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Elinor Goldstein at her home in Reading. Goldstein, 84, says she's lonely and wants to meet someone special. She paid The Matchmaking Company in Burlington $3,995 and signed a contract that clearly stated the payment was nonrefundable. The next day, she called to cancel. "All sales are final," she was told.

A lonely 84-year-old woman spent nearly $4,000 for a matchmaker. She quickly asked for her money back. They said no.

There is a state law that guarantees consumers the right to cancel a contract during a three-day “cooling-off” period, but that law applies only to door-to-door sales, health club contracts, time-shares, and credit repair and services organizations.

Beth Teitell | Commentary

A Trump mugshot in Georgia? A Fox News host called it a ‘sick fantasy’ for liberals. People crave it — but why?
A booking photo shouldn’t suggest guilt. But, said one scholar, it has real power as an “indication of capture.”

Trump says he will skip GOP presidential primary debates

The crowded chaos that is the mouth of the Merrimack
The waterway is famously dangerous, and famously crowded.

Saturday night's preseason game between the Patriots and Packers in Green Bay was halted in the fourth quarter after the injury to Isaiah Bolden, who was released from a local hospital on Sunday.

NFL at last learning hard lessons about compassion, mental health, and manhood

It’s OK for the NFL to openly show concern and compassion for their fallen heroes and those rookie seventh-round picks who lay motionless after trying to make a play to impress a position coach.

A play at the plate in the eighth needed to be reviewed, as Connor Wong tagged Isiah Kiner-Falefa to prevent the go-ahead run.

Peter Abraham | RED SOX 6, YANKEES 5

We finally were treated to a classic Red Sox-Yankees thriller

An eventful game included two huge hits by the oldest player on the field, a dramatic save, and the winning manager watching from the clubhouse.

Stephen Lynch got $3M in earmarks for wife’s employer, affiliated organization

Congressional watchdogs say the examples underscore how Congress may be so narrowly enforcing its rules on earmarks that they have become meaningless.

Edward Blum won the affirmative action case against Harvard. Now he’s turning to the workplace.

Taking his fight to the country’s entire business sector may seem like an insurmountable challenge. But legal analysts say it would be unwise to count Blum out this time.

Southern California braces for more floods as tropical storm Hilary soaks region
The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary dropped more than half an average year’s worth of rain on some mountain and desert areas, including the desert resort city of Palm Springs.

Tropical storm Hilary tracker: Follow the path

Cambridge legalizes EV charging across the sidewalk
A possible solution for electric vehicle charging for many city dwellers is taking shape under a plastic ramp on a sidewalk in Cambridgeport.

Return of federal financial aid for inmates creating ‘life changing’ opportunities for people in prison

The Pell Grant program was launched in 1972 as a way to increase access to higher education for people from low-income families, and it included eligibility for incarcerated people.

Lawrence man dies after trying to save family from drowning in N.H. river

The tragedy follows at least two drownings in New Hampshire last week, including a similar incident in which a parent died while trying to rescue their child from strong waters.

‘It’s pretty devastated’: Fire at historic Harborside Inn on Block Island remains under investigation

N.H. crews make three rescues on Mount Washington amid rain, cool temperatures

Clockwise from top left: City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo and challengers Enrique Pepén, Jean-Claude Sanon, and Jose Ruiz.

In Boston’s District 5, controversy swirls around the incumbent, as three challengers vie for the City Council seat

The dynamic in the race for Boston City Council District 5 is simple: Ricardo Arroyo, a progressive incumbent hounded by controversy over the last year, is battling for a third term against three challengers attempting to unseat him.

Ron Cephas Jones (left) and Sterling K. Brown in "This Is Us."

MATTHEW GILBERT | YOUR TV GPS

This week’s TV: Farewell to Ron Cephas Jones, a Netflix thriller arrives, and a new ‘Star Wars’ spin-off

News of Ron Cephas Jones's death likely touched any fan of “This Is Us,” the NBC series from which he earned a pair of Emmys. As William Hill, he brought plenty of authentic feeling to a show that tended toward the emotionally manipulative.

Adrian Mendoza of Mendoza Ventures says the old-guard VC firms have all but disappeared from the scene.

Innovation economy

The state of Boston venture capital, according to 15 of the most active firms

Funding is down so far this year as VC firms seek to regain momentum and adjust their strategies.

Opinion

Ben Weber is a candidate for the Boston City Council District 6 seat.

Ben Weber for City Council in the 6th District

Despite her eloquence and passion, incumbent Kendra Lara has shown many lapses in judgment that make the challenger a better choice.

Student athletics, the other college admission inequity

James Fishkin and Larry Diamond

Can deliberation cure our divisions about democracy?

IDEAS | ADAM M. SOWARDS

Once upon a time in America, when the common good prevailed

What Florida could teach Massachusetts

More recent News

A rare second flight for one North End angel
“I get to carry on a tradition that’s been going on for a very long time, and I get to just be myself,” said Gianna Puccio, who is the flying angel for the second time.

Cleanup in storms aftermath continues in many communities, including hard-hit Weymouth
“Oh my God, it was shocking,” Beth Long said of the tornado that seemingly just missed her family’s home in Weymouth. “I will never not take Mother Nature seriously after this.

Farmers markets are struggling. Can they market themselves differently?
A new poll from the University of New Hampshire found that people were less interested in food being local or the size of vendors than researchers previously believed

North Falmouth woman was ‘co-conspirator’ in crash that killed Maine Maritime students in December, DA says

A 21-year-old North Falmouth woman injured in a high-speed, fiery car crash that killed four of her Maine Maritime Academy classmates in December pleaded not guilty this week to about a dozen charges in the case, including manslaughter and drunk driving.

More than 125 monarch butterflies released during annual celebration at Fresh Pond in Cambridge
Cambridge Water Department staff raised more than 125 butterflies over the past three to four weeks in the ranger station at Fresh Pond Reservation in preparation for the release, an official said.

LOVE LETTERS

At 41, I can’t make a relationship last
What am I doing wrong?

Recommended reads

David Pujupata, 20, rested his chin against Janet Maji, 20, and wrapped her in a blanket as the couple waited for their ICE check-in at Federal Plaza. Maji arrived to the US 11 months ago and gave birth six months ago. Pujupata arrived to the US in July with the couple's 4-year-old daughter. Federal officials have been unable to keep up with growing caseloads after more than 100,000 migrants reached New York City since last spring.

‘We’re out of good options’: In New York City, an overwhelming migration surge is a warning for Massachusetts

The unfolding emergency illustrates what can happen when government’s ability to cope with a migrant influx is overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

After years of promise, cell-based meat is moving from the lab to dinner plates
Recent advances in cultivated meat — and a landmark decision by the US Department of Agriculture — are energizing what proponents say is a meat revolution with almost unlimited possibilities.

In the waters off Massachusetts, a hunt for foreign ships building wind farms
A search at sea highlights the stakes over domestic manufacturing in the nascent offshore wind industry.

As the Gulf of Maine warms, where are the mussels?
Wild blue mussels seem to be disappearing in the Gulf of Maine. Scientists are now seeking to understand the extent of the loss and the mechanisms causing it.

Culture & Lifestyle

Alison Cook-Beatty Dance Company (pictured in 2022) returns to Windhover Center for the Performing Arts Aug. 23-24.

Things to do around Boston this weekend and beyond

Virgil Ortiz, "The Translator," from the artist’s "Revolt 1680/2180" project, 2015.

Three ways of looking at Pueblo art

Ming Min Hui is Boston Ballet's new executive director.

Boston Ballet announces Ming Min Hui as new executive director

Some New Bedford residents want to remove artist Donna Dodson's sculpture "Seagull Cinderella," which returned this year for the city's 10th anniversary Seaport Art Walk.

In New Bedford, the ‘sexy seagull’ is ruffling feathers once again

Special Projects

Photo Illustration

Boston thrives off the dreams of young people. But can they make it here?

Baby boomers and Gen Xers benefited from economic conditions that do not exist for millennials. And by many measures, the path ahead for Gen Z is even more fraught.

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

With the MBTA engulfed by issues, everyday riders are feeling the pain.

Brittany Tee, Soomaiiah Quraiishi, and Reina Morales Rojas are among thousands of people thought to be missing from Massachusetts.

How the missing become the uncounted

Inside the government’s flawed approach to finding missing persons.

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.

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

A pediatrician holds a dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Get kids vaccinated in time for school

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency on Aug. 8, citing the influx of migrants in need of shelter.

IDEAS | CARINE HAJJAR

Even liberals like Maura Healey are souring on Biden’s immigration bungling

An aerial view of morning rush hour traffic on Route 128 and the Mass. Pike in early November 2019.

Imagine fewer cars on the road. It’s tricky, but we’ll try.

Santo, the celebrity, in repose.

MARCELA GARCÍA

How to go viral on TikTok

A previously undisclosed investigation reveals the US Coast Guard failed to appropriately review and prosecute cases of sexual assault at the service's Connecticut academy for years while some of the accused rose up the ranks.

An old Coast Guard scandal emerges and casts a harsh light on the service’s sexual assault policies

"This city is special," the author writes, "and Boston, so restrained in emotion, deserves to hear this more often."

IDEAS | OMER AZIZ

My farewell love letter to Boston

Metro

In Pawtucket, a refill station for beauty and cleaning products helps the planet

Ana Duque is the founder and CEO of The Heal Room in Pawtucket, a zero-waste retail shop that works to prevent the containers from bath, body, and cleaning products from ending up in landfills.

Farmers markets are struggling. Can they market themselves differently?

A new poll from the University of New Hampshire found that people were less interested in food being local or the size of vendors than researchers previously believed

Beth Teitell | Commentary

A Trump mugshot in Georgia? A Fox News host called it a ‘sick fantasy’ for liberals. People crave it — but why?

A booking photo shouldn’t suggest guilt. But, said one scholar, it has real power as an “indication of capture.”

Return of federal financial aid for inmates creating ‘life changing’ opportunities for people in prison

The Pell Grant program was launched in 1972 as a way to increase access to higher education for people from low-income families, and it included eligibility for incarcerated people.

Sports

Fireworks go off before the Little League Classic at Bowman Stadium in Williamsport, Pa.

NATIONALS 4, PHILLIES 3

Essence of the game on display at Little League Classic

Little Leaguers from 20 teams — from Nevada to Venezuela to Japan — helped stuff Historic Bowman Field.

Coco Gauff celebrated after becoming the Western & Southern Open's first teen titlist in 55 years.

Coco Gauff first teen in more than 50 years to win Western & Southern Open

Gauff became the tournament’s first teen champion since 17-year-old Linda Tuero in 1968, while Novak Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz for the men's title.

Venus Williams last played Wednesday at the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio.

Venus Williams out of Cleveland tournament with knee injury but plans to play US Open

The 43-year-old seven-time Grand Slam singles champion has received a wild card to for the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 28.

Alyssa Thomas leads Sun past Sky, moves into second place on franchise scoring list

RED SOX NOTEBOOK

Rafael Devers continues torrid hitting against the Yankees

MARINERS 7, ASTROS 6

Mariners finish sweep of Astros to maintain slim lead for final wild card spot

Business

In Pawtucket, a refill station for beauty and cleaning products helps the planet

Ana Duque is the founder and CEO of The Heal Room in Pawtucket, a zero-waste retail shop that works to prevent the containers from bath, body, and cleaning products from ending up in landfills.

A lonely 84-year-old woman spent nearly $4,000 for a matchmaker. She quickly asked for her money back. They said no.

There is a state law that guarantees consumers the right to cancel a contract during a three-day “cooling-off” period, but that law applies only to door-to-door sales, health club contracts, time-shares, and credit repair and services organizations.

Cambridge legalizes EV charging across the sidewalk

Innovation economy

The state of Boston venture capital, according to 15 of the most active firms

magazine

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2023.

The affirmative action ruling is a disaster for college students. This is the path forward.

Fifteen-year-old Peyton Miller controls the ball during practice with the New England Revolution’s B-team, known as Revolution II.

At 15, he’s the youngest soccer player ever signed by the Revolution. Next up, homework.

We broke up but still hang out. Should we get back together?

This week's daters: Bhushan and Janice

Dinner with Cupid

Blind date: ‘I thought, “Oh no, she is going to hate me”’

metro

New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers were involved in three rescues on Mount Washington on Saturday, including two for hikers who were battered by the weather and one for a man who slipped and fell while descending a trail and had to be carried out of the woods.

N.H. crews make three rescues on Mount Washington amid rain, cool temperatures

A rare second flight for one North End angel

Cleanup in storms aftermath continues in many communities, including hard-hit Weymouth

sports

William Byron and his crew celebrated by spraying champagne in victory lane at Watkins Glen, N.Y.

William Byron dominates the field in NASCAR Cup Series win at Watkins Glen

We finally were treated to a classic Red Sox-Yankees thriller

Under Garden lights, Sean O’Malley reaches superstar status

business

Smithfield, R.I.'s Brayden Castellone celebrates as he stands on second after driving in a run with a double off Media, Pa.'s Austin Crowley during the first inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Smithfield, R.I., wins again to advance at Little League World Series

Japan’s Kishida visits Fukushima plant to highlight safety before start of treated water release

A tanker believed to hold sanctioned Iran oil starts offloading near Texas despite Tehran’s threats

politics

The Milwaukee Art Museum and skyline are seen May 31, 2023, in Milwaukee.

GOP presidential debate puts spotlight on Wisconsin, one of the few remaining swing states

Trump says he will skip GOP presidential primary debates

Stephen Lynch got $3M in earmarks for wife’s employer, affiliated organization

Nation

A vehicle drives through a flooded freeway entrance in Palmdale, Calif. as a tropical storm moves into the area on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023.

Southern California braces for more floods as tropical storm Hilary soaks region

Southern California braces for more floods as tropical storm Hilary soaks region from coast to desert

Lahaina fire prompts a shift in Maui’s long-running water fights

World

On Sunday, a man placed his vote in the snap presidential election in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Ecuadorians put aside fears of leaving their homes amid unprecedented violence and voted for a new president.

A presidential runoff is likely in Ecuador between an ally of ex-president and a banana tycoon’s son

Rights group says Saudi Arabia border guards fired on and killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants

As thousands flee homes across British Columbia from wildfires, chiefs in one region report progress

opinion

Former president Donald Trump addressed supporters at the Iowa State Fair this month.

The Trump indictments are good for America and democracy

Nation’s organ transplant system is due for changes

Teacher of the Year honor is beset by partisan rancor

lifestyle

At 41, I can’t make a relationship last

Photos: Meet the attendees of the Provincetown Carnival

After serial monogamy, I want to be single for a full year

food & dining

From left to right, AFC volunteers Pam Laflamme and Sally Manikian smile as Peter Brandon of Gorham, N.H., signs on as the Androscoggin Food Co-op's newest member-owner.

Farmers markets are struggling. Can they market themselves differently?

It’s Italian food all day and night at Gufo in Cambridge

The Field & Vine team will open June Bug in Union Square; The Chemist experiments with Downtown Crossing

travel

This shingle-style mansion on Cape Cod Bay was known as Fieldstone Hall, when it was home to three generations of the Nickerson family.

Want to party like it’s 1899 (or need an excuse to wear your croquet costume)? Head to the Cape.

Delta adds a touch of luster to otherwise quiet opening week at Logan’s expanded Terminal E

Patrick Monahan of Train talks about his wife, Italy, and crystals from Sedona

Arts

Virgil Ortiz, "The Translator," from the artist’s "Revolt 1680/2180" project, 2015.

Three ways of looking at Pueblo art

Provincetown Public Art Foundation aims to make town’s ‘artistic soul visible’

Brice Marden, who rejuvenated painting in the 1960s, dies at 84

Books

In William Boyd’s ‘The Romantic,’ an Irish Everyman survives the tumult of global history through luck, wit, and unfettered joy

Laura Trethewey, author of ‘The Deepest Map,’ reveals a literary cult favorite of deep ocean explorers

Jen Soriano traces her fragile nervous system to generational trauma in ‘Nervous’

Movies

Screenshots of Ceara Jane O’Sullivan’s TikTok (@cearajane).

Coming to a live venue near you: As Hollywood strikes rage on, Bay State brings in some big (and not-so-big) names

Leonard Bernstein’s children respond to criticism of Bradley Cooper’s prosthetic nose in ‘Maestro’

A rendezvous for the night: The Boss at the movies

Television

Ron Cephas Jones (left) and Sterling K. Brown in "This Is Us."

This week’s TV: Farewell to Ron Cephas Jones, a Netflix thriller arrives, and a new ‘Star Wars’ spin-off

Netflix bidding farewell to DVD services

Before ‘Fargo’ returns, a fast ranking of the first four seasons

music

Bruce Springsteen performs during a concert for folk-music legend Pete Seeger at Madison Square Garden in New York on May 3, 2009.

A rendezvous for the night: The Boss at the movies

‘Mary Climbs In’ authors survey the inner landscape of Springsteen’s women fans

Playing ball: Steve Wynn of the Baseball Project steps up to the musical plate

Theater/Dance

From left: Karl Gregory, Erica Steinhagen, and Nael Nacer in "The Ding Dongs" at Gloucester Stage Company.

‘The Ding Dongs’: When that doorbell rings, watch out

Old and new at the Pillow

Boston Ballet announces Ming Min Hui as new executive director

Health

Research nurse Sarah French checks on Rodolfo Almeida of Providence at The Miriam Hospital's new Stephen and Diana Lewinstein Center for Innovative Cancer Research, a clinical area where patients receive investigational cancer treatments.

Changing the landscape of cancer care in R.I.: Lifespan, Brown to seek NCI designation

To better understand alcohol addiction, new research is turning to fruit flies

Stanford president to resign after investigation finds he failed to ‘decisively and forthrightly’ correct research

Obituaries

Dr. Claire Golomb in her Waban home with drawings by children she studied and worked with as a psychology professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Claire Golomb, Holocaust survivor and scholar of children’s artistic creativity, dies at 95

Nan Tull, an artist ‘of true feeling based on experience,’ dies at 85

Jean-Louis Georgelin, face of the Notre Dame reconstruction, dies at 74