The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe

State’s first Black probation commissioner wants to help probationers exit the justice system for good
More flexible probation requirements and expanded transportation, mental health, and job support are all part of Commissioner Pamerson Ifill’s blueprint for the organization.

Disgraced head of Mass. Commission for the Blind stayed on as paid adviser for months after resigning

David D'Arcangelo is the latest state official to stay on the state payroll for months after leaving a high profile position.

Winthrop police lieutenant charged with child rape, indecent assault on a child, officials say
James Anthony Feeley pleaded not guilty to all charges and was ordered held at Suffolk County Jail in lieu of $200,000 cash bail at his arraignment Wednesday in a Boston Municipal Court, records show.

Tenants file class-action suit against Meriel Marina Bay complex, management
Residents say the Quincy buildings have mold, structural defects, and have been under constant repair.

Credit card skimmers found at 5 supermarkets operated by Roche Bros. west of Boston
The devices were found at Roche Bros. markets in Wellesley and Natick, a Brothers Marketplace in Weston, and at Sudbury Farms stores in Sudbury and Needham, the company said in a statement.

Forecast | Dave Epstein

Storm system approaching late Wednesday will produce significant rain
December looks like it will wrap up warmer and wetter than average and snowfall remains out of the forecast for the near future.

Driver charged in Hingham Apple store crash ordered held for mental health evaluation after allegedly failing to charge GPS bracelet again

On foot and by donkey cart, thousands flee widening Israeli assault in central Gaza

Dr. Rochelle Walensky presented a medical case that occurred 100 years ago for the centennial celebration of the New England Journal of Medicine's "Case Records" series.

From deadly licorice to swallowed toothpicks, MGH marks 100 years of medical mysteries

The hospital’s ‘Case Records’ in the New England Journal of Medicine shed light on how doctors figure out what’s wrong.

2023 Year in Review

Tragedy, triumph, and everything in between: The most-read Globe sports stories of 2023
We rounded up our most-read stories of 2023, which included the death of a local legend, the healing from a tragic event a decade ago, a blockbuster trade, an investigation into misconduct, and the retirement of a superstar.

Taylor Swift performed at Gillette Stadium May 19.

23 memorable Boston pop culture moments from 2023

From Ben Affleck serving up Dunkin’ to Taylor Swift taking over Foxborough, here are some of the Boston area’s biggest pop culture moments of the year.

See more coverage of the year in review

This year's festivities will include two sets of fireworks: one over the Common at 6 p.m. and another over the Boston Harbor at midnight.

Boston First Night hub moves to City Hall Plaza for this year’s New Year’s Eve events, Mayor Wu says

This year’s 13 hours of free festivities will include ice sculptures, musical performances, children’s programming, comedy, carousel rides, a parade, and two sets of fireworks.

More than a dozen ways to ring in the New Year in Boston and beyond

TV CRITIC'S CORNER

Tom Smothers, a rebel with a cause
Opponents of the Vietnam War, proponents of civil rights, and all-around foes of the establishment, the Smothers Brothers were locked in constant battle with CBS censors virtually from their show’s 1967 premiere on.

Tom Smothers, half of comedic duo the Smothers Brothers, dies at 86 Influential people we lost in 2023

Bailey Zappe (left) is now 4-2 as a starter.

Bailey Zappe talks starting in 2024, embrace with Bill Belichick, and more on WEEI

"He reached out for the handshake, and I was like, ‘Coach, no more handshakes. Let’s go for a hug.’”

Christopher L. Gasper: In a backward Patriots season, even when they win, they still lose Broncos bench Russell Wilson, turn to former Patriots QB Jarrett Stidham

In center, from left, Jean Fedner Estesma and Guerline Saul were among the migrants applying for work permits at a clinic at the Camp Curtis Guild National Guard camp in Reading on Nov. 28.

There’s a new push to help migrants in Massachusetts find work, but many barriers still stand in the way

The state has launched what it says is a first-in-the-nation program to provide legal assistance, case management, and other services for new arrivals. But those who came earlier this year are still waiting.

Louis L. Reed, executive justice fellow (left), and Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian spoke to participants as they took part in the national Frederick Douglass program inside the Middlesex House of Correction and Jail. The initiative aims to destigmatize incarceration by bringing community and business leaders together with inmates to find common ground.

‘These are human beings’: Douglass Project comes to Mass., bringing community leaders and inmates together

Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian hosted the Massachusetts launch of the national initiative to destigmatize incarceration and help communities see prisoners as people.

WBZ TV's news team of the 1980s and '90s.

The 1980s dream team that made WBZ news must-see TV in New England

We invited them into our homes for nearly two decades, until the business changed. WBZ’s local legends tell the story, in their own words.

Opinion

Campaign buttons for Republican presidential candidate and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley on a table during a campaign event at the Lawrence Community Center in Anamosa, Iowa, on Dec. 21.

Could Nikki Haley save us from Trump by winning New Hampshire?

A shocking poll showing Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and ambassador to the United Nations, within four points of Donald Trump in New Hampshire supercharges the 2024 election.

KIMBERLY ATKINS STOHR

Trust is on the ballot in 2024

IDEAS | Alan Feigenbaum & Ariella Steinhorn

How to divorce better in 2024

Cheap, effective treatments for cancer already exist, so why don’t you know about them?

Here’s how Massachusetts can make housing more affordable

Beyond the Gilded Gate

The $600,000 problem. Why does it cost so much to build housing in Boston, and what can we do about it?

Many forces drive the housing crisis here, and the sky-high cost of construction is one of the most powerful.

Calculator: How costs affect construction of an apartment building

Explore the project

More recent News

Mayor Wu’s home swatted with call reporting nonexistent shooting on Christmas

According to a police report, a 911 caller reported a shooting at the mayor’s Roslindale address at about 5:30 p.m. on Christmas.

Economic development secretary says ‘Life Sciences 3.0’ bill will have a new focus

The Healey administration's plan for fueling life sciences growth hinges on building a blue-collar workforce, boosting biomanufacturing, and solving big health care problems.

‘Turtleboy’ blogger ordered held after arraignment on charges of domestic assault and battery, witness intimidation

Aidan Kearney, the controversial blogger known as “Turtleboy,” was ordered held in detention for up to 90 days following a lengthy and chaotic arraignment in Dedham District Court Tuesday.

Michigan Supreme Court will keep Trump on 2024 primary ballot

The court said Wednesday it will not hear an appeal of a lower court’s ruling from groups seeking to keep former president Donald Trump from appearing on the ballot.

Salem could soon have an offshore wind staging facility after state’s $30 million port deal

The quasi-public MassCEC is expected to acquire a site for the state’s second wind farm terminal in a deal that will help make the city of Salem a pivotal player in the nascent offshore wind industry.

At Harvard and beyond, thermodynamics (yes, that’s right) can ease the political divide

You can’t change the world surrounded by people just like you. It’s against the laws of physics.

Globe Santa

Half a century of remembering Globe Santa
Joseph A. Milano, president of Boston’s Union Oyster House, has many titles and many interests, but an initiative that’s particularly close to his heart is Globe Santa.

Donate to Globe Santa

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

Recommended reads

The baby bonds program was pioneered in the nation's capital. The program is designed to narrow the racial wealth gap, and Massachusetts is considering the concept.

Money, Power, and Inequality

Mass. eyes ‘baby bonds’ to help close the racial wealth gap

The state treasurer and lawmakers are pushing legislation that would create a trust fund for the most impoverished residents.

2023 was the year of the social thriller. Here are six favorites.
Mystery and mayhem paired with thoughtful social critique? Sign us up.

Indictments, infighting, and intractable problems: 2023 was quite the year in politics
The year kicked off with an epic speaker of the House battle and then the political fights never really stopped.

GETTING SALTY

At Charlestown’s Good Company, cocktail innovator Seth Freidus talks cilantro, swingers, dive bars, and chicken wings
Since he’s now carving ice and making tinctures behind a quartz bar, you’d never suspect that he got his start as a chatty dishwasher at Bertucci’s.

Culture & Lifestyle

Taylor Swift performed at Gillette Stadium May 19.

23 memorable Boston pop culture moments from 2023

Start 2024 with an answer

From left: Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery, Fantasia Barrino as Celie, and Danielle Brooks as Sofia in Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Color Purple."

‘The Color Purple’: A movie-musical sings Miss Celie’s Broadway Blues

Susie M. Barstow "Mountain Lake in Autumn," 1873.

Forgotten women of the American landscape

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.

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

Red Heart offers Gen Z tips to get hooked on their "grandma era" with crocheting tips and designs.

Why boomers should give Gen Z a break

One memory expert's advice: Learn new things — a language, a sport, to paint — to "cross-train” your brain.

IDEAS | JUDY KUGEL

Learning new things never gets old

Community Preservation Act funding is supposed to support affordable housing in towns and cities that accept the funds. But some communities have skimped on housing — or even used the money to create obstacles. This year, Peabody earmarked funds from the program to buy an 80-acre parcel of open space to prevent it from being developed into housing.

Amend the Community Preservation Act to promote more housing

Clockwise from top left: William “Rick” Singer, mastermind of the Varsity Blues college admissions scheme; actress Lori Loughlin; Lynnfield parent John B. Wilson; actress Felicity Huffman; and Mark Riddell, who conspired with Singer.

I was unjustly targeted in the college admissions scandal. This is my story.

Courts should strictly scrutinize punishments that disproportionately impact Black people and other historically subordinated groups.

Kathryn E. Miller

How the Supreme Court could address racial disparities in the criminal legal system

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU

Ernesto Barbieri and Jess Ruliffson

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU nurse

Metro

Once again, snowplow drivers are in high demand, short supply this winter

Officials say snow plow drivers tend to be older. When they retire, fewer young people have been willing to take their place, contributing to the shortage.

Retired Boston firefighter reunited with man he saved from house blaze as 3-year-old in 1978

On Wednesday, the little boy — now a 48-year-old man — and his mother met the firefighter for the first time at Dorchester’s Florian Hall to express 45 years of gratitude.

Driver charged in Hingham Apple store crash ordered held for mental health evaluation after allegedly failing to charge GPS bracelet again

A Plymouth Superior Court judge ordered that a man charged in a November 2022 fatal crash at the Hingham Apple Store be committed to a mental health facility for an evaluation over a 20-day period after he allegedly failed to charge his GPS monitoring bracelet again last week, according to court records and officials.

From deadly licorice to swallowed toothpicks, MGH marks 100 years of medical mysteries

The hospital’s ‘Case Records’ in the New England Journal of Medicine shed light on how doctors figure out what’s wrong.

Sports

BC defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku (right) answered questions at Fenway Bowl media day alongside coach Jeff Hafley (left) and linebacker Vinny DePalma.

FENWAY BOWL | BOSTON COLLEGE VS. SMU

Long and winding road leads Boston College football to nearby Fenway Park

The Eagles will take on No. 17 SMU in Thursday's Fenway Bowl in search of the program's first postseason win since 2016.

Jaire Alexander nearly cost his team by initially saying the Packers wanted to be on defense first rather than saying they deferred the option.

Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander crashed a coin toss Sunday; he is suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team.

Although he hadn’t been selected as a team captain for Sunday's game with the Panthers, he still came out for the coin toss.

With their 26-23 win over Denver, the Patriots dropped into the fourth spot in the order for the 2024 NFL Draft.

How did the Patriots’ win over the Broncos impact their 2024 draft odds?

Their chances of drafting top quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye took a major hit on Sunday.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

Kat Cheesebro is putting Dartmouth girls’ basketball back on the map to success

It’s all about the quarterbacks: C.J. Stroud limited, Trevor Lawrence sits out practice, and Tommy DeVito is benched

EMASS GIRLS' BASKETBALL: TOP 20

EMass girls’ basketball: Catholic Central League continues to court a major presence in Globe Top 20

Business

Magnificent Seven loses importance as soft landing means risk on

With recession fears swirling, the tech behemoths’ earnings growth, combined with robust cash flow and balance sheets, made them haven stocks in 2023.

Apple Watch sales ban put on hold by appeals court

An appellate court in Washington issued the interim stay Wednesday a day after Apple sought a delay of the decision by the US International Trade Commission, which had blocked the import and sale of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.

It was a tough year for almost every bank not named JPMorgan

Shipper says the Red Sea is still too dangerous

magazine

WBZ TV's news team of the 1980s and '90s.

The 1980s dream team that made WBZ news must-see TV in New England

Try the Candy Engineering workshops at the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum.

Your Week Ahead

Five things to do around Boston, Dec. 25-31

The 29 best photos of 2023 taken by Boston Globe photographers

My boyfriend kissed someone else. What should I do?

metro

Pamerson Ifill, the new commissioner of probation for Massachusetts, in his office earlier this month.

State’s first Black probation commissioner wants to help probationers exit the justice system for good

Coronavirus levels rising in R.I. wastewater

Winthrop police lieutenant charged with child rape, indecent assault on a child, officials say

sports

Patrick Brown hadn't suited up for the Bruins since Dec. 16 but was pegged for the fourth line against Buffalo.

As Bruins look to snap out of skid, Jim Montgomery barely tweaks the lineup

Mavericks’ $3.5-billion sale to Adelson family wins NBA approval

Broncos bench Russell Wilson, turn to former Patriots QB Jarrett Stidham

business

The New York Times filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft on Wednesday, seeking to end the practice of using published material to train chatbots.

The Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft over AI use of copyrighted work

US online retailer Zulily says it will go into liquidation, surprising customers

There’s a new push to help migrants in Massachusetts find work, but many barriers still stand in the way

politics

Former president Donald Trump spoke at a campaign rally on Dec. 16 in Durham, N.H. Federal prosecutors are looking to keep Trump and his lawyers from politicizing his upcoming election interference trial.

Prosecutors ask judge to keep Trump from claiming partisan attack in trial

Americans sour on the primary election process and major political parties, an AP-NORC poll says

Michigan Supreme Court will keep Trump on 2024 primary ballot

Nation

Birmingham-Southern College, a private liberal arts school in Birmingham, Ala., has been plagued by financial instability for years.

Who should help an Alabama private college drowning in debt?

A record-breaking warm, snowless winter confounds Midwesterners

As the Endangered Species Act turns 50, those who first enforced it reflect on its mixed legacy

World

Ukrainian rescuers worked on a damaged multistory residential building in Kyiv Friday. Overnight, Russia fired 50 drones at targets in Ukraine, killing at least five people and knocking out power.

A Russian drone and artillery attack kills 6 in Ukraine and knocks out power in a major city

Indian envoy meets with Putin, bypassing Western pressure

On foot and by donkey cart, thousands flee widening Israeli assault in central Gaza

opinion

Palestinian children participated in an activity intended to support their mental health, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas, on Dec. 18, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

400 million children beset by war is a global public health crisis

Learning new things never gets old

I know what happens to children of war

lifestyle

Alwyn McLeod walks on stilts in the First Night Boston parade last year. Thousands gathered in Copley Square in Boston on New Year's Eve for activities hosted throughout the square, ending with a parade and fireworks.

More than a dozen ways to ring in the New Year in Boston and beyond

Start 2024 with an answer

Can I follow them on social media?

food & dining

A European inspired chef knife with an intricate pattern. The wood handle is made from Arizona ironwood. The knives are made by David Singer.

Talk about sharp: This skilled bladesmith crafts knives that fit like a glove.

What resolutions? Try these two indulgent cheesecake recipes any time of year.

How to dine like an expert in 2024

travel

Passengers waited in line at Dulles International Airport on Dec. 21, 2023, in Dulles, Virginia.

Busiest holiday travel season in years is off to a smooth start with few airport delays

We took a girlfriend getaway to Savannah. Plenty of other women had the same idea.

This Booking.com reservation is fake! Will the company pay up?

Arts

Stephen Shames, "Toledo, Ohio: Black Panther Free Shoe Program," 1970.

No, the revolution wasn’t televised, but it was photographed

America has a 250th birthday coming up, and that birthday now has a logo

At the Griffin, a trio of shows looks at ‘Solstice,’ transcendence, and visual correspondence in the ongoing ‘Archive’ series

Books

Hein de Haas, author of “How Migration Really Works."

In Hein de Haas’s thought-provoking ‘How Migration Really Works,’ there is no migration crisis

2023 was the year of the social thriller. Here are six favorites.

Why Girls Write Now matters right now

Movies

Actor Lee Sun-kyun at the Incheon Metropolitan Police in Incheon, South Korea, on Dec. 23.

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun of Oscar-winning film ‘Parasite’ is found dead

Holidays got you down, Charlie Brown? Take our quiz on classic Christmas specials for a hit of holiday cheer.

Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari’ fails to rev up

Television

Tom (left) and Dick Smothers in 2002. Tom died Tuesday at age 86.

Tom Smothers, a rebel with a cause

For Conan O’Brien, a glimmer of hope at BC during early struggles

The 1980s dream team that made WBZ news must-see TV in New England

music

A turntable is set up in the "Hideaway," a private room at the 'Quin where members can play records from the club's vast album collection.

Inside the ’Quin, a sonic sanctuary where LPs are ice-breakers

The rapper Ye, who has a long history of making antisemitic comments, issues an apology in Hebrew

Amp Fiddler, versatile keyboardist, singer, and mentor, dies at 65

Theater/Dance

Darrel Bailey stars in the solo show "Yippee Ki Yay," a "Die Hard" spoof that also tells a parallel story about an exhausted husband and father.

A ‘Die Hard’ diehard creates ‘Yippee Ki Yay,’ and the Huntington gets in on the action

There’s life after COVID for Jamaica Plain’s 147-year-old Footlight Club theater

Midwinter Revels serves up a frolicsome ‘Feast of Fools’

Health

A CVS pharmacy in Miami.

CVS to launch new pharmacy reimbursement model aimed at simplifying drug pricing

Many Americans ration insulin to save money. One nonprofit is trying to make the life-saving drug more affordable.

In R.I., there’s a lack of dentists caring for patients with special needs. This program is trying to change that.

Obituaries

Tom Smothers in 2003

Tom Smothers, half of comedic duo the Smothers Brothers, dies at 86

Wolfgang Schäuble, German elder statesman and finance minister during euro debt crisis, dies at 81

Amp Fiddler, versatile keyboardist, singer, and mentor, dies at 65