Jason Varitek to retire Thursday
Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek will announce his retirement this week.

Globe File Photo/2005

Varitek, a two-time World Series champion and the captain of the Red Sox, will announce his retirement this week in Fort Myers.

02-27-12: Fort Myers, FL: Don't know how much fun he was having, but Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett was throwing long toss in the outfield today. (Globe Staff Photo/Jim Davis) section:sports topic:spring training

Josh Beckett angry about Red Sox ‘snitches’

In an expletive-filled interview with WEEI.com, Beckett claimed there were clubhouse “snitches” who revealed his clubhouse misbehavior to the media last fall.

Editorial

Boston should crack down on satellite dishes on house fronts

The City Council should vote to send a measure that would ban satellite dishes from building façades to the mayor, who has already signaled his support for it.

Living Longer, Living Better

Boosting returns in your retirement plan

Tired of watching your portfolio poke along and want to nudge it forward? Here are some tricks to help.

After fight, 29 students in Lynn suspended

The Lynn English High School students were disciplined after a fight between two girls was videotaped by students, who did nothing to stop it.

Essex DA to probe motive in Beverly officer’s shooting

After indicating that an investigation into the motive would end, a spokeswoman for the district attorney said that motive “is of course relevant” to the investigation.

Poll: GOP primary bitterness a boost for Obama

Voters are viewing all the Republican candidates less favorably than they did several months ago, and Obama is pulling ahead in head-to-head polls.

Opinion

US apologies sound empty

Whatever motives initially drove the American war effort in Afghanistan, the one undeniable result of the US intervention is the profound alienation of a people we claimed to want to help, writes James Carroll.

“Most chicken owners consider their birds as family pets and would be devastated to lose them.”

Dakota Butterfield,  58, of Jamaica Plain

Globe Insiders

Globe Insider Event | March 5, 5:30 p.m.

http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2012/02/17/BostonGlobe.com/Special/Images/508746086[1]--90x90.jpg ‘The Real Romney’

Globe editorial page editor Peter S. Canellos moderates a discussion with Globe writers Scott Helman, Scot Lehigh, and Frank Phillips on the Republican presidential candidate.

Inside The Boston Globe

G Cover

Constant distractions can take a toll

TV gets social, thanks to Web

Boston’s would-be chicken farmers lay out case
“The Artist’’ won five Academy Awards on Sunday, including best picture.

84TH ACADEMY AWARDS

‘The Artist’ triumphs at the Oscars
This Alexander McQueen gown had a very high potential for looking like something worn by a maiden at a renaissance fair.

84TH ACADEMY AWARDS | The Fashion

A red carpet of many colors
A crew member walks down pit road as officials hope to start the rain-postponed NASCAR Daytona 500 Sprint Cup series auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla., Monday, Feb. 27, 2012. NASCAR president Mike Helton says the Daytona 500 will start Monday night at 7 p.m. Heavy rain soaked Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, forcing NASCAR to postpone the event for the first time in its 54-year history.(AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Daytona 500 to start Monday night
Amanda Seyfried stars in ‘‘Gone,’’ reinforcing her talent for playing unstable characters in a way that creeps up on viewers.

MOVIE REVIEW

Seyfried keeps ‘Gone’ going only so far

IN PRACTICE

‘The Hateful Patient’ revisited
The Death Star, from “Star Wars.”

Brainiac

The Death Star? That’ll run you at least $8.52 quadrillion

Living longer, living better

Can surgery help you stay in the game?

Your Taxes

Romneys’ 1040s offer tips for filing

Perspective

High school and its discontents

Metro

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Massachusetts Sate Police divers readied to search the Chestnut Hill Reservoir for missing Boston College student Franco Garcia, but the search came up empty.

Police search reservoir for missing BC student

State Police deployed divers and scanned the bottom of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir today, but found no sign missing student Franco Garcia.

Business

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‘Do Not Track’ won’t halt data flow

The Obama administration has pushed to give consumers more control over what personal data is collected online. But Web users would hardly be invisible.

Columnists

INNOVATION ECONOMY

Start-up adds ease to making meals at home

Dan Shaughnessy

Red Sox ban on alcohol is a lot to drink in

Juliette Kayyem

Smart nuclear reduction

Adrian Walker

Scott Brown’s presumption

Yvonne Abraham

Making Magic at North Bennet Street School
Participants happily get on the move with multi-sport activities in Somerville.

DERRICK Z. JACKSON | Generation fitness

In Arlington, a model for nation
Rihanna and Chris Brown perform in NewYork in 2008, the year before he attacked her.

Joan Vennochi

Domestic abuse, without the fame and glamour
Red Sox owner John Henry didn’t address the full team yesterday, but he and Kevin Youkilis shared a moment.

Dan Shaughnessy

Chatter from Sox owner John Henry was minimal

LOVE LETTERS

He’s a workaholic

Christopher L. Gasper

Widely known that they need a receiver

Lawrence Harmon

The weak-kneed BU Law School

Boston Capital

Clean Harbors Inc. cleans up financially

Politics

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK

Mitt Romney was asked on ‘‘Fox News Sunday’’ whether he understands why voters see him as out of touch.

Mitt Romney defends ability to relate to voters

Romney was forced again yesterday to defend his wealth — and his ability to relate to average Americans.

Nation & World

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An Ohio State Highway patrol helicopter leaves Chardon High School Monday, Feb. 27, 2012, in Chardon, Ohio. A gunman opened fire inside the high school’s cafeteria at the start of the school day Monday, wounding five students, according to officials and local hospitals. A suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

1 student killed, 4 wounded in Ohio school shooting

A gunman opened fire inside a high school cafeteria today. A suspect — believed to be a student — is in custody.

Sports

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Brian Rolston (right) chased the puck for the Islanders in a game against the St. Louis Blues earlier this month.

Bruins acquire three players at trade deadline

The Bruins got Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau from the Islanders, and Greg Zanon from the Wild.

Health and wellness

G Force

Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff

Targeting toxic stress in children

Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard, has launched a national campaign against ‘‘toxic stress’’ in childhood.

Arts

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BOOK REVIEW

“The End of Money” by David Wolman

‘The End of Money’ by David Wolman

Wolman examines the current state of the physical cash system worldwide, why we might be better off without it, and what the future might hold.

Living Longer, Living Better

Special Section

Guide to health, wealth, and happiness

Advice on how to get the most out of your retirement.

Magazine

The cover for the February 26 2012 issue

24 hours in Kendall Square
The cover for the February 19 2012 issue

Renovated Newport firehouse is calm, cool, and collected
The cover for the February 12 2012 issue

Boston wedding venue guide
The cover for the February 5 2012 issue

What if the lights go out?

Opinion

“We still love the Bomb. We need the Bomb. We just don’t need so many of them.”

Juliette Kayyem 

Ideas

“As criminal justice became a clash of mandates and bureaucratic rules, it became untethered from what was once its basic function: separating the guilty from the innocent and delivering fair punishment.”

Leon Neyfakh, on “The Collapse of American Criminal Justice”