The Boston Globe

With Mass. lifting school mask mandate, local districts now weigh their own requirements

Multiple school districts said Wednesday they have not yet decided whether to require masks in schools after the state’s mandate ends.

Mass. mask mandate for K-12 schools will be lifted Feb. 28, Baker says

Massachusetts State House locked down after protesters enter building during Baker press conference

2,794 confirmed cases and 69 deaths. See today’s COVID-19 data from Mass.

Coronavirus levels continue to decline in waste water

The good news keeps flowing in from testing of Eastern Massachusetts waste water for traces of coronavirus.

COVID-19: THE LATEST

Democrats loosen COVID restrictions; Hospitals begin to limp out of the latest surge

In Boston’s District 4, new councilor Brian Worrell wrestles with police reform questions

New District 4 Councilor Brian Worrell's views on police reform, and the delicate political balance they strike, point to the complexities of the debate that often get lost or ignored in the public debate.

Tuukka Rask announced his retirement Wednesday.

Tuukka Rask, Bruins’ winningest goalie, announces retirement at 34 after battling injuries

The 34-year-old Rask signed a one-year deal to return to Boston in January after dealing with injuries.

tara sullivan

Brian Flores is taking on the NFL at great personal risk. It doesn’t surprise those who know him best.

Flores's friends describe him as a man of integrity and character whose motivation has always been "doing what's right."

Roger Goodell has been NFL commissioner since 2006.

When pressed on lack of diversity, Roger Goodell says NFL ‘won’t tolerate racism,’ but has little in the way of concrete solutions

In his annual "state of the league" press conference, Goodell touched on the workplace harassment allegations within the Washington Commanders and said the league would play in Germany this year.

Beijing Winter Olympics

Olympics

‘It kept me hungry’: Sixteen years after her infamous mistake, Lindsey Jacobellis is finally an Olympic gold medalist

Sixteen years after a disastrous decision cost her an Olympic gold medal, American snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis finally has her hands on the elusive prize.

After being disqualified from Wednesday's slalom, Mikaela Shiffrin didn't have a lot of answers.

Mikaela Shiffrin suddenly finds herself facing a mountain of uncertainty

After two DNFs, the American ski racing star needs to reset, but she's not sure how to, because she has never had to do it before.

Here's today's primetime TV schedule See more coverage of the Winter Olympics

Susan Collins has been appointed the next president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. (Photo courtesy of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.)

Susan M. Collins becomes first Black woman, woman of color to lead Boston Federal Reserve Bank

The economist will join the Fed in July from the University of Michigan, where she has been provost and executive vice president for academic affairs since 2020.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu

In ongoing COVID-19 vaccine mandate battle, frictions emerge between council and Wu

The political jousting between Mayor Michelle Wu, who served on the City Council for more than seven years, and certain councilors is the latest development in a conflict that has dominated the early part of her tenure.

Tom Brady (left) with Jim Gray in 2015.

dan shaughnessy

We just said goodbye to Tom Brady, and he’s already talking about a comeback?

Feeding his seemingly endless desire for attention, Brady floated the idea of playing in the NFL again on his podcast.

Opinion

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu rides the escalator at the State Street station after her early morning rush hour commute on the MBTA Orange Line on Dec. 17.

Boston will bounce back when office workers come back to Boston

Mayor Wu is doing the right thing by nudging the city back to life.

Sharon E. Burke

Why the Defense Dept. is exempt from cutting greenhouse gas emissions

Laurence H. Tribe and Dennis Aftergut

Supreme Court shows its true colors by greenlighting Alabama’s racial gerrymander

IDEAS | SASWATO R. DAS

An inventor that isn’t human

The GOP’s bad bet: Declaring war on the truth

Masala Art's Gobhi Gulistan and Vegetable Samosa.

Project Takeout

4 places we supported this week

Want to order from local, independent restaurants? Here are some suggestions from Globe staff.

Browse a map of reader-recommended takeout spots Explore the full project

More recent stories

Harvard professors drop support for colleague accused of sexual harassment

Many professors said they regretted signing the letter in support of John Comaroff without knowing more about allegations against him. Multiple graduate students have accused him of sexual harassment, unwanted touching, and professional retaliation.

Three graduate students file sexual harassment suit against prominent Harvard anthropology professor

Some fans grumble that one of the Boston SmartLess Live shows ‘was a swing and a miss’

Fans from around the country came to Boston Friday for the SmartLess Tour Live, hosted by actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett — an in-person version of their hilarious and highly successful podcast, “SmartLess.” But some ticket holders left the 9 p.m. show unamused.

VCU apologizes after URI radio broadcaster with disability blocked from working

A fence blocked the platform where Shane Donaldson was supposed to sit to work. The accommodation? A stepladder which was impossible for Donaldson, who has cerebral palsy, to use.

Mayor Wu announces three buses will be free for two years starting in March

Riders of the 23, 28, and 29 buses that run through Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury will not be charged any fares starting in March, officials announced Wednesday.

MOVIE REVIEW | ★★

In ‘Death on the Nile,’ it’s row, row, Poirot your boat

Kenneth Branagh returns as Agatha Christie’s detective hero. The film, which premieres on Friday, also stars Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, and Letitia Wright.

Newton approves two settlements for firefighters who alleged discrimination on the job

“We know we have work to do, urgent work, to create, implement and nurture a more equitable and inclusive workplace,” Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said in a statement.

Recommended reads

Ann Suny greeted her mother, Sue Frost, at Stonebridge after the move from Wood Haven Senior Living in Tewksbury.

‘Completely blindsided’: Tewksbury home evacuates seniors after citing disputed emergency order

More than 30 memory care residents were uprooted from Wood Haven Senior Living in late January after they and their families were told the fire department ordered an evacuation.

The Obamas’ presidential portraits are heading to Boston this fall

In September, the MFA will present portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama as part of an extended National Portrait Gallery tour.

Arctic bird spotted in Acton last month after storm; thick-billed murre found ‘emaciated’

The bird was a thick-billed Murre, a species that’s common in the Arctic region but not in Massachusetts, said Wayne Petersen, director of important bird areas at Mass Audubon.

Maine cat that ended up in Florida is on its way home

A Maine family that long ago gave up on a lost family cat is being reunited — more than six years and 1,500 miles later.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

Gordon Ramsay during an interview with the Boston Globe.

I spent time in a kitchen with Gordon Ramsay — and I survived

Elle Fanning (with Michael Mosley as attorney Joseph Cataldo) bears a striking resemblance to Michelle Carter in advance photos for "The Girl From Plainville."

Hulu’s ‘The Girl From Plainville’ premieres March 29

Artist Nick Shea, 25, does $1 sketches of passersby from a bench on Boston Common.

One hour on a bench with the $1 sketch artist of Boston Common

Choreographer/Director Rachel Bertone Photo credit: Courtesy Reagle Music Theatre -- 22Rise

Rachel Bertone named new leader of Reagle Music Theatre

Special Projects

Into the Red illustration.

Into the Red: How the Globe will cover climate change

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

Under the wheel

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

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.

FROM OUR PARTNERS

product by Studio/B. What is this?This content was produced by Boston Globe Media's Studio/B in collaboration with the advertiser. The news and editorial departments of the Boston Globe had no role in its production or display.

product by BG BRANDLAB. What is this?This content was produced by Boston Globe Media's Studio/B in collaboration with the advertiser. The news and editorial departments of the Boston Globe had no role in its production or display.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Senators Rodger Smitherman (left) and Jim McClendon look over maps during the special session on redistricting at the Alabama State House in Montgomery, on Nov. 1, 2021.

Laurence H. Tribe and Dennis Aftergut

Supreme Court shows its true colors by greenlighting Alabama’s racial gerrymander

Intellectual property law assumes humans are the driving force of invention. However, patent attorney Ryan Abbott says, artificial intelligence systems can “emulate certain aspects of the inventive process particularly autonomously.”

IDEAS | SASWATO R. DAS

An inventor that isn’t human

President Donald Trump smiles at supporters after a 2020 campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The GOP’s bad bet: Declaring war on the truth

A member of a pro-Trump mob shatters a window with his fist from inside the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021.

The Capitol insurrection was not ‘political discourse.’ It was a violent act of sedition.

The State House remains closed to visitors.

IDEAS | JERRY BERGER

What are they hiding on Beacon Hill?

IDEAS | DAVID SCHARFENBERG

Republicans are making it harder to vote. How much will it matter?

Metro

Rhode Island crime news: February 2022

Regular updates from police and the Rhode Island courts.

Judge sentences former casino executive to one year in prison in Varsity Blues case

Prosecutors are urging a federal judge to sentence Gamal Abdelaziz to 14 months in prison, arguing that he has failed to accept responsibility for his conduct.

Coronavirus Live Updates

Democrats loosen COVID restrictions; Hospitals begin to limp out of the latest surge

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

In Massachusetts, a banner election year

This year, Massachusetts is looking at its most interesting and wide-open political season in a long time.

Sports

Shaun White couldn't hide his excitement after making the men's halfpipe final in his last trip to the Olympics.

After a fall, Shaun White stomps his way into Olympic halfpipe final

Having fallen in the first round of qualifying, White made his last chance to make his last Olympic final count.

Senior captain Shana Cote leads the Suffolk women's hockey team with 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) and ranks as the Commonwealth Coast Conference's points leader.

women's college hockey notebook

Shana Cote a driving force behind the success of Suffolk’s women’s hockey program

The senior captain is her team's scoring leader this season and has 85 career points, which accounts for 25 percent of the program’s all-time total.

The Canadiens had the worst record in the NHL under coach Dominique Ducharme.

The last-place Montreal Canadiens fire head coach Dominique Ducharme

Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis was named the interim coach.

Brian Flores is taking on the NFL at great personal risk. It doesn’t surprise those who know him best.

Tuukka Rask, Bruins’ winningest goalie, announces retirement at 34 after battling injuries

john powers | on the olympics

Mikaela Shiffrin suddenly finds herself facing a mountain of uncertainty

Business

Samsung unveils new phones as premium market share shrinks

One of most most noticeable changes in the Samsung lineup is the addition of a built-in pen to take digital notes and draw on the screen of the Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G smartphone model that will cost $1,200.

Microsoft lays out new app store rules as it seeks approval of its Activision deal

The company laid out new data-collection, competition, and payment policies for its Xbox and Windows software stores that it says address regulators’ broader concerns about rival app stores.

No US challenge to $43 billion Discovery-WarnerMedia deal

COVID-19 vaccines, prescriptions fuel strong quarter at CVS

STAT

Listen to our "First Opinion" podcast

|

Listen to our "Readout LOUD" podcast

|

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

A photo illustration of smoke coming from a gas stove.

There’s an invisible air quality threat lurking inside our homes

Mustard-Braised Chicken With
Tarragon served on egg noodles.

Recipes: A Valentine’s Day menu with French inspiration

After my son died, a victim of the opioid epidemic, my heart broke beyond repair

Those COVID tracking charts start here, with Biobot sewage analysis that knows we’re sick before we do

metro

Students waited in line in a hallway as they wore masks during summer school at Horace Mann School in Salem.

With Mass. lifting school mask mandate, local districts now weigh their own requirements

Governor Charlie Baker to release first book

Harvard professors drop support for colleague accused of sexual harassment

sports

Lindsey Jacobellis won the US's first gold.

2022 Winter Olympics: See tonight’s primetime schedule

Jerod Mayo says Patriots’ defense must get faster, and he’ll be back to help coach it up

When pressed on lack of diversity, Roger Goodell says NFL ‘won’t tolerate racism,’ but has little in the way of concrete solutions

business

Aaron Bent, CEO of 6K inc., beside a UniMelt machine that produces materials for lithium ion batteries. The company is making materials for lithium ion batteries using a high-tech reactor system.

Mass. companies lead the way on US lithium battery production

Susan M. Collins becomes first Black woman, woman of color to lead Boston Federal Reserve Bank

Entertainment Weekly, InStyle among six IAC magazines going digital only

politics

Trump supporters gather to protest the election results at the Michigan Capitol building in Lansing on Nov. 7, 2020.

Giuliani asked Michigan prosecutor to give voting machines to Trump team

Why Trump’s endorsement of this candidate is roiling the MAGA base

Now it’s Democratic governors pushing to ease up on COVID restrictions

Nation

Israeli shoppers gathered in Tel Aviv's Carmel Market on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. A third dose of the Pfizer vaccine can dramatically reduce rates of COVID-related illness in people 60 and older, according to data from a short-term study in Israel.

Democrats loosen COVID restrictions; Hospitals begin to limp out of the latest surge

With Mass. lifting school mask mandate, local districts now weigh their own requirements

National Archives asks Justice Department to investigate Trump’s handling of White House records

World

A child's COVID-19 vaccine dose

World surpasses 400 million known coronavirus cases and confronts how to live with COVID

Ivermectin was given to thousands of COVID patients in Mexico City. Officials face an ethics backlash.

Canadian demonstrations inspire vaccine-mandate protests from New York to New Zealand

opinion

President Vladimir Putin's ultimate goal is to make Ukraine once against a satellite of Moscow, as it was during the Soviet era.

Putin’s phony grievance

White nationalists in Boston should serve as a ‘wake-up call’

Lift the school mask mandate

lifestyle

Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes of "SmartLess."

Some fans grumble that one of the Boston SmartLess Live shows ‘was a swing and a miss’

I spent time in a kitchen with Gordon Ramsay — and I survived

4 places we supported this week

food & dining

Gordon Ramsay during an interview with the Boston Globe.

I spent time in a kitchen with Gordon Ramsay — and I survived

4 places we supported this week

Happy Valentine’s Day to me!

travel

We've come up with some ideas for what to name the new Frontier/Spirit airline if it happens.

Spirit and Frontier are merging, but what should the new airline be called? We have ideas.

With new Frontier flight to Cancun, Rhode Island’s ‘international’ airport will soon live up to the name

Counting on ‘endemic’: The travel industry readies for a potentially new phase

Arts

Marie Watt's "Skyscraper," from 2012, and Cannupa Hanska Luger's "Every One," 2018, at the entry to their joint exhibition "Each/Other" at the Peabody Essex Museum.

A study in contrasts and collaboration in ‘Each/Other’

One hour on a bench with the $1 sketch artist of Boston Common

Conscious coupling in ‘Love Stories,’ now at Worcester Art Museum

Books

Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award co-chairs Suzanne Larson, left. and Barbara Fecteau plan to announce the first winner in October.

Mass. librarians launch the Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award

A cold that bites in Sarah Manguso’s ‘Very Cold People’

Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk’s new novel, ‘The Books of Jacob,’ awes in size and scope

Movies

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in "Death on the Nile."

In ‘Death on the Nile,’ it’s row, row, Poirot your boat

‘2001,’ ‘Blade Runner’ effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull dies

Globe critics react to the 2022 Oscar nominations list

Television

Julia Garner as Anna Delvey in "Inventing Anna."

In ‘Inventing Anna,’ a con artist who isn’t easy to understand

Get set for season 3 of ‘My Brilliant Friend’

Hulu’s ‘The Girl From Plainville’ premieres March 29

music

Boston's Ella Boissonnault has set Lady Pills on a fresh course as a solo artist.

The ‘identity crisis’ that produced Lady Pills’ confident new sound

Angelique Kidjo’s music and her mission to empower women

Zander and Boston Philharmonic take on Shostakovich and Beethoven

Theater/Dance

Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes of "SmartLess."

Some fans grumble that one of the Boston SmartLess Live shows ‘was a swing and a miss’

Angelique Kidjo’s music and her mission to empower women

‘An Octoroon’ offers a challenging, heart-stirring look at the past and present

globe local

CultureHouse Salem offers pop-up arts and culture space.

Remnants of the past, a new fitness center, and community conversations

In Newtonville, ‘Roasted Spoke’ opens doors to bicyclists

Newton approves two settlements for firefighters who alleged discrimination on the job

Obituaries

Mr.Trumbull demonstrated a zero gravity crane equipped with a cinema camera in his Berkshires studio in 2015.

‘2001,’ ‘Blade Runner’ effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull dies

Robin Herman, ‘perfect role model’ for female sports journalists, dies at 70

George Crumb, eclectic composer who searched for sounds, dies at 92