In swift decision, Mehanna convicted of terror charges
A trial that lasted more than two months ended when a jury, after 10 hours of deliberations, found that the Sudbury resident conspired to support Al Qaeda.
House rejects two-month extension of payroll tax cut
Republicans in the House are demanding immediate talks with the Senate on a year-long extension.
Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff
Menino honors team that lost on controversial call
New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine and former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi joined the Cathedral High School football team for lunch.
Exclusive Wednesday Preview | Food
The enduring appeal of gingerbread
This old-fashioned cake is one of the simplest confections in any baker’s repertoire and the taste is powerful enough to evoke childhood memories.
Food styling/Sheryl Julian, Janine Sciarappa; Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff Photo
Mum's gingerbread is light with a crusty exterior.
Food styling/Sheryl Julian, Janine Sciarappa; Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff Photo
English golden gingerbread is lighter in color and texture than gingerbreads made with molasses.
Food styling/Sheryl Julian, Janine Sciarappa; Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff Photo
Grammie K's gingerbread has a nice, spicy bite.
Food styling/Sheryl Julian, Janine Sciarappa; Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff Photo
Gluten-free Mormor's gingerbread with maple frosting contains brown rice flour and garbanzo bean flour.
Which bank is the oldest? Accounts vary
The roots of institutions are tangled, and a 1784 Mass. charter plays a central role in competing claims from two modern-day giants, Bank of America and Bank of New York Mellon.
Harvard astronomers find Earth-sized planets
The planets share some Earth-like characteristics, raising the prospect that scientists may one day be able to pinpoint worlds capable of supporting life.
“We accept the jury’s verdict, but today is not the last chapter. I know that he knows in his heart he is not guilty.”
J.W. Carney Jr., Tarek Mehanna’s defense attorney
Inside The Boston Globe
Columnists
Metro
Postal Santa tries to deliver on letter requests
Operation Santa is a project of the USPS to connect families in need with families who want to help. This year, the Boston office received 1,200 letters from parents in need.
Business
Stocks soar on Europe hopes, housing report
The Dow jumped 337 points today on news that US builders broke ground last month on the most houses in over a year.
Politics
Political Notebook
Romney acknowledges public’s perception of him as inauthentic
Mitt Romney admits that some voters have questioned his authenticity and his willingness to change political positions.
Nation & World
Kim Jong Il’s body put on display in North Korea
As the country mourned Kim’s death, state media fed a budding personality cult around his anointed heir, Kim Jong Un, hailing him as a ‘‘lighthouse of hope.”
Sports
Patriots now have clear path to No. 1 seed
Thanks to the Steelers’ loss, if the Patriots win out, they will be the top seed in the AFC and hold home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Lifestyle
TV’s best dressed: Behind the seams
What’s the best-dressed show? With the exception of “Mad Men’’ and “Gossip Girl,’’ which have officially been retired to the Globe’s hall of fame, here are a few contenders for the title.
Arts
FRAME BY FRAME
At the scene of slaughter, a visual triumph
Everything is lovingly described in the “Butcher Shop’’ at the MFA from the blood pooling beneath the ox’s nose to the nicks and chalk marks on the timber column behind.
Best of the new
Best of the New
Boston’s best people and ideas of 2011
Safer neighborhoods, quieter commutes, and one really brainy historian.
Opinion
“My case for awarding the Great Negotiator Award to Kim Jong Il spotlights his success in nuclear negotiations with President George W. Bush.”
Graham Allison
Ideas
As tempting as it might be to imagine the Christmas trees we see today in public parks and central plazas as a quaint relic of small town life, it turns out that our modern public trees have politics woven right into their roots.
Leon Neyfakh