The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe

Looking for ‘creative ideas,’ the T signed a $325,000 deal. It got nothing of value, investigators say.

The MBTA’s little-publicized agreement with the startup accelerator MassChallenge produced virtually nothing of value for the T, nor did the agency keep records that could explain many of its decisions, the state inspector general’s office found.

Trump continues to dominate New Hampshire, leading Haley by 16 points, new Globe/Suffolk/NBC-10 poll shows
Former president Donald Trump is strong across most demographic groups, drawing more support than his rivals among men, women, and voters young and old.

N.H. Republican primary tracking poll results ‘We gotta show big margins’: Leading in the polls, Trump calls for another blowout in New Hampshire

Weeks after backlash for Civil War remarks, Nikki Haley says ‘we’ve never been a racist country’
People immediately began revisiting her controversial comments about the Civil War and pointing out the nation’s history with slavery and segregation.

Lost in a world of words: Key takeaways from Globe literacy investigation
Massachusetts has a reputation as an educational powerhouse, leading the nation in many indicators of academic performance. But even here, there’s a reading crisis that policy makers have failed to adequately address.

BC cuts ties to swimming and diving coaches, extends team suspension after hazing inquiry

In addition, every swimmer and diver on the 67-member team will be required to participate in a hazing education program.

Mass. man who allegedly strangled girlfriend in R.I. facing 68 counts of firearms, assault charges

SWAT was called to Mattapan apartment building hours before man shot at firefighters, documents say

The Rev. Carl Thompson preached during a recording of an Ebenezer Baptist Church service at the ABCD office in Mission Hill.

Money, Power, Inequality

Some Black churches are leaving Boston, citing changing neighborhoods, higher costs

As each church departs for cheaper and more expansive pastures, pieces of history and culture goes with them, community members say.

Chad Finn

The Bill Belichick Era ends on a queasy note, but we’re grateful that we had it
Harkening back to how it all began, that 2001 postseason run was the second-best in Boston sports history.

Dan Shaughnessy: Imagine what might happen if Bill Belichick signs on to coach the Cowboys

KARA MILLER | THE BIG IDEA

We don’t have a lot of babies in Mass. Here’s how that will impact the economy.
Who will consume goods and services? What happens when more and more of the population is over 50? And when older adults have fewer children to help them as they age?

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A320 passes a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 as it taxis on the runway, July 7, 2022, at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

CHRISTOPHER MUTHER

A federal judge blocked $3.8 billion merger of Spirit and JetBlue. Here’s why that’s good news for consumers.

Consumer advocates are cheering the decision because a JetBlue-Spirit merger would have completely changed the domestic flying landscape and, as opponents argued, driven up fares.

Customers enjoy drinks and food at the bar in the Bluebird Bar in Newton.

WHAT SHE'S HAVING | DEVRA FIRST

The Bluebird Bar is the B-Side, all grown up

If you miss that old Cambridge haunt, you need to be here with me.

Dan Scalia posed for a portrait inside Charlestown MovementLab, where he is a managing director.

‘I live in the best state.’ And yet, for many living in Mass., the state of the Commonwealth is a complicated one.

As Governor Maura Healey prepares to deliver her first State of the Commonwealth speech on Wednesday, residents offered a divided picture of the state’s trajectory.

From left to right: Arianna Kamal, Teena Kamal, and Rakesh "Rick" Kamal pictured in Boston's Public Garden in 2021.

A Dover man hid financial ruin from his family. Then he got a gun.

Rakesh “Rick” Kamal’s veneer of wealth was an astonishing ruse, orchestrated so stealthily, family members said, that its mastermind managed to conceal it from colleagues, realtors, and even his own wife and daughter.

There were 19 domestic violence homicides in Massachusetts in 2023, data show

Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune

For Harvard alum Ruthzee Louijeune, Claudine Gay’s downfall stings

In Gay's downfall, Louijeune sees a familiar narrative for Black women in positions of leadership.

Opinion

Nikki Haley at a town hall event at Wentworth by the Sea Country Club in Rye, N.H., on Jan. 2.

IDEAS | DAVID SCHARFENBERG

Nikki Haley was right all along

Her careful, clever challenge may not succeed in the Republican primary, but it points the way to a post-Trump GOP.

Why are men so triggered by Taylor Swift?

Scrutinize private equity’s involvement in health care

The answer Biden should have given on Taiwan

Nuclear ambitions in the push for renewable energy

The Stump: Audio dispatches from James Pindell on the campaign trail

Listen to the latest updates from Globe political reporter James Pindell as he outlines what to watch as presidential contenders enter the final sprint to the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.

More recent News

In new filing, Trump lawyers foreshadow potential lines of defense in classified documents case

Lawyers for former president Donald Trump said in a motion filed Tuesday that they will dispute prosecutors’ allegations that the estate where the records were stored was not secure.

Trump sex abuse accuser E. Jean Carroll set to testify in defamation trial over his denials

East Cambridge fish market closes after more than a century of fresh catches
“We’ve been at this for 53 years, and it’s just time for us to slow down [and] enjoy life,” said co-owner Joseph Damaso.

Pembroke Schools votes down policy barring staff from displaying or discussing social and political views

The proposal would have barred school personnel from advocating or campaigning for “any political candidate or political, partisan, or social policy issue” on district property, according to a draft obtained by the Globe.

Child with Mass. ties who died in New Mexico suffered a head injury, police say

A mother's Massachusetts family had little information about why she ended up in New Mexico, and why her daughter died there.

Qatar and France send medicine for hostages in Gaza as war rages on and regional tensions spike

A shipment of medicine for dozens of hostages held by Hamas was en route to Gaza on Wednesday after France and Qatar mediated the first agreement between Israel and the militant group since a weeklong cease-fire broke down in November.

Greater Boston housing market still frozen — and it’s not just the weather

Just about every metric that encapsulates the current moment in the housing market is trending in the wrong direction, as interest rates and a massive supply shortage continue to freeze out buyers and sellers.

Recommended reads

Trump supporter Jamie Brassill said the former president is "just a regular guy.”

‘I support him no matter what’: Trump remains hugely popular among N.H. Republicans

A core group of supporters has powered his campaign through challenges that might have ended any other candidate’s career.

Ron DeSantis went all in on Iowa to finish a distant second to Trump. What is he going to do next?

John Fish and Stephen Weiner settle 2019 lawsuit over failed condo project
Neither side would discuss terms of the settlement, which concludes the four-year legal battle.

Attaching EV chargers to utility poles is cheap, easy — and illegal in Massachusetts
The state’s 2022 climate law outlawed a preferred method of juicing up electric cars.

Craig Breslow acknowledges that ‘it’s been a challenge’ to find starting pitching for the Red Sox
The team's new chief baseball officer said the cost in trades has been high because “starting pitching is highly, highly desirable.”

Culture & Lifestyle

Alex Pollock (left) and Robert Kropf in "Northside Hollow."

Fighting for life, and trying to understand it, in Harbor Stage’s ‘Northside Hollow’

Provencal Vegetable Soup with Pistou.

Welcome to Winter Soup Club

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is welcomed with a kiss by his wife, Coretta, after leaving court in Montgomery, Ala., on March 22, 1956.

14 events happening in and around Boston on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Michael John Gorman has been named the new director of MIT Museum.

Michael John Gorman named new director of MIT Museum

Special Projects

Beyond the Gilded Gate

People in and around Boston are being challenged, in ways never before, to address the region's unprecedented housing crisis.

stuart landing page illustration

Nightmare in Mission Hill

The story of how a murder in Mission Hill — the Carol Stuart shooting — terrorized and wounded a community of innocent people.

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.

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Over the past year, I have sometimes struggled to name the jazz musicians whose music I love, the exception being John Coltrane. I worry that at some point it will be difficult for me to recall his name too.

I have Alzheimer’s disease. This is what I need from you.

Florida governor and Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis spoke at a watch party during the 2024 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses in West Des Moines, on Jan. 15.

Iowa deals Ron DeSantis a near-lethal blow and gives Nikki Haley a shot against a dominant Donald Trump

Anming Hu entered the Howard H. Baker, Jr. United States Courthouse in downtown Knoxville, Tenn., June 7, 2021. The trial of the University of Tennessee professor accused of fraudulently hiding his ties to the Chinese government, under the Department of Justice's China Initiative, ended in an acquittal.

I was wrongly charged under the DOJ’s failed China Initiative. A House bill would reinstate it.

I paid $30 to activate the Plagiarism Checker at Grammarly.com. Then I fed a half-dozen of my recent columns into the portal.

‘We are all plagiarists now’: What I learned from checking my own writing, and Bill Belichick’s

Blurred lines: Universities need to define academic plagiarism — many don’t

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU

Ernesto Barbieri and Jess Ruliffson

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU nurse

Metro

Lost in a world of words: Key takeaways from Globe literacy investigation

Massachusetts has a reputation as an educational powerhouse, leading the nation in many indicators of academic performance. But even here, there’s a reading crisis that policy makers have failed to adequately address.

Looking for ‘creative ideas,’ the T signed a $325,000 deal. It got nothing of value, investigators say.

The MBTA’s little-publicized agreement with the startup accelerator MassChallenge produced virtually nothing of value for the T, nor did the agency keep records that could explain many of its decisions, the state inspector general’s office found.

Money, Power, Inequality

Some Black churches are leaving Boston, citing changing neighborhoods, higher costs

As each church departs for cheaper and more expansive pastures, pieces of history and culture goes with them, community members say.

Trump continues to dominate New Hampshire, leading Haley by 16 points, new Globe/Suffolk/NBC-10 poll shows

Former president Donald Trump is strong across most demographic groups, drawing more support than his rivals among men, women, and voters young and old.

Sports

Mastaka Yoshida (right) and Jarren Duran are the two returning starters in the Red Sox outfield, as currently constructed.

AROUND THE HORN | OUTFIELD

This Red Sox outfield is built on belief

The Red Sox are betting Masatak Yoshida doesn't wear down, Tyler O'Neill re-discovers his 2021 stroke, and Jarren Duran picks up where he left off last season.

The championship in Super Bowl XXXVI was No. 1 for Bill Belichick as a head coach, and there were more to come.

The Bill Belichick Era ends on a queasy note, but we’re grateful that we had it

Harkening back to how it all began, that 2001 postseason run was the second-best in Boston sports history.

Mirra Andreeva of Russia splays out to return a ball during her victory over sixth-seeded Ons Jabeur.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Ons Jabeur and Caroline Wozniacki bounced from Australian Open in second round

Twenty-year-old Maria Tomafeeva took down Wozniacki, the 2018 champion, while 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva took care of Jabeur in 54 minutes.

Jim Harbaugh interviews with Falcons for head coaching vacancy a day after Bill Belichick’s interview

women's beanpot

BU, Northeastern sneak by in first round to set up Women’s Beanpot title match

Practices started this week, but the Revolution have already bought into new coach Caleb Porter’s ideas

Business

At Davos, Blinken calls pathway to Palestinian state a necessity for Israeli security

If Israel can be brought into the fold of the Middle East, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, the region would be coming together to isolate Iran, which he called “the biggest concern in terms of security.”

Billionaire backers of new California city reveal map, details of proposed development

The people behind a secretive Silicon Valley-backed ballot initiative to construct a new city on California farmland are releasing more details of their plan.

The Supreme Court takes up major challenges to the power of federal regulators

Washington state sues to block Kroger and Albertsons merger

magazine

I’m a climate reporter trying to cut plastics out. But my kid wanted a Barbie Dreamhouse.

Chicken Tinga (Tinga Poblana de Pollo)

Mexican-inspired dishes to chase away winter’s chill

‘God, I wish I hadn’t seen that’: On the trail of Bigfoot in the Berkshires

Bart Hanson lives with his family and North Reading and makes his living as a poker professional.

YouTube poker player Bart Hanson just can't stop winning

metro

A draft of the policy proposal would bar school personnel from advocating or campaigning for “any political candidate or political, partisan, or social policy issue” at Pembroke Public Schools.

Pembroke Schools votes down policy barring staff from displaying or discussing social and political views

Some New Hampshire residents want better answers from the 2024 candidates on the opioid crisis

Icy patches on roadways to make for rough driving Tuesday night

sports

Pembroke junior captain Jennifer Birolini (above, No. 46) recorded her 100th career goal and 150th career point in the same game last Wednesday: a 7-1 victory over West/East Bridgewater.

For Jennifer Birolini, success is measured by more than the goals she scores — or points she accumulates — for Pembroke girls’ hockey

Bills’ schedule could be disrupted by another lake-effect storm forecast for Buffalo

Eagles center Jason Kelce intends to retire after 13 seasons

business

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey high-fived students as she visited a pre-k classroom at the Malden YMCA.

Healey pushes to expand free preschool and subsidize child care for more families

JetBlue’s $3.8 billion buyout of Spirit Airlines is blocked by judge citing threat to competition

Burger King owner will buy out its biggest franchisee in US for about $1 billion

politics

Secretary of State Antony Blinken gestured during his speech at the Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

At Davos, Blinken calls pathway to Palestinian state a necessity for Israeli security

In new filing, Trump lawyers foreshadow potential lines of defense in classified documents case

Trump continues to dominate New Hampshire, leading Haley by 16 points, new Globe/Suffolk/NBC-10 poll shows

Nation

Traffic makes its way along 8th Ave., Jan. 16, in Nashville, Tenn.

Pacific Northwest hunkers down for ice and freezing rain, while other US regions also battle cold

Trump sex abuse accuser E. Jean Carroll set to testify in defamation trial over his denials

Sentencing scheduled Wednesday for Heather Mack in mom’s Bali slaying, stuffing into suitcase

World

Palestinians walk through destruction by the Israeli bombardment in the Nusseirat refugee camp in Gaza Strip, on Jan. 16.

Qatar and France send medicine for hostages in Gaza as war rages on and regional tensions spike

Top NATO military officer urges allies and leaders to plan for the unexpected in Ukraine

Ukraine needs money from the US and Europe to keep its economy running. Will the aid come?

opinion

Bunker Hill Community College campus in Charlestown.

Karen Spilka wants to make community college free for all. That may not be a great idea.

A once-futuristic vision for urban housing whose time still may come

I was wrongly charged under the DOJ’s failed China Initiative. A House bill would reinstate it.

lifestyle

A model wears a creation for Louis Vuitton as part of the Menswear ready-to-wear Fall-Winter 2024-2025 collection presented in Paris, on Jan. 16.

Pharrell Williams’ sophomore collection at Louis Vuitton showcases Americana, Native American spirit

Photos: See Jennifer Coolidge, Ayo Edebiri, and more stars on the Emmys red carpet

Dating apps are terrible in college

food & dining

Customers enjoy drinks and food at the bar in the Bluebird Bar in Newton.

The Bluebird Bar is the B-Side, all grown up

Afternoon tea in Boston: a treat and a tradition

Welcome to Winter Soup Club

travel

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A320 passes a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 as it taxis on the runway, July 7, 2022, at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

A federal judge blocked $3.8 billion merger of Spirit and JetBlue. Here’s why that’s good news for consumers.

What it’s like to rent a winter RV and head off with friends down the famed Powder Highway

Winter in London is cold and rainy, but it’s also a great time to visit. Here’s why.

Arts

During her State of the City address, Mayor Michelle Wu (pictured, as a child) talked about the value of free museum trips in Chicago, where she grew up. She announced a free museum pilot for Boston in her speech.

Michelle Wu doubles down on the politics of ‘free,’ from the MBTA to museums

At 93, American artist Faith Ringgold is finally getting her due

Floating clowns and a unicorn: Art installations aim to draw more foot traffic to downtown Boston

Books

Books for millennials with housing woes.

When haunted houses aren’t just about the dead

In ‘The Wisdom of Plagues,’ Donald G. McNeil Jr. has some ideas to share about preventing the next pandemic. You might not like them.

The disappointments of age take a dark turn in Katia Lief’s ‘Invisible Woman’

Movies

Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA released an image last month of a Christmas Tree Galaxy Cluster, a winking collection of galaxies 4.3 billion light-years from Earth.

‘Deep Sky’ takes Bostonians to deep space

Bebe Wood on making Mass. her ‘home base’ and updating ‘Mean Girls’ for Gen Z

John Sayles talks about his ‘Lone Star’ state of mind

Television

Nicholas Ralph in "All Creatures Great and Small."

Even with new twists, ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ remains a respite

Harvard graduate student, first active-duty Air Force officer wins Miss America title

Elton John achieves rare EGOT status with Emmy win for Dodger Stadium farewell concert special

music

James Taylor performs in Tanglewood’s Koussevitzky Music Shed last summer. He'll be returning in July for two more concerts.

James Taylor returning to Tanglewood for two shows in July

Willie Alexander celebrates 80 years at Gloucester’s new venue, The Cut

‘Stride,’ ‘Rite,’ and a left-hand concerto make for a hot-blooded evening with the BSO

Theater/Dance

Alex Pollock (left) and Robert Kropf in "Northside Hollow."

Fighting for life, and trying to understand it, in Harbor Stage’s ‘Northside Hollow’

Apollinaire’s ‘Lunch Bunch’ could use a few more calories

As Company One launches its 25th season, its reputation for innovation is reaping rewards

Health

Nurse Michele Kaine tends to Rodolfo Almeida of Providence at The Miriam Hospital's new Stephen and Diana Lewinstein Center for Innovative Cancer Research, a clinical area where patients will receive investigational cancer treatments.

Ryan T. Conaty for the Boston Globe

Top 6 health care stories to watch in Rhode Island in 2024

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.

Obituaries

A grab from an AFPTV footage taken on Aug. 7, 2018, shows Russian poet Lev Rubinstein talking to journalists.

Lev Rubinstein, Russian poet and political figure, dies at 76

Shih Ming-teh, Taiwan activist who pushed for democracy, dies at 83

Shih Ming-teh, Taiwan activist who pushed for democracy, dies at 83