ILLUSTRATION BY JOSIE JAMMETT FOR THE GLOBE

A Boston Globe investigation

The fall of the house of Tsarnaev

The Tsarnaev family came to the United States seeking a fresh start, but their dream soured long before the Marathon bombings.

Twelve of Shane Vereen’s 40 receptions this season came in last Sunday’s victory.

Patriots at Dolphins | Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Patriots’ Shane Vereen now a pass-catching threat

In the Patriots’ last four games, Vereen has 33 receptions, capped by last Sunday’s 12-catch performance in a 27-26 comeback win over Cleveland.

Ford is famously pro-car, and his strongest support came from suburbs outside downtown Toronto.

ideas

Conservatives’ new enemy: Bikes

The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars.

Workers cleared snow near Faneuil Hall.

Snow turns to slush as storm winds down

A storm that brought up to 6 inches of snow to Boston and nearly a foot in parts of Western and Northern Massachusetts sputtered into sleet and drizzle.

Nelson Mandela's casket was taken to its burial place in Qunu, South Africa.

Mandela buried in home village

Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela was buried Sunday in the African ground he loved.

Linda Pelletier with her daughter Justina at Boston Children’s Hospital, during one of her allowed weekly visits.

A medical collision with a child in the middle

Justina Pelletier has a metabolic disease. Or does she? With her parents and Children’s Hospital deadlocked, she was placed in state custody.

Large waves crashed over sand barriers, destroying the decks of homes along the beach on Plum Island during a storm last winter.

‘Sand wars’ come to New England coast

Debates over who gets sand, who pays for it, and where it comes from are fast becoming some of the region’s most contentious oceanfront issues.

Early start to TV ads war in midterm elections

Republicans are trying to use the controversy over the botched launch of President Obama’s health care law to lay the groundwork early in swing states.

Opinion

TOM KEANE

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2013/12/15/BostonGlobe.com/EditorialOpinion/Images/keane1215-1535--90x90.jpg Happy days are here again, and we can thank Obama

As 2013 ends and we turn the page to a new year, the US economy appears poised for a significant rebound.

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Scouting report: Patriots at Dolphins, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Dolphins tight end Charles Clay will pose a challenge for the Patriots.

Patriots’ keys to a victory over Dolphins

With Rob Gronkowski out, the ground game becomes even more important for New England’s offense.