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The Boston Globe

THE GREAT DIVIDE

When even text messaging is a struggle: The pain of being a teenager who can’t read well

It’s the experience of likely thousands of teenagers across Massachusetts each year, students who not only are failed by schools in early elementary years, but who are allowed to slide to the end of their public school experience without becoming competent readers.

Read the first in the series: Lost in a world of words In Massachusetts’ richest towns, many top-ranked schools cling to outdated methods of teaching reading ‘The system is rigged’: How Massachusetts school districts fail dyslexic students and their families

Did exposure to grenade blasts affect the gunman in the Maine mass shooting?

The Boston University CTE center is studying the brain of Richard Card II amid mounting evidence that “sub-concussive” blast waves can cause harm.

Genocide case against Israel stirs strong feelings among Boston-area residents

As South Africa takes Israel to the International Court of Justice on claims of committing a genocide against Palestinians, many New Englanders who have close ties to the conflict harbor strong feelings about what’s happening.

It seems like hardly anyone still cares about COVID. Does it matter?

Doctors differ on the question, with some saying long COVID remains a significant risk, while others say that concern is overblown.

See the latest COVID-19 data from Mass.

Donald Trump defies judge, gives courtroom speech on tense final day of New York civil fraud trial

Barred from giving a formal closing argument, Trump seized an opportunity to speak in court, unleashing a barrage of attacks during a six-minute diatribe before being cut off by the judge.

Salem man sentenced to six-years in federal prison for distributing and possessing child pornography

Boston exam school admissions just changed. Here’s what you need to know.

Robert Kraft (left) and Bill Belichick left the podium after Thursday's announcement about the coach and the team separating.

dan shaughnessy

Reading between the lines at Bill Belichick’s Patriots farewell, and other thoughts

There was nothing "mutual" about his parting with the Patriots, and the intrigue may be just beginning.

See complete coverage of Belichick’s departure

Hiring Bill Belichick while going through considerable hoops to do it in 2000 remains the best decision of Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s career.

Christopher L. Gasper

Robert Kraft now stands alone in Foxborough from the Patriots’ dynasty years

Patriots owner Robert Kraft put his arm around Bill Belichick at the end of their joint press conference Thursday.

Ben Volin I On football

After 24 years, it had become obvious: It was time for the Patriots to move on from Bill Belichick

Tom Brady took to social media Thursday to share his feelings on the man he called the “best coach in the history of the NFL,” detailing the lessons he learned in his 20 years with Bill Belichick.

‘The greatest football mind to ever live:’ Some of Bill Belichick’s most memorable players weigh in

Globe Magazine

‘God, I wish I hadn’t seen that’: On the trail of Bigfoot in the Berkshires
The irresistible lure of Bigfoot took our group deep into the woods — and to entirely unexpected places.

PARENTING UNFILTERED

From embracing a mess to Somerville staycations, here’s how local parents want to kick off the new year
This year, I asked readers about family-related missteps in 2023 and their vows for 2024 — nothing major, just little shifts that might make life a tiny bit better, simpler, or more fun. Here’s what you said.

Frustration was the theme of the night for Jrue Holiday and the Celtics.

Gary Washburn | BUCKS 135, CELTICS 102

Fatigue finally catches up to the Celtics — too bad it was against the Bucks

The NBA schedule has treacherous points for every team. There are going to be nights where fatigue is exposed, where shots are short, legs are heavy and effort just isn’t enough.

Andrea Campbell, Attorney General of Massachusetts, answered a question during an interview at the State Attorneys General Association meetings, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, in Boston.

Campbell settles $1.8 million suit with student loan servicer Nelnet

Campbell unearthed that between 2013 and 2017, Nelnet did not adequately inform borrowers with income-based repayment plans that they needed to recertify their earnings.

Flash the horse, at Red Feather Farm in Plympton, warming up after his rescue Wednesday afternoon.

‘Flash,’ an old horse with a big belly, rescued from muddy paddock in Plympton

Flash, a 22-year-old semi-retired show horse, was rescued by the Plympton fire department after he got stuck in his muddy paddock.

Opinion

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie delivered remarks during a campaign event on Wednesday where he announced he was suspending his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. His exit leaves the field without its most vocal Trump critic.

For once, Chris Christie eases congestion — this time, on the GOP ballot

The former New Jersey governor was an imperfect candidate. But he performed a public service by giving voice to GOP misgivings about Donald Trump.

Closing Boston school buildings: What BPS can learn from D.C.

IDEAS | Colette A.M. Phillips

Black entrepreneurs need more white allies

Forget #CoupleGoals. Michelle Obama is talking (again) about relationship realities.

Healey’s midyear spending cuts are a brutal tug at the safety net

2024 election illo

The Stump: Audio dispatches from James Pindell on the campaign trail

Listen to the latest updates from Globe political reporter James Pindell as he outlines what to watch as presidential contenders enter the final sprint to the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.

More recent News

Police standoff in Cambridge ends peacefully, one in custody

The man, who was not immediately identified, had been holed up in a home in Fenno Street, where police had responded around 1:30 p.m. Thursday to a report of a domestic incident, police said.

Money, Power, Inequality

Walgreens to postpone closing of Boston location, city officials say
The drugstore, which was originally slated to close on Monday, instead will close on Jan. 31, city officials said Thursday.

Cleanup continues along New England coast after widespread flooding

Residents and public works crews were digging out, cleaning up, and making repairs across much of coastal New England on Thursday, after heavy rain and churning seas pounded the region a day earlier.

Newport Historical Society staff races to save archive of old photographs damaged in storm-related flooding

Christmas trees find new home on damaged Martha’s Vineyard beach
Edgartown plans to use bare Christmas trees to rebuild the dunes in South Beach after a series of damaging storms.

Truck driver involved in crash that killed bikers in N.H. rejects plea offer in Conn. case
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 28, of West Springfield, appeared in Hartford Superior Court for about three minutes on Thursday on a charge of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Golden Knights 2, Bruins 1 (OT)

Bruins lose third straight, fall to Golden Knights in overtime
Alex Pietrangelo finished it 46 seconds into overtime.

Recommended reads

A campaign sign was stuck in the ground in Des Moines.

In frigid Iowa, a weird campaign has been frozen for weeks

There's a lot of frantic movement on the ground in Iowa, but very little progress is being made by candidates not named "Trump."

‘A toss up right now.’ Chris Christie’s exit could be a ‘game-changer’ for Nikki Haley.
Chris Christie didn't endorse a rival when he dropped out of the race for president this week. But his decision could still help onetime rival Nikki Haley.

Planning a ‘no-spend’ year in 2024? You’re not alone.
Vowing to buy less is a perennial New Year’s resolution, but there are signs of a real shift among some companies and consumers toward less waste.

Sentence of life without parole is unconstitutional for adults under 21, SJC rules
Juvenile justice advocates hailed the ruling as a major step forward.

Culture & Lifestyle

From left: Big Atlas, Plane Jane, and Binx hosted the premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 watch party at Time Out Market Boston on Friday, Jan. 5.

This Boston-based Jane is anything but plain in ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

Oud player Basel Zayed's show at the Crystal Ballroom Jan. 18 is sold out.

Blacklisted on the West Bank, Basel Zayed has settled into his new musical home in Boston

Jodie Foster (left) and Kali Reis in "True Detective: Night Country," premiering Sunday on HBO and Max.

‘True Detective: Night Country’ is a dark delight

Kevin Hart (pictured at Atlantic City in September) performs Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Medford's Chevalier Theatre.

Things to do around Boston this weekend and beyond

Special Projects

Beyond the Gilded Gate

People in and around Boston are being challenged, in ways never before, to address the region's unprecedented housing crisis.

stuart landing page illustration

Nightmare in Mission Hill

The story of how a murder in Mission Hill — the Carol Stuart shooting — terrorized and wounded a community of innocent people.

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.

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Activists at a press conference organized by the Not Above the Law and Declaration for American Democracy coalitions to mark three years since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol.

For Trump, every day is Opposite Day

Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley faced off in the fifth Republican presidential primary debate in Des Moines, on Jan. 10.

DeSantis shines as Florida man. But did he win the debate?

Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley participated in the CNN Republican Presidential Primary Debate at Drake University in Des Moines on Jan. 10.

Nikki Haley beats Ron DeSantis in Iowa debate

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones may get a second chance. But there’s no guarantee. The NFL is a harsh place.

An uncertain ending for Patriots’ Mac Jones

IDEAS | Evan Selinger & Brenda Leong

Getting AI ready for the real world takes a terrible human toll

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU

Ernesto Barbieri and Jess Ruliffson

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU nurse

Metro

Affordable housing project with 58 units OK’d in Central Falls, R.I.

The units will also be restricted to households earning 60 percent of the area median income, or about $61,000 for a family of four.

COMMENTARY | AARON REGUNBERG

The fossil fuel industry should pay for climate disasters

We’re all paying, whether it’s the immediate costs of disaster recovery, local taxes to fund those services, or the resulting higher insurance premiums. But fossil fuel companies have been let off the hook.

Carriage Towne News, a Kingston, N.H. weekly newspaper, to close Feb. 1

The closure is just the latest example of a nationwide trend of newspapers shuttering their presses in recent decades.

COMMENTARY | DIVYA NAIR AND MATTHEW NETTO

Rhode Island should strengthen the state’s paid family leave program

A stronger paid family leave program will better support the physical and financial health of working families, and help the Ocean State remain competitive with neighboring states

Sports

Hiring Bill Belichick while going through considerable hoops to do it in 2000 remains the best decision of Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s career.

Christopher L. Gasper

Robert Kraft now stands alone in Foxborough from the Patriots’ dynasty years

Bill Belichick was the NFL’s feared emperor for much of his 24 seasons as Patriots coach, but the Patriots always were and remain Kraft’s kingdom.

Cooper Flagg made a lasting impression with his performances at last year's Hoophall Classic in Springfield.

hoophall classic

The Hoophall Classic is back and full of future NBA and WNBA stars. Here’s who you need to watch.

Cooper Flagg and AJ Dybantsa, two top-ranked players from New England, will play each other over the weekend.

Robert Kraft (left) and Bill Belichick left the podium after Thursday's announcement about the coach and the team separating.

dan shaughnessy

Reading between the lines at Bill Belichick’s Patriots farewell, and other thoughts

There was nothing "mutual" about his parting with the Patriots, and the intrigue may be just beginning.

Golden Knights 2, Bruins 1 (OT)

Bruins lose third straight, fall to Golden Knights in overtime

Gary Washburn | On basketball

Fatigue finally catches up to the Celtics — too bad it was against the Bucks

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

Brockton’s AJ Dybantsa and coaches make triumphant return home with Prolific Prep boys’ basketball team

Business

Affordable housing project with 58 units OK’d in Central Falls, R.I.

The units will also be restricted to households earning 60 percent of the area median income, or about $61,000 for a family of four.

Carriage Towne News, a Kingston, N.H. weekly newspaper, to close Feb. 1

The closure is just the latest example of a nationwide trend of newspapers shuttering their presses in recent decades.

US and UK Strike Yemen’s Houthis After Red Sea Ship Attacks

Biden Backs Far-Reaching Yemen Strikes Despite Fear of Wider War

magazine

Bart Hanson lives with his family and North Reading and makes his living as a poker professional.

YouTube poker player Bart Hanson just can't stop winning

I thought I found love online, but he gradually stopped responding

Boston is too expensive, everyone agrees. So what’s keeping you here?

A neighbor is spreading false fears about new arrivals to a shelter in town

metro

A 17-year old who asked to be identified by her initial, T., spends time on her phone in her apartment in Charlestown. She reads at about a prekindergarten level and feels the Boston Public Schools have given up on her.

When even text messaging is a struggle: The pain of being a teenager who can’t read well

‘Flash,’ an old horse with a big belly, rescued from muddy paddock in Plympton

Sentence of life without parole is unconstitutional for adults under 21, SJC rules

sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo is pumped up after another bucket during the Bucks' 25-0 run in the second quarter that ran the Celtics out of Fiserv Forum Thursday night.

Bobby Portis-powered Bucks explode in second quarter, blow out Celtics in Milwaukee

Juan Soto, Yankees agree to $31 million deal, AP source says, record for arbitration-eligible player

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery gleaned insight from Bill Belichick

business

A detail of the Penfield Sperry Top-Sider collaboration with the local outwear company Penfield.

Sperry sold, Waltham headquarters to close

Donald Trump defies judge, gives courtroom speech on tense final day of New York civil fraud trial

Eight downtown office buildings could soon become apartments

politics

In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall and amphibious assault ship USS Bataan transit the Bab al-Mandeb strait on Aug. 9, 2023.

US, British militaries launch massive retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen

Donald Trump defies judge, gives courtroom speech on tense final day of New York civil fraud trial

Vivek Ramaswamy’s R.I. nomination papers ‘signed’ by some dead Rhode Islanders

Nation

An MH-60R Seahawk helicopter takes off from the USS Nimitz in the Arabian Sea on Aug. 27, 2020.

US Navy helicopter crew survives crash into ocean in Southern California

Students Sue Harvard, Calling It a ‘Bastion’ of Antisemitism

Austin’s undisclosed hospitalization draws new internal investigation

World

South Africa's Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola (center) and Palestinian assistant Minister of Multilateral Affairs Ammar Hijazi (right) addressed the media outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday.

Israel Faces Accusation of Genocide as South Africa Brings Case to U.N. Court

Ukraine’s Zelensky rules out a cease-fire with Russia, saying Moscow would use it to rearm

Starvation looms for large share of Gaza residents

opinion

A former 7-Eleven now sits empty on Washington Street.

Help us reimagine downtown Boston

Getting AI ready for the real world takes a terrible human toll

The demand is there for a boost in vocational-technical education

lifestyle

Some parents are trying to focus on getting more sleep and changing their kids' sleep habits. What are your hopes for 2024?

From embracing a mess to Somerville staycations, here’s how local parents want to kick off the new year

Can we stop giving gifts?

Don Lemon, former CNN host, to launch ‘The Don Lemon Show’ on X

food & dining

Tomato pie at the newly opened Sally’s Apizza in Woburn.

I finally got a seat at Sally’s Apizza, and here’s what I found

Revival Café + Kitchen plans a Watertown opening; Makaroni Pasteria launches at High Street Place

Ayo Edebiri talks Golden Globes speech, why she can’t eat viral ‘The Bear’ potato chip omelet on ‘Kimmel’

travel

If you took the leap into Dry January, you can still travel and not drink, though it may be more challenging. Here are some tips from experts.

A practical primer for staying sober while traveling this Dry January

Chase Ultimate Rewards downgraded my flight, then canceled it

Gabrielle McClinton on landing her dream role, the magic of Ireland, and those Trader Joe’s nut packs

Arts

Faith Ringgold, "Picasso’s Studio," 1991. © 2023 Faith Ringgold / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, Courtesy ACA Galleries, New York.

At 93, American artist Faith Ringgold is finally getting her due

Floating clowns and a unicorn: Art installations aim to draw more foot traffic to Downtown Boston

Michael John Gorman named new director of MIT Museum

Books

Ashley Dawson, author of "Environmentalism from Below: How Global People's Movements Are Leading the Fight for Our Planet," will be in discussion with Sanjay Krishnan on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at Harvard Book Store.

Author readings around Boston through Jan. 20

Local bestsellers for the week ended Jan. 7

Brookline artist gives form to grief in ‘a walking lament’; exhibition at Eric Carle Museum shows how picture books are made; Boston Comic Arts Foundation announces new monthly event series

Movies

"Lone Star" director John Sayles conferring with Matthew McConaughey, as Buddy Deeds.

John Sayles talks about his ‘Lone Star’ state of mind

Norma Barzman, blacklisted screenwriter, dies at 103

At the Brattle, ‘Made in Massachusetts: 100 Years of Filmmaking in the Bay State’ is a cinematic bonanza

Television

Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child in "Julia."

Now-canceled ‘Julia’ served up two seasons of whimsy and warmth

There’s a new chapter for private eye Sam Spade, and Clive Owen’s on the case

All the reactions to Bill Belichick’s departure, in memes

music

Madonna fans before her "Celebration Tour" concert Jan. 8 at TD Garden in Boston.

Madonna’s ‘Celebration Tour’ is also a nostalgia trip for her old-school fans

Blacklisted on the West Bank, Basel Zayed has settled into his new musical home in Boston

At TD Garden, Madonna rewinds her career as a hitmaker and provocateur, from the very first time to now

Theater/Dance

Christian Douglas and Gabrielle McClinton as Christian and Satine in the touring production of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical."

A mix-and-match score of 70-plus songs makes ‘Moulin Rouge!’ pop

One small theater, two very different Boston dance premieres coming up on consecutive weekends

In ‘Northside Hollow,’ deep thoughts about mortality

Health

Nurse Michele Kaine tends to Rodolfo Almeida of Providence at The Miriam Hospital's new Stephen and Diana Lewinstein Center for Innovative Cancer Research, a clinical area where patients will receive investigational cancer treatments.

Ryan T. Conaty for the Boston Globe

Top 6 health care stories to watch in Rhode Island in 2024

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.

Obituaries

Mr. Harrelson, shown in 1970, played for the Mets from 1965 to 1978, then spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers.

Bud Harrelson, scrappy Mets shortstop who once fought Pete Rose, dies at 79

Norma Barzman, blacklisted screenwriter, dies at 103

Amalija Knavs, mother of Melania Trump, has died