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TRENDING:

Mass. reports 3,293 new confirmed coronavirus cases, 43 new deaths

The state also said 2,004 confirmed coronavirus patients were in the hospital.
The latest COVID-19 numbers from Mass.

Baker to restrict capacity for most businesses to 25 percent, tighten gathering limits

To further combat COVID-19, Governor Charlie Baker announced a slate of new temporary restrictions today, which will go into effect Saturday and remain for at least two weeks.
Here are the details on the new COVID-19 restrictions in Massachusetts

Baker says new coronavirus restrictions will help school districts bring students back in person

Vaccine rollout earmarks additional doses for hard-hit Mass. communities. But delivering on that could be a challenge
THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS

Dr. Fauci, top US health officials receive Moderna coronavirus vaccine

Her body was found in Franklin Park in June and authorities want to find her killer
There?s an audible tinge of optimism in the voices of Boston?s Emergency Medical Services paramedics and EMTs when they?re dispatched. And that was the case when crews were sent to Jewish War Veterans Drive inside Franklin Park on a warm Sunday afternoon in June where a woman had been discovered lying in the woods.

Bruce Seals was a steady and consistent presence who helped changes lives of Boston?s youth
The former pro basketball player, who died Dec. 15 at age 67, "was committed to helping these kids go in the right direction and he had enormous success doing that,"

2020 year in review
The 55 best books of 2020
Our critics recommend some of the best books of the year in literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children?s books.

10 excellent movies (and 25 runners-up) from a not-so-excellent year Matthew Gilbert?s 10 best television shows of 2020 See all 2020 year-in-review stories

Opinion

EDITORIAL

Mike Pence should concede the election

With Donald Trump refusing to acknowledge his resounding loss to Joe Biden, the vice president bears the responsibility to set things right.
Michael A. Cohen

Making a deal with the devil

Renée Graham

In defense of 2020, our annus horribilis
IDEAS | BRIDGET SMITH

My Christmas Eve at the Home for Unwed Mothers, before Roe v. Wade
Mary Ann D'Urso

The Grocery Stories: Quantum physics kindness

larry edelman
New Legal Sea Foods owner vows not to mess with the clam chowder
PPX Hospitality completed its acquisition of Legal, which had been run by the Berkowitz family since they opened the first location in 1968.

With sale of Legal Sea Foods, another Boston institution changes hands

Forecasters warn of possible power outages on Christmas Eve and Day due to high winds; gusts up to 65 miles per hour
The National Weather Service is warning that high winds could cause widespread power outages on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

?It?s a number that all of us see as just.? Acrobats injured in 2014 circus accident reach $52.5 million settlement
The eight performers suffered ?life-altering injuries,? their lawyer told the Globe.

AG calls out Bristol sheriff in ongoing battle over alleged civil rights violations at his detention center
The two elected officials have been embroiled in a bitter back and forth since last week.

?Surprise? medical billing banned after Richard Neal gets on board
Congress banned the surprise, sky-high medical bills patients get when they use an out-of-network service on Monday, after Mass. Representative Richard Neal dropped his objections to earlier proposals and prevailed with his version of a fix.

Support pours in for John Mulaney after reports the comedian has checked into rehab
Stand-up comedian and ex-?SNL? writer John Mulaney, 38, has reportedly checked into rehab after more than a decade of sobriety.

More recent headlines

Who is Conn. education commissioner Miguel Cardona, Biden?s choice for education secretary?

Hundreds of Massachusetts families will get refunds for canceled 2020 school trips

Sec. of State Galvin?s office sanctions Retire Happy company for allegedly defrauding senior citizens and retirees
Best of the Arts 2020
MUSEUMS

10 memorable museum shows from the year everyone wants to forget

Television

These theaters innovated amid a dramatic change of scene
Art

Map: A dozen murals that brightened life in 2020

Recommended Reads

Amid mounting criticism, Mayor Walsh says police department is working to build community?s trust

?People should trust the police,? Mayor Martin Walsh said Monday. ?And I know a lot of people don?t.?

Behind the Shield | Inside the Boston Police Department
An off-duty officer crashed into a disabled grandmother. A year later, she?s still fighting City Hall
?Whatever the police does to you, you cannot do anything,? said Anne-Marie Castor. ?They treat me worse than a dog.?

From virtual bars to parking lot food trucks, companies host holiday parties pandemic-style
From Zoom to home-delivered wine to online avatars, some companies are trying to make merry.

metro

In Rhode Island and across the US, strained health agencies push do-it-yourself contact tracing
Lags in notifications from COVID-positive patients, contacts refusing to take calls from tracers, and other issues are making it impossible to reach contacts quickly enough to control outbreaks.

AG calls out Bristol sheriff in ongoing battle over alleged civil rights violations at his detention center
CORONAVIRUS

R.I. Governor?s holiday wish list: Everyone gets two COVID-19 tests before New Year?s Day

Sports

Bruce Seals was a steady and consistent presence who helped changes lives of Boston?s youth
The former pro basketball player, who died Dec. 15 at age 67, "was committed to helping these kids go in the right direction and he had enormous success doing that,"

Patriots

Bill Belichick calls Matthew Slater as a special teams player ?certainly the very best I?ve ever been around?

Hockey season gets its start with unusual matchup: Archbishop Williams vs. Weymouth

business

Justice Department sues Walmart, alleging it helped fuel nation?s opioid crisis
The Justice Department sued Walmart on Tuesday, accusing it of fueling the nation?s opioid crisis by pressuring its pharmacies to fill even potentially suspicious prescriptions for the powerful painkillers.

Spending bill includes $110 billion in tax breaks

New Legal Sea Foods owner vows not to mess with the clam chowder

politics

Biden addresses COVID-19 bill, holiday pandemic precautions
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday expressed empathy with struggling families and applauded Congress for a passing the coronavirus relief as the nation deals with a COVID-19 surge that?s casting a shadow over the Christmas holiday.

White House Twitter accounts to be handed over to Biden administration with zero followers, Biden official says

Watch live: President-elect Biden speaks ahead of holidays

lifestyle

Hundreds of Massachusetts families will get refunds for canceled 2020 school trips
Carousel Student Tours Inc. will pay 471 families a total of $101,325.

Support pours in for John Mulaney after reports the comedian has checked into rehab
HOLIDAY RECIPES

Recipe: This single-layer chocolate cake topped with chocolate cream is an elegant ending to a holiday dinner

arts

MOVIES
She?s back, and the title tells you who and when: ?Wonder Woman 1984?
Gal Gadot returns as the DC superheroine in a sequel with a plot that makes less sense the longer it goes.

DEVRA FIRST | WHAT SHE'S HAVING

The finest sushi is now available to go. How does the experience travel?

Pixar?s Pete Docter on the music and metaphysics of ?Soul?

rhode island

RI NEWS
?It?s a number that all of us see as just.? Acrobats injured in 2014 circus accident reach $52.5 million settlement
The eight performers suffered ?life-altering injuries,? their lawyer told the Globe.

In Rhode Island and across the US, strained health agencies push do-it-yourself contact tracing
CORONAVIRUS

R.I. Governor?s holiday wish list: Everyone gets two COVID-19 tests before New Year?s Day

Newton

Special Projects

A beautiful resistance | 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.
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

Cooking | Magazine

Recipes: Spanish-inspired pork, sauteed vegetables, and almond cake

A few key ingredients pack outsized flavor into these dishes.

Min Jin Lee on the ?deep moral conscience? of ?The Great Gatsby?

The "Pachinko" author has a new introduction to Fitzgerald's classic, which enters the public domain on Jan. 1.
HOLIDAYS

9 light displays for oohs and aahs by automobile

These festive drive-through destinations serve up holiday magic the safe way.

Catch these online classical concerts before year?s end

Highlights include multicultural takes on "Messiah" and creatively staged vocal concerts.
MUSIC REVIEW

With sleigh bells jingling, the Pops puts on a holiday show in your home instead of theirs

Though the virtual concert can?t compare to experiencing a Holiday Pops show live in Symphony Hall, its mere existence is something to applaud in a season when so many traditions have been disrupted.
COMFORT ZONE

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

And many benefit local businesses, to boot.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Jean Flemma, Miriam Goldstein, and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

The ocean?s heroic potential could be realized under Biden
EDITORIAL

New US attorney shouldn?t let up the pressure on State Police
Renée Loth

The problem with protest
EDITORIAL

Boston is setting an example on fair housing. Will other communities follow?
Kimberly Atkins

The year of fear and the fragility of the white, male myth
IDEAS | JOSH BERNOFF

Social media broke America. Here?s how to fix it

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

Ashish Jha: Speaking out for science and for public health in the pandemic
Connections

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

Your Week Ahead

Things to do online and in person, Dec. 14-27

sports

The Buffalo Bills won a contest to put a billboard anywhere. They chose down the road from Gillette Stadium

Phillips Andover lefthander Thomas White is Baseball America?s No. 1 prospect for the Class of 2023

Which would pay off more for the Red Sox: pursuing an elite free agent, or holding on to a high draft pick?

metro

?It?s a number that all of us see as just.? Acrobats injured in 2014 circus accident reach $52.5 million settlement

In Rhode Island and across the US, strained health agencies push do-it-yourself contact tracing

AG calls out Bristol sheriff in ongoing battle over alleged civil rights violations at his detention center

Nation

Several Trump immigration restrictions will remain in place, Biden advisers say, urging patience

AG: St. Paul?s School in Concord, N.H. agrees to changes after monitor quit

Forecasters warn of possible power outages on Christmas Eve and Day due to high winds; gusts up to 65 miles per hour

World

China long avoided discussing mental health. The pandemic changed that

For UK, an early taste of Brexit as borders are sealed

A brazen police shooting caught on video sparks anger in the Philippines

politics

White House Twitter accounts to be handed over to Biden administration with zero followers, Biden official says

Watch live: President-elect Biden speaks ahead of holidays

?Surprise? medical billing banned after Richard Neal gets on board

business

Justice Department sues Walmart, alleging it helped fuel nation?s opioid crisis

Spending bill includes $110 billion in tax breaks

New Legal Sea Foods owner vows not to mess with the clam chowder

lifestyle

Hundreds of Massachusetts families will get refunds for canceled 2020 school trips

Support pours in for John Mulaney after reports the comedian has checked into rehab

Recipe: This single-layer chocolate cake topped with chocolate cream is an elegant ending to a holiday dinner

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

Mass. AG?s office is committed to prosecuting police corruption

Making a deal with the devil

Mike Pence should concede the election

food & dining

This year I will dine with the many ghosts of Christmas Eves past

Recipe: A whole side of roast salmon with chimichurri sauce is a dazzling holiday dinner

Local experts recommend these 18 winter beers

travel

Hundreds of Massachusetts families will get refunds for canceled 2020 school trips

Stressed about your kids? screen time? Don?t be

Author and cult expert talks Fiji, diving, and future grand plans

Books

Min Jin Lee on the ?deep moral conscience? of ?The Great Gatsby?

The 55 best books of 2020

Caught between Boston and Quincy in ?The Last American Aristocrat?

Movies

She?s back, and the title tells you who and when: ?Wonder Woman 1984?

Pixar?s Pete Docter on the music and metaphysics of ?Soul?

Here are 10 excellent movies (and 25 runners-up) from a not-so-excellent year

Television

Character studies: TV commercials offer roles to remember

Salvatore Esposito of ?Fargo?: the baddest of the bad guys

?Suits? fits the need for a diverting pandemic binge

music

Catch these online classical concerts before year?s end

In a year divided by before and after, pop music became whatever you wanted it to be

With sleigh bells jingling, the Pops puts on a holiday show in your home instead of theirs

Theater/Dance

Williamstown Theatre Festival re-creates its lost summer season on Audible

This virtual ?Christmas Revels? is a virtual triumph

Six bright spots in dance this year

globe local

Is this the beginning of the end for space savers?

Welcome Home offers curbside pickup for gently used housewares

Newton South soccer player follows in family?s footsteps

Obituaries

Hall of Fame linebacker, pass rush great Kevin Greene dies at 58

Jean Graetz, white supporter of civil rights in Alabama, dies at 90

Ralph K. Winter Jr., a top conservative judicial mind, dies at 85