The Boston Globe

Colleges update applications after affirmative action ruling

WATCH: Reporter Hilary Burns stops by to talk about what the new college application looks like in the wake of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling.

Colleges update applications after affirmative action ruling

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Trailblazing Black firefighter’s pension fight

Reporter Danny McDonald shares a story of a firefighter whose career ended 40 years ago after suffering a racist attack. He is still fighting for his pension.

A Black Boston firefighter, a career cut short, and a 40-year pension fight

Once a Boston firefighter, Allen Curry was forced into early retirement decades ago following an incident involving two white colleagues. Now, he’s closer than he’s ever been to receiving a pension equal to 100 percent of a current day firefighter salary.

‘Catastrophic’ flood in Leominster damages commuter rail tracks, endangers dam, and forces evacuations
Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella called the situation “catastrophic” at a news conference Tuesday morning, citing extensive damage in the city, evacuations, and the state of emergency in effect. “It affects every single section of the city. No one escaped this,” he said.

Here’s what you need to know about flash flooding

Sand blocked the front entrance of a home in Leominster.

‘You do what you got to do:’ In Leominster, retired teacher fought to save neighbors’ homes from flooding

Ideas: Extreme weather can ruin crops. Here’s how New England farmers cope.

A man uses a window to enter his home in Leominster after flooding sent a torrent of debris that blocked the doors to the home.

See photos and video of extensive damage from flooding in Leominster and surrounding areas

Torrential rain brought severe flash flooding to several communities in central Massachusetts Monday evening, causing extensive damage and evacuations.

Popular nasal decongestant doesn’t actually relieve congestion, FDA experts say
The leading decongestant used by millions of Americans looking for relief from a stuffy nose is likely no better than a dummy pill, the government said.

A hop scotch to the voting booth for Dana Gonsal on Election Day in the preliminary municipal election for the City of Boston at the Mattahunt Elementary School.

Voters head to the polls for Boston City Council preliminary elections

Residents head to the polls Tuesday in the first round of voting this fall for Boston City Council, with two dramatic reelection contests drawing unusual attention to the off-year municipal race.

Meet the candidates in Roxbury’s District 7 Boston City Council race Read more Boston election coverage

Aaron Rodgers went down after four plays in his first game with the Jets Monday night.

NFL

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has torn Achilles’ tendon and will miss the rest of the season

An MRI confirmed the four-time NFL MVP’s injury, and Zach Wilson once again will become the starter.

On Football: The curse of the Jets hits Aaron Rodgers, and now the AFC East is wide open

Indecent assault charge against Rodman Arena owner Rob Barletta dropped; SafeSport status remains uncertain

A Norfolk County assistant district attorney told the court the prosecution was unable to proceed because the alleged victim of the assault in 2021 declined to testify.

Cape Cod and the islands brace for potential impact of Hurricane Lee this weekend
Tropical storm-force winds are forecast to hit the South Coast of Massachusetts sometime between 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday morning, bringing heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and an increased risk of rip currents, especially on south-facing beaches, forecasters said.

Lee swirls through open waters on a path to Atlantic Canada Hurricane tracker: Follow Lee's path

Will Hurricane Lee hit Mass.? Here’s what the projections show.

Amid backdrop of migrant crisis, Mass. Legislature considers cash, food aid for legal immigrants

The Massachusetts Legislature is considering a bill to make legal immigrants like refugees and asylum seekers eligible for popular safety net programs such as food assistance and cash benefits.

‘Now is the time to pivot’: Democratic state representative slams Healey’s response to migrant crisis

Attorneys call on high school sports agency to end discrimination against Black athletes’ hairstyles
In a letter Tuesday, attorneys cautioned the National Federation of State High School Associations that a policy mandating hair “adornments” be “securely fastened close to the head” could be too easily misinterpreted to discriminate against Black players.

CDC recommends updated COVID shots, paving the way for vaccine this week

Speaker McCarthy directs a House panel to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden

Stores looted after flooding on Branch Street in Providence

Thousands are feared dead, with 10,000 missingas eastern Libya is devastated by floods

After blowback, state will provide shuttle buses for Fluff Fest during Union Square stop closure on Green Line

The Yankees' D.J. LeMahieu (background) heads home with a run in the sixth inning, to the dismay of Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta.

Yankees 3, Red Sox 2

Red Sox’ rally fizzles in ninth as Yankees win first game of doubleheader

With the Sox trailing by one run, Alex Verdugo grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the game.

Don Henley (left) and Deacon Frey of the Eagles perform on opening night of the band's "The Long Goodbye" tour Sept. 7 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

MUSIC REVIEW

It’s one of those nights as the Eagles and Steely Dan recapture their ’70s luster at TD Garden

Don Henley saluted tourmates Steely Dan as “our fellow survivors from the ‘70s” Monday, a night when both bands proved to be in fine form.

Eve Hewson, left, and Orén Kinlan in a scene from "Flora and Son." (Apple TV+ via AP)

MOVIES

Musical numbers, money schemes, and murder: highlights from the Toronto International Film Festival

Megan Thee Stallion rules ‘Dicks: The Musical,’ ‘Dumb Money’ falls short, and ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ puts audience expectations on trial

Opinion

President Biden during a meeting with Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Sept. 11.

SCOT LEHIGH

Joe Biden needs to get out of his cocoon

To counter the view that he’s too old for a second term, Biden should hold regular, free-wheeling press conferences, even if the focus sometimes becomes his son Hunter.

JEFF JACOBY

Conservatives should embrace ‘Lift Every Voice’

RENÉE GRAHAM

Coco Gauff and the ‘Venus and Serena effect’

JOAN VENNOCHI

Soft landing for Jack Jones is a hard sell for the DA — and the Patriots

EDITORIAL

On this Election Day, the chance to rebuild an ailing City Council

Experience Globe Summit September 19-21
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News you can use

The FDA just approved updated COVID boosters. Where and when can you get them in Mass.?
The shots are expected to be available as early as this week. Here's what you need to know.

PARENTING UNFILTERED

Nine snack hacks for back to school
Lost in a cloud of Taki dust? Here’s help.

What you need to know as student loan repayments restart
Though loan forgiveness remains a possibility, some 45 million Americans are required to start paying back their loans. Here is a breakdown of what you need to know about the return of the monthly bill.

More recent News

Mass. bill proposed to ban sales and operation of weaponized robots
Videos of modified robots with guns have alarmed manufacturers and lawmakers.

Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras and new charging ports
The showcase at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., comes as the company tries to reverse a mild slump that has seen its sales drop from last year in three consecutive quarters.

Bowing to European pressure, Apple changes its iPhone charger

You probably hate your recorded voice. Here’s how to change it.
Researchers at Mass. Eye and Ear found when people were presented with what they really sound like they tended to focus on the negative vocal qualities of their voices on recordings to the point of getting defensive about how they sounded.

Harvard museum director stepping down
Martha Tedeschi, who’s headed the university’s art museums since 2016, will retire in June.

Five former police officers charged in death of Tyre Nichols are now also facing federal civil rights charges
The four-count indictment comes nine months after the violent beating of Nichols by police officers during a Jan. 7 traffic stop near his home in Memphis.

Gas stove left on sparked fatal Athol house fire that killed woman, officials said

The origin of the fire was traced back to the gas stove in the kitchen where one of the knobs was left slightly on, according to a statement from Athol Fire Chief Joseph Guarnera, Athol Police Chief Craig Lundgren, State Fire Marshal Jon Davine, and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.

As the neighborhood changes, Harvard Square’s ‘Dewey, Cheetham & Howe’ window lives on

For three decades, a gold-lettered sign advertising a fictional law firm has looked over Harvard Square. In the eyes of “Car Talk,” and now the city of Cambridge, it's a cherished historic landmark that isn't going anywhere.

Judge orders no jail time for retired trooper who served alcohol to minors at party where teen drowned
Retired State Police captain James F. Coughlin, 57, and his wife, Leslie Coughlin, 56, pleaded guilty Monday in Dedham District Court to providing minors with alcohol and were each given a one-year suspended sentence, over the objections of prosecutors.

DEVRA FIRST

Of course butter sculptures at state fairs aren’t solid. ‘It’s just physics.’
We talked to the butter sculptors for the Big E to bring you everything you ever wanted to know about the art form.

Boch Center leader Joe Spaulding announces he’ll be retiring in 2024
The nonprofit Boch Center, which runs the Wang and Shubert theaters, plans to hire a search firm in the coming weeks to identify a new leader, whom the organization hopes to name by the end of the year.

Culture & Lifestyle

The Emerson String Quartet: Paul Watkins, Eugene Drucker, Philip Setzer, Lawrence Dutton.

Emerson String Quartet bids farewell in Berkshires concert

SSD at Metro on Lansdowne Street in July 1982, opening for the Dead Kennedys.

SSD’s hardcore history, bound in a book

Author Grace Lin (”Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods””) will speak at 3 p.m. at Porter Square Books on Sept. 10.

Author readings around Boston Sept. 10-16

Book recommendations for every kind of tween and teen reader to help them through the year.

A dozen books to help tweens and teens navigate the transition back to school

Special Projects

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

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

FROM OUR PARTNERS

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

IDEAS | KARA MILLER

Marriage is increasingly for the upper classes. That’s not a good sign.

Pedro Zamora's family following the dedication in Miami of Pedro Zamora Way in 1995.

RENÉE GRAHAM

Revisiting ‘The Real World’ and remembering Pedro Zamora

Bits from different cars accumulate curbside at the intersection as yellow traffic sticks stand ineffective sentry in the background.

Heather Hopp-Bruce

The crashes at the neighborhood corner

A firefighter cleaned a truck at Engine 50 firehouse in Charlestown.

Phil Primack

Rethinking the costly role of fire departments

EDITORIAL

Restraining order law doesn’t adequately protect roommates

"This city is special," the author writes, "and Boston, so restrained in emotion, deserves to hear this more often."

IDEAS | OMER AZIZ

My farewell love letter to Boston

Metro

My Boston History | Mi Historia En Boston

What does it mean to lose special places where Latinos gather in Boston?

Maybe we should expect legacy landmarks like El Oriental and Merengue to evolve.

After blowback, state will provide shuttle buses for Fluff Fest during Union Square stop closure on Green Line

MassDOT is closing the new Green Line extension between Lechmere and Union Square stations for 25 days starting on Sept. 18 to repair the Squires Bridge on McGrath Highway that carries car traffic over the Green Line tracks.

RI POLITICS

R.I. Board of Elections won’t call Bonnet Shores referendum

The board also decided against issuing subpoenas to all those who collected signatures for Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos in the First Congressional District race.

RI NEWS

Stores looted after flooding on Branch Street in Providence

Floodwaters may have pushed cars into store windows, shattering them and allowing looters to get in. Mayor Brett Smiley said “There is no world in which we give a pass to anyone who acted illegally last night.”

Sports

Former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams died Tuesday, two weeks after he was injured in a construction accident.

NFL Notebook

Ex-NFL receiver Mike Williams dies two weeks after being injured in construction accident

Williams was a fourth-round draft pick of the Buccaneers in 2010 following a standout college career at Syracuse.

Lynnfield's Maddie Sieve has felt the support of her closeknit team this season after losing her mother to cancer in December.

HIGH SCHOOL FIELD HOCKEY NOTEBOOK

The Lynnfield field hockey team shares a unique bond, and it was put to the test when tragedy struck one of its own

On Sunday, the Pioneers participated in a 5K fundraiser in honor of Sharla Sieve, the mother of senior captain Maddie Sieve, who died of Stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer last December.

WNBA

Breanna Stewart edges A’ja Wilson for AP WNBA Player of the Year honors by 1 vote

Stewart finished the regular season second in the league in scoring, averaging a career-best 23 points a game, to become the first player to repeat as The Associated Press Player of the Year.

Indecent assault charge against Rodman Arena owner Rob Barletta dropped; SafeSport status remains uncertain

Baseball notebook

David Stearns to become Mets’ president of baseball operations

HIGH SCHOOL FIELD HOCKEY

EMass field hockey: With 7 goals in three games, Norwood’s Shea Larkee headlines Players of the Week

Business

Poverty rate soared in 2022 as aid ended and prices rose

The increase followed two years of historically large declines in poverty, driven primarily by safety net programs that were created or expanded during the pandemic.

US claims Google pays more than $10 billion a year to maintain its search dominance

Over the next 10 weeks, federal lawyers and state attorneys general will try to prove Google rigged the market in its favor by locking in its search engine as the default choice in a plethora of places and devices.

New Lyft feature allows women to match rides with other women

Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras and new charging ports

magazine

A Mexican worker loads a conveyor belt with hay at a Vermont dairy farm.

Perspective

When will we make sure the people who work our farms and cook our food are well fed?

The Cactus and Succulent Society of Massachusetts will hold an outdoor plant market at the Norfolk Public Library.

Your Week Ahead

Five things to do around Boston, Sept. 11-17

Fall Travel

10 train trips to experience New England’s fall foliage in style

From left: Anthony Bourdain, chef Pepe Blázquez, and the writer at dinner at Casa Salvador in 2010.

Fall Travel

Colleges update applications after affirmative action ruling

A Black Boston firefighter, a career cut short, and a 40-year pension fight

‘You do what you got to do:’ In Leominster, retired teacher fought to save neighbors’ homes from flooding

See photos and video of extensive damage from flooding in Leominster and surrounding areas

Popular nasal decongestant doesn’t actually relieve congestion, FDA experts say The leading decongestant used by millions of Americans looking for relief from a stuffy nose is likely no better than a dummy pill, the government said.

Voters head to the polls for Boston City Council preliminary elections

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has torn Achilles’ tendon and will miss the rest of the season

Indecent assault charge against Rodman Arena owner Rob Barletta dropped; SafeSport status remains uncertain

Will Hurricane Lee hit Mass.? Here’s what the projections show.

Amid backdrop of migrant crisis, Mass. Legislature considers cash, food aid for legal immigrants

CDC recommends updated COVID shots, paving the way for vaccine this week

Speaker McCarthy directs a House panel to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden

Stores looted after flooding on Branch Street in Providence

Thousands are feared dead, with 10,000 missingas eastern Libya is devastated by floods

After blowback, state will provide shuttle buses for Fluff Fest during Union Square stop closure on Green Line

Red Sox’ rally fizzles in ninth as Yankees win first game of doubleheader

It’s one of those nights as the Eagles and Steely Dan recapture their ’70s luster at TD Garden

Musical numbers, money schemes, and murder: highlights from the Toronto International Film Festival

Joe Biden needs to get out of his cocoon

Conservatives should embrace ‘Lift Every Voice’

Coco Gauff and the ‘Venus and Serena effect’

Soft landing for Jack Jones is a hard sell for the DA — and the Patriots

On this Election Day, the chance to rebuild an ailing City Council

News you can use

The FDA just approved updated COVID boosters. Where and when can you get them in Mass.? The shots are expected to be available as early as this week. Here's what you need to know.

PARENTING UNFILTERED Nine snack hacks for back to school Lost in a cloud of Taki dust? Here’s help.

What you need to know as student loan repayments restart Though loan forgiveness remains a possibility, some 45 million Americans are required to start paying back their loans. Here is a breakdown of what you need to know about the return of the monthly bill.

More recent News

Mass. bill proposed to ban sales and operation of weaponized robots Videos of modified robots with guns have alarmed manufacturers and lawmakers.

Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras and new charging ports The showcase at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., comes as the company tries to reverse a mild slump that has seen its sales drop from last year in three consecutive quarters.

Harvard museum director stepping down Martha Tedeschi, who’s headed the university’s art museums since 2016, will retire in June.

Five former police officers charged in death of Tyre Nichols are now also facing federal civil rights charges The four-count indictment comes nine months after the violent beating of Nichols by police officers during a Jan. 7 traffic stop near his home in Memphis.

Gas stove left on sparked fatal Athol house fire that killed woman, officials said

Recommended reads

As the neighborhood changes, Harvard Square’s ‘Dewey, Cheetham & Howe’ window lives on

DEVRA FIRST Of course butter sculptures at state fairs aren’t solid. ‘It’s just physics.’ We talked to the butter sculptors for the Big E to bring you everything you ever wanted to know about the art form.

Boch Center leader Joe Spaulding announces he’ll be retiring in 2024 The nonprofit Boch Center, which runs the Wang and Shubert theaters, plans to hire a search firm in the coming weeks to identify a new leader, whom the organization hopes to name by the end of the year.

Culture & Lifestyle

Emerson String Quartet bids farewell in Berkshires concert

SSD’s hardcore history, bound in a book

Author readings around Boston Sept. 10-16

A dozen books to help tweens and teens navigate the transition back to school

Special Projects

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

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

How the missing become the uncounted

Two Weeks in America

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Marriage is increasingly for the upper classes. That’s not a good sign.

Revisiting ‘The Real World’ and remembering Pedro Zamora

The crashes at the neighborhood corner

Rethinking the costly role of fire departments

Restraining order law doesn’t adequately protect roommates

My farewell love letter to Boston

Metro

What does it mean to lose special places where Latinos gather in Boston?

After blowback, state will provide shuttle buses for Fluff Fest during Union Square stop closure on Green Line

R.I. Board of Elections won’t call Bonnet Shores referendum

Stores looted after flooding on Branch Street in Providence

Sports

Ex-NFL receiver Mike Williams dies two weeks after being injured in construction accident

The Lynnfield field hockey team shares a unique bond, and it was put to the test when tragedy struck one of its own

Breanna Stewart edges A’ja Wilson for AP WNBA Player of the Year honors by 1 vote

Indecent assault charge against Rodman Arena owner Rob Barletta dropped; SafeSport status remains uncertain

David Stearns to become Mets’ president of baseball operations

EMass field hockey: With 7 goals in three games, Norwood’s Shea Larkee headlines Players of the Week

Business

Poverty rate soared in 2022 as aid ended and prices rose

US claims Google pays more than $10 billion a year to maintain its search dominance

New Lyft feature allows women to match rides with other women

Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras and new charging ports

When will we make sure the people who work our farms and cook our food are well fed?

Five things to do around Boston, Sept. 11-17

10 train trips to experience New England’s fall foliage in style

A 70-year-old Madrid restaurant was near its end. Then Anthony Bourdain arrived.

metro

Cape Cod and the islands brace for potential impact of Hurricane Lee this weekend

Attorneys call on high school sports agency to end discrimination against Black athletes’ hairstyles

Will Hurricane Lee hit Mass.? Here’s what the projections show.

Popular nasal decongestant doesn’t actually relieve congestion, FDA experts say
The leading decongestant used by millions of Americans looking for relief from a stuffy nose is likely no better than a dummy pill, the government said.

The FDA just approved updated COVID boosters. Where and when can you get them in Mass.?
The shots are expected to be available as early as this week. Here's what you need to know.

PARENTING UNFILTERED

Nine snack hacks for back to school
Lost in a cloud of Taki dust? Here’s help.

What you need to know as student loan repayments restart
Though loan forgiveness remains a possibility, some 45 million Americans are required to start paying back their loans. Here is a breakdown of what you need to know about the return of the monthly bill.

Mass. bill proposed to ban sales and operation of weaponized robots
Videos of modified robots with guns have alarmed manufacturers and lawmakers.

Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras and new charging ports
The showcase at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., comes as the company tries to reverse a mild slump that has seen its sales drop from last year in three consecutive quarters.

Harvard museum director stepping down
Martha Tedeschi, who’s headed the university’s art museums since 2016, will retire in June.

Five former police officers charged in death of Tyre Nichols are now also facing federal civil rights charges
The four-count indictment comes nine months after the violent beating of Nichols by police officers during a Jan. 7 traffic stop near his home in Memphis.

DEVRA FIRST

Of course butter sculptures at state fairs aren’t solid. ‘It’s just physics.’
We talked to the butter sculptors for the Big E to bring you everything you ever wanted to know about the art form.

Boch Center leader Joe Spaulding announces he’ll be retiring in 2024
The nonprofit Boch Center, which runs the Wang and Shubert theaters, plans to hire a search firm in the coming weeks to identify a new leader, whom the organization hopes to name by the end of the year.