The Boston Globe

President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House on Thursday.

Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday: ‘This is a day of profound weight and power’

The US now has a new national holiday commemorating the end of slavery. Congress voted Wednesday to make Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday, and President Biden signed the bill into law on Thursday afternoon.

What does the Juneteenth Flag mean?

‘We have failed everyone down here’: Mass. and Cass becomes a campaign issue

The battle against the opioid epidemic at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard has emerged as a central issue in the mayoral race, with multiple major candidates releasing plans that would dedicate more resources to the area.

Supreme Court dismisses challenge to Affordable Care Act, preserving coverage for millions

The justices, by a 7-2 vote, left the entire law intact in ruling that Texas, other Republican-led states, and two individuals had no right to bring their lawsuit in federal court.

Supreme Court sides with Catholic agency in foster care dispute Supreme Court backs Nestle, Cargill in child slave labor suit

Many executives don’t expect business travel to return to pre-pandemic levels for several years — if ever

Local employers on average estimate that only 14 percent of their pre-pandemic air travel will return by July 1.

Baker looks to spend half of state’s $5b stimulus windfall quickly, with housing topping the priority list

The measure would set aside $2.8 billion of federal aid to address a variety of his key priorities.

Mitch McConnell vows to block voting legislation, spurning Joe Manchin’s compromise offer

Senate Republicans vowed Thursday to block voting legislation from advancing later this month, rejecting a key Democratic senator's compromise offer that adopted some GOP ideas in a bid to break partisan gridlock on the issue.

Duxbury High athletic director Thom Holdgate to be ousted amid scandals involving coaches

Holdgate, one of the state's most influential ADs, will not have his contract renewed when it expires this month.

82 confirmed cases, 3 deaths, and 22,918 vaccinations: See today’s new COVID-19 data from Mass.

Feeling lucky? Vaccine lottery odds will be better than in the state’s regular games In final report of the year, Mass. reports 53 coronavirus cases among public school students, 5 among school staff members

Amherst eighth-grader dies after attempting the ‘blackout challenge’

Jayson Tatum (left), Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker weren't on the floor together very often.

Grading the Celtics from A to F: How each player in the roster performed in the 2020-21 season

We evaluate everyone from the starters to the subs, and offer up whether or not they'll make an impact next season.

Revolution Hall, a new food hall and entertainment area, in Lexington.

Revolution Hall is the food court of the future

Hemp heart tacos and pour-your-own beer come to a suburban office park.

Adena Marcelino is the owner of Black Beans PVD in Providence.

How Black history and culture influenced Rhode Island’s cuisine

Lobsters, oysters, and one-pot meals have long been associated with New England. But there’s a direct link between these foods and the enslaved people who lived in Rhode Island

Seltzerland, a hard seltzer festival, will bubble up in Massachusetts this July

Patrons will get the chance to taste over 30 hard seltzers at the Seltzerland festival, which comes to Rockland on July 31.

For hacked companies, paying a ransom may not work: Many say they paid but were attacked again

Most victims who paid got their data back, but 46 percent of them found that some or all of the data had been corrupted, making it difficult or impossible to use.

What is the risk to personal information during a cyberattack?

Black Newton firefighter files discrimination lawsuit against city, department

Lee Gilliam alleges that there only about 10 Black firefighters in the department and that the “racial imbalance” has fostered an environment in which white “firefighters generally feel free to make insensitive and degrading comments concerning African Americans without consequence,” according to court filings.

Feeling lucky? Vaccine lottery odds will be better than in the state’s regular games

The Massachusetts vaccine lottery unveiled earlier this week offers a chance to put a million bucks in the bank at better odds than popular state lottery tickets.

Naomi Osaka, Rafael Nadal to skip Wimbledon; she’ll go to Olympics

While Nadal will miss the Games, Osaka will play in front of a home crowd in Tokyo next month.

10 Boston-area spots to be a kid again

You deserve to take a break from being a grown-up.

Opinion

House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina celebrates with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday after passage of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.

A Juneteenth holiday is symbolic. Don’t confuse it with racial justice.

GOP senators who voted to recognize the day slavery ended do nothing when it comes to legislation for systemic change.

Ñ Solwazi Browne-Vargas, 7, of Boston, gives his mother a thumbs-up after Black legislators raised the Juneteenth flag on Wednesday to commemorate Massachusetts' first observation of the holiday.

The unintended consequences of making Juneteenth a national holiday

Terry Miller, No. 4, who is transgender, competes in a high school indoor track meet in New Haven. Conn., on Feb. 22, 2020.

KIMBERLY ATKINS STOHR

Gorsuch’s words give Biden the edge in defending transgender rights

The author and his father, Leonard Nimoy, in 1967.

IDEAS | ADAM NIMOY

I absolutely adored Spock. Loving Dad was much more complicated.

Former Boston School Committee chairperson Michael Loconto in 2018.

Michael Loconto: ‘I am not an example of “Boston’s race problem” ’

Recommended reads

Globe Magazine

‘The best Boston movie no one’s ever seen’: ‘Blue Hill Avenue’ at 20

The groundbreaking film lit up Boston screens in 2001, only to temporarily vanish. In an oral history, director Craig Ross Jr., actors Allen Payne and Angelle Brooks, and more talk about how it went on to became a classic.

Live film discussion at 3 p.m.: 'Blue Hill Avenue'

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Why is Asian American history barely taught in Mass. schools?

Asian Americans and their contributions to US history and culture are largely missing from the nation’s social studies curricula and textbooks. Teachers and scholars say the surge in anti-Asian violence during the pandemic is one consequence of that erasure.

About to be deported, Lucio Perez found sanctuary in a Mass. church. He’d live there over 3 years

If he was forced to return to Guatemala after years, when would he see his wife and US-born children again?

We asked Globe readers about their favorite lobster rolls. They did not disappoint

Turns out people have very strong feelings about hot butter vs. cold mayo, how much they’ll fork over for a good seafood sandwich, and whether dill really needs to be involved. (No.) Read on for more answers.

Ayanna Pressley, other elected officials of color push for independent investigation into death of Mikayla Miller

“The greater Boston community is still grieving the tragic loss of this young life and questions remain unanswered about the full circumstances that led to her death,” the officials wrote.

metro

A first-grade classroom at the McGlynn Elementary School in Medford.

In final report of the year, Mass. reports 53 coronavirus cases among public school students, 5 among school staff members

Cases have declined significantly in recent weeks, even after the number of students attending school in person rose in mid-May when high schools were required to fully reopen in person.

‘We have failed everyone down here’: Mass. and Cass becomes a campaign issue

RI FOOD

How Black history and culture influenced Rhode Island’s cuisine

Sports

The Xaverian baseball team celebrated a win over BC High during the regular season, and the Hawks hope to add a Division 1 South championship to their 2021 resúmé.

MIAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

Breaking down the North and South brackets for the MIAA baseball tournament

Top-ranked Xaverian leads a loaded Division 1 South field and, with no qualifying standards, 175 Eastern Mass. teams will participate in the postseason.

tennis

Naomi Osaka, Rafael Nadal to skip Wimbledon; she’ll go to Olympics

alex speier

Chris Sale is balancing the itch to pitch with the imperative to remain patient

business

Akamai, headquartered in Cambridge, said the outage Thursday was not caused by a cyberattack, but rather a software bug.

Brief, global Internet outages blamed on software bug

FCC proposes ban on Chinese surveillance cameras, other products

Many executives don’t expect business travel to return to pre-pandemic levels for several years — if ever

politics

Supreme Court sides with Catholic agency in foster care dispute

Supreme Court dismisses challenge to Affordable Care Act, preserving coverage for millions

Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday: ‘This is a day of profound weight and power’

Living Arts

Local histories, rewritten

BIBLIOPHILES

Poet Michael Robbins on reading while walking

BOOK REVIEW

Writerly delusions in ‘Dream Girl’

education

A first-grade classroom at the McGlynn Elementary School in Medford.

In final report of the year, Mass. reports 53 coronavirus cases among public school students, 5 among school staff members

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Boston School Committee may extend superintendent’s contract by 2 years after giving her high marks on job review

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Janey reaffirms commitment to fill the ‘void’ of Latino representation on Boston School Committee

rhode island

Adena Marcelino is the owner of Black Beans PVD in Providence.

How Black history and culture influenced Rhode Island’s cuisine

RI POLITICS

R.I. House Finance budget raises threshold for taxing PPP loans to $250,000

RI HEALTH

R.I. reports at least 4 cases of Delta variant that devastated India

Newton

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Special Projects

Future-proofing the presidency

Donald Trump brought our democracy to the brink and exposed its weak spots. Here’s how to thwart the next American tyrant.

On the Street

The MBTA commuter rail overpass frames the mural “The Stories of Lynn” by David Fichter, Yetti Frenkel, and Joshua Winer in Central Square.

North of Boston, an old industrial city gets a second look

A bicyclist made his way across Dorchester Avenue in Fields Corner.

Known for its diversity, Fields Corner now must make room for development

A man repacked the food he got from a food pantry on Broadway in Chelsea. Chelsea has been one of the places in Greater Boston hardest hit by the pandemic.

In tackling the pandemic, Chelsea finds new strength

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

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Jeneé Osterheldt

A Beautiful Resistance

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

Here’s your official summer reading list

These are the 70 best books of the season to pop into your travel bag.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting

Blind Spot

An 11-month Globe investigation found that people nationwide are dying in crashes caused by drivers who should have had their licenses suspended. One in 10 US drivers has at least one offense — from speeding to vehicular homicide — that isn’t reflected on their driving record.

video

Comfort Zone

COMFORT ZONE

An EDM whiz kid from Lynnfield cracks a million streams on Spotify

Brandon Greenstein has been creating music under the moniker The BreakBomb Project since he was 15.

DAD'S DAY OUT

Step away from the house and into the fun zone with one of these father-friendly outings

We have some ideas for what to do with dad this Father’s Day.

BOOKS

The Boston Lit Crawl pops up in Central Square

Mingle with poets, writers, and scientists at this roving party in Cambridge.

Podcast

Ibram Kendi’s new podcast, ‘Be Antiracist,’ encourages listeners to help build a ‘just and equitable society’

"It’s about each of us entering these conversations not only with an open mind but also in openness to transform ourselves."

MURRAY WHYTE

At twilight, Mass MoCA’s new Skyspace becomes a roller coaster for the eyes

James Turrell's "C.A.V.U." reserves its best show for dawn and dusk.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina celebrates with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday after passage of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.

A Juneteenth holiday is symbolic. Don’t confuse it with racial justice.

Ñ Solwazi Browne-Vargas, 7, of Boston, gives his mother a thumbs-up after Black legislators raised the Juneteenth flag on Wednesday to commemorate Massachusetts' first observation of the holiday.

The unintended consequences of making Juneteenth a national holiday

Terry Miller, No. 4, who is transgender, competes in a high school indoor track meet in New Haven. Conn., on Feb. 22, 2020.

KIMBERLY ATKINS STOHR

Gorsuch’s words give Biden the edge in defending transgender rights

The author and his father, Leonard Nimoy, in 1967.

IDEAS | ADAM NIMOY

I absolutely adored Spock. Loving Dad was much more complicated.

Mayor Janey spoke at City Hall on June 16 to announce next steps for the Boston School Committee and share a COVID-19 update afternoon.

Who covered up the Boston School Committee texts?

Movie stills from the film "Blue Hill Avenue."

IDEAS | GREG LEE JR.

The unheralded movie that brought Boston alive for me

STAT

Listen to our "First Opinion" podcast

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Subscribe to STAT Plus

We know a lot about Covid-19. Experts have many more questions

More than two dozen virologists, epidemiologists, and others responded to STAT's question about what they still most wanted to know.

Cement Head’s last fight: He was denied parole six times — until he was about to become a Covid-19 statistic

In lawyers' view, the Department of Correction was trying to make it seem like it had fewer Covid-19 deaths on its hands than it really did.

Troubling podcast puts JAMA, the ‘voice of medicine,’ under fire for its mishandling of race

Critics say editors have asked authors to scrub the term racism from their articles even as they publish others that include racist notions.

Despite resistance, researchers investigate the possibility of a new mental health disorder

Many researchers say the study of sluggish cognitive tempo, which is still in its early stages, can’t yet support a formal diagnosis.

magazine

Searching for a summer of Black joy in a season of dread

Scenes from "Blue Hill Avenue."

‘The best Boston movie no one’s ever seen’: ‘Blue Hill Avenue’ at 20

Virginia B. and Steve D. on their Zoom date.

Dinner With Cupid

Blind date: ‘He lived in Hawaii until lava from a volcano drove him east to Maine’

The writer (second from right) and his intrepid travel companions on the Inca Trail in Peru.

It took a pandemic to remind me I’m happiest with my ‘chosen’ family

sports

Gabby Thomas of Florence has the sixth-fastest 200-meter time in the world this year.

Here’s a look at Massachusetts athletes who are entered in the US track and field trials

Duxbury High athletic director Thom Holdgate to be ousted amid scandals involving coaches

For some high school tennis players, it’s decision time: Play in the USTA or MIAA tournament?

metro

The Rhode Island State House.

R.I. House Finance budget raises threshold for taxing PPP loans to $250,000

Amherst eighth-grader dies after attempting the ‘blackout challenge’

R.I. reports at least 4 cases of Delta variant that devastated India

Nation

A reminder to use hand sanitizer upon entry to a North End gift shop.

Massachusetts no longer has any towns at high risk for COVID-19 spread: See how we got here

For the third week in a row, zero Mass. communities are considered high risk for COVID-19

Biden flashes impatience after conference with Putin

World

Palestinian mourners chanted anti-Israel slogans during the funeral of Ahmad Shamsa, 15, in the West Bank village of Beta, near Nablus, on Thursday. The Palestinian health ministry said Thursday that Shamsa, who was shot by Israeli troops in the West Bank a day earlier, died of his injuries.

Israel strikes Gaza after Hamas fires incendiary balloons

For Biden, Europe trip achieved 2 major goals. And then there is Russia.

Hong Kong raids newspaper offices, arrests editor, executives under security law

politics

Mark and Patricia McCloskey leave following a court hearing in St. Louis.

St. Louis couple who waved and pointed guns at protesters pleads guilty to misdemeanors

Watch live: Biden to sign bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday

House poised to repeal 2002 Iraq War authorization

business

Dr. Sekar Kathiresan is chief executive of Verve Therapeutics.

Verve’s shares soar as Cambridge biotech makes its stock market debut

For hacked companies, paying a ransom may not work: Many say they paid but were attacked again

US jobless claims tick up to 412,000 from a pandemic low

lifestyle

Sheena Collier at the Afrochella Festival in Ghana.

Sheena Collier on feeling changed by Ghana, trying french fries everywhere, and giving in to relaxation

A sake club comes to the Charles River Speedway, and Clover opens in Newtonville

We’ve had a lot less sex this past year

marijuana

Former Celtics player Paul Pierce earlier this month in Miami Beach, Fla.

Paul Pierce to launch ‘Truth’ marijuana brand in Massachusetts

Taunton microbusiness makes state’s first-ever recreational marijuana delivery — to founder’s house

Marijuana legalization prompting police K-9 retirements

opinion

Ñ Solwazi Browne-Vargas, 7, of Boston, gives his mother a thumbs-up after Black legislators raised the Juneteenth flag on Wednesday to commemorate Massachusetts' first observation of the holiday.

The unintended consequences of making Juneteenth a national holiday

A Juneteenth holiday is symbolic. Don’t confuse it with racial justice.

The unintentional irony of modern Juneteenth

food & dining

Seltzerland, a hard seltzer festival tour, is coming to Boston in July, allowing patrons to sip on over 30 hard seltzer brands.

Seltzerland, a hard seltzer festival, will bubble up in Massachusetts this July

Revolution Hall is the food court of the future

A sake club comes to the Charles River Speedway, and Clover opens in Newtonville

travel

The giant solar-powered LED swings on the Lawn on D change colors when swung, fun for kids and adults alike.

10 Boston-area spots to be a kid again

Sheena Collier on feeling changed by Ghana, trying french fries everywhere, and giving in to relaxation

Mansion stays, an app for marina reservations, and campfires on the go

Books

Local histories, rewritten

Poet Michael Robbins on reading while walking

Writerly delusions in ‘Dream Girl’

Movies

Russell and Ron Mael, in "The Sparks Brothers."

In ‘The Sparks Brothers,’ meet the best British band ever to come out of America

Hollywood past, Hanover present

Going nautical at the Nantucket Film Festival

Television

Rose Byrne and Rory Scovel play husband and wife in the new Apple TV+ series "Physical."

TV’s newest heroines are a reply to all the Kevins who can [expletive] themselves

A family on the brink: this is ‘Us’ on ‘Masterpiece’

The hit parade of Netflix’s ‘This Is Pop’

music

JJ Gonson at ONCE Somerville in 2015. Gonson is in search of a new home for her music venue, but meanwhile is partnering with Boynton Yards for a series of outdoor shows this summer.

ONCE Somerville lives on this summer as an outdoor venue

6 artful ways to celebrate Juneteenth

An EDM whiz kid from Lynnfield cracks a million streams on Spotify

Theater/Dance

Katori Hall, winner of this year's Pulitzer Prize for drama for "The Hot Wing King," is also the showrunner for the Starz TV series "P-Valley."

Black women playwrights claim a leading role

The Boston Center for the Arts returns with live dance performances

In ‘Tiny Beautiful Things,’ hard-earned words of wisdom

globe local

At the monthly dad's group in Peabody, Tim Gitau (left) chats with Nate Perreault (right). Dan McGloin is standing in the back.

A fathers’ group forms to share life with an autistic child

In Concord, a museum preserves signs of the times

Should Massachusetts ban competitive suppliers from selling electricity to new residential customers?

Obituaries

A consummate volunteer, Mrs. Cooper was a lover of dogs.

Audrey Cooper, who ‘represented the best of Newton,’ dies at 97

Jack Weinstein, judge with an activist streak, is dead at 99

Lisa Banes, film and stage actress, dies at 65