fb-pixel Skip to main content
The Boston Globe
TRENDING:

Highly contagious new virus strain increases pressure to speed up the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations

The discovery of a more contagious coronavirus strain in the United States this week has turned the battle against COVID-19 into a high-stakes race between the newly authorized vaccines and a virus that soon may spread even faster.
Mass. coronavirus deaths rise past 12,000 as state reports 6,135 new cases The latest COVID-19 numbers from Mass.

Majority of veterans get vaccine at Soldiers? Homes, but participation among staff is low so far
yvonne abraham

Beat it, 2020. You?ve been truly awful.

For hospitality workers, COVID-19 hasn?t just ravaged their industry, but also their mental health

2020 marked the 100th anniversary of Prohibition ? a wild time when New England became a hotbed of illegal liquor

With all that's happened this year, you can be forgiven for overlooking this anniversary. But it's worth reflecting on how the booze business went underground.

Behind the Shield
Boston police sergeant who bragged about hitting George Floyd protesters with car was previously accused of sexual assault
Clifton McHale, a 23-year BPD veteran with family ties to the department?s upper ranks, was accused in 2005 of sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman while in uniform in a police vehicle and agreed to serve a one-year, unpaid suspension following an investigation.

Globe reporters have been examining law enforcement in Massachusetts. Read more of their work

celtics 126, grizzlies 107
Jaylen Brown, nudging into the NBA upper tier, has career-high 42 points as Celtics trounce Grizzlies, and other observations
The fifth-year forward made 15 of 21 shots, 7 of 10 3-pointers and 5 of 6 free throws.

Gary Washburn | Jaylen Brown?s career night points to continued development of his overall game

kevin paul dupont
Zdeno Chara, the biggest protector of them all, leaves a huge hole in the Bruins? defense
Chara's mere presence usually prevented trouble, and he was an unequaled leader who cannot be replaced.

Zdeno Chara, after 14 towering seasons with Bruins, is joining the Capitals T.J. Oshie, Marty Walsh weigh in on Zdeno Chara leaving Bruins
LATEST COVID-19 NEWS

Oldest resident in Mass. gets the COVID-19 vaccine

Trump makes 2nd request to Supreme Court over Wisconsin loss

President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked the US Supreme Court to overturn his election loss in Wisconsin, his second appeal in as many days to the high court over the result in the key battleground state.
Trump to return to White House early from Florida vacation

Minneapolis police shoot, kill man during traffic stop

Police in Minneapolis shot and killed a man during a traffic stop on the city?s south side Wednesday night, stirring anxiety about renewed protests following the first police-involved death in the city since George Floyd?s death while being arrested in May.

GOP-led Senate rejects vote on Trump?s push for $2,000 checks

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell shut the door Wednesday on President Trump?s push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks, declaring Congress has provided enough pandemic aid as he blocked another attempt by Democrats to force a vote.

Samuel Little, most prolific serial killer in US history, dies at 80
The man authorities say was the most prolific serial killer in US history, with nearly 60 confirmed victims, died Wednesday in California. He was 80.

Fired Bridgewater State professor indicted on sex crime charges

A fired Bridgewater State University professor was indicted Monday on charges of rape and other sex crimes after several female students reported alleged assaults, the Plymouth district attorney?s office said Wednesday.

?Gilligan?s Island? star Dawn Wells dies

Known best for playing the wholesome Mary Ann among a misfit band of shipwrecked castaways on the 1960s sitcom ?Gilligan?s Island,? Dawn Wells died Wednesday of causes related to COVID-19, her publicist said.

Second child dies after Providence house fire

Alison Sandoval, 2, had been in critical condition after the fire that killed her 7-year-old sister, Ashley, just before Christmas.

Secretary of State William F. Galvin threatens to sue if Massachusetts is shortchanged in Census count

As of July, the 2020 Census had estimated the state?s population at 6.8 million, which would be enough to preserve the nine-member delegation, according to Secretary of State William F. Galvin.
2020 Year in Review

Notable sports deaths of 2020

A look back at some of the noteworthy figures from the world of sports who died in 2020.

These are the 10 most popular Love Letters questions of the year

Read the most popular Love Letters questions of 2020.

The 20 quotes that tell the story of Boston sports in 2020

How can we put one of the most memorable years into perspective?

Opinion

Joan Vennochi

Dear Boston, I miss you

The thing about Boston has always been the sense of ownership felt by those who live beyond official city limits. Our relationship with the city comes from a love of its history and traditions.
IDEAS | MARK ANDERSON

Preserving not just the most beautiful landscapes, but the most resilient

MICHAEL A. COHEN

What I got wrong in 2020
Jody Adams, Bessie King, and Ken Oringer

Beacon Hill must cap food delivery fees imposed by DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub

Joan Vennochi

With Speaker Mariano, progressives get what they deserve
A BEAUTIFUL RESISTANCE | Jeneé Osterheldt

Claiming land and water on Martha?s Vineyard

If you?re willing to see, the walls have something to say

In protest, there is community and joy rising

Black queer lives are Black lives that matter, too

To be Black, Bostonian, and proud

With every sip, a labor of love

In canceled fireworks, some see a fitting end to 2020
This year, rather than attracting spirited crowds to the Back Bay and Copley Square, First Night will take place virtually, with hours? worth of highlights from previous years streaming online.

10 fun ways to celebrate New Year?s Eve, safely at home
Homebodies and party people alike, here are some suggestions for making your own fun as the clock counts us out of a very bad year.

Spend New Year?s Eve day with a dozen or so ice sculptures

Obituary
Donald L. Stull, pioneering architect of the Ruggles MBTA station and Harriet Tubman House, dies at 83
Mr. Stull founded two firms that were owned and run by Black architects at a time when there were few in the nation.

Spurs? Becky Hammon first woman to direct NBA team
Hammon took over the team?s huddles during timeouts and walked the sideline following Popovich?s ejection.

Governor Baker pulled $650m in small-business aid seemingly out of nowhere. Here?s how
Was it a Christmas miracle, or clever budgetary legerdemain on the part of Baker?s Administration & Finance team? Maybe a little bit of both.

All aboard! T puts new Red Line train into service; first new one since 1994
The MBTA has put its first new Red Line train into service, but the transit system?s not resting on its laurels, officials said Wednesday.

Mixed reactions as Moderna says it will offer vaccine to employees, board members, and their households
Moderna has more than 1,000 employees, and the company said the supply needed for its internal distribution is separate from the amount it committed to the US government.

Quincy representative Ronald Mariano elected Massachusetts House speaker
One day after House Speaker Robert DeLeo resigned, the Speaker Ronald Mariano era began.

Recommended Reads

Boycott Boston Pride, say activists who bolted for social justice

The schism, years in the making, tore open in the 50th anniversary year of Boston Pride, which celebrates LGBTQ identities and has become the largest annual public parade in New England.

The Globe?s 10 most-read stories of 2020
2020 was a year unlike any other in recent memory. Here?s a look at our top 10 most-read stories.

?They?re like piranhas?: These goats will eat your Christmas tree when you?re done with it
Goats go nuts for Christmas trees. But there are a few rules you must abide by before you?re allowed the privilege of letting them devour your tree at a handful of farms around Massachusetts.

metro

Highly contagious new virus strain increases pressure to speed up the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations
The discovery of a more contagious coronavirus strain in the United States this week has turned the battle against COVID-19 into a high-stakes race between the newly authorized vaccines and a virus that soon may spread even faster.

Secretary of State William F. Galvin threatens to sue if Massachusetts is shortchanged in Census count

In canceled fireworks, some see a fitting end to 2020

Sports

N.C. State holds off Boston College in men?s college basketball
Shakeel Moore scored 4 of his 12 points in the final 26 seconds to help North Carolina State pull ahead of the Eagles.

Jaylen Brown?s career night points to continued development of his overall game

Spurs? Becky Hammon first woman to direct NBA team

business

Here?s a look back at some of the strangest local business stories of 2020
Next year should inevitably be a better one, right? But don't expect the weirdness to end.

How Big Cardboard is handling the 2020 box boom

Prosecutors seek 9-year prison term for Samsung chief Lee

politics

Pelosi likely speaker again, but might require high-wire act
There?s little doubt that Nancy Pelosi will be reelected House speaker when the new Congress convenes Sunday. It could take a high-wire act for her to get there, largely thanks to the pandemic.

Trump to return to White House early from Florida vacation

Census Bureau to miss deadline, jeopardizing Trump plan

lifestyle

?I feel like I?m always on edge?: For hospitality workers, COVID-19 hasn?t just ravaged their industry, but also their mental health
Watching their livelihoods crumble and scared of getting sick, many are fighting despair and struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

TRAVEL

Great snowshoe hikes near Boston

9 cool pieces of clothing to keep you warm outside this winter

arts

TELEVISION
Having a ball with the contemporary sensibility of ?Bridgerton?
The Netflix series, from producer Shonda Rhimes, is like ?Dickinson,? but better, and it?s like ?The Great,? but not as good.

Country music?s COVID problem

A wish list for 2021

rhode island

CORONAVIRUS
R.I. doctor to get second vaccine dose on Saturday, but warns, ?We?re really in the tsunami of this pandemic?
Dr. Christian Arbeleaz, the first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Rhode Island, wants others to be hopeful but stay vigilant

RI CRIME

Supreme Court ethics panel OKs advice to release body-camera videos before trials
CORONAVIRUS

Central Falls residents get first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

Newton

Special Projects

A beautiful resistance | JENEÉ OSTERHELDT

With every sip, a labor of love

In Vermont, a winemaker is cultivating a legacy that pays homage to the Black folk who built this country and is celebrating life and the future of farming.
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

A new mural brings beauty and diversity to a ?boring? corner of Kendall Square

Cedric "Vise1" Douglas and Julia Roth brought the faces of two women to a Cambridge vent shaft.
COMFORT ZONE

Celebrate New Year?s Eve with HipStory and its vision for Boston?s hip-hop future

The Boston-based media production company and artistic incubator is ringing in 2021 with a new digital concert platform.
COMFORT ZONE

Hikes and hot chocolate: Winter walks and warm-up stops on Cape Cod

This is the perfect time of year for a hike along the beach, followed by a hot beverage, a warm-from-the-oven pastry, or a melty slice of brick-oven pizza.
COMFORT ZONE

The music that got these Bostonians through 2020

Some songs and artists captured anguish and anxiety; others reflected hope, humor, and connection. All of them hit the spot.
Cooking | Magazine

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

A few key ingredients pack outsized flavor into these dishes.
COMFORT ZONE

Even when she contracted COVID-19, this art teacher thought of her students. Now, they can craft along with her over Zoom.

Alex Adamo developed two ongoing virtual programs: Crafternoons and SAVI, or Social Art Virtual Immersion. Crafternoons occur every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. Each class features a different craft, led by Adamo, utilizing household items. SAVI classes are hosted via Zoom weekly on Tuesdays or Thursdays and organized by month.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Jody Adams, Bessie King, and Ken Oringer

Beacon Hill must cap food delivery fees imposed by DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub

Joan Vennochi

With Speaker Mariano, progressives get what they deserve
EDITORIAL

Virtual medical appointments are here to stay, but so is surprise billing
Bill Golden

On the 50th anniversary of the EPA, hope, inspiration, and a path forward for America
Editorial

Pass the economic development bill
IDEAS | JULIA HOTZ

When money is running short, print your own

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
It's a wrap

Dave Barry?s year in review: 2020, what can we say . . .

Miss Conduct

My son didn't invite his brother to be in his wedding

Cover Story

Diagnosed with cancer at 8, Mateo Goldman needed something like a miracle. He got two.

Photos of the Year

The Globe photographers? best photos of 2020

sports

EMass girls? hockey players to watch in 2020-21

In era of social distancing, Natalie Flynn pulling things together at alma mater Arlington Catholic

Zdeno Chara, the biggest protector of them all, leaves a huge hole in the Bruins? defense

metro

Multi-vehicle crash on Zakim Bridge leaves some with non-life-threatening injuries

Highly contagious new virus strain increases pressure to speed up the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations

Secretary of State William F. Galvin threatens to sue if Massachusetts is shortchanged in Census count

Nation

Samuel Little, most prolific serial killer in US history, dies at 80

Closing of air traffic control center for coronavirus cleaning halts flights in Dallas

McConnell says push by Democrats, Trump for $2,000 stimulus checks has ?no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate?

World

UK government says regulator has authorized COVID-19 vaccine made by AstraZeneca and Oxford University

A Chinese COVID-19 vaccine has proved effective, its maker says

Pompeo weighs plan to place Cuba on US terrorism sponsor list

politics

Trump to return to White House early from Florida vacation

Census Bureau to miss deadline, jeopardizing Trump plan

Here?s how Congress will count Electoral College votes

business

Here?s a look back at some of the strangest local business stories of 2020

How Big Cardboard is handling the 2020 box boom

Prosecutors seek 9-year prison term for Samsung chief Lee

lifestyle

?I feel like I?m always on edge?: For hospitality workers, COVID-19 hasn?t just ravaged their industry, but also their mental health

Great snowshoe hikes near Boston

9 cool pieces of clothing to keep you warm outside this winter

marijuana

Q&A with outgoing cannabis commissioner Shaleen Title

Medical marijuana?s future in R.I.? It may turn on more than a high-stakes lottery

COVID can?t cancel canna-Christmas

opinion

Preserving not just the most beautiful landscapes, but the most resilient

Dear Boston, I miss you

Beacon Hill must cap food delivery fees imposed by DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub

food & dining

She got her start as a student baker at Brookline High School. Now she has her own shop in Chestnut Hill

Recipe: Your New Year?s menu will finish with a flourish with sticky bun bread pudding

Bootblack Brand syrups put a twist on classic cocktails

travel

Great snowshoe hikes near Boston

9 cool pieces of clothing to keep you warm outside this winter

Craziest cruise ship coming in 2021 has a roller coaster

Books

The 55 best books of 2020

Overcoming ?Trump fatigue? with a fictional take on the president

A new poetry collection about a Cambridge woman unjustly hanged as a witch, and new National Endowment for the Humanities grants for local writers

Movies

A wish list for 2021

Not policing the police in Boston and Philadelphia; visiting Venezuela

Boo Radley? Tom Hagen? Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore? In other words, Robert Duvall

Television

Having a ball with the contemporary sensibility of ?Bridgerton?

?Elizabeth Is Missing? is a searing portrait of dementia wrapped in a murder mystery

The most disappointing newcomers of 2020

music

Celebrate New Year?s Eve with HipStory and its vision for Boston?s hip-hop future

The music that got these Bostonians through 2020

Top 10 jazz albums of 2020

Theater/Dance

Boston record label Dead & Mellow marks a first year in which nothing went according to plan

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

This virtual ?Christmas Revels? is a virtual triumph

globe local

In light of the MBTA Board?s vote to cut T service, is it time for the state legislature to increase funding to the MBTA?

Remember to wipe the snow off your car ... or this could happen to you

Despite rain, snow, or pandemic, crossing guards keep our kids safe

Obituaries

Donald L. Stull, pioneering architect of the Ruggles MBTA station and Harriet Tubman House, dies at 83

?Gilligan?s Island? star Dawn Wells dies

Principal Joe Clark, who inspired film ?Lean on Me,? dies