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6sports

Angela Hector, Jai-Lyn Garvin-Martin lead the new generation for Springfield Central girls basketball

The Falcons aren’t out of it yet. Atlanta takes on the Saints in New Orleans in the last weekend of the regular season and could be division champs with a win and some luck. Fans looking to watch this NFL game can do so for free by using FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both offer a free trial and RedZone. SlingTV has promotional offers available, and NFL+ airs all local market games. Who: Falcons vs. Saints When: Sunday, Jan. 7, 1 p.m. ET Where: Caesars Superdome Stream: fuboTV (free trial + $20 off your first 2 months); or Sling; DirecTV Stream or NFL+ Tickets: StubHub and *VividSeats *New customers who purchase tickets through VividSeats can get $20 off a $200+ ticket order by using the promo code MassLive20 at checkout.* Gear: Shop around for jerseys, shirts, hats, hoodies and more at Fanatics.com Sports Betting Promos: NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses. RELATED CONTENT: The Falcons still have a shot in the woeful NFC South despite another turnover-filled loss By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Already assured of their sixth consecutive losing season, the Atlanta Falcons and their coach, Arthur Smith, still have reason to believe all is not lost. For that, they should give thanks to the woeful NFC South. The Falcons (7-9) remain in contention in the NFL’s most forgiving division entering the regular season’s final week. They continue to struggle with turnovers and poor quarterback play but could salvage their season, possibly save Smith’s job and improbably win the NFC South if they beat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and last-place Carolina wins at home against Tampa Bay. Given the Falcons’ struggles and the fact Carolina (2-14) has the NFL’s worst record, neither result seems likely. At this point, however, no ending should be a surprise in the league’s only division without a winning team. This doesn’t hide the fact the Falcons remain painfully flawed, with the latest evidence coming in another turnover-filled loss, 37-17 at Chicago. One week after providing a rare clean game in a 29-10 win over Indianapolis, Taylor Heinicke threw three interceptions before leaving the loss to the Bears with a left ankle injury. Desmond Ridder, already benched twice this season, took over for Heinicke and threw the Falcons’ fourth pick. Smith has posted 7-10 records in each of his first two seasons and faced a mandate from owner Arthur Blank to show improvement. A win over the Saints would provide a one-win bump, but the late-season fade makes it more difficult to make a case Smith has the team moving in a positive direction. “You put a lot into it, but does that break anybody’s spirit here?” Smith asked Monday. “No. That’s what we’ve proven over and over again. We’ve done this to ourselves. It’s nobody’s fault but your own. Starts with me, as it should, but that’s what gives you a lot of confidence. “Nobody liked what happened (Sunday). We have life. However crazy it played out, that is what the situation is. Any time we play New Orleans, it’s a big deal. Certainly, this game has a lot on the line. I know some of it is out of our control, but again, that’s our own doing, right?” The Falcons are 2-6 on the road. WHAT’S WORKING The Falcons did a slightly better job of moving the ball than reaching the end zone. They rushed for 134 yards for their 11th game with more than 100, and had 307 total yards. Bijan Robinson rushed for 75 yards. The Falcons average only 19 points per game, ahead of only six teams. They are closer to the middle of the league with their average of 330.9 yards. WHAT NEEDS HELP No matter the verdict on Smith, it’s likely a change is coming at quarterback. The Falcons hoped to strike gold with Ridder, a third-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2022. Ridder’s inability to avoid interceptions, fumbles and sacks cost him his starting job twice this season. The Falcons’ biggest offseason decision may be choosing a path to find their next starter — through the draft, a trade or free agency. STOCK UP Tyler Allgeier’s 75-yard touchdown catch was the longest play of his two-year career and the Falcons’ longest play from scrimmage of the season. Allgeier had only five carries for 13 yards but his long run following the catch showed Robinson is not the only running back on the roster with big-play ability. STOCK DOWN Younghoe Koo made only one of three field goal attempts. A 50-yard attempt fell short and a 42-yarder hit the left upright. The snow and wind made for difficult kicking conditions, but it marked the second time in the last four games he has missed two attempts. Koo has made 31 of 36 this season. INJURIES Heinicke said he felt a sharp pain in his left ankle late in the game. If he has continued soreness this week, Ridder will likely get the start. ... CB Mike Hughes (concussion) and C Drew Dalman (ankle) also are expected to be on the injury report this week. KEY NUMBER 137 — Drake London’s four catches for 56 yards gave him 137 career receptions, surpassing Julio Jones’ 133 in 2011-12 as the most for an Atlanta player in his first two seasons. NEXT STEPS The Falcons may find it difficult to avoid keeping an eye on the scoreboard when playing the Saints. The Tampa Bay-Carolina game also is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. EST. The Falcons beat the Saints 24-15 in Atlanta on Nov. 26. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl The Associated Press contributed to this article

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3entertainment

Dorchesters Ayo Edebiri gets Golden Globe nomination for role in The Bear

A Massachusetts native is one of the nominees for the 81st Golden Globe Awards, honoring film and television series from the year. Ayo Edebiri, a Dorchester native, found herself with a nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy for her role as Sydney on Hulu’s “The Bear.” She is one of six nominees in that category. In a description of “The Bear” on Hulu, “Carmy, a young fine-dining chef, comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop. As he fights to transform the shop and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges crew that ultimately reveal themselves as his chosen family.” The show also received five nominations across a span of Golden Globe categories including Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television See a full list of nominees here. Read more: How to get free Starbucks hot chocolate every weekend in December Winners will be announced at the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 7, 2024. Viewers who want to watch “The Bear” can do so only with a Hulu subscription. A subscription with ads starts at just $7.99 a month and offers a 30-day free trial for new users. A subscription with no ads is $14.99 a month, also with a free trial.

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5science

Why Cold Symptoms Are Worse at Night

It’s cold and flu season. That means you’re very likely surrounded by a symphony of coughs and sniffling noses — if you’re not actively coughing yourself. And whether your main complaint is a cough, a fever, a headache or a runny or stuffy nose, you may notice that you tend to feel worse at night. That’s not your imagination. Several factors are to blame, starting with your circadian rhythm, which is your body’s internal clock. When the sun sets, it tells your brain to wind down for bed and, at the same time, spurs certain immune cells to become more active. Every night, those cells are recruited to different parts of your body, on the lookout for invading pathogens like viruses and bacteria. “When they identify and try to fight off viruses, the immune cells can cause irritation and inflammation, which ends up making respiratory symptoms worse at night,” said Dr. Diego Hijano, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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4politics

India and Maldives Trade Barbs After Modis Beach Visit

Since the 1970s, the Maldives has become one of the global jet set’s preferred resort destinations, earning $3 billion in tourism revenues in 2019, worth about a quarter of its national economy. After coronavirus pandemic-related lockdowns took effect, when outbound Chinese tourism stopped in its tracks, India became the Maldives’ biggest source of high-spending visitors. India had always kept tinier Lakshadweep under wraps. Until recently its islands saw only 10,000 visitors a year, nearly all of them Indian. In 2021, Mr. Modi’s government indicated that it saw great untapped potential there. If Lakshadweep’s coral-shaped lagoons can be sold to the world as an alternative to the Maldives, they would strike at the small country’s economic lifeblood. Just as the war of words with India hit fever pitch, with some Indian celebrities swearing they would restrict their luxury vacations to India’s own shores, the Maldives’ new president, Mohamed Muizzu, was starting a five-day state visit in China. His trip was planned much earlier, but rivalries with India were already on the agenda. The Maldives, like several other countries around South Asia, has for years bobbed along the surface of a great-power competition between India and China. Successive governments have been more pro-China, like Abdulla Yameen’s, from 2013 to 2018, or pro-India, like the one led by Ibrahim Mohamed Solih until November. Mr. Muizzu, who defeated him in the polls, had campaigned on a platform of “India Out.” Mr. Muizzu had already broken with tradition by skipping visiting India and spending his first state visit in Turkey. So it was little surprise that he chose China for his second state visit. His government also intends to eject the 80 or so Indian military personnel who operate aircraft based in the Maldives.

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0business

Price Increases Cooled in November as Inflation Falls Toward Fed Target

A closely watched measure of inflation cooled notably in November, good news for the Federal Reserve as officials move toward the next phase in their fight against rapid price increases and a positive for the White House as voters see relief from rising costs. The Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation measure, which the Fed cites when it says it aims for 2 percent inflation on average over time, climbed 2.6 percent in the year through November. That was down from 2.9 percent the previous month, and was less than what economists had forecast. Compared with the previous month, prices overall even fell slightly for the first time in years. That decline — a 0.1 percent drop, and the first negative reading since April 2020 — came as gas prices dropped. After volatile food and fuel prices were stripped out for a clearer look at underlying price pressures, inflation climbed modestly on a monthly basis and 3.2 percent over the year. That was down from 3.4 percent previously. While that is still faster than the Fed’s goal, the report provided the latest evidence that price increases are swiftly slowing back toward the central bank’s target. After more than two years of rapid inflation that has burdened American shoppers and bedeviled policymakers, several months of solid progress have helped to convince policymakers that they may be turning a corner.

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6sports

Struggling Bruins lose at Wild, 3-2

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored for the third straight game, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno added goals, and the Minnesota Wild held off struggling Boston 3-2 on Saturday night. Marc-Andre Fleury made 19 saves for career win No. 550, one shy of tying Patrick Roy for the second-most in NHL history. David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie scored, and Linus Ullmark made 33 saves for the Bruins, who are 0-2-2 in their past four. Boston has not lost four in a row since an 0-4-1 skid Dec. 5-12, 2019. “It was one of our better games defensively. We played a very good team out there and didn’t give them much,” Fleury said. Boston captain Brad Marchand said the Bruins made it too easy for Minnesota. “Will and compete is what it comes down to,: he said. “Seems like we’re losing a lot of battles that we should be winning.” BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Kaprizov has four goals and two assists in his past three games. In addition to Tuesday’s overtime winner against Boston, Kaprizov scored with 4.9 seconds left in overtime in Thursday’s 4-3 win against Montreal. “Since I’ve been here, I haven’t seen a difference in his game. For me, I would just say that he’s getting rewarded for it,” said Wild coach John Hynes, who took over Nov. 27. “When you’re an elite player like him, and you play the game the right way, and play the style of game that he has, it’s kind of what I said, it wasn’t if, it was going to be when.” Minnesota, 10-3-0 under Hynes and winners of six straight at home, took over in the middle stanza, outshooting Boston 19-6 and turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead in 85 seconds. Eriksson Ek netted his team-leading seventh power-play goal of the season almost six minutes into the second period, scoring off a rebound of a one-timer by Matt Boldy. Then, Kaprizov, from the top of the slot, passed to Alex Goligoski near the left dot, continued cutting down the slot, and buried a perfect return feed for a 2-1 Wild lead. Foligno converted a pass from Pat Maroon early in the third period for his first goal in nine games. “To be going into the break with another win is huge, and the consistency we’ve been getting has been nice,” Foligno said. “It makes the egg nog taste a little bit better come the Christmas holidays, and we’ve just got to keep it rolling when we come back.” Geekie, stopped twice by Fleury on breakaways, buried a pass from Danton Heinen with 6:07 to play to get the Bruins within 3-2. “I liked the first 15 minutes of our game, and I liked the last 10 minutes of our game,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “We just need a more concerted effort.” Pastrnak, who scored twice on Tuesday against Minnesota, scored on the power play early in the first with a one-timer from the left dot for his 20th tally of the season. He is the sixth player in franchise history to reach the 20-goal mark in eight consecutive seasons. Wild captain Jared Spurgeon missed his sixth straight game because of a lower-body injury and forward Ryan Hartman missed his second straight with an upper-body injury. UP NEXT Bruins: At Buffalo on Wednesday. Wild: Host Detroit on Wednesday.

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5science

Boston police officer provides life-saving CPR to 2-year-old boy in Dorchester, union says

When Oliveira reached the apartment, he found a person performing CPR on an unresponsive boy lying in a bed, the report said. Shortly before 2:30 a.m., Boston police Officer Daniel Oliveira responded to a call reporting an unresponsive child in an apartment on Ellington Street, according to a redacted copy of the police report that was obtained by the Globe. A Boston police officer provided “life-saving CPR” to a 2-year-old boy while responding to an early morning call in Dorchester on Saturday, according to the patrolmen’s union and a police report. Oliveira began performing chest compressions on the victim, “who started to be conscious and breathing,” the report said. Oliveira and another officer then turned the boy on his side to release fluid, the report said. Advertisement The child’s grandmother said she was sleeping when she heard him cry out and found him shaking and turning purple, the report said. Boston EMS and the Boston Fire Department also responded to the apartment, and the child was taken to Boston Medical Center for evaluation. No further information on the boy’s condition was released. The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association praised Oliveira in a social media post on Monday. “Thanks to the hardworking men and women of District B-3, an unresponsive 2-year-old baby who wasn’t breathing when officers arrived on scene early Saturday morning is alive today after officers applied life-saving CPR,” the union said. “Job well done, PO Oliveira.” Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Follow him @NickStoico.

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6sports

Girls Basketball Season Stats Leaders: Who are the current Western Mass. stats leaders?

Note: Stats Leaders is based on results sent to MassLive. If a player is missing, coaches should email sports@masslive.com. MassLive is highlighting the top stats leaders for each girls basketball category throughout the season. Take a look at the season’s top performers so far below:

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2culture

Maria Callas Was Operas Defining Diva. She Still Is.

She left her husband for the shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, largely giving up performing in the process. When Onassis eventually married Jackie Kennedy instead, Callas was alone and bereft, without either the vocation that had given her purpose or the man who had replaced it. Living mostly in seclusion, though always harboring hopes of returning to the stage, she became for many a kind of saint or martyr, an embodiment of the hopelessly loving, direly abandoned characters she had played. “Until the end,” a friend said, “she continued her vocal exercises.” As Callas’s life fades ever further into the distance, her voice is more and more what we are left with. “Generally, I upset people the first time they hear me,” she told a biographer, “but I am usually able to convince them of what I am doing.” Francesco Siciliani, an impresario who engaged Callas as she rose in the late 1940s, was right when he said, “Parts of the voice were beautiful, others empty.” But the flaws that grew more prominent over time — the thinnesses and wobbles, the metallic harshness and questionable intonation — were, as she knew, usually convincing, not least because her sound, for all its troubles, was so instantly recognizable, and such a perfect vessel for extreme emotion. There was always that sense of every phrase being considered, without feeling studied — of a voice with a purpose. We can see from photos the amazing ability of her face — and, perhaps just as important, her hands — to capture anguish, authority and charm. But among the most pernicious stereotypes about Callas is that she was an actress who could barely sing, who got by on charisma alone. The records disprove this. Listen to her tender “O mio babbino caro.” Listen to her delicate yet commanding “D’amor sull’ali rosee.” She was always a bel canto singer at heart. In the early 1970s, when she led a series of master classes at the Juilliard School, a student defended herself after a bad high note by saying it was meant as a cry of despair.

1b6140ad6ea3651843e3fe7220258b67

2culture

Susan Sarandons Most Controversial Roles Have Been Offscreen

For decades, Susan Sarandon’s acting career thrived alongside a robust interest in political activism, which often placed her well to the left even of Hollywood’s liberal mainstream. As she starred in films like “Bull Durham,” “Thelma & Louise” and “Dead Man Walking,” for which she won an Academy Award, she became a familiar, outspoken figure who appeared at rallies, took stances on issues at awards shows and made political endorsements. Over the years her brand of progressive politics led to clashes with others on the left, most notably in 2016, when she decided to back a Green Party candidate over Hillary Clinton, who went on to lose to Donald J. Trump. But her politics did not appear to have much impact on her career until last week, when Ms. Sarandon, 77, was dropped by United Talent Agency after she spoke at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York held amid the Israel-Hamas war and said, “There are a lot of people that are afraid, afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.” Her remarks, first reported by The New York Post, struck a nerve at a moment when Hollywood was being divided by the war. Some in the industry were expressing alarm about rising antisemitism and felt that their community had not sufficiently expressed support for Israel after Hamas fighters killed about 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 captive on Oct. 7. But questions were also being raised about if and when political speech should affect a career, as others in the industry lost positions and acting jobs after criticizing Israel for killing thousands of civilians in Gaza.

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6sports

Blackhawks Post-game One-timers Oct 24. vs Boston Bruins

The Chicago Blackhawks’ gauntlet of a schedule to start the season continued on Tuesday night at the United Center when they faced their third consecutive undefeated team, the Boston Bruins. This was be the second matchup this season between the two teams, with Boston winning the first game 3–1 at TD Garden on Oct. 11. Petr Mrazek started in goal for the Blackhawks against the Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman. The Hawks welcomed back Philipp Kurashev into the lineup for his regular season debut. He replaced Taylor Hall, who went on the injured list earlier in the day, retroactive to Oct. 21, with a left shoulder injury, which he sustained in Boston. In the first period, the Blackhawks thought they grabbed a 1–0 lead on a Connor Bedard one-timer off a turnover on the power play. However, the Bruins challenged the play for offside. A lengthy video review led to the Bruins winning the challenge and Bedard’s third career goal was wiped away. The period would end 0–0. Connor Bedard’s goal that was overturned after an offside challenge. ••• (🎥: @BR_OpenIce) pic.twitter.com/02MUJONqmD — JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) October 25, 2023 The Bruins opened the scoring at the 3:49 mark of the second frame when a wide-open Pavel Zacha tipped a point shot from Kevin Shattenkirk past Mrazek. For Zacha, the goal was his first of the season, and for Shattenkirk, he picked up his first point in a Bruins sweater. The Bruins would take the 1–0 lead into the second intermission, as the Blackhawks’ offense continued to struggle. In the third period, the Hawks came out of the locker room with some energy but had nothing to show for it. At the 4:06 mark, rookie Matthew Poitras took advantage of a Corey Perry turnover and won a footrace against the former Hart Trophy winner and scored his third of the season on a breakaway to give the Bruins a 2–0 lead. Just 56 seconds later, Trent Frederic scored his second of the season to give Boston a 3–0 lead. Charlie Coyle skated in on the rush and shot it from the left circle that Mrazek stopped but left a rebound. Multiple Bruins crashed the net and Frederic tapped in the loose puck to extend the Boston lead. The score would stay the same through the final buzzer as the Blackhawks could not generate much offensively. Swayman stopped all 23 shots he faced while the Bruins pelted Mrazek with 43 shots. Analysis For those of you who thought the Blackhawks would compete for a playoff spot this season (and we know there are a few of you eternal optimists out there in Twitterland), you should pop in the tape of this game to see how far away they are from contention. The Hawks were once again thoroughly outclassed in yet another game where it looked like men against boys on the ice. The same issues that have plagued the team in previous games happened again tonight: The offense, aside from when Bedard is on the ice, generates few, if any, quality scoring chances, too many turnovers up and down the lineup and the defense is caught out of position too often, which is mostly attributed to its youth and inexperience, and they are giving up way too many scoring chances. While the penalty kill has been solid, the power play has been nothing short of a disaster, largely due to losing face-offs and poor zone entries. In fact, you could make a fairly compelling case the Hawks have given up more shorthanded chances then they have generated quality scoring chances of their own. On the positive side, Mrazek continues to play well and keep the Hawks in games, but this is a boat that can only hold so much water. The Hawks return to action on Friday in Las Vegas against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Puck drop is at 5 p.m. CDT on NBCSCH and on 720 WGN. adsense Share this article: Tweet More

b133e215dd9fba8b2ba7b05268116bea

2culture

Gender wage gap in Boston shrinks, while racial gap grows

“Doing that math, it was like, ‘Whoa,’ ” said Kim Borman, executive director of the council. “I did it six times to make sure.” The gender wage gap in Greater Boston narrowed by 9 cents in the past two years, according to a new report by the Boston Women’s Workforce Council — shrinking for the first time since the council started studying payroll data in 2016 . For every dollar men earn, women make 79 cents, up from 70 cents in 2021. The drop appears to be driven by an increase in women advancing into highly paid leadership roles, Borman noted, and by a 6 percent average salary increase for women overall, while men’s average salary declined. Advertisement The math wasn’t as positive when it came to the racial wage gap, however. That pay divide increased by 3 cents since 2021, with employees of color earning 73 cents on the dollar compared to white workers. Black and Latina women fare the worst, making less than half what white men do. Get Trendlines A business newsletter from Globe Columnist Larry Edelman covering the trends shaping business and the economy in Boston and beyond. Enter Email Sign Up The pandemic likely played into the wage discrepancies, workplace analysts note. Federal funding enabled many women to continue working or take new jobs, and worker shortages in health care, which has a roughly 80 percent female workforce, led to strong wage increases for women. The ability to work remotely may also play into women’s abilities to take higher-paying jobs, while the new state law mandating paid family and medical leave is allowing greater flexibility to care for family members. Meanwhile, communities of color continue to feel the impact of COVID, with increased health problems and caregiving demands hurting the ability to work. This has likely compounded the divide created by the prevalence of people of color in lower-paid jobs and a lower share getting promoted into management. “Most times when you look at efforts that go toward DE&I . . . it’s white women and Asian women who have benefited,” said Beth Chandler, BWWC council member and executive director of YW Boston, a nonprofit that promotes equity and is one of more than 250 local employers that have signed the BWWC’s 100% Talent Compact to take action on wage gaps. “It’s Black and Latina women and Indigenous women who have not.” Advertisement White and Asian women in the Boston area earned just over $100,000 a year on average at the 103 companies analyzed in the report, while women of other races earned between $58,000 and $79,000. Massachusetts has a number of laws dedicated to pay equity, but its 27-cent gender pay gap is the 22nd highest in the country, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families, which, unlike the BWWC report, includes part-time workers and relies on census data. Vermont, on the other hand, has the lowest pay gap of any state, at 15 cents. The state’s small size and largely white workforce may play into this, said Cary Brown, executive director of the Vermont Commission on Women, but Brown noted that the state has passed pay equity laws, strengthened protections against sexual harassment and discrimination, and is investing in child care — “probably the single thing that most impacts women’s ability to make as much money as men,” she said. Unlike other wage gap reports, the Boston Women’s Workforce Council uses payroll data from employers, rather than relying on census surveys. The salaries of more than 165,000 workers were analyzed to find the raw wage gap as of last December, without adjusting for type of job, experience, or education. Research shows that even when those factors are accounted for, though, men are still paid more than women. Advertisement Most of the current earnings gap is between men and women in the same occupation and largely emerges after the birth of the first child, according to research by Harvard economist Claudia Goldin, who just won the Nobel Prize for her work on the issue. Women in dual-career heterosexual couples are more likely than men to forgo demanding, higher-paying jobs to be more available at home, she found. And women who take high-level jobs end up burning the candle at both ends. Over half of women in senior management take care of most of their family’s household duties and child care, according to management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., compared to 13 percent of male senior managers. And the wage gap gets even wider at the top. In Boston, the “performance pay” gender wage gap, including bonuses and cash incentives, is especially vast at the executive level, jumping from a 25 cent gulf in base pay to 42 cents overall. Pay equity isn’t possible, Goldin has said, until there’s “couple’s equity.” The morning commute near South Station in Boston on Sept. 19. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff When it comes to advancement, the problem isn’t necessarily the glass ceiling, according to McKinsey, it’s the “broken rung” on the way there. For every 100 men promoted from entry level to manager, 87 women — and only 73 women of color — move up to management. Advertisement Employers examining their practices need to realize “this is hard, intensive work,” Borman said. Salaries should be continually analyzed and adjusted, if needed, and managers trained on how to better support employees. Everything from what job postings say and who gets interviewed to how promotions are granted must be scrutinized. David Sweeney, former chief financial officer for the City of Boston, instituted a number of changes to bolster inclusivity when he took over in 2020 as chief executive of the nonprofit now called the Longwood Collective, a Compact signer that provides planning, transportation, and other services in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. Open positions are posted on specialized job boards where a diverse array of candidates, from working mothers to engineers of color, will see them. Workforce diversity is tracked, compensation consultants review all salaries regularly, and every employee gets a bonus when corporate goals are met. This has a cost, Sweeney said, and can be challenging in a tight labor market. “I don’t think most organizations are out actively discriminating against marginalized groups,” he said. “But changes don’t happen on their own. It takes a very proactive mentality to move the needle on these things.” The smallest gender wage gap in the BWWC study — 6 cents — is in the nonprofit sector, where the workforce is 71 percent female. But nonprofits also have a 44 cent racial wage gap, the largest of any industry studied. This racial divide stems from the fact that leaders of nonprofits tend to be white, while lower-paid employees serving clients are more often people of color, said Cambridge-based diversity consultant Su Joun. There’s also an assumption that because nonprofits often support disadvantaged communities, they must be “naturally inclusive” and don’t examine their practices as carefully as they should. Advertisement “Nonprofit leaders assume they’re immune to biases and microaggressions because of the good work they do,” she said. Hub International, the national insurance brokerage with 26 offices in New England, including 11 studied for the BWWC report, increased the raise pool this year by 60 percent across New England after analyzing its compensation structure. In one division, an average adjustment of 8.4 percent was made for more than half the team to alleviate wage gaps, said Mim Minichiello, chief performance and talent officer, and BWWC council member. One person got a 20 percent boost in pay. Compensation is much more structured than in the past, Minichiello said, which is especially important in a business where pay discrepancies can be inherited through acquisitions. But it takes constant supervision. “It’s still a dog fight,” she said. Katie Johnston can be reached at katie.johnston@globe.com. Follow her @ktkjohnston.

f03a3024a34c94be2e39737af8a3efa1

5science

New Sickle Cell Therapies Will Be Out of Reach Where They Are Needed Most

Many African patients have been closely following news online of the treatments’ success in clinical trials. In Tanzania, information about Casgevy spread a few months ago through a WhatsApp group that Shani Mgaraganza set up for mothers of children with sickle cell. Her son, Ramadhani, 12, and daughter Nasra, 10, have the inherited disorder, which causes episodes of searing pain and damages their organs. She said the therapy sounded like a miracle. “Everyone said, ‘Thanks God, our kids will be well,’” she said. Then the mothers learned what it was likely to cost. “It would be billions of Tanzanian shillings,” Ms. Mgaraganza said. “No one can afford this. It was demoralizing.” The access question is front of mind for Jennifer Doudna, the University of California, Berkeley, scientist who shared a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering the gene-editing method, CRISPR, underpinning Casgevy. “Today it’s not going to be widely available,” she said. “Now that we have this approval, we need to really figure out how we’re going to open it up to more people.” Two key factors put it out of the reach of patients in Africa. First, price: The treatments are far too expensive for governments that struggle to pay for basic health services. In some cases, there may be substantial additional costs, such as for a patient’s extended hospital stay to receive gene therapy. The second barrier is medical infrastructure: Administering the treatment is a monthslong process at medical centers that can perform stem cell transplants. Patients must have their cells harvested and flown to a lab for manufacturing, undergo grueling chemotherapy and endure a long hospitalization.

718656bf91548a42ae9f6ae6e863dfe2

1crime

Lawsuit Claims James Dolan Pressured Woman Into Sex

A woman filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing James L. Dolan, the entertainment and sports mogul behind Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks, of pressuring her into unwanted sex and then coordinating an encounter with Harvey Weinstein, whom she accused of sexually assaulting her. The woman, Kellye Croft, says in the court filing that she told Mr. Dolan — a former friend and business associate of Mr. Weinstein’s — about the alleged incident after it occurred in early 2014, years before Mr. Dolan made public statements that he had been unaware of Mr. Weinstein’s history of misconduct. In her suit, filed in Federal District Court in Los Angeles, Ms. Croft says that in late 2013, when she was 27, she was hired to work as a massage therapist on a tour by the classic rock band Eagles. Mr. Dolan — who moonlights as a blues-rock musician — was an opening act with his band JD & the Straight Shot. In court papers, Ms. Croft describes the experience as a dream gig that went awry because of the misconduct of two men who were among the most powerful figures in media and entertainment. First, Ms. Croft’s suit says, she was pressured into unwanted sex with Mr. Dolan, and then found herself alone in a Beverly Hills hotel room with Mr. Weinstein, who chased her down a hallway, held her down and penetrated her against her will.

56f10e7709bd9bf551ca6cae794a234c

6sports

Trent Brown still missing, reportedly has next team picked out

FOXBOROUGH — Trent Brown still hasn’t returned to the Patriots practice field since serving as a healthy scratch in Buffalo. Brown missed practice on Wednesday — he was listed with an illness again on the injury report — and was nowhere to be found on Thursday, either. Brown has now missed four practices in the past two weeks with the illness designation, despite coming off the injury report last Friday and posting a number of social media photos from a New Years Eve party over the weekend. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. According to the Boston Herald, the free-agent-to-be already has his next destination picked out. “Brown had dealt with knee and ankle injuries in late October, and had his mind on free agency,” Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed wrote. “After a surprising upset at Pittsburgh, Brown openly discussed plans to play for an NFC team in the team locker room.” It’d make a lot of sense if that was the Dallas Cowboys, who are hours from Brown’s ranch in Texas and have high-profile tackle Tyron Smith heading into free agency. Elsewhere on the practice field, Myles Bryant returned from an illness and the Patriots had perfect attendance beyond Brown. With snow in the forecast for Sunday’s season finale against the Jets, quarterback Bailey Zappe is looking forward to playing in some New England weather. “It’ll be exciting. I’m from Texas,” Zappe said. “We don’t really play in snow very much, so it’s going be fun. It’s going to be a great environment, last game, try to end the year out strong. So, I’m ready for it.”

9f9a38501d6d0002a3a8e25dc7af31df

3entertainment

Bostons Bebe Wood keeps rising with Mean Girls

“Mean Girls,” the musical version, is here, with its comic view of high school as a hellscape of cliques and paranoia intact. For Boston-based Bebe Wood, it’s a career changer playing Gretchen Wieners whose life revolves around pleasing school Queen Bee Regina (Renee Rapp). That translates as having no allegiance to anyone else, especially fresh-from-Kenya Cady Heron (Angourie Rice in the role immortalized by Lindsay Lohan). As to why Gretchen is so obsessed with Regina, that’s simple, Wood, 22, said this week on a publicity stop in Boston. “Regina is so fabulous! As a teenage girl it is easy to compare yourself to people and have these idols. Sometimes these idols are someone in pop culture. Sometimes your friends can be these people you idolize and also kind of fear. Gretchen loves Regina because she’s aspirational. She’s all of these things that Gretchen really values, some of which may be totally superficial. “She’ll discover later in life that these things don’t matter. But everyone has insecurities in high school and it’s really easy to be like, ‘Oh my God! Look at this person. They’re so perfect. They don’t have any insecurities.’ “I think you just start idolizing them because you’re like, ‘I wish I didn’t have these insecurities.’ But of course you find out in our movie that everyone has insecurities, including Regina. And not everyone is perfect.” As to why Gretchen has “her little sort of” breakdown, “Fans can discover the reason when they watch the film, but it’s really cool in a way,” Wood said. “I like Gretchen’s journey. She is this prominent member of Regina’s clique the Plastics, and her breakdown in a weird way enables Gretchen to discover more of herself.” While Wood is not yet a household name, she’s been a successful working actor for the last decade. There’s a bit of serendipity in her being in “Mean Girls” which again has Tina Fey as writer, actor and producer. Gretchen was the last major role to be cast. “I got an email. Like, ‘What are you doing tomorrow? The directors of ‘Mean Girls’ want to meet you.’ And when I logged on the very first face I saw was Tina. “Obviously Tina Fey is an icon and I’d worked with her 10 or 11 years prior. She was my very first scene partner as a professional actor for ’30 Rock.’ I hadn’t seen her since and in so many ways that literally kicked off my entire career. “So it felt very surreal, a very beautiful full circle moment. It was an honor to perform for her in that audition room. “Two days later, I got the call from my agent saying I booked the part.” “Mean Girls” is in theaters now

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6sports

The Westfield News Scoreboard: Blackstone Valley boys ice hockey rallies from 3-0 deficit to defeat Westfield in OT, 4-3

nan

8b5f4495542c00cfc076b2493666fe6f

2culture

Famous N.Y.C. Buildings, but Theyre Made of Gingerbread

Debek’s replica is one of 23 gingerbread creations featured in “Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off,” an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York through Jan. 15. The museum asked professional and amateur bakers to submit gingerbread designs that resembled “icons” across New York City. They turned 685 pounds of gingerbread and more than 160 pounds of royal icing into everything from theater marquees to baseball stadiums. Some entrants reproduced famous landmarks like 30 Rockefeller Plaza and the Brooklyn Bridge, but others recreated buildings that were meaningful to them. Debek, who moved to New York from Poland in the summer, decided to recreate the only building she knew well: the hospital complex across the street from the laboratory where she works. “That was the building I was the most fond of,” she said. Nishat Shahabuddin, an orthodontist, also chose a place with personal significance. She spent about 100 hours in her parents’ kitchen building a replica of 74th Street in Jackson Heights, an area she frequented as a child. Her model (at left in the photo above) includes real stores alongside imaginary ones that reflect her Bangladeshi heritage. Like many of the exhibit’s structures, her streetscape almost didn’t survive a few humid days in November.

76d7131b9db18c6c85169233b8e0e15d

1crime

A Fifth Round of Hostages Released as Extended Truce Appears to Hold

Hamas released a group of 12 hostages on Tuesday, most of them Israelis or dual nationals but also including two Thai nationals, all of whom had been kidnapped during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. It was the fifth group to be released since Friday, when a temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas went into effect. Here’s what we know about the Israeli hostages released on Tuesday. Clara Marman, 63; Mia Leimberg, 17; Gabriela Leimberg, 59 Clara Marman, Mia Leimberg and Gabriela Leimberg. Credit... Hostages and Missing Families Forum Ms. Marman, 63, a member of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, was taken hostage on Oct. 7, along with her partner, Luis Norberto Har, and three visiting family members: a brother, Fernando Marman, 60; a sister, Gabriela Leimberg, 59; and Ms. Leimberg’s 17-year-old daughter, Mia Leimberg, a high school senior who lives in Jerusalem. Moshe Leimberg, Gabriela’s husband and Mia’s father, stayed home in Jerusalem that day because he had the flu. In a notice he posted on LinkedIn, Mr. Leimberg said that since Oct. 7, he had heard nothing from or about his wife and daughter. “Not a word, not a picture,” he wrote. “They just disappeared, leaving behind a few scattered personal effects, almost as if they never existed.” Their absence, he said, “has left a gaping hole.” Gabriela Leimberg is the manager of a day-care center for youth adults with autism. The organization, the Shekel Association, has pleaded for the family’s release. Mia Leimberg, who is known for her singing voice, has studied at the Jersualem High School of the Arts, and also worked at a bookshop, according to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. The family dog was taken with the family; on Tuesday, videos on local news outlets showed Mia carrying a dog as she approached the International Committee of the Red Cross vehicles. A banner hanging at Mia’s high school reads, “We’re waiting for you, Mia, to come back.” Mr. Har and Mr. Marman are still believed to remain in Gaza. Ditza Heiman, 84 Image Ditza Heiman Credit... Hostages and Missing Families Forum Ditza Heiman, 84, was one of the first members of Kibbutz Nir Oz and had spent her entire adult life at the kibbutz, her son, Gideon Heiman, said at a news conference held by the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum earlier this month. Ms. Heiman, who worked as a social worker, retired just before she turned 80, Mr. Heiman said. “She spent her whole life helping people and helping take care of people,” he said. Ms. Heiman requires anticoagulant medication and suffered from a pulmonary embolism in the past, Dr. Sharon Kleitman, the family physician of Kibbutz Nir Oz, said at the same news conference. “My mother is not a healthy woman, and she needs medicine,” Mr. Heiman said. When the family tried to call Ms. Heiman on the day of the attack, someone picked up and said, “It’s Hamas,” her daughter, Neta Heiman, said in a video posted by the forum. “When I envision my mother there, she’s taking care of everyone,” Ms. Heiman said in the video, adding: “That’s my mother. She’ll take care of everyone if she only can. If they only let her.” “My mother, and many of her friends on Kibbutz Nir Oz who were massacred, were people of peace,” Neta Heiman said in an opinion piece in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, adding, “All that my mother and her friends wanted was to live in peace in the small Eden they had built there in the desert.” Tamar Metzger, 78 Image Tamar Metzger Credit... Hostages and Missing Families Forum Tamar Metzger, 78, was taken hostage along with her husband, Yoram Metzger, from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, according to a report in the Times of Israel. The couple has three children and seven grandchildren. She had worked in the kibbutz nursery and ran the general store, but in recent years had been a full-time grandmother, spending a lot of time caring for her grandchildren, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Tamar has limited mobility, according to the forum, and spends a lot of time on her balcony, reading, doing crossword puzzles and smoking cigarettes. Her husband is believed to remain in Gaza. Noralin Babadila, 60 Image Noralin Babadila Agojo. Credit... Hostages and Missing Families Forum Noralin Babadila, 60, was visiting friends at Kibbutz Nirim on Oct. 7, when terrorists attacked, killing her partner, Gideon Babani, and taking her hostage. The kibbutz was celebrating the anniversary of its founding that weekend. Ms. Babadila was born in the Philippines but lived in Yehud, a city in central Israel. She spoke with her brother by telephone in the early morning of Oct. 7 and told him that she was scared and that she might not return, according to a report in The Times of Israel. Ada Sagi, 75 Image Ada Sagi. Credit... Hostages and Missing Families Forum Ada Sagi, 75, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, has taught Hebrew and Arabic, according to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. The child of Holocaust survivors from Poland, she moved to a kibbutz when she was 18, according to The Associated Press. She was getting ready for a planned a trip to London to visit her family and to celebrate her 75th birthday when she was kidnapped on Oct. 7. Meirav Tal, 53 Image Meirav Tal Credit... Hostages and Missing Families Forum Meirav Tal, 53, her boyfriend, Yair Yaakov, and his children, Or, 16, and Yagil, 12, were all taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7. Both Or and Yagil were released on Monday, the fourth day of the cease-fire, as part of a group of 11 freed Israeli hostages. Yair Yaakov is believed to remain in Gaza. Rimon Kirsht, 36 Image Rimon Kirscht. Credit... Hostages and Missing Families Forum Rimon Kirsht, 36, and her husband, Yagev Buchshtab, 34, were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim on Oct. 7. The couple married two years ago, according to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, and had five dogs and five cats, most of which had been abused before being adopted. Ms. Kirsht practices alternative medicine and reflexology, and volunteered at Maslan, a support center for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in southern Israel. Ms. Kirsht loves growing plants, adopting and raising animals and listening to music, favoring Israeli bands, Guns N’Roses and U2, according to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. Ms. Kirsht was included in a hostage video released by Hamas in late October. Mr. Buchshtab is believed to remain in Gaza. Ofelia Adit Roitman, 77 Image Ophelia Roitman Credit... Hostages and Missing Families Forum Ofelia Roitman, 77, moved to Israel from Argentina in 1985, according to a Facebook post by the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. She lived in Kibbutz Nir Oz and has nine grandchildren. Ms. Roitman was an educator who taught first and second grade students for twenty years, her daughter, Natalie Madmaon, said in a video posted by the Israeli public broadcaster, Kan. Her family lost contact with her on Oct. 7, Ms. Madmaon said in the video. She worked in education in the kibbutz for many years, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Johnatan Reiss contributed reporting.

4b6edd0752d02b5622cf894009468b90

6sports

Winning now doesnt have to hurt future Patriots

The Patriots haven’t given up. While that might sound like a “no bleep, Sherlock” type of view after their 21-18 win against the Steelers in Pittsburgh Thursday night, it’s not. Plenty of players/teams have been known to subtly pack it in if the season is over early. And it’s definitely over for the 3-10 Patriots, who were officially eliminated from the playoffs Sunday. Judging by the inspired effort against the Steelers, however, the Patriots are still putting up a fight. While the notion of trying hard should be automatic given all the money the players make, not to mention jobs on the line, it’s still notable given the circumstances. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Watching running back Ezekiel Elliott make a potential touchdown-saving tackle after a Bailey Zappe pick; seeing cornerback Jonathan Jones play one of his best games in helping neutralize the Steelers fleet of receivers; and marveling at David Andrews literally dealing with three oncoming rushers on one play was outstanding. “We ain’t here just to give games up,” defensive tackle Christian Barmore said Monday via video call. “We’re here to play football.” The players aren’t giving games up, and they’re still playing for Bill Belichick, and that shouldn’t get lost in all the speculation about the head coach’s future, along with their draft standing. Belichick, in turn, appreciates their efforts. “I have a lot of respect for what the team has done,” the Patriots coach said during his Monday appearance on WEEI. “They come in every day, prepare, work hard. We’ve lost some close games, and we won one Thursday night, which is great. Hopefully we can stay on that track and keep finding ways to win those close games.” Obviously, the problem with all of this is that winning is at cross purposes for the big picture goal of landing the best possible draft pick in the 2024 draft. But what does that really mean? That they won’t get one of the top two “franchise” quarterbacks if they wind up picking third overall, or below? Not necessarily. What it means is if they target either USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye as the can’t-miss quarterback to take them into the future, they’ll have to hand over some assets and move up the board to land him. While it would be better if they didn’t have to give up anything, that’s still fine. It’s still doable. And the Patriots should be motivated to make that kind of move. Sitting as the worst team in the AFC, the Patriots have reached the point where they have to go get the players they need, whatever the cost. Whether it’s surrendering future draft capital to move up the board, or outbidding others for free agents they covet, that’s where it’s at for the Patriots, who have missed the postseason three of the last four years. Like it or not, they need to be aggressive. They can’t just give up if they perceive the cost to be too high - hello DeAndre Hopkins. If the Patriots want to get back to relevance, that mindset is pretty much non-negotiable whether Belichick is retained or not. So what happens from here on out, whether the players are engaged or not, shouldn’t be an issue. As it is, they’re going to have a tough time trying to take down an angry Chiefs team, losers of two straight, not to mention the Bills in Buffalo, and the resurgent Broncos in Denver. There’s no question the Steelers win was good for morale. As special teams captain Matthew Slater said Monday, the team was “starving for a win” after five straight losses. “Everybody has been working really hard. We just haven’t had the results we’ve been looking for, so it means a lot to win,” he said during his media availability. “After going through this season, we all just appreciate what it means to win in this league a little more ... look, I know everybody feels different about the way our season is going. But for us, as competitors, we want to go out, and we want to perform well regardless of the circumstances. So it gives us some confidence and hopefully it gives us a little spark, and we’re going to need every bit of spark this week against the Chiefs.” Indeed they will. The Patriots going all out to win isn’t likely to change the narrative against more talented teams who need to win to either maintain their playoff standing (Chiefs), or punch a ticket to the postseason (Bills, Broncos). The Jets are another story, but going 1-3 down the stretch certainly won’t be a draft killer no matter which way you slice it. When the time comes, the Patriots are going to have to pull out all the stops to change the narrative regardless of where they end up in the draft order. NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.

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5science

Electric Car Owners Confront a Harsh Foe: Cold Weather

Video: Warming trend in Mass. heading into Christmas Day Share Copy Link Copy OF BOSTON. YEAH. WE’RE LOOKING AT COLD CONDITIONS TO KICK OFF EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. BUT WE ARE GOING TO START TO WARM THINGS UP, ESPECIALLY BY THE TIME WE GET TO CHRISTMAS. AND WE’RE TRACKING A SPOT SHOWER. CHANCE BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. BUT MOST OF US SHOULD REMAIN DRY TEMPERATURES OUTDOORS. YOU CAN SEE WE’VE ALREADY FALLEN INTO THE 20S AND SEVERAL GIVEN LOCATIONS, EXCEPT IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. YOU’RE SEEING A 33 DEGREE READING. BUT DON’T WORRY, YOU’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FALL INTO THE 20S. SO THIS HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS KEPT US HIGH AND DRY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. AND IT’S GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO SO THROUGHOUT A GOOD PORTION OF OUR SATURDAY BEFORE IT STARTS TO BREAK DOWN AHEAD OF A STORM SYSTEM THAT ISN’T GOING TO IMPACT US ALL THAT MUCH. YOU CAN SEE ROLLING ITS WAY THROUGH ILLINOIS AND THAT’S WHAT’S GOING TO GIVE US OUR CHANCE OF A SPOT SHOWER HERE OR THERE BY YOUR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. BUT A LIGHT WIND CHILL OUT THERE. YOU CAN SEE OUT OF THE SOUTH SOUTHEAST AT THREE MILES PER HOUR DEW POINT SITTING AT 11 DEGREES. SO DRY AIR IS HERE TO STAY. WAKING UP TOMORROW MORNING, SOME OF US WAKING UP TO SUNSHINE, OTHERS A FEW MORE CLOUDS. MAINLY CLEAR OVERNIGHT THOUGH, BUT FALLING INTO THE TEENS AND 20S. THE FARTHER WEST YOU HAVE TO BE, THE COLDER YOU HAPPEN TO BE. TEMPERATURES CLIMBING SLIGHTLY WARMER TOMORROW THAN WHAT WE EXPERIENCED FOR TODAY. THE LAST TWO DAYS WE’VE ONLY CLIMBED INTO THE 30S. COME TOMORROW, EVERYONE SHOULD CLIMB WELL INTO THE LOW TO MID 40S. SO CLOUDS REALLY START TO WORK THEIR WAY IN LATER IN THE DAY. CALL IT A MIXTURE OF SUNSHINE AND CLOUDS THROUGHOUT A GOOD PORTION OF YOUR SATURDAY. BY THE TIME WE GET TO OUR EVENING HOURS GOING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS NOW WE’RE TRACKING OUR CHANCE FOR A SPOT SHOWER. MAYBE EVEN A BRIEF WINTRY MIX, ESPECIALLY NORTHWEST OF 495. SO THOSE AREAS THAT HAPPEN TO BE FLIRTING WITH THE FREEZING MARK OR JUST BELOW YOU MAY HAVE SOME SLICK SPOTS. WAKING UP EARLY SUNDAY MORNING ONCE AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE HOW SCATTERED IT IS IN NATURE, AND MOST OF US JUST WAKING UP TO CLOUDY SKIES. EXPECT A CLOUDY CHRISTMAS EVE UP AHEAD, BUT NORTHWEST OF 485. MAYBE A FEW PORCHES MAY HAVE A SLICK SPOT HERE OR THERE. A FEW ROADWAYS AS WELL. TAKE IT SLOW, BUT WE DO WARM UP FAIRLY QUICKLY. SPEAKING OF WARMING UP THOSE COLD CONDITIONS COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR HAIR. BY THE TIME WE GET TO TOMORROW MORNING AND BEYOND. SO A COLD START UP AHEAD TOMORROW MORNING. BY THE TIME WE GET TO SUNDAY, WE’RE LOOKING AT THE UPPER 40S. BY YOUR CHRISTMAS, WE’RE LOOKING AT TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S. SO STARTING OFF CHRISTMAS MORNING, WE’RE LOOKING AT THE 30S. BY CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON WE’RE WELL INTO THE LOWER 50S AND STILL HOLDING STEADY. WELL IN OUR EVENING HOURS. AND WE HOLD STEADY IN THE 50S. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS PAST CHRISTMAS. SO TUESDAY, EVEN WEDNESDAY, WE’RE LOOKING AT THE LOWER 50S AND THEN WE’RE TRACKING A STORM. CHANCE BY THE TIME WE GET TO WEDNESDAY. SO THAT STORM SYSTEM THAT WE JUST SAW ON RADAR BREAKS DOWN AS IT MAKES ITS WAY CLOSER. STILL, WE DO HAVE THAT CHANCE FOR A SPOT SHOWER, BUT ONCE AGAIN, MOST OF US SHOULD REMAIN DRY. OUR NEXT IMPACTFUL STORM SYSTEM ISN’T TOO FAR BEHIND, THOUGH. BY THE TIME WE GET TO WEDNESDAY. LINGERING INTO THURSDAY NOW WE’RE TRACKING WIDESPREAD DOWNPOURS. SO MAYBE EXPECT THAT TO BE AN IMPACT WEATHER DAY AS WE GET CLOSER. BUT TOMORROW, JUST WAKING UP TO SUNSHINE A FEW CLOUDS A LITTLE BIT LATER ON, A FAIRLY CALM DAY. A LITTLE BIT WARMER ON SUNDAY FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS. IT’S MILD AND WE STAY MILD FOR SEVERAL GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Your Email Address Submit Privacy Notice

c97b117a15e757695b040c847b1cae9d

1crime

Crews respond to fire in Boston high-rise - Boston News, Weather, Sports

BOSTON (WHDH) - Emergency crews responded to Congress Street in Boston Thursday after a fire broke out in a high-rise building in the area, the Boston Fire Department said. The fire department, in a post on X, said companies were on scene at 280 Congress Street as of around 8 p.m. battling flames on the building’s 30th floor. Companies were later clearing out of the building as of around 8:35 p.m., according to a later post. While some elevators remained shut down due to flooded elevator shafts, officials said elevators between the first and 15th floors were operating. The fire department said the building was “all commercial” and unoccupied. Boston fire officials shared photos from the response Thursday night, showing multiple ladders in use. No further information was immediately available. (Copyright (c) 2023 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

2a52a28f76f3329435ae66161e83fdd7

3entertainment

McCrays Farm sees enthusiastic response to holiday lights walk

SOUTH HADLEY — For the last month, an eruption of bright, colorful light greeted people rounding the curve on Alvord Street in South Hadley, welcoming patrons to stop by and wander through the Holiday Light Walkthrough at McCray’s Farm. From Nov. 24 through Dec. 31, the farm put on a display of nearly 500,000 holiday lights, showcasing themes such as Halloween, Santa’s workshop and Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” After scanning barcodes on their phones, viewers take about 40 minutes to stroll through the farm. 2023 was the second year McCray’s Farm offered a holiday lights walk. The response it received has it planning to host holiday lights walks for seasons to come. Stephen McCray, owner of McCray’s Farm, is one of about a dozen people who were heavily involved with designing and setting up the displays. Six years ago, McCray’s fiancee suggested that he put together a holiday lights walk, but he was too busy and knew he wouldn’t be able to get the monetary help he would need from a bank. However, after he visited the holiday light show at Sandy Hill Farm in Eliot, Maine and spoke to the farm’s owner, Bill Widi, he was inspired to take the risk and invest in his own stroll. The initial investment is huge, McCray said, but once it is up and running, it requires very little labor, which is completely different from the rest of the farm’s operations. The farm organized the holiday lights for the first time in 2022. At the beginning, McCray was concerned about competing with Bright Nights at Forest Park. But he saw a market for a smaller, yet still impressive, light show. The farm was blown away by how many people came out to the stroll in its first year, McCray said. Many guests would return throughout the season and offer their praise. “Most things you do in life, you don’t get a lot of gratification out of,” McCray said. “But we got so much love for doing this and it’s just incredible. Like I said, most stuff you do, you just really don’t get people telling you ‘thanks’ and stuff like that. We just got so much love, it was incredible.” Although large amounts of rain have led to a slight drop in the number of attendees this past year, McCray said that the farm still enjoys doing the stroll and is appreciative of the support it continues to receive. Many families have told the farm that they are making an outing to walk the light displays an annual tradition. McCray’s personal favorite display is the Love Shack, which he conceptualized and team member Mandi Carroll built. Crowd favorites include the Fog Room, which uses fog machines and lasers to create an electric effect, and the sports section. Viewers get to see the four major Boston sports team logos lit up while being serenaded by the Boston anthem, “Sweet Caroline.” McCray said the farm would like to keep running the stroll in the future and is excited for the challenge of innovating new ideas and themes each year. “We’re going to do the best we can,” McCray said. “We have to keep changing it up. You know, one of the most uncomfortable feelings is when people tell me ‘This is better than Bright Nights, because Bright Nights is always the same.’ I can only imagine how much money is invested in Bright Nights, and I’m sure they try to change it up, so the pressure is on for us to keep trying to change it up enough.”

32a4714a1e241a31e6d629324994cb20

7weather

Power cut to Boston apartments near manhole explosions, Eversource says

Two manhole explosions in Boston on Wednesday have resulted in cutting power to two apartment buildings, Eversource said in a statement. The explosions happened on St. Stephen Street, Eversource said in the statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. The street is very close to Northeastern University. Boston police started getting calls about the explosions at around 10:07 a.m., Boston Police Sgt. John Boyle told MassLive. “The substantial rainfall overnight likely played a role,” Eversource said about the “underground issue.” “We’ll look into the exact cause while crews make repairs.” In order for repairs to begin, Eversource said it “had to de-energize the line and two apartment buildings and are without power. We have generators on the way to restore power to these buildings while our crews complete their work.” “I was in the shower, and I heard a big explosion and some car alarms go off. And then 10 minutes later, I was getting dressed, and then the same thing happened,” Kerem Vasoglu told WCVB, which confirmed that vehicles near the explosions were damaged. While the investigation into the explosions continue, Boyle asked anyone who typically drives along St. Stephen Street to seek “alternate routes, as we’re detouring cars in that area to avoid it for the time being.” Read more: Flooding shuts down Milford Street in Medway after overnight storm No injuries have been reported, Boyle said.

be421f9d4e2ad211bd50c02f3f34b21f

6sports

Matthew Slater plans on making most of his potential final game

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – The curtain might be closing on one of the greatest Patriots in franchise history. Matthew Slater won’t say if next week’s game against the New York Jets will be his last, but the future Patriots Hall of Famer recognized this could be the end of his historic NFL career. Slater, 38, surprised some teammates this past offseason when he opted to return to the Patriots for the 2023 season. A 10-time Pro Bowler, eight-time All-Pro, three-time Super Bowl champion, and Patriots captain since the 2011 season, Slater said he’s going to enjoy every moment of next week’s regular-season finale. Slater said he recently received that advice from Devin McCourty, who retired from the NFL this past offseason. “I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can – take it all in, cherish the moments with the guys,” Slater told MassLive. “The reality is I don’t know what my future holds. I just want to cherish every minute of it. I’ve talked to guys who’ve crossed over, so to speak, D-Mac and (people) like that and they’re just like, ‘Hey, man, enjoy all of it. You know, when it’s gone, it’s gone.’ I’m going to enjoy it and try not to think too much about what lies ahead.” BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Slater has been one of the best stories to come out of the Patriots in franchise history. A fifth-round pick in 2008, Slater was considered a ‘roster bubble’ player for his first three NFL seasons. That changed in 2011. That season, Slater earned captain honors and Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his NFL career. Now, 14 years later, Slater is not only one of the most well-respected players in Patriots history but arguably the greatest coverage special teamer in league history. Slater currently holds the NFL record for special teams Pro Bowl selections (10) and first-time All-Pro honors (five). Slater has also been instrumental in helping the Patriots through a difficult 2023 season. This year’s 4-12 team hasn’t won many games, but the group has shown plenty of fight. That’s a credit to leadership. “We’ve got a lot of high-character guys on this team,” Slater said. “That’s not something you can measure. It’s not something that shows up in the stats column. It’s not something that shows up in the scouting report, but we have a lot of high-character guys. We could’ve easily gotten the doors blown off of us today with the way we played. It says a lot about the character of the guys on this team.” There’s no higher character than that of Slater’s.

b03fa17829e9765e6f4b0adc9d62a3a9

6sports

Conservative to the bitter end, Bill Belichick is losing dignity

The world champion Kansas City Chiefs beat the once-great Pats, 27-17, Sunday . The moribund Patriots were competitive for a half, but ultimately fell victim to the usual hail of penalties, turnovers, and failure to convert on third down (2-12) against a superior team. New England dropped to 3-11 with three to play. The Patriots remain on course to pick second in the 2024 NFL Draft. Reporters joust hourly to declare that Bob Kraft has made his decision on Bill . . . or that Bob is still deciding. An NFL Network insider Sunday reported that the final four games of this lost season will serve as a referendum on the Kill Bill question. That seems ridiculous, but if true, Belichick seems certain to continue his quest of chasing Don Shula’s wins record (which is now feeling like the Yaz Watch) someplace other than Foxborough. There’s not a lot of dignity in these Final Days of the Belichick era. Get Breaking Sports Alerts Be the first to know the latest sports news as it happens, and get the Globe's most interesting reporting right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The Chiefs of 2023-24 are a little bit like what the Patriots used to be. They’ve won two of the last four Super Bowls and played in three of four. They’ve got Andy Reid starring as Belichick, Patrick Mahomes playing Tom Brady, and Taylor Swift in the role of Dame Gisele Bundchen. They’ve got internal issues with penalties and dropped passes, but they toyed with the Patriots down the stretch at Gillette. Advertisement In anti-Hoodie fashion, Reid chose not to run up the score at the finish (“it was the right thing to do” — Reid), taking three knees in the final two minutes when he had second and goal from the Patriots’ 4. Lots of respect/pity there from Reid. When we last saw the Chiefs, Mahomes was delivering a Jack Nicholson-esque, five-star nutty on the sideline, raging at officials after a potential game-winning, Travis Kelce TD lateral pass was erased by the zebras. Reid joined Mahomes in a postgame protest and they were subsequently slapped with $150,000 in fines for conduct unbecoming. Advertisement These Chiefs, while unlikely to achieve anything close to what Bill and Tom did, are successors to the Patriot dynasty. KC’s celebrity troika of Mahomes, Kelce, and Reid have become the Shield’s centerfold. It’s as if Don Draper and Roger Sterling set up shop at Bryant’s Barbeque in Kansas City. You can’t watch 20 minutes of any NFL game without Mahomes, Kelce, or Reid urging you to bundle insurance or have a Snickers. This was the game the league bounced from “Monday Night Football” in favor of Eagles-Seahawks — a low moment in the history of Kraft’s 30-year stewardship. Without a competitive team or marquee players, the Patriots’ only star power Sunday was the prospect of Swift in attendance and Jon Bon Jovi ringing the lighthouse bell. Yeesh. New England has become a dim bulb in the NFL’s galaxy of stars. Absent the boring “Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe?” debate, Patriot fans spent the morning wondering what’s going to happen to Bill and where they might get the best view of Tay-Tay entering Gillette. It was true Eras Tour-level drama. Late in the morning we got a report from a Swiftie (@taylorswiftjets has 59,000 followers on X) that one of Taylor’s planes was en route from Morristown, N.J., to T.F. Green Airport in Providence. By 11:30 a.m., Dan Roche of Channel 4 was reporting that Swift was expected to be on hand and the gang from “All Access” produced old video of a Swift show at Foxborough when she stood on stage and said, “Gillette Stadium — The most joyful place on earth.” Advertisement Swift popped out of her limo at approximately 12:15 p.m and throughout the game, Fox Sports’s cameras showed her sitting in a private suite. My favorite moment was a shot of Swift after Kelce dropped a pass in the end zone. I think she was saying, “My boyfriend cannot catch the ball and throw the ball at the same time.’’ The rest was predictable. The Patriots came out strong, led, 10-7, early in the second and trailed by a mere 14-10 at intermission. Zappe completed 17 of his first 19 passes, but his first pass of the second half was picked off (“terrible on my part” — Zappe) and the outcome was never in doubt from that point forward. Still, Belichick never flinched. Trailing, 27-10, early in the fourth (a three-score game), Bill opted to punt on fourth and 3 from his own 42. “It’s not a question of not wanting to go for it, it’s a question of doing what you feel is best at that point in time,’’ said Belichick. Minutes later, fans booed with gusto when the Patriots punted on fourth and 4 with less than 10 minutes to play. “We were down three starters there and worried about if we’d be able to execute in that situation,’’ said Belichick. " . . . we got an interception.’’ Advertisement True. But there are times when it seems that Belichick’s goal is to avoid a blowout. Are the Patriots playing to win, or just to keep the score respectable? It’s not going to change. Clearly, Bill still will be thinking about coveted field position . . . all the way to the bitter end. And this is bitter. It's the elephant in the stadium. Will the Patriots fire Belichick? Share WATCH: Reporter Christopher Price weighs in. And, did Kraft’s appearance on College GameDay do more harm than good? Boston.com’s Khari Thompson reacts. Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at daniel.shaughnessy@globe.com. Follow him @dan_shaughnessy.

ae7aa960ae4cfedad2cf2282acf2ccf4

0business

Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX) Shares Sold by Stratos Wealth Partners LTD.

Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. reduced its position in Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX - Free Report) by 22.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,435 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 2,376 shares during the quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD.'s holdings in Boston Scientific were worth $456,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Get Boston Scientific alerts: Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 8.5% in the 1st quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,657 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $340,000 after buying an additional 524 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its position in Boston Scientific by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 139,354 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $6,972,000 after purchasing an additional 4,049 shares in the last quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Boston Scientific by 182.1% during the 2nd quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 12,325 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $667,000 after purchasing an additional 7,956 shares in the last quarter. Dubuque Bank & Trust Co. increased its position in Boston Scientific by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Dubuque Bank & Trust Co. now owns 5,112 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $256,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Concord Wealth Partners increased its position in Boston Scientific by 59.7% during the 1st quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 840 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. 89.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Insider Transactions at Boston Scientific In other news, EVP Joseph Michael Fitzgerald sold 15,867 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total transaction of $872,685.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 197,992 shares in the company, valued at $10,889,560. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, EVP Joseph Michael Fitzgerald sold 15,867 shares of Boston Scientific stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total transaction of $872,685.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 197,992 shares in the company, valued at $10,889,560. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Wendy Carruthers sold 11,671 shares of Boston Scientific stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.85, for a total transaction of $616,812.35. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 67,584 shares in the company, valued at $3,571,814.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 217,635 shares of company stock worth $11,566,176. Insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Boston Scientific from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 21st. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Boston Scientific from $58.00 to $59.00 in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Raymond James boosted their price target on Boston Scientific from $60.00 to $61.00 in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Boston Scientific from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 21st. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Boston Scientific from $59.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, September 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Boston Scientific has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $60.10. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Boston Scientific Boston Scientific Stock Performance Boston Scientific stock opened at $51.54 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $75.46 billion, a PE ratio of 85.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.77. Boston Scientific Co. has a 12 month low of $38.79 and a 12 month high of $55.38. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $52.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $52.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 0.80. Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The medical equipment provider reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.04. Boston Scientific had a net margin of 6.81% and a return on equity of 15.16%. The company had revenue of $3.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.50 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.44 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Boston Scientific Co. will post 1.99 earnings per share for the current year. Boston Scientific Profile Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through MedSurg and Cardiovascular segments. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions; devices to treat various urological and pelvic conditions; implantable cardioverter and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators; pacemakers and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers; and remote patient management systems. Recommended Stories This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com. Before you consider Boston Scientific, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Boston Scientific wasn't on the list. While Boston Scientific currently has a "Buy" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys. View The Five Stocks Here

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7weather

Mass. Gas Prices Tumble Four Cents With Arctic Blast On Horizon

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — With an Arctic blast of cold weather gunning for New England, AAA Northeast says Massachusetts' average gas price is down four cents from last week at $3.13 per gallon. Officials say there's been an uptick in energy demand as the temperatures continue to drop, though overall need has been lower than previous winters. Because of that, regional inventories of oil and gasoline have been seeing steady price decline. Still, the Commonwealth's average price for gas is seven cents higher than the national average. Read More: Cinema For All: Belmont World Film Fest Comes To Greater Boston “The national average for a gallon of gas is very close to a flat $3 a gallon and we’re not far behind here in the Northeast. But prices might waffle a bit on weather-related concerns and the potential for escalating tensions in the Middle East, which so far, have not had a lasting impact on oil prices,” said Mark Schieldrop, Senior Spokesperson for AAA Northeast. AAA Northeast's most recent survey found that the current national average is also down— one cent below last week at $3.06.

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3entertainment

ESPN BET promo: Code MASS unlocks $250 bonus for NFL games

Sports Betting Dime provides exclusive sports betting content to MassLive.com, including real-time odds, picks, analysis and sportsbook offers to help sports fans get in on the action. Please wager responsibly. Sign up with our ESPN BET promo on Christmas Even to gain $250 in bonus bets for NFL games. Click here and register with our code MASS to claim the largest welcome bonus available, which exceeds the offer on the app by $50. Then, you will have access to other special promotions for NFL and NBA games on Christmas Day. Place a $10 wager on any NFL game after using our ESPN BET promo MASS. Regardless of the outcome, you will receive $250 in bonus bets. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Week 16 began on Thursday, and we had another two games on Saturday. There are ten games on Christmas Eve, many of which are important for the playoff standings. Try placing your first wager on one of the early games to unlock the bonus bets as soon as possible. This bet can be on the Colts vs. Falcons, Seahawks vs. Titans, Lions vs. Vikings or Browns vs. Texans. Click here to use our ESPN BET promo on Sunday. Create an account with our code MASS and start with a $10 bet on any NFL game. Win or lose, this will result in a $250 bonus. Use our ESPN BET promo for NFL Week 16 ESPN BET promo Enter code MASS Welcome offer Bet $10 to get $250 bonus Date confirmed December 24, 2023 Verified by Alex Payton, Sports Betting Dime The Lions haven’t won a game in Minnesota in six years, but they have a chance to clinch the NFC North title with a win on Sunday. They are three-point favorites on the road. With the Vikings struggling after losing Kirk Cousins, I don’t see them contending with the Lions on Sunday. This is a great option for your first $10 wager. I also see the Colts winning their game over the Falcons. Shane Steichen, along with Dan Campbell of the Lions, is on the short-list to win NFL Coach of the Year. If you place your first wager on one of these games, you’ll get a bonus in time for the Cowboys vs. Dolphins in the late-afternoon slate. ESPN BET promo: How to use code MASS for a $250 bonus It doesn’t take long to sign up with our ESPN BET promo. Take these steps to claim your guaranteed bonus on Christmas Eve. Click here to create an account with our code MASS. Download the ESPN BET app on your mobile phone and enable geolocation services. Deposit $10+ with any accepted payment method. Place a $10 wager on an NFL game. The outcome doesn’t matter, so you will automatically get five $50 bonus bets. Try using one of these bonus bets for the Patriots game on Sunday night. Find more bonuses for NFL & NBA on Christmas There are additional boosts and bonuses available on Christmas Day. ESPN BET Massachusetts will have special offers for NBA action on Monday, which includes a Celtics game. There are also three NFL games, ending with the Ravens vs. 49ers. Brock Purdy is the favorite to win the MVP award on ESPN BET, followed by Lamar Jackson. Click here to sign up with our ESPN BET promo MASS. Place a $10 bet on any NFL game to receive a $250 bonus on Christmas Eve. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Get the latest sports betting news, advice and promos sent straight to your inbox. Enter your email here: Think you know Patriots football? Play the MassLive.com Prop Bet Showdown for a chance to win prizes! If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Massachusetts Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org to speak with a trained specialist to receive support. Specialists are available 24/7. Services are available in multiple languages and are free and confidential. 21+ and present in participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.

7e1078927cb4fe6231165d03c6c7af74

2culture

South Hadley mother channels grief into Little Free Library

After the death of her infant daughter, Amanda A. Adams, of South Hadley, channeled her grief into finding ways to create a legacy in her daughter’s honor through acts of kindness: a Little Free Library was one of the ways she thought of to help her community. She filled an out-of-rotation newspaper dispenser first with children’s books that reminded her of her daughter, Nora, like “Love You Forever,” which was read as her eulogy. Adults now too occasionally put their books into the decorated dispenser at McCray’s Farm in South Hadley. The basic idea of Little Free Libraries, which have popped up in many places, is for people to take a book, leave a book or both. “It’s a great way for the community to share books with each other and also keeps people from throwing books away because they’re finished with them and unsure what else to do,” Adams said. Her daughter, Nora, was 38 weeks gestation when it was discovered at a routine ultrasound that she no longer had a heartbeat. “We later discovered it was because of a cord accident, which is such a random and unpreventable thing,” Adams said. Nora was born on New Year’s Eve in 2019. She has an older sister, Brynn, and since Nora died, the family has welcomed brother Nolan and sister Lillian. “It’s always been important to me not only that my kids know and talk about (Nora), but that my family and even community know about our family as four children, not just the three you see and that it is okay to talk about pregnancy and child loss,” Adams said. She used an out-of-rotation newspaper dispenser for the little library, seeing it as a great way to make sure the books were protected from the weather. Also, “it upcycled something that otherwise would have been trash, and it saved money versus buying wood and creating something from scratch,” she said. Amanda Adams adds some new books to Nora's Free LIttle Library at McCray's Farm in South Hadley. (Don Treeger / The Republican) The Republican The response has been “fantastic,” she said. “I still keep an eye open on free groups, like Buy Nothing on Facebook, for when people are giving books away so I can stock it up from time to time.” During peak seasons, the little library can empty quickly; it is rewarding for Adams to see and know people are using it. She keeps a box of books handy so she can make sure it doesn’t stay empty for long. “It’s been at McCray’s for about three years now, so people come prepared with books to swap and look forward to seeing what treasures they can find,” Adams said. Born and raised in South Hadley, she is married to Brandon and has a master’s degree in social work. A therapist at James Levine and Associates in South Hadley, she also co-facilitates support groups and volunteers with Empty Arms Bereavement Support, a local nonprofit that supports families going through pregnancy and infant loss. She enjoys reading and spends time reading to her children. “It’s a great way to just spend time together bonding and be close to each other. It’s great for developing children’s language skills and, later on, learning to read,” she said. “It’s also so much fun for me as a parent to see what parts of the books they notice: the funny things going on in the pictures, the way they memorize the parts they like the most or with the silliest words, and even details that we miss as adults because we are focused on just the words.” Adams would like to place another Little Free Library, perhaps at Carey’s Flowers across from South Hadley High School. She would like to use another newspaper box but is open to ideas for other receptacles. She is considering building one, “although I would have to work on my woodworking abilities first,” she said. “I’d love to be able to upcycle something again.” For more information, go to littlefreelibrary.org.

5a5db3d2a3943b2afaee00158d86aec9

1crime

Friend who warned officials of Maine shooter says I literally spelled it out

The International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ highest judicial body, will begin hearings this week in a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The hearings, the first step in a lengthy process should the case go forward, will be the first time that Israel has chosen to defend itself, in person, in such a setting, attesting to the gravity of the indictment and the high stakes for its international reputation and standing. Genocide, the term first employed by a Polish lawyer of Jewish descent in 1944 to describe the Nazis’ systematic murder of about six million Jews and others based on their ethnicity, is among the most serious crimes of which a country can be accused. In its submission to the court, South Africa cited that lawyer, Raphael Lemkin, expounding on the definition of genocide. South Africa, whose post-apartheid government has long supported the Palestinian cause, accused Israel of actions in Gaza that are “genocidal in character.” It says Israel has killed Palestinian civilians, inflicted serious bodily and mental harm, and created for the residents of Gaza “conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction.”

52be520d3a7880181f91b946a206bbe4

4politics

GoFundMe for family of dead Harvard staffer, wife of firefighter raises nearly $100K

A mother of three who lived in Hyde Park and staff member at Harvard University for 15 years died last week. A GoFundMe page created for her family has raised nearly $100,000 of its $150,000 goal since she died. “On Tuesday, December 12th, the Pease Family suffered the tragic loss of Katie, loving wife and mother of three,” the GoFundMe description reads. “The Pease Family have been instrumental in the lives of their families and friends, and have made a significant impact at Boston EMS, Harvard University, the Needham Fire Department, the Boy Scouts, and the Hyde Park community.” As of Monday at 9 a.m., nearly $97,000 had been raised through more than 700 donations. The money raised will be used for Christmas gifts for the children, funeral costs and ongoing family expenses, the GoFundMe description read. Katharine Pease was the wife of Needham firefighter Gregory Pease. Her children are 9, 7, and 3 years old, according to her obituary. Pease was born in Boston and grew up in Wellesley, according to her obituary. She earned a bachelor of science from UMass Amherst, majority in environmental studies and minoring in computer science. She worked at Harvard and was most recently the associate director for university leasing and space planning, her obituary said. Her passions included travel and the outdoors — and especially scuba diving. “Kate and Greg have been married for 10 plus years,” Pease’s obituary read. “Theirs has been a beautiful and loving marriage. They coached sports teams, drove to many dance lessons, horseback riding lessons, spent many hours at ice rinks, traveled to scuba destinations and participated in scouting.”

f6513d1359a999bddd96c719a25768bf

0business

Come Home With Memories, Not a Shocking Phone Bill

The horror story goes something like this: A family returns from a trip abroad, and the glow from the vacation has barely begun to fade when a cellphone bill with hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars in international charges arrives. The phenomenon even has a name: bill shock. Smartphones have become an indispensable part of international travel. You can use them to check in at the gate, go through borders, find your way around a foreign city and pay for breakfast at a sidewalk cafe. Now, it’s easier than ever to use your phone just as you would at home without getting a big hit to the wallet. There are two major options: You can get a data plan directly through your phone company or you can swap out your phone’s SIM card, a small chip that stores data about you and your carrier — on newer phones, you can use an app that does the same thing. Here are some tips: Pick the right plan The three biggest U.S. carriers all offer some version of an all-inclusive international data plan. The prices and countries covered vary. Some take effect automatically when you cross a border, and others require you to sign up before your trip. Almost all of them send a text message detailing your options when your phone connects to a foreign network. AT&T offers the International Day Pass for $10 a day, allowing travelers to use their phones much as they would in the United States. AT&T automatically adds a day pass when customers with unlimited plans connect to the network in a foreign destination.

e8a5ddc932d489a78b62e57bfbbb4c88

2culture

City of Springfields Aquatics Department offering a Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course

Springfield - The City of Springfield’s Aquatics Department will be offering a Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course. The course will take place during the Feb. vacation week at Milton Bradley Elementary School on 22 Mulberry St. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Persons 15 years of age and over can register for the course, which runs Tuesday, Feb. 20 through Friday, Feb. 23. An in-pool test will be given to all participants prior to the first day on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Based on the results of the swim test, participants who pass will continue on to the full course. The City of Springfield is now offering free certifications for any Springfield Public School student. Cost for the program is $175 (cash or check only) per person for City residents and $225 for non-city residents. All fees must be paid by the first day of the class. The department is pleased to offer an invitation to all interested participants to learn these valuable life skills. The course is part of the Aquatics Division’s ongoing commitment to provide quality programming. Interested individuals must pre-register by calling the Aquatics Director, Joe Federico at 413-787-6298.

338e07efa42b6f3868295d3a485bba7b

1crime

5 Bodies Found After Days of Searching for U.S. Military Aircraft in Japan

The U.S. Air Force said on Monday that the bodies of five crew members had been found alongside the wreckage of a CV-22 Osprey that went down during a routine training exercise last week in southern Japan. Two crew members remain unaccounted for, and the remains of one had been discovered on Wednesday, the day of the crash. Over the weekend, the Air Force identified that airman as Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Galliher, 24. The body of Sergeant Galliher, a young father who went by the first name Jake, had been found by the Japan Coast Guard. Pieces of the fallen aircraft had been located on the ocean floor on Wednesday less than a mile from the Japanese island of Yakushima, according to the Japan Coast Guard. The U.S. Air Force said that a breakthrough in the five-day search came on Monday, when a combined Japanese and American team found the Osprey’s fuselage. On Friday, Japan’s defense minister, Minoru Kihara, said he had met with Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp, the commander of United States Forces Japan, and asked that all Osprey flights not related to search and rescue activities be suspended until the aircraft’s safety could be confirmed.

68cba6f0b48e5917e5867f2c752b42c6

2culture

Universities are Trojan horses for change in our society (Guest commentary)

The most famous war story, the one that will forever be told, is that of the Trojan horse. It goes like this: About a hundred or thousand years ago the Greeks and Trojans had been duking it for a decade. The Greeks could not penetrate the city walls of Troy to take over the treasured land and eventual said they had given up. The two parties fist bumped, and the Greeks sail away as the Trojans wheel into the fortified city the giant horse of a parting gift. The Trojans had a few too many Coca-Colas in celebration and passed out. Meanwhile there are 40 MMA Greek warriors chugging Red Bull and shadow boxing. The ultimate warriors pop out and opened the gates for their fellow Greeks who had sailed back during the shadows of the night to help defeat the unsuspecting Trojans. Our country isn’t surrounded by giant walls, but we are protected by our geography, technology and strength in numbers. Pearl Harbor and 9/11 were coast-based attacks that led to death of about 5,500 Americans. In retaliation was the leveling of about three different countries and hundreds of thousands of people. The United States, like the Trojans, aren’t to be defeated in a traditional sense. In all available metrics, studies and common sense, the past decade has revealed some troubling trends. Our citizens are less patriotic than ever. We are fatter than ever. We are on more drugs, both prescribed and illegal, than ever. Suicide and drug overdoses have spiked. Crimes from shoplifting to murder hardly even get any attention due to the increased prevalence. There are more fatherless homes than ever. Birth rates and overall life expectancy have dropped for the first time ever. Porn addiction and divorce rates up. We still see people walking around with masks on. Each one of these things adds to the rotting of our great society. How has there been such acceptance to all of this? If this is the end of a Scooby-Doo episode, the mask being pulled off the bad guy has a university president’s face under it.

db64d819c52ca0213909f9cdbe9bba9e

2culture

Lessons From the Past Year of Wordle

People like playing Wordle. In the past year, millions have played the game every day, and then shared, discussed and debated how they tried to win. For the first time, we’ve analyzed how people played in half a billion of those Wordle games and compared them with the strategies that our WordleBot recommends. Below are four things we learned. 1. Of the top 30 starting words, ADIEU is the most popular but least efficient. Many, many words have been written about the best opening word for Wordle. Answering this question, in fact, was one of the motivations behind WordleBot’s development. In its robot brain, a handful of words — SLATE, CRANE, TRACE — are best. For human Wordle players, the most popular opening word by some margin is ADIEU. AUDIO, another four-vowel word, is the fourth-most popular.

dc9bc6de85fa395cadbab64b9f6a0edc

3entertainment

Giveaway: Enter to win a pair of tickets to the opening night of Mr. Swindles Traveling Peculiarium

Events Giveaway: Enter to win a pair of tickets to the opening night of Mr. Swindle’s Traveling Peculiarium The performance features outrageous comedy, acrobats, aerialist, and bizarre humor. Photo courtesy Mr. Swindle's Traveling Peculiarium Boston, are you ready to experience an “Absolutely Outrageous Extravaganza”? Welcome to the Peculiarium! This incredible 90-minute performance for adults features outrageous comedy, acrobats, aerialist, and bizarre humor presented by a cast of world-class performing artists. Expect to leave with sore cheeks (the ones on your face) from smiling and laughing so hard. We are giving away four pairs of tickets to opening night Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Enter to win now! Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. The Big Top near Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave., Boston Prize Details 🎟️

89a386503d675b22d7fd28ffff4c242d

4politics

Israeli Invasion Plans Target Gaza City and Hamas Leadership

The Israeli military is preparing to invade the Gaza Strip soon with tens of thousands of soldiers ordered to capture Gaza City and destroy the enclave’s current leadership, according to three senior Israeli military officers who outlined unclassified details about the plan. The military has announced that its ultimate goal is to wipe out the top political and military hierarchy of Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls Gaza and led last week’s terrorist attacks in Israel that killed 1,300 people. The assault is expected to be Israel’s biggest ground operation since it invaded Lebanon in 2006. It would also be the first in which Israel has attempted to capture land and at least briefly hold onto it since its invasion of Gaza in 2008, according to the three senior officers. The operation risks locking Israel into months of bloody urban combat, both above ground and in a warren of tunnels — a fraught offensive that Israel has long avoided because it involves fighting in a narrow and tightly packed sliver of land populated by more than 2 million people. Israeli officials have warned that Hamas could kill Israeli hostages, use Palestinian noncombatants as human shields, and have strewn the territory with booby traps.

77f1147ae4942fc556b6bf84db54237d

5science

For More Plant-Based Protein in Your Diet, Try These Legumes

This is Day 3 of Well’s Mediterranean Diet Week. Start at the beginning here. If I had to choose just one food to always have on hand, it probably would be lentils. They’re quick to cook and comforting; my mom’s lentil soup was a staple of my childhood. But I’d also take any of the other legumes — chickpeas, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, kidney beans. Legumes are a key source of plant-based protein in the Mediterranean diet; one cup of cooked beans, lentils or peas contains about 15 grams of protein — just under a quarter of the daily needs of an average adult. And research suggests that people who get more of their protein from plant (rather than animal) sources tend to live longer, healthier lives. One cup of legumes also contains about 13 grams of fiber, or roughly half of your daily recommended amount. Fiber helps keep your digestive system running smoothly, feeds friendly gut microbes and is thought to trap cholesterol in the intestines, which may explain the research suggesting that eating legumes can lower your levels of LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol. Researchers have also linked legumes to improved blood sugar levels and reduced risks of coronary heart disease. Legumes supply several vitamins and minerals, including iron, which is necessary for oxygen delivery to cells; magnesium, which helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar; folate, essential for pregnancy and cell function; and vitamin E, which supports the immune system and protects against cell damage.

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6sports

How Patriots are handling final say with Bill Belichick gone

FOXBOROUGH — After Jerod Mayo was introduced as the 15th Patriots head coach in the G-P Atrium at Gillette Stadium, both he and owner Robert Kraft read excited opening statements on Wednesday afternoon. Kraft is optimistic about the path ahead and Mayo is eager to get to work. When the time came for questions, the first one was among the most pressing: Who will have final say on Patriots personnel? For the past two decades, that power had belonged singularly to Bill Belichick, who earned total control over New England’s roster after winning his third Super Bowl in 2004. So with Belichick out the door, who will get to make the ultimate decision when the Patriots are on the clock at No. 3 overall in next spring’s NFL Draft? BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Kraft began by saying this was a day to celebrate Mayo, but then offered a winding and open-ended response. “What we know: We have a lot of people internally who have had a chance to train and learn under the greatest coach of all time and a man who’s football intellect is very special,” Kraft said. “So in the short term, we’re looking for collaboration as our team has a tremendous opportunity to position itself right. Given our salary cap space and in my 30 years of ownership we’ve never been drafting as (early) as we’re drafting. So we’re counting on our internal people whom we’re still learning and evaluating. So we’re going to let that evolve and develop, and before the key decisions have to be made, we will appoint someone. “At the same time, we’ll probably start doing interviews and looking at people from the outside. But my bias has always been, in all our family companies, to try to develop a culture from within where we understand each other. I’ll just give you a little factoid: In the 30 years that we’ve owned the team, this is the third coach that our family has hired. In that period, there have been 244 coaches hired in the NFL. Which means an average of roughly eight coaches per team, which means there’s a turnover every three and a half years in the teams. We like to get continuity in our company. Get the most competent people and then try to build stability. So before we just rush and hire people, we want to understand what we have internally.” Internally, those high-level candidates would be Matt Groh (director of player personnel), Eliot Wolf (director of scouting), Steve Cargile (pro scouting director), Camren Williams (college scouting director) and Patrick Stewart (senior personnel advisor), but it remains to be seen if any of them will leave to join Belichick at his next landing spot. The 71-year-old coach has already interviewed in Atlanta, and will likely be a serious candidate if the Cowboys or Eagles jobs open after embarrassing wild card losses.

8fe07d5b650df12074da4cbc0cf151d5

7weather

Mass. weather: Storm could bring 5 inches of rain to parts of Mass.

If the precipitation comes down hard enough, especially in the first few hours, there could be a coating to an inch of snow in spots by sunrise. The highest likelihood of snow will be along the coastline closest to the low pressure area. Low pressure will move east early Wednesday well south of New England with some residual moisture crossing southern New England. Colder air has worked its way into the region as temperatures struggle through the 30s Tuesday afternoon. Temperatures will then dip below freezing during the overnight hours and some residual moisture moving across the Atlantic Ocean will produce the first measurable snowfall across southern New England by early Wednesday morning, even as a low-pressure system passes hundreds of miles south of us. Advertisement Some areas will receive measurable snow early Wednesday for the first time this season. Dave Epstein Although this rather brief weather event may not deliver snow for some of you, there’s a high probability that most of us are going to see at least snow showers Wednesday morning. The good news is roads will likely be too warm to cause any travel issues since most of what falls will have accumulated on grassy areas. There is a fairly high probability many areas around greater Boston will see their first measurable snowfall of the season early Wednesday. NOAA These sort of forecasting parameters are becoming more accurate each season as the ability to evaluate meteorological data increases. Years ago the same type of scenario probably would have just garnered a chance for a few snow showers overnight without the specificity we are able to at least attempt to provide. You can see on the forecast radar loop below how the snow showers will materialize in the wee hours of the morning and then quickly dissipate a couple of hours after sunrise on Wednesday. As the day progresses, skies will remain partly to mostly cloudy and it will be chilly with highs in the 30s. Snow Showers are likely early Wednesday with many areas receiving a coating to half an inch of snow. WeatherBELL Sunshine returns for Thursday, but it continues to be cold -- in the 30s -- and really feels like winter. Because the sun angle is so low this time of year, even half an inch of snow could end up lingering into Thursday, especially in shady areas. Advertisement The first inch of snow in Boston typically occurs in December, but we have had to wait much longer in some years while in others it has occurred weeks earlier. The first and last dates of Boston’s first inch of snow are highly variable each year. NOAA Friday will be mostly sunny with a high near 44 degrees and Saturday may turn out to be the best day of the upcoming weekend with a blend of clouds and sun and a milder trend -- temperatures will reach near or even a little bit above 50 degrees. It turns even warmer on Sunday but with rain and wind arriving at some point. The details on how that next storm will unfold are still to be determined, but it could be a significant amount of both. More on that in the coming days.

ebea905772a73fd23129ae4ae859b922

0business

The Green Line Extension's long history of trouble

The results were startling. Nearly 400 sections of new track examined by the machine between Science Park and Union Square and East Somerville stations were narrower than the contract specifications, according to a copy of the scan report obtained by the Globe. The test took the form of a machine loaded onto the brand-new tracks. It would, among other things, scan and measure the width between the rails and flag any areas that were too narrow. A big test for the Green Line extension tracks came on an unseasonably warm fall day in October 2021. Stations along the routes to Union Square and Medford were still being built, lighting was missing, and passengers wouldn’t start riding trains there for several months . Advertisement Experts say it should have been a high-decibel warning that the MBTA’s first attempt at expanding its subway system since the 1980s, a $2.3 billion project that took decades to bring to realization, was being built incorrectly. In June and September of this year, the agency slowed trains to a walking pace in some areas to avoid derailments because portions of the track were too narrow. “When you’re building something new, you don’t want to build it on the ragged edge of safety,” said Allan Zarembski, a professor and director of the Railroad Engineering and Safety Program at the University of Delaware. “That means that the modest, smallest amount of degradation or wear, or change in system behavior, and you can find yourself in an unsafe condition.” It’s unclear who at the T saw the results of the October 2021 report. But the extension opened last year, with thousands of passengers riding unaware on tracks narrower than they were supposed to be. A passenger gave a thumbs up while on the first train that left from the Medford/Tufts station around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2022. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff The Globe reviewed internal emails, track measurements, and contract documents, and interviewed current and former T employees since the track problems came to light earlier this year. Advertisement The review uncovered the October 2021 warning about track gauge problems during the construction phase of the Green Line extension, which the MBTA hadn’t previously acknowledged publicly. Other warnings came in April 2021, when the T said a subcontractor found rails on many of the track curves being built for a rail yard in Somerville were too narrow, and shortly before the final phase of the extension opened last year, when emails obtained by the Globe revealed much of the project was narrower than the contract specifications. The T publicly announced the reason trains were slowed to 3 miles per hour in October: Plates that hold the rails in place were too close together throughout most of the project. The plan to widen all of the narrow track wasn’t conceived until after media inquiries alerted general manager Phillip Eng to the problem about three months ago, the T said. Eng has said he is trying to change some of the cultural problems at the T he believes allowed for this error to happen. The new managers who came on after the extension opened say they haven’t been able to untangle how things went so wrong. “There’s a lot of hiding at the T, of keeping secrets, of not passing along bad news,” said chairperson of the MBTA board of directors Thomas P. Glynn, a former T general manager. “It’s part of the culture.” Advertisement A joint venture of several construction companies called GLX Constructors and made up of Fluor Corp., Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc., Herzog Contracting Group, and the Middlesex Corp. built the Green Line extension. The companies did not respond to requests for comment. The MBTA’s former Green Line extension program manager, John Dalton, and former general manager Steve Poftak, who both left the agency this year, also did not respond to requests for comment. A train pulled into the Gilman Square station in Somerville in November. Lane Turner/Globe Staff The Green Line extension is a project with a long and winding origin story. The effort to expand the reach of the MBTA’s subway system into Somerville and Medford descended from the Big Dig, the nearly $15 billion highway project that sunk Boston’s Central Artery underground and constructed the Ted Williams Tunnel under Boston Harbor. Over 16 years of construction, the Big Dig mega project, pitched as an engineering marvel, developed an ignominious reputation for astronomical cost overruns, leaky tunnels, and construction errors. The Green Line extension was conceived as an antidote to the project’s environmental impact. But more than a decade after a legal settlement mandated its construction, plans for the subway extension were trapped on the drawing board. In 2015, the project risked being scrapped altogether when the state calculated construction costs could run up to $1 billion beyond budget estimates. Then-governor Charlie Baker ordered a rescue mission. The MBTA tapped a new leader to run the project — Dalton, an independent contractor who had worked for the Chicago Transit Authority. The T moved swiftly to cut costs, notably by simplifying designs for the seven new stations. The agency then executed a $1.08 billion contract with GLX Constructors to design and build the Green Line extension. The federal government agreed to pay for about half of the total $2.3 billion cost of the project, which included buying new Green Line cars and real estate. Advertisement The T paid Dalton $406,372 during his last full fiscal year working on the project, according to agency spokesperson Joe Pesaturo. The state hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at what is now Union Square station on June 25, 2018, and the pressure was on to complete it by the end of 2021. Green Line extension tracks (left) were seen as the rail expansion was under construction in 2021. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff As with any subway project, the backbone of the Green Line extension was the track itself, built along a 4.7-mile right-of-way through Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford. The specifications for track construction were spelled out in thousands of pages of contract documents prepared by the T. Under the contract, the rails had to be positioned 56 ½ inches apart, the width known in the industry as standard gauge. British engineer George Stephenson, the principal inventor of the railroad locomotive, pioneered the standard in 1829. It was widely adopted in the United States during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, when Congress designated it for the transcontinental railroad. The T specified that Green Line extension tracks couldn’t miss the mark by much. Deviations from the 19th-century standard were not to exceed 1/16th of an inch, the contract said. The cushion was about the thickness of a penny, the ubiquitous memorial to Lincoln. Advertisement The narrow margin for error was unusually exacting, according to Zarembski, the railroad safety expert, former managers, and new ones who joined the T after the Green Line extension opened. They said the industry usually allows track gauge deviations up to ⅛ of an inch for constructing light rail, double what was sought in the Green Line extension contract. T leaders who joined the agency after the subway expansion opened said they don’t know why the contract specified such strict parameters. The plan they’re implementing for widening the track will reposition the rails to the industry construction standard. Plates that hold the rails in place were too close together throughout most of the Green Line extension, the T said. Lane Turner/Globe Staff The T has said all of the evidence uncovered so far points to an error in which the metal plates that hold the rails in place were attached to the wooden ties in the wrong spots. And so the rails, too, were off the mark. The T has identified the tie manufacturer as Stella-Jones Corp. The company did not respond to requests for comment. The T said the first warning came in April 2021 from a quality control subcontractor that had inspected a rail yard in Somerville and found the rails on many of the track curves were too narrow, resulting in a failed inspection report. The problem at the rail yard was publicly revealed by the T earlier this year and appears to have been appropriately logged and corrected, according to emails obtained by the Globe. Eng has said that at that point, about 11 months before the first portion of the expansion opened, the Green Line extension team should have paused to investigate whether there was a larger issue, but didn’t. On the same day as the October 2021 report showing nearly 400 spots where the new tracks were too narrow, another report — based on measurements from the same device belonging to Boston company Railpod — found no areas where the tracks were too narrow. The results show one of the reports flagged areas where the distance between the rails was narrower than the minimum industry standard for building track — 56 3/8 inches — and therefore narrower than what the contract required, the Globe found. The results show the other report appears to have examined the tracks against the T’s own standard for when slow zones are required because the rails are too close together. Under the T’s standard, any section of track where rails are narrower than this measurement — 56 ⅛ inches — aren’t allowed to carry trains unless they travel at no more than 3 miles per hour, a walking pace. The standards differ by 1/4 of an inch, or about the diameter of a drinking straw, but in railroading, every fraction of an inch counts. A seemingly tiny error could and did put the system on the very edge of failing the safety standard, the T has said. The buffer was gone. The report showing the tracks had no narrow areas raises questions the T has so far been unable to answer: Why was it produced given construction was still underway? Who saw it? Did T leadership lean on its findings without fully understanding its meaning? Instead of stopping construction to reconcile the two reports, the T seems to have continued building. Pesaturo confirmed the two differing reports from 2021 are authentic and said the MBTA team handling the construction of the Green Line extension arranged for the machine to examine the tracks. But the T declined the Globe’s public records request for the documents and others examining the tracks, citing security concerns. The Globe has appealed the denial to the secretary of state’s office. The T’s Maintenance of Way department gave the agency the OK to start running test trains at full speed in December 2021, according to an internal memo obtained by the Globe. The T plowed ahead, and the Union Square branch opened on March 21, 2022, to much praise. Meanwhile, the T continued to work on the Medford branch. A month later, the T examined the tracks again. The resulting report found no areas where the tracks were too close together, but didn’t specify what standard that finding was based on, according to a copy of the report obtained by the Globe. Then in November 2022, with the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Medford branch of the extension fast approaching, another round of measurements, this time by Italian company MERMEC, again revealed a widespread problem, according to internal emails obtained by the Globe. On the morning of Dec. 1, 2022, a top T engineer told Dalton, then the MBTA’s Green Line extension leader, that the track department had confirmed there were around 30 areas on the Medford branch that were narrower than the maintenance standard, according to internal emails obtained by the Globe. If the rails were not fixed before the ribbon cutting, trains would have to operate at low speeds, the engineer said in an email. MERMEC and RailPod, the companies that have performed scans of the Green Line extension, did not respond to requests for comment. The T’s deputy director of the Maintenance of Way department, which oversees track safety, wrote to Dalton and the engineer later that afternoon to clarify that in addition to the 30 or so areas that would require speed restrictions, the agency had another problem on its hands. Almost 24,000 feet of track on the Medford branch was narrower than the stricter standard set by contract, the deputy director said in an email. That’s about 70 percent of the total track on the Medford branch. “This is outside reasonable construction tolerances and will need to be corrected,” the deputy director wrote. Days later, a track engineer again raised the larger issue in an email: “The contractor may want to address these time permitting,” he wrote on Dec. 6, 2022. Three days later, just before the grand opening, a T safety committee met to decide if the Medford branch could open for passenger service. At least two people at the meeting, Dalton and the top engineer, had been emailed about the widespread track gauge problems, according to internal emails obtained by the Globe. But minutes of the meeting obtained by the Globe don’t show a discussion of the tracks. The group deferred the vote about opening, citing pending station inspections, according to the minutes. Hours after the meeting, the track engineer told Dalton and others that the narrowest areas of tracks had been widened. “Re-gauging of Urgent Narrow Gage locations is complete. All locations have been checked and are now within maintenance standards,” he wrote. Eng has said that the Green Line extension was safe to operate at full speed when it opened. The MBTA certified the project as safe to open, and the T’s state safety regulator, the Department of Public Utilities, agreed, according to a spokesperson for that agency. The Federal Transit Administration, which chipped in $1 billion for the project, said the agency certified the T had followed correct procedures, according to a spokesperson. Determining track gauge is not part of the FTA certification process, the spokesperson added. Eng has said he had “no indication” that there was a rush to open the project on behalf of Baker, who has said through a spokesperson that his office was never informed of the track gauge issues. Still, the last minute repositioning work before the opening was a shortcut that proved insufficient, Eng said. The T fixed only the most egregious problems without getting to the bottom of why most of the new track did not meet contract specifications. Eng said widening all of the track to conform with the contract before the opening would have prevented what eventually came to pass: slow zones and shutdowns for repairs that inconvenienced riders. Because the tracks were built so close to the edge of the T’s maintenance standard, the machines that measure the width between the rails have a hard time distinguishing between what is safe and what requires a speed restriction, Eng has said. Sometimes areas of track previously gone unnoticed by the machine were identified as too narrow and required speed restrictions. “On one run [of the machine] . . . perhaps it’s OK, another one . . . you need to take immediate action,” he said in October. “And that’s not what I want as an owner. And that’s not what the public deserves.” For big construction projects such as the Green Line extension, the ribbon cutting ceremony is usually not the finish line. A punch list tracks what still needs to be finished before the contract is closed out. Current T leaders say getting the tracks to where they were supposed to be was not, at that point, treated as a priority; it was not even on the punch list. MBTA general manager Phillip Eng walked with Governor Maura Healey in March. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff In April, when Eng started as general manager of the MBTA, he knew there were a lot of problems with the beleaguered agency. He knew the $1 billion project to build new Red and Orange Line cars was years behind schedule; he knew the monthlong shutdown of the entire Orange Line for repairs in 2022 inexplicably resulted in worse track conditions; he knew the installation of Green Line collision prevention equipment that the T was first ordered to provide in 2009 still hasn’t debuted; he knew the $1 billion “fare transformation” system that has moved forward in other cities was stalled here. But, he said, no one ever told him about the big problem with the new bright spot in his subway system: the Green Line extension. And the issue would only get worse. A new set of measurements in June found more areas along the Green Line extension were too narrow for trains to operate safely at full speed, according to Eng who said he didn’t learn about the problem until months later, in September. On June 23, the T implemented slow zones on both branches, ordering trolleys not to exceed 3 miles per hour, a walking pace, in different areas totaling 600 feet of the Green Line extension, according to T data. Still, the agency fixed only the narrowest areas, and left most of the tracks narrower than what the contract required. The Globe didn’t report on the June slow downs and didn’t become aware of them until September. That month, another machine was back on the tracks uncovering more unsafe areas. By the close of service on Sept. 20, trains were crawling along sections totaling more than a mile, or about 12 percent, of the total extension track, according to T data. The bad news had finally reached Eng’s desk six days later in the form of inquiries from the news media about why so much of the brand-new track was so defective less than a year after the project fully opened. Eng put Rod Brooks, one of four top transportation executives he brought in this year, in charge of figuring out what went wrong. Brooks has 32 years of railroad experience, according to the T, starting as an assistant signalman and most recently working as senior vice president of operations at Long Island Rail Road. Internal emails obtained by the Globe indicate that no one had adequate answers for Brooks about how widespread defects brought to the attention of T leaders in December 2022 had been left unaddressed for months or why earlier warnings appear to have been missed or ignored. Several sweeping recent reviews of the agency from independent experts and the FTA have found deep dysfunction. Reports from an outside expert and the T’s own safety department released in this year found the T’s Maintenance of Way department had been so incompetent at one of its most basic duties — recording and repairing track defects — that the agency did not have an accurate accounting of the areas of the subway system that needed fixing. The entire agency was neglecting day-to-day operations, maintenance, and safety, according to a report from the FTA last year and a 2019 report from a panel of independent experts. In October, Eng let go of two managers who had been involved with the project’s construction and named a new leader for the Green Line extension. The changes followed Eng’s major shakeup of the agency’s executive ranks in September. The T began closing down the Green Line extension early in the evenings each night in late November so that the builders could work on repositioning most of the new track. The work involves unscrewing bolts from tie plates, filling the holes with epoxy or wooden dowels, and then drilling new holes and securing the plates at the correct gauge. The T initially hoped to have the work completed by Dec. 10. But it wasn’t done in time. T officials announced Thursday they plan to suspend service between North Station and both branches of the Green Line extension in January during two weekends and close the same sections early on 12 nights to continue the work. A passenger waited at the Gilman Square station in Somerville. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Taylor Dolven can be reached at taylor.dolven@globe.com. Follow her @taydolven. Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her @lauracrimaldi. Got a problem? Send your consumer issue to sean.murphy@globe.com. Follow him @spmurphyboston.

0a2c85ee2a2d464727db1276fe857b94

7weather

MA Flood Watch, High Wind Warning Issued For Next Winter Storm

Weather MA Flood Watch, High Wind Warning Issued For Next Winter Storm Much like Tuesday night, the storm late Friday night will bring heavy rain, high winds and coastal flooding concerns to Massachusetts. "Another widespread 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected Friday night into early Saturday. This may exacerbate current river and stream flooding and/or result in additional flooding." - National Weather Service Boston (Patch Graphic) MASSACHUSETTS — For the third time in a week a significant winter storm will zero in on Massachusetts this weekend with this one carrying with it a Flood Watch, High Wind Watch and concerns about coastal and river flooding from heavy rain and an astronomically high tide on Saturday morning. The storm is expected to arrive late Friday night around midnight with the chance of a brief period of snow north and west of Boston before the entire state turns to another drenching overnight rain. The National Weather Service is forecasting another inch or more of rain on top of early Wednesday morning's heavy rain and rapid snowmelt. "A widespread 2 to 4 inches of rain fell Tuesday Night into Wednesday morning combined with rapid snowmelt," the National Weather Service said on Thursday. "This resulted in numerous rivers and streams going into flood or expected to go into flood within 24 hours from the residual runoff. In addition, another widespread 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected Friday night into early Saturday. This may exacerbate current river and stream flooding and/or result in additional flooding." The Flood Watch is in place for all of eastern and central Massachusetts until 7 p.m. on Saturday with a continued flood warning in place for streams and rivers that remain at or close to flood stage on Thursday. Temperatures will rise throughout the night and hit a high of 57 degrees on Saturday morning before cooling as the storm departs. A Coastal Flood Watch has been issued for the Saturday morning high tide after roads and neighborhoods near Salisbury, Plum Island and Hampton Beach, NH flooded in the wake of the Tuesday night storm on Wednesday. "Minor coastal flooding occurs along Morrissey Boulevard in Boston," the National Weather Service said. "Coastal flooding is expected along the North Shore from Gloucester to Newburyport. Wave action will likely cause some washover onto coastal roads around the time of high tide. "Expect minor coastal flooding of some low-lying roadways. Minor coastal flooding occurs in Provincetown, in the vicinity of Race Point Road and Provincetown Airport. In Truro, backwater flooding occurs along the Pamet River." Winds are not forecast to be quite as damaging as early this week — with peak gusts of 65 miles per hour reported at Chatham and Dennis — but could approach 60 miles per hour on Cape Cod, 50 miles per hour on the North Shore and South Shore, and 40 miles per hour inland. A High Wind Watch has been issued from 1 a.m. on Saturday until 1 p.m. After a week of unseasonably warm temperatures, it will feel a lot more like winter on Sunday and Monday with sun before the next shot of substantial snow roars into the region on Tuesday.

74f0f6c7bafaaf6f1e2dff09564be888

4politics

Golden Globes 2024 Nominations: Barbie and Oppenheimer in Front

To many, the Golden Globe Awards are a perfect example of Hollywood’s two faces. In public, the entertainment capital plays along: It’s an honor just to be nominated, giggle tee-hee, this event is an absolute delight. In private, smiles drop and eyes roll: The prizes are not seen as meaningful markers of artistic excellence, but there is no way around them. From a business perspective, the Globes represent a crucial marketing opportunity for winter films and TV shows. The nominations for the 81st ceremony, which will be televised by CBS and streamed on Paramount+ on Jan. 7, were announced on Monday morning by Cedric the Entertainer and Wilmer Valderrama. New movies like “American Fiction,” “Poor Things” and “The Zone of Interest” will compete alongside summertime behemoths like “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie.” “Barbie” led the nominations with nine, followed by “Oppenheimer” with eight. In the television categories, “Succession” had the most with nine, followed by “The Bear” and “Only Murders in the Building” with five apiece.

15a255673a2e6a40a654094cad13842a

6sports

Senior guard Ava Pedersens return from injury could be key to Westfield High School girls basketball teams season

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association released its most recent power rankings for the winter season on Friday, posting the lists for high school girls and boys basketball and boys and girls hockey. The power rankings include games that were posted by schools into Arbiter by Jan. 19 at 4 a.m.. The state athletic association will update the rankings every Tuesday and Friday throughout the remainder of the regular season.

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3entertainment

Visit Thompson Island in Boston, Moby-Dick Marathon, ABBA tribute

Bid farewell to 2023 at sea with the New Year’s Day Boat Trip. Journey to Thompson Island with the Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands and spend the afternoon immersed in forests, meadows, and marshes. Departs at noon from Mass Bay Lines on Rowes Wharf and docks at 4 p.m. Bring food and layers. Tickets required — $30 general admission, $20 children ages 3-12, with discounts available — at bostonharborislands.org . January 2-7 Call Me Ishmael Spend 25 consecutive hours reading Herman Melville’s classic at the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s annual Moby-Dick Marathon. Event highlights include a Friday evening cocktail hour and buffet dinner; on Saturday and Sunday, offerings include a scavenger hunt, arts and crafts for kids, a “Stump the Scholars” session, and more. Readings begin at noon on Saturday. $75 for Friday’s dinner; Saturday and Sunday events are free. whalingmuseum.org Advertisement January 5-14 Silk and Lace Complementing the “Fashioned by Sargent” exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, In Sargent’s Time: Edwardian Dramas highlights the era’s lavish style in four films. Movies range from a coming-of-age love story to an examination of class and corruption. Showings run through January 14. Find times and tickets — $15, with member discount available — at mfa.org. Get Globe Magazine An engaging blend of award-winning narrative journalism, opinion, lifestyle, travel, recipes, and advice. Enter Email Sign Up January 6 Dancing Queen Stomp your feet and sing along to The Music of Abba at The Wilbur Theatre. Witness the Scandinavian pop supergroup’s hits brought to life by the Direct From Sweden tribute band, complete with sequined costumes, disco choreography, and catchy tunes. Doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets from $35. thewilbur.com January 11-14 Jig Jubilee Click your heels at the annual Boston Celtic Music Festival. In venues across Greater Boston, local musicians of all ages perform traditional shanties and ballads. Fiddles, tin whistles, and pipes in hand, these artists, supported by the Passim School of Music, blend modern melodies with time-honored tunes. Festival also includes a Scottish social dance, an award-winning folk band hailing from Quebec, and a Sunday morning brunch. Ticket prices and showtimes vary. passim.org Advertisement EDITOR’S NOTE: This edition of Your Week Ahead covers two weeks. Look for the next Globe Magazine on January 14. Share your event news. Send information on Boston-area happenings at least three weeks in advance to week@globe.com.

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5science

As Alzheimer's rates rise, Boston researchers find that a multivitamin may improve memory, slow cognitive aging

As the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s grows, a new “exciting” study out of Mass General Brigham shows that taking a multivitamin could help prevent memory loss and slow down cognitive aging. The Boston researchers tested the effects of a daily multivitamin on cognitive changes in older adults, as part of the COSMOS trial (COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study). COSMOS is a large-scale trial testing cocoa extract and multivitamin supplements, run by researchers at Mass General Brigham. Two previous studies in COSMOS suggested that a daily multivitamin has a positive effect on cognition. COSMOS researchers are now reporting the results of a third study in COSMOS — which focused on participants who took in-person assessments. The results showed a statistically significant benefit for memory and cognition among participants taking a daily multivitamin compared to the placebo. The study suggests that taking a daily multivitamin may help prevent memory loss and slow cognitive aging in older adults. “Cognitive decline is among the top health concerns for most older adults, and a daily supplement of multivitamins has the potential as an appealing and accessible approach to slow cognitive aging,” said first author Chirag Vyas, instructor in investigation at the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. “The meta-analysis of three separate cognition studies provides strong and consistent evidence that taking a daily multivitamin, containing more than 20 essential micronutrients, helps prevent memory loss and slow down cognitive aging,” Vyas said. The researchers for the study conducted in-person cognitive assessments among 573 participants in the subset of COSMOS known as COSMOS-Clinic. The scientists found that there was a modest benefit from the multivitamin on global cognition over two years. There was a statistically significant benefit from the multivitamin for change in episodic memory, but not in executive function/attention. The researchers estimated that the daily multivitamin slowed global cognitive aging by the equivalent of two years compared to the placebo. “These findings will garner attention among many older adults who are, understandably, very interested in ways to preserve brain health, as they provide evidence for the role of a daily multivitamin in supporting better cognitive aging,” said Olivia Okereke, senior author of the report and director of Geriatric Psychiatry at MGH. In 2020, an estimated 5.8 million Americans aged 65 years or older had Alzheimer’s disease. This number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060, according to the CDC. JoAnn Manson, co-author of the research report and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said, “The finding that a daily multivitamin improved memory and slowed cognitive aging in three separate placebo-controlled studies in COSMOS is exciting and further supports the promise of multivitamins as a safe, accessible and affordable approach to protecting cognitive health in older adults.”

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5science

Whats in a Name? The Battle of Baby T. Rex and Nanotyrannus.

When fossil hunters unearthed the remains of a dinosaur from the hills of eastern Montana five years ago, they carried several key characteristics of a Tyrannosaurus rex: a pair of giant legs for walking, a much smaller pair of arms for slashing prey, and a long tail stretching behind it. But unlike a full-grown T. rex, which would be about the size of a city bus, this dinosaur was more like the size of a pickup truck. The specimen, which is now listed for sale for $20 million at an art gallery in London, raises a question that has come to obsess paleontologists: Is it simply a young T. rex who died before reaching maturity, or does it represent a different but related species of dinosaur known as a Nanotyrannus? The dispute has produced reams of scientific research and decades of debate, polarizing paleontologists along the way. Now, with dinosaur fossils increasingly fetching eye-popping prices at auction, the once-esoteric dispute has begun to ripple through auction houses and galleries, where some see the T. rex name as a valuable brand that can more easily command high prices.

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6sports

Red Sox reportedly bound and determined to do something big this offseason

Chris Sale’s time with the Red Sox has reached its end. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Red Sox have agreed to trade the veteran left-hander to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for infielder Vaughn Grissom. Sale reportedly waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the trade, which marks the end of memorable seven-year run in Boston. A seven-time All-Star, the Red Sox originally acquired Sale prior to the 2017 season and he immediately became the ace of an eventual championship-winning rotation. Sale finished second in the Cy Young voting his first season with the Red Sox after striking out a career-high 308 batters, and in 2018 he posted a 2.11 ERA while recording the final out of the World Series. Sale was subsequently awarded a five-year, $145 million contract extension, but injuries subsequently took their toll and the veteran was never the same again. Sale did not pitch in 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and has only made 31 starts while pitching 151 innings over the past four seasons since his extension took effect. Last season Sale enjoyed his best season since 2019, posting a 4.30 ERA over 102.2 innings, but injuries still cost him nearly two months of the season. This is a breaking news story. Check back later for further updates.

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1crime

Fate of Billions for Opioid Victims From Sacklers Rests With Supreme Court

The speed with which the court scheduled the case may reflect its awareness of the opioid problem. But legal experts said its ruling would be unlikely to dwell on the public health crisis. The court, they said, will focus narrowly on the liability shield, an increasingly popular, though contentious, bankruptcy tactic. “I’m sure, though, that even if the opioid crisis doesn’t show up anywhere in the opinion, the court has to be bearing in mind that cities, states and individuals have been desperately waiting for these funds. They need to know the answer to this question so they can figure out what to do next,” said Adam Zimmerman, who teaches mass tort law at the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law. Though numerous pharmaceutical companies have been sued for their roles in the opioid epidemic, the Sacklers and Purdue loom large in the story of the complex, decades-old crisis. Their signature drug, OxyContin, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in late 1995, became a game changer in a new market hungry for prescription painkillers. To the medical establishment that was then beginning to recognize pain as a “fifth vital sign,” long-acting OxyContin looked like a wondrous medication. Purdue became known for lavish sales conferences, at which pain medicine physicians, trained and hired by the company, would falsely claim that the risk of addiction to OxyContin was extremely low. By 2007, Purdue and three of its top executives had paid fines of $634.5 million and pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for misleading regulators, doctors and patients about the drug’s potential for abuse. The steep fines did little to deter Purdue from continuing to aggressively market OxyContin. Eventually, attention became focused on the Sacklers themselves, some of whom served as Purdue board members and made large charitable donations to medical schools and museums. In exchange, the institutions renamed buildings after the Sacklers. But as the family saga became featured in books, television series and documentaries and their notoriety grew, most institutions stripped the Sackler name from their properties and dissociated themselves from Purdue’s owners.

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1crime

Amherst man sentenced to 6-7 years for sexual assault on minor

A Hampshire Superior Court judge sentenced an Amherst man to serve six to seven years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to several charges in connection with sexual assaults on a minor. Kemal Banatte, 44, changed his plea to guilty at a hearing on Thursday after being charged with statutory rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, and witness intimidation, according to a statement from the Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan’s Office. Banatte admitted to sexually assaulting the victim, a teenage girl known to him multiple times between 2015 and 2019 in Amherst while she was between the ages of 12 and 15, according to district attorney spokesperson Laurie Loisel.

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3entertainment

Ricardo Arjona, Prolific Latin Pop Star, Says He Will Stop Touring

The newest season of “Southern Hospitality” will premiere on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 9 p.m. ET. on Bravo. Viewers without cable looking to stream season 2 and the rest of the show can watch it online using DirecTV Stream, Sling, and fuboTV. DirecTV and fuboTV both offer free trials. “Accepting nothing short of perfection from her staff, Leva runs a tight ship, but her once-close-knit team faces a multitude of obstacles as they try to keep their jobs while maintaining their friendships and relationships,” Bravo wrote about the show. The new episode is titled “Once Upon a Lie.” How can I watch the newest episode of ‘Southern Hospitality’? Viewers looking to stream can do so by using FuboTV, Sling or DirecTV Stream. Both FuboTV and DirecTV offer free trials when you sign up and Sling offers 50% off your first month. What is FuboTV? FuboTV is an over-the-top internet live TV streaming service that offers more than 100 channels, such as sports, news, entertainment and local channels. What is DirecTV? The streaming platform offers a plethora of content including streaming the best of live and On Demand, starting with more than 75 live TV channels. DirecTV also offers a free trial for any package you sign up.

1485e4eedd1ada7f209ae177924369f6

6sports

Patriots report card: Players dont give a hoot about teams draft standing

It wasn’t long ago, when it looked like the Patriots wouldn’t win another game. That was after losing to the Giants Week 12. Of late, however, they’ve haven’t acted like one of the league’s tomato cans. They’ve managed to win two of their last three games against opponents still in the hunt for playoff spots. Translation: The players don’t give a hoot about where the team lands in the draft order. They’re still in it, to win it, even though their playoff fate was decided long ago. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. “We preach every day that we are playing for each other. We know the playoffs aren’t in the future so right now, we are playing for one another,” Bailey Zappe said following the 26-23 win over the Denver Broncos Sunday night. “Going into this week, we understood we had Christmas around the corner and wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate Christmas with a win. That was our motivation and to be able to go out there and execute it is great.” Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, meanwhile, had this to say to ESPN’s Mike Reiss following the game. “It’s all about pride, man. Being willing to compete,” said Godcnaux. “We could have easily laid an egg and said ‘F--- it, let’s get ready for Christmas, the season is over.’ But we have teams in front of us, and it’s good to knock a team like this out of playoff contention.” As it was, the Pats were down numerous starters (Hunter Henry, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jabrill Peppers just to name a few) but still put up a fight. Along with playing for each other, by extension, they’re also playing for Bill Belichick, whose future with the Patriots has been the source of speculation for weeks. “He hasn’t (quit), and there’s the trickle down effect he has,” captain David Andrews said of Belichick. “And, as leaders, I don’t think we have. Personally, as a leader, you can never lay down and quit. I can’t do that, and I won’t do that as long as I’m playing here for this organization … obviously it hasn’t looked great at a lot of points this year. But, I’m just proud of the way the guys keep fighting, the coaching staff, and everybody.” That fight was evident against the Broncos. After surrendering a 16-point lead, the Patriots still managed to put together a game-winning drive behind Zappe, with Chad Ryland kicking the game-winner in the final seconds. How the final two games play out is anyone’s guess. But ever since Zappe took over for Mac Jones as the starter, it’s provided a jolt not only for the offense, but the team as a whole. Here’s the grades from the Patriots Week 16 win over the Broncos: Quarterback : A-minus Nightmare of a start. Great middle. Heroic finish. That pretty much sums up Bailey Zappe’s performance against the Broncos. On the very first play from scrimmage, he surrendered the ball with a strip-sack fumble. After that, he managed to get through the first quarter, and the opening half without any more miscues. He did miss a few open receivers early, but got better as the game went along, which hadn’t been the case the previous two games. When the third quarter rolled around, Zappe really hit his stride. Protection issues were a problem, but Zappe confidently stepped up in the pocket to deliver strikes to all of his receivers. In that third quarter alone, he completed 8-of-10 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown throw to Mike Gesicki was a beauty. Everything seemed to be clicking on al cylinders. But then the offense went cold. The fourth quarter was met with three straight three-and-outs, but with the ball in his hands, with 58 seconds to go in a tie game, Zappe delivered in the clutch to set up Chad Ryland’s game-winning field goal. On third down, Zappe deftly eluded the rush and hit DeVante Parker with a 27-yard completion. He further advanced the ball into field goal territory with passes to Ezekiel Elliott and Gesicki. It was Zappe’s best performance (25 of 33, 256, two TDs) to date. In his two seasons in Foxboro, he’s now 4-2 as a starter. Running backs: B-plus Ezekiel Elliott has been, hands down, the team’s best free agent acquisition this season. Between his professionalism, his approach, and ability to deliver in the clutch, Elliott has been a welcome addition. While he wasn’t able to produce much in the run game (27 yards on 12 carries), he was a safety valve for Zappe. His 15-yard touchdown catch, meanwhile, epitomized the type of spark Elliott has provided all season. After taking a swing pass from Zappe, the 28-year-old back hurdled one defender en route to hitting the end zone for a score. In all, he was targeted 11 times, making nine catches. Kevin Harris chipped in with 21 yards on seven carries, which again signaled how tough the run yards where to come by, while Tyquan Thornton added nine yards on an end-around. Wide Receivers: A-minus The group has been much-maligned all year. The receivers have been knocked for their inability to separate, and make plays. Against the Broncos, that was hardly the case. DeVante Parker played perhaps his best game as a Patriot. While his totals weren’t off the charts (4 catches, 65 yards ), he delivered in the clutch. Between his 30-yard reception in the third quarter, and the 27-yard beauty in the fourth quarter to help set up the game-winning kick, Parker made the type of game-winning plays the Patriots expected when they got him last year, and extended him before this season. Demario “Pop” Douglas (5 catches, 74 yards) also made his presence felt. His 44 catches on the season is the second-most by a rookie in the Belichick era. Douglas did have one miscue, dropping a perfectly thrown ball by Zappe in the third quarter. He had all kinds of room to run. Having the ball go off his hands also nearly caused a pick. Jalen Reagor’s 28-yard catch in the first quarter provided the first sign of life for the offense. Overall, Reagor caught two balls, with Thornton adding another for 11 yards. Tight ends: B Things seemed pretty grim with Hunter Henry missing his first game as a Patriot. But both Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown did their best to make up for that loss. Gesicki made two of the biggest plays in the game, catching an 11-yard touchdown pass from Zappe in the third quarter, then making a four-yard catch late in the fourth quarter to give Chad Ryland a closer kick from 56 yards, as opposed to 60. Brown caught two passes for 25 yards and was once again used quite a bit as a blocker. Offensive line: D The left side was a problem with the Patriots rotating left tackles and left guards. Tackle Vederian Lowe and guard James Ferentz, who was signed to the roster ahead of the game, struggled right out of the gate. Ferentz was run over by D.J. Jones on the strip sack/fumble of Zappe on the first play from scrimmage. Lowe was also flagged for a holding penalty. Trent Brown and Atonio Mafi alternated with Lowe and Ferentz. That didn’t solve the problem. Mafi had two holding penalties. On the right side, Michael Onwenu allowed a sack. Zappe was also pressured quite a bit, having to move up in the pocket to avoid sacks. Beyond that, the group didn’t get much push up front. The running backs didn’t have much space to roam. The Pats gained just 59 yards on 21 rushing attempts. Defensive line: A-plus There are dominant performances. And then there’s what Christian Barmore did against the Broncos. The third-year defensive tackle was an absolute game-wrecker with three sacks - all coming in the third quarter - seven tackles (two for a loss) and at least a half-dozen quarterback pressures. Barmore was an unblockable force, who almost single-handedly took down the Broncos. Russell Wilson will be having Barmore nightmares the rest of the week. Davon Godchaux, meanwhile, had two tackles for loss. Jeremiah Pharms recovered a fumble and Keion White batted down a pass. Collectively, the guys up front also helped keep another team under 100 yards rushing. That’s five straight games. A terrific effort all around. Linebacker: B This group consistently plays well week to week. Ja’Whaun Bentley led the team with eight tackles as the linebackers also played a part in keeping the Broncos ground game in check. Jahlani Tavai, who continues to be everywhere, with four tackles and a forced a fumble. Mack Wilson also forced a Russell Wilson fumble, shooting in off the edge, but that was recovered by the Broncos. Wilson continues to stand out in his hybrid linebacker-edge role. Josh Uche had a sack and a couple of pressures. Secondary: B-minus This group was missing it’s tone-setter, as safety Jabrill Peppers missed the game with a hamstring injury. It was also without cornerback J.C. Jackson, whose season is over after being played on the non-football illness list. Jalen Mills played in place of Peppers, and played well. Safety Kyle Dugger also made his presence felt with some big hits, and a tackle for loss. As for the corners, a rag-tag group with Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant, Shawn Wade and Alex Austin pretty much held their own. Wade missed a tackle leading to a touchdown. He also had a near-pick he couldn’t quite come up with. Specialists: A They certainly didn’t deserve an ‘A’ with Chad Ryland’s two missed kicks, a 52-yard punt return, a muffed punt and a penalty giving the Broncos better field position in the fourth quarter. Their grade should have been much worse. But let’s call it a Christmas gift in honor of Ryland shaking off another bad day at the office, and delivering in heroic fashion to win the game. He absolutely drilled the game winner, right down the middle from 56 yards out. With the altitude, it would have been good from even further out. With his job likely weighing in the balance, Ryland came through and sent the Patriots home winners. “Often times you find the greatest treasure in the darkest caves,” Ryland said following the win. The special teams unit also produced a touchdown. Marte Mapu forced a fumble deep in Broncos territory, with Cody Davis scooping it up for a score. Coaching: A-minus Given all the injuries, the record, the occasion, it wasn’t out of the realm for the Patriots to just cash it in playing the Broncos in Denver on Christmas Eve. It’s a credit to Bill Belichick and his coaching staff, that the players kept fighting, and wanted to win more than the team that was fighting for a playoff spot. Belichick also outcoached Sean Payton in this one. There was some conservative play-calling in the fourth quarter. There were miscues from the special teams unit. Even the defense muffed up, with Belichick burning a timeout in the third quarter when there was 12-men on the field. By and large, Belichick was still the winner on this night. NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.

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0business

Whats open and closed on Christmas Eve 2023 in Massachusetts

With Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday in 2023, many businesses may already be closed — but what about grocery stores and public transportation? Here’s what you can expect to be open and closed. Government City and town offices: Closed State offices: Closed Registry of Motor Vehicles: Closed State and local courts: Closed Federal courts: Closed Finance Banks: Closed. Most ATMs will remain open. Stock market: Both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are closed. Alcohol Massachusetts liquor stores: Open Connecticut liquor stores: Open Shopping Auburn Mall: Open until 6 p.m. Holyoke Mall: Open until 5 p.m. Hadley Mall: Open until 5 p.m. Natick Mall: Open until 6 p.m. Big Y: Open until 6 p.m. Stop & Shop: Open until 6 p.m. Market Basket: Open until 5 p.m. Price Rite: Open until 6 p.m. Star Market: Open until 6 p.m. Walmart: Open until 6 p.m. Target: Open until 8 p.m. Wegmans: Open until 6 p.m. Safeway: Open until 7 p.m. Costco: Open until 5 p.m. CVS: Open, hours vary Walgreens: Open; pharmacy hours may vary Aldi: Open, hours vary Whole Foods: Open, hours vary Trader Joe’s: Open, hours vary Parcel services Post offices: Closed FedEx: Open; offices with modified hours UPS: Closed; Priority Mail Express will be delivered Transportation Pioneer Valley Transit Authority: Northampton and Springfield Service ends early. UMass Transit: Service ends by 6 p.m. for Routes 30, 31 and 33; no service for 34, 35, 36, 38, 45, 46. MBTA:

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6sports

Girls Basketball Scoreboard for Jan. 2: Olivia Chrzan dominates, Monson prevails over Westfield

Monson girls basketball rang in the New Year in a down-to-the-wire, highly competitive game against Westfield, with the Mustangs narrowly defeating the Bombers, 43-42.

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0business

Flat Top Johnnys, a neighborhood favorite, reopens in Cambridge

“We’ve missed you!” the company wrote on social media this week, announcing its reopening in a “fresh space” at 238 Main St. “We’ve worked hard to get back and we think you’ll love the new space.” Flat Top Johnny’s, the “hip, sprawling pool hall with a retro vibe” that for decades appealed to those looking to kick back and enjoy billiards with friends, will reopen its doors in a new location beginning Friday, Jan. 5. CAMBRIDGE — After nearly three years without the clacking sound of pool balls, the dings of its pinball machines, and its pub-style food and cold beers on tap, a longtime staple of Kendall Square is making its triumphant return to the area. Advertisement The original Flat Top Johnny’s closed down three years ago, due to challenges brought on by the pandemic. Fans of the spot, which serves up burgers, sandwiches, nachos, beer, and cocktails, have been waiting patiently for its possible return ever since. Get Camberville & beyond A Boston Globe newsletter about Cambridge, Somerville, and communities beyond. Enter Email Sign Up John “Johnny” Adams, 61, the company’s owner and namesake, first opened the Cambridge staple 27 years ago. The original establishment was located at 1 Kendall Square, and remained there until its closure in August 2020. Adams said he’s excited to be back in the area, a place that he’s called home for decades. Flat Top Johnny’s new post sits only a few blocks down the street from its original location. “It’s an absolutely gorgeous new space,” Adams said. Adams grew up in the restaurant industry, and began his career working as a dishwasher at a Chinese food restaurant in Malden when he was 14. He went on to attend Suffolk University and worked other restaurant jobs throughout college. Later, he worked at Cambridge Brewing Company, where he and a coworker eventually came up with the idea to open their own place. Advertisement Inspiration for the restaurant’s name came from a nickname given to Adams by a friend, due to the hairstyle he sported at the time. In 2012, Adams and his business partner amicably split, he said, and Adams has run the business ever since. Friday’s reopening isn’t the first time Adams has prepared for a comeback. Prior to the pandemic, Flat Top Johnny’s was temporarily closed in 2015, after a ventilation system fire in the Kendall Square building where it was located caused extensive damage to the property. Four other businesses in the building were also damaged. Although Adams said the fire was frightening, he had an “amazing team of staff who alerted the fire department quickly.” “There was no question that we would rebuild,” Adams said. “There was no question at all.” After only a nine-month break, Johnny’s was back up and running. Adams has been a fixture not only to customers who have come in for a game of pool and a drink over the years, but also to the employees who stayed loyal to the business during both of its closures. That includes Kevin Conway, who started going to Flat Top Johnny’s as a customer long before he landed a job there as a bartender. (Conway jokingly asked for the job one night, and Adams took him up on the offer. The rest is history.) While Conway has been working at Little Donkey in Cambridge for the past six years, he always hoped that he would one day return to Johnny’s in some capacity. When Adams called him up two years ago to propose the idea of bringing back the company, Conway eagerly accepted the offer. Advertisement “I feel so incredibly supported,” said Conway. “I can’t say enough great things about John.” Flat Top Johnny's new location is at 238 Main St. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Conway said the 2020 closure was extremely difficult for him. But he’s eager to begin again, and welcome back some familiar faces thanks to Adams’s devotion to their team. “The overwhelming majority of our new front of house staff are returning hires, and if that doesn’t speak volumes about the kind of guy John is, I don’t know what does,” Conway said. Conway said the reopening stages picked up during the past year, with Adams and Conway developing a concept menu while the building underwent heavy construction in June. “Johnny’s 3.0,” as Adams calls it, will host 10 pool tables, 10 pinball machines, and feature “standard pub fare.” In addition to the games and food, Johnny’s will have 20 craft beers, either on tap or in cans and bottles. Adams’ favorite item on the menu is the “Lilith Burger,” named after one of his daughters. He also says the Cambridge Brewing Company amber ale, which has been served at Johnny’s since 1993, is a must-order. Adams said one of his main hopes for the new establishment after so many challenges is to continue — and increase — the amount of collaboration he has with charity organizations, including Bikes Not Bombs and Best Buddies. Advertisement He also hopes the new location will live up to the “same vibe” of its previous location, with casual background music and a place for everyone to come together and have a good time. In its first two weeks, Johnny’s will be open Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Dedicated customers were thrilled this week when they learned about the restaurant’s return, with many expressing their excitement on social media. For Sylvainson Gelin, the reopening is a homecoming of sorts. Gelin, a Cambridge native, made it a ritual to meet with friends at Johnny’s weekly over the years. Now, he’s eager to begin that tradition again. “I’m all about the pool culture, and I’m most excited to play on Johnny’s tables again,” Gelin said. Flat Top Johnny's, a pool hall, bar, and restaurant is reopening this Friday after it closed during the pandemic. Its new location is at 238 Main St. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Alexa Coultoff can be reached at alexa.coultoff@globe.com. Follow her @alexacoultoff.

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3entertainment

When the season calls for merry murder mysteries

My “mystery winter” reading theme continues, and this week I decided to turn to the “Queen of Crime” herself: Agatha Christie. I asked my sister, a whodunit connoisseur, for her recommendation. She instantly suggested “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” a Poirot mystery that many consider to be Christie’s masterpiece. Not only is the plot suitably twisty and the setting suitably typical (richest man in a sleepy village found murdered inside a locked room of his fancy house), but the characterizations are sharply hilarious. And the final reveal, which exploits the conventions of the mystery genre to deliver a genuinely unconventional denouement, is evidence of Christie’s skill. Next up was her 1941 mystery, “Evil Under the Sun,” set in a glamorous seaside hotel. It evokes the particular claustrophobia of many social novels, with the characters feeling surveilled and scrutinized because they are part of the same broader web of class and society, even if they do not actually know each other. (If you need a last-minute Christmas gift and have a spare $19 million, the island and hotel that inspired the novel are for sale.) Next on my list is “The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries,” which The Times’s crime critic promises is full of “overlooked and underappreciated” gems from the 19th and 20th centuries.

26255757c4fdafbe1ac6e854aa173b81

5science

Poison Gas Hints at Potential for Life on an Ocean Moon of Saturn

Scientists have detected a poison among the spray of molecules emanating from a small moon of Saturn. That adds to existing intrigue about the possibility of life there. The poison is hydrogen cyanide, a colorless, odorless gas that is deadly to many Earth creatures. But it could have played a key role in chemical reactions that created the ingredients that set the stage for the advent of life. “It’s the starting point for most theories on the origin of life,” said Jonah Peter, a biophysics graduate student at Harvard. “It’s sort of the Swiss Army knife of prebiotic chemistry.” Thus, Mr. Peter was excited when he found hydrogen cyanide at Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn that is about 310 miles across. It has a subsurface ocean that makes it among the most promising places to look for life elsewhere in the solar system.

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4politics

These New Laws Just Took Effect in California

New year, new rules. Hundreds of new laws took effect in California on Jan. 1, including many passed by legislators in the fall. And, as I wrote earlier this week, California’s statewide minimum wage was bumped up by 50 cents, to $16 an hour. Here are some of the more noteworthy new state laws: Protections for cannabis users As of Monday, California employers can no longer hold off-the-clock cannabis use against most workers. Assembly Bill 2188 prohibits businesses from firing or otherwise penalizing employees for their marijuana use “off the job and away from the workplace.” It is also now illegal for most employers in the state to discriminate against employees who test positive in drug screenings for “nonpsychoactive” traces of marijuana, which the measure says “do not indicate impairment, only that an individual has consumed cannabis in the last few weeks.” The law’s protections do not apply to some categories of workers, including those who work in construction or for the federal government; they can still legally be disciplined for marijuana use off the job.

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6sports

Red Sox free agent starter being eyed by another AL East team (report)

The Red Sox officially announced the signing of free agent starter Lucas Giolito on Wednesday, and in doing so, cut a reliever who was thought to have a chance of making the Opening Day bullpen. To create a 40-man roster spot for Giolito, who signed a one-year, $19 million contract with a player option for 2025, Boston designated righty Mauricio Llovera for assignment. The club will now have seven days to trade, waive or release Llovera, who is out of minor league options. Llovera, who turns 28 in April, was one of Boston’s few additions to the major league roster ahead of last summer’s trade deadline. Then-chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom acquired Llovera from the Giants for minor league pitcher Marques Johnson on July 26. Llovera then got an extended chance in the big league bullpen down the stretch, appearing in 25 games. He posted a 5.46 ERA in that span (18 earned runs in 29⅔ innings) but posted a more encouraging FIP (4.23) and recording 24 strikeouts. In a 17-game stretch from Aug. 19 to Sept. 27, Llovera pitched to a 3.00 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .232 average in 21 innings. The Red Sox gave him a chance to show them something once they were out of the race and at times, manager Alex Cora came away impressed. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. “The sinker is good. It’s a good one,” Cora said on Sept. 19 in Texas. “Velocity’s up. It just happened that when we got him, we needed him to pitch a lot. We didn’t see the real Llovy... (The sinker) starts off the plate and finishes on the plate and it’s a good one. The slider is good. We tried to throw a cutter against lefties. It has been on and off. One thing for sure, he’s not gonna face too many lefties when he comes into games. Just trying to wait to get lefties with what he has, then in the offseason, work on the cutter.” It’s clear new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is trying to put his stamp on the team’s pitching staff. Since taking over, he has added six pitchers from outside the organization to the 40-man roster in Giolito, Isaiah Campbell, Cooper Criswell, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert and recent waiver claim Max Castillo while letting go of both Llovera and Nick Robertson, who was acquired at the deadline then flipped to the Cardinals in the Tyler O’Neill trade last month. It’s a bit of a surprise Llovera was designated instead of someone like Castillo, who was claimed Tuesday after being cut by the Royals, or journeyman righty Zack Weiss. Llovera looked to be one of many right-handers vying for a middle relief spot along with Campbell, Criswell, Zack Kelly (who may have an inside track), Bryan Mata, Slaten, Weiss and Weissert. Mata and Slaten, like Llovera, can’t be optioned to the minors freely, so the Red Sox may have extra incentive to have them make the Opening Day roster. Barring a trade (which may be likely), the Red Sox will enter spring training with closer Kenley Jansen and setup man Chris Martin at the back of their bullpen with John Schreiber and Brennan Bernardino locked into spots. Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Josh Winckowski could pitch in relief if they don’t crack the rotation. Considering the depth Breslow has amassed, the club may have looked at Llovera’s chances of making the club as minimal and decided to cut bait now instead of waiting until March.

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4politics

In New York Times op-ed, Claudine Gay says critics attacked her in war against trusted institutions

Local News In New York Times op-ed, Claudine Gay says critics attacked her in ‘war’ against trusted institutions "The campaign against me was about more than one university and one leader." Claudine Gay. Haiyun Jiang / Bloomberg Claudine Gay, who resigned as Harvard University president this week, spoke out against her critics and claimed that the events that led to her departure were “merely a single skirmish in a broader war to unravel public faith in pillars of American society.” “The campaign against me was about more than one university and one leader,” she wrote in an op-ed published in the New York Times on Wednesday, the day after she stepped down. “Campaigns of this kind often start with attacks on education and expertise, because these are the tools that best equip communities to see through propaganda. But such campaigns don’t end there,” she added. “Trusted institutions of all types – from public health agencies to news organizations – will continue to fall victim to coordinated attempts to undermine their legitimacy and ruin their leaders’ credibility.” Advertisement: Gay’s resignation, six months after she became the university’s first Black and second female president, was a result of weeks of conservative attacks, and pressure from politicians and donors. She came under pressure to resign following her remarks during a congressional hearing on antisemitism on university campuses and allegations of plagiarism in her scholarly works, even as hundreds of Harvard professors and alumni backed her and the university’s board said she did not engage in academic misconduct. Some saw a racial element to the response to her congressional testimony, pointing to remarks from people such as hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and conservative pundits that the Stanford and Harvard-educated Gay was chosen as president due to diversity, equity and inclusion criteria. In the op-ed, Gay said she received abusive messages and death threats, adding “I’ve been called the N-word more times than I care to count.” Gay also acknowledged shortcomings in her response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack in Israel. The assault, which Israel estimates killed 1,200 people – and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, in which over 22,000 Palestinians have been killed – have led to a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia in universities, according to watchdogs, and a federal probe into institutions’ responses. Advertisement: “Yes, I made mistakes,” Gay wrote. “In my initial response to the atrocities of Oct. 7, I should have stated more forcefully what all people of good conscience know: Hamas is a terrorist organization that seeks to eradicate the Jewish state.” She added that she “fell into a well-laid trap” during the congressional hearing into antisemitism on university campuses on Dec. 5, where she and two other Ivy League presidents were questioned by a Republican-led House committee on their universities’ policies on dealing with antisemitism and how campus protests fit into the commitment to free speech. Gay, University of Pennsylvania’s Liz Magill and MIT’s Sally Kornbluth, all declined to state plainly that a call for genocide against Jews would violate their universities’ codes of conduct. Their remarks prompted widespread backlash, with Magill resigning from Penn days later. Kornbluth remains in her role with MIT leadership’s backing. “I neglected to clearly articulate that calls for the genocide of Jewish people are abhorrent and unacceptable and that I would use every tool at my disposal to protect students from that kind of hate,” Gay wrote of her congressional remarks. She went on to defend her academic record amid the plagiarism allegations, saying that she “promptly requested corrections” to her previously published work after it emerged that she used almost identical language to that of other academic papers without correct attribution in a number of instances. Advertisement: An independent review found “a few instances of inadequate citation” but concluded there was “no violation of Harvard’s standards for research misconduct,” the university’s top governing board said in December, as it voiced its unanimous support for Gay. “I have never misrepresented my research findings, nor have I ever claimed credit for the research of others,” Gay said in the op-ed. “Moreover, the citation errors should not obscure a fundamental truth: I proudly stand by my work and its impact on the field.” “My hope is that by stepping down I will deny demagogues the opportunity to further weaponize my presidency in their campaign to undermine the ideals animating Harvard since its founding: excellence, openness, independence, truth,” she wrote. – – – Laura Meckler, Susan Svrluga, Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Annabelle Timsit and Adela Suliman contributed to this report.

fb62a2ac1520e1b4ab9fc04caf81b82f

1crime

Cities like Holyoke already have drug injection sites; theyre just unsupervised and illegal

When someone overdoses on an opioid, their lips turn purple. Sometimes, their fingernails turn bluish-black. Blood drains from their face and their skin gets pale and clammy as they become trapped in a sort of sleep. Then, their breathing grows shallower and shallower until it stops. Last year, enough people to fill a large classroom, 27, died like this in Holyoke. That was up from six people dying in 2015, according to state data. Compared to 10 cities of similar size, Holyoke has the second-highest number of people dying from overdoses, behind Pittsfield. These cities are far from alone. Statewide, 2,310 people died from drug overdoses last year, according to the state Department of Public Health, including disproportionate numbers of Black and Hispanic people. If we allow this to continue, more than 20,000 Massachusetts people will be gone in 10 years. State legislators are considering a bill that could save some of these lives. The bill will allow cities and towns to opt in on the creation of consumption sites where people can use drugs. Medical professionals would help anyone who overdoses. Holyoke already has several consumption sites. They’re just unsupervised and illegal. People use drugs in abandoned buildings, parks and alleys. These are the places people die. I recently visited one of these illegal injection sites. It’s an alley a block away from the Holyoke Public Library. A man on a mountain bike was riding down the muddy leaf-scattered path littered with tiny plastic vials, used condoms and other trash, including a child’s stuffed animal. This alley near the Holyoke Public Library is used as an illegal drug injection site.Patrick O'Connor photo “Almost every person here uses,” said the man after stopping and pulling a scarf from his face. He quit using heroin over five years ago, he said. “I was a little different than everyone else around here,” he said, explaining how he was able to manage his use. “I did it like a prescription, every four to six hours.” The man, who did not want to give his name, was able to stop by weaning himself off the drug. He decided to quit because so many people were dying from fentanyl. “It’s not even dope anymore,” he said. “It’s all mixed with fentanyl and that horse tranquilizer stuff that’ll kill you dead.” He also quit because he was going to lose his home in Chicopee. “Losing my house was the main reason, but the fentanyl was the kicker,” he said. A block from the alley, Carlos Torres was trying to get warm in the library. The 31-year-old man graduated from Holyoke High School. He was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Holyoke with his mom when he was five. A family member was an abusive alcoholic. “When I was 16, he tried to stab my mom,” he said from a bench in front of the library. “I had to jump in and take the knife.” Torres started using heroin four years ago after breaking up with his partner and falling into a depression. He’s now in a methadone program. “Which is helping,” he said. “Now I’m working on trying to get out of being homeless.” As he spoke, a light snow fell. “Sometimes I’ll sleep in the park. Wherever I can,” he said. “I don’t know where I’m going to stay tonight.” Risks upon release Some people with drug issues find shelter in jails. According to state data, there were 6,410 drug possession crimes statewide in 2022; in Holyoke, 237. Today, there are about 100 people in the custody of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office for drug-related crimes, a quarter of them for drug possession. In the alley, the 58-year-old man said users face dangers when they’re released. “Their immune systems are down,” he said, agreeing that people sometimes overdose because their tolerance drops while being jailed. A study in North Carolina found that former inmate are “highly vulnerable to opioids and need urgent prevention measures.” In the 15 years the study covered, 1,329 former inmates died from an overdose. Locally, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office tries to stop such overdoses. “To reduce the risk of overdose upon release, and ensure that the people in our custody and care have the best chance at working toward long-term recovery, we offer a variety of addiction-treatment paths, including medication-assisted treatment,” Robert Rizzuto, senior public information officer for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, said in an email. Rizzuto said about one-third of people in custody receive medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder, which affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to their inability to control their use of substances like legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or medications. This year in Holyoke, Emergency Medical Services responded to 262 calls related to opioid-related emergencies, according to state data. A better way To stop more deaths, the Legislature is considering a bill that would give municipalities the authority to establish overdose prevention centers, also called injection or consumption sites. The bill asks for a 10-year pilot program establishing the centers, where there will be medical professionals to prevent overdose deaths. Graffiti in a Holyoke alley known for drug use.Patrick O'Connor photo These will be “hygienic spaces where participants may consume pre-obtained controlled substances,” according to the state bill. These centers would provide sterile injection supplies and ensure that hypodermic needles and syringes are disposed of properly. According to a Beacon Research poll, 70 percent of Massachusetts voters support this. Back at the library, Torres said he supports legal consumption sites. “I think it’s a good idea. It will keep drugs away from schools or parks with children,” he said, as students were being dismissed for the day across the street at H.B. Lawrence Elementary School. “It will be safer. Less people will overdose.” He agreed that consumption sites can keep people alive long enough to get healthy. Luckily, Torres has not overdosed or seen anyone who has. “Not yet,” he said.

12158cef816f0fc25e9a0357219c81c0

1crime

With fewer officers available, civilians could soon be working details in Boston

MEDFIELD, Mass. — A law enforcement BOLO (be on the lookout) has been issued for Aidan Kearney, the Holden blogger who calls himself “Turtleboy.” Two sources, including a member of law enforcement, told 25 Investigates that police are seeking to immediately be on the lookout for Kearney on probable cause for felony charges of domestic assault and battery and witness intimidation. This new development stems from an incident Kearney was allegedly involved in Friday evening at the Medfield home of a woman he’s been in a relationship with, according to sources. 25 Investigates is still working to determine what the woman alleges Kearney did to her. The sources said the woman had previously shared information about Kearney with State Police investigators and is considered a witness in his ongoing prosecution that began with his arrest and district court appearance in October. The case was elevated to Norfolk Superior court where Kearney was arraigned Friday on eight charges of intimidation of a witness, three counts of conspiracy to intimidate a witness, and five counts of picketing a witness for his controversial activism in the “Free Karen Read” movement. Kearney has aggressively accused members of law enforcement and prosecution witnesses of framing Read for the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe. She’s charged with 2nd-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty. A judge removed numerous restrictions that prevented Kearney from contacting people he’s charged with intimidating and harassing. However, Ken Mello, a special prosecutor hired by the Norfolk District Attorney warned, “We will be back before the court seeking a bail revocation as well as a dangerousness hearing” should Kearney be accused of any new crimes. A dangerousness hearing is when the prosecution requests a defendant be held up for 120 days in jail. Read More

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3entertainment

For a Memorable Holiday Party, Personalize the Punch

To maintain a through line among different drinks, you need a deeply flavorful base. Making a batch of a single base and placing it on the table, alongside a bucket of ice and a few different spirited and nonalcoholic bottles, lets drinkers choose their own holiday cheers. One of Ms. Bossy’s favorite bases for holiday drinks is a shrub, and while early versions in the 18th century leaned closer to a concentrated punch — an intense combination of citrus, sugar and either rum or brandy, made in advance — the modern shrub, or drinking vinegar, is more of a sweet-tart, fruit- and vinegar-based syrup. During the holidays, she often makes cranberry shrub by combining equal weights fresh cranberries, sugar and apple cider vinegar in a food processor. She blends them to a chunky purée and combines that with equal parts filtered water before refrigerating it for 24 hours and straining. Since the shrub has plenty of acid, you don’t need to add fresh citrus to the drinks you make with it. Combine the final shrub with ginger beer or Prosecco. Another workhorse base is oleo-saccharum, which is classically made by muddling citrus peels with sugar before setting the combination aside overnight. In this flavorful base, the sugar slowly extracts the oils from the peels and the sticky-sweet mixture adds dimension and texture to drinks. “The theme here is that sugar is a great flavor extractor,” Ms. Bossy said.

1bfaeed2515d866df9392a1a5883f829

7weather

First Alert forecast: Sunday's winter storm could bring a half a foot of snow or more

The weekend draws near, and our winter storm is on track, heading for us from the Deep South. But not Friday. Instead, we'll sit in the cold — and quiet – through Saturday. Highs will manage the mid and upper 30s and winds will be light. Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters. Snow totals this weekend The event gets underway on Saturday night without much fanfare. There's some wet snow in spots, and there's some mixed rain and snow in others — all rain will fall on Cape Cod and the Islands until the tail end of the storm. Accumulations into Sunday morning will be light — predominately in the Worcester Hills and southern New Hampshire. As we work through late Sunday morning and into the afternoon, the cold will rush out of the north as the storm begins to deepen offshore. Snow forecast for Massacusetts This will accomplish two things: intensify the snow and cause a solid changeover to white as it moves toward the coast. It's in this time frame that things start to stick and the road conditions go downhill. Throughout the afternoon, the snow will fly at varying intensities as the switchover moves to the Cape Cod Canal. We'll get the lion's share of the accumulation you see on the snowfall map at this time, and it's possible that snowfall rates may approach an inch per hour along Interstate 128 and I-495 (and possibly Route 3 late day). Strong winds could cause power outages Winds will also increase along the coast, especially on the Cape and the Islands. Some gusts may top 50 on the Cape, with 40 to 45 miles per hour common elsewhere from Rockport to S. Plymouth. The storm winds down Sunday night — slowly. Flakes could be flying until midnight with negligible accumulations after 8 p.m. We're cold for cleanup late Sunday. Numbing air will fall over the Commonwealth as temperatures fall to the upper 10s and low 20s with wind chills in the single digits and low 10s by morning Monday. We'll catch our breath on Monday, then gear up for a soaking (possibly flooding) rain Wednesday with very strong winds and mild temperatures in the 50s. 'Kitchen sink' storm coming next week If that's not enough, another storm will threaten by the end of next week. Precipitation to be determined. You'll be able to track the storm with our interactive radar on the NBC10 Boston app all weekend. Be safe and have a great weekend!

c626e8ea763caa1828d1f7aa30ac0a34

4politics

Israeli Women Fight on Front Line in Gaza, a First

When Capt. Amit Busi gets a chance to sleep, she does so with her boots on — and in a shared tent in an improvised Israeli military post in northern Gaza. There she commands a company of 83 soldiers, nearly half of them men. It is one of several mixed-gender units fighting in Gaza, where female combat soldiers and officers are serving on the front line for the first time since the war surrounding the establishment of Israel in 1948. Captain Busi is responsible not just for the lives of her subordinates — search-and-rescue engineers whose specialized training and tools help infantry troops enter damaged and booby-trapped buildings at risk of collapse — but also for the wounded soldiers they help evacuate from the battlefield. She and her soldiers also help scour the area for fighters, weapons and rocket launchers and are responsible for guarding the camp. It can be easy to forget Captain Busi is only 23, given the respect she has clearly earned from her subordinates — among them Jews, Druze and Bedouin Muslim men.

99cd146a0093bfbbeb4d7bcabfa2914a

5science

A Psychologists Tips for Having Tense Thanksgiving Conversations - The New York Times

The hum of conversation, the aroma of roasted turkey, the clinking of silverware on porcelain: This is how I remember last year’s Thanksgiving, spent at a dear friend’s home. I relished the inviting ambience until a conversation about the day’s cooking unexpectedly shifted to the topic of gender roles. It was then that my friend’s father, a revered patriarch in his mid-70s, wistfully mentioned how he missed the “good old days” when things were simpler and “people knew their place.” The room, filled with faces both familiar and new, grew silent. As a guest caught in this sudden shift, I faced a dilemma: Should I challenge his statement or opt for harmony over discord? For many of us, especially in our current political climate, speaking up in such settings feels risky. Yet the act of choosing silence might be affecting us more deeply than we think — to the detriment of our emotional and even physical well-being. Far from preserving peace, holding back our thoughts can leave us more unsettled and unhappy. Over time, this leads to increased stress and strain, not just within ourselves but in the very relationships we are trying to preserve. I’m an organizational psychologist, and a recurring theme has emerged in my research: People are reluctant to challenge or contradict others because of their fear of insinuating distrust or disapproval of the other person.

8f58e74da29cb66443dbdbb16da80502

0business

Hampshire Co. Register of Probate/Family Court Michael J. Carey is retiring

Veteran Hampshire County Register of Probate and Family Court Michael J. Carey will call it a career in 2024, Gov. Maura Healey’s office said Wednesday. Carey, of Easthampton, who’s in the middle of a 6-year term, will step down on Jan. 16, according to Healey’s office and a published report. In a statement, Healey’s office a search for a replacement is already underway, and the Arlington Democrat will recommend a candidate to the Governor’s Council to serve out the remainder of Carey’s term. Carey’s 11-year tenure included the launch of a virtual registry. He also moved the court’s main offices to Atwood Drive in Northampton, and the opening of a satellite officer in Belchertown, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette. “I am fully aware that only four elected registers have held this office during the past half century,” Carey, 74, told the newspaper. “To have been given this opportunity by the citizens of Hampshire County is enormously gratifying to me and one [of] which I will always be most appreciative.” Carey sought re-election to a third term in 2020, according to his campaign’s Facebook page. “On behalf of the people of Massachusetts, I’d like to extend my gratitude for Register Carey for his years of service to Hampshire County, particularly for the work he has done on behalf of children and their families. We wish him the very best in his retirement,” Healey said in a statement.

75d86e354dc81b88ed95a8b3a93b9a7a

0business

At Meta, Millions of Underage Users Were an Open Secret, States Say

But much of the evidence cited by the states was blacked out by redactions in the initial filing. Now the unsealed complaint, filed on Wednesday evening, provides new details from the states’ lawsuit. Using snippets from internal emails, employee chats and company presentations, the complaint contends that Instagram for years “coveted and pursued” underage users even as the company “failed” to comply with the children’s privacy law. The unsealed filing said that Meta “continually failed” to make effective age-checking systems a priority and instead used approaches that enabled users under 13 to lie about their age to set up Instagram accounts. It also accused Meta executives of publicly stating in congressional testimony that the company’s age-checking process was effective and that the company removed underage accounts when it learned of them — even as the executives knew there were millions of underage users on Instagram. “Tweens want access to Instagram, and they lie about their age to get it now,” Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, said in an internal company chat in November 2021, according to the court filing. In Senate testimony the following month, Mr. Mosseri said: “If a child is under the age of 13, they are not permitted on Instagram.” In a statement on Saturday, Meta said that it had spent a decade working to make online experiences safe and age-appropriate for teenagers and that the states’ complaint “mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents.”

98a1d56ff65c81d115263f2107508065

1crime

Police: Pedestrian struck, critically injured by commercial vehicle in East Boston - Boston News, Weather, Sports

The painting Sotheby’s was trying to sell was a newly discovered work by one of the world’s greatest artists, Leonardo da Vinci. It was known as the “Salvator Mundi” and was a depiction of Christ. But it had a code name: Jack. Samuel Valette, a Sotheby’s specialist, testified in a Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday about how one day in March 2013 he had taken the painting crosstown in an S.U.V. from the auction house’s headquarters on York Avenue to a premier apartment overlooking Central Park. It was one of the many trips he had made to display paintings for a prospective buyer, Valette said. He was, as usual, accompanied by security personnel, and the painting, already valued at tens of millions of dollars, was in a protective crate. The apartment was owned by Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian oligarch who has sued Sotheby’s, accusing the auction house of aiding a Swiss dealer who he says defrauded him in the sale of several masterpieces.

76ab4ecbb0366ed06eaa258557673bb3

2culture

Home of the Week: Two-story living area is main event in Boston riding club condo

Year built 1920 Square feet 690 Bedrooms 1 Baths 1 full, 1 half Fee $417 month Pets Yes, one dog or cat per unit with trustee approval. Tenants may not have pets. Taxes $6,039 (2023) We’re going to let the Landmarks Commission take the lead here: “BUILDINGS WE LOVE: THE NEW BOSTON RIDING CLUB.” That’s the headline on the commission’s entry on what was once the place for Boston’s toniest set to show off their horsiest skills, but is now the 21-unit Mews Condos, many of which have a horse collar on the wall in a genuflection to the building’s past. Advertisement The building, which spans from Norway Street across to Hemenway Street (where the Badminton and Tennis Club has been operating for the past 90 years), is also on the National Register of Historic Places. “An outstanding and rare local example of half-timbered Tudor Revival/Queen-Anne style architecture, the New Riding Club preserves nearly all the elements of its original design, including half-timbering, projecting gables, sandstone sills and lintels, red brick quoins, and beltcourses,’’ the registry concludes. The building offers 21 units. Hicham Bensaoui/Realty Plans The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hicham Bensaoui/Realty Plans Number 4, the unit for sale in this history-rich building, is on the second floor and spans two levels. The entry opens into a short hallway with hardwood flooring, which can be found everywhere in the home except for the kitchen and baths. On the left is a closet with white bifold doors. A few steps beyond and on the right is the 54-square-foot kitchen. The counters are white quartz to match the white Shaker-style cabinets. The appliances (the stove is electric) are stainless steel. The flooring is a ceramic blue-patterned tile. The pass-through provides the perfect way to hide the dinner dishes: Reach in and put them in the kitchen sink. The kitchen features white cabinets and stainless steel appliances. Hicham Bensaoui/Realty Plans Opposite the kitchen is a half bath with natural stone tile flooring and a corner cabinet with arched doors. A two-part mirror hangs above it. Advertisement The vanity in the half bath is a corner unit. Hicham Bensaoui/Realty Plans Just off the kitchen, an open space combines the dining and living areas for a total of 130 square feet. The dining area is positioned next to the pass-through to the kitchen. In the living area, the ceiling climbs two stories. Natural wood beams, two rows of windows with wood sills, and a fireplace with a wood mantel and a green tile surround stand in stark contrast to the white walls and ceiling. The fireplace is wood-burning and functioning. The unit comes with a functioning wood-burning fireplace. Hicham Bensaoui/Realty Plans As one steps onto the stairwell, take a pause: A hitching post once used to keep horses in place is on the column on the right. Yes, it’s original. The stairwell has two landings and leads to the second-level loft/bedroom area. The loft is 228 square feet and is open to the floor below it. Natural light arrives via the upper bank of living room windows. The space has a ceiling fan, and two columns that look like balusters buttress a pair of soffits. The space has a walk-in closet with custom shelving. The en-suite bath (30 square feet) has a single Shaker-style vanity with a black granite counter, a shower/tub combination with a backsplash composed of white square tiles, and a black natural stone tile floor. The loft-style bedroom gets light from the living area's upper windows. Hicham Bensaoui/Realty Plans The full bath is shower only. Hicham Bensaoui/Realty Plans There’s a washer/dryer connection in the bedroom closet. Ali Joyce of William Raveis in Boston has the listing. The monthly fee includes water, sewer, master insurance, laundry facilities, elevator, exterior maintenance, and snow and refuse removal. Advertisement Follow John R. Ellement on Twitter @JREbosglobe. Send listings to homeoftheweek@globe.com. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes unless they are new-builds and will not respond to submissions we won’t pursue. Subscribe to our newsletter at Boston.com/address-newsletter. John R. Ellement can be reached at john.ellement@globe.com. Follow him @JREbosglobe.

95df8abda588aeed082597695c8c803a

0business

Flush With Investment, New U.S. Factories Face a Familiar Challenge

The Biden administration has begun pumping more than $2 trillion into U.S. factories and infrastructure, investing huge sums to try to strengthen American industry and fight climate change. But the effort is facing a familiar threat: a surge of low-priced products from China. That is drawing the attention of President Biden and his aides, who are considering new protectionist measures to make sure American industry can compete against Beijing. As U.S. factories spin up to produce electric vehicles, semiconductors and solar panels, China is flooding the market with similar goods, often at significantly lower prices than American competitors. A similar influx is also hitting the European market. American executives and officials argue that China’s actions violate global trade rules. The concerns are spurring new calls in America and Europe for higher tariffs on Chinese imports, potentially escalating what is already a contentious economic relationship between China and the West.

db5158c29278cdca431736d021d90ab8

1crime

WATCH: State police helicopter helps locate suspects who allegedly fled police in Braintree - Boston News, Weather, Sports

At least 21 people were injured in an explosion that was most likely caused by a gas leak and substantially damaged a hotel in downtown Fort Worth on Monday afternoon, the authorities said. One person was in critical condition and four were seriously injured, the police said in an evening update. Fourteen people were transported to a hospital, and one person went to a hospital on their own, the police said. Earlier, the authorities had said that one person was missing, but they noted later that the person had been found.

2b57bd0cfc4b969ec5d9cb96f47ebaaf

6sports

Heres only thing Michael Jordan told Julian Edelman before Super Bowl XLIX

Julian Edelman did more than help the Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX, he helped an NBA legend get a little bit richer. The former Patriots wide receiver recounted a story about the night before New England’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Edelman took his parents out to dinner when he was “starstruck” by Derek Jeter and Michael Jordan. “I go up and you could tell Jeter’s a very charming guy, welcoming. I go, ‘Mr. Jeter, (I’m) Julian Edelman. I’m playing in the Super Bowl,’” Edelman said on his “Games With Names” podcast. “I saw Jordan. He was kinda, like, standoffish a little bit. As soon as the conversation’s about to end — like five minutes in — I’m about to leave and Jordan comes up to me. He goes, ‘Hey, kid. I got a bunch of money on you, don’t (expletive) it up.’ BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. “That’s the only thing he said to me,” he continued. “I go, ‘Yes, sir, Mr. Jordan.’ I didn’t know what to say.” It’s unclear just how much money Jordan had on Edelman, but it probably paid off due to the wide receiver’s performance. The next day, Edelman caught nine passes from Tom Brady for 109 yards. His lone touchdown proved to be the game-winner with just over two minutes to go. Malcolm Butler sealed Edelman’s first of three Super Bowl championships with a goal-line interception of Russell Wilson in the 28-24 win. Edelman went on to win two more Super Bowls against the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams before retiring in 2021.

89d52dfca4617fc1071eace1749e3988

6sports

Army-Navy football belongs on everyones sports bucket list | Vautour

Sports Betting Dime provides exclusive sports betting content to MassLive.com, including real-time odds, picks, analysis and sportsbook offers to help sports fans get in on the action. Please wager responsibly. The Patriots will visit the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve, and the ESPN BET promo code MASS will unlock $250 in bonus bets for this Sunday Night Football matchup. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. While New England’s postseason hopes have been long dashed, this is a critical game for the Denver Broncos and the rest of the AFC postseason picture. The Broncos are coming off a disappointing blowout loss in Detroit last weekend, and if they wish to keep their hopes alive, they need a win in the worst way tonight. No matter how you wish to bet Patriots-Broncos, the ESPN BET promo code MASS will get you $250 in bonus bets for Sunday Night Football. So, if you’re looking to back Russell Wilson to throw 2+ touchdown passes, Courtland Sutton to record an anytime touchdown or are just looking to play the point spread or over/under, this is a great way to do it. ESPN BET promo code MASS: $250 bonus for Patriots-Broncos ESPN BET promo code MASS figures to be a popular Christmas Eve play in both Colorado and Massachusetts tonight, but with families gathered around celebrating holidays everywhere, this bonus figures to get plenty of play in all 17 markets in which it is live. That said, the offer is available in the following states: New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Colorado, Arizona, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. Get started by clicking here Click the sign up button and enter ESPN BET promo code MASS. Using options like PayPal, Skrill, online banking and more, make a first deposit. Make any wager on Patriots-Broncos and receive $250 in bonus bets. How to use the ESPN BET promo code this weekend While players will want to check out the Sunday Night Football matchup, these bonus bets are valid for seven days and can be used on Christmas Day games like Eagles-Giants and 49ers-Ravens. In terms of how to make a wager on the Patriots-Broncos game, let’s take a look at the total. Quite frankly, it’s hard to imagine the Patriots making a ton of offensive noise in a tough environment against a Broncos defense that has performed admirably at home this season. Oddsmakers feel that way, too, given the total is set at just 35.5 points. While the Patriots went over the total in a game with just 30.5 points set against the Steelers a few weeks back, we don’t think lightning will strike twice. Bank on this one to stay under the total after using the ESPN BET promo code. Get the latest sports betting news, advice and promos sent straight to your inbox. Enter your email here: Think you know Patriots football? Play the MassLive.com Prop Bet Showdown for a chance to win prizes! If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Massachusetts Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org to speak with a trained specialist to receive support. Specialists are available 24/7. Services are available in multiple languages and are free and confidential.

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4politics

How Trump Sidestepped the Tradition of Iowa Pandering

Campaigning in Iowa in the months leading up to the caucuses has traditionally involved candidates’ embracing local customs, visiting familiar locations and championing policies aimed at helping the state’s farm-driven economy. But this year, the Republicans seeking their party’s presidential nomination have largely avoided over-the-top pandering to local priorities — and any such attempts appear not to be as effective as in the past. That’s largely because former President Donald J. Trump, who has run in the style of an incumbent, has dominated the state while barely setting foot in it. Though he refers to Iowa farmers in his speeches and talks about how he has poured money into the state, Mr. Trump has eschewed the classic retail politicking that is a mainstay of the caucuses in favor of larger rallies while focusing his message more on national issues. In doing so, Mr. Trump is suggesting that it is perhaps not as necessary to show so much deference to local priorities to score a victory in Iowa — at least, for a former president with a huge following.

3f7d9fabda760d902cc40915c5d98d3b

6sports

The End of the Bill Belichick Hoodie Era

In all the words currently being written about the end of the Bill Belichick era in Boston — or, technically, the Boston suburbs — which reportedly finally came to a close on Jan. 11 after weeks of speculation, the end of the N.F.L. season and the Patriots’ dismal loss to the Jets, the one that sticks in my mind is “hoodie.” More than anyone except perhaps Mark Zuckerberg, Boston’s famous football coach has become synonymous with that particular garment. It is “an inseparable part of his legacy,” according to Bleacher Report. His “trademark,” wrote Sports Illustrated. “Iconic,” crowed Buzzfeed. For decades the hoodie helped burnish the Belichick legend, but recently it has begun to seem part of the problem: less a symbol of his coaching genius than, perhaps, a sign of his obsolescence. For most of his 24 years with the Patriots, the sweatshirt has been Mr. Belichick’s garment of choice for game day. And not just any old sweatshirt, but a particularly nondescript, schlubby blue or gray sweatshirt, often with the sleeves lopped off in a seemingly random way somewhere between the elbow and the shoulder, and layered over another shirt. Sometimes it was paired with flip-flops. The majority of that time, when he was leading the team to its six Super Bowl wins, the sweatshirt seemed to symbolize Mr. Belichick’s singularity: his ornery refusal to be anything but himself or follow any vision but his own; his gruff, blue-collar fighting spirit; his consistency; his refusal to give up — not the game and not his favorite wardrobe item.

3f62413dfa4482f0a957386e2f6ca8ba

2culture

Get In the Holiday Spirit at These Pop-Up Bars Around Boston

Loco’s Fenway outpost is transforming into “Santa’s Cantina” for the holiday season. Starting on Friday, December 1, and running through New Year’s, Loco is launching a holiday-themed bar menu featuring drinks like the Merry Merry, with cinnamon-infused tequila, and the Lo Fi Amaro, a sparkly red concoction made with edible glitter and decorated with a green sprinkle rim. (The bar menu is also available at Loco’s South Boston location.) The restaurant is also hosting a three-course, $55 holiday lunch with options like a chorizo and lobster chowder and tres leches cake available from Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., from November 29 to December 29.

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3entertainment

Willie Ruff, Jazz Missionary and Professor, Dies at 92

Willie Ruff, who fashioned an unlikely career in jazz as a French horn player and toured the world as a musical missionary in the acclaimed Mitchell-Ruff Duo while maintaining a parallel career at the Yale School of Music, died on Sunday at his home in Killen, Ala. He was 92. His death was confirmed by his niece Jennifer Green. Mr. Ruff, who was also a bassist, played both bass and French horn in the duo he formed with the pianist Dwike Mitchell in 1955, which lasted until Mr. Mitchell’s death in 2013. They opened for many jazz luminaries, including Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughan; played countless concerts in schools and colleges; and toured foreign countries where jazz was little known or even taboo. In 1959, they flouted edicts against music that the Soviet Union deemed bourgeois, performing an impromptu set in Moscow while on tour with the Yale Russian Chorus. Their concerts in China in 1981 were considered the first jazz performances there since the Cultural Revolution.

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6sports

Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid: Free live stream, TV, how to watch Spanish Supercup

The Spanish Super Cup kicks off on Wednesday afternoon. Real Madrid will take on Atletico Madrid at Al -Awwal Stadium in Saudi Arabia for a 2 p.m. EST start. Real (+100) is a favorite over Atletico (+245), with a draw on the table as well (+250). Fans can watch the match on television via ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes or stream it on ESPN+ and other various streaming services. How to watch Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid (Spanish Super Cup) Who: Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid When: Wednesday, January 10 at 2 p.m. Where: Al -Awwal Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia How to watch Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid - The match is on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. How to watch the matches online: ESPN+ | DirecTV | fuboTV - Every Real Madrid match this season will be available to watch via ESPN+. Meanwhile, matches like this one that air on ESPN Deportes, ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC will also be available to stream on conventional services. Fans can also watch those matches for free by signing up for a trial of DirecTV or fuboTV. How to watch matches in English and Spanish - Matches broadcast on ESPN+ will be available in both Spanish and English. What is ESPN+? How much does it cost? - ESPN+ is a standalone streaming service that carries exclusive live sports. It does not include events that are broadcast on ESPN TV channels. Instead, ESPN+ is designed to be a home for certain sports like Spanish League matches. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ starting at $9.99 a month. More European soccer news via Associated Press It has been a slow start to the January transfer window in the Premier League. Expect that to change pretty quickly. Deals are being mooted, speculation is starting to fly, sought-after stars — like Kylian Mbappé and Ivan Toney — have chosen to talk about their future to the media. Here’s a look at the situation surrounding a number of key players and teams: TIMO WERNER Timo Werner might have won the Champions League during his time with Chelsea from 2020-22 but it was still an underwhelming stint in English soccer for the Germany forward. It looks like he’ll be returning to England — to London again, too — in a bid to ignite his career ahead of the European Championship. Werner is widely reported to be close to joining Tottenham from Leipzig, initially on loan but with a view to a permanent move. In the short term, he would plug a gap left by the departure of captain Son Heung-min to the Asian Cup potentially until mid-February. “It’s right that Timo wants to go on loan,” Leipzig coach Marco Rose said over the weekend, without name-checking Tottenham. “Timo would like to go to the European Championship.” IVAN TONEY Ivan Toney’s eight-month suspension for breaching betting rules is almost over, with the Brentford striker available again from Jan. 17. It is interesting timing, with a number of top teams seemingly in need of a proven scorer for the second half of the season. Toney would fit the bill — he was third in the Premier League’s scoring charts last season, behind only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane — and he has been heavily linked with Arsenal, which is in the midst of a scoring slump that is perplexing manager Mikel Arteta. Toney gave an interview to British broadcaster Sky Sports, published Monday, in which he said he owes Brentford for sticking by him during his long ban. Brentford manager Thomas Frank has said Toney won’t be sold in January, and the team needs its star striker after plunging into relegation danger in recent weeks. Money talks, though, and Toney’s future could be a talking point right until the end of the window. LEAVING SAUDI? Jordan Henderson took plenty of flak when he decided to join the exodus of players moving to Saudi Arabia on lucrative deals, with advocates of LGBTQ+ rights feeling let down by the former Liverpool captain because he has been an outspoken supporter in the past. Six months later and it appears he wants out, with sections of the British media reporting he will consider a return to the Premier League this month after struggling to settle in the Middle East. Similarly, Roberto Firmino — another former Liverpool player — is reportedly willing to leave the Saudi league and Karim Benzema could yet be enticed back to Europe to return to playing at the highest level. Tottenham and Chelsea could be options for Henderson as they have been light on central midfielders at times this season. KYLIAN MBAPPE Something has to give soon in the ongoing transfer saga involving Kylian Mbappé, arguably the world’s best player. His contract at Paris Saint-Germain is up at the end of the season, when he can leave for nothing. PSG is saying the club will not let him go for free. Mbappe appears happy to stay until the summer, and scored a hat trick in PSG’s 9-0 win over sixth-tier side Revel in the French Cup on Sunday. The widespread belief is that Mbappé will end up at Real Madrid, though there is scope for a team from the lucrative Premier League to come in for him. Liverpool has long seemed the most likely destination for the France international if he did move to England. The departure of Mohamed Salah, potentially to Saudi Arabia, would leave a gap in Liverpool’s forward line but that won’t happen before the summer, by which time it could be too late. A move to Manchester United, a team that could afford Mbappé's wages, as the centerpiece of a new era for the club seems fanciful given it is far from assured of playing in the Champions League next season. CHELSEA Chelsea has spent more than $1 billion on players over the past three transfer windows. It doesn’t look like the club is about to stop there. Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has spoken of the need for more reinforcements this month, with the team languishing in 10th place in the Premier League at the halfway point of the season and in danger of missing out on qualifying for European competition for a second straight year. A striker might be required — the club has long been linked with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Toney — while a midfield playmaker is a possibility if Chelsea decides to move on Conor Gallagher. Chelsea might need to sell before it buys in order to meet financial rules.

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0business

Multi family sells in Arlington for $3.4 million

The property located at 18 Belknap Street in Arlington was sold on Nov. 14, 2023. The $3,399,000 purchase price works out to $808 per square foot. The multi-unit house, built in 1910, has an interior space of 4,209 square feet. This two-story multi-family comprises a total of three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The home's outer design showcases a a hip roof frame, with roofing materials crafted from asphalt. Inside, there is one fireplace. Additionally, the house includes a detached two-car garage, offering generous space for vehicles and storage requirements. Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data. See more Real Estate News

bcb9669cf1f55b155899a24fcef024dc

3entertainment

Questlove Made You an Energy Playlist

Ahmir K. Thompson, also known as Questlove, seems to have boundless energy. Just look at his résumé: He’s a producer, podcast host, Academy Award-winning director, author, D.J. and drummer for the hip-hop band the Roots. He’s also known for his inventive playlists. “I started making playlists for a certain world leader,” he told us in an email. “Somehow the client list has expanded to 400 people.” He didn’t specify which world leader, but he has made playlists for the Obamas, including an epic three-volume soundtrack for the former first lady, called “Michelle Obama’s Musiaqualogy.” It played during her 2018 book tour. We wanted to be on the client list, too, so as part of our 6-Day Energy Challenge, we asked him to make a playlist with some of his favorite tracks. Lucky for us, he obliged. “I take my title as ‘the people’s curator’ seriously,” said Mr. Thompson, who owns over 200,000 records. And this playlist, which bounces around many genres, illustrates the meticulous care and extensive knowledge behind his choices. It’s got an “irresistible stomper,” “the original god of Afrobeat” and a “bright, sunny, chaotic” song, among others, to get you moving. Press play and read his commentary below.

ccac73e37155e165bab754be3f20604c

6sports

The Patriots better have a foolproof plan

For the longest time, the Patriots always seemed two steps ahead of the curve. Whether it was revolutionizing offenses after drafting two tight ends, acquiring the right players to complement Tom Brady and sustain success for two decades, or coming up with cutting edge schemes on defense, the Patriots always seemed ahead of the rest. That hasn’t been the case recently. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. That’s why now, more than ever, whoever winds up making the personnel decisions, whether it continues to be Bill Belichick, which appears doubtful, or someone else, which is the more likely outcome, the Patriots need to have a plan for every possible scenario. More important, whatever the plan, it needs to be bullet-proof. Otherwise, it’s going to be a long time before the franchise gets out of this hole. The first order of business - assuming the head coach and general manager positions have been addressed - is the quarterback plan. While it doesn’t seem likely either Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe, who gets his fourth straight start Sunday night against Denver, will be the future starter, there’s a good chance one of the two will be retained as either the backup, or stopgap until the new guy is ready. With the Patriots poised for a top five pick, perhaps getting as high as No. 2 which is where they currently sit with three games to play, they need to decide which of the top quarterbacks they want, and make sure they get him. That was the Chiefs approach when they moved up the board to snag Patrick Mahomes in 2017. They traded up, making a deal with the Buffalo Bills for the No. 10 overall selection, shipping off the No. 27 and 91 picks, as well as their 2018 first-round pick, to get up into position to land Mahomes. Think the Chiefs have any regrets for being aggressive and making that kind of move? CBS broadcaster Ross Tucker, a guest on MassLive’s “Eye on Foxborough” podcast, can’t see how the Patriots wouldn’t add to their quarterback stable. “They will at least get a new quarterback. I don’t know that it’s necessarily that they would draft one. But they would at least get a new one,” said Tucker, who was with the Patriots from 2005-06. “I think it depends, I would imagine on who else is available in free agency, who’s available via trade. Who’s the one making that decision, right? Because (Bill) Belichick typically has liked to use those type of high picks when he has them, historically, I feel like on D-linemen. Like a Richard Seymour, or a Ty Warren, or guys like that, and hope that he can get a quarterback with a second-round pick or a third-round pick. “But I guess that leads to probably another question, which is about what I think might happen with Bill,” he added. “But I do think that they’re gonna get a new quarterback. I’d be shocked if they didn’t. ... But if they have a top-two pick, I would imagine that they would use that on a quarterback.” Now, if the Patriots don’t like any of the top quarterbacks, which isn’t out of the realm, they have to know who they want to sign in free agency, or possibly, acquire in a trade scenario. Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, Ryan Tannehill and Gardner Minshew are some of the headliners on the list of upcoming free agent quarterbacks. While it’s not the best free agent class, settling for their second or third option here can’t happen. Let’s remember what happened after Tom Brady walked out the door. There was no plan. And because of that, the Patriots settled for signing Cam Newton at the last second, literally right before training camp. The Patriots also have to decide if they want to stick with a drop back passer or finally make the move to a dual threat quarterback. With that in mind, they also have to decide if they want to adapt a new offensive system to best fit the quarterback. And that’s just for starters. Basically, Belichick or whoever has the G.M or personnel head job, has to plan and plot the best way to take care of their primary needs at quarterback, offensive tackle and receiver. It’s no secret they need to bring in as many blue chip players as possible at those positions. With a high draft pick, and tons of cap space, they should be able to accomplish the mission if they map everything out correctly. In terms of free agent wide receivers, Tee Higgins (Bengals), Michael Pittman (Colts), Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Calvin Ridley (Jaguars), Marquise Brown (Cardinals) will be available if their respective teams don’t hit them with the franchise tag or re-sign them. Are any of those wideouts a better alternative than Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison? That’s another part of the plan. As for tackle, along with two of their own (Trent Brown, Michael Onwenu), who are among the best names on the list, there’s Tyron Smith (Cowboys), Mekhi Becton (Jets), Jonah Williams (Bengals), Austin Jackson (Dolphins), and Donovan Smith (Chiefs). In the draft, meanwhile, there’s two can’t miss generational talents in Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, and Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu. Do they start here at the top of the draft? At the very least, the Patriots would probably be wise to re-sign Onwenu, and add another tackle or more in the draft. Bottom line: What they envision for their first pick will impact all of the other moves. That’s why settling in on who’s in charge of personnel, be it someone completely new or if it continues to be Belichick or someone from his regime may be the most important decision for team owner Robert Kraft. Tough to fix one of the worst rosters in the league talent-wise unless there’s someone with a clue picking the groceries. NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.

4adc23824ecb862f433950769cf7c812

0business

Duplex sells for $787,530 in Northampton

A spacious historic house built in 1900 located at 13 Arlington Street in Northampton has a new owner. The 3,300-square-foot property was sold on Dec. 6, 2023. The $787,530 purchase price works out to $239 per square foot. The property features six bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an underground garage. It sits on a 0.3-acre lot. Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:

c5b811218cf21ca9b9775bb7440c6a1c

5science

Highest court in Mass. nixes life without parole for adults under 21

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled Thursday that sentencing adults under 21 to life without the possibility of parole violates the state’s constitution. In addition to prohibiting judges from newly issuing such sentences, the 4-3 ruling in Commonwealth v. Sheldon Mattis makes it possible for people who were between the ages of 18 and 20 when they committed a crime that earned them a sentence of life without parole to litigate in the hopes of getting a lighter sentence. The legal logic behind the ruling A mandatory sentence of life without parole for minors was already prohibited as a result of a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The following year, the Supreme Judicial Court took this a step further, ruling that sentencing a minor to life without parole in any circumstance violates Article 26 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights by inflicting a “cruel or unusual” punishment. In this new decision, the court considered whether the logic of its previous decision applies to “emerging adults,” or people aged 18, 19 or 20. Its conclusion was that it did, meaning that mandatory sentences of life without parole for people in this age range violate Article 26. Chief Justice Kimberly Budd wrote in the decision that the court looked to several Supreme Court decisions which indicated that “youth matters” when applying the U.S. Constitution’s 8th Amendment. The justices also considered the opinions of 23 retired Massachusetts judges, the Boston Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and 17 neuroscientists, she wrote. “Advancements in scientific research have confirmed what many know well through experience: the brains of emerging adults are not fully mature,” Budd wrote. “Specifically, the scientific record strongly supports the contention that emerging adults have the same core neurological characteristics as juveniles have.” How the ruling will affect prisoners While Budd wrote that the judges considered how youth development plays into “diminished responsibility” for crimes, she also emphasized that the decision should not be construed to suggest that people who can now undergo resentencing under the decision should automatically be paroled. “By providing an opportunity for parole, we do not diminish the severity of the crime of murder in the first degree because it was committed by an emerging adult,” she wrote. According to WBUR, the decision makes Massachusetts the first state to eliminate mandatory life sentences without parole for people aged 18 to 20, and will affect an estimated 300 people. It is being touted as a major victory for criminal justice reform, The Boston Globe reported. “We know that a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old are simply not the same person by the time they’re 35. There’s an enormous amount of growth that happens and that you need to have another look,” Lael Chester, director of Columbia University’s Emerging Adult Justice Project, told the Globe. The case behind the ruling The case stems from Sheldon Mattis’ first-degree murder conviction in the death of 16-year-old Jaivon Blake, which resulted in a mandatory sentence of life without parole. According to the facts of the case laid out in the ruling, in 2011, when Mattis was 18, he handed a gun to his friend Nyasani Watt, who then shot Blake. Mattis was convicted under a legal theory known as “joint venture,” which holds that a person is guilty of a crime if they intentionally help someone commit that crime. According to The Boston Globe, Watt was also convicted of first-degree murder, but because Watt was days away from turning 18, he avoided a mandatory sentence of life without parole. The Supreme Judicial Court reviews all first-degree murder convictions in Massachusetts, and in 2020, it affirmed both convictions. But, the Globe reported, in that decision, the court questioned whether the discrepancy between Watt’s and Mattis’ sentences was constitutional. Mattis eventually appealed his sentence until his case was brought back up to the state’s highest court, the Globe reported. The court’s decision Thursday means that Mattis’ case will be sent back to a lower court for resentencing.

8d5c70433ad2d9a368c5b4ee0f4d3f88

1crime

15 years after bus slaying, police renew plea to find killer of Boston teen Devonte Franklin

A judge who was attacked by a defendant in a Las Vegas courtroom last week sentenced the man on Monday to 19 to 48 months in prison on a previous battery charge, emphasizing that his actions last week did not affect her sentencing decision. The man, Deobra Redden, 30, drew national attention on Wednesday when courtroom video showed him leaping over the bench onto the judge, Mary Kay Holthus of Clark County District Court, causing the flags behind the bench to fall. Judge Holthus, 62, was injured in the attack, as was a court marshal and the judge’s law clerk, officials said. On Monday, Mr. Redden returned to Judge Holthus’s courtroom to complete the sentencing hearing that his violent outburst had interrupted.

b3f87d2dcb216f2e1821902080965268

2culture

The Harriet Tubman? The Anne Frank? House Layout Names Draw Criticism.

From the outside, the adobe-style ranch house on the outskirts of Albuquerque appears to be like any other three-bedroom house. But its designers took inspiration from an unusual source. In fact, the person for whom the design is named probably never stepped foot in New Mexico at all. “Just like Harriet Tubman, the icon of American courage and freedom, this home stands out amongst the crowd,” read a home listing on Zillow, highlighting the home’s “‘entertainers’ kitchen with a bar top between the kitchen and the great room.” The listing quickly found itself attracting the scrutiny of Zillow’s social media watchers, who criticized Abrazo Homes, a production homebuilder in Albuquerque, for tastelessly commercializing the revered abolitionist. The company also named a home layout after Anne Frank, who hid from Nazis in an annex in the Netherlands before being killed in a concentration camp. The designs appear to have been available for years, but they did not pique interest on social media until this week.

dd35d0e82fcf792356bf2f73122c0d2f

1crime

Teen apprehended, gun recovered at Boston school, police say

15-year-old apprehended, gun recovered at Boston school, police say Share Copy Link Copy WE’LL HAVE MORE ON THIS STORY COMING UP AT 6:00. ALSO BREAKING A STUDENT WAS ARRESTED AFTER THIS GUN AND THESE BULLETS WERE ALLEGEDLY FOUND FOUND IN HIS BACKPACK. THE DISTURBING DISCOVERIES MADE AT THE SNOWDEN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TODAY. NEWSCENTER 5 JOHN ATWATER LIVE IN BOSTON WITH THE POLICE RESPONSE JOHN. WELL, ERICA, YOU SAW THE PICTURE THERE. POLICE SAY TEN BULLETS WERE FOUND IN THAT GUN. SO THAT PROMPTED A LARGE INVESTIGATION HERE TODAY. THE SCHOOL WENT INTO SAFE MODE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR TODAY. POLICE SAY THEY FOUND THAT HANDGUN AND A 15 YEAR OLD STUDENT’S BACKPACK. INVESTIGATORS SAY THAT STAFF AT THE SCHOOL WERE ALERTED THAT THE STUDENT MAY HAVE A WEAPON, BUT IT’S NOT CLEAR WHO WARNED STAFF ABOUT THAT THREAT. NOW, THIS ALL HAPPENED JUST BEFORE NOON AT THE SNOWDEN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AND THAT 15 YEAR OLD WAS ARRESTED. OTHERS WHO WORK IN THE AREA AND SAW THE POLICE RESPONSE TODAY ARE NOW WONDERING WHAT COULD HAVE PROMPTED THE TEEN TO BRING THE GUN TO SCHOOL. I REALLY THINK THAT THERE’S NO SUPERVISION THAT AND THEN I THOUGHT MAYBE PERSONAL THINGS THAT HE’S, YOU KNOW, A 15 YEAR OLD’S BRAIN ISN’T REALLY DEVELOPED ALL THE WAY THAT HE’S TRYING TO MAKE FRIENDS OR BE COOL OR WHAT. YOU KNOW, THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN OR THAT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING UNFORTUNATE HAPPENED IN SCHOOL OR THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING BAD THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. WELL, THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS HURT HERE TODAY. AND ALONG WITH THE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES THAT TEENAGER IS NOW FACING, THE SCHOOL SAYS HE WILL ALSO FACE DISCIPLINARY GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Your Email Address Submit Privacy Notice

f01998a71b8f9dd3b52a83abaf1f21f0

4politics

Israel-Hamas War Israeli Troops Accidentally Kill Three Hostages

Chen Goldstein-Almog, who, along with her three surviving children, was among the hostages released by Hamas in exchange for the release of prisoners by Israel in November. The strangest part of her seven-week ordeal, said Chen Goldstein-Almog, formerly an Israeli hostage of Hamas, were the long, almost intimate conversations she had with her captors. They talked about their families, their lives and the extreme danger they all faced. One of the gunmen holding her even apologized for the killing of her husband and one of her daughters by other Hamas gunmen, she said. “It was a mistake and against the Quran,” he told her, Ms. Goldstein-Almog remembered. She said a long silence followed, and the room she and three of her children were being held in immediately filled with tension. “I didn’t respond,” she said. She was distraught about their deaths, but at that moment, she said, “I didn’t feel I could express any negative feelings.” Ms. Goldstein-Almog, 48, and the three children were kidnapped on Oct. 7 from the Kfar Aza kibbutz, near the border of Gaza and one of the worst hit during the Hamas terrorist attacks. Her husband and eldest daughter were killed. Image Buildings in Kfar Aza that were damaged during the attack on Oct. 7. Credit... Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times She and the surviving children — another daughter, Agam, 17, and two sons, Gal, 11, and Tal, 9 — were released in late November as part of the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas that has since ceased. In an interview this week, she shared details about her ordeal. She said she and the children were held together, treated “respectfully” and not physically harmed. But she said that over the course of various moves during their captivity, she had met other hostages who were badly treated, including two women who said they were sexually abused. Mostly, they were held in a room in an apartment in Gaza, she said, with the windows closed except for a bit of fresh air in the early mornings. But the heavily armed captors also moved Ms. Goldstein-Almog and her children to different apartments, tunnels, a mosque, even a destroyed supermarket, she said. With the Israeli military pounding Gaza, each transfer was terrifying, and the men holding them, she said, didn’t always seem to know what to do. Describing one move, she said: “It was the middle of the night. Everything was dark. They started deliberating among themselves. I could see the helplessness on their faces.” “When we were out into the street, in total darkness, there was a shot above us,” she continued. “We were pressed against the wall, and I could see a laser pointer, as if we were being targeted from above.” And she was thinking: That’s our air force up there. “It was crazy,” she said, “this absurdity.” Three of Ms. Goldstein-Almog's children, Agam, Tal and Gal, were kidnapped with her on Oct. 7 from the Kfar Aza kibbutz, one of the communities hit hardest in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks. Her husband and eldest daughter were killed. Her conversations with her guards sometimes went on for hours, she said, maybe because she was once a social worker and knew how to keep someone in a long, deep conversation — her only way of trying to make sure, she said, that she and the children would be safe. The guards taught her son Gal 250 words in Arabic to keep him occupied and brought him a notebook to study. She said the family and the guards regularly discussed what to eat. Most days they survived off pita bread with cheese, usually feta. In the early days there were also a few vegetables. She said the guards told her they were members of Hamas. The lead guard seemed educated and spoke Hebrew, she said. In the apartment where they stayed the longest, he sometimes invited the family to join in cooking in the kitchen, though even in these moments, the guards carried pistols. The guards would escort them to the bathroom on request, and allowed them to sleep. Each member of the family had emotional ups and downs. Sometimes they would talk about what happened on Oct. 7, or would realize no cease-fire was near. The captors didn’t like it when the children cried, she said. They asked immediately for them to stop. “And if for a moment, I would sit and sink in my thoughts,” she said, the lead captor “would directly ask me what I was thinking. I couldn’t move from room to room without an armed guard accompanying me. Once, my two sons were arguing, and the guard raised his voice at one of them, which was scary.” Image Residents of Kfar Aza watching news about the release of hostages from their kibbutz, in Shefayim, Israel, last month. Credit... Amit Elkayam for The New York Times There were even moments when the guards cried in front of them, she said, worried about their own families. “We were in daily danger,” she said. “It was fear at a level we didn’t know existed.” She couldn’t stop replaying the death of her husband, Nadav, 48, whom she started dating in high school and who was killed in front of their eyes along with their oldest daughter, Yam, 20, a soldier just two months from the end of her service. At the end of their captivity, the lead guard turned to Ms. Goldstein-Almog and gave her a warning: Don’t go back to your kibbutz, he said. Don’t return to a place so close to Gaza. Go to Tel Aviv or somewhere farther north, she remembers him saying. Because we are coming back. Ms. Goldstein-Almog’s response? “Next time you come,” she said she told them, “don’t throw a grenade. Just knock on the door.”

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4politics

Healey outlines ongoing priorities to address housing costs, MBTA in 1st State of the Commonwealth speech

Politics Healey outlines ongoing priorities to address housing costs, MBTA in 1st State of the Commonwealth speech “Today, Massachusetts is more affordable, more competitive, and more equitable than it was a year ago.” Gov. Maura Healey at her inauguration last year. Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday delivered her first State of the Commonwealth address since taking office last year, highlighting steps taken by her administration during her first year as governor and outlining her agenda to address a range of ongoing challenges in her second year, including the MBTA, housing costs, and climate change. “We set high goals for our first year in office,” Healey said. “I stood here one year ago and made promises. And because we came together, and we acted with urgency, we delivered results. We met every one of our goals. Today, Massachusetts is more affordable, more competitive, and more equitable than it was a year ago. And the state of our Commonwealth, like the spirit of our people, is stronger than ever.” Advertisement: Healey said the budget proposal she will file next week will reflect her administration’s ongoing priorities of lowering the cost of housing and child care, “strengthening schools,” addressing congestion on the state’s roadways and the failings of the railways, helping businesses, and meeting the climate crisis. “This is the work ahead of us, and there’s no time to wait,” Healey said. The governor said all the work starts with housing, calling it “the biggest challenge we face.” She said in the year ahead her administration will focus on passing her Affordable Homes Act, which, if passed by the Legislature, would be the largest housing investment in state history and create tens of thousands of new homes. “This isn’t just a few unlucky people,” Healey said. “It’s the heart of our workforce. It’s the soul of our communities. It’s the future of our state. We have to act and we have to act now, to make it easier for everyone to find affordable places to live.” During her speech, the governor also announced several new initiatives for 2024, including launching a new early literacy strategy, reauthorizing the Life Sciences Initiative, initiating a new climate tech initiative, and increasing funding for roads, bridges, and the MBTA in the state budget. Advertisement: Acknowledging the frustrations MBTA riders have faced in recent years with unsafe conditions, shutdowns, and slowdowns, Healey said there is “still a long way to go” in fixing the system. “I want to thank T riders for your patience as the work continues,” Healey said. “We are committed to making your commutes better. And I can share with you tonight: our budget proposal next week will offer transformative investments to improve all the ways we get around in Massachusetts. We’ll increase funding for local roads and bridges to record levels, with special investments dedicated to rural communities. We’ll double our support for MBTA operations, and tackle deferred maintenance, to build a system worthy of our economy. And we will establish a permanent, reduced fare for low-income T riders; and continue affordable options at regional transit authorities.” Watch the governor’s full speech below:

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6sports

Celtics tourney loss to Pacers provides key silver lining

The Celtics and Timberwolves meet up at 7 p.m. Wednesday in what is a crucial matchup between the top team in each conference. Boston gets some mixed news when it comes to the injury report for that game. On the positive side, Jayson Tatum is no longer listed after missing Monday’s game against the Pacers. But three rotation players are also listed: Jrue Holiday (elbow sprain management), Al Horford (non-COVID illness) and Kristaps Porzingis (right knee contusion) are all questionable for Monday. BET ANYTHING GET $250 BONUS ESPN BET CLAIM OFFER MASS 21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Tatum sat Monday’s loss to the Pacers because of left ankle sprain management, which he suffered against the Warriors on Dec. 19. He’s missed a few games occasionally to make sure he’s still healthy, though he’s also been playing through the sprain. Holiday has been bogged down by that right elbow sprain recently, which has also forced him to miss a couple games. Notably, Porzingis was questionable going into Monday’s game against the Pacers before eventually playing. But that was because of right eye irritation. The knee contusion is new as the C’s will monitor how the big man is feeling ahead of Wednesday’s game. The Celtics suffered a loss to the Pacers after a controversial finish, but they still have a league-best 28-8 record. The Wolves have been a pleasant surprise this season as they’re currently 25-10. Minnesota does play the Magic on Tuesday in Orlando, so the Wolves will be playing a back-to-back Wednesday. Regardless, it should be a fun game as the C’s look to avenge their early-season loss in Minnesota.

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4politics

Opinion | America Must Face Up to Israels Extremism

Two far-right members of Israel’s cabinet — the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich — caused an international uproar this week with their calls to depopulate Gaza. “If in Gaza there will be 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs and not two million the entire conversation on ‘the day after’ will look different,” said Smotrich, who called for most Gazan civilians to be resettled in other countries. The war, said Ben-Gvir, presents an “opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza,” facilitating Israeli settlement in the region. The Biden administration has joined countries all over the world in condemning these naked endorsements of ethnic cleansing. But in doing so, it acted as if Ben-Gvir and Smotrich’s provocations are fundamentally at odds with the worldview of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to whom America continues to give unconditional backing. In a statement denouncing the ministers’ words as “inflammatory and irresponsible,” the State Department said, “We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the government of Israel, including by the prime minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government.” Representative Jim McGovern, a Democrat who has called for a cease-fire, thanked the State Department in a social media post, saying, “It must be clear that America will not write a blank check for mass displacement.” But it’s not clear, because we’re writing a blank check to a government whose leader is only a bit more coy than Ben-Gvir and Smotrich about his intentions for Gaza. As Israeli news outlets have reported, Netanyahu said this week that the government is considering a “scenario of surrender and deportation” of residents of the Gaza Strip. (Some outlets reported that Netanyahu was referring only to Hamas leaders.) According to a Times of Israel article, “The ‘voluntary’ resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza is slowly becoming a key official policy of the government, with a senior official saying that Israel has held talks with several countries for their potential absorption.”

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0business

Poke bowl restaurants at Walmart? Chain announces nationwide partnership

A new chain of restaurants may soon be coming to your local Walmart store. Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar and Walmart are teaming up to open fast-food style poke bars across the country, according to a release from Sharkii. Poke is a Hawaiian dish that refers to slices or cubes of raw fish served atop rice, dressing, vegetables and seasonings. “My dream has been to bring the essence of the Sharkii Ohana to millions of families who shop at Walmart,” said Fen Reyes, Founder and CEO of Uncle Sharkii. “This is a monumental step in a major push to achieve Uncle Sharkii’s mission to bring ‘Affordable Poke Bowls to the Masses’. The expansion will begin with 10 new locations throughout California over the next five months before additional locations are opened nationwide. The in-store restaurant menu has not been released but the release noted it will be “designed specifically for Walmart customers.” Currently, Sharkii’s offers Poke Bowls with ahi-tuna, salmon, shrimp, spicy scallops and tofu, Boba Milk Teas and tropical-flavored desserts. Uncle Sharkii currently has locations in California, Hawaii, Texas and Utah with restaurants in Arizona and Nevada set to open soon.

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4politics

No Labels Asks the Justice Department to Investigate Its Critics

No Labels, the centrist group that could field a third-party presidential bid, has asked the Justice Department to investigate what it calls unlawful intimidation by groups that oppose it. The group filed a complaint on Jan. 11, accusing a number of political figures and other critics of engaging in voter suppression and violating federal law, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, which is often used to combat organized crime. Leaders of No Labels who described the complaint during a news conference on Thursday pointed largely to previously reported details of efforts to oppose the group, as well as incendiary statements that some of its critics had made on political podcasts. The group compared the efforts of its opponents to those of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1950s and ’60s and the fictional mob boss Tony Soprano. A montage of clips shown by the group included Rick Wilson, a founder of the anti-Trump Republican group the Lincoln Project, saying last spring that the group had to “be burned to the ground,” using an expletive — although the clip had been cut off before Mr. Wilson adds the word “politically.” (After being asked about the shortened clip, the group uploaded a version of the video with the full statement.)

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0business

10 most expensive homes sold in Cape Cod, Dec. 31 - Jan. 6

A house in Chatham that sold for $9 million tops the list of the most expensive real estate sales in Cape Cod between Dec. 31 and Jan. 6. In total, 224 real estate sales were recorded in the area during the last two weeks, with an average price of $820,924. The average price per square foot ended up at $528. The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded from the week of Dec. 17 to the week of Jan. 6, even if the property was sold earlier.

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6sports

Jrue Holiday describes emotions seeing Bucks tribute video

It’s time to bundle up and get cozy. Forecasters are anticipating below-zero wind chills to sweep across Massachusetts this weekend due to a shot of Arctic air, with meteorologists warning of particularly harsh coldness in the Berkshires. The shot of modified Arctic air will settle over southern New England for the weekend, bringing frigid temperatures and low wind chills to Massachusetts. The lowest wind chills are forecast Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Saturday’s wind chills are expected to plummet to 2 degrees in Hyannis on Cape Cod, zero degrees in Boston, -3 degrees in Worcester and zero degrees in Springfield, according to the weather service. Sunday’s wind chills should dip to zero degrees in Hyannis, 1 degree in Boston, -5 degrees in Worcester and -1 degree in Springfield, the weather service said. A wind chill advisory is expected to go into effect across the eastern slopes of the Berkshires at 10 p.m. Saturday and last until 10 a.m. Sunday. Wind chills as low as 18 degrees below zero are forecast in the area, according to the weather service. Very cold wind chill temps across the region this morning and tomorrow morning. The cold will peak tomorrow morning near The Berkshires where wind chill temps below -15F are expected. A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect for Berkshire County and the east slopes of the Berkshires. pic.twitter.com/grY22aXEbV — NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 20, 2024 Read more: NOAA rocket to study weather in final stages before April liftoff “The cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken,” the weather service said in its advisory. “Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves.” The forecast is also calling for periodic bands of ocean-effect snow that could bring minor accumulations to the Outer Cape late Saturday afternoon through early Sunday. Western and Central Massachusetts may be hit with light snow showers as well. However, the likelihood of snowfall is still low, the weather service noted. “I’m not sold much snow develops this afternoon, but if we do get any snow showers they’d be light, powdery and not result in adverse impacts,” a weather service meteorologist said. Read more: Plum Island residents to rebuild after historically high tides hit New England Temperatures should then moderate through early next week to near or slightly above normal. Several waves of precipitation may roll through the region Wednesday into Friday, according to the weather service.

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1crime

Townsend woman accused of trying to poison husband after scammer impersonating soap star texted her

TOWNSEND, Mass. — A 64-year-old Townsend woman has been charged with attempted murder, accused of trying to poison her husband after a scammer impersonating soap opera star Thorsten Kaye of “The Bold and the Beautiful” texted her to “get rid of your husband honey,” police said. Roxanne Doucette, 64, of Townsend is charged with attempted murder, intimidation of a witness, juror, police or court official; resisting arrest, and assault and battery on a police officer, court documents show. Doucette was released on personal recognizance following her arraignment in Ayer District Court on Dec. 4, 2023, court documents show. Conditions for her release include that she have no contact with her husband and daughter, stay 100 yards away from her husband, undergo a mental health evaluation, be confined to her home except for medical appointments and wear a GPS monitoring device. At about 4:34 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, Townsend Police Officer Michael Marchand was contacted by Ayer Police, who had spoken to Doucette’s daughter at Nashoba Valley Medical Center. The daughter had told Ayer police officers that she suspected Doucette had poisoned her father, Marchand wrote in his report. Marchand responded to the hospital room to speak to Doucette’s daughter and Ayer police. An Ayer police officer told Marchand that the daughter was at the hospital with Doucette. “Roxanne had been messaging someone she believed to be a daytime drama actor, Thorsten Kaye,” Marchand wrote in his report. “This person scammed her into giving them money.” Roxanne Doucette of Townsend (Townsend Police Department) The daughter “was going through all the messages in Roxanne’s phone with the scammer, to send screenshots to” police, Marchand wrote. “When she did, she came upon messages that she felt indicated that Roxanne might have poisoned her husband,” police said in their report. The daughter showed police screenshots from text messages that were sent on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, court documents show. “One of the messages from “Thorsten” stated ‘You have to get rid of your husband honey. I need you so much,’” police wrote in their report. “Roxanne stated that she needed to do some thinking.” Thorsten Kaye JUNE 19: Thorsten Kaye attends the closing ceremony and Golden Nymph awards of the 58th Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 19, 2018 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) “At 2:34pm she responds that she is ‘”Making an amazing soup. Special potion. He will be hungry when he gets back. Just enough for him,’” police wrote in their report. “At 4:26pm, Roxanne goes on to say ‘Hubby got back not feeling well. Maybe I can collect life insurance.” Thorsten responds “Honey when will that be?” Roxanne says “Don’t know.” At approximately 5:11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, Roxanne called 911 for her husband, police said. The report was for a 73-year-old unresponsive man who was still breathing, with a cardiac history. Doucette advised emergency responders that her husband “was very dizzy earlier and is currently sitting in a chair, mumbling, not making sense.” An ambulance took her husband to a local hospital. When her father later regained consciousness, the daughter told police that she had asked him about what happened on Friday. Her father “stated that Roxanne made him soup, but that it wasn’t very good. He stated that it tasted bitter,” police wrote in their report. When police spoke with Doucette, she “stated that she had told (her husband) that she was going on a retreat. She then came clean about the fact that she was not going on a retreat and told (her husband) about the person she was messaging,” Marchand wrote in his report. “She stated that she thought she was talking to a star, and that she had always wanted to meet a star.” Roxanne Doucette, 64, of Townsend Police wrote that Doucette “stated that she was afraid to be alone. She stated that she would never harm him in any way, and that she loves him very, very much. She stated that she loves her children, and that she hopes her daughter doesn’t think she put him in the hospital.” Doucette also told investigators that her husband “was under a lot of stress because of the scam. She stated that he had recently been the victim of a scam and lost approximately $8,000.00.” Doucette refused to turn in her cell phone and tablet to police as part of their investigation, and then she resisted arrest, kicking at Marchand with her boot on her foot, Marchand wrote. Police later seized Doucette’s cell phone and tablet. Days later, on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, Townsend Police arrested Doucette again for violating an Abuse Prevention Order. Police were called because Doucette’s husband had received a handwritten letter from Doucette, which violated the no contact order. According to police, Doucette’s letter, which was included in the couple’s bills that Doucette had a neighbor mail to her family, allegedly stated, “Please consider dropping the restraining order.” “That’s a long time to have you out of my life,” Doucette is alleged to have written in a letter to her husband, court documents show. “I want my husband back. I miss you so much.” Townsend woman accused of trying to poison husband after scammer impersonating soap star texted her Attempts to reach Doucette for comment at her home on Monday were unsuccessful. News of the allegations spread through the neighborhood where Doucette and her husband have lived for four decades. “You can’t ever expect that. That’s something that books are made out of I think,” said neighbor Sadie Crawford. Crawford and her mother, who reside across the street, have been waiting for answers for the last month. “I just asked her where he was. I didn’t want to pry too much,” said Gail St. Hilaire. “She just said that he had a heart attack.” Townsend is a small town north of Fitchburg and near the New Hampshire border. The town’s population was 9,127 at the 2020 census. “Making an amazing soup. Special potion.” 64-year-old Townsend grandmother accused of poisoning 73-year-old husband after texting with scammer she believed was soap actor. Court documents say she mentioned possibility of collecting life insurance #Boston25 AT 10 & 11 pic.twitter.com/3930Qv5Zn7 — Drew Karedes (@DrewKaredes) January 9, 2024 This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW ©2024 Cox Media Group

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4politics

Iceland Scrambles to Shelter Residents Made Homeless by Volcanic Eruption

Brazilian officials served up an array of plans and figures at the recent COP28 climate summit in Dubai, presenting itself as a world leader, on track to protect its forests and the people who live there. But on Thursday, Brazil’s Congress approved a law that threatens Indigenous people’s rights to most of the land they inhabit or claim, potentially opening vast territories to deforestation, farming and mining. The new law requires that Indigenous people must provide concrete evidence that they occupied the land they claim on Oct. 5, 1988, when the country’s current Constitution was enacted — a requirement that many of them have little or no hope of meeting. Under the new rule, not only can Indigenous land claims currently going through the legal process be thrown out for lacking such documentation, but established legal protections for Indigenous territories can also be challenged in court and rescinded.

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4politics

Even Most Biden Voters Dont See a Thriving Economy

Take Oscar Nuñez, 27, a server at a restaurant in Las Vegas. Foot traffic has been much slower than usual for this time of year, eating into his tips. He’d like to start his own business, but with the rising cost of living, he and his wife — who works at home answering questions from independent contractors for her employer — haven’t managed to save much money. It’s also a tough jump to make when the economy feels shaky. Mr. Nuñez expected better from Mr. Biden when he voted blue in 2020, he said, but he wasn’t sure what specifically the president should have done better. And he is pretty sure another Trump term would be a disaster. “I’d prefer another option, but it seems like it will once again be my only option again,” Mr. Nuñez said of Mr. Biden. For him, immigrants’ rights and foreign policy concerns are more important. “That’s why I was picking him over Trump in the first place — because this guy’s going to do something that’s real dangerous at some point.” Mr. Nuñez isn’t alone in feeling dissatisfied with the economy but still bound to Mr. Biden by other priorities. Of those surveyed in the six battleground states who plan to vote for Mr. Biden in 2024, 47 percent say social issues are more important to them, while 42 percent say the economy is more important — but that’s a closer split than in the 2022 midterms, in which social issues decisively outweighed economic concerns among Democratic voters in several swing states. (Among likely Trump voters, 71 percent say they are most focused on the economy, while 15 percent favor social issues.)