Elizabeth Warren launches exploratory committee, a major step in a possible 2020 run

Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator who has built an outsize profile as an economic populist and a progressive foil to President Trump, formally announced on Monday that she is exploring a run for the presidency in 2020.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/31/BostonGlobe.com/Politics/Images/AFP_1BW7NX.jpg How early do presidential campaigns start? Earlier than you may think

In modern politics, forming the committee, which facilitates early fundraising, is seen as an all-but-official announcement that a person is running for the presidency.

MATTHEW GILBERT | YOUR TV GPS

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/06/BostonGlobe.com/Arts/Images/9a31bf79ea024642900a6eda3f20fb61-9a31bf79ea024642900a6eda3f20fb61-0.jpg The week in watching: Oscar season dawns, wall-to-wall ?Twilight Zone,? and New Year?s Eve bashes

Globe TV critic Matthew Gilbert?s guide for the week ahead in television.

Love Letters

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/31/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/Meredith_Goldstein5-9636.jpg The most popular Love Letters of 2018 were about nude pictures, group texts, and lack of marital sex

By far the most popular letter of the 2018 inspired readers to give practical, empathic advice ? and lots of it.

Sculptors from Brilliant Ice Sculpture work on a scene of Red Sox player Andrew Benintendi's balletic World Series catch in front of their rendition of the Green Monster that will be on display outside of the Prudential Center for First Night.

The New Year?s Eve countdown is on for First Night Boston

Final preparations are underway for First Night, even as organizers warily eye a weather forecast that calls for a soggy slog into 2019.

NAMES

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/01/08/BostonGlobe.com/Arts/Images/AP_17221700938226.jpg Louis C.K. mocks school shooting survivors, nonbinary people in leaked audio from new set

He focused especially on the survivors of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

After her cancer diagnoses, Marie Cajuste?s life unraveled. She was unable to work during the most intense part of her treatment.

Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

Unhealthy Divide

Battling a double diagnosis ? cancer and poverty

Cancer is a tremendous burden for anyone, but for a growing number of lower-income and even middle-class patients, an illness means an avalanche of trouble.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/10/03/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/Walker_100218_xxnantucket_29873x.jpg Hospital hopes new housing can ease ?Nantucket Shuffle?

Nantucket Cottage Hospital is building 83 units across the street in the hopes it will help it retain year-round workers on the popular island.

Peter DeMarco

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/11/13/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/Rinaldi14somerville06.jpg My wife?s death was senseless. Using it to save lives is only thing that makes sense to me

My quest to understand what happened to my wife led to hard questions at Somerville Hospital.

HELP DESK

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/31/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/08cultdiet[1].jpg How to tackle your food issues

Here are some (rational, actionable) tips from experts on how to eat well all year long, no matter what your dining persona.

Chad Finn | 38 thoughts

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/30/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/lee123118jetpat6SPTSjpg.jpg Patriots showed right away they were better team

No, there was no suspense. But there was an awful lot of reassurance.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/31/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/58e72cf0279842d78775a8fc85f1ddbd-58e72cf0279842d78775a8fc85f1ddbd-0.jpg Four more NFL coaches are out, including Adam Gase and Marvin Lewis

The Dolphins, Bengals, Broncos, and Cardinals joined four other teams that will be looking for new coaches.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/30/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/davisneny21spts.jpg Packers expected to interview Josh McDaniels, Brian Flores

McDaniels took the Colts job last year, then reneged to stay with the Patriots.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/31/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/turner100918METRO10woburn27.jpg Baker signs unemployment bill for locked-out National Grid workers

Governor Charlie Baker signed legislation Monday that would extend unemployment insurance benefits for roughly 1,250 union workers at National Grid who have been locked out since June.

Suspicious fire destroys abandoned hotel in New Hampshire built in 1890

Carroll Fire Chief Jeremy Oleson said the hotel has been closed ?for over 15 years? and there was no electricity in the building, which is located in the Twin Mountain section of town.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/31/BostonGlobe.com/Politics/Images/125ecd7335074289ba74db57084753b8-2c319645c274450db0f21265a311c53d-3794.jpg Outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis urges employees to stay focused

Mattis quoted from a letter Abraham Lincoln wrote in 1865 to Ulysses S. Grant reading ?let nothing which is transpiring, change, hinder, or delay your military movements, or plans.?

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/08/18/BostonGlobe.com/Politics/Images/4056fa592a0a4d969ac73ca08fa056c9-4056fa592a0a4d969ac73ca08fa056c9-0.jpg A look at the Trump administration?s revolving door

in the 18 or so months since President Trump took office, at least two dozen people have left the administration ? whether they resigned, forcibly resigned, or were fired.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/31/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/ddbbde7c641e46bcbe516e2b9e0207f3-ddbbde7c641e46bcbe516e2b9e0207f3-24135-kq5C--90x90@BostonGlobe.com.jpg Nathan Carman tossed alleged murder weapon in the ocean after grandpa slain, insurer says

The document, filed Friday in federal court in Rhode Island, was submitted by the National Liability & Fire Insurance Company and Boat Owners Association of the United States.

The Conservators Center in Burlington, N.C.

Intern killed by lion had a passion for working with animals

Alexandra Black of New Palestine, Indiana, had been at the Conservators Center for just two weeks.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/21/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/Charlemont_Library_02.jpg This Western Mass. town rejected Comcast?s offer of a broadband network and will build its own. Why?

Charlemont is one of several municipalities in Western Massachusetts puzzling over how to ensure that decisions about connectivity stay in local hands.

Michelle Singletary

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/13/BostonGlobe.com/National/Images/0915money-8094.jpg Seven bad financial habits that you shouldn?t take into the New Year

The first step in doing better is to acknowledge what you?ve done in the past to get where you financially are now.

The Big Picture

Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

The Big Picture

A double diagnosis ? cancer when poor

Marie Cajuste couldn?t ignore it any more. She had noticed a hard lump in her left breast about a year before, but kept the discovery to herself. She literally could not afford to be sick.

Special reports

Shannon Goyette (left) and Cynthia Pierce became friends when their children were in kindergarten. Both mothers lost a son to suicide.

Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

After suicides in Acton and Boxborough, a communion of sorrow

The unthinkable has been an all-too-common companion in two small neighboring towns, where six young people took their lives in the short span of 30 months. The questions keep coming: What is happening? Why? When will it stop?

Podcasts

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/18/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/gladiator%20pic5.jpg Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.

The story of a profoundly troubled young man and the ugly underside of America?s most popular sport.

Newsletters

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Follow the Celtics? quest for a title and other NBA news both on and off the court. Sign up here.