Scalp device might help patients with brain tumors

The experimental Optune device appears to modestly extend the life of brain cancer patients, but costs $21,000 a month.

Louis Justiniano, 18, wasn?t inside playing video games Friday. ?I?m out here skating instead,? he said.

Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe

PlayStation disruption another blow to Sony

The cyberattack on the gaming network comes as Sony reels from a separate attack involving ?The Interview.?

Trooper back on full duty amid pepper spray investigation

The state trooper was videotaped while apparently pepper-spraying a protester in Boston earlier this month.

State campaign contributions set to double

Beginning Jan. 1, candidates can raise $1,000 per year from individuals, double the current limit of $500.

Mayor Walsh held a press conference on Friday to announce the new proposal.

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff

Deal reached to extend school day in Boston

The proposal would add 40 minutes of learning time to the school day at elementary and middle schools in the city.

Boston protesters say they?ll have a ?die-in? demonstration, like the one above in Guilderland, N.Y., earlier this month, during First Night festivities on Wednesday.

?Die-in? planned during First Night in Boston

Activists expect at least 100 people to join a demonstration that is planned to coincide with the annual festivities, an organizer said.

From left: Sophia, Jung, and Charles Starrett play D&D at home.

Kayana Szymczak for the Boston Globe

Dungeons & Dragons strikes back

After a period of decline, the iconic game shows signs of revival thanks to an update and a greater diversity of players.

Game-day routines crucial for Boston-area sports figures

From downing shots of espresso to taking in bags of IV fluids, 12 local pro athletes and coaches share their pre-game rituals.

In holiday surprise, lost dog reunited with family in N. Reading

William Leong thought he had buried the remains of his family?s beloved dog. Then came the call that changed everything.

Michael Keaton as Riggan in a scene from

Ty Burr

Best movies of 2014 dealt with unpleasant people

The movies that seemed to matter most in 2014 concerned characters who are their own worst enemies.

The weirdest New England stories of 2014

From a controversial statue of a sleepwalker to various run-ins with pigs, here are the region?s goofiest stories from the past 12 months.

?This Old House? renovated my childhood home

The venerable PBS program renovated Mindy Pollack-Fusi's childhood home in Lexington, and the stars of the show gave her sneak peeks.

Many Boston offices closed Friday due to workers taking the day off, which left the normally hectic metropolis virtually empty.

Quiet washes over downtown as workers extend holiday

Many businesses turned the Christmas holiday into a four-day weekend, leaving the Financial District a ghost town on Friday.

Wine lovers, vineyards eagerly await new shipping rules

Starting Jan. 1, out-of-state wineries can more easily ship wine directly to Mass. consumers.

Opinion

Michael A. Cohen

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2014/12/26/BostonGlobe.com/National/Images/1227oped_cohen2.jpg The honey badger presidency

The president?s willingness to act unilaterally ensures that he remains the most relevant figure in American politics.

The Big Picture

Stefan Postles/Getty Images

Seasonal lights

Around the world, nights look brighter this time of year and illuminations of all kinds help celebrate holidays or festivities.