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TRENDING:
One year of COVID-19

What we lost, what we found

One year ago, our world shut down. We went home. Schools and stores closed. We lost jobs and loved ones, went mad with loneliness, took risks to help others, waited on God, forestalled futures. We learned to fear. What we didn’t always realize: We were together in isolation, and our many private moments would tell a story of discovery and resilience, and of an indelible mark made upon us.
Mass. coronavirus at a glance |
Vaccinations
Daily doses:
Weekly doses:
1st dose received:
Fully vaccinated:
% of doses used:
7-day trend/avg.:
Cases and deaths
Cases
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Deaths
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Other resources:
SOURCE: Mass. Dept. of Public Health

Pressure builds on Cuomo to resign
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined earlier calls from Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerry Nadler for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign.

More than 400,000 Mass. residents sign up for COVID-19 vaccine through new preregistration system

Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents entered their information Friday into the new preregistration system for COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the seven mass sites, as a local civil rights organization implored the state to do more to reach people of color and immigrant communities.
1,577 confirmed cases, 29 deaths, and 63,372 vaccinations: See today’s new COVID-19 data from Mass. Legislature calls Baker to second COVID-19 oversight hearing, this time to probe scrapped emergency plans See more vaccine news and resources

‘It feels like whiplash’: After state mandate, districts work to reopen schools
School systems statewide are scrambling to overhaul their reopening plans and return all students to full-time in-person instruction in the wake of new mandates from state education officials.

Boston police overtime is projected to be $15 million over budget for this fiscal year

Boston police overtime, which city authorities tried to slash last summer amid calls for reform and the dismantling of systemic racism, appears to be at least $15 million over budget for the year, officials said Friday.

Texas man accused in 2010 cold case slaying in Providence
The decade-old homicide of Zackary Marshall was reopened with new information.

Georgetown Law fires professor for ‘abhorrent’ remarks about Black students
Georgetown University Law Center said on Thursday that it had fired adjunct professor Sandra A. Sellers who made “abhorrent” remarks about Black students on a video call. Another adjunct, David C. Batson, who was on the call with her, was placed on administrative leave.

The Arts in a Changed World
ART | Don Aucoin

Why the arts must state its case
Art | Mark Shanahan

When will performing arts return? Local groups describe their hopes for summer and beyond
Music | Malcolm Gay

Once, Boston was ‘a special place’ where musicians thrived

Lockdown inspired some TV trends that we could be seeing for a long time

A year when how you watched mattered as much as what you watched

By the numbers: A year in ‘fiscal freefall’ for Massachusetts arts and culture

‘I can’t wait to...’ Boston fans imagine post-pandemic art outings

Opinion

MARCELA GARCÍA

Relief for Venezuelans in the US finally arrives

The Biden administration’s granting of temporary protected status to Venezuelans is an important acknowledgment of conditions there. But a long-term solution is needed.
Roger Lowenstein

Democrats should stop their lockstep support of teachers unions

Renée Graham

Like Hillary Clinton, Meghan Markle has become a Rorschach test
IDEAS | RODNEY BUSH

‘It’s not possible to isolate yourself or social distance in here’
EDITORIAL

Let’s spring forward — and not turn back

J-Rod done: Lopez, Rodriguez call off 2-year engagement
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez called off their two-year engagement, according to multiple reports based on anonymous sources.

Design firm Sasaki moving downtown
Earlier this year, the company said it was leaving its longtime headquarters in Watertown.

Children packed into Border Patrol tent for days on end
Hundreds of immigrant children and teenagers have been detained at a Border Patrol tent facility in packed conditions, with some sleeping on the floor because there aren’t enough mats, according to nonprofit lawyers who conduct oversight of immigrant detention centers.

Baseball’s experiment trying to put action back into the game
Alex Cora said that after watching during his suspension, "I’ve just got to be honest — strikeouts, walks, and homers. … In the regular season, it was tough to watch.”

Scammer impersonating Hingham police chief steals $17,000 from couple

The couple, ages 62 and 57, reported to police on Friday that the scammer directed them to purchase gift cards to save their bank account money from being stolen, Hingham police said.

Lawrence to hold vigil for lives lost to COVID-19

Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez and some local and state officials will gather in Campagnone Common Saturday morning to hold a candlelight vigil honoring the city’s residents lost to COVID-19.

John Hancock to close its Westwood, Portsmouth offices
The life insurer’s move is the latest shift among a number of local white-collar employers to consolidate their office space after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minneapolis to pay $27 million to settle Floyd family lawsuit
The city of Minneapolis on Friday agreed to pay $27 million to settle a civil lawsuit from George Floyd’s family over the Black man’s death in police custody.

Recommended reads

At Boston City Hall, a waiting game: When will Walsh leave?

“Marty is a problem insofar as the politics of the city can’t shift gears into the next cycle,” said a political analyst. “His shadow remains.”

Baker, teachers unions trade barbs as educators seek quicker vaccines or delay to full school openings
The Baker administration blasted the teachers' proposal as unfair to older Massachusetts residents who are struggling to schedule an appointment. The teachers disagreed, saying they would not crowd out other groups.

Jeneé Osterheldt
The miseducation of Charlie Baker: Teachers need the vaccine
You cannot demand students return to class without a proactive plan to protect the teachers who are not only educating children, but are taking care of them throughout the day. Forcing schools to reopen and vilifying teachers for wanting vaccines is foolish at best, cruel at worst.

metro

Chelsea family mourns teen killed in East Boston crash
Jonathan Hernandez, a senior at Chelsea Opportunity Academy who turned 18 on Feb. 3, dreamed one day of opening his own autobody shop. He was killed Wednesday night on Route 1A when the car he was driving struck a utility pole and the vehicle split in half.

‘It feels like whiplash’: After state mandate, districts work to reopen schools

Boston police overtime is projected to be $15 million over budget for this fiscal year

Sports

Sports Log
Virginia, Kansas the latest men’s college basketball teams to be sidelined by positive tests
The withdrawals of Virginia, Kansas, and Duke from league tournaments put their participation in the NCAA tournament in jeopardy.

For openers, Latin Academy denies TechBoston in a City League thriller
golf

Lee Westwood rises to the occasion with bogey-free round to take one-shot lead at Players Championship

business

‘For the first time, we can see the other side’: The stimulus and spring are coming for restaurants
Restaurant owners and workers are thrilled by the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, which includes a $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

State vaccine site is a big improvement, but still hardly perfect

Mass. jobless rate fell in January as employers added 35,500 jobs

politics

Pressure builds on Cuomo to resign
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined earlier calls from Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerry Nadler for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign.

‘It’s saying families are too big to fail’: COVID relief bill could permanently alter social safety net

The lessons of one of the worst years in American life

Living Arts

ARTS
Jessica May named to artistic leadership at deCordova and other Trustees properties
The role gives her full curatorial oversight over the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum as well as public art at Trustees properties.

DANCE

Jacob’s Pillow is a go with an all-outdoor dance festival

LOVE LETTERS

Why is it taking so long to move on?

education

‘It feels like whiplash’: After state mandate, districts work to reopen schools
School systems statewide are scrambling to overhaul their reopening plans and return all students to full-time in-person instruction in the wake of new mandates from state education officials.

How many coronavirus cases have been reported in Mass. schools? Check our map

Georgetown Law fires professor for ‘abhorrent’ remarks about Black students

rhode island

CORONAVIRUS
Frustrations mount as more people try to schedule COVID-19 vaccines
Technological shortcomings across the nation's fragmented public health system have frustrated millions of Americans trying to get shots and left officials without a full picture of who has been vaccinated.

RI CRIME

State-commissioned study finds racial disparities in R.I. traffic stops for 4th year in a row
CORONAVIRUS

COVID-19 cases spike at URI, with 70 percent of quarantine space there filled

Newton

Special Projects

PROJECT TAKEOUT | DEVRA FIRST

Project takeout: Get takeout. Save restaurants you love.

Ordering dinner will help small local businesses survive the pandemic. But that’s just the start.
See the full project

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

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

More

Jeneé Osterheldt
A Beautiful Resistance
Black joy, Black lives, as celebrated by culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt.

Boston Globe launches ‘Fresh Start’ initiative: People can apply to have past coverage about them reviewed
Similar to “right to forget” programs that have cropped up across the country, the undertaking is meant to address the lasting impact that stories about past embarrassments, mistakes, or minor crimes, forever online, can have on a person’s life.

Globe Spotlight Investigation
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.

Comfort Zone

ART

MFA lends JFK painting to President Biden: ‘It’s a portrait of steadiness and a portrait of listening’

The museum says the new president personally requested the painting.
COMFORT ZONE

Seven lucky ways to mark St. Patrick’s Day

Boston musicians and nonprofits save the day with a series of fun, safe events.
GALLERIES

Painter Rosie Ranauro is alive to the body’s grief and joy

Her art revolves around the experience of her body, with concurrent shows at LaMontagne Gallery and Brookline Arts Center.
FAMILY

Irish, officially

Citizenship through Foreign Births Registration is open to those with at least one grandparent born in Ireland. Here’s how I used my pandemic downtime to honor my roots.
IN THE FAMILY WAY

Our kids were sent home from school a year ago this week. What have we learned?

Google classroom, meltdowns, inertia. All bad. But for parents, a year of firsts also offered lessons that should last.

‘Married at First Sight’ is casting in Boston

Marriage therapist Viviana Coles, who works for the show, describes how they choose singles.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Scot Lehigh

Richie Neal celebrates Democrats’ big win on relief bill
Kimberly Atkins

There is no God-given right to discriminate against LGBTQ people
RENÉE LOTH

A long, strange trip to the mainstream for psychedelics
EDITORIAL

Raise the curtain, light the lights — and keep ’em lit
IDEAS | TONNY ONYULO

Elephant poachers become the animals’ protectors
IDEAS | ANDY ROSEN

The next pandemic challenge: Reacquainting ourselves with everyday risks

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
On the cover

Chaplains and the rise of on-demand spiritual support

Threads of Memory

Quilters are weaving personal histories of the Black experience
Dinner with Cupid

Blind date: ‘I transferred my food to real plates, while my date ate out of the takeout containers’
Cooking

Four recipes that go beyond pork chops and applesauce

sports

Cincere Gill, Mansfield don’t miss a beat, ending a long layoff with runaway win over Franklin

Will Lederman helps Natick shake off slow start with three touchdowns in win at Walpole

Celtics’ social justice initiative has produced real and noticeable changes

metro

Lou Ottens, inventor of cassette tape, dies at 94

Frustrations mount as more people try to schedule COVID-19 vaccines

State-commissioned study finds racial disparities in R.I. traffic stops for 4th year in a row

Nation

Children packed into Border Patrol tent for days on end

Pressure builds on Cuomo to resign

Legislature calls Baker to second COVID-19 oversight hearing, this time to probe scrapped emergency plans

World

British police officer charged with murder of Sarah Everard

CDC offers guidelines for child care programs

Body found in southeast England is Sarah Everard’s, police say

politics

Biden to direct states to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccines by May 1

Three things to watch during President Biden’s primetime address on COVID

House passes bills to expand and strengthen gun background checks

business

St. Vincent’s strike heads into second week

John Hancock to close its Westwood, Portsmouth offices

Google slams Microsoft over support for media antitrust bill

lifestyle

MFA lends JFK painting to President Biden: ‘It’s a portrait of steadiness and a portrait of listening’

Our kids were sent home from school a year ago this week. What have we learned?

These patios are open for springtime gatherings

marijuana

Mexico set to legalize marijuana, becoming world’s largest market

A guide to the Rhode Island Senate’s plan to legalize cannabis

Buying legal marijuana is more convenient than ever. Good luck finding somewhere to legally use it

opinion

Relief for Venezuelans in the US finally arrives

A fair shot? How to achieve COVID-19 vaccine equity in Massachusetts

Democrats should stop their lockstep support of teachers unions

food & dining

Ready to go al fresco? Boston outdoor dining to begin earlier than planned, on March 22

These patios are open for springtime gatherings

Here’s where you can find the best slices in New England, according to all those ‘best pizza’ lists

travel

After a year of COVID delays, the Langham Boston will return in grand style this summer

These new (and newly remodeled) Boston hotels offer a safe escape from the same four walls

Take a DIY cider tour of Vermont

Books

Amazon is everywhere — and in ‘Fullfillment’ Alec MacGillis looks at how much it has cost us

The making of a classic American film in ‘Shooting Midnight Cowboy’

Remembering the victims of a serial killer in ‘Last Call’

Movies

A year when how you watched mattered as much as what you watched

Doc Talk: The Irish famine remembered; black holes investigated; Truth or Consequences (the town, that is) examined

New Netflix series next month to look at 1990 Gardner art heist

Television

New Showtime series to be based on ‘Ripley’ novels

Lockdown inspired some TV trends that we could be seeing for a long time

Waiting to see if ‘The One’ is a good match for me

music

Once, Boston was ‘a special place’ where musicians thrived

Time-traveling with the Grammys

Who’ll win at the Grammys, and who should

Theater/Dance

Jacob’s Pillow is a go with an all-outdoor dance festival

In ‘A Brimful of Asha’ and ‘The Pink Unicorn,’ mothers grapple with the independence and identities of their children

ART’s ‘The Conjurors’ Club’ brings magic and illusion into your home, ‘secret package’ and all

globe local

Missing Dogs Massachusetts goes all-out to find lost pets

Should Massachusetts cancel this year’s MCAS tests?

Diversity catalog lets consumers ‘put their money where their values are’

Obituaries

Lou Ottens, inventor of cassette tape, dies at 94

Goodwill Zwelithini ka Bhekuzulu, king of the Zulu nation, dies at 72

Norton Juster, mischievous author of the children’s classic ‘The Phantom Tollbooth,’ dies at 91