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A car sits under a house destroyed by a tornado in Campbellsville, Ky.

More than 70 feared dead in Kentucky after ‘the most devastating tornado event in our state’s history,’ governor says

Tornadoes and severe weather caused major damage in multiple states late Friday, tearing through a candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon facility in Illinois, a nursing home in Arkansas, and numerous homes and buildings. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he feared that at least 70 people or more may have died at a candle factory in Mayfield.
See a map of where storms struck in Kentucky and Illinois
A large semi trailer is flipped over and pushed against a building in Bowling Green, Ky.

See photos and videos of the destruction after tornadoes and severe weather swept through Midwest and South

After severe weather and tornadoes hit parts of the South and Midwest late Friday, numerous homes and buildings were destroyed and dozens are feared dead. Several fatalities have been confirmed as of Saturday morning.
COVID-19: THE LATEST

CDC identifies 43 Omicron infections in 22 states; National Guard helping areas overwhelmed by COVID-19

2020 vs. 2021: These charts show the similarities in Massachusetts’ COVID-19 surges

COVID-19 cases are climbing in lockstep with last December’s numbers, while hospitalizations — another key pandemic measure — are down from this time last year, though not as much as experts had hoped.
Dr. Daniella Gonzalez talks with a patient in a hallway of the emergency department at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA on Nov. 2, 2021.

State tells Mass. hospitals to slash certain non-essential procedures by half

The Baker administration on Friday issued guidance to hospitals in Massachusetts to reduce “certain non-essential, elective services and procedures” by 50 percent starting Dec. 15, citing the loss of some 500 medical and ICU beds in the statewide healthcare system.

ADRIAN WALKER
Who will follow Rachael Rollins as Suffolk district attorney is an open question.
What’s next for the Suffolk DA’s office?
Due to Rachael Rollins’s slow-rolling confirmation, the process of vetting candidates to replace her as DA has been underway for months. So has the local rumor mill around who’s likely to be tapped.

Tara Sullivan
Were the Buccaneers wise to let Tom Brady throw the ball 51 times last Sunday?
Here are some story lines to watch over the final five weeks of the NFL season
The question of who will emerge from the NFC is up in the air. And it’s fantastic.

In this photo provided by NBC, President Biden is shown on a screen during a virtual interview with host Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," on Dec. 10, 2021, in New York.
Biden discusses right-wing extremism and vaccines in interview with Jimmy Fallon
In his first late-night appearance since taking office, President Biden denounced the extremist views of members of the Republican Party, but also traded jokes with host Jimmy Fallon about his poor cooking skills and his lack of attention to polling numbers.

A trade sign that belonged to Paul Revere's son is among the historical artifacts that will be auctioned off.
Paul Revere family artifacts were found in the walls of a Canton home. They’re being auctioned off this weekend
A recent home renovation in Canton unearthed several objects that belonged to the family of Paul Revere, and a local auction house is selling them to the highest bidder.

It won't happen this season, but it would be nice to see the Detroit Lions finally win the Super Bowl.
Christopher L. Gasper

Nine achievements, happenings, and venues on the Sports Bucket List

Nothing in life is a given, including going to that stadium or event you always dreamed of attending.
Marcus Smart shot 1 for 13 and had just 4 points against Landry Shamet and the Suns.
Suns 111, Celtics 90

An awful road trip ends with a blowout loss, and Ime Udoka may be ready to change things up with the Celtics

“We’ll look at everything based on these [27] games and see where changes need to be made,” Udoka said after Boston was dominated in Phoenix on Friday.
Kyle Dugger (right) has come a long way from Division 2 college football.

Kyle Dugger only got two offers to play Division 2 football. Now, he’s one of the Patriots defense’s most impactful players

Dugger missed the win over the Bills after a positive COVID test, but the second-year safety out of Lenoir-Rhyne has carved out a starting role on one of the NFL's best defenses.
Opinion
Families lined up for COVID-19 testing to attend the "Elf on the Shelf" performance at the Boch Center last month.
EDITORIAL

COVID tests for all

Tests are a critical tool to help stymie coronavirus spread, but the White House is still falling short when it comes to making tests widely available to anyone who wants them.
A "reeducation" camp for Uighurs in China's Xinjiang province in 2019.
JEFF JACOBY

No genocide Olympics
In Falls Church, Va., Mary Chiappetta, 89, explored nature scenes in a 2019 test of virtual reality programming designed for seniors by a company called Viva Vita.
IDEAS | JOHN M. JORDAN

Metaverses for good
Student Oreo Washington, 8, inspects plants in a hydroponics room at the Jean Charles Academy in Lynn on Dec. 9.
MARCELA GARCÍA

A new bilingual school in Lynn emerges as an alternative to public education
Tourists observe the lava flow from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on Spain's La Palma island.
IDEAS | Boštjan Videmšek and Matjaž Krivic

Here come the catastrophe tourists
Mya Pol is a advocate for those with disabilities and a fourth-year student at UMass Amherst.
A Beautiful Resistance | Jeneé Osterheldt

Disability should not mean invisibility

Mya Pol, a student disability activist, is fighting for equity and joy for disabled folks. Living with chronic pain, she has learned to navigate her way to feeling good. Access should not be a barrier to being joyful.
See more from A Beautiful Resistance
Mass. coronavirus at a glance
Vaccinations
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Trend:
1+ dose received:
Fully vaccinated:
Cases and deaths
Total cases:
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Total deaths:
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Other resources:
Last updated: . NOTE: Mass DPH releases data Monday-Friday starting July 2021. Mass. population of 6,892,503 is used to calculate vaccination percentages. SOURCE: Mass. Dept. of Public Health

More recent stories

Michigan man, 23, killed in Bedford plane crash

Bedford police were called to the area of 14 Technology Dr. at 11:36 p.m. after receiving several 911 calls reporting a plane crash on the shore of the river, Police Chief John Bryfonski said in a statement.

Michael Nesmith of The Monkees.
Monkees legend Michael Nesmith dies at 78
Michael Nesmith, the singer-songwriter, author, actor-director, and entrepreneur who will likely be best remembered as the wool-hatted, guitar-strumming member of the made-for-television rock band The Monkees, has died at 78.

The refrigerator and freezer are clad in white Shaker-style cabinetry.
Home of the Week: For $949,900, a Brockton Cape owned by a color specialist
The four-bedroom property comes with co-ownership of a pond.

Worcester City Hall.
Worcester officials investigating allegations firefighter made anti-Biden, antisemitic social media post
The Worcester Fire Department is investigating allegations that a firefighter posted an antisemitic message on social media that included an image of President Biden edited to look like Adolf Hitler, officials said Friday.

Larry Edelman
Price increases for gasoline, shelter, food, and vehicles last month pushed inflation to its highest level since 1982.
Stubbornly high inflation puts heat on Biden and the Fed
Economic forecasting is tough to do with precision. The pandemic vastly complicated matters by distorting consumer spending patterns, disrupting supply lines, and leaving many companies short of workers.

Newton school principals receive racist messages over student discussions of Rittenhouse and Arbery cases

Two Black principals in the Newton Public Schools have received “racist and confrontational” messages in response to their work helping students process the verdicts in the trials of Kyle Rittenhouse and the men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery, Superintendent David Fleishman said Friday.

Best of the holidays

People under the holiday lights on Boston Common.

9 places around Boston where you can get into the holiday spirit (for free)

Every holiday season comes with a gamut of things to do and gifts to buy, and it can take a toll on the old wallet. That got us thinking about some activities in and around the city where you can revel in the holiday spirit for free.
Boston is dressed in its wintery best. Here’s where to see Christmas trees, menorahs, and other decorations 20 family-friendly events to put you in the holiday spirit
Globe Santa

When a grandparent needs to parent, life’s struggles intensify

Please consider supporting the campaign, during this time of unprecedented need, by donating by phone, mail or online at globesanta.org.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GLOBE SANTA

 Read the latest stories Make a donation. Make a difference.

Recommended reads

Retail spaces that have emptied out during the pandemic are taking on new lives in the form of business like Fridge No More at 189 Devonshire Street in Boston.

A downtown full of delivery warehouses? ‘Dark stores’ are coming to Boston

A wave of quick-delivery startups are moving into empty storefronts in downtown Boston, offering convenience but raising concerns about the vitality of city streets.

Zee Soffron with Akela (left) and Qantaqa, two of the gray wolves at Wolf Hollow, a sanctuary started by Soffron's father in the 1990s.
At a wolf sanctuary in Ipswich, a changing mission: humans coexisting peacefully with coyotes
When Zee Soffron’s father started Wolf Hollow in their Ipswich backyard, wolves had a bad name. Now, it’s their cousins, the coyotes, that need some good PR.

Shaun Jenkins (center) with the legal team that worked on his case, on the day he was released from court on Sept. 24. Also pictured: Rob Selevitch, the Innocence Program investigator (back row), Nicole Collins, IP legal fellow (left) and Lisa M. Kavanaugh, Director, Innocence Program (right).
Boston police and prosecutors hid evidence in a murder case. 18 years later, a man may go free
Shaun Jenkins’s temporary release from prison follows several cases that were recently overturned due to law enforcement misconduct.

The 60 best albums of the year
From Robert Plant and Alison Krauss to J. Cole, Jon Batiste to Oliva Rodrigo, Miguel Zenón to The War on Drugs, these were our favorites.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

From left: Luke Ferrari, YDE, and Paravi Das with members of the Boston Children's Chorus in "WILD: A Musical Becoming" at American Repertory Theater.
STAGE REVIEW

In ‘WILD,’ a dire climate warning delivered with exuberance and passion at the ART
A still from the film "All the Lonely People," a documentary about the impact of social isolation. Shown here is a statue in Liverpool of Eleanor Rigby, the fictional subject of a 1966 Beatles song.

‘All the Lonely People’ documents worldwide isolation and its cures
Siobhan Miller performs in 2019's "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn" at Cutler Majestic Theatre. The show is back live this year.

‘A Christmas Celtic Sojourn’ returns to Cutler Majestic Theatre

Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy in "Succession," which wraps up its third season Sunday.
MATTHEW GILBERT

Why the best show on television should wrap it up

Special Projects

The 2021 Top Places to Work in Massachusetts

Is your employer among the 150 companies to make the list?
Jeneé Osterheldt

A Beautiful Resistance

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

‘On the Street’: The changing face of Greater Boston neighborhoods

The changing face of Greater Boston neighborhoods.
Special Report

In Harm’s Way

Vehicle rammings against protesters are on the rise, but the justice system often sides with drivers

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Trash pickup along East Fourth St., South Boston.
IDEAS | LILY POLLANS

Dear Mayor Wu, let’s stop burning Boston’s trash
Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins in her office.
EDITORIAL

The thorny cases that Rachael Rollins inherits
Alex Beam

Trump’s new media group: Buyer beware
Misia Winowski (center left) holds her 14-year-old daughter Madolyne close during a candlelight vigil, Dec. 3, along Washington Street in downtown Oxford, Mich. A 15-year-old sophomore opened fire at his Michigan high school on Nov. 30, killing four students.
Kimberley Atkins Stohr

Call domestic terrorism what it is, and prosecute it that way
SCOT LEHIGH

Are reforms coming to the Supreme Court?
Tourists observe the lava flow from the Cumbre Vieja volcano on Spain's La Palma island.
IDEAS | Boštjan Videmšek and Matjaž Krivic

Here come the catastrophe tourists

Metro

Coronavirus Live Updates

CDC identifies 43 Omicron infections in 22 states; National Guard helping areas overwhelmed by COVID-19

The latest news and guidance on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in New England and beyond.

Corgi-mix found abandoned inside a porta-potty at a Brookline construction site

The dog is recovering at MSPCA's Jamaica Plain Adoption Center, officials said Friday.

Worcester officials investigating allegations firefighter made anti-Biden, antisemitic social media post

The Worcester Fire Department is investigating allegations that a firefighter posted an antisemitic message on social media that included an image of President Biden edited to look like Adolf Hitler, officials said Friday.

Saugus correctional officer who died from COVID-19 mourned at candlelight vigil

Anthony J. Pasquarello, a 15-year veteran of the department, died Thursday, Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger said. Pasquarello was not vaccinated and his family hopes their loss will help others to get vaccinated, Coppinger said.

Sports

Kyle Dugger (right) has come a long way from Division 2 college football.
Patriots

Kyle Dugger only got two offers to play Division 2 football. Now, he’s one of the Patriots defense’s most impactful players

Dugger missed the win over the Bills after a positive COVID test, but the second-year safety out of Lenoir-Rhyne has carved out a starting role on one of the NFL's best defenses.
First Lady Jill Biden headed the US delegation for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
John Powers | Olympic notes

Diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics will have little effect on competition

The official delegations from the various nations are present purely for ceremonial purposes, witnessing the athletes’ parades and attending events.
It won't happen this season, but it would be nice to see the Detroit Lions finally win the Super Bowl.
Christopher L. Gasper

Nine achievements, happenings, and venues on the Sports Bucket List

Nothing in life is a given, including going to that stadium or event you always dreamed of attending.
Chad Finn I Sports media

Ratings don’t tell the whole story of the ‘ManningCast’ phenomenon

Bob Ryan

We can blame Stephen Curry for distorting basketball at every level
Tara Sullivan

Here are some story lines to watch over the final five weeks of the NFL season

Business

Larry Edelman

Stubbornly high inflation puts heat on Biden and the Fed

Economic forecasting is tough to do with precision. The pandemic vastly complicated matters by distorting consumer spending patterns, disrupting supply lines, and leaving many companies short of workers.

MIT-backed venture fund The Engine expands into Somerville

The VC company, which supports technology startups that focus on mitigating climate change and other hard-to-solve problems, has moved into a 42,000-square-foot space on Tyler Street near Union Square.

‘The internet’s on fire’ as techs race to fix software flaw

Shares of Burlington software firm plunge after CEO resigns

STAT

Dr. Monica McLemore, Associate Professor in the Family Health Care Nursing Department at UCSF, stands for a portrait at the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza on Friday, September 10th, 2021 in Oakland, Calif.
‘Health equity tourists’: How white scholars are colonizing research on health disparities
A STAT investigation shows that researchers with little or no background or training in health equity research are rushing in to scoop up grants and publish papers.

Covid winter illustration
Winter is coming, again: What to expect from Covid-19 as the season looms
STAT spoke with infectious disease experts and others about what to expect from Covid-19 as the seasons change.

Funeral goers sing during a service for Daisy Pace at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in January 2021.
DISTANCED: Pandemic stories of Black life in the rural South
Photographer Bethany Mollenkof spent six months documenting the impact of Covid-19 on residents of rural Black communities in the South.

Boston, MA -- 05/12/21 -- Dr. Matthew Carty examines patient Jerry Majethic at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital on May 12, 2021, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Kayana Szymczak for STAT)
Groundbreaking arm amputation surgery makes a ‘phantom’ hand seem real
The procedure aims to restore proprioception, the ability to sense where our limbs are in space and how fast and forcefully they’re moving.

magazine
Akamai employee Jason Main, who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan four times during 26 years in the Navy, was able to access free counseling through work.
Top Places to Work

How some top companies make mental health a priority
Top Places to Work

Free vacations, commuting costs, and 5 more enviable work perks
Top Places to Work

There was a time when we thought work would return to normal. It won’t
CONNECTIONS

Even Robert's Rules can't keep order in our family. We've tried

metro

Michael Nesmith of The Monkees.

Monkees legend Michael Nesmith dies at 78

Boston placed 23 city workers on leave for missing Oct. vaccine deadline, not 812 as it previously said

Middlebury College goes remote, cancels in-person events due to rise in COVID-19 cases

sports

Among the Florida Panthers' skilled additions is center Sam Bennett.

With help from new boss Bill Zito, Florida Panthers have clawed their way to the top

Major League Baseball lockout puts clubs and remaining free agents in limbo

Ben Roethlisberger should end up in the Hall of Fame, but his career could have been so much more

business

An Iron Mountain mobile shedding unit on display at the National Association for Information Destruction Conference in Phoenix.

Iron Mountain to acquire Bay Area IT company for $725 million

State tells Mass. hospitals to slash certain non-essential procedures by half

Newton company’s rink brings ice hockey to backyards across North America

politics

In this photo provided by NBC, President Biden is shown on a screen during a virtual interview with host Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," on Dec. 10, 2021, in New York.

Biden discusses right-wing extremism and vaccines in interview with Jimmy Fallon

Jan. 6 committee examines PowerPoint document sent to Meadows

Supreme Court allows challenge to Texas abortion law but leaves ban in effect

Nation

People waited in line outside a COVID-19 walk-in testing site on Dec. 5, 2021, in Cambridge, Mass.

CDC identifies 43 Omicron infections in 22 states; National Guard helping areas overwhelmed by COVID-19

See photos and videos of the destruction after tornadoes and severe weather swept through Midwest and South

More than 70 feared dead in Kentucky after ‘the most devastating tornado event in our state’s history,’ governor says

World

Visitors queued for vaccines at a mass COVID-19 vaccination site in Johannesburg, on Dec. 9.

South African doctors see signs Omicron is milder than Delta

Omicron cases mostly mild in US, report says

Omicron could become dominant in some European countries by next week, officials predict

opinion

Trump’s new media group: Buyer beware

Relative good news on schools and COVID is nothing to celebrate just yet

HIV, COVID, and the intersection of science and politics

lifestyle

Dresses from the Apple TV+ show "Dickinson" that were donated to the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst.

Amherst’s Emily Dickinson Museum receives hundreds of set pieces from ‘Dickinson’

Five must-read New England authors for every child’s bookshelf

Page-turning delights, brand new books for kids of every age this holiday season

food & dining

The Pour House is planning to reopen under new management in 2022.

Pour House to reopen in Boston’s Back Bay early next year

Micro-brewery opens in former US Rubber Company mill complex

Cambridge’s Loyal Nine bids farewell; Nash Bar plans a mid-January debut

travel

Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina’s Stay and Skate package includes unlimited skating with skate rentals.

A stay-and-skate package in Newport, a museum of miniatures in Tucson, and a dash cam to go

New England ski resorts with throwback charm and (relatively) retro prices

White Elephant, a Nantucket mainstay, opened a sister hotel in Palm Beach. We had to meet her

Arts

Dresses from the Apple TV+ show "Dickinson" that were donated to the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst.

Amherst’s Emily Dickinson Museum receives hundreds of set pieces from ‘Dickinson’

ICA announces name, details of US exhibition at Venice Biennale: ‘Simone Leigh: GRITTIN’

Painter Katherine Bradford and weaver Diedrick Brackens pair up in exhibition at Harvard’s Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts

Books

Jamie Hogan's new book "Skywatcher" focuses on light pollution and the beauty of the night sky.

A new work from a Maine-based illustrator Jamie Hogan and Ralph Culver’s first full-length collection

Author readings for Dec. 12-18

Local bestsellers for the week ending Dec. 5

Movies

A still from the film "All the Lonely People," a documentary about the impact of social isolation. Shown here is a statue in Liverpool of Eleanor Rigby, the fictional subject of a 1966 Beatles song.

‘All the Lonely People’ documents worldwide isolation and its cures

Doc Talk: The forms that an escape from reality can take

‘Being the Ricardos’ brings love, marriage, and feminine mystique to the big screen

Television

Andrew Scott (pictured in 2019) will play Tom Ripley in the eight-episode first season.

The grift that keeps on grifting: Series based on Patricia Highsmith’s ‘Ripley’ novels heading to Showtime

Why the best show on television should wrap it up

‘Jeopardy!’ stays with hosts Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings for the season

music

From left: Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Bill Berry, and Peter Buck of R.E.M., shown in 1994.

R.E.M., Coltrane, Buena Vista Social Club, and more: 10 of the best reissues, box sets, and archival releases of 2021

The sounds of 617: Local music aficionados choose their favorites of the year

The 60 best albums of the year

Theater/Dance

From left: Luke Ferrari, YDE, and Paravi Das with members of the Boston Children's Chorus in "WILD: A Musical Becoming" at American Repertory Theater.

In ‘WILD,’ a dire climate warning delivered with exuberance and passion at the ART

Politics makes strange schoolfellows in the Huntington’s ‘Teenage Dick’

A tradition continues, uproariously, with Ryan Landry’s ‘A Grinchley Christmas Carol’

globe local

Wenham Museum train curator Rob Flanagan (left) and railroad volunteer Walt Meibaum pose with one of the seasonal train layouts.

All aboard for holiday fun at the Wenham Museum

Should the state impose a tax on high-sugar drinks?

A car drives into a swimming pool in Norwood

Obituaries

Michael Nesmith of The Monkees.

Monkees legend Michael Nesmith dies at 78

Al Unser, one of four-time Indy 500 winners club, dies at 82

Lina Wertmüller, Italian director of provocative films, dies at 93