The Boston Globe

Moments from President Biden's high-stakes press conference

Biden batted away questions about his ability to serve another four years amid mounting calls from House Democrats for him to end his reelection campaign.

After an early stumble, Biden holds his own in pivotal news conference

The first question came with the type of mental slip he can’t afford, but the night was no disaster.

Here's how the press conference unfolded Biden’s challenge: Will he ever satisfy the media’s appetite for questions about his ability?

President Biden's news conference is projected onto a screen inside the media center on the final day of the NATO Summit in Washington, Thursday, July 11, 2024.

Key takeaways from Biden’s news conference: Insistence on staying in the race and flubbed names

President Biden tried to make the case that what he’s doing matters more than how he talks about it.

Around New England with Kevin Cullen

A year after the deluge, floods return to Vermont
Vermonters are reeling after the waters devastated swaths of the state, a year to the day after the worst floods in a century.

Half a million Houston-area homes and businesses still won’t have power into next week

Say More podcast | Shirley Leung

What’s next for Karen Read? Five things you need to know.
The Karen Read trial may be over, but neither the defense nor the prosecution is resting. Both sides are gearing up for another legal battle.

King’s Beach in Lynn has the worst water quality rating of any beach in the state. Here’s why.
For as long as most Lynn residents can remember, King’s Beach has been sullied with excessive levels of bacteria.

A list of Mass. beaches that are closed because of bacteria

The property at 28 Sheep Pond Road as it appeared in 1998 (left) and 2023 (right).

Assessed at nearly $2 million, Nantucket waterfront home sells for just $200,000. ‘Inevitably the ocean will win.’

The ocean is quickly encroaching on the property at 28 Sheep Pond Road, devouring more of the beachfront year after year.

Steward Health Care is under federal investigation for potential foreign corruption violations

The federal probe is the latest development in a high-stakes drama.

Local police didn’t want him to have guns. He was allowed to buy them anyway. Then he killed his wife — and himself.

Police in Hopkinton, R.I., twice denied Joseph Francis’ applications to buy firearms because of a cyberstalking charge. But Francis’ lawyer, who is also the president of the R.I. Second Amendment Coalition, cleared the way.

Closed state prison reopened as migrant shelter spurs concern about schooling in a Massachusetts town

Officials from the King Philip Regional School District and Norfolk Public Schools sought to assure parents and others that enrolling migrant children staying at the shelter would not result in packed classrooms and diminished resources.

SJC grants new trial to man convicted in 2013 stabbing death in Milton

A Roxbury man convicted in the 2013 stabbing death of a Milton man was granted a new trial by the state’s highest court Thursday.

The dome of the Massachusetts State House, as seen in May.

Massachusetts officials launching $20.3 million project to repair State House dome, cupola

Happy days here again? Mass. Senate adds path for the revival of happy hour drink specials

The Senate approved an amendment that would permit cities and towns statewide to facilitate restaurants’ abilities to offer drink specials for the first time since 1984.

Northrop Grumman executive named Harvard’s top lawyer

Jennifer O’Connor, a former general counsel at the Department of Defense and currently a vice president at defense contractor Northrop Grumman, will be Harvard’s next general counsel.

Army nurse who treated Maine mass shooter last summer testifies before state investigators Thursday

Major Matthew Dickison, who evaluated Robert R. Card II, repeatedly reiterated his calls for Card to not have access to weapons, and for him to receive additional psychiatric care.

Three people arrested after robbing a barbershop and barricading themselves in a house in Dorchester

Ousted Hull superintendent gets $700,000 payout in discrimination settlement

Shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela made the force out at second on Miguel Andujar in the first inning.

Peter Abraham | RED SOX 7, A'S 0

MVP of Red Sox? Ceddanne Rafaela’s versatility should not be overlooked in team’s resurgence

Rafaela started his 40th game at shortstop in a 7-0 win over the A's. He also has started 46 games in center field.

Tanner Houck, Red Sox in complete command in series-clinching win over the A’s

State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, the House's budget chief, made a cannoli at Mike's Pastry in 2022. The Democrat has reported spending at least $3,000 of his campaign money at the famous North End shop since 2022.

state secrets

Fine dining, cigar lounges, and TD Garden suites: Here’s what happens when Beacon Hill’s most powerful pick up the tab

Beacon Hill’s most powerful figures rarely use their accounts to actually campaign but instead pick up extravagant dinner checks for colleagues and constituents, stock holiday party bars, and throw parties.

More from The Globe's State Secrets series

The BLT Squared at Rebelle in Cambridge.

QUICK BITE

Rebelle, a Providence bagel pioneer, spreads out in Kendall Square

Its warm hand-rolled bagels, unusual cream cheeses, and sweets are now available in Cambridge.

Qué Mas opens in Beverly from Scampo scion Alex Pineda; Smoke Shop closes two locations while planning a suburban expansion

Opinion

President Joe Biden speaks at a news conference on July 11, 2024, the final day of the NATO summit in Washington.

SCOT LEHIGH

Readers, over to you: What should President Biden do?

Do you believe he can win and govern competently? Or is it time for him to step aside?

EDITORIAL

A judge’s sound decision in the Karen Read case

Renée Graham

The rapid and unsurprising redemption of Will Smith

KIMBERLY ATKINS STOHR

Biden and Trump are showing their stark contrast out in the open. But is anyone seeing it?

Linda J. Bilmes and Cornell William Brooks

US has a history of paying reparations. Why won’t it pay Black Americans?

More recent News

Man dies after falling while climbing at Leominster State Forest

The man, who was not immediately identified, fell on the Westminster side of the forest, law enforcement officials said Thursday night.

Trump lawyers press judge to overturn hush-money conviction after Supreme Court immunity ruling
Trump was originally scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, but that’s on hold until the trial judge, Juan M. Merchan, rules on whether to set aside Trump’s felony conviction for falsifying records to cover up a potential sex scandal.

Embattled cannabis commission proposes overhauling itself
The move to establish a new governance structure follows months of turmoil at the agency, including calls for it to be taken over by a state receiver.

Five people, including an 11-year-old, were shot in Dorchester on Wednesday night. Neighbors recounted a chaotic scene.
The gunfire broke out around 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday night. All five people were expected to survive.

Fatal fire at Hyannis home accidentally caused by smoking materials, fire officials say

A 60-year-old man died, and two people were injured, in the fire Wednesday morning at 326 Oakland St., officials said.

Israeli army acknowledges Oct. 7 failures, including slow response times and disorganization

The country's military acknowledged a string of errors in its core mission of protecting the country’s citizens, including slow response times and disorganization.

Head of US aid agency says Israel has pledged to improve safety for humanitarian workers in Gaza

Seven charged in Roxbury shooting that injured a woman in 2023

Four men from Boston and a teenage boy have been charged in a shooting outside a McDonald’s in Roxbury last November that injured a woman, law enforcement officials said Thursday. One other suspect, who is already incarcerated, is facing charges, while a seventh suspect remains at large, officials said.

Sutton police no longer asking for public’s assistance in search for missing 4-year-old autistic girl
Around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, police posted to their department asking for help locating 4-year-old Eva in the Peachtree Drive area. Shortly before 7 p.m., police canceled the request but would not say if the girl had been found.

Family of teen who died in ‘One Chip Challenge’ files lawsuit
Harris Wolobah, a sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School, died in September after he ate an extremely spicy tortilla chip as part of a social media-inspired challenge that dares participants to eat the chip and see how long they can last without seeking food or a drink for relief.

The Boston Globe’s Best of the Best

Our ultimate guide to more than 200 winners for Boston's best food, drinks, and fun things to do.

THE VIP LOUNGE

Adam Gardner of Guster on getting food poisoning, slowing down, and being grateful
We caught up with Gardner, who lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with his family to talk about all things travel.

Leaky pipes, cow burps, food scraps, and clay: In methane-reducing innovation, New England leads the way
While biotech continues to drive many of the innovations in the state, including methane reduction, some of the most substantial changes have resulted from the pairing of extensive environmental research and aggressive policies.

Claudia Franc Williams, daughter of Red Sox legend Ted Williams, dies at 52
Williams died in December, but the Red Sox held off announcing it to honor her family’s wish to mourn privately before sharing the news, according to Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy.

Culture & Lifestyle

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company brings ‘A Christmas Carol’ to Boston this holiday season

Michael and Kevin Bacon, a.k.a. the Bacon Brothers, will perform two shows in New England.

With their 12th album out now, the Bacon Brothers take the mic in Lynn on Saturday

Yuja Wang, pictured with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall in 2022, performs with the BSO at Tanglewood on July 13.

Things to do around Boston this weekend and beyond

Steve Carell as Michael Scott in "The Office."

A TV career that grew and grew and … Gru

Special Projects

Seventh-graders at the Curley School on the first day of school in 1975. (Ulrike Welsch/Globe staff)

Broken Promises, Unfulfilled Hope

The Boston Globe explores the legacy of Boston’s busing era.

Illustration of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White along with other NBA greats for the 2024 Finals preview.

Where do the 2023-24 Celtics stand among the greatest teams in NBA history?

If Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown beat the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals and carry the team to Banner No. 18, their legacies would be cemented. But all of this year’s success means nothing without a ring.

Lauren Friel (left) owner of Rebel Rebel, chatted with customers while working at her wine bar in Bow Market in Somerville. The restrictive Boston liquor license system has pushed throngs of innovative chefs to neighborhood towns with laxer laws, including Brookline, Somerville, and Cambridge.

HIGH & DRY

Priced out: How Boston’s broken liquor license system drives chefs from the city

A stubbornly high price tag for serving alcohol hurts thousands of hospitality workers, aspiring restaurateurs, and the city itself.

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.

FROM OUR PARTNERS

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

At a campaign event at his golf club in Doral, Fla., Donald Trump spat misogynoir about Vice President Kamala Harris’s qualifications, spoke incoherently and falsely about the state of America’s major cities and airplanes, and praised the wife of his son, Don Jr., who is not married.

KIMBERLY ATKINS STOHR

Biden and Trump are showing their stark contrast out in the open. But is anyone seeing it?

study rooted in scholarship, not pious apologetics, would defang Christian supremacy by teaching Christianity’s historical virtues and sins.

Rich Barlow

Oklahoma mandates Bible study; here’s how to do it right

Four of many reader-submitted design ideas for the Massachusetts flag.

JEFF JACOBY

Readers offer their designs for a new Massachusetts flag

St. Anne’s Hospital, a Steward-owner hospital in Fall River.

EDITORIAL

Why was Steward paying millions to spy on critics while its business was suffering?

John Roberts deserves credit for the court’s issuance last November of a written code of ethics.

David Lat

It’s John Roberts’s Supreme Court after all

IDEAS

Blueprints for a new downtown Boston

Metro

A second person has died in Vermont flooding from Hurricane Beryl’s remnants, officials say

The remnants of Hurricane Beryl dumped heavy rain on Vermont, washing away much of an apartment building, knocking out bridges and cutting off towns, and retraumatizing a state still recovering from catastrophic floods that hit a year ago to the day.

Bengt Samuelsson, Nobel Prize-winning medical scientist, dies at 90

Dr. Samuelsson was part of a group that opened up the study of prostaglandins, which regulate the intricate machinery of the human body.

Small quake hit Milton on Wednesday, 1.3-magnitude, official says

He said the quake was recorded at 9:37 a.m. Wednesday on the observatory’s “New England Real-Time Earthquake Monitor.

Army nurse who treated Maine mass shooter last summer testifies before state investigators Thursday

Major Matthew Dickison, who evaluated Robert R. Card II, repeatedly reiterated his calls for Card to not have access to weapons, and for him to receive additional psychiatric care.

Sports

Red Sox manager Alex Cora doesn't hesitate to take the ball from Tanner Houck, but what if his pitcher had a no-hitter going? "That's a different situation,'' Cora said.

Red Sox notebook

Alex Cora: Risk-reward of letting a pitcher strain for a no-hitter can be a tough call

Sox manager reacted to decision of Pirates manager Derek Shelton to remove phenom rookie righthander Paul Skenes after seven no-hit innings in a 1-0 win over the Brewers.

In his last outinig before heading out to the All-Star Game, Red Sox starting righthander Tanner Houck allowed two hits over six scoreless innnings in a 7-0 win over the Oakland A's Thursday night at Fenway Park.

Red Sox 7, A's 0

Tanner Houck, Red Sox in complete command in series-clinching win over the A’s

Houck was stellar on the mound with two hits over six scoreless innings while Connor Wong, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida all homered for the Sox in a 7-0 series-clinching win over the A's.

Peter Abraham | On baseball

MVP of Red Sox? Ceddanne Rafaela’s versatility should not be overlooked in team’s resurgence

Rafaela started his 40th game at shortstop in a 7-0 win over the A's. He also has started 46 games in center field.

NFL

Monte Kiffin, defensive innovator behind the Tampa 2, dies at 84

PIRATES 1, BREWERS 0

Incredible Skenes: Pirates rookie All-Star throws seven no-hit innings, fans 11 Brewers in another gem

GOLF

Matthew Naumec, Ricky Stimets set up mid-amateur meeting to decide Massachusetts Amateur champion

Business

TALKING POINTS

Costco raises membership fees

Stories you may have missed from the world of business.

Steward Health Care is under federal investigation for potential foreign corruption violations

The federal probe is the latest development in a high-stakes drama.

How a Teamster leader’s flirtations with Trump have divided the union

Embattled cannabis commission proposes overhauling itself

magazine

Best of the Best

22 places to find amazing food in Boston for about $20 or less. Sometimes much less.

LOVE LETTERS

When it comes to relationships, ‘I see only green flags’

PERSPECTIVE

$50 for what?! Junk fees are everywhere, and consumers are fed up.

Cooking

After an early stumble, Biden holds his own in pivotal news conference

Key takeaways from Biden’s news conference: Insistence on staying in the race and flubbed names

Around New England with Kevin Cullen A year after the deluge, floods return to Vermont Vermonters are reeling after the waters devastated swaths of the state, a year to the day after the worst floods in a century.

Say More podcast | Shirley Leung What’s next for Karen Read? Five things you need to know. The Karen Read trial may be over, but neither the defense nor the prosecution is resting. Both sides are gearing up for another legal battle.

King’s Beach in Lynn has the worst water quality rating of any beach in the state. Here’s why. For as long as most Lynn residents can remember, King’s Beach has been sullied with excessive levels of bacteria.

Assessed at nearly $2 million, Nantucket waterfront home sells for just $200,000. ‘Inevitably the ocean will win.’

Steward Health Care is under federal investigation for potential foreign corruption violations

Local police didn’t want him to have guns. He was allowed to buy them anyway. Then he killed his wife — and himself.

Closed state prison reopened as migrant shelter spurs concern about schooling in a Massachusetts town

SJC grants new trial to man convicted in 2013 stabbing death in Milton

Massachusetts officials launching $20.3 million project to repair State House dome, cupola

Happy days here again? Mass. Senate adds path for the revival of happy hour drink specials

Northrop Grumman executive named Harvard’s top lawyer

Army nurse who treated Maine mass shooter last summer testifies before state investigators Thursday

Three people arrested after robbing a barbershop and barricading themselves in a house in Dorchester

Ousted Hull superintendent gets $700,000 payout in discrimination settlement

MVP of Red Sox? Ceddanne Rafaela’s versatility should not be overlooked in team’s resurgence

Fine dining, cigar lounges, and TD Garden suites: Here’s what happens when Beacon Hill’s most powerful pick up the tab

Rebelle, a Providence bagel pioneer, spreads out in Kendall Square

Readers, over to you: What should President Biden do?

A judge’s sound decision in the Karen Read case

The rapid and unsurprising redemption of Will Smith

Biden and Trump are showing their stark contrast out in the open. But is anyone seeing it?

US has a history of paying reparations. Why won’t it pay Black Americans?

More recent News

Man dies after falling while climbing at Leominster State Forest

Embattled cannabis commission proposes overhauling itself The move to establish a new governance structure follows months of turmoil at the agency, including calls for it to be taken over by a state receiver.

Five people, including an 11-year-old, were shot in Dorchester on Wednesday night. Neighbors recounted a chaotic scene. The gunfire broke out around 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday night. All five people were expected to survive.

Fatal fire at Hyannis home accidentally caused by smoking materials, fire officials say

Israeli army acknowledges Oct. 7 failures, including slow response times and disorganization

Seven charged in Roxbury shooting that injured a woman in 2023

Recommended reads

The Boston Globe’s Best of the Best

THE VIP LOUNGE Adam Gardner of Guster on getting food poisoning, slowing down, and being grateful We caught up with Gardner, who lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with his family to talk about all things travel.

Claudia Franc Williams, daughter of Red Sox legend Ted Williams, dies at 52 Williams died in December, but the Red Sox held off announcing it to honor her family’s wish to mourn privately before sharing the news, according to Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy.

Culture & Lifestyle

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company brings ‘A Christmas Carol’ to Boston this holiday season

With their 12th album out now, the Bacon Brothers take the mic in Lynn on Saturday

Things to do around Boston this weekend and beyond

A TV career that grew and grew and … Gru

Special Projects

Broken Promises, Unfulfilled Hope

Where do the 2023-24 Celtics stand among the greatest teams in NBA history?

Priced out: How Boston’s broken liquor license system drives chefs from the city

Nightmare in Mission Hill

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Biden and Trump are showing their stark contrast out in the open. But is anyone seeing it?

Oklahoma mandates Bible study; here’s how to do it right

Readers offer their designs for a new Massachusetts flag

Why was Steward paying millions to spy on critics while its business was suffering?

It’s John Roberts’s Supreme Court after all

Blueprints for a new downtown Boston

Metro

A second person has died in Vermont flooding from Hurricane Beryl’s remnants, officials say

Bengt Samuelsson, Nobel Prize-winning medical scientist, dies at 90

Small quake hit Milton on Wednesday, 1.3-magnitude, official says

Army nurse who treated Maine mass shooter last summer testifies before state investigators Thursday

Sports

Alex Cora: Risk-reward of letting a pitcher strain for a no-hitter can be a tough call

Tanner Houck, Red Sox in complete command in series-clinching win over the A’s

MVP of Red Sox? Ceddanne Rafaela’s versatility should not be overlooked in team’s resurgence

Monte Kiffin, defensive innovator behind the Tampa 2, dies at 84

Incredible Skenes: Pirates rookie All-Star throws seven no-hit innings, fans 11 Brewers in another gem

Matthew Naumec, Ricky Stimets set up mid-amateur meeting to decide Massachusetts Amateur champion

Business

Costco raises membership fees

Steward Health Care is under federal investigation for potential foreign corruption violations

How a Teamster leader’s flirtations with Trump have divided the union

Embattled cannabis commission proposes overhauling itself

22 places to find amazing food in Boston for about $20 or less. Sometimes much less.

When it comes to relationships, ‘I see only green flags’

$50 for what?! Junk fees are everywhere, and consumers are fed up.

Summer recipes: Three delicious cherry desserts

metro

Sutton police no longer asking for public’s assistance in search for missing 4-year-old autistic girl

Northrop Grumman executive named Harvard’s top lawyer

A year after the deluge, floods return to Vermont

sports

In another blow to NCAA, appeals court says some athletes may qualify as employees under federal wage-and-hour laws

Around New England with Kevin Cullen

A year after the deluge, floods return to Vermont
Vermonters are reeling after the waters devastated swaths of the state, a year to the day after the worst floods in a century.

Say More podcast | Shirley Leung

What’s next for Karen Read? Five things you need to know.
The Karen Read trial may be over, but neither the defense nor the prosecution is resting. Both sides are gearing up for another legal battle.

King’s Beach in Lynn has the worst water quality rating of any beach in the state. Here’s why.
For as long as most Lynn residents can remember, King’s Beach has been sullied with excessive levels of bacteria.

Embattled cannabis commission proposes overhauling itself
The move to establish a new governance structure follows months of turmoil at the agency, including calls for it to be taken over by a state receiver.

Five people, including an 11-year-old, were shot in Dorchester on Wednesday night. Neighbors recounted a chaotic scene.
The gunfire broke out around 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday night. All five people were expected to survive.

THE VIP LOUNGE

Adam Gardner of Guster on getting food poisoning, slowing down, and being grateful
We caught up with Gardner, who lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with his family to talk about all things travel.

Claudia Franc Williams, daughter of Red Sox legend Ted Williams, dies at 52
Williams died in December, but the Red Sox held off announcing it to honor her family’s wish to mourn privately before sharing the news, according to Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy.