The Boston Globe

A facemasks-required sign was posted in the Roche Bros. Supermarket in Downtown Crossing.

With new masking guidance, is Mass. marching back toward some version of normal?

There remains wide disagreement among public health officials and others over whether states, including Massachusetts, should be pulling back on restrictions or their guidance to the public.

A window in a front hallway in Cambridge is adorned with face masks.

Here’s what to know about the new mask guidance in Mass.

The new mask recommendation marks a change from the state’s previous guidance that was issued in December as cases were rising. Here's what you need to know.

Beijing Winter Olympics

Slovakia 3, United States 2 (OT)

US men’s hockey team out of Olympics after losing to Slovakia in penalty shootout

The United States is out of the men’s hockey tournament at the Olympics in stunning fashion after blowing a late lead.

See more coverage of the Olympics

Slovakia's Peter Cehlárik looked back towards the net after scoring the winning goal against the United States.

Former Bruin Peter Cehlárik sends Team USA home without a men’s hockey medal

Cehlárik, who spent four seasons with the Bruins, is making his Olympic debut in Beijing.

Kamila Valieva of Team ROC skates during the women's single skating short program.

‘Rules are rules’: Figure skating community argues Kamila Valieva should not be allowed to compete

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva remains the heavy favorite to earn gold in the women’s individual competition, but many close to the sport are arguing the 15-year-old Olympian should not have been allowed to compete in the first place.

Valieva listed two legal oxygen boosters on Olympic forms

With Omicron on the wane, consumers edge back out into the world, but carefully

There’s a growing sense that COVID may finally become endemic like the flu. But the shift in mentality has made people question what a more-normal world means for their wallets.

COVID-19: THE LATEST

White House seeks another $30 billion for COVID battle; Boston’s indoor vaccine mandate tightens

5:47 a.m.
BioNTech plans modular vaccine factories in Africa
5:35 a.m.
US skater Vincent Zhou out of weeklong COVID-19 quarantine

Mass. lawmakers will vote on driver’s licenses for undocumented people. Police helped lead the fight.

Passage in the House, while necessary, may not be sufficient, some lawmakers believe. Leaders have been working to secure enough votes to override a potential veto from Governor Charlie Baker, who has opposed versions of the bill in the past.

Boston police officer arrested following domestic incident that involved a weapon

Officer Dana Lamb was charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon, the Boston Police Department said Tuesday.

Celtics 135, Sixers 87

Celtics blast Sixers for ninth straight win; lose Marcus Smart to injured ankle

The Celtics ran off to an 11-2 lead and were up by 27 points at halftime, allowing the starters to rest up for Wednesday’s home game against Detroit.

Josh McDaniels had plenty of nice things to say about the Patriots and New England fans.

Josh McDaniels bids farewell to New England, calls Patriots’ fans ‘the epitome of resilience and the definition of support’

McDaniels acknowledged what he called the “3 goats” he had a chance to work with in Belichick, Kraft, and Brady in his 21 years with New England, but he saved some of his fondest words for Patriots’ fans, both on and off the field.

A section of Long Wharf was flooded during high tide during the snowstorm in downtown Boston on Jan. 29, 2022.

Northeast is likely to experience more than a century’s worth of sea level rise from 2000 to 2050, report finds

By 2050, sea levels in Boston and elsewhere in the Northeast are likely to rise about 16 inches higher than they were in 2000 — significantly more than they have risen over the previous century, according to a new federal report.

This home was found up for sale in Newton last month.

As the spring housing market nears, there’s little to buy around Boston

Sales are down as prices start to level off after 18 torrid months of increases.

Opinion

A march in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 12.

IDEAS | JASON PACK

When the US shrinks from the stage, things fall apart

From Ukraine to the Middle East and Taiwan, the world requires bipartisan American leadership that’s gone out of fashion.

Glasnost on Beacon Hill

What does immigration status have to do with a driver’s license?

Contemplating curling — and other Winter Olympics observations

Mitch McConnell’s no longer useful idiot

Dragon Breath ramen from Red White.

Project Takeout

3 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

Third Harmonic Bio launches with $155m to develop pill for chronic hives

The Cambridge startup hopes that its experimental therapy can treat multiple conditions caused by severe allergies and inflammation.

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Backlash emerges over state’s proposal to soften school accountability

Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley called the proposal “accountability lite” and noted the state needs to create a new baseline for student achievement after MCAS performance declined during the pandemic.

THE FINE PRINT

Angry that your cable bill went up again? Here’s how to save.

The costs of Internet service, equipment rentals, fees, and taxes can add up. But you can pay less, while possibly getting more, by taking charge of how live TV gets into your house.

Strange looking fish washes up on Revere Beach

Erik Haigh lives in Revere and was walking on the beach when he came across the large fish, which was at least 5 feet long and completely out of the water.

P.J. O’Rourke, outspoken political satirist, dies at 74

The satirist, political commentator, and bestselling author was known for a range of books and for his appearances on the NPR show “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me.”

Harvard professor Danielle Allen to ‘wind down’ gubernatorial campaign

The Democrat boasted a sterling academic resume and had seen some fundraising success.

Recommended reads

An endcap display of marked-down items at the Stop & Shop on 460 Blue Hill Ave. in Dorchester shows discounts on cake frosting, two for $3, and cake mix, four for $5.

What does it say about your neighborhood if the supermarket isn’t so super?

A mother-and-daughter team went comparison-shopping at five Boston-area locations of Stop & Shop to see what grocery store shelves revealed about inequity in America.

‘I live here now’: More than 100 were stranded for 7 hours on Amtrak Acela train in Queens

Amtrak Acela Train 2151 stopped just outside the mouth of a tunnel in Queens at 8:37 a.m. and did not get moving again until 3:20 p.m., leaving the 106 passengers on board frustrated with the mounting delays.

Waffle war: Attleboro restaurant sues Garrett Harker’s Eastern Standard Provisions over recipe

The Burgundian restaurant, Eastern Standard Provisions, and restauranteur Garrett Harker are in a tussle over Belgian Liège waffles that appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things list.

Senate narrowly confirms President Biden’s pick to lead the FDA

The 50-46 vote means Dr. Robert Califf, a cardiologist and prominent medical researcher, will again lead the powerful regulatory agency, which he briefly headed during the end of President Barack Obama’s administration.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

Jake Blount, now based in Providence, was awarded the 2020 Steve Martin Banjo Prize.

Jake Blount is bringing old-time music to new audiences

Portuguese-Style Rice With Kale and Plum Tomatoes.

Cooking | Magazine

Recipes: Sturdy and sweet, kale amps up the flavor and texture of 3 dishes

Vintage Lee grew up in Roxbury and she'd like to give back.

Roxbury rapper Vintage Lee considers the possibilities, for herself and her community

Zendaya as Rue in season 2, episode 6 of "Euphoria."

Season 2, episode 6 of ‘Euphoria’ was all about forgiveness. Here are some noteworthy moments.

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.

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Members of the Ukrainian State Border Guard patrol along the border fence at the border crossing between Ukraine and Belarus on Feb. 13 in Vilcha, Ukraine.

Senate needs to hurry up on Russia sanctions

A social media post falsely claiming to show Jill Biden with Fidel Castro is displayed on a smartphone in Weston, Fla., on Oct. 15, 2020. Misinformation proliferates first online and is often shared on WhatsApp, which is particularly popular among Latino immigrants.

MARCELA GARCÍA

Taking on the scourge of online Spanish-language misinformation

Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Michelle Wu

While Baker stands up to police, Wu surrenders to unions

Members of the New York City Police Department carry flags, including one with the rainbow colors, during New York's Gay Pride Parade, June 30, 2013, in New York.

Passing the Equality Act will ensure LGBTQ civil rights

Thomas Koonce speaking at his commutation hearing before the Governor's Council on Jan. 26.

Thomas Koonce and William Allen have earned their redemption. Others deserve a second chance.

IDEAS | ELIZABETH SVOBODA

Loving sports can make you a better person

Metro

Coronavirus Live Updates

White House seeks another $30 billion for COVID battle; Boston’s indoor vaccine mandate tightens

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

Sandy Hook families settle with gunmaker for $73 million over massacre

The families of nine Sandy Hook school shooting victims settled a lawsuit for $73 million Tuesday against the maker of the AR-15-style rifle used in the massacre, in what is believed to be the largest payout by a gun manufacturer in a mass shooting case.

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Boston School Committee begins work in search for new superintendent

The School Committee must also work out details of a severance package for Brenda Cassellius, eight months after voting to extend her contract until 2024.

R.I. Senators debate repealing state’s voter ID law

Democratic Senator Mack calls the voter ID requirement “racist and restrictive,” but GOP Senator de la Cruz calls the voter ID law a “no-brainer” that has bipartisan support.

Sports

Kamila Valieva, of the Russian Olympic Committee, competed in the women's short program during the figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb. 15, 2022, in Beijing.

Olympics | Figure skating

Valieva listed two legal oxygen boosters on Olympic forms

Two legal substances used to improve heart function are listed on an anti-doping control form filled out for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva before her drug case at the Olympics erupted, according to documents submitted in her case.

Slovakia's Peter Cehlárik looked back towards the net after scoring the winning goal against the United States.

Olympics | Hockey

Former Bruin Peter Cehlárik sends Team USA home without a men’s hockey medal

Cehlárik, who spent four seasons with the Bruins, is making his Olympic debut in Beijing.

Josh McDaniels had plenty of nice things to say about the Patriots and New England fans.

Josh McDaniels bids farewell to New England, calls Patriots’ fans ‘the epitome of resilience and the definition of support’

McDaniels acknowledged what he called the “3 goats” he had a chance to work with in Belichick, Kraft, and Brady in his 21 years with New England, but he saved some of his fondest words for Patriots’ fans, both on and off the field.

Slovakia 3, United States 2 (OT)

US men’s hockey team out of Olympics after losing to Slovakia in penalty shootout

Celtics 135, Sixers 87

Celtics blast Sixers for ninth straight win; lose Marcus Smart to injured ankle

‘Rules are rules’: Figure skating community argues Kamila Valieva should not be allowed to compete

Business

Third Harmonic Bio launches with $155m to develop pill for chronic hives

The Cambridge startup hopes that its experimental therapy can treat multiple conditions caused by severe allergies and inflammation.

BioNTech plans modular vaccine factories in Africa

German vaccine maker BioNTech, which developed the first widely approved shot against COVID-19 together with Pfizer, unveiled plans Wednesday to establish manufacturing facilities in Africa that would boost the availability of much-needed medicines on the continent.

Sandy Hook families settle with gunmaker for $73 million over massacre

Second CNN executive exits in wake of internal Cuomo inquiry

STAT

Listen to our "First Opinion" podcast

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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 copy of the discarded note the author found.

I found a love note meant for someone else

A photo illustration of smoke coming from a gas stove.

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

I caught COVID from my boyfriend’s sister. And now she’s mad at me!

Mustard-Braised Chicken With
Tarragon served on egg noodles.

Recipes: A Valentine’s Day menu with French inspiration

metro

A section of the final House district map approved by the General Assembly on Tuesday.

Assembly votes for final House, Senate, congressional maps

With new masking guidance, is Mass. marching back toward some version of normal?

Sergeant Horatio Homer, Boston’s first Black police officer and lover of music and art

sports

Andover's Anna Foley (33) and teammate Tess Gobiel (4) are pumped after Foley hit a shot at the buzzer to end the first quarter.

Anna Foley, unbeaten Andover girls’ basketball easily pass test against Chelmsford

No. 8 Providence falls to No. 10 Villanova in men’s college basketball

Taunton boys’ basketball on brink of first Hockomock Kelley-Rex title after rallying past Mansfield

business

South Korea on Thursday began enforcing a new coronavirus testing policy centered on rapid testing as health officials reported a record number of new infections following the Lunar New Year holiday.

South Korea to give out rapid tests as Omicron shatters record

Casinos had a record year in 2021

With Omicron on the wane, consumers edge back out into the world, but carefully

politics

Arizona Chairwoman Kelli Ward spoke during the Rally To Protect Our Elections conference on July 24, 2021, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Jan. 6 inquiry subpoenas 6 tied to false pro-Trump elector effort

Biden says US hasn’t verified Russian claim of drawing down troops near Ukraine

Jury rejects Sarah Palin’s libel claim against NY Times

Nation

People wore masks at a subway station in New York, Feb. 9, 2022.

White House seeks another $30 billion for COVID battle; Boston’s indoor vaccine mandate tightens

BioNTech plans modular vaccine factories in Africa

Sandy Hook families settle with gunmaker for $73 million over massacre

World

A boy receives a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 at Discovery vaccination site in Sandton, Johannesburg, on December 15, 2021.

BioNTech plans modular vaccine factories in Africa

Prince Andrew’s deal with accuser leaves many questions lingering

Former Honduras president detained after a US extradition request

opinion

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky arrives to speak to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 8.

Mitch McConnell stuck his neck out, but leave his spine out of it

Thomas Koonce and William Allen have earned their redemption. Others deserve a second chance.

Senate needs to hurry up on Russia sanctions

lifestyle

Kids won’t listen? Science says music might help.

COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy may protect babies after birth, study suggests

Simone Biles engaged to Jonathan Owens on Valentine’s Day

food & dining

Fabrizia Spirits Limoncello.

A zest for limoncello and other Italian inspired treats

Counter Culture Coffee hosts pop-up coffee shops

GBH’s ‘Roadfood’ highlights the Portuguese culture of New Bedford and Fall River in upcoming episode

travel

Hadar Busia-Singleton in Brazil.

Hadar Busia-Singleton on fresh pasta, her Nintendo Switch, and memories of Miffy

Historic Harris Hill Ski Jump celebrates 100 years with a winter carnival

A portable cinema, an Empire State proposal, and two weekends of live dance

Arts

Ms. Herrera, shown in 2009, painted abstract geometric shapes in Paris and New York all but unnoticed for most of her long life.

Carmen Herrera, Cuban-born artist who won fame at 89, dies at 106

‘Frida,’ the latest immersive show to land in Boston, is a spectacle — but is it art?

Remembering Todd McKie, a painter known for his bright palette, dark humor, and friendship

Books

‘Moon Witch, Spider King’ turns African fantasy on its head

She follows her hunches for what to read next

The creation and the critique in ‘Pure Colour’

Movies

From left to right, Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes.

Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes tapped to host the Oscars

Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes to host Oscars, reports say

Two documentaries offer powerful profiles of Black resistance

Television

Von Miller and the Rams were victorious on Sunday night.

Rams’ Super Bowl win hauls in largest viewing audience since Patriots beat Falcons in 2017

Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes tapped to host the Oscars

Season 2, episode 6 of ‘Euphoria’ was all about forgiveness. Here are some noteworthy moments.

music

Mr. McDonald, performing with Foreigner at Comiskey Park in Chicago in 1978.

Ian McDonald, of the bands King Crimson and Foreigner, dies at 75

Jake Blount is bringing old-time music to new audiences

Violinist Randall Goosby brings top-tier talents to Boston

Theater/Dance

Loretta Greco was formerly artistic director of San Francisco's Magic Theatre.

Loretta Greco named artistic director at the Huntington Theatre Company

Marianna Bassham’s brilliant disguises in ‘People, Places & Things’

Elma Lewis brought Boston’s thriving Black arts scene to the national stage

globe local

Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.

Newly appointed Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden will run to permanently succeed Rachael Rollins

3-alarm fire damages roof, solar panels at Newburyport printing company

Dracut police ask public to help identify 2 suspects in $12k robbery case

Obituaries

P. J. O'Rourke.

P.J. O’Rourke, outspoken political satirist, dies at 74

Ian McDonald, of the bands King Crimson and Foreigner, dies at 75

Carmen Herrera, Cuban-born artist who won fame at 89, dies at 106