Republicans focus on terrorism, security in debate

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (center) spoke as Ben Carson (left) and Ted Cruz (right) listened.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The leading candidates argued for a more robust and aggressive effort to combat terrorism.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/12/16/BostonGlobe.com/Politics/Images/501522276.jpg Trump says he?s ?totally committed? to GOP

Donald Trump appeared to rule out a third party run during the GOP debate in Las Vegas.

Cavaliers 89, Celtics 77

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/12/16/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/davis_boscleve3A_spts.jpg LeBron James, Cavaliers pull away from Celtics in second half

Boston led after two quarters but was nearly doubled up by Cleveland in the third.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/12/14/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/davis_patsinjuries3A_spts.jpg Dominique Easley, LeGarrette Blount out for season with injuries

The loss of Easley, a defensive lineman, and Blount, the Patriots? leading rusher, adds to the team?s injury woes.

Boston-12/15/15 It was another warm december day as Johnathan Raschela, 16 wears a t-shirt as he skates on the Frog Pond on the Boston Cpommon. He was on a field trip with the Valley Collaborative School in Billerica. Boston Globe staff photo by John Tlumacki(metro)

John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Very warm greetings for the holiday season? Check

December is when New England is supposed to be at its Currier-and-Ives peak, but this is what Christmas in Dallas must feel like.

Shirley Leung

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/12/15/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/shirley-5853.jpg First Night set, but what about the Fourth?

Thanks to some generous donors, First Night will not be operating in the red this year. But the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular still needs a corporate backer.

THOMAS FARRAGHER

A night out with the boys

In West Newton, there?s a men?s book club, and sometimes they might talk about a guy named Ishmael.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/12/10/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/coverphotoforfoodsection16cookies(1of1)A.jpg Homemade cookies make sweet holiday gifts

Stand in your kitchen and shout the word ?cookies? and everyone in the household will come running. But make sure the cookies are worth shouting about.

The Oracle cocktail at The Baldwin Bar.

dining out

Fire meets ice at the Baldwin Bar in Woburn

A world-class cocktail bar inside a Sichuan restaurant inside a historic mansion in the suburbs. It?s as wonderful as it is unlikely.

BetaBoston

For Bridj, monthly pass proves too costly

The private Boston bus operator found that its monthly pass option proved to be a little too popular.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/11/30/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/Boghosian_30hunt3_MET.jpg Blue Hills deer hunt was safe and effective, officials say

Wildlife experts hope the hunt will thin the deer population in the reservation by at least 120 by next spring.

Colleen Ritzer?s family vows to carry on legacy of kindness

The parents of the slain Danvers teacher spoke after Philip Chism?s conviction for killing her.

Philip Chism found guilty of first-degree murder

The Danvers teen was convicted of murdering and raping his high school teacher, Colleen Ritzer, in a case that shocked their community.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/12/15/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/e118e679d1d54bc4916746f8ba65610a-e118e679d1d54bc4916746f8ba65610a-0.jpg 5 things to know about the Philip Chism trial

The defense had argued that Chism was insane at the time of the killing of Colleen Ritzer, a Danvers High teacher.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/11/17/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/chism-big-9298.jpg Chism case underlines difficulty of using insanity defense

The case is the latest example of the uphill battle lawyers face when using the insanity defense in murder cases.

Tracy Vaillancort, of Worcester, held the star she decorated to remember her son, US Army Private First Class Brian Moquin Jr., who was 19 when he was killed in Afghanistan in May 2006.

John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Gold Star families remember fallen military members

About 100 families, who lost relatives to combat- or service-related injuries, made ornaments in their honor at the State House.

Paul Ryan tells GOP there?s agreement on tax, spending bill

The $1.1 trillion spending bill funds all government agencies through the 2016 budget year.

T officials favor firing runaway Red Line driver

After a disciplinary hearing Tuesday, managers formally recommended firing the operator whose train left without him.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/12/06/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/Boghosian_26plainridge16_MET[1].jpg Gambling revenue at Plainridge Park slides again in November

Revenues were down by $1 million from October, the fourth consecutive monthly decline at the Plainville casino.

Boston officials seek to quell fears amid LA school closings

Mayor Walsh also said the City of Boston experienced a cyber attack that began about 9 a.m. Tuesday and lasted 20 minutes.

Sponsored by Rockland Trust

How businesses should prepare for rising interest rates

Interest rates may be on the rise again after almost a decade without a hike. Find out how to prepare your business for the changes to come.

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Ground Game

Ground Game

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/12/01/BostonGlobe.com/BCOM/Images/499328168-6487.jpg Early campaign states fade into background role

Even if Iowa or New Hampshire reject a candidate, that doesn?t mean his or her campaign is over.

Globe Santa

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/11/25/BostonGlobe.com/Special/Images/santa_logo[1]-U80342642589InF--90x90@BostonGlobe.com.jpg Donate to Globe Santa

Globe Santa delivers holiday gifts to local children in need.

Globe investigations

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/11/18/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/spotlight150x150-165.jpg Globe investigations and Spotlight reports

A look at high-impact investigations from The Boston Globe, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning report on abuse in the Catholic Church.

The Big Picture

Shadows and silhouettes

When light strips away the details, highlighting the environment and creating intriguing shapes and patterns, photographers create striking images.

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.