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Mass. reports 34 new COVID-19 deaths, 1,548 new cases, 50,612 new vaccinations Saturday

The number of coronavirus vaccinations administered in Massachusetts rose by 50,612 to 2,467,392, state officials reported Saturday.
The latest COVID-19 numbers from Massachusetts

With the COVID relief bill, get ready for the return of inflation (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing)

The combination of the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package and the lifting of more coronavirus restrictions is set to deliver a jolt to the already fast-growing US economy, potentially summoning the return of a long-absent economic phenomenon: inflation.

IRS says new round of COVID relief payments on the way

The state’s vaccination rollout has improved, but the full picture is more complex

The Globe sifted through the latest COVID vaccination data to find out how the Massachusetts rollout is going. Here’s what we found.
Different states have had different approaches to the pandemic, yet similar tolls. The question remains: why? More than 400,000 Mass. residents sign up for COVID-19 vaccine through new preregistration system See more vaccine news and resources

Rangers 4, Bruins 0
‘It’s unacceptable’: Bruins stink up the Garden in shutout loss to Rangers
The Bruins landed a season-low 18 shots on goal.

Rally calls attention to attacks on Asian-Americans
The rally, dubbed “Stop Asian Hate,” organized by a group of Boston college students, was developed after an elderly Thai immigrant was fatally attacked in San Francisco in late January, according to an organizer.

School superintendents call for suspending MCAS this year in opposition to federal edict
The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents described its opposition to holding the standardized tests in a 4cq-page document released Friday.

‘It feels like whiplash’: After state mandate, districts work to reopen schools
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
.
Deaths
.
Other resources:
SOURCE: Mass. Dept. of Public Health

At Cornell University, a freshman student is found dead after fraternity hazing, but case is closed with few answers
Antonio Tsialas, an 18-year-old freshman, attended a fraternity party during which he was urged to drink excessively. Hours later, he was dead, and his parents continue to seek answers.

A GOP lawmaker says the ‘quality’ of a vote matters. Critics say that’s ‘straight out of Jim Crow.’
Amid a contentious hearing over proposed restrictions on Arizona’s vote-by-mail system, Republican state lawmaker John Kavanagh argued that voters who hadn’t participated in recent elections should no longer automatically have absentee ballots mailed to them.

Opinion

EDITORIAL

State needs to hurry up with restaurant aid

The state ignored a Springfield strip club’s history of violations to grant it state COVID-19 aid ahead of law-abiding businesses. What gives?
Christina Severin and Michael Curry

Telemedicine can address historic structural inequities
JEFF JACOBY

Heed the science and abolish daylight saving time
MARCELA GARCÍA

Relief for Venezuelans in the US finally arrives
IDEAS | RODNEY BUSH

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

The Arts in a Changed World

ART | DON AUCOIN

Why the arts must state its case
MUSIC | MALCOLM GAY

Once, Boston was ‘a special place’ where musicians thrived
Art | Mark Shanahan

When will performing arts return? Local groups describe their hopes for summer and beyond

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

thomas farragher
New life for a rambling, 125-year-old hardscrabble hardware store
Art LaPlante and Mark Royer own E.M. Brown & Son Inc., which is marking its 125th anniversary. It’s a milepost of longevity. And it’s a testament to customer loyalty earned across generations.

In Louisville, Breonna Taylor’s family honors her legacy
On the one year anniversary of her death, Breonna Taylor ‘s family will gather in downtown Louisville Saturday to honor Taylor’s legacy and continue their demand for justice.

YVONNE ABRAHAM
The MBTA is making more cuts — are the savings worth it?
On Sunday, services on the Red, Orange and Green Lines will be reduced by about 20 percent, and a bunch of bus routes will be suspended or consolidated. Will riders still be there when those services return — if those buses and trains return at all?

North End outdoor dining to begin April 1, despite earlier start for other Boston restaurants
Outdoor dining will start on March 22 elsewhere in Boston, but not until April 1 in the North End, "given the number and density of restaurants and the impacts to residents," according to the city's licensing board.

dan shaughnessy
Reeling from the Cam Newton news, and other thoughts
Here’s hoping the quarterback is returning in a backup role. But $14 million seems steep for a backup.

J-Rod continues: Lopez, Rodriguez say they’re still together
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez said Saturday that reports of their split are inaccurate, and they are working things through.

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

Boston schools to launch staff COVID-19 vaccination clinic Sunday
A vaccination clinic for Boston public schools staff and contractors is expected to open Sunday, according to the city’s school department, as officials work to inoculate workers amid a statewide push to reopen schools to in-person instruction.

School superintendents call for suspending MCAS this year in opposition to federal edict

North End outdoor dining to begin April 1, despite earlier start for other Boston restaurants

Sports

Baseball notebook
After two lost years, Corey Kluber returning to form for Yankees
Kluber pitched just one inning in 2020, tearing a muscle in his right shoulder in his Texas debut July 26.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL | MARBLEHEAD 34, BEVERLY 7

For Marblehead, opening victory over Beverly ‘a lot of fun’ ... and worth the wait
High school football | Catholic Memorial 42, St. John's of Shrewsbury 10

Despite a sloppy start, Catholic Memorial was still scary good in its rout of St. John’s Shrewsbury

business

IRS says new round of COVID relief payments on the way
Officials at the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service said Friday that processing of the new round of stimulus payments has already begun, with the aim of having the first payments start showing up in bank accounts this weekend.

‘For the first time, we can see the other side’: The stimulus and spring are coming for restaurants

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

politics

With the COVID relief bill, get ready for the return of inflation (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing)
The combination of the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package and the lifting of more coronavirus restrictions is set to deliver a jolt to the already fast-growing US economy, potentially summoning the return of a long-absent economic phenomenon: inflation.

Stay or go? Fence, Guard pose Capitol security questions

How shifting politics reenergized the fight against poverty

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

School superintendents call for suspending MCAS this year in opposition to federal edict
The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents described its opposition to holding the standardized tests in a 4cq-page document released Friday.

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

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

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

Roger Lowenstein

Democrats should stop their lockstep support of teachers unions

Renée Graham

Like Hillary Clinton, Meghan Markle has become a Rorschach test
EDITORIAL

Let’s spring forward — and not turn back
Scot Lehigh

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

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

Saturday’s Red Sox spring training report: Martín Pérez’s arm, homers by Michael Gettys and Hunter Renfroe bring fourth straight win

Dustin Johnson decides not to go to Japan for Olympics again

Franchy Cordero excited to follow in Red Sox footsteps of Papi, Manny, and J.D.

metro

Rally calls attention to attacks on Asian-Americans

The MBTA is making more cuts — are the savings worth it?

‘It is surreal’: Kim Janey, nearing mayoral history, reflects on her life in Boston

Nation

COVID rescue package gives failing pension plans a $86 billion bailout, stirring hope and criticisms

The latest COVID-19 numbers from Massachusetts

Charts: Who has been vaccinated in Massachusetts, and how many doses has the state received?

World

A vigil for a slain London woman moves ahead

Kentucky Senate votes to make it a crime to insult police in way that could ‘provoke a violent response’

France’s emboldened far right attracts voters it once horrified

politics

Pressure builds on 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

business

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

St. Vincent’s strike heads into second week

John Hancock to close its Westwood, Portsmouth offices

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

State needs to hurry up with restaurant aid

Telemedicine can address historic structural inequities

Heed the science and abolish daylight saving time

food & dining

Ready to go al fresco? Outdoor dining in most Boston areas 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

Newton City Council backs plan to restore Grace Church bell tower

Missing Dogs Massachusetts goes all-out to find lost pets

Should Massachusetts cancel this year’s MCAS tests?

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