In Fla., donations to Gingrich erase Romney’s edge

A casino magnate and his wife - who have each given $5 million to assist Newt Gingrich - provide the most graphic example yet of how wealthy individuals can influence political campaigns.

Yvonne Abraham

Civil legal aid is a sound investment for all of us

Sometimes, the world puts you in a situation so unfair, so absurd, that only a lawyer can get you out of it. But what if you can’t afford a lawyer?

Gov. Patrick on Tim Thomas: We’re losing ‘basic courtesy’

Governor Deval Patrick struck a disappointed tone today as he commented on Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas’s decision not to attend a White House event.

A big Delahunt footprint in Keating’s new district

Running in a newly configured Congressional district is not the only problem facing Rep. William R. Keating, who now finds himself shadow boxing with another powerful figure.

Fred Field for The Boston Globe

Iraq war’s end bring new grief to mother who lost son

When the last American troops left Iraq in December, the war began anew for Nancy Chamberlain, whose son was one of the conflict’s first US casualties.

Tight market for Boston apartment hunters

Rents in the Boston area hit record highs in the last quarter of 2011, pushed up by increased demand and declining inventory.

Newton stunned by 2d case of child porn in two weeks

Authorities announced yesterday that they had arrested Peter Buchanan, a 10-year city employee who had worked most recently in the Newton Public Library.

Sterling Moore making an impact for Patriots

Moore, picked up off the scrap heap this season and largely unknown to Patriots fans two months ago, broke up the potential game-winning pass on Sunday.

“When they announced that all the troops were coming home, I lost it. My son wasn’t coming home, and that was the first time I let it sink in.”

Mary Chamberlain, mother of a Marine  who died in Iraq

Globe Insiders

Editorial Events

http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2012/01/26/BostonGlobe.com/Special/Images/EssdrasSuarez--90x90.jpg Picture Perfect: Insider Photography Tips from Essdras M Suarez

Interested in photography? Learn more about your craft by attending this special lecture with Pulitzer Prize-winning Globe photographer, Essdras M Suarez.

Inside The Boston Globe

G COVER

Why our pets are getting fatter

Textbook publishers prep for the e-future
Scott J. Campbell (Tunny), Van Hughes (Johnny) and Jake Epstein (Will) in AMERICAN IDIOT (Photo by Doug Hamilton) 26idiot

THEATER REVIEW

‘American Idiot’ packs emotional wallop

On basketball

Celtics owe it to Doc Rivers to shape up
The Giants hit Tom Brady nine times and sacked him five times in Super Bowl XLII.

Analysis

Will the mistakes of Super Bowl XLII come back?
SOLAR SLIDER FOR BG.COM The aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, are seen near the city of Tromsoe, northern Norway, late Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Stargazers were out in force in northern Europe on Tuesday, hoping to be awed by a spectacular showing of northern lights after the most powerful solar storm in six years. (AP Photo/Scanpix Norway, Rune Stoltz Bertinussen) NORWAY OUT

Solar storm sparks dazzling northern lights

US military raid in Somalia frees two hostages
U.S. President Barack Obama (C) delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, as Vice President Joe Biden (L) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) look on, on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 24, 2012. REUTERS/Saul Loeb/Pool (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)

Editorial

Obama’s speech offers opportunity for progress
Martin (Kiefer Sutherland) tries to understand his 11-year-old son, Jake (David Mazouz), who communicates in his own way on ‘‘Touch.’’

TELEVISION REVIEW

Kiefer Sutherland lightens up with softer ‘Touch’
Tim Thomas didn’t comment yesterday on the firestorm he created Monday by declining an invitation to the White House.

Bruins not surprised by Tim Thomas’s snub
“Just stick to hockey,’’ grumbled Billy Norton, 57, a construction worker from Weymouth.

Thomas’s stance draws some shots from Bruins fans

Autism gaining greater visibility in films, TV

Columnists

Yvonne Abraham

Civil legal aid is a sound investment

Tech Lab

Watching movies in UltraViolet

Joan Vennochi

Tired old Democrats in Massachusetts

Juliette Kayyem

The DREAM act struggles on, nameless but alive

Joshua Green

The story Romney should tell

Albert Pujols, left, and C.J. Wilson joined the Angels this offseason, while Prince Fielder joined the Tigers.

Tony Massarotti

Red Sox seem to be falling behind in AL

Jeff Jacoby

Shut up, they explained

Scot Lehigh

Tim Murray investigates... himself

Brian McGrory

Money, money, everywhere in politics
Mementos surround the Joe Paterno statue to pay tribute to the coach’s many contributions to the Penn State program.

Bob Ryan

His role in scandal damaged Joe Paterno’s image

Alex Beam

Can fame coexist with obscurity?
Carrie Twomey at a Boston hotel Monday. She left her home in Ireland to attend a court hearing about Boston College oral history project about the conflict in Northern Ireland for which her husband Anthony McIntyre was a researcher. She says her family will be in danger if the tapes are given to British authorities.

Kevin Cullen

Caught in a tug of war

Metro

Tags in this section:

Boston,Mass. -01/20/12 -The Silver Line stop at Logan Airport Terminal C with it's clock showing the arrival times of the buses, Globe staff photo by John Tlumacki (metro)

Next Silver Line bus from Logan Airport? A mystery no more

With the blink of an LED sign, the Silver Line at Logan Airport has, finally, entered the late 20th century.

Nation & World

Tags in this section:

Rules seek less fat, more fruit in school meals

Hoping to combat the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, the Obama administration yesterday announced its long-awaited changes to government-subsidized school meals.

Politics

Political Notebook

Senate Democrats vow to push Obama tax proposals

President Obama’s Democratic allies in the Senate promised to press ahead with legislation to require those earning $1 million annually pay at least 30 percent in taxes.

Business

Tags in this section:

Gulf Oil is looking to become an electricity supplier

The Framingham-based company said it will launch the new service, Gulf Electricity, in Connecticut in March, but expects to expand into Massachusetts in about a year.

Sports

Tags in this section:

Roy Oswalt, Red Sox may not be a match

Oswalt is more interested in joining Texas or St. Louis, a source said. So the Red Sox may turn to Edwin Jackson for starting pitching depth.

Style

STYLE

Best and worst of Paris and Milan’s men’s fashion shows

Design houses such as agnes b., Thom Browne, and Givenchy attempted alien anticipation of the future, while Louis Vuitton and Kenzo opted for a gentlemen’s view of updated masculine elegance.

Arts

Tags in this section:

MUSIC REVIEW

Lively works from the Weilerstein Duo

It takes courage to offer a program of music for violin and piano like the Weilerstein Duo did for free at Jordan Hall.

Magazine

The cover for the January 22 2012 issue

Mother worries about her Occupy Wall Street protester son
The cover for the January 15 2012 issue

Mass. voting maps reflect State House evolution
The cover for the January 8 2012 issue

Photograph by Essdras M Suarez
The cover for the January 1 2012 issue

Bostonian of the Year: Carmen Ortiz

Opinion

“What do you do with a policy known as the DREAM Act but that was defeated by Senate Republicans? Simply, take away its name.”

Juliette Kayyem  

Ideas

“The unipolar world isn’t necessarily better than what preceded it, either for the US or for the rest of the world. It might even be worse.”

Thanassis Cambanis,  on the trouble with American dominance