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The Boston Globe

On the morning of Lynda Bluestein's death, Paul Bluestein grazed his forehead against his wife's, telling her how much he loved her as they waited for the rest of the family to arrive so that she could say goodbye and take the medication that would end her life.

Around New England with Kevin Cullen

Dying on Lynda’s terms

Lynda Bluestein wasn’t allowed to die on her own terms in her own home in Connecticut, so she went to Vermont and did it her way.

Read the note from the Globe’s executive editor about the story

TRAVEL

Sauna culture is gaining steam in New England — including a new spot right here on the Greenway
We scouted out a few of these new or recently expanded spots. (Don't worry. It was no sweat.) Here are a few ways to find some cold comfort this winter.

For a special treat, book one of the igloos at the Cliff House in Cape Neddick, Maine, with sweeping ocean views.

The 6 most romantic resorts for a winter getaway in New England

The perfect resort for a romantic winter getaway caters to couples, has great food, and offers privacy and plush amenities. We think these six destinations, one in each New England state, measure up.

Which is more romantic, Cape Ann or Cape Cod?

This week's daters: Julia and Peter

Dinner with Cupid

Blind date: ‘She had a cool scarf and bracelets and kind of looked like a very chic pirate’

Will this biking aficionado and his date ride off into the sunset?

dan shaughnessy

A Dear John (Henry) letter to the Red Sox owner, and other thoughts
Loyal fans certainly don't want to break up with the ball club, but they are getting some mixed messages this offseason.

The 2007 Red Sox went 96-66 and swept the Rockies in the World Series.

Lessons from the 2007 champs, and some other Red Sox observations

The ideal for how a baseball franchise with vast resources should build its roster is the 2007 Red Sox.

In a huff, Trump walks out on opponent’s closing at defamation trial but returns to hear his lawyer

The judge interrupted the closing argument that a lawyer was making on behalf of writer E. Jean Carroll to note for the record that Trump “just rose and walked out of the courtroom.”

Allegations against Georgia’s Fani Willis risk jeopardizing Trump election interference case. Here’s how.

Allegations that Willis had an improper romantic relationship with a special prosecutor she hired for her case against Donald Trump and others have drawn intense scrutiny, fueling calls for her to step down.

Whether they voted for Biden, Haley, or the man himself, New Hampshire voters had Trump on the brain

Judge weighs new penalty for striking Newton teachers union; court to reconvene at 2:30 p.m.

The consequences for striking illegally can be high. Aside from coercive fines, unions found to engage in unlawful strikes can run the risk of jail time, according to a legal advisory the Massachusetts Teachers Association issued to its members last year.

Newton teachers remain on strike. How do students make up the missed school days?

Striking Newton teachers rallied outside the Newton Education Center on Wednesday.

Teachers increasingly willing to put up with costs of strikes to gain better pay

Mass. considering Roxbury recreation center for new overflow shelter for migrant and homeless families

The Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex would be at least the third overflow shelter site the state has directly created to house those who have been wait-listed for a spot in its overwhelmed shelter program.

Boston man, 47, pleads guilty in murder-for-hire plot targeting wife and her boyfriend

Prosecutors are recommending a prison sentence of up to nine years for Mohammed Chowdhury, according to police and legal filings.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines

You should be a little scared of the stock market

Small plane crashes in Londonderry, N.H. neighborhood shortly after takeoff

Lauren Boebert mounts defense to criticisms of ‘carpetbagging’ in packed first Republican debate

The loop above starting around Sunrise Sunday and ending Monday evening show rain arriving and then changing to snow as the storm moves east on Monday.

Forecast | Dave Epstein

Rain tapering off with snow in the weekend mix for New England

In total, the storm Sunday into Monday has the potential to bring an inch or more of precipitation, starting with rain then changing to snow.

Sign up to receive text updates during extreme weather Weather look-ahead: What to know through the weekend

MATTHEW GILBERT

From ‘The Sopranos’ to ‘Succession’: Ranking the 10 best HBO drama series

For more than a quarter-century, the cable channel has set a standard of excellence for longform storytelling. These are the 10 shows that rise to the very top.

Secret Stash ganja yoga takes place in a loft in downtown Colorado Springs. Caleb Berry (left) and yoga instructor Kitty Harris smoked marijuana together at a recent session.

Is this the year cannabis cafes come to Mass.? Don’t hold your breath.

Conversations about marijuana cafes, infused dinners, and canna-yoga are finally in the spotlight again. But are they on the horizon?

Nabil and Sungida with their newborn daughter, Otindria, the morning of her birth.

Steward’s medical devices were repossessed. Weeks later, a new mother died.

Some patients of the nine-hospital system say they have struggled to access care, with doctors blaming Steward's financial problems as the cause.

Brockton hospital patients fear Steward financial crisis could spell more trouble

Opinion

In PBS: Masterpiece Theatre's "Bleak House," Gillian Anderson plays Lady Dedlock.

Joan Wickersham

A book for our times

In the early days of 2024, if you are looking for topical reading, you couldn’t do better than to turn or return to Charles Dickens’s massive, panoramic, blistering, delectable 1852 novel "Bleak House."

Can Donald Trump control his inner caveman?

H.D.S. Greenway

Why Netanyahu doesn’t want to scale back war with Hamas

IDEAS | CARINE HAJJAR

Biden has been giving millions of migrants false hope

US aid to Ukraine is an investment in US security

More recent News

Ben Volin | On Football

With the Falcons job off the board, it appears Bill Belichick is not a wanted man in the NFL
As unbelievable as it may seem, that dreadful loss to the Jets in the snow is increasingly looking like the last time we might see Belichick on the sideline.

men's college hockey notebook

BU and BC are No. 1 and No. 2 in men’s college hockey. The Battle of Comm. Ave. couldn’t get much bigger.
Boston University and Boston College are both 16-4-1, with the Terriers holding down the top spot in the national polls, as well as the PairWise rankings.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are working on a movie together (again)
This time they’re teaming up for a new Netflix thriller.

Timeline emerges for answers on what it will take to fix the Washington Bridge
On Friday, state transportation officials provided R.I. lawmakers a timeframe of late February to mid-March for the next major update on the status of the bridge that carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River.

Two arrested after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in products from Ulta store in Wareham

The Maryland woman and a 17-year-old juvenile are accused of running an organized theft ring and shoplifting thousands of dollars in merchandise from an Ulta Beauty store in Wareham, officials said.

Lawmakers hesitant to fund N.H. state organic certification program
Organic farmers asked lawmakers to rescue an organic certification program they say is vital to their operations, but lawmakers aren’t sure it’s worth the money

Top UN court orders Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza but stops short of ordering cease-fire

The United Nations’ top court stopped short Friday of ordering a cease-fire in Gaza in a genocide case but demanded that Israel try to contain death and damage in its military offensive in the tiny coastal enclave.

Gaza’s Health Ministry blames Israeli troops for deadly shooting as crowd waited for aid

Historic church collapses in New London, Conn.; no injuries reported, officials say
An historic Connecticut church’s soaring steeple and roof collapsed on Thursday, leaving a gaping hole in the top of the building and the front reduced to a heap of rubble.

Ski racing star Mikaela Shiffrin injured in crash on Cortina downhill course
The American skier with a record 95 World Cup wins was helped off the course with her left boot raised off the snow.

Recommended reads

Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-9 basketball player from Maine, turned 17 in December and will not play his first minute of college basketball for months. But he's already captured attention from the basketball world, including NBA stars Jayson Tatum and LeBron James.

The NBA’s hottest prospect is a 17-year-old from Maine. Meet Cooper Flagg.

Flagg’s rise has been accompanied by two recurring questions: How good is he really? And how did this happen?

Ipswich ‘instructor in life’ and music scores Grammy nomination for second time
Michael Coelho, a Fall River native who teaches in the Ipswich Public Schools, was the only New Englander to reach the final round for the Grammy Music Educator of the Year Award.

Can Healey’s budget proposal ease the health and social services staffing crisis in Mass.?
Mental health services also got a boost, but a home care program is facing cuts that worry advocates for the disabled.

Graphic images of the Vietnam War helped shape public opinion. Is social media doing the same for Gaza?
Some see social media as an uncensored alternative to traditional news outlets, offering seemingly raw firsthand accounts and footage straight from the front lines.

Culture & Lifestyle

Simone Zimmerman holds up American and Israeli flags she made when she was a child at a Jewish day school in Los Angeles.

‘Students do not like being censored’: ‘Israelism,’ a new doc with New England roots, is film flashpoint

Actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck attended the premiere of "Live By Night" at TCL Chinese Theatre on Jan. 9, 2017 in Hollywood, California. The filmmakers and friends are teaming up for a new Netflix thriller.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are working on a movie together (again)

Patrice Jean-Baptiste in "Trouble in Mind," which runs through Feb. 4 at Lyric Stage Company.

Things to do around Boston this weekend and beyond

From left: William Matthew Prior, "Nancy Lawson, Boston," 1843. Shelburne Museum, Vermont, museum purchase, acquired from Maxim Karolik; William Matthew Prior, "William Lawson, Boston," 1843. Shelburne Museum, Vermont, museum purchase, acquired from Maxim Karolik.

An underappreciated American art form conjures Black history from the void

Special Projects

Ashfield, MA 06/13//2023, At Sanderson Academy, books in a fourth-grade classroom.

Suzanne Kreiter\Globe staff

Lost in a World of Words

Learning to read is the greatest gift a school can give a child. And yet, in Massachusetts, outmoded teaching methods leave thousands of students struggling to gain this critical skill.

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.

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.

FROM OUR PARTNERS

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Icicles hung from an electric vehicle parked at a charging station in Oregon on Jan. 17.

IDEAS | MICHELINE MAYNARD

Broken chargers, frozen cars: The EV market is getting crushed

A sales associate used a pair of chopsticks to hold a bud of Lemon Skunk, the highest potency strain of marijuana available at a dispensary in Denver in 2014.

High-potency marijuana carries health risks

At left, an image reposted by Donald Trump on social media shows six fingers on his hand, a telltale sign of an AI-generated image. At right, fake fighter jets were added to footage of a campaign event in a Ron DeSantis ad.

KIMBERLY ATKINS STOHR

Deepfake political messaging is light-years ahead of the law. It’s past time to change that.

Georgetown University Law School students covered their mouths with tape when former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke on the topic of free speech on college campuses in 2017.

IDEAS | HOWARD AXELROD

College students’ fastest-vanishing freedom? Curiosity.

A woman held up a flag during a Donald Trump campaign rally at the Rochester Opera House on Jan. 21, in Rochester, N.H. In an independent survey, 70 percent of "elites" surveyed expressed confidence that government officials will do the right thing most of the time, while less than 25 percent of the general public has that kind of trust.

America’s elites live in a world of their own

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU

Ernesto Barbieri and Jess Ruliffson

When accidents happen: True stories from an ICU nurse

Metro

Judge weighs new penalty for striking Newton teachers union; court to reconvene at 2:30 p.m.

The consequences for striking illegally can be high. Aside from coercive fines, unions found to engage in unlawful strikes can run the risk of jail time, according to a legal advisory the Massachusetts Teachers Association issued to its members last year.

Two arrested after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in products from Ulta store in Wareham

The Maryland woman and a 17-year-old juvenile are accused of running an organized theft ring and shoplifting thousands of dollars in merchandise from an Ulta Beauty store in Wareham, officials said.

Lawmakers hesitant to fund N.H. state organic certification program

Organic farmers asked lawmakers to rescue an organic certification program they say is vital to their operations, but lawmakers aren’t sure it’s worth the money

RI TRANSPORTATION

Timeline emerges for answers on what it will take to fix the Washington Bridge

On Friday, state transportation officials provided R.I. lawmakers a timeframe of late February to mid-March for the next major update on the status of the bridge that carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River.

Sports

The 2007 Red Sox went 96-66 and swept the Rockies in the World Series.

Lessons from the 2007 champs, and some other Red Sox observations

The ideal for how a baseball franchise with vast resources should build its roster is the 2007 Red Sox.

Head coach Ed Cooley of the Georgetown Hoyas reacts to a call during a college basketball game against the Syracuse Orange at the Capital One Arena in December in Washington, DC.

COMMENTARY | KEVIN MCNAMARA

Why did Ed Cooley leave PC? It was time. But why Georgetown?

Health challenges can happen anywhere. Other bumps in the road faced by the former Providence College basketball coach were unique to the coach living and working in his hometown.

"I used to think that you were a boss / Then I realized, Dude, you lost to Holy Cross!” Georgetown coach Ed Cooley.

We are never ever getting back together (Ed Cooley’s version)

It's finally here. The return of Ed Cooley. "We hope you like being a Hoya / Now it's time for Kim English to destroy ya" (with apologies to Taylor Swift).

Jannik Sinner ends Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open streak, will face Daniil Medvedev in men’s final

Ski racing star Mikaela Shiffrin injured in crash on Cortina downhill course

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp announces he will step down at end of the season

Business

Two arrested after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in products from Ulta store in Wareham

The Maryland woman and a 17-year-old juvenile are accused of running an organized theft ring and shoplifting thousands of dollars in merchandise from an Ulta Beauty store in Wareham, officials said.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines

You should be a little scared of the stock market

Some fear is healthy for investors. It helps keep irrational exuberance in check.

Is this the year cannabis cafes come to Mass.? Don’t hold your breath.

In surprise vote, board rejects controversial Johnston solar farm proposal

magazine

Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-9 basketball player from Maine, turned 17 in December and will not play his first minute of college basketball for months. But he's already captured attention from the basketball world, including NBA stars Jayson Tatum and LeBron James.

The NBA’s hottest prospect is a 17-year-old from Maine. Meet Cooper Flagg.

‘Death doulas’ and the audacious act of dying well in America

My friend’s driving terrifies me. Get me out of the passenger seat!

If Minnesota can redesign a problematic state seal in 3 months, why can’t Massachusetts?

metro

The Healey administration is considering using the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex in Roxbury as a shelter site for homeless and migrant families.

Mass. considering Roxbury recreation center for new overflow shelter for migrant and homeless families

Why did Ed Cooley leave PC? It was time. But why Georgetown?

Boston man, 47, pleads guilty in murder-for-hire plot targeting wife and her boyfriend

sports

Bill Belichick has been on an NFL sideline for the last 49 years.

With the Falcons job off the board, it appears Bill Belichick is not a wanted man in the NFL

BU and BC are No. 1 and No. 2 in men’s college hockey. The Battle of Comm. Ave. couldn’t get much bigger.

PC Friars hype team talks about amping up fans and players for Saturday’s game — and yes, Taylor Swift

business

Good Samaritan is the lone remaining active hospital in the Brockton area.

At the only active hospital left in Brockton, patients fear Steward financial crisis could spell more trouble

State panel calls for further review of proposed Dana-Farber, Beth Israel partnership

US economy grew at a surprisingly strong 3.3% pace last quarter, pointing to continued resilience

politics

Former president Donald Trump leaves his apartment building, Friday, Jan 26, 2024, in New York.

In a huff, Trump walks out on opponent’s closing at defamation trial but returns to hear his lawyer

The overwhelming Whiteness of the early primaries

Whether they voted for Biden, Haley, or the man himself, New Hampshire voters had Trump on the brain

Nation

Alabama's lethal injection chamber at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Ala.

Alabama execution using nitrogen gas, the first ever, again puts US at front of death penalty debate

Alabama executes a man with nitrogen gas, the first time the new method has been used

Republican National Committee pulls resolution declaring Trump as the ‘presumptive 2024 nominee’

World

South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, center, addressed reporters after a session of the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands, Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.

Top UN court orders Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza but stops short of ordering cease-fire

Pre-trial detention for WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich accused of spying in Russia extended through March

Airstrikes in central Gaza kill 15 overnight while fighting intensifies in the enclave’s south

opinion

Teens Speak Live: A Globe Opinion event

‘All the hallmarks of a political hit job’: Historian explains how Claudine Gay became a conservative target

High-potency marijuana carries health risks

lifestyle

Parents, prepare for battle: A memo from your favorite cutthroat Boston summer camps

How to fake a fireplace

I feel angry, sad, embarrassed, betrayed …

food & dining

Blue Ribbon Brasserie, which has opened in the former Eastern Standard space.

At Blue Ribbon Brasserie, a New York name makes a play for Kenmore Square

Old Wives Tale will bring oceanic drinks to the Encore; get Botox with your brunch in the Back Bay

The James Beard 2024 restaurant and chef award semifinalists list is out. Here are the region’s nominees.

travel

For a special treat, book one of the igloos at the Cliff House in Cape Neddick, Maine, with sweeping ocean views.

The 6 most romantic resorts for a winter getaway in New England

Hey, Cupid: Which is more romantic, Cape Ann or Cape Cod?

Sauna culture is gaining steam in New England — including a new spot right here on the Greenway

Arts

From left: William Matthew Prior, "Nancy Lawson, Boston," 1843. Shelburne Museum, Vermont, museum purchase, acquired from Maxim Karolik; William Matthew Prior, "William Lawson, Boston," 1843. Shelburne Museum, Vermont, museum purchase, acquired from Maxim Karolik.

An underappreciated American art form conjures Black history from the void

At MoMA, An-My Lê's photos show the presence, and continuing power, of the past

Carl Andre, austerely minimalist sculptor, is dead at 88

Books

H. W. Brands , author of "Founding Partisans."

H.W. Brands reminds us that the nation was ever thus

Nonprofit Maine press publishes first English translation of experimental Bulgarian novel

Author readings around Boston through Feb. 3

Movies

Actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck attended the premiere of "Live By Night" at TCL Chinese Theatre on Jan. 9, 2017 in Hollywood, California. The filmmakers and friends are teaming up for a new Netflix thriller.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are working on a movie together (again)

Worried about mass extinction? Take our quiz on plague-inspired books and movies.

Herbert Coward, known for ‘Toothless Man’ role in ‘Deliverance,’ dies in North Carolina highway crash

Television

From ‘The Sopranos’ to ‘Succession’: Ranking the 10 best HBO drama series

‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ adaptation arrives in May on Peacock

A mission (mostly) accomplished in ‘Masters of the Air’

music

Music teacher Michael Coelho conducts the orchestra during a rehearsal at Ipswich High School in Ipswich Thursday.

Ipswich ‘instructor in life’ and music scores Grammy nomination for second time

BSO president Chad Smith and music director Andris Nelsons give glimpse into new era for the orchestra

How ‘Saltburn’ — and Barry Keoghan’s nude dance — resurrected a 23-year-old song and turned it into an American hit

Theater/Dance

Jim Ortlieb is the maestro of "Stand Up If You're Here Tonight" at the Huntington's Maso Studio.

‘Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight’ defies definition, and that’s a very good thing

Playwright Samuel D. Hunter ponders ‘The Existence of God,’ and the existence of hope

At Central Square, a play that explores a tricky father-son-robot relationship

Health

Rhode Island Hospital, the state's largest hospital, in Providence.

After years of deferring investments, R.I.’s largest hospital owner is planning $3.5b in new improvements

Dana-Farber cancer researchers moving to retract one paper, correct others in broad investigation of manipulated data

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

Obituaries

Mr. Fried, shown in his office at Harvard in 1995, joined the law school faculty in 1961.

Charles Fried, former judge and US solicitor general who changed course on abortion, dies at 88

Bill Hayes, longtime star of ‘Days of Our Lives,’ dies at 98

Herbert Coward, known for ‘Toothless Man’ role in ‘Deliverance,’ dies in North Carolina highway crash