Mass. spent millions on secret settlements
For years, the state has used confidential settlement and severance deals to make embarrassing problems go away.
Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Children with epilepsy waiting for medical marijuana
Mass. dispensaries authorized to sell the drug, which could be an answer for severe seizures, are not expected to open until this summer.
MIT retools to aid students with startups
MIT is undertaking a massive overhaul in the way it approaches innovation that will touch every corner of the institute.
Mass. firms closely watch trade negotiations
Many local businesses could benefit from two massive free trade proposals involving Europe and markets in the Pacific Rim.
Fred Field for The Globe
Out of health-care furor, satisfaction in N.E.
The federal overhaul has had a bumpy start, but with insurance payments they can handle, many have stopped gambling on their future.
City Council session opens in tiff over office assignments
Some observers say the assignments can be construed as reward or payback for the vote for council president.
Christopher L. Gasper
Richard Sherman is a bad trash-talker, not a thug
The Seahawks cornerback is guilty of displaying poor showmanship and poor sportsmanship, but that’s it.
on football
Patriots’ awards for the 2013 season
Before we move on to next season, let’s take one last look at 2013, high school superlative style.
A job for a machineGlobe exclusives
Sports
Bruins 6, Flyers 1
Bruins take advantage of the Flyers
Steve Mason allowed four goals on 19 shots and the Flyers’ penalty kill failed on three of the Bruins’ four power plays.
Metro
Scouts’ spirits high for winter outing as temperature falls
For several hundred area Boy Scouts, the bitter cold and snow was an opportunity to practice winter camping and survival skills.
Columnists
Nation & World
Police say man killed 2, self in Md. mall attack
The county police chief said he believed the shootings were an isolated episode involving just the three people found dead.
Politics
Obama to offer a modest agenda in State of the Union
President Obama intends to use his State of the Union address to put a difficult year behind him and reassert command.
Business
Product Review
Four reasons to keep that landline at home
From improved sound to big savings, cordless phones still have purpose.
Arts
Movie Review
‘I, Frankenstein’ a clumsy update on old tale
Awful, overdone dialogue and faux-lofty exposition bury this take on Frankenstein 2.0.
Books
NEW ENGLAND WRITERS AT WORK
Matthew Quick surrounds himself with memories
“The Silver Linings Playbook” author lives with his wife, the novelist and pianist Alicia Bessette, in Holden.
Travel
Travel
Alone with Arizona’s awesome landscape
Head to Arizona to experience what the Navajo call “tesbinegesagay,” or vast openness.
A Conversation with Best-Selling Author, J. Courtney Sullivan and Meredith Goldstein, Love Letters columnist
Ideas
The botmaker who sees through the Internet
Darius Kazemi’s popular little creations are a sly commentary on how the Web is organizing our lives.