The Boston Globe

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the floor after the House adjourned until later Wednesday evening as the House meets for a second day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.

Four ways the chaos over the House Speaker vote could end

For those watching House Republicans, with their slim majority, struggle to pick a speaker this week, it might seem as if the situation could drag on forever. But here are four ways it could end.

Speaker drama ripples throughout basic congressional function Representative Byron Donalds was getting votes for Speaker of the House. Who is he? Tracker: See the Republicans opposing Kevin McCarthy’s speaker bid

Kevin McCarthy listened in the House Chamber during the second day of elections for speaker of the House on Wednesday.

McCarthy rejected in sixth vote for House speaker with GOP in disarray

House Republicans flailed through a second day of multiple balloting Wednesday, unable to elect Representative Kevin McCarthy as House speaker or to come up with a new strategy to end the political chaos that has tarnished the start of their new majority.

US House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy listened in the House Chamber during the second day of elections for Speaker of the House.

Kevin McCarthy falls short in six House speaker votes, and Twitter lets loose with a flood of memes

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talked with Representative Matt Gaetz during opening day of the 118th Congress at the Capitol on Tuesday.

Here’s what AOC was saying to two far-right Republicans during House speaker votes

Representative Kevin McCarthy left what is normally the Speakers Office, which has no nameplate, to head to the House floor, Wednesday, on Capitol Hill.

Kevin McCarthy draws mockery online for moving into speaker’s office — even though he’s not speaker

On a conference call Wednesday, NFL executive vice president for communications Jeff Miller said no decision has been made yet with what to do about the Bengals-Bills game.

Should the NFL reschedule the Bengals-Bills game? Cancel it? No easy answers

Bengals-Bills is a significant game for playoff seeding. It affects both of those teams, and several others.

Robert Kraft donated a specific amount to Damar Hamlin’s fundraiser. Here’s why. Damar Hamlin remains in ICU, but recovery is moving in 'positive direction'

Charles D. Baker with his sons Charlie (left) and Jonathan in 1960.

The outgoing governor’s ‘number one adviser’: Dad

After two terms, Charlie Baker leaves the job that he hopes has been the distillation of the values his father spent a lifetime imparting to his three beloved sons.

Red Sox, Rafael Devers agree to 11-year, $331 million contact extension to keep third baseman in Boston

Since reaching the big leagues as a 20-year-old in 2017, Devers repeatedly has made clear his enthusiasm for playing in Boston and his openness to a long-term deal.

Rafael Devers hit .295/.358/.521 with 27 homers, 88 RBIs, and 70 extra-base hits in 141 games in 2022.

Healey appoints acting secretary for Health and Human Services

Mary Beckman will temporarily oversee the largest single department in the state.

Healey appoints economic development and technology secretaries

‘Varsity Blues’ mastermind sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison
William “Rick” Singer, a college admissions consultant, was the mastermind of the sprawling Varsity Blues bribery scheme, helping his wealthy clients get their children accepted to elite colleges by cheating on admission tests or posing as fake athletic recruits.

Cambridge police officer fatally shoots man allegedly armed with machete, authorities say

Officers responded to the area of Chestnut and Sidney Street for a report of a man “armed with a machete and in apparent distress,” the Cambridge Police Department said in a tweet posted at 1:46 p.m.

Connecticut youth ice hockey coach fired for pulling down player on opposing team during game in New Hampshire

Police chiefs hail Legislature’s passage of catalytic converter theft bill

Woman suffers ‘potentially life-threatening’ injuries after being struck by vehicle in Newton

Janet Wu, right, and Alison King have dominated the local political scene for years but will sign off for good.

As Janet Wu and Alison King sign off, they talk about favorite politicians and the future of local TV news

As a new era on Beacon Hill begins, it’s the end of another as two doyennes of the political press corps ― Janet Wu and Alison King — sign off.

Carrie Coon (left) and Keira Knightley as Jean Cole and Loretta McLaughlin in the upcoming true crime thriller "Boston Strangler."

First-look at ‘Boston Strangler,’ which starts streaming on Hulu March 17

In the film shot in Boston, Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon star as journalists who connected the dots on the 1960s murders.

A new travel poll found people in Massachusetts want to move to New Hampshire. Can it be?

Don’t laugh. New travel poll finds Massachusetts families want to relocate to N.H. in 2023.

You have to have thick skin to live in the Granite State and hang around a bunch of Massachusetts people. Turns out, maybe they're just jealous?

Opinion

Kevin McCarthy spoke with a colleague as the US House of Representatives continues voting for its new speaker at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 4.

The math is clear: McCarthy should start courting Democrats

The next speaker of the House must work across the aisle if they actually want government to govern.

Has the company building MBTA trains ‘completely abandoned its core responsibilities’?

Most schools celebrate standout students. This one sabotages them.

Assisted suicide’s slippery slope

A new year’s nudge toward political reasonableness

Examples of racism denial.

The Emancipator

The art of the denial

Racism denial is a political strategy and a coping tool, used by those who benefit from racism and those unwilling to confront the dire contradictions in our society. Phillipe Copeland walks us through its different forms so we can recognize and counter them.

High Med. Low

Select a county:

Special reports

Boston, MA—12/14/2022 - Commuters wait for the T to arrive at Ruggles Station. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

Boston doesn’t work if the T doesn’t work

Members of the 2001 Patriots team that won the franchise’s first title.

Darkness on the edge of the Patriots dynasty

The 2022 Top Places to Work in Massachusetts

More recent News

AG asks high court to restore charges in Soldiers’ Home case
State lawyers asked Massachusetts' highest court to restore criminal charges against two former top officials of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, where at least 76 veterans died from COVID-19.

Violent and property crimes dropped 2 percent in Boston last year, police say
Serious crime dipped by 2 percent in Boston last year compared to 2021, according to Boston police statistics released Tuesday.

Maine teenager charged with attacking NYPD police officers allegedly wanted to ‘kill an officer in uniform,’ court records say
In a two-page affidavit, NYPD Detective Kim Strafella of the Joint Terrorism Task Force wrote that Trevor Bickford, 19, of Wells, Maine, admitted to the burst of violence.

Forecast | Dave Epstein

More rain on its way with a chill to follow
Rain is likely overnight Wednesday, with up to half an inch of precipitation.

LOVE LETTERS

I moved out of his house. Do I leave all my stuff behind?
He and I have had so many fights that I finally just packed a bag and moved into a hotel with my dog.

Would you want to be composted after you die? Mass. lawmakers want to make it an option.
New York on Saturday became the sixth state to allow the practice, which advocates say is better for the climate than either burial or cremation.

Boston Globe Spotlight Team

Send The Boston Globe a confidential news tip
Do you have a tip about something that needs to be investigated? Do you have documents or data we should dig into? We want to hear from you.

Recapping 2022

The 23 best photos of 2022 from Boston Globe photographers

Celtics great Bill Russell was court side for the Bill Russell Mentoring Grant Program partnering with the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and the Mass Mentoring Partnership. Feb. 15, 2012.

A year in deaths

Other notable deaths

A photo collage with the year 2022 in large yellow characters. It's set on a backdrop of cutout photos with what appears to be Scotch tape keeping them together. Among the photos: Will Smith hitting Chris Rock at the Oscars, President Biden, Amber Heard in court, Queen Elizabeth, Elon Musk, Taylor Swift, Nancy Pelosi, and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Dave Barry’s 2022 Year in Review

Recommended reads

Emmanuel Allen, director of the Boston Public Schools re-engagement center, visited families' homes in September to encourage students to return to school. Allen said the district is ramping up efforts to bring back students who have dropped out and to work with students who are at risk of dropping out.

The Great Divide

Here’s what is on the horizon for Boston Public Schools in 2023

It will also be the district’s first full calendar year under Superintendent Mary Skipper, who took charge in September.

Gym fees, online shopping, bounced checks: Ex-fiancée of Aaron Hernandez accused of misspending money meant for couple’s young daughter
The fight started when Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez said she couldn’t afford the $10,697 bill for her daughter’s dance lessons. Jenkins-Hernandez denies wrongdoing in the dispute over the late Patriots player’s estate.

GETTING SALTY

Longtime Harvard Gardens bartender Karen Peterson on serving Steven Tyler, her favorite neighborhood dive, and how not to get served
She’s been pouring drinks for thirsty Bostonians for more than 30 years.

Welcome to the great Marblehead newspaper war
Three outlets — adhering to three different business models — are in the unexpected position of battling it out for the readers of the North Shore town.

video

Culture & Lifestyle

Carrie Coon (left) and Keira Knightley as Jean Cole and Loretta McLaughlin in the upcoming true crime thriller "Boston Strangler."

First-look at ‘Boston Strangler,’ which starts streaming on Hulu March 17

Elissa Epel's new book is "The Stress Prescription"

I’m starting the year with ‘The Stress Prescription’

Lowell native Bobby Beauchesne and a portion of his collection of McDonald's memorabilia.

This Lowell native has spent 15 years on a quest to become a McDonald’s ‘super collector’

A New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square.

Eight podcasts to help you achieve your goals for the new year

Special Projects

Two Weeks in America

Two Weeks in America

We sent a dozen journalists on the road across this complex country. They found it’s better than you think.

Top Spots to Live in Greater Boston in 2022

A guide to 36 Greater Boston communities where demand — and prices — are surging.

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

President Biden handed the pen he used to sign the Democrats' landmark climate change and health care bill to Senator Joe Manchin as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer watched, at the White House in August.

A new year’s nudge toward political reasonableness

Now that the city has the power to increase linkage fees on commercial developments and inclusionary zoning requirements for new residential construction, it is the master of its own fate.

Wu’s affordable housing plan needs a reboot

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Dec. 26.

IDEAS | STEPHEN KINZER

As Turkey turns 100, its democratic future still has not arrived

Country musician Earl Thomas Conley and R&B-pop star Anita Pointer performed their duet "Too Many Times," during the Country Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 1986.

Remembering Anita Pointer, a country music pioneer

What I learned about Massachusetts playing GeoGuessr

IDEAS | ADRIANA BARTON

The ‘Mozart effect’ is bunk. But your brain on music is still a wondrous thing.

Metro

Kevin McCarthy falls short in six House speaker votes, and Twitter lets loose with a flood of memes

By late afternoon Wednesday, the second day of balloting for House speaker, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy had failed six times to scrounge enough support votes from members of his own party to land the job.

Faith leaders call for R.I. officials to act on housing, hunger, and mental health care

“Here is the $610 million budget surplus question,” Episcopal Diocese archdeacon Grace Swinski said. “How can all these people be best served?”

Four ways the chaos over the House Speaker vote could end

For those watching House Republicans, with their slim majority, struggle to pick a speaker this week, it might seem as if the situation could drag on forever. But here are four ways it could end.

Live updates: House speaker vote

House finishes sixth round of voting; Kevin McCarthy fails in latest bid for speaker

We’re gathering the latest news and updates from the vote for the House speaker. Follow along.

Sports

Mac Jones and the Patriots returned to practice at Gillette Stadium Wednesday.

Patriots return to practice but postpone media availabilities

The Patriots are preparing to play the Bills Sunday.

With grit and drive, senior Hannah Martin has North Andover (5-2) pointed in the right direction in the Merrimack Valley Conference.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

Girls’ basketball notebook: Even if it means spilling some blood, North Andover’s Hannah Martin embraces a hard-nosed approach on the hardcourt

The 5-foot-6-inch senior guard has developed a reputation for her bloody-nosed performances for the Scarlet Knights (5-2). “It speaks to her ability to just kind of play hard,” said North Andover coach Jess Deveny.

On a conference call Wednesday, NFL executive vice president for communications Jeff Miller said no decision has been made yet with what to do about the Bengals-Bills game.

Ben Volin I On football

Should the NFL reschedule the Bengals-Bills game? Cancel it? No easy answers

Bengals-Bills is a significant game for playoff seeding. It affects both of those teams, and several others.

Red Sox, Rafael Devers agree to 11-year, $331 million contact extension to keep third baseman in Boston

Red Sox finalize 2023 coaching staff with official announcement of Kyle Hudson hire

HS girls' basketball: Players of the Week

EMass girls’ basketball: Pacing No. 3 Bishop Feehan to three wins, Sammy Reale headlines Players of the Week

Business

Barstool Sports gets state approval for online betting license

The Barstool Sports sports betting app on Wednesday got the green light from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for an online sports wagering operator license.

Apple’s stock is losing its shine after an ugly month of December

Delays in production of iPhones and concern that demand is weakening as the economy slows are making the stock look more pedestrian by the day.

As Janet Wu and Alison King sign off, they talk about favorite politicians and the future of local TV news

GE spinoff has a good first day

magazine

Dr. Jim O’Connell checks on a homeless person on the grounds of the Old West Church in 2017.

‘If you want to solve homelessness in Boston, you’ve got to take a look at the real estate market.’

Globe Magazine.

I moved out of his house. Do I leave all my stuff behind?

Charles Fessenden “Fez” Morse III, the writer’s father-in-law, at age 90, near Swan’s Island in Maine.

My father-in-law recently turned 100. His life has been quietly extraordinary.

Check out Getting Up(side Down): Handstands, an all-levels experiential workshop at Brookline’s Down Under School of Yoga.

YOUR WEEK AHEAD

Five things to do for fun in and around Boston, Jan. 2 - 8

metro

Charles D. Baker with his sons Charlie (left) and Jonathan in 1960.

The outgoing governor’s ‘number one adviser’: Dad

Rhode Island business news: January 2023

Spencer, the Boston Marathon’s beloved golden retriever, honored with portrait at Fairmont Copley Plaza

sports

Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley (center) has quietly racked up a Patriots-leading 115 tackles this season.

Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley is a tackling machine, and teammate Matthew Judon wants everyone to know it

As he transitions into coaching role, Brad Knighton reflects on his Revolution career

Could the Celtics and Bruins be peaking too soon? Here’s what history says about fast starts.

business

In an effort to grow revenue, Twitter announced Tuesday that the social media platform will ease up on its 3-year-old ban on political advertising.

Twitter says it will relax ban on political advertising

Credit-reporting firms face more scrutiny as complaints jump

Meta fined $414m in latest European privacy crackdown

politics

President Biden shook hands with Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, after speaking about his infrastructure agenda under the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge, Wednesda, in Covington, Ky.

Biden to visit border as part of summit trip to Mexico

Kevin McCarthy falls short in six House speaker votes, and Twitter lets loose with a flood of memes

Survey: Religiously, Congress doesn’t reflect America

Nation

Standing in front of the Ohio River in Covington, Ky., President Joe Biden was joined by Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to highlight the infrastructure funding for the Brent Spence Bridge, which connects Covington, Kentucky, to Cincinnati.

Biden promotes bipartisan victories as divisions roil the Republican Party

Fla. surgeon general used ‘flawed’ vaccine science, faculty peers say

Proud Boys go to trial on sedition as Jan. 6 probe heats up

World

Yariv Levin, center, spoke to lawmakers in Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Dec. 13, 2022. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s justice minister Levin unveiled the new government’s long-promised overhaul of the judicial system that aims to weaken the Supreme Court.

Israel’s new government unveils plan to weaken Supreme Court

Pope praises ‘acute and gentle’ Benedict ahead of funeral

Japan’s PM Kishida vows deeper alliance with US on defense

opinion

President Biden handed the pen he used to sign the Democrats' landmark climate change and health care bill to Senator Joe Manchin as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer watched, at the White House in August.

A new year’s nudge toward political reasonableness

How Michelle Wu can become a global mayor on climate

Remembering Anita Pointer, a country music pioneer

lifestyle

Elissa Epel's new book is "The Stress Prescription"

I’m starting the year with ‘The Stress Prescription’

Robert Kraft buys $23.75 million penthouse in Palm Beach

This Lowell native has spent 15 years on a quest to become a McDonald’s ‘super collector’

food & dining

A salad of roasted heirloom beets, queso fresco, tarragon-hazelnut pesto, yogurt, watercress, and kumquats.

Cuba, modern and graceful, is on the plate at Gustazo

10 simple things you can do to start fresh in the kitchen

Dressing up a salad or leftovers just got easier

travel

A new travel poll found people in Massachusetts want to move to New Hampshire. Can it be?

Don’t laugh. New travel poll finds Massachusetts families want to relocate to N.H. in 2023.

How the most tragic intersection in Minneapolis became a beacon of hope

Dear member of the flying public, please remember that a happier flight starts with YOU!

Arts

Michelle Grabner, “Untitled," digital photo, AP print.

‘The Glory of Handiwork’ gives new meaning to the domestic arts

R.I. engineer is creating live wall art that breathes

At Mass MoCA, Jason Moran’s ‘Black Stars’ pays tribute to the ghosts of jazz history

Books

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s last Sherlock Holmes work entered the public domain on Sunday.

Here are some of the works that entered the public domain in 2023

In Tracey Rose Peyton’s ‘Night Wherever We Go,’ enslaved women on a Texas plantation struggle with their desperate white captors

Tom Crewe’s memorable debut, ‘The New Life,’ chronicles the fortunes of a gay man and a social reformer in Victorian England

Movies

Carrie Coon (left) and Keira Knightley as Jean Cole and Loretta McLaughlin in the upcoming true crime thriller "Boston Strangler."

First-look at ‘Boston Strangler,’ which starts streaming on Hulu March 17

Tom Hanks is Forrest Grump in ‘A Man Called Otto’

Here are some of the works that entered the public domain in 2023

Television

Holliday Grainger and Paapa Essiedu in Peacock's "The Capture."

Appearances can be quite deceiving in ‘The Capture’

Most cancellations seem warranted. These 3 did not.

This week’s TV: Anne Rice’s ‘Witches,’ the history of soft rock, and the return of ‘All Creatures’

music

Son Rompe Pera come to the Crystal Ballroom at the Somerville Theatre on Jan. 12.

Son Rompe Pera give Mexican marimba music a punk edge

Here are some of the works that entered the public domain in 2023

WUMB will stream its Dick Pleasants tribute concert live

Theater/Dance

Will Noonan shot his upcoming comedy special at Capo in South Boston.

Instead of waiting for their Netflix moment, Boston comics are creating their own specials

Comedy headliner Lamont Price will let the most wonderful time of the year linger a bit longer

Southie native David Lindsay-Abaire has fashioned a ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ that sings

globe local

Mark Development Tuesday secured Newton City Council approval to convert a century-old bank building in West Newton into restaurant space, and erect a five-story addition to house 50 apartments.

Newton City Council approves 50-unit housing, restaurant development

Newton to hold MLK celebration; weeklong community food drive

Restaurant owner toasts staff with trip to Disney World

Obituaries

Mr. Cunningham (left) pointed out pictures of fellow astronaut the late Charles "Pete" Conrad while speaking with Apollo 10 astronaut Dick Gordon and Andy Conrad, the son of Charles Conrad, at the opening of the Rendezvous in Space exhibit at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Wash. in 2000.

Walter Cunningham, an astronaut who helped clear the way to the moon, dies at 90

Bill White, who lost a leg in the Marathon bombings, dies at 81

Former R.I. governor Lincoln Almond dies at 86