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TRENDING:

Staring down deadline, Congress nears $900 billion stimulus deal

After months of stalemate, congressional leaders were on the verge Wednesday of cementing a roughly $900 billion stimulus deal to deliver emergency aid to individuals and companies devastated by the toll of the worsening pandemic, racing to finish the details and stave off a government shutdown Friday.
THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS

French President Macron tests positive for COVID-19

Delivery delays try the patience of consumers used to near-instant gratification

As the holiday shopping season escalates, COVID-19 slows the process of getting goods from factories to warehouses to doorsteps.

Harvard professor: New at-home coronavirus test is a ?major boon? ? but more need to be approved

Dr. Michael Mina believes widespread use of cheaper, at-home paper strip tests could quickly reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo rumored to be stepping down, ending 12-year reign

Beacon Hill sprang into a frenzy over speculation that House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo was preparing to leave his post to accept a teaching job at Northeastern University ? except, that is, for DeLeo himself, whose office offered a carefully worded denial.
Jeneé Osterheldt

To be Black, Bostonian, and proud

Boston's Black history is often hidden, but a quarter of the city's population is Black. That's nearly double the percentage of the Black population of the US.
The Questions, featuring Justin Levy See more from ?A Beautiful Resistance? ? Follow on Instagram ?
Episode 5: To Be Black, Bostonian, and Proud is a beautiful resistance
A Beautiful Resistance: Black joy and Black lives, as celebrated by culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt. Join us on Instagram @abeautifulresistance. ( Video by Caitlin Healy/Globe Staff, Photo by Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff, Commentary & concept by Jeneé Osterheldt/Globe Staff )

City of Boston is working with architectural firm to rethink Copley Square

The Walsh administration is embarking on a possible makeover for Copley Square, one of the city?s most recognizable and popular public spaces, and is soliciting ideas that range from modest upgrades to a major redesign, with a goal to begin renovations in 2022.

Mysterious message in a bottle found 126 years later hidden inside wall of Back Bay building

A Boston resident found a handwritten note from 1894 tucked inside an old whiskey bottle. Now everyone is trying to figure out what it means.

Opinion

Steven Hassan

A cult expert?s advice for celebrating with politically divided family over the holidays

All of us who love America need to make an effort to reconnect and rebuild our faith and trust in one another.
EDITORIAL

Let public health expertise guide school reopenings
IDEAS | DAVID SHRIBMAN

Presidents shouldn?t have blanket pardon power

Boston Celtics Players

Governor Baker, regulating facial recognition technology is a racial justice issue
Joan Vennochi

What?s more sexist than the coverage of Melania Trump?

Senate hearing elevates baseless claims of election fraud
Republican senators on Wednesday further perpetuated President Donald Trump?s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, two days after Democrat Joe Biden?s victory was sealed by the Electoral College.

The start-up of the controversial Weymouth gas compressor station delayed at least until January
The new start date now depends on the resolution of a full safety review that is not expected until January.

YVONNE ABRAHAM
Trying to break through in a pandemic.
It?s difficult enough to run against an incumbent mayor in Boston. Throw in a pandemic, and you have the hardest of all hard slogs.

Bristol sheriff fires back at AG, says investigation into alleged civil rights violations is political
?It?s about halfway down the sewer pipe. That?s about how much value I put into the attorney general?s recommendations,? Bristol Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson told reporters.

TELEVISION
Shondaland?s Netflix series, ?Bridgerton,? offers romance and escapism, delivered on Christmas
Shondaland's new Netflix series, "Bridgerton," has dukes, viscounts, grand ballrooms, gossip, and lots of kissing.

Family behind Purdue Pharma to face congressional scrutiny
Members of the family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma are scheduled to make a rare appearance Thursday in a public forum, answering questions from a congressional panel about their role in the nation?s long-running opioid addiction crisis.

Holiday gift guides

These thoughtful, last-minute gifts arrive in an instant, no mailing required

The best new cookbooks for holiday giving

A Boston-centric gift guide for music lovers

28 gift ideas from New England stores and makers

Recommended Reads

Meet Gina McCarthy, a Mass. native who is set to serve as White House climate coordinator

McCarthy, who grew up in Canton and was the health agent for her hometown early in her career, has earned the reputation of a stalwart leader in the fight against climate change over the years.

Eventually, getting the COVID-19 vaccine could be required for many
Private businesses, schools, and perhaps even states and localities could possibly require the shots for those who don?t qualify for religious or medical exemptions. Legal precedent ? including a landmark Massachusetts case ? suggests those mandates would be on solid ground in court.

Here are the local organizations that benefited from MacKenzie Scott?s $4.1 billion giving spree
United Way and YMCA are among the New England organizations on the philanthropist's list.

metro

Season?s first major nor?easter underway. These maps show how much snowfall is blanketing the region
The snow is expected to continue into Thursday, and some places in Massachusetts could get a foot of snow or more.

Here?s how much snow is falling across Massachusetts

Baker urges residents to stay home and off the roads during storm; Walsh declares snow emergency in Boston

Sports

Tua Tagovailoa trying to become first rookie quarterback to beat Bill Belichick and the Patriots since 2013
Tagovailoa said even though this week will be his first game against the Patriots, he?s ?pretty familiar? with the challenge that lies ahead.

Spring baseball training still on schedule
Patriots notebook

Patriots safety Adrian Phillips warm to the task of tackling his first New England snow storm

business

German coronavirus cases jump by most since start of pandemic
Germany recorded the most new coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, one day after the government imposed a hard lockdown on Europe?s biggest economy.

Facebook reverses postelection algorithm changes that boosted news from authoritative sources

Extra doses in Pfizer vaccine vials can be used, FDA says

politics

Senate hearing elevates baseless claims of election fraud
Republican senators on Wednesday further perpetuated President Donald Trump?s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, two days after Democrat Joe Biden?s victory was sealed by the Electoral College.

Biden?s twin climate chiefs, McCarthy and Kerry, face a monumental task

Interior chief latest official to test positive for virus

lifestyle

COMFORT ZONE
These thoughtful, last-minute gifts arrive in an instant, no mailing required
And many benefit local businesses, to boot.

It?ll still be a (matzo) ball
TRAVEL

In the race to lure back travelers, vacations in nature are winning

arts

COVID-era innovations the classical music world should keep
Lessons were learned on the form's elemental powers, plus potentials of the digital stage.

TELEVISION

Shondaland?s Netflix series, ?Bridgerton,? offers romance and escapism, delivered on Christmas

Here, the rich theatrical tradition of Jamaica is all the talk

rhode island

RI POLITICS
Did the Rhode Island attorney general overreach in the Britt money laundering case?
The defense lawyer for political operative Jeffrey T. Britt says the case was ?overcharged? but the attorney general says, ?The principle is worth fighting for.?

RI POLITICS

R.I. political operative Jeff Britt cleared of charges in money laundering trial

It?s decision day in the money laundering trial of political operative Jeff Britt

Newton

Special Projects

A beautiful resistance | JENEÉ OSTERHELDT

Black queer lives are Black lives that matter, too

Adding any other marginalized identity to Blackness is another layer of oppression to fight. Black queer people living their truths is a beautiful resistance.
See more from 'A Beautiful Resistance' Follow on Instagram

On the Street

In tackling the pandemic, Chelsea finds new strength

Brockton offers a gateway to a new generation

This time, Quincy Center?s revival looks legit

Revere was going through a revival before COVID-19. Can it stay on track?

See more from our business series ?On the Street?: The changing face of Greater Boston neighborhoods

More

2020 Bostonians of the Year: The Front Line
They stood up to fight the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice. Meet the people leading us through a harrowing year.

Last Words: Is death the great equalizer?
Quite the contrary, a Spotlight investigation shows. Death exposes in high relief the layers of inequities, in race and income, care and opportunity, that shape life down to its final hours. It is a truth the pandemic has only underscored ? one hard to see, because it is so much easier to look away.

I knew getting prostate cancer at 48 would change me. I had no idea how much
For the past year, Mark Shanahan has been working on Mr. 80 Percent, a six-episode podcast miniseries about his experience with prostate cancer. It?s a deeply personal, sometimes harrowing, often funny story about a disease that affects millions of men. The heroes are his doctors and family, who put up with some appalling behavior. You?ll hear from both.

Comfort Zone

COMFORT ZONE

These thoughtful, last-minute gifts arrive in an instant, no mailing required

And many benefit local businesses, to boot.

It?ll still be a (matzo) ball

You can still go to this Jewish singles event ? virtually.
COMFORT ZONE

This time, Ken Burns is the subject of a documentary

Rhode Island filmmaker Dante Bellini turned the camera on the New England documentarian for ?Ken Burns: Here & There,? now airing nationally on PBS.

For this artist, the local supermarket is stocked with dating metaphors

Brooke Stewart found inspiration at the Market Basket deli counter.
COMFORT ZONE

8 thoughtful gifts to help comfort and heal

These candles, blankets, and gift sets meet the stressful realities of 2020.
CHRISTOPHER MUTHER

The ghosts of Bradlees, Spag?s, and Whalom Park have returned from the great beyond, in T-shirt form

A local company is reviving defunct department store and amusement park logos on stylish tees.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Scott Harshbarger, Lauren Stiller Rikleen, and Dennis Aftergut

Trump?s election lawyers must be investigated
Scot Lehigh

If only we had an inoculation against ridiculousness
Renée Graham

?It was reminiscent of cross burnings?
EDITORIAL

Abortion-rights bill deserves passage ? again
Andrew Bacevich

The endless war to preserve American primacy
IDEAS | DAVID SCHARFENBERG

Massachusetts? public schools are highly segregated. It?s time we treated that like the crisis it is

STAT

The Road Ahead: Charting the pandemic over the next 12 months ? and beyond
In this project, STAT describes 30 key moments, possible turning points that could steer the pandemic onto a different course or barometers for how the virus is reshaping our lives.

From a small N.C. town to big-city hospitals, how software infuses racism into U.S. health care
The racial bias can produce huge differences in assessing patients? need for special care to manage conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or depression, a STAT investigation found.

Covid-19?s wintry mix: Dry indoor air helps the virus spread
The worry is not just that people might mingle more closely inside, but that the air they breathe will make the virus more dangerous.

In the Covid-19 death of a hospital food worker, a microcosm of the pandemic
The hospital's first employee to die of Covid-19 was a kitchen worker named Marie Deus ? and her illness sparked a question. Why weren't bedside clinicians getting sick at the highest rates?

magazine
Cover Story

2020 Bostonians of the Year: The Front Line
Bostonians of the Year

The Celtics? Jaylen Brown is a leader in the NBA and outside it
Connections

The pandemic has a school nurse missing her 'frequent fliers'

Miss Conduct

I've gained weight and don't want to be on camera for holiday Zoom calls

sports

Gordon Hayward day to day after fracturing finger in Hornets preseason game

Would free agent Mike Hoffman be a good fit with the Bruins?

Patriots hopeful about Julian Edelman?s status after WR returns to practice

metro

A look at the snowfall across Massachusetts

Season?s first major nor?easter underway. These maps show how much snowfall is blanketing the region

Here?s how much snow is falling across Massachusetts

Nation

Staring down deadline, Congress nears $900 billion stimulus deal

President-elect Joe Biden to receive COVID-19 vaccine in public as soon as next week

Vice President Mike Pence to receive COVID-19 vaccine Friday, White House says

World

China?s state power crushes COVID-19

They finished prison terms in New Zealand, but they?re still in jail waiting to be deported

Mexico, in rebuke to US, adopts measure restricting foreign agents

politics

Biden?s twin climate chiefs, McCarthy and Kerry, face a monumental task

Interior chief latest official to test positive for virus

President-elect Joe Biden to receive COVID-19 vaccine in public as soon as next week

business

German coronavirus cases jump by most since start of pandemic

Facebook reverses postelection algorithm changes that boosted news from authoritative sources

Extra doses in Pfizer vaccine vials can be used, FDA says

lifestyle

These thoughtful, last-minute gifts arrive in an instant, no mailing required

It?ll still be a (matzo) ball

In the race to lure back travelers, vacations in nature are winning

marijuana

Two new commissioners tapped for Massachusetts marijuana agency

Chief of staff to ex-mayor of Fall River pleads guilty to extortion, bribery charges

Marijuana found concealed in shampoo bottle at Logan Airport Friday

opinion

Let public health expertise guide school reopenings

A cult expert?s advice for celebrating with politically divided family over the holidays

Presidents shouldn?t have blanket pardon power

food & dining

5 savory thank-yous for all the cooks tied to the kitchen this year

Recipe: Homemade grainy, nutty digestive biscuits, similar to Graham crackers, make a fine gift

Nothing is more comforting than steamy hot soup, especially this traditional Moroccan bowl

travel

In the race to lure back travelers, vacations in nature are winning

The gift of travel, cycling adventures in Maine, and a new desert getaway

When it comes to ski resorts, smaller can be better

Books

Senator Elizabeth Warren?s book ?Persist? to come out in April

Heather Clark charts Sylvia Plath?s trajectory to become one of the most brilliant writers of her generation

Rian Hughes?s illustrated novel ?XX? reinvents a classic science fiction trope in a massive work of dizzying originality

Movies

This time, Ken Burns is the subject of a documentary

?Greenland?: When a comet hits, stay close to Gerard Butler ? and far from Tampa

Here?s every major Boston location that appears in the new hit movie ?Ava?

Television

Shondaland?s Netflix series, ?Bridgerton,? offers romance and escapism, delivered on Christmas

Bryan Cranston: from TV jester to dramatic powerhouse

Caught up on the year?s best TV? Here are more to check out

music

COVID-era innovations the classical music world should keep

Cars are the perfect choir loft for this ?Messiah? sing-along

Prince, Petty, Monk, Joni, and more: The best box sets and reissues of the year

Theater/Dance

Here, the rich theatrical tradition of Jamaica is all the talk

In ?Fosse/Verdon,? a welcome spotlight on a Broadway legend

The North Shore is missing its Scrooge. But he intends to be back next year.

globe local

A look at the snowfall across Massachusetts

Here?s how much snow is falling across Massachusetts

From drive-through Nativity scenes to virtual pageants, churches find new ways to tell the Christmas story

Obituaries

Bruce Seals, former ABA/NBA pro and longtime Dorchester icon, dies at 67

Sara Leland, Boston-trained dancer for the New York City Ballet, dies at 79

Gerard Houllier, former Liverpool coach, dies at 73