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ER, urgent care or your doctor’s office? Choose wisely.

WATCH: Your choice could have a big impact on your wallet. Consumer advocacy reporter Sean P. Murphy breaks down the difference based on his experience.

ER, urgent care or your doctor’s office? Choose wisely.

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Mayor Wu apologies to men wrongfully accused in Charles Stuart case in Wednesday presser

More than 34 years after Charles Stuart shot his pregnant wife and blamed a Black man for the crime, Mayor Michelle Wu issued a formal apology from the city.

‘Racist and wrong’: Mayor Wu apologizes to Boston’s Black community, men falsely linked to Stuart killing

Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox also apologized for the department's actions following the 1989 killing of Carol Stuart, including the police manhunt that involved countless questionable stops and searches of young Black men.

Read the investigation on the Stuart case that published weeks before the apology Podcast: Listen to 'Murder in Boston'

Mayor Michelle Wu and Alan Swanson arrived for a press conference and public apology to Swanson and Willie Bennett at City Hall on Wednesday.

ADRIAN WALKER

Wu’s eloquent apology can be the start of healing

Wu issued something none of her predecessors had been able to muster: an eloquent, full-throated apology to Willie Bennett and Alan Swanson,

Some 22,000 Massachusetts electricity customers still without power
On Wednesday, Eversource said it was working to restart service to 7,000 customers, while National Grid had roughly double that number, as of 7 a.m., according to the companies’ outage maps.

Governor Mills says Maine faces tough recovery after storm; power restoration will take days ‘The power of Mother Nature’: Maine reels from potent storm R.I. declares disaster emergency following Monday’s high winds and rain

See rainfall totals and peak wind gusts from Monday’s storm

Map: Power outages across the region

Air coming across the country from the Pacific is milder than average.

Forecast | Dave Epstein

Dry, mild weather through the weekend dashes any hopes for a white Christmas

Snow lovers will need to be patient — snow is not in the forecast, likely not until January.

Why do people go to the ER instead of urgent care? It depends largely on what kind of treatment they need.

THE FINE PRINT

Emergency room versus urgent care: Which should you go to if you’re hurt or sick?

Our choices in those stressful moments have serious financial consequences.

Appeals court upholds legality of Boston’s temporary exam school admission policy

Supporters of affirmative action view the ruling as a victory at a time when such policies have been under legal attack.

Republicans explode with anger, vow to fight ‘un-American’ ruling after court disqualifies Trump from Colorado ballot

The reactions from Republicans came fast and furious after the Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday declared former president Donald Trump ineligible for the White House and removed him from the state’s presidential primary ballot.

Trump will appear on GOP primary ballot despite Colorado ruling, Mass. election chief says The Constitution’s insurrection clause threatens Trump’s campaign. Here is how that is playing out.

Why the Colorado Supreme Court decision barring Trump from the ballot should be celebrated by every American — including Trump supporters

If you squint, the 2024 campaign is shaping up to look like a regular primary campaign

Harvard student says he called out Moms for Liberty cofounder in viral speech because Florida youth ‘deserve better’

As a sex scandal involving Bridget Ziegler, cofounder of the conservative advocacy group Moms for Liberty, continues to attract national attention, a speech by a Harvard University student calling on Ziegler to resign from a local school board in Florida has struck a chord.

Congress widens probe of Harvard president to plagiarism accusations
A US House of Representatives committee has opened an inquiry into Harvard University’s handling of allegations of plagiarism against President Claudine Gay, who sat before the panel this month to address antisemitism on campus.

‘Turtleboy’ blogger indicted on witness intimidation charges by grand jury in connection with Karen Read case

Aidan Kearney, 41, was indicted on nine counts of allegedly intimidating witnesses in the Read case, as well as five counts of allegedly picketing a court, judge, or juror.

Hamas leader visits Cairo, a sign talks on another Gaza truce and hostage swap are gathering pace

Brookline youth jumps out sixth-story window after eating ‘magic mushrooms,’ officials say

PODCAST

Listen to the podcast

Presented in association with HBO, 'Murder in Boston: The untold story of the Charles and Carol Stuart shooting' is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Read chapter one of ‘Nightmare in Mission Hill’ Read the full series

Six years ago, when it became all but certain that the dilapidated campus of Lawrence Catholic Academy was reaching the end of its useful life, the school launched a Hail Mary attempt to raise millions of dollars to build a new urban Catholic school. To date, 18 checks and pledges of $1 million or more have come in.

‘This I became a beggar for’: Millions in donations pour into a Catholic school in Lawrence

Six years ago, the dilapidated school launched a Hail Mary attempt to raise millions of dollars to build a new urban campus. What’s happening now feels nothing short of a miracle.

John Robinson coached his son Colin while practicing at Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine. Colin and his mother, Jen, were at Just-In-Time Recreation the night of the state’s deadliest mass shooting, which claimed 18 lives at the bowling alley and Schemengees Bar & Grille.

Fitfully, a community finds its way past the grief from so much death in aftermath of Lewiston shootings

Their love of bowling brought them together, until violence tore them open the night of the shootings in Lewiston, Maine. Now, can it bring them healing?

Governor Maura Healey was photographed on July 10 while people waiting for appointments sat in a waiting area at the Haymarket Registry of Motor Vehicles in Boston. The RMV is implementing a 2022 law granting access to driver's licenses to eligible undocumented immigrants.

Governor Maura Healey speaks to Registry of Motor Vehicles during a tour while people waiting for RMV appointments sit in a waiting area at a visit and press conference by the Governor at the Haymarket Registry of Motor Vehicles. The RMV is implementing a 2022 law granting access to driver's licenses to eligible undocumented immigrants.

Numbers of new learner’s permits and driver’s licenses soar since law allowing licenses for undocumented immigrants

The old Hotel Hemenway, now called Parkside Tower.

Beyond the Gilded Gate

A Boston building, scattered souls, and rent control revisited

The end of rent control three decades ago helped push many working people out of a Fenway apartment building — and out of Boston. Their stories speak to one of the causes of the current housing crisis, and to the increasing demands that rent caps return.

Explore the project

Opinion

Colorado Supreme Court Justice Carlos Samour Jr. listened during a hearing in the court, Dec. 6, in Denver.

EDITORIAL

After Colorado court kicks Trump off ballot, US Supreme Court needs to settle questions on 14th Amendment

The high court needs to set standards for what counts as insurrection lest state courts start removing candidates for inconsistent and overly broad reasons.

JEFF JACOBY

Why is antisemitism on the rise among Gen Z?

IDEAS | STEPHEN KINZER

The Monroe Doctrine just won’t die

Jeffrey Abramson

How the Supreme Court might rule on Trump’s Colorado ballot case

Marianne Duddy-Burke

Pope approves blessings for same-sex couples. What's next for LGBTQ Catholics?

More recent News

Trial Court Chief Justice Jeffrey A. Locke retiring Thursday; presided over high-profile cases

State Trial Court Chief Justice Jeffrey A. Locke is retiring Thursday, capping a legal career in which he presided over many high-profile cases including the double murder trial of Aaron Hernandez and challenges to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, officials said.

Funeral held for Pittsfield airman killed in Japan
Air Force Staff Sergeant Jacob M. Galliher, 24, was killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Japan last month.

Pedestrian killed by bus at Northern Essex Community College campus in Haverhill

The man, who was not immediately identified, was taken to Holy Family Hospital, where he was pronounced dead Wednesday morning, according to law enforcement officials.

US, Venezuela swap prisoners: Maduro ally for 10 Americans, plus fugitive contractor ‘Fat Leonard’

The United States has freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in the South American country and the return of a fugitive defense contractor.

Judge narrows Natick couple’s lawsuit against eBay
US District Judge Patti Saris dismissed three out of 14 counts in the civil suit filed by Ina and David Steiner over a bizarre 2019 criminal harassment scheme.

Bluebikes is adding 750 e-bikes to its bikeshare system

This marks the first time e-bikes will be available in the state through Bluebikes, with 50 of the fancy new rides arriving Wednesday in the Greater Boston area.

Globe Santa

For some, the countdown to Christmas is a pleasureless pursuit
“Dear Globe Santa, it has been another hard year,” begins a letter from the mother of a 6-year-old girl. “I am trying my best to make the holidays special, but I am struggling with how to get [my daughter] Christmas presents.”

Donate to Globe Santa

Globe Santa is a program of the Boston Globe Foundation and exists solely to deliver joy to children.

Trailing other states, Massachusetts kicks off EV charging program

Assignments are expected in May to pick companies to build DC fast charging stations serving Route 2, Interstate 91, Interstate 495, and a portion of Interstate 195.

In an effort to consolidate resources, state is closing some hotel shelters for migrants by year’s end
Amid concerns about the state's communication efforts, families living in Woburn, Arlington, and Billerica will move to new locations.

Beth Teitell

All set for a cruise to the Bahamas, the weather forced them to Boston instead: ‘We thought it was a joke’
Passengers who were dreaming of piña coladas are now facing clam chowder and Bruins fans. And rain, lots of rain.

innovation beat

MIT startup develops new kind of camera that sees in the dark (and around corners)
Ubicept's founders say their technology is especially good for shooting sharp images of fast-moving objects, even in low light.

Culture & Lifestyle

‘Bar Rescue’ host Jon Taffer talks bourbon, his favorite Boston-area bites, plus how he’d rescue the ‘Cheers’ bar

From left: Eliza Rose Fichter as Fiasco, Vincent Ernest Siders as the King, René Collins as Folly, and Roger Reed as Flop in "Midwinter Revels: The Feast of Fools."

Midwinter Revels serves up a frolicsome ‘Feast of Fools’

Boston Globe book critics share their favorites from 2023.

Here is a list of 55 books we loved in 2023

Former New England Patriot Julian Edelman made his new cocktail, JE11, at Rare Steakhouse in Encore Boston Harbor.

Julian Edelman sings Taylor Swift, says she’s ‘great for the league’

Special Projects

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

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

FROM OUR PARTNERS

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

The cover of the 78 rpm single of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy Boyd, released in 1952.

IDEAS | JAN FREEMAN

Boston banned lots of things. But not ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.’

Fueled by wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the 2024 presidential election, and Donald Trump blatantly channeling Adolf Hitler, holiday gatherings will make the verbal fights about COVID-19 protocols and vaccinations in 2021 seem like polite parlor patter.

RENÉE GRAHAM

At this year’s holiday table, heated debates will be on the menu

Palestinian residents conducted search and rescue efforts following the Israeli airstrikes on Dec. 7 in Khan Yunis, Gaza.

H.D.S. Greenway

Israel, how many deaths in Gaza are enough?

Tetiana Dovbii, left, and Anya Rudak participated in a course in firearms and urban combat in a forest near Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, on Oct. 14.

Christine Keating

Why the phrase ‘women and children’ is bad for gender equality

Instead of a traditional, isolated public housing complex devoted completely to low-income tenants, the new Mary Ellen McCormack housing will include units for different income levels and amenities that connect the community to the rest of South Boston.

EDITORIAL

$2 billion redevelopment will turn public housing into mixed-income community

Ernesto Barbieri and Jess Ruliffson

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU nurse

Metro

ADRIAN WALKER

Wu’s eloquent apology can be the start of healing

Wu issued something none of her predecessors had been able to muster: an eloquent, full-throated apology to Willie Bennett and Alan Swanson,

Trump will appear on GOP primary ballot despite Colorado ruling, Mass. election chief says

Secretary of State William F. Galvin, an eight-term Democrat, told the Globe that he will be putting Donald Trump’s name on the presidential primary ballot regardless of the Colorado ruling, since he is the nominee of the state Republican party.

Killer indicted on murder charge for slaying convicted murderer in N.H. prison

The defendant, who was convicted for his role in a fatal 1991 stabbing behind bars, now faces a first-degree murder charge for the 2023 assault

As I See It

Lighting up the holidays

In his weekly column 'As I See It,' Stan Grossfeld explores a garden of glittering lights.

Sports

A three-year starter for defending Division 3 champion St. Mary's, freshman Bella Owumi is averaging 19.3 points per game in a 3-0 start for the Spartans.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

Surrounded by all the hoopla, Bella Owumi seeks inner peace on and off St. Mary’s basketball court

The freshman who has already received six verbal Division 1 college scholarship offers looks to stay healthy mentally while taking her game to a new level.

Cole Strange's season-ending injury Sunday against Kansas City was merely the latest blow to a position group that's been hammered by losses all year.

PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK

‘Hard to account for’: Constant shuffle on the offensive line has come despite Patriots’ best efforts

Ineffective play and personnel missteps have played a role in New England utilizing seven different offensive line combinations through the first 14 games, but injuries have really taken their toll

Jayson Tatum sprained his ankle in the first quarter against the Warriors on Wednesday.

CELTICS

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum out vs. Kings with sprained ankle, Kristaps Porzingis cleared to return

The Celtics will be thin up front, with centers Luke Kornet (adductor strain) and Al Horford (rest) sitting.

Patriots veterans push any weight of Bill Belichick’s status aside, focus on finishing season strong

celtics at kings | 10 p.m. (NBCSB)

Celtics at Kings: Jayson Tatum out as Boston looks to bounce back from deflating loss to Warriors

Longtime Chiefs offensive lineman Ed Budde dies at the age of 83

Business

Small US banks are increasingly at risk in commercial-property slump

About 14 percent of all commercial real estate loans and 44 percent of loans on office buildings appear to be in “negative equity,” meaning the debt is now greater than the property value, a new report says.

EU strikes fiscal rules deal with gradual path to cut debt

European Union finance chiefs ended months of wrangling over fiscal rigor to agree on new rules that will aim to rein in debt and define the bloc’s ability to invest in key sectors such as defense for years to come.

Judge narrows Natick couple’s lawsuit against eBay

THE FINE PRINT

Emergency room versus urgent care: Which should you go to if you’re hurt or sick?

magazine

Bostonians of the Year 2023

Tributes to Mel King, Tim Wakefield, and other giants we lost in 2023

MISS CONDUCT

My kids feel hurt that their aunts and uncles blow off important events

CONNECTIONS

Our kids had a dream baby sitter, the kind who changes the world

LOVE LETTERS

ER, urgent care or your doctor’s office? Choose wisely.

‘Racist and wrong’: Mayor Wu apologizes to Boston’s Black community, men falsely linked to Stuart killing

Wu’s eloquent apology can be the start of healing

Some 22,000 Massachusetts electricity customers still without power On Wednesday, Eversource said it was working to restart service to 7,000 customers, while National Grid had roughly double that number, as of 7 a.m., according to the companies’ outage maps.

See rainfall totals and peak wind gusts from Monday’s storm

Map: Power outages across the region

Dry, mild weather through the weekend dashes any hopes for a white Christmas

Emergency room versus urgent care: Which should you go to if you’re hurt or sick?

Appeals court upholds legality of Boston’s temporary exam school admission policy

Republicans explode with anger, vow to fight ‘un-American’ ruling after court disqualifies Trump from Colorado ballot

Why the Colorado Supreme Court decision barring Trump from the ballot should be celebrated by every American — including Trump supporters

Harvard student says he called out Moms for Liberty cofounder in viral speech because Florida youth ‘deserve better’

Congress widens probe of Harvard president to plagiarism accusations A US House of Representatives committee has opened an inquiry into Harvard University’s handling of allegations of plagiarism against President Claudine Gay, who sat before the panel this month to address antisemitism on campus.

‘Turtleboy’ blogger indicted on witness intimidation charges by grand jury in connection with Karen Read case

Hamas leader visits Cairo, a sign talks on another Gaza truce and hostage swap are gathering pace

Brookline youth jumps out sixth-story window after eating ‘magic mushrooms,’ officials say

Listen to the podcast

‘This I became a beggar for’: Millions in donations pour into a Catholic school in Lawrence

Fitfully, a community finds its way past the grief from so much death in aftermath of Lewiston shootings

Numbers of new learner’s permits and driver’s licenses soar since law allowing licenses for undocumented immigrants

A Boston building, scattered souls, and rent control revisited

Explore the project

After Colorado court kicks Trump off ballot, US Supreme Court needs to settle questions on 14th Amendment

Why is antisemitism on the rise among Gen Z?

The Monroe Doctrine just won’t die

How the Supreme Court might rule on Trump’s Colorado ballot case

Pope approves blessings for same-sex couples. What's next for LGBTQ Catholics?

More recent News

Trial Court Chief Justice Jeffrey A. Locke retiring Thursday; presided over high-profile cases

Funeral held for Pittsfield airman killed in Japan Air Force Staff Sergeant Jacob M. Galliher, 24, was killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Japan last month.

Pedestrian killed by bus at Northern Essex Community College campus in Haverhill

US, Venezuela swap prisoners: Maduro ally for 10 Americans, plus fugitive contractor ‘Fat Leonard’

Judge narrows Natick couple’s lawsuit against eBay US District Judge Patti Saris dismissed three out of 14 counts in the civil suit filed by Ina and David Steiner over a bizarre 2019 criminal harassment scheme.

Bluebikes is adding 750 e-bikes to its bikeshare system

For some, the countdown to Christmas is a pleasureless pursuit “Dear Globe Santa, it has been another hard year,” begins a letter from the mother of a 6-year-old girl. “I am trying my best to make the holidays special, but I am struggling with how to get [my daughter] Christmas presents.”

Donate to Globe Santa

Recommended reads

Trailing other states, Massachusetts kicks off EV charging program

In an effort to consolidate resources, state is closing some hotel shelters for migrants by year’s end Amid concerns about the state's communication efforts, families living in Woburn, Arlington, and Billerica will move to new locations.

Beth Teitell All set for a cruise to the Bahamas, the weather forced them to Boston instead: ‘We thought it was a joke’ Passengers who were dreaming of piña coladas are now facing clam chowder and Bruins fans. And rain, lots of rain.

innovation beat MIT startup develops new kind of camera that sees in the dark (and around corners) Ubicept's founders say their technology is especially good for shooting sharp images of fast-moving objects, even in low light.

Culture & Lifestyle

‘Bar Rescue’ host Jon Taffer talks bourbon, his favorite Boston-area bites, plus how he’d rescue the ‘Cheers’ bar

Midwinter Revels serves up a frolicsome ‘Feast of Fools’

Here is a list of 55 books we loved in 2023

Julian Edelman sings Taylor Swift, says she’s ‘great for the league’

Special Projects

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

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

How the missing become the uncounted

Two Weeks in America

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Boston banned lots of things. But not ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.’

At this year’s holiday table, heated debates will be on the menu

Israel, how many deaths in Gaza are enough?

Why the phrase ‘women and children’ is bad for gender equality

$2 billion redevelopment will turn public housing into mixed-income community

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU nurse

Metro

Wu’s eloquent apology can be the start of healing

Trump will appear on GOP primary ballot despite Colorado ruling, Mass. election chief says

Killer indicted on murder charge for slaying convicted murderer in N.H. prison

Lighting up the holidays

Sports

Surrounded by all the hoopla, Bella Owumi seeks inner peace on and off St. Mary’s basketball court

‘Hard to account for’: Constant shuffle on the offensive line has come despite Patriots’ best efforts

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum out vs. Kings with sprained ankle, Kristaps Porzingis cleared to return

Patriots veterans push any weight of Bill Belichick’s status aside, focus on finishing season strong

Celtics at Kings: Jayson Tatum out as Boston looks to bounce back from deflating loss to Warriors

Longtime Chiefs offensive lineman Ed Budde dies at the age of 83

Business

Small US banks are increasingly at risk in commercial-property slump

EU strikes fiscal rules deal with gradual path to cut debt

Judge narrows Natick couple’s lawsuit against eBay

Emergency room versus urgent care: Which should you go to if you’re hurt or sick?

Tributes to Mel King, Tim Wakefield, and other giants we lost in 2023

My kids feel hurt that their aunts and uncles blow off important events

Our kids had a dream baby sitter, the kind who changes the world

How do you figure out which dating app is best for you?

Some 22,000 Massachusetts electricity customers still without power
On Wednesday, Eversource said it was working to restart service to 7,000 customers, while National Grid had roughly double that number, as of 7 a.m., according to the companies’ outage maps.

Congress widens probe of Harvard president to plagiarism accusations
A US House of Representatives committee has opened an inquiry into Harvard University’s handling of allegations of plagiarism against President Claudine Gay, who sat before the panel this month to address antisemitism on campus.

Funeral held for Pittsfield airman killed in Japan
Air Force Staff Sergeant Jacob M. Galliher, 24, was killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Japan last month.

Judge narrows Natick couple’s lawsuit against eBay
US District Judge Patti Saris dismissed three out of 14 counts in the civil suit filed by Ina and David Steiner over a bizarre 2019 criminal harassment scheme.

For some, the countdown to Christmas is a pleasureless pursuit
“Dear Globe Santa, it has been another hard year,” begins a letter from the mother of a 6-year-old girl. “I am trying my best to make the holidays special, but I am struggling with how to get [my daughter] Christmas presents.”

In an effort to consolidate resources, state is closing some hotel shelters for migrants by year’s end
Amid concerns about the state's communication efforts, families living in Woburn, Arlington, and Billerica will move to new locations.

Beth Teitell

All set for a cruise to the Bahamas, the weather forced them to Boston instead: ‘We thought it was a joke’
Passengers who were dreaming of piña coladas are now facing clam chowder and Bruins fans. And rain, lots of rain.

innovation beat

MIT startup develops new kind of camera that sees in the dark (and around corners)
Ubicept's founders say their technology is especially good for shooting sharp images of fast-moving objects, even in low light.