The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe

‘This can happen anywhere:’ In Fairhaven, New Year’s weekend peace shattered by deadly shooting
Police killed a former New Bedford acting fire chief Friday after he shot an officer outside a Fairhaven bar.

YVONNE ABRAHAM

Barriers keeping homeless families from shelter are not acts of nature — but choices we make
Withholding emergency shelter from homeless families because they’re not quite poor enough or virtuous enough or expert enough to qualify won’t cut it.

A state program is billed as a salve for the shelter crisis. For some, it’s impossible to access.
HomeBASE is a decade-old emergency housing assistance program run by the state’s housing office. But the system has been nearly impossible to navigate for many Massachusetts residents in need.

Paula Abdul accuses Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault during ‘American Idol’
Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit Friday against Nigel Lythgoe, a former longtime producer of “American Idol,” accusing him of sexually assaulting her when she was a judge on the reality show in the early 2000s.

bruins 5, devils 2

Bruins take control with four-goal second period, never look back in win over Devils
David Pastrnak and Kevin Shattenkirk scored two goals apiece as Boston got its second straight win after four straight losses before the Christmas break.

What we know about the Kamal family, found slain in Dover

Officials identified the three deceased individuals as Rakesh Kamal, 57, his wife Teena Kamal, 54, and their daughter Arianna Kamal, 18. Here’s what we know about them.

In this photo taken from video released by Russia Emergency Situations Ministry telegram channel on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, Firefighters extinguish burning cars after shelling in Belgorod, Russia. Russian officials have accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the Russian border city of Belgorod.

Ukrainian missile attack on a Russian city kills at least 20 people, officials say

Netanyahu says Gaza war on Hamas will go on for ‘many more months,’ thanks US for new weapons sales

Vanessa Braganza, pictured outside Harvard University's Widener Library, studies ciphers, or secret codes, in an effort to reclaim the lives of women who've been obscured by history.

A Harvard student sleuth cracks the code on the hidden lives of Louisa May Alcott and other notable women

Louisa May Alcott's unpublished version of Jules Verne’s “Michael Strogoff” has been all but forgotten in the nearly 150 years since she composed it. But a few years ago, a Harvard doctoral candidate stumbled across the play at the Houghton Library.

dan shaughnessy

End of Chris Sale Experience reason for Red Sox fans to pop cheap champagne
You just know that Sale will somehow find the old magic in Atlanta and Bob Lobel will be saying, “Why can’t we get pitchers like that?’’

Chris Sale took the field for the 2023 home opener at Fenway Park.

PETER ABRAHAM | ON BASEBALL

Chris Sale clinched a World Series for the Red Sox, but his legacy in Boston became defined by absence

Sale struck out Manny Machado to finish off the 2018 World Series, but the lanky lefthander has been a tall ghost since, a series of injuries turning him into a part-time pitcher.

Five things to know about new Red Sox second baseman Vaughn Grissom Red Sox trade Chris Sale to Braves for infield prospect Vaughn Grissom

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows speaks at an event, Jan. 4, 2023, in Augusta, Maine.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’s home targeted with swatting call

At around 8:15 p.m. Friday, first responders at Augusta Regional Communication Center received a call from an unknown man who told them he had broken into the home of Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.

Maine secretary of state faces threat of impeachment Election chief’s decision lands differently in 'the two Maines'

2023 Year in Review

Kevin McCarthy was in and out as House speaker before the year was over.

Indictments, infighting, and intractable problems: 2023 was quite the year in politics

Paul Sullivan looks at the waterfall that developed in his front yard from a flooded stream in the back of his property on Apple Tree Lane in Leominster on Sept. 13.

Weather whiplash, wildfire smoke, and flooding rains — a look back at the extreme weather of 2023

Dave Barry’s 2023 year in review

Light showers or drizzle indicated in green moves across southern New England into Saturday. A few snow showers in blue can occur in northern areas.

Forecast | Dave Epstein

New Year’s Eve forecast: The sun returns, but so does the cold

Temperatures will drop into the low 30s for First Night festivities.

Sara Peattie, a volunteer with The Puppeteers Cooperative checks the lighting on one of the numerous puppets that the coop made and that will be carried in Boston’s First Night Celebration at Boston City Hall Plaza on Sunday.

All you need to know about Boston’s First Night

With 2024 coming soon, First Night is bringing Boston fireworks, food, and fun on New Year's Eve.

Stuart share podcast

Listen to ‘Murder in Boston’

Presented in association with HBO, “Murder in Boston: The untold story of the Charles and Carol Stuart shooting,” is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Read chapter one of ‘Nightmare in Mission Hill’ Read the full series

The Commanders (4-11) are almost certain to fire coach Ron Rivera at the end of the season.

Ben Volin | Sunday football notes

With two weeks left in the NFL regular season, which coaches are on the hot seat?

The NFL typically averages seven head coaching changes per offseason, and with only five last year, league sources expect as many as 10 this offseason.

Patriots put JuJu Smith-Schuster on injured reserve

Luke Kornet (second from left) has earned the trust and admiration of Celtics teammates with his on-court contributions and winning attitude.

‘Ultimate teammate’ Luke Kornet shows he can really play in addition to cheering on his fellow Celtics

The reserve center scored 20 points Friday — the most in his 117 games with Boston — and played a crucial role in the team's two-point victory over the Raptors.

On basketball: Winning an easy-to-lose game like Friday’s a testament to what Joe Mazzulla is crafting down the Celtics bench

Even as it undergoes change, The Sports Hub remains about as secure as a radio station can be.

Chad Finn | Sports Media

Here are a few remaining thoughts on the fall Nielsen Audio ratings

For most sports radio stations, the biggest on-air change in its history might be a cause for concern. But not for The Sports Hub.

Opinion

Jack Behan of Weymouth watched television from a comfortable chair with his cat Trixie on the floor living in a manufactured home in Weymouth, on May 19, 2022.

A manufactured solution to a manufactured problem

Trailer parks have a bad reputation. But they could help the state overcome the housing shortage that has resulted from the Commonwealth’s long history of exclusionary local zoning.

Americans must pressure Congress to approve support for Ukraine

Best of 2023: A year in review from Globe Opinion

MARCELA GARCÍA

The most important dog stories of 2023

IDEAS | SAMUEL SANDERS

What if NIMBYs got paid to become YIMBYs?

Beyond the Gilded Gate

The $600,000 problem. Why does it cost so much to build housing in Boston, and what can we do about it?

Many forces drive the housing crisis here, and the sky-high cost of construction is one of the most powerful.

Calculator: How costs affect construction of an apartment building

Explore the project

More recent News

Suspect in custody after standoff at Mattapan apartment building
A SWAT team of the Boston Police Department descended on 50 Fairlawn Ave. late Saturday morning for a report of shots fired just moments after firefighters arrived for a report of a fire, officials said.

British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Michael Clayton’, has died
Tom Wilkinson is remembered by many in Britain and beyond for playing former steel mill foreman Gerald Cooper in the 1997 comedy “The Full Monty." And he appeared in dozens of other movies, including “Batman Begins,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and “Valkyrie."

Man killed in Braintree house fire overnight Saturday
An older man died in the fire on Hobart Avenue that was reported by a passerby at about 4 a.m., fire officials said.

Gary Washburn | Sunday basketball notes

Monty Williams trying hard to clear path for this lost group of Pistons
It’s incredibly difficult for 20-somethings to believe they can win when they haven’t in two months.

Pistons snap losing streak at 28 games, share ignominy with 76ers

Houthis show no sign of ending ‘reckless’ Red Sea attacks as trade traffic picks up, commander says
Since Operation Prosperity Guardian was announced just over 10 days ago, 1,200 merchant ships have traveled through the Red Sea region, and none has been hit by drone or missile strikes, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said in an Associated Press interview.

Man killed in Dorchester shooting early Saturday

Shortly before 1 a.m., officers responded to 417 Geneva Ave. for a report of a person shot. A man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Globe Santa

Half a century of remembering Globe Santa
Joseph A. Milano, president of Boston’s Union Oyster House, has many titles and many interests, but an initiative that’s particularly close to his heart is Globe Santa.

Donate to Globe Santa

Globe Santa is a program of the Boston Globe Foundation and exists solely to deliver joy to children.

Recommended reads

Viktoriia Susidenko spoke with her children Luka, 4, and Mariia, 10, at the dining room table in their home in Cambridge. The Unanian family are Ukrainian parolees who came to the United States last year to escape the Russian invasion.

THE GREAT DIVIDE

For Ukrainian refugee family in Cambridge, multiple school transfers compound trauma

In emails shared with the Globe, the Belmont superintendent told the family she could not make an exception to the policy, and the School Committee does not weigh in on individual student cases.

Around New England with Kevin Cullen

How Vermont’s Phil Scott became the most popular governor in America
Even as a Republican in the bluest state in the country, Scott has seen his popularity grow with each election.

Credit card skimmers keep popping up in stores in Mass. and N.H. Here’s how to protect yourself.
None of the recent local incidents have led to reports of financial information being stolen, but in other cases, criminals using skimmers have been prosecuted for stealing millions of dollars from unwitting consumers.

IDEAS | MILES HOWARD

How to make Boston winters much less depressing
From sledding to nightclubbing, other cities do more to get people out and about in the bleakest months.

Culture & Lifestyle

10 artists we can’t wait to hear in 2024

Madonna opened the North American leg of her tour at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Dec. 13. After postponing Boston dates last summer due to an illness, she'll be at TD Garden Jan. 8-9.

Mark your calendars, music fans: It’s going to be a packed year of concerts, films, and festivals

Steve McQueen's "Lynching Tree," a lightbox-mounted photograph at the Gardner Museum. The piece will be installed in its Fenway Gallery Jan. 20.

At the Gardner, Steve McQueen calls forth a living reminder of slavery with ‘Lynching Tree’

Ryan Seacrest returns to cohost "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" on ABC.

New Year’s Eve 2024: Your guide to all the countdown TV specials

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

Sean McDade helped his mother Joan McDade look over her new home during its construction, Aug. 23. The constructed accessory dwelling unit was lowered by crane into the Concord backyard. ADUs are allowed only by special permit in some Massachusetts towns.

Here’s how Massachusetts can make housing more affordable

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting at the Kirya military base, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defence, in Tel Aviv on Dec. 24, 2023.

Netanyahu should resign

A Tesla location in Drammen, Norway, near Oslo.

Trying out an electric vehicle in the Norwegian cold

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu after Sununu's endorsement of Haley during a town hall event at McIntyre Ski Area on Dec. 12, in Manchester, N.H.

Nikki Haley, a she-wolf in moderate’s clothing. But Trump is worse.

The holidays, even when they’re happy, are stressful. And especially this year.

Joan Wickersham

What does, and doesn’t, help when treating holiday depression

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU

Ernesto Barbieri and Jess Ruliffson

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU nurse

Metro

‘This can happen anywhere:’ In Fairhaven, New Year’s weekend peace shattered by deadly shooting

Police killed a former New Bedford acting fire chief Friday after he shot an officer outside a Fairhaven bar.

Suspect in custody after standoff at Mattapan apartment building

A SWAT team of the Boston Police Department descended on 50 Fairlawn Ave. late Saturday morning for a report of shots fired just moments after firefighters arrived for a report of a fire, officials said.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’s home targeted with swatting call

At around 8:15 p.m. Friday, first responders at Augusta Regional Communication Center received a call from an unknown man who told them he had broken into the home of Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.

Gil de Ferran, Indianapolis 500 winner and Brazilian icon, dies at 56

Thee 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner, Gil de Ferran was also holder of the closed-course land speed record.

Sports

Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) did little wrong in an 13-catch, 227-yard game, but he did fumble the ball before crossing the goal line against Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor. The ball rolled into the Lions end zone and was ruled a touchback, but Lamb did haul in one touchdown.

COWBOYS 20, LIONS 19

Cowboys survive late Lions flurry, extend home winning streak to 16 games

Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns, including a 92-yard strike to CeeDee Lamb. Dallas also inducted legendary coach Jimmy Johnson into its ring of honor at halftime Saturday.

North Andover's Zach Wolinski (right) battles Lawrence's Joendy Rosario for a loose ball in the first half of the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic championship game at Merrimack College in North Andover. Thanks to Wolinski's 26 points, the Scarlet Knights took the title.

BOYS' BASKETBALL: NORTH ANDOVER 68, LAWRENCE 63

Zach Wolinski, North Andover boys’ basketball just too much for No. 5 Lawrence in the Commonwealth Motors final

The senior guard led the way with 26 points as the Scarlet Knights topped the Lancers for the second time this month to capture the team's first home holiday tourney title.

David Pastrnak got Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek moving in the wrong direction for his second goal in the Bruins' four-goal second period.

bruins 5, devils 2

Bruins take control with four-goal second period, never look back in win over Devils

David Pastrnak and Kevin Shattenkirk scored two goals apiece as Boston got its second straight win after four straight losses before the Christmas break.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL: CENTRAL CATHOLIC 36, ANDOVER 32

Kerri Finneran leads the charge as Central Catholic girls’ basketball tops Andover for Commonwealth Motors title

PISTONS 129, RAPTORS 127

Pistons snap losing streak at 28 games, share ignominy with 76ers

Five things to know about new Red Sox second baseman Vaughn Grissom

Business

Houthis show no sign of ending ‘reckless’ Red Sea attacks as trade traffic picks up, commander says

Since Operation Prosperity Guardian was announced just over 10 days ago, 1,200 merchant ships have traveled through the Red Sea region, and none has been hit by drone or missile strikes, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said in an Associated Press interview.

California is expanding health care coverage for low-income immigrants in the new year

It's an effort that will eventually cost the state about $3.1 billion per year and inches California closer to Democrats’ goal of providing universal health care to its roughly 39 million residents.

Google settles $5 billion privacy lawsuit over tracking people using ‘incognito mode’

Tenants threatened with eviction after they spoke to R.I. housing rights group, lawsuit claims

magazine

WBZ TV's news team of the 1980s and '90s.

The 1980s dream team that made WBZ news must-see TV in New England

This week's daters: Julia and Jared

Dinner with Cupid

Blind date: ‘I felt more comfortable as we learned more about each other’

Miss Conduct’s four tips for a happier new year in 2024

The writer’s neighbor Mona Kluz (front left) celebrates a birthday at one of the dance parties.

New Year’s Eve will be our street’s 1,386th dance party. Here’s why we celebrate.

metro

Sara Peattie, a volunteer with The Puppeteers Cooperative checks the lighting on one of the numerous puppets that the coop made and that will be carried in Boston’s First Night Celebration at Boston City Hall Plaza on Sunday.

All you need to know about Boston’s First Night

Barriers keeping homeless families from shelter are not acts of nature — but choices we make

A state program is billed as a salve for the shelter crisis. For some, it’s impossible to access.

sports

Carson Beck (left) of the Georgia Bulldogs hands the ball off to Kendall Milton in the second quarter of the Orange Bowl against the Florida State .

No. 6 Georgia beats down No. 4 Florida State in Orange Bowl in matchup of teams missing out on CFP

After several years as teammates, Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle learning to play as linemates

Red Sox trade Chris Sale to Braves for infield prospect Vaughn Grissom

business

The New York Stock Exchange.

Stocks end 2023 up 24 percent for the year as resilient economy energizes investors

Alexandria drops South Boston lab project and sells property at deep discount amid biotech’s funk

Marathon Development offers to pull R.I.’s Lippitt Mill redevelopment project out of receivership

politics

The Capitol Dome is seen as lawmakers prepare to depart for the holiday recess, at the Capitol in Washington, on Dec. 14.

Retirements could tip control of the House majority. It’s Republicans who have the early edge.

Court showdown likely on Trump’s eligibility

New Dominion voting machines may not be widely available for 2024 election

Nation

Storms and high waves pummel California coast for a third day

Mutiny erupts in a Michigan GOP overtaken by chaos

Deportations of migrants rise to more than 142,000 under Biden

World

A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip during Israeli bombardment on Dec. 30, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Hamas movement.

Netanyahu says Gaza war on Hamas will go on for ‘many more months,’ thanks US for new weapons sales

Ukrainian missile attack on a Russian city kills at least 20 people, officials say

Houthis show no sign of ending ‘reckless’ Red Sea attacks as trade traffic picks up, commander says

opinion

A mother and daughter looked for sea shells and rocks on Wollaston Beach on an unseasonably warm November day in 2020.

Simple gifts, reminders of our connectedness

Nikki Haley, a she-wolf in moderate’s clothing. But Trump is worse.

Trying out an electric vehicle in the Norwegian cold

lifestyle

The most-read Love Letters of 2023

In praise of old friends

When do I bring up sex?

food & dining

A plated dinner on the deck of Matunuck Oyster Bar in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.

This Rhode Island restaurant serves up one of the best dishes in the country, according to NYT

Stoughton pizza shop to close its doors after 68 years

Tree House Brewing owners deny allegations of wrongdoing in ongoing lawsuit

travel

Take the kids? Children love to be outdoors learning to cross country ski.

Where to go cross-country skiing in New England with kids

The untold stories behind some of our travel writer’s favorite moments of 2023

Alligators and crabs in paradise

Arts

Sarah Goodridge, “Rose Prentice” (1771-1852), circa 1837-38. Watercolor on ivory. Yale University Art Gallery, Partial gift of Caroline A. Phillips and purchased with the John Hill Morgan, b.a. 1893, ll.b. 1896, hon. 1929, Fund.

With antique portraits of Black Americans, Mickalene Thomas assembles a powerful chorus

At the Gardner, Steve McQueen calls forth a living reminder of slavery with ‘Lynching Tree’

No, the revolution wasn’t televised, but it was photographed

Books

Former president Barack Obama spoke at a rally on Nov. 2, 2020, at Turner Field in Atlanta. Obama recently released his annual list of favorite movies and books.

Barack Obama’s 2023 list of favorite films includes two made in Mass.

Author readings around Boston through Jan. 6

Life at a 254-mile remove gives astronauts, and readers, a rare perspective of the planet in ‘Orbital’

Movies

Former president Barack Obama spoke at a rally on Nov. 2, 2020, at Turner Field in Atlanta. Obama recently released his annual list of favorite movies and books.

Barack Obama’s 2023 list of favorite films includes two made in Mass.

The unparalleled reign of Latifah, hip-hop’s one and only Queen

Finding a different sort of narrative for narrative filmmakers

Television

Earlier this month, Mayim Bialik (pictured hosting "Jeopardy!" in 2021) posted a statement on her Instagram page saying that Sony, which produces the show, “has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of ‘Jeopardy!’”

Mayim Bialik’s abrupt ‘Jeopardy!’ exit caught Ken Jennings by surprise

The unparalleled reign of Latifah, hip-hop’s one and only Queen

A run of bad luck for a very good actress is far from ‘Great News’

music

Madonna opened the North American leg of her tour at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Dec. 13. After postponing Boston dates last summer due to an illness, she'll be at TD Garden Jan. 8-9.

Mark your calendars, music fans: It’s going to be a packed year of concerts, films, and festivals

10 artists we can’t wait to hear in 2024

Winter warmth awaits, courtesy of a cornucopia of upcoming classical concerts

Theater/Dance

Lenny Clarke (right) and Tony V. will share a New Year's Eve bill at Giggles Comedy Club in Saugus.

12 New Year’s Eve comedy shows for a last laugh at 2023

Though the pandemic subsided, ImprovBoston never recovered

A ‘Die Hard’ diehard creates ‘Yippee Ki Yay,’ and the Huntington gets in on the action

Health

A CVS pharmacy in Miami.

CVS to launch new pharmacy reimbursement model aimed at simplifying drug pricing

Many Americans ration insulin to save money. One nonprofit is trying to make the life-saving drug more affordable.

In R.I., there’s a lack of dentists caring for patients with special needs. This program is trying to change that.

Obituaries

FILE - Car owner Roger Penske, left, and Tim Cindric, right, president of Penske Racing, clasp hands with Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran, of Brazil, on May 25, 2003, in Indianapolis. De Ferran, winner of the 2003 Indy 500 and holder of the closed-course land speed record, died Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, while racing with his son at The Concourse Club in Florida, multiple former colleagues confirmed to The Associated Press. He was 56. (AP Photo/Tom Strattman, File)

Gil de Ferran, Indianapolis 500 winner and Brazilian icon, dies at 56

British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Michael Clayton’, has died

Bill Granger, chef who brought avocado toast to the world, dies at 54