for doctors and nurses.

Sergeline, who did not want to give her family's last name, sat on a bed in a hotel room in Boston in early May with her baby, Luna, and her son Fritz, 17. They arrived from Boston Medical Center’s waiting room.

MARCELA GARCÍA

Have an extra room in your home? Host a migrant.

Runners competed in the girls 100 meter hurdles at the Boston City League track and field championships at White Stadium on May 16.

Boston’s student athletes deserve a first-class playing field

Jim Caviezel in Angel Studios' "Sound of Freedom."

IDEAS | MATTHEW REMSKI

America’s summer of fake saviors

Metro

A VT town went without drinking water for ten days. Some blame the private water company.

The outage has some residents talking about whether the town should take over the water system.

Rhode Islanders stand in solidarity with human rights protesters in Iran

A Westerly woman with family ties to Tehran feels driven to fight for women’s rights from afar.

Harvard student’s ChatGPT experiment reveals disruption in store for higher education

The experiment reveals a major challenge for educators scrambling to keep up with the fast-pace adoption of a tool that is hard to detect and capable of composing college-level prose.

He was caught trying to defraud a COVID relief fund. Then he vanished.

Charged in the first such case in the nation, he seemingly abandoned his SUV in Quincy and walked into the Atlantic. But as with much in his life, the truth wasn’t what it seemed.

Sports

Tom Nunan (right), president of Bishop Fenwick High School, along side Neil Harrington (left), president of the board of trustees, leads a school meeting discussing the MIAA’s decision to ban all postseason sports participation in the next school year at Bishop Fenwick.

MIAA cites pattern of ‘serious, egregious’ violations in Fenwick case

The punishment follows a legal dispute over Fenwick’s request for the MIAA to grant a waiver for a 19-year-old student to play baseball last spring in his fifth year of high school.

Pierce Johnson is headed for Atlanta.

Baseball Notebook

Braves land relievers Pierce Johnson and Taylor Hearn in trades with Rockies and Rangers

The league-best Braves bolstered their bullpen on Monday.

Nick Pivetta was in a different role the last time the Red Sox faced the Braves.

Red Sox Notebook

The Red Sox look very different from the last time they played the league-best Braves

The Braves have continued to dominate since the teams met in May, while the Sox have undergone something of a transformation.

NFL indefinitely suspends Broncos second-year player Eyioma Uwazurike for gambling on games

Schools Notebook

St. Mary’s and Everett football to square off at Thanksgiving for the first time

Joe Burrow reports to Bengals training camp without long-term contract extension in tow

Business

EU agriculture ministers meet to discuss vital Ukraine grain exports after Russia nixed deal

European Union agriculture ministers are meeting to discuss ways of moving grain vital to global food security out of Ukraine after Russia halted a deal that allowed the exports.

Harvard student’s ChatGPT experiment reveals disruption in store for higher education

The experiment reveals a major challenge for educators scrambling to keep up with the fast-pace adoption of a tool that is hard to detect and capable of composing college-level prose.

As Boston office market stagnates, worry grows about the value of big buildings

The Biden administration proposes new rules to push insurers to boost mental health coverage

magazine

Why ACL injuries are hanging over the Women's World Cup

A bunk inspired by sailboats creates two distinct spaces for the teenagers who share the bedroom.

Your Home | Small Spaces

To split a room for siblings, they borrowed from sailboat design

Chicken Salad With Romaine and Tahini-Herb Dressing

Recipes: Stay cool with fresh summer salads

Learn how watercolor techniques have evolved over the years at Gallery Talk: American Watercolors, 1880 – 1990: Into the Light, at the Harvard Art Museums.

Your Week Ahead

Five things to do around Boston, July 24-30

metro

An American flag waves below the US Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Democrats agree on issues, differ on background and experience

Proposed closure of Leominster Hospital maternity ward is criticized

State board of elections to verify nomination signatures in question in First Congressional race

sports

Much to the chagrin of special teams captain Matthew Slater (left), Nyheim Hines took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown in the Patriots' 2022 season finale.

Report: Bills lose running back and Patriots nemesis Nyheim Hines for season after jet ski accident

Jaclyn Dehney wins elusive national wrestling title at Fargo, N.D., meet

Alexandra Popp back on the mark, powers Germany to rout of Morocco

business

People attended the "Barbie" movie's opening day in New York on Friday.

‘Barbie’ shatters opening weekend records

At Veolia, Van Heems is building a workforce pipeline for his whole industry.

Key question as Federal Reserve meets: Can the central bank pull off a difficult ‘soft landing’?

politics

Hunter Biden.

Justice Department will make prosecutor in Hunter Biden case available to testify before Congress

Ramaswamy slated to headline South Carolina county GOP fundraiser in return to early voting state

IRS halts surprise visits to homes and businesses

Nation

Justin Germann in Hatcher Pass, near Wasilla, Alaska.

Permafrost expert and military pilot among 4 killed in a helicopter crash on Alaska’s North Slope

Study finds climate change fingerprints on July heat waves in Europe, China and America

Biden administration sues Texas governor over Rio Grande buoy barrier that’s meant to stop migrants

World

Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin appeared paralyzed and unable to act in first hours of rebellion

Taliban bans beauty salons in Afghanistan despite UN concern and rare public protest

First Lady Jill Biden to mark US reentry into UNESCO with flag-raising ceremony in Paris

opinion

A view of the emergency entrance to the emergency room in Weymouth. Burnout is a major problem among workers throughout health care, leading to retirements and quitting.

Want to fix health care burnout? Improve work conditions for doctors and nurses.

The deadly motorcycle accident. And the other vehicle.

My Barbie, my self

lifestyle

Can I be happy with someone who’s a full-time caregiver?

Should I make this breakup less ugly?

How to make your home a haven from toxic teenage overachievement culture

food & dining

A variety of desserts prepared by Grant Bird for a Sam Hunt concert at Jones Beach on Long Island, July 14, 2023. Bird, who has cooked for Beyoncé and Justin Bieber, among others, prides himself on the number and variety of cookies he sets out.

Meet the chefs who feed Beyoncé and Lizzo on tour

Recipes: Stay cool with fresh summer salads

How a Mexican lager became America’s bestselling beer

travel

Rooms at the Chatwal Lodge feature Adirondack- style furnishings.

Feeling fancy at the foot of the Catskill Mountains

The best rental car company for every type of traveler

A Chatham inn’s makeover, Colorado’s hot springs, and a self-folding travel stroller

Arts

Unknown, "Mina Loy Dressed for the Blindman's Ball," 1917.

‘Mina Loy: Strangeness Is Inevitable’ celebrates a remarkable ‘cultural pollinator’

‘Impassioned Destruction’: Exhibit offers new perspective on Boston Tea Party

In ‘Slice,’ Aaron Fink celebrates the sensuality of paint — and the succulence of a famous fruit

Books

In Edith Bruck’s ‘Lost Bread,’ an account of the Holocaust and its aftermath, cruelty continues for survivors even after Auschwitz is closed

Could ‘The Last of Us’ really happen? Emily Monosson details the potential future of fungal pathogens in an ever-warming world

Visual columnist Wendy MacNaughton on books about mortality and drawing

Movies

Greta Gerwig arrives at the premiere of "Barbie" on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, in London.

With ‘Barbie,’ Greta Gerwig breaks a box office record for female directors

Fans reclaimed ‘girliness’ through fashion at the opening night of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’

‘Beetlejuice’ movie set props stolen in Vermont, including 150-pound abstract art statue, police say

Television

"Big Brother" contestants Monte Taylor and Taylor Hale in a scene from season 24. On Wednesday, CBS marks a reality TV milestone with “Big Brother: 25th Anniversary Celebration.”

This week’s TV: ‘Twisted Metal’ premieres, ‘Dark Winds’ returns, and ‘Big Brother’ endures

Reality TV performers need a union, ‘Housewives’ star says

Netflix hikes ad-free price for new subscribers

music

On Friday night, Xian Zhang, music director of the New Jersey Symphony, made her Tanglewood debut leading the BSO in works by Copland and Dvořák.

At Tanglewood, musical postcards from the ‘new world’

Rhett Miller strikes a balance between his solo pursuits and the Old 97′s

After a rain-shortened first night, Luke Combs makes a splash at Gillette

Theater/Dance

Dorrance Dance in "45th & 8th" at the 2023 Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.

Dorrance Dance an engaging treat for eyes and ears at Jacob’s Pillow

Company One’s ‘Boy Who Kissed the Sky’ mythologizes a young Jimi Hendrix’s experience

Amid labor turmoil in Hollywood, Broadway seems to avoid a strike

globe local

Brothers Brian Worrell (left), District 4 Councilor, and state Representative Chris Worrell just opened a district office on Erie Street.

Worrell brothers, one a councilor and one a state representative, open joint Dorchester office for ‘top-notch constituent services’

Fire destroys multiple homes along beachfront in Scituate

Reading harpist returns to hometown for performance with the US Air Force Concert Band

Obituaries

Charles Wurster stands with his son, Erik Wurster (left), and his longtime partner, Marie Gladwish, as he received an honorary degree from Stony Brook University.

Charles Wurster’s fight of a lifetime: Defending the environment, saving the birds

Tony Bennett, ‘the best singer in the business,’ has died at 96

Kevin Mitnick, who eluded authorities during hacking spree, is dead at 59