The Boston Globe

Coronavirus levels in Boston-area waste water continue to plunge

In another encouraging sign that Omicron may be loosening its grip on the state, the amount of coronavirus detected in Eastern Massachusetts waste water has continued its dizzying decline in recent days, according to data released Thursday by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

Innovation Beat: The Cambridge startup tracking COVID in America’s waste water

THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS

Coronavirus levels continue decline in region’s wastewater, amid national COVID-19 surge

11:32 a.m.
Plane heading to London returns to Miami over maskless passenger
11:11 a.m.
The Cambridge startup tracking COVID in America’s wastewater
10:45 a.m.
NBC will not send announcers to Beijing for Winter Olympics

Judge grants prosecutors’ request to dismiss charges against MIT professor accused of concealing ties with China

In a motion filed Thursday, prosecutors asked US District Judge Patti Saris to dismiss the four-count indictment charging Gang Chen, a naturalized US citizen born in China, with wire fraud, failing to report a Chinese bank account, and making a false statement on his tax return.

Mayor Wu earmarks $50 million for improvements at Mildred C. Hailey housing complex in Jamaica Plain

Mayor Michelle Wu on Thursday pledged $50 million for renovations at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments complex in Jamaica Plain, and she also signed an order reaffirming the city’s commitment to fair housing and racial equity.

Andrea Colliton, Tufts Children's Hospital's director of Child Life Services, waited in the hallway with comfort dog Bob on Feb. 25, 2021. Tufts Medical Center will close its pediatric hospital in July.

Tufts Medical Center will close its pediatric hospital after more than a century of treating sick kids

The organization said it will refer children who need hospitalization to Boston Children’s Hospital, its longtime competitor and the dominant pediatric hospital in the state.

Everett Schools superintendent accuses mayor of racism and sexism

Priya Tahiliani has accused Mayor Carlo DeMaria of subjecting her to “blatant and overt acts of discrimination and retaliation” because she is an Indian-American woman who has hired administrative leaders who are not white.

Analysis

Politically, Joe Biden needs a big win. And there is one way he can get it.

A president with sagging approval ratings may discover that the best thing for himself and for America’s standing in the world is for him to show leadership in resolving the situation in Ukraine in a way that looks like America won.

Senators Susan Collins and Jon Ossoff.

Jon Ossoff, Susan Collins spar in unusually personal floor debate over voting rights legislation

The exchange took place amid a fierce debate over whether to change Senate rules to weaken the legislative filibuster, which would allow voting rights legislation to pass with a simple majority vote.

In her first event as a candidate for governor, Attorney General Maura Healey delivered remarks outside Maverick MBTA Station in East Boston.

At first gubernatorial campaign stop, Maura Healey pitches targeted solutions rather than sweeping change

Appearing Thursday morning in East Boston, Healey struck a moderate tone, zeroing in on specific problems such as the cost of living and high-priced childcare.

Andrea Campbell mulling bid for Mass. attorney general

A screenshot from a preview of "Houses With History."

Have an old Colonial on the South Shore in need of renovation? HGTV is casting for a new season

“Houses With History,” an HGTV and High Noon Entertainment series, is looking for homeowners within 30 miles of Plymouth who have an antique or Colonial home in need of some serious renovation.

Toni Preston, in front of the King Open School, substitute teaches for the Cambridge Public Schools most days.

THE GREAT DIVIDE

‘It’s been a desperate call’: Substitute teachers in high demand as districts grapple with teaching shortages

As staffing shortages pummel schools across the region, substitute teachers are suddenly finding themselves as hot commodities.

Into the Red illustration.

Introducing our new climate initiative

To report on the most pressing issue of our time, the Globe’s climate team is expanding and rethinking its coverage.

Explore the new section, 'Into the Red' Sign up for email updates Share your ideas with our climate team

Opinion

Republican Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for potential insider trading in a case that stems from his abrupt sale of financial holdings during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

Members of Congress shouldn’t be trading stocks

New legislation would require lawmakers to put their investments in blind trusts.

IDEAS | JULIAN FRIEDLAND

Another thing to worry about

ABDALLAH FAYYAD

When it comes to canceling student debt, what is Joe Biden waiting for?

IDEAS | MARC HIRSH

Wordle is not just a game — it’s the creative process in a nutshell

When do protests cross the line? It can depend on your politics.

Project Takeout Illustration

DEVRA FIRST | PROJECT TAKEOUT

We thought we’d be past this by now. We were wrong. Support your local restaurants.

We’re bringing back Project Takeout. Call it Project Take Two.

Browse a map of reader-recommended takeout spots Tell us: Where is your favorite place to order from? 3 places we supported this week Explore the full project

More recent stories

Harmony Montgomery’s father is a suspect in 2008 Lynn murder, source says

Adam Montgomery, who is currently being held without bail in New Hampshire, is a suspect in the 2008 murder of Darlin Guzman in Lynn, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation.

MBTA patron refuses to wear mask, hits transit police officer in face, officials say

A 29-year-old Sturbridge man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly striking a transit police officer after refusing to don a mask to ride the T at North Station, officials said.

Man, 49, charged with pulling gun on patrons at Exeter, N.H., sports bar, subdued by employee

Ricky Gagne, 49, was ordered held at arraignment Tuesday for allegedly pulling a gun on patrons at a sports bar called Shooters.

Restaurants are struggling. Here’s another bid to help them out.

The nonprofit has dished out $400,000 in grants to 80 women-owned restaurants across the state from Boston to North Adams.

Five important (non-Mac Jones) Patriots to watch in 2022

Before looking at which players the team can add in the offseason, here are some key current Patriots who will need to step up in 2022 to make the team more competitive.

LOVE LETTERS

Our only problem is sex

"I’m in my 70s, she’s in her 80s."

THE GREAT DIVIDE ⟶

See the latest from our education team focused on race, class, and opportunity in schools.

RHODE ISLAND ⟶

See the latest from Globe Rhode Island.

NEWTON ⟶

See the Globe’s expanded Newton coverage in partnership with Boston University.

Recommended reads

Sarah Harmon led a primal scream event on the football field at Charlestown High School for mothers of young children who can no longer deal with all the pandemic is throwing at them.

A Boston moms group met for a primal scream. Here’s what happened.

With Omicron picking off day care and playdates and sanity, it’s especially hard to be the parent of a young child right now. Cue the primal screams.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky defends her CDC tenure: ‘We’re making decisions in imperfect times’

The comments were something of a departure for Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who acknowledged in another recent interview that she had not been clear enough in her guidance as she attempts to change course after a rocky first year in her job.

Mass General Brigham backs extra tax on some real estate transactions to fund affordable housing

In an unusual public stance, the state’s largest private employer says the high cost of living in Massachusetts contributes to health disparities and staffing shortages.

Larry Edelman

Mass. businesses back financial relief on jobless claims clawbacks

Employers are urging a compromise solution on $2.7 billion in overpayment to hundreds of thousands of laid-off workers in Massachusetts.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

Introducing "National Plan for Vacation Day: The Game." (The game you didn't want to play.)

CHRISTOPHER MUTHER

Welcome to the game you didn’t want to play: Roll the dice and hope COVID doesn’t ruin your vacation (again)

Visitors at a preview of "Frida: Immersive Dream" at the Germania Club Building in Chicago.

‘Frida: Immersive Dream’ heading to Boston next month

A bottle of Ostreida vodka with oysters from Matunuck Oyster Farm in Rhode Island.

Here’s how a boutique distillery in Rhode Island is making the country’s first oyster-distilled vodka

Utilize the kiosks to hear the meditative notes of each individual tree.

Enjoy the soulful, natural music of the Seaport’s Singing Trees

Special Projects

Under the wheel

This is the story of Anthony Pledger and his mother, of Anthony’s lives and deaths, of Anthony and me.

Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, then president of Brigham Health, brought a Boston delegation in April 2018 to celebrate the opening of the Boao Evergrande International Hospital in China, constructed in a new medical tourism hub.

Spotlight team report

How Brigham Health helped create a Chinese hospital for elites — and almost nobody came

In a deal worth millions with Chinese developer Evergrande, a Harvard teaching hospital risked its reputation on what would become a near-empty shell.

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.

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Student Emma Low takes part in a pooled COVID-19 testing program at the Rupert A. Nock Middle School in Newburyport, in Feb. 2021.

Westyn Branch-Elliman, Elissa Perkins, and Shira Doron

It’s time to revamp testing and quarantine policy for asymptomatic students

Hardly had the fine words of President Biden's inaugural address receded in the rearview mirror than his commitment to healing and peacemaking faded.

Biden is failing because he abandoned his mandate

Governor Charlie Baker’s impending departure has left Attorney General Maura Healey, a well-known and well-liked statewide figure, the strong frontrunner.

Maura Healey will soon be in the governor’s race

General Electric workers protested out of concern for their safety due to COVID-19 on March 30, 2020, on Necco Street in Boston. Two years later, GE became the first major corporation to announce it was halting its implementation of the vaccine or test mandate.

Biden shouldn’t give up on vaccine mandates

In this Nov. 8, 2006 photo, American Nobel laureate and "Beloved" author Toni Morrison smiles during a press conference at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Democracy’s other threat: Book bans and purges

Kareem Farah, who founded the Modern Classrooms Project, in his classroom in Washington, D.C., in 2017.

IDEAS | THOMAS ARNETT

A better way to do online learning

Metro

Andrea Campbell mulling bid for Mass. attorney general

The former city councilor's interest in the role surfaced publicly just hours after Attorney General Maura Healey launched her campaign for governor Thursday.

Mayor Wu earmarks $50 million for improvements at Mildred C. Hailey housing complex in Jamaica Plain

Mayor Michelle Wu on Thursday pledged $50 million for renovations at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments complex in Jamaica Plain, and she also signed an order reaffirming the city’s commitment to fair housing and racial equity.

Coronavirus Live Updates

Coronavirus levels continue decline in region’s wastewater, amid national COVID-19 surge

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

At first gubernatorial campaign stop, Maura Healey pitches targeted solutions rather than sweeping change

Appearing Thursday morning in East Boston, Healey struck a moderate tone, zeroing in on specific problems such as the cost of living and high-priced childcare.

Sports

Jonnu Smith had 28 receptions for 294 yards and one touchdown in 2021.

Five important (non-Mac Jones) Patriots to watch in 2022

Before looking at which players the team can add in the offseason, here are some key current Patriots who will need to step up in 2022 to make the team more competitive.

A person wearing a face shield walks past the Olympic rings inside the main Olympics media center in Beijing.

NBC will not send announcers to Beijing for Winter Olympics

It will be the second straight Games for which the broadcast teams will work mostly out of NBC Sports headquarters in Connecticut, rather than the host city.

Jayson Tatum walks glumly off the court after Wednesday's loss to Charlotte.

gary washburn | HORNETS 111, CELTICS 102

Jayson Tatum is floundering from the 3-point line. Can he fix it in time for the Celtics to make a run?

Tatum was 0 for 7 in Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets as his percentage on long-range shots plummeted to 31.6 percent for the season.

Hornets 111, Celtics 102

Cold-shooting Celtics squander opportunity in loss to Hornets at Garden

Revolution players making their mark on US men’s national team roster

NHL expects to finish season on time despite schedule upheaval caused by COVID-19

Business

Plane heading to London returns to Miami over maskless passenger

An American Airlines flight to London returned to Miami after a passenger refused to follow the federal requirement to wear a face mask, according to the airline.

INNOVATION BEAT

The Cambridge startup tracking COVID in America’s waste water

Biobot Analytics is gaining traction and going mainstream as it studies sewage to predict the pandemic.

Restaurants are struggling. Here’s another bid to help them out.

Increased inflation tightens squeeze on consumers

STAT

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Subscribe to STAT Plus

‘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.

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.

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.

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

The power of having a great role model, whether you’re 9 or 99

Steamed Fish With Ginger and Shiitake Mushrooms

Recipes: Four ways to use ginger with fish, beef, pork, and chicken

It's been 50 years since the groundbreaking kids' show "Zoom" debuted on WGBH.

In 1972, the kids took over TV on the first "Zoom" to enter our homes

The roller-skating heroes who fought racism in Boston

metro

President Biden spoke during a news conference at the White House on Wednesday.

Biden invokes comments made by N.H. governor Sununu in slamming Republicans for blocking his agenda

Judge grants prosecutors’ request to dismiss charges against MIT professor accused of concealing ties with China

Tufts Medical Center will close its pediatric hospital after more than a century of treating sick kids

sports

Alize Cornet celebrates her second-round win over Garbine Muguruza in Melbourne.

Garbiñe Muguruza highest seed to fall so far in Australian Open with second-round exit

For on-ice official Kelly Cooke, this season has been like no other

Celtics create $6.9 million exception with Wednesday’s three-team trade

business

Visitors lined up at a COVID-19 PCR testing center in Valby, Denmark, on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.

36 percent lower risk of hospitalization from Omicron found in Denmark

US jobless claims rise to 286,000, highest since October

December was a good month for casinos

politics

Senators Susan Collins and Jon Ossoff.

Jon Ossoff, Susan Collins spar in unusually personal floor debate over voting rights legislation

Politically, Joe Biden needs a big win. And there is one way he can get it.

Ukrainian officials alleged of helping Russia sanctioned by US

Nation

MWRA's Deer Island treatment plant

Coronavirus levels in Boston-area waste water continue to plunge

Jon Ossoff, Susan Collins spar in unusually personal floor debate over voting rights legislation

Politically, Joe Biden needs a big win. And there is one way he can get it.

World

Visitors lined up at a COVID-19 PCR testing center in Valby, Denmark, on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.

36 percent lower risk of hospitalization from Omicron found in Denmark

Report on sexual abuse in German diocese faults retired Pope Benedict

Retired pope faulted over abuse cases when he was in Germany

opinion

Boston Police Sergeant Shana Cottone shouted a question to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu as she left her home for City Hall. Cottone, who has spearheaded the resistance to Wu’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees, is currently on leave during an internal affairs probe.

When do protests cross the line? It can depend on your politics.

Biden shouldn’t give up on vaccine mandates

Biden is failing because he abandoned his mandate

lifestyle

The Verb, a vintage rock 'n' roll-themed hotel located near Fenway Park on Boylston Street is the perfect not-so-faraway destination for music lovers.

In love with the idea of a getaway?

Aloft debuts in Providence, an ice hotel opens in Canada, and a Central Park hotel gets a refresh

Our only problem is sex

food & dining

The Fancy sandwich at Flourhouse Bakery.

Mike & Patty’s famous breakfast sandwiches are now at Flourhouse, their little Newton outpost

Friendly’s to launch a quick-service café model in Westfield

Your pandemic meal plan: 7 takeout ideas, one for every day of the week

travel

The Verb, a vintage rock 'n' roll-themed hotel located near Fenway Park on Boylston Street is the perfect not-so-faraway destination for music lovers.

In love with the idea of a getaway?

Aloft debuts in Providence, an ice hotel opens in Canada, and a Central Park hotel gets a refresh

Welcome to the game you didn’t want to play: Roll the dice and hope COVID doesn’t ruin your vacation (again)

Arts

Maria Yolanda Liebana’s mixed-media collage “Victorious.”

‘Vernacular Glamour’ excavates the material world

‘The Embrace,’ Boston’s long-awaited tribute to the Kings, will be unveiled on MLK Day 2023

At the MFA, a sleeping giant awakens

Books

Kerri Maher's "The Paris Bookseller" focuses on Paris in the 1920s and the bookstore that attracted Hemingway and Company

Weston author Kerri Maher captures 1920s Paris and its famed literary expats in ‘The Paris Bookseller’

Who betrayed Anne Frank? A new book tracks history’s most famous cold case.

A history of addiction in ‘The Urge’

Movies

Dick Johnson, in a scene from "Dick Johnson Is Dead."

Death becomes him

The Danish documentary ‘Flee’ is the latest reminder that animation doesn’t have to be just for children

‘Flee’ goes from Afghanistan to Denmark, with a lifetime in between

Television

A screenshot from a preview of "Houses With History."

Have an old Colonial on the South Shore in need of renovation? HGTV is casting for a new season

In HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age,’ old money vs. new money makes for a richly rewarding drama

Jon Stewart to receive Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

music

Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks to perform at Gillette Stadium for the first time

Boy Harsher’s new music sounded like a soundtrack to something. So they made a horror film.

Glimpsing what a new era at the BSO might bring

Theater/Dance

Tig Notaro, shown in her comedy special "Happy to Be Here."

Tig Notaro is back on tour, and it’s not the end of the road after all

Lasting lessons in Lyric Stage’s ‘Mr. Parent’

How ‘Pretty Woman’ became a head-turner

globe local

Anmol Sharma delivered food at the Hamilton Grove Apartments, subsidized low-income housing for seniors, in 2020. Members of Newton Neighbors Helping Newton Neighbors deliver groceries with the Newton Food Pantry and the Newton Housing Authority amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Newton Neighbors seeks volunteers for food pantry deliveries

Massachusetts remembers MLK, reflects on how his legacy can shape the future

‘It’s a systemic breakdown’: With jury trials suspended, an unprecedented backlog snowballs

Obituaries

Dr. McLanahan was a Princeton sociologist whose studies provided the groundwork for research into the changing structure of the American family.

Sara McLanahan, who studied single motherhood, dies at 81

Ray McNamara, firefighter who survived an explosion to inspire others, dies at 79

Influential fashion journalist André Leon Talley dies at 73