Rolling the dice on a hepatitis C-tainted liver

Boston, MA., 12/20/16, Ben Blake, 26, right, and his father Duane Blake, cq, meet with his doctor Parsia A. Vagefi, cq,. Ben was expected to die within months without a liver transplant. As it became clear he was too far down the wait list to get one in time, Mass. General surgeons came up with an unusual plan: take a liver from a donor with hepatitis C and then give Ben super powerful new hepatis C drugs after the transplant to cure the disease. It is the first such transplant at MGH but doctors predict the approach is poised to take off nationally for liver, kidney, heart and lung transplants. Alot of organs from donors with hepatitis C are currently discarded. Ben had his transplant a week or so ago. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff)

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

A Westwood man is one of the few hepatitis C-negative patients in the US to get a liver from a donor who has the disease.

Seniors face big hikes for Blue Cross Medicare

Medicare Advantage customers of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts will pay as much as 34 percent more in 2017.

The transition to Trump

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/04/BostonGlobe.com/National/Images/ca884688cbc34f4985e8e0fc068d2827-ca884688cbc34f4985e8e0fc068d2827-0.jpg Ethics battle exposes infighting among House GOP

House Republicans, after a firestorm of public anger, reversed a controversial move to gut the independent ethics office.

FILE - This Jan. 20, 1961 black and white file photo shows U.S. President John F. Kennedy delivering his inaugural address after taking the oath of office at Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/File)

AP/file 1961

From presidents past, some inspiration for Trump

Here?s some inspiration for the president-elect from the inaugural words of his New England forebears:

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2016/11/22/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/AFP_857AI-10604.jpg Patrick urges US senators to reject Sessions as AG

Invoking a controversial 1985 voting-rights case, Patrick called Jeff Sessions ?the wrong person to place in charge of our justice system.?

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/03/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/omalley-750686.jpg First Roman Catholic bishop indicted in clergy abuse scandal dies

Former Springfield bishop Thomas L. Dupre was never prosecuted for his crimes because the statutes of limitation had expired.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2016/11/29/BostonGlobe.com/ReceivedContent/Images/wiggs_Wage_702914.jpg $15 minimum wage to cost Mass. jobs, survey says

A $15 minimum wage would drive up costs for three-quarters of employers, according to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/03/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/braypic.jpg Driverless cars get trade show treatment in Las Vegas

Ford, Honda, and Hyundai are among the carmakers demonstrating self-driving cars at the Consumer Electronics Show this week.

Frederick Sylvia Jr. earned a WWII victory medal.

Jack Foley/Herald News

Son of WWII veteran getting his father?s medals, with help of Mass. probation officer

Mark Costa, a Fall River probation officer, was overseeing about 200 offenders when a handwritten note in one of their files stopped him cold.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2016/12/29/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/robey_roxbury_09-11985.jpg Roxbury advocate to run against Tito Jackson

Rufus Faulk said he is ready to take his advocacy around public safety and other issues to the chambers of City Hall.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/03/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/wiggs_protest_702661-11926.jpg What is on Beacon Hill?s agenda?

Here?s a quick primer on some of what?s expected to be on the docket when the Legislature?s two-year session begins Wednesday.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/04/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/f184ab86fb96460db06d309016118e03-f184ab86fb96460db06d309016118e03-0.jpg Hassan sworn in as Democratic senator from New Hampshire

Democrat Maggie Hassan was sworn in Tuesday as a U.S. senator, becoming only the second woman to serve as a governor and senator in American history.

critic?s corner

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/03/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/64908ba9b87d4317aba3f84f02384d6d-91316155fb65403d96296cff31116e17-0.jpg Will Fallon be in tune with the Golden Globes audience?

Jimmy Fallon is hosting Sunday?s awards show.

Television Review

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/02/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/NUP_172062_2102.jpg ?Emerald City? takes viewers on a yellow brick road to nowhere

NBC?s new drama is a labored, humorless attempt to turn ?The Wizard of Oz? into a ?Game of Thrones?-like epic.

FILE-- Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly prepares to interview Laverne Cox for her prime-time special ÒMegyn Kelly Presents,Ó in New York, May 12, 2016. While at Fox, the hostÕs divergent approach took a different turn in her clash with Newt Gingrich and again raised the question of the channelÕs future. (Damon Winter/The New York Times)

Damon Winter/The New York Times

Critic?s notebook

Megyn Kelly brings attitude to her new role at NBC

Kelly will soon be more visible than ever in her new, multifaceted position at NBC News.

GARY WASHBURN | ON BASKETBALL

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/04/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/davis_celtsjazz5_spts.jpg After some rest, the Celtics were at their best

The Celtics took two of the past three days off, and shot 55.4 percent in beating the Jazz.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/04/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/5c4b7908e5164536a802fa337b2a1624-5c4b7908e5164536a802fa337b2a1624-0.jpg Sea turtles rescued off Cape moved to Florida Keys

The juvenile turtles have pneumonia as a result of ??cold stunning?? but are expected to make a full recovery.

BOSTON, MA - 1/03/2017: Clayton Johnson (cq) from Dorchester pays the meter on Newbury Street....In Boston the new pilot parking rates on meters goes into effect in Back Bay and Seaport areas (David L Ryan/Globe Staff Photo) SECTION: METRO TOPIC 04parking

Parking meter rates rise in Back Bay, Seaport

Tuesday is the first day of the city?s new pilot program to test higher parking rates.

Quick Bite

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2016/12/28/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/blanding12271601quickbite1arts.jpg What?s it like at new Harvard Square Italian restaurant Benedetto?

In the former Rialto in the Charles Hotel, this new spot specializes offers house-made pasta and a sophisticated scene.

Newsletters

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2016/12/20/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/629844334[1].jpg Sign up for Talking Points

An afternoon recap of the day?s most important business news, delivered Monday through Friday.

Opinion & Ideas

Renée Graham

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/01/03/BostonGlobe.com/EditorialOpinion/Images/Graham-1869.jpg Judge not, that ye be judged unfit for ?Ellen?

Perhaps homophobic gospel singer Kim Burrell skipped the biblical passages about hypocrisy and not judging others.

Special reports

special report

Every doctor told the Lacey family their son would die ? except one

Pat and Dina Lacey had been parents for only a few months when doctors discovered a tumor in their new baby?s chest. Told to take their son home to die, they put their faith in a young doctor who wouldn?t accept death as the answer.

Life sciences

STAT, a national publication from Boston Globe Media Partners, covers health, medicine, and life sciences.

Investigations

The Desperate and the Dead | Part 7

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2016/12/05/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/20160923_SAMentalHealth_312.jpg The San Antonio solution

One Texas city took on mental health as a community and became a national model. Why can?t Mass. do the same?

The story behind ?Spotlight?

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/11/18/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/spotlight-9497.jpg Boston Globe coverage and the movie ?Spotlight?

?Spotlight? is based on the stories and the reporters behind the investigation of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.