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2culture

Two Years With Americas Elite Firefighters

SPRINGFIELD — The mayor issued an apology to residents early this afternoon because of less-than-stellar cleanup after Sunday’s snowstorm, the first significant snow of the season. “Even though this was a difficult, long-duration storm, we must and will do better,” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said in a brief statement this afternoon. Sarno said he met with Springfield Public Works Director Chris Cignoli to conduct a “post (storm) review and clarification on our continued storm cleanup efforts.” In November, Steve Beem, the DPW’s deputy director, told The Republican that the city was struggling to find snowplow drivers, but that the city is “always prepared” for winter. “We do the best we can with what we have,” he said at the time. In 2022, the city had roughly 135 independently contracted drivers. Beem said in November that the city had made significant efforts to entice people to be snowplow drivers, including a $750 performance bonus — which was a $250 increase from last winter, according to city documents. Residents still experiencing storm-related problems should call the city’s 311 Call Center at 413-736-3111 or the mayor’s office at 413-787-6100, for a DPW follow-up response.

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1crime

Murder suspect in Maine liquor store killing arrested in Arkansas

Arkansas State Police have arrested a Maine man who authorities say went on the run after killing a coworker at a Waterville liquor store earlier this week, Maine State Police announced Sunday. After a car chase early Sunday morning, police arrested Spridal Hubiak — the 20-year-old Waterville resident charged with murder in the death of 52-year-old Angela Bragg, Maine State Police said in a press release. A Damon’s Beverage employee found Bragg — a Waterville resident — dead of a “sharp force injury” around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 28, police said. Bragg’s death was soon ruled a homicide, and investigators issued a warrant for Hubiak’s arrest in connection with her killing. Just before 1 a.m. Sunday morning, police in Flippin, Arkansas, notified Maine State Police that they had made contact with Hubiak, who was sleeping in a parking lot, police said. He fled in a black Ford Taurus, but Arkansas State Police deployed spike mats and disabled the car. Hubiak then got out of the car carrying a rifle and shots were fired, police said. Hubiak was injured, but it is unclear whether Hubiak fired his rifle or if he was hit by gunfire, as authorities are not releasing detailed information about the shooting while Arkansas State Police investigate the incident. Hubiak was flown to a hospital in Missouri, but is expected to live, police said. It is unclear when he might be taken back to Maine to face charges. Authorities have not released further information about Bragg’s killing, but have said they were both employees of Damon’s liquor store. The liquor store called the incident “an unimaginable tragedy” in a statement posted to its Facebook page on Friday. “First and foremost, the Damon family would like to reach out and extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Angela Bragg,” Damon’s Beverage wrote. “She was a valued employee, friend, and person. None of us will be the same after this.

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6sports

Boys Basketball Scoreboard: Frank Field scores 1,000th point, Hoosac Valley defeats Easthampton & more

Hoosac Valley star Frank Field reached the 1,000 career point mark Monday night in the Hurricanes’ 88-48 win over Easthampton. The senior scored the first five points of the game to eclipse the milestone, and scored 15 more points to help his team improve to 5-1 on the season. Field wasn’t the only one who performed in the win. His fellow classmate Joey McGovern sunk a game-high five three’s en route to a 28-point performance. The game was never close – with the Hurricanes holding a 28 point lead at halftime. Noah Murray led Easthampton with 16 points, but Hoosac’s deep offense – which included four double-digit scorers – proved to be too much. Field Currently leads the team with 19.8 points-per-game and has been a key figure in Hoosac’s hot start and will get a chance to show off his skills in the team’s next game which will take place Thursday at the 2024 Spalding Hoophall Classic at Springfield College where the Hurricanes will take on 7-1 Pioneer Valley. Boys Basketball Scoreboard

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2culture

Ask Amy: Is it OK to read my teen daughters diary if she leaves it out?

Dear Amy: Six years ago, my two adult stepdaughters confronted us with their “concerns” that their mother and I knew that our 17-year-old son smoked marijuana. We did know about his pot use and clearly explained the steps we were already undertaking in getting him the help he had recently requested. Our stepdaughters immediately alerted DCFS. A conviction would have destroyed our professional careers and seriously damaged our family’s future. Agonizing months later, our case was dismissed, and the charges were characterized as unfounded. This betrayal led to familial estrangement from the stepdaughters. Our now 23-year-old son is doing well, and my wife understandably wants her offspring back in our lives. I have encouraged my wife to pursue reconciliation. I do not share this interest. (Independently, neither does our son). My wife is pressuring me to partake in the perilous voyage of reconciling with her daughters. I would prefer being keelhauled. Please share your reflections on this possible mission impossible. – Dismayed Dear Dismayed: Alerting DCFS set in motion a very serious set of circumstances for your family. From your narrative, this choice to “hotline” you seems extremely overblown; I wonder what else your stepdaughters might have seen or perceived that doesn’t fit into your narrative, and if your son was taking risks that are genuinely more alarming than that of a teenager smoking pot. The only way to find out about their motivations and to describe the impact on you and your family is to communicate with these women. People do sometimes issue false reports to DCFS in order to punish family members; this is a very serious issue in that it breaks apart families, and also absorbs time and resources that would better be used to investigate actual situations that involve at-risk children. I hope that in this case your adult stepdaughters were overreacting and naïve about the impact of their choice. It’s good that you are encouraging your wife to reconcile with her daughters; she should not force you to join her immediately, but I hope you would be open to a gradual thaw. Much of what happens next rests on the behavior of these women; obviously they owe you an apology and an understanding and sincere reckoning concerning the impact of what they set in motion. Dear Amy: My eldest daughter is 15. She is a sweet girl, has friends, and does pretty well in school. Her dad and I love and like her. She takes basic care of her clothes and her room, but about once a week I go into her room and basically straighten up. She knows I do this because – well, she sees the result when she gets home from band practice. My question concerns her diary. She usually leaves it peeking out from under her pillow, and sometimes on top of her bed. Lately I’ve been reading through her diary. I haven’t seen anything too alarming (or even very interesting), but I’m wondering if what I’m doing is wrong? My whole family reads your column and we talk about your questions and answers at the dinner table sometimes. I’m curious to know what you think about what I’m doing? – Wondering Mom Dear Mom: I think that what you’re doing is wrong. And so do you. How do I know? You answer this ethical question yourself when you ask: “… I’m wondering if what I’m doing is wrong?” If your teenage daughter told you she was eavesdropping on a friend or family member and asked, “I’m wondering if what I’m doing is wrong?” you would wisely answer: “If you are wondering enough to ask this question, then I think you already know the answer. Step back, reflect on your actions, and respect others’ privacy – just as you expect others to respect your own.” The only justification for reading your teen’s diary is if you have credible evidence or an obvious concern that the teen might hurt herself or someone else. Being curious about your daughter’s inner life is not a justification for prying. Dear Amy: “Unappreciated Tipper” wanted the wait staff to express appreciation for his generous tips. As one who was trained to be a waiter in five-star restaurants, I should point out that courtesy and privacy are key items in the training and that you should not look at the tip until the customer is out of the building, in order to avoid bias, good or bad, anytime they return. – May I Take Your Order Dear Order: Thank you for passing along your wisdom. (You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.) ©2023 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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1crime

Former N.Y.P.D. Officer Is Charged With Child Sex Offenses

The officer was suspended with pay and retired in September, according to a Police Department spokesman. Vinoo Varghese, Mr. Terranova’s attorney, said his client denied all charges. “He looks forward to clearing his name,” Mr. Varghese said. The case began when Mr. Terranova was arrested in May on Staten Island, where he was an officer assigned to the 121st Precinct, in the Graniteville neighborhood. Mr. Terranova used police records to find the personal phone number of a 15-year-old boy who was the victim of a robbery, federal prosecutors said. He sent the boy explicit pictures of himself and pressured the minor to reciprocate, according to a request to deny bail filed Thursday by the prosecutor’s office. Mr. Terranova knew another victim as a family friend, the prosecutor’s office said. He contacted the boy on social media in 2022, sent nude photos and engaged in sexual conversations, according to prosecutors. Mr. Terranova later drove the boy to a wooded area and engaged in sex acts, according to the detention request. A search of Mr. Terranova’s home on Staten Island uncovered letters he had sent to another person, who appeared to be a minor living in another state, prosecutors said. Mr. Terranova purchased a home close to the minor’s house and kept notes in his personal safe on the child’s likes, dislikes, family and religion, according to prosecutors. Additional searches uncovered possible evidence of several other victims, prosecutors said, including an instance in which Mr. Terranova might have approached a teenager who was hospitalized during a mental health crisis. The charges against Mr. Terranova do not include any related to the possible victim in another state or the one who was hospitalized. These details were described in the document in which prosecutors argued that Mr. Terranova should not be allowed bail.

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4politics

Chris Christie to drop from GOP race at N.H. town hall, source tells AP

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to announce he’s dropping his Republican presidential bid at his New Hampshire town hall on Wednesday night. That’s according to a person with direct knowledge of the former New Jersey governor’s plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to disclose private discussions. Christie has been under intense pressure to exit the Republican presidential primary race as critics of Donald Trump work to unify behind a viable alternative to the former president. Christie is scheduled to host a town hall meeting in Windham at 5 p.m., hours before two of his rivals, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, meet for the fifth GOP presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle. It is the only debate that Christie did not qualify for. The news comes as a surprise, given that Christie had staked the success of his campaign on New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary, which is less than two weeks away. He had insisted as recently as Tuesday night that he had no plans to leave the race, rebuffing growing calls for him to step aside as he continued to cast himself as the only candidate willing to directly take on the former president. “I would be happy to get out of the way for someone who is actually running against Donald Trump,” he said at a town hall in Rochester, New Hampshire, while arguing that none of his rivals had stepped up to the plate. “I’m famous enough. ... I’ve got plenty of titles. ... The only reason to do this is to win,” he added. “So I’d be happy to get out of the way for somebody if they actually were going against Donald Trump.” But Christie faced a stark reality: While recent polls showed him reaching the double digits in New Hampshire, Haley shows signs of momentum. A CNN/UNH poll conducted in the state this week found Trump’s lead down to the single digits, with 4 in 10 likely Republican primary voters choosing Trump and about one-third now choosing Haley.

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1crime

Hoax shooting reported near Boston Mayor Wus home

BOSTON (WWLP ) – Boston Police say they received a hoax call on Christmas Day reporting a shooting in Roslindale. According to the Boston Police Department, they got a tip at around 5:30 Monday evening for a shooting on Augustus Ave. The call was quickly determined to be a hoax. The address that was given to the police happens to be near the home of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. Police said the incident is still under investigation.

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4politics

The GOP has given up on climate change

Sign up for The Meltdown, a weekly newsletter highlighting the latest apocalyptic dramas, debunking climate myths, and sharing sustainability hacks, all while arming you with information to hold polluters and the government accountable. Enter your email to subscribe. On a blustery nor’easter night in New York City many years ago, I was overcome with a case of cabin fever. I wrapped myself in layers and braved the swirling snow, wandering aimlessly down the ghostly, white-veiled Bleecker Street. Without a plan or destination, fate led me to the glowing marquee of a neighborhood cinema just as it was about to screen its final movie of the night: Casablanca. I hesitated – a 1942 black-and-white film wasn’t exactly what I had in mind to cure my restlessness. But what else was I going to do? In the solitude of the cinema, I perched my feet up for my premiere. I laughed and cried, completely enraptured by the timeless tale unfolding before me. I’m so glad I watched it. What I did learn when in doubt, was to do the thing. That approach was a good one until, stuck at home with COVID-19 (again), I decided to brave the Republican primary debate between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. It felt like walking through an awful storm, but instead of finding a cute movie to watch, I fell into a seemingly endless hole of garbage. Do not play it again, Sam. This week on The Meltdown, we’ll briefly discuss some of the climate issues mentioned in the debate before delving into some healthy New Year’s resolutions and why America can’t and won’t step away from the world. Before you read on, please feel free to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And share this newsletter with your friends if you think they’ll enjoy it. Drizzle Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, right and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, pointing at each other during the CNN Republican presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)AP In short, Gov. DeSantis and Gov. Haley want to rip up all of Biden’s green policies. No surprise there. DeSantis, who doesn’t believe humans cause climate change, said the U.S. shouldn’t have to reduce its fossil fuel emissions until nations like China and India do the same. For a man who thinks the country should be more isolationist, you have to wonder why China and India matter to him at all. This seems more like a strawman argument. Indeed, it’s easier just to let us all know which oil and gas companies are funding his campaigns. While it’s true that China and India are significant producers of greenhouse emissions, they are also enormous developing countries that support billions of people and are called on to produce 30% of the world’s manufacturing output. Ya know, all that crap you buy from Amazon. Imagine if the U.S. was asked to stop using fossil fuels during the industrial revolution. Unemployment would soar, manufacturing output would flatten, and I imagine it would lead to a humanitarian crisis. I have no doubt India and China would like to avoid this. That’s partly why nearly every country (not the United States or China) committed to collectively providing $100 billion to developing countries to mitigate the high emissions associated with developing countries and supporting huge populations. That commitment was agreed upon in 2009 and was due to start in 2020. While some wealthy nations have claimed the goal was met, some say there’s no evidence to support the claim. I don’t understand why U.S. climate action is predicated on what China and India do or don’t do. Wouldn’t it be unusual if New Orleans refused to solve its high murder rate until Chicago did? To her credit, Gov. Haley took a more moderate approach by pointing out that we all want clean air, clean water, and a healthy world to hand to our grandchildren. Agreed. And yet, she also wants to rip up Biden’s green policies. Of all the gin joints… Touch Grass Spiritually-minded percussion revellers celebrate the summer Solstice (mid-summer and longest day) at the ancient late-Neolithic stones of Stonehenge, on 21st June 2023, in Wiltshire, England. (Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)In Pictures via Getty Images When thinking about your New Year’s resolutions, you probably weren’t thinking about how to deal with political malaise or incompetence, given that it’s been a part of our lives for so long. But here are five ways you can block out the nonsense and focus on yourself more. Welcome life’s twists and turns: Treat each change in your life as a golden ticket to personal growth and new adventures. Shedding your old skin and stepping into the unknown is like opening a treasure chest of fresh experiences and insights, enriching your journey with unexpected gems. Anchor your day with gratitude: Bookend your days with a moment of gratitude. Whether celebrating a big win or savoring the joy of a perfect cup of coffee, this ritual of appreciation infuses your life with a positive glow, influencing how you see the world and connect with those around you. Think mindfulness: Weave mindfulness into the fabric of your daily routine. Whether through a quiet meditation session, savoring each bite of your meal, or fully immersing yourself in the here and now, these practices build a deeper bond with your inner self, cut down stress, and enrich your interactions and life experiences. Non-Negotiable self-care: Elevate self-care to a non-negotiable status in your life. Carve out time for activities that replenish your spirit, like a rejuvenating jog, getting lost in a good book, or unwinding in a bubble bath. Remember, refilling your cup is essential to pour into the lives of others. Empathy as a Superpower: Cultivate empathy by making a conscious effort to feel and understand the emotions of others. This skill strengthens your relationships, nurtures compassion, and broadens your perspective, allowing you to appreciate the rich tapestry of human experiences. Compost Dump LONDON - MARCH 22: Sabrina Ibrahim works with her team in an attempt to break their teams previous Jenga record of 30 levels in 11 minutes and 55 seconds at The Walkways, Tower Bridge on March 22, 2005 in London. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Getty Images While globalization may have downsides, isolationism is not a solution for the United States or our climate change woes. It may not even be possible. I recently came across the global risk society theory. Imagine the world is like a giant Jenga game. Each block is a different country doing its own thing, building up technology and businesses to improve life. This is what we call modernization or globalization — when countries grow and connect more and more. But, like in Jenga, the higher you build, the riskier it gets. This is where the theory comes in. It says that as countries build and grow, especially with factories and development (the modernization part), they accidentally create problems that affect the whole world, not just one country. A big example is climate change, where the Earth gets warmer because of all the pollution we create. The tricky part is that these problems don’t care about borders; they’re like clouds drifting over all the countries. That’s why every person and every country around the world needs to work together to solve them. This theory points out that our old ways of doing things aren’t good enough to fix these new, big problems. We need to think differently, like focusing on caring for the environment and working together more as a global team. It’s like realizing in Jenga that you must be careful and think about every move so the whole tower doesn’t come crashing down. And as long as the U.S. keeps polluting the Earth, it doesn’t get to quit this game of Jenga. Hey, at least we’ll always have Paris (the agreement). *** Thanks for reading The Meltdown. Please sign up, share, and be super kind to everyone in 2024. Send tips to: charress@reckonmedia.com See you next week. Christopher Harress (Read my work here)

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4politics

What Does a Hard-Boiled Detective Do in Retirement?

The pair fall in love and marry, and when we meet Spade, he is a widower who has inherited Gabrielle’s beautiful house, swimming pool, vineyards and wealth. He is living quietly, still mourning Gabrielle (who we see in frequent flashbacks), speaking bad French and rather liked by the insular locals, until — naturally! — the past comes back to make trouble. “This genre has always been catnip for me,” said Frank, who also directed the show, in a recent joint interview with Fontana. But when he was approached about creating a show based on Spade, Frank said, he initially turned it down, because he had another Hammett project in mind. Then he had a thought: “What happens to these Bogart-esque guys when they get old?” He contacted Fontana, who suggested setting the series in the aftermath of the Algerian War, a conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front that ended in 1962 with Algeria, a French colony, winning independence. At that time, “there was tension and a dark cloud” over France, Frank said. “It raises the question: Who is French and who isn’t? And then we have Sam Spade wrestling with his identity, his old life, his new life.”

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0business

Single-family house sells in Bolton for $1.2 million

A 3,743-square-foot house built in 2005 has changed hands. The spacious property located at 40 Corn Road in Bolton was sold on Dec. 14, 2023. The $1,200,000 purchase price works out to $321 per square foot. The property features five bedrooms, five baths, an attached garage, and three parking spaces. It sits on a 4.8-acre lot. Additional houses have recently changed hands nearby:

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1crime

Couple from Mass. dead in Puerto Rico murder-suicide, authorities say

A man killed his partner, then himself, in Puerto Rico early Thursday, days before they were set to return to Massachusetts, in a shooting heard by the woman's daughter, according to authorities and the woman's family. Zuleyka Santiago Fuentes, 36, was shot by her partner, identified as 31-year-old Benny J. Nieves Cabrera, after an argument near a gas station near a resort in Dorado. Investigators said Santiago Fuentes and Nieves had traveled from Massachusetts to Puerto Rico to resolve a legal matter and were supposed to leave the island on Saturday. About 2:40 a.m. Thursday morning, the woman decided to pack up her luggage and leave the apartment where they were staying, according to authorities. Police said Nieves intercepted her in his car, got out of the vehicle and shot her, then shot himself. Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522. The shooting was heard by Santiago Fuentes' daughter, who lives in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood — she was on the phone with her mother after she left the apartment, according to Fuentes' mother, Maria Ortiz, who spoke to Telemundo Puerto Rico. Police have spoken to witnesses to the crime, according to Puerto Rican Police Lt. Coronel Roberto Rivera, auxiliary superintendent of Criminal Investigations. "What they see is the moment in which he approaches her, fires a shot and then walks towards the vehicle and then a shot is fired near the car from which he got out," Rivera said. Police said they were continuing to investigate the case. The couple had only been dating for three months, Ortiz said, but Santiago Fuentes said she was happy. They were in Puerto Rico for an appointment with plans to fly back to Boston Saturday, but when Nieves decided he didn't want to go back, Santiago Fuentes made the decision to leave immediately, according to Ortiz. "The last conversation was, 'I love you, I might talk to you tomorrow.' That was the last one. 'I love you,' 'I love you more,'" Ortiz said. Now, Ortiz says, she wishes she knew what had been going on before it was too late. "It's horrible, horrible. I'm going to live with this all my life," she said.

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7weather

Temp Trend Up Storm Ahead - Boston News, Weather, Sports

In court filings, lawyers for the plaintiffs detail how in 2013, Grants Pass “began aggressively enforcing a set of ordinances that make it unlawful to sleep anywhere on public property with so much as a blanket to survive cold nights.” They described it as a bid to nudge homeless residents into neighboring areas. Because there are no homeless shelters in Grants Pass, the lawyers argue, and the few housing programs served only a slice of the city’s homeless population, homeless residents were left with “nowhere to sleep but outside.” The plaintiffs, Gloria Johnson and John Logan, both homeless residents in Grants Pass, say that the rules amounted to “punishing the city’s involuntarily homeless residents for their existence.” A federal trial judge sided with the plaintiffs, blocking the city from enforcing its public camping laws during the day without a 24-hour notice and stopping it from enforcing the rules at night. A divided panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed that the ordinances violated the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, if the local population of unhoused people was larger than the capacity of homeless shelters.

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4politics

The Climate Summit Scene: 70,000 People and a Nightly Light Show

There are two climate summits taking place in Dubai. One is the gathering of bleary-eyed, sharp-tongued diplomats parsing over every word and comma in the international declaration that is expected in the coming days. The bigger event is happening outside the negotiating rooms. It’s part trade fair, part protest stage, part debate forum. It’s where people come from all over the world, from all kinds of sectors to show off their gadgets, make deals, spar over big ideas and of course, lobby the diplomats. This year, this big event is expected to be nearly twice as big as the last one, which itself set a record. According to the United Nations, which is overseeing the summit, known as COP28, a record 100,000 people registered; nearly 70,000 have shown up. Roaming through the venue are doctors and pesticide makers, venture capitalists and battery entrepreneurs, mining executives, real estate developers, permafrost scientists, policy wonks dreaming up new sources of climate finance, and at least 1,200 lobbyists for the oil and gas industry. “The global economy is here, in a kind of microcosm,” said Rachel Kyte, a veteran climate diplomat and chairwoman of a group trying to make carbon markets more transparent.

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2culture

Woburn mans ashes will fly into space with those of Gene Roddenberry

A Woburn, Massachusetts, native will soon share a spacecraft with several actors from the original “Star Trek” series, heading out into deep space on a flight referred to as the Enterprise flight. However, it’s not for a new movie or TV series. Some of the ashes of Francis “Fran” Gillis, along with the DNA and ashes of 264 individuals, will be aboard a spacecraft heading for deep space launched from Cape Canaveral on Jan. 8. Gillis, 67, died on July 20, 2018, according to his obituary shared by Celestis, a company that conducts memorial spaceflights that orbit remains, DNA or digital make-ups and genetic codes on MindFiles around Earth, the moon and, beginning on Jan. 8, into deep space. “He would talk about ‘adventure,’” his sister Jacqueline Gillis, of Hudson, said to MassLive. “He was an avid reader of science fiction, an adventurer; he loved the outdoors and had an interest in science and was a ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Star Wars’ fan. He knew after he died, he wanted to go into deep space.” Gillis went to Woburn High School and was active in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, eventually receiving an Army scholarship to Northeastern University and serving 22 years in the U.S. Army, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. All throughout his life, he was active in the Boy Scouts of America, now known as BSA Scouts, and had an appreciation of the outdoors. He served as scoutmaster of Troop 629 in Johns Creek, Ga., until his death. Gillis died suddenly while making a drive up to the Continental Divide in Canada after meeting with a nephew in Idaho — “He loved to drive,” Jacqueline said. He was a bachelor and a loyal brother to five siblings, uncle to eight nieces and nephews and great-uncle to eight grandnieces and grandnephews, as well as a devoted scout leader. With Gillis’ journey into the final frontier, Jacqueline said the family was curious about watching a part of their loved one be sent into space, someone who she always saw “with a science fiction novel in his hands.” In discussing his will, an accountant expressed uncertainty over spending Gillis’ money to send some of his ashes into space. It was at that moment, according to Jacqueline, that a light overhead in Gillis’ house flickered. The moment assured her that her brother’s final wish to go into deep space “was meant to be,” she said. The inaugural flight, called the Enterprise Flight, but properly known as the Deep Space Voyager Mission, will house on the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket the partial remains and DNA of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, his wife and “Star Trek” actress Majel Barrett Roddenberry, along with actors Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan and DeForest Kelley — who played Lt. Uhura, engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott and Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, respectively — among others from the show. Capsule containing the remains of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, along with several actors from the original series, will be launched into deep space from Cape Canaveral on Jan. 8. Courtesy of Celestis Memorial Spaceflight.Celestis Part of Gillis’ ashes interred at Arlington National Cemetery were removed and sent to Celestis, Jacqueline said. The request made of her was to send two grams of ashes, one to go onboard the Enterprise flight and another as a backup in case there is a problem with the launch. Majel Barrett watched Celestis’ first commercial spaceflight in 1997, Celestis president Colby Youngblood told MassLive on Friday. When she spoke with CEO Charles Chafer, he promised her that he would send her and her late husband’s ashes into space one day. Over time, the company became close with actors from the original series, Youngblood said, and they made it their wish to have part of their remains sent into deep space one day. Even Roddenberry and Barrett’s son, Rod — “very much alive,” Youngblood noted — has a DNA swab from his cheek inside a capsule that will also take part in the Enterprise flight. The craft will even have hair samples belonging to former presidents George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. The company was gifted a collection of hair samples of historical figures and celebrities with the idea they could one day be launched into deep space, Youngblood said. “We chose three presidents who we felt would be honored by this first voyage into deep space,” he said, adding that approval was made with the estates and foundations of the three American presidents. Capsules containing remains of over 200 individuals, including "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and "Star Trek" actors Majel Barrett, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols and James Doohan, will launch into deep space on Celestis Memorial Spaceflight's Enterprise Flight on Jan. 8, 2024. Courtesy of Celestis Memorial Spaceflight.Celestis The rocket will launch a Peregrine Lunar Lander on the Moon carrying 70 capsules, while the Enterprise flight will continue into an orbit around the sun, Youngblood said. Once orbit is achieved, the Enterprise flight — by then referred to as the Enterprise Station by Celestis — will become the human race’s “furthest outpost — where it will journey endlessly, perhaps awaiting discovery by a distant-in-time civilization.” Celestis was founded in 1994 by a team of entrepreneurs, retired astronauts and pioneers of the commercial space age. Since 1997, it has launched 17 missions into space and as a company “engages licensed funeral directors, maintains a trust fund licensed and audited by the Texas Department of Banking, and is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau,” its website said. Memorial spaceflight experiences through Celestis range in price. The starting price to be launched into space and then brought back to Earth is $2,995, while being launched into Earth’s orbit hikes up to $4,995, according to Celestis’ website. Being launched to the moon to go either into its orbit or land on its surface starts at $12,995, and being part of the Deep Space Voyager missions shares the same starting price. “We have to price them so that every person can partake in (a space flight),” Youngblood said. “How do we do that? We take our largest missions, like the Voyager Mission, or the lunar service, and we price those competitively with the average U.S. funeral, which is $15,000.” While each of these options creates what the website describes as “permanent memorials,” the Earth orbit service ends in the spacecraft re-entering the atmosphere and “harmlessly vaporizing like a shooting star in a final tribute.” The launch is expected to be at 2:18 a.m. on Monday, Jacqueline said. In case of any delays, she said it could be pushed to Jan. 9, Jan. 10 or Jan. 11 at around the same time. One of Gillis’ nephews will go to Florida to watch the launch, while Jacqueline and the family hope to be awake to say one more farewell. “I’m thrilled for him,” she said. “What fun! What a bang for his buck.”

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4politics

Bright billboard in Bostons South End prompts frustration - Boston News, Weather, Sports

BOSTON (WHDH) - There is growing frustration in Boston’s South End over a bright billboard in the area. The billboard overlooks the Expressway and has recently been the subject of complaints from area residents. Speaking with 7NEWS, some residents shared their thoughts. “We constantly see it and we’re like ‘Is that the sun? What is going on?” said resident Ryan Zoldowski. “We’ve noticed that it’s really, really bright, at times,” Zoldowski continued. Zoldowski said he needed to get blackout curtains in order to sleep at night. Fellow area resident Stephanie Rivera said she has also been disrupted by the light. “It literally goes into my bedroom…” Rivera said. “So, it’s a little bit disturbing trying to sleep.” Zoldowski said billboards have been in place in the past. This one, though, is very different. “It’s not something you want while living in the city of Boston, paying Boston city rent,” Rivera said. As she and others file complaints, Rivera said she is hoping the billboard can be taken down “as soon as possible.” If that is not possible, Zoldowski asked for the next best thing, asking for the brightness to be turned down. “It is very fluorescent and super bright,” he said. “Obviously they’ve spent a lot of money putting it up, so I don’t know how quickly they can take it down or change it,”’ he continued. “But at least turning the brightness down would be something.” 7NEWS reached out to the city of Boston and the company behind the billboard but did not hear back Wednesday night. (Copyright (c) 2023 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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4politics

Claudine Gay resignation provokes strong reactions from critics and supporters

Lawrence Bacow, who served as president of Harvard from 2018 until Gay succeeded him in July, described her as “a person of great intellect, integrity, vision and strength. She had much to contribute not just to Harvard, but to all of higher education. I regret that she will not have that opportunity.” Critics cheered Claudine Gay’s resignation as Harvard University’s president Tuesday amid allegations of plagiarism and her equivocal answers to a congressional committee on campus antisemitism, while supporters of the Ivy League school’s first Black leader said they were saddened to see her step down. Advertisement By contrast, Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, appeared to see Gay’s resignation as a personal victory. “I will always deliver results,” tweeted Stefanik, a Harvard graduate whose questioning last month of Gay and the leaders of the University of Pennsylvania and MIT produced awkward exchanges, with the campus leaders offering legalistic responses about whether calls for the genocide of Jews violated their schools’ codes of conduct. “The resignation of Harvard’s antisemitic plagiarist president is long overdue,” Stefanik wrote. “Claudine Gay’s morally bankrupt answers to my questions made history as the most viewed Congressional testimony in the history of the U.S. Congress.” Stefanik’s words were echoed by fellow Harvard graduate Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for this year’s Republican presidential nomination. He wrote on X that Gay’s resignation was “better late than never” and claimed that her selection as president in December 2022 was a “thinly veiled exercise in race & gender.” But Gay’s supporters, including Joseph Rezek, an English professor at Boston University, were vocal in their disappointment over her resignation. “Terrifying and horrible what the right-wing mob did to Claudine Gay,” Rezek wrote on X in a post that was later deleted. “These words in her resignation letter are chosen carefully, she faced ‘personal attacks and threats’ — she doesn’t deserve any of this. It’s a dark day that will reverberate in our profession.” Advertisement Harvard Law School graduate Keith Boykin, an author and former aide in the Clinton White House who co-founded the National Black Justice Coalition, wrote on X that he felt Gay was being treated unjustly. “Conservatives will use Claudine Gay’s resignation at Harvard to launch new racist attacks on affirmative action and DEI,” Boykin wrote, using the acronym for “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” “But when white men face controversy, the same conservatives don’t attribute failure to the person’s race or gender.” He said scrutiny of academics’ past scholarly work shouldn’t be limited to Gay. “If we’re going to start scrutinizing every detail of college presidents’ past writings for technical attribution issues, then let’s do it,” Boykin wrote. “Let’s go look at everyone’s past writings, not just Claudine Gay at Harvard. Let’s put them all under a microscope and see how they hold up.” The allegations of plagiarism spanned Gay’s doctoral dissertation and later academic papers, with reports from the conservative Washington Free Beacon flagging dozens of instances in which she appeared to closely copy passages from other scholars without proper attribution. Harvard officials have said they became aware in late October of “allegations regarding three articles” by Gay. An independent review found “no violation of Harvard’s standards for research misconduct,” but revealed “a few instances of inadequate citation,” officials have said. Gay was requesting four corrections to two of her academic articles “to insert citations and quotation marks that were omitted from the original publications,” officials said last month. Advertisement On Dec. 19, the Free Beacon reported that a 37-page anonymous complaint had been submitted to a Harvard research integrity officer. Harvard acknowledged receipt of the complaint, which described dozens of instances of alleged plagiarism in Gay’s academic publications, including peer-reviewed articles and her dissertation. In a three-page summary released to the Globe on Dec. 20, Harvard said a recent review had discovered additional “examples of duplicative language without appropriate attribution” in Gay’s dissertation, “Taking Charge: Black Electoral Success and the Redefinition of American Politics,” which she completed in Harvard’s government department. “President Gay will update her dissertation correcting these instances of inadequate citation,” the summary said. Harvard said the anonymous complaint included “allegations of plagiarism by Gay that were previously reviewed by the subcommittee of the [Harvard] Corporation” and an independent panel, as well as four new allegations the subcommittee had found to be without merit. “The Corporation concluded that Gay’s inadequate citations” in her dissertation and published works “did not constitute research misconduct,” the summary said. Rabbi Shmuel Reichman, a Harvard graduate and author, said Gay’s resignation was welcome news to him and all “of my Jewish colleagues who have attended Harvard as well.” Whether “it was the blatant antisemitism, the endless plagiarism, or any of the other countless issues involved, one thing is clear: Moral clarity for the win!” he wrote on social media. Advertisement But where Reichman saw moral clarity, some of Gay’s supporters, including Janai Nelson, president and director counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, saw moral posturing designed to “foment” hatred. “Attacks against Claudine Gay have been unrelenting & the biases unmasked,” Nelson said. “Her resignation on the heels of Liz Magill’s [at UPenn] set dangerous precedent in the academy for political witch hunts. The project isn’t to thwart hate but to foment it thru vicious takedowns. This protects no one.” Don Moynihan, a policy professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, wrote that attacks against Gay were fueled by opposition to efforts to diversify academia. “The campaign to remove Gay was about opposition to DEI, not academic misconduct, and depended upon the participation of media like the NY Times to keep treating it as a national story until her position was no longer tenable,” Moynihan wrote on X. Not so, according to Representative John James, a Michigan Republican who also questioned Gay and the other university presidents on Dec. 5. “The news of Claudine Gay’s resignation as Harvard’s President comes after I questioned her just last month about what actions she’d take to combat anti-semitism,” James wrote on X. “Her failure to address this matter is the reason I welcome the news that she has resigned.” Author and scholar Ibram X. Kendi, the director of Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research, wrote on X that Gay’s resignation was prompted by the work of “racist mobs.” Advertisement “Racist mobs won’t stop until they topple all Black people from positions of power and influence who are not reinforcing the structure of racism,” said Kendi, who has faced scrutiny for the financial management of his center after laying off more than half the staff in the fall; an internal audit found no evidence of financial mismanagement. “What these racist mobs are doing should be obvious to any reporter who cares about truth or justice as opposed to conflicts and clicks,” Kendi wrote. Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report, and Hilary Burns, Shannon Larson, and Jenna Reyes of the Globe Staff contributed. This breaking news story will be updated. Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.

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1crime

Boston mom says 9-year-old daughter sexually assaulted on bus, suing school

A Boston woman has filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court against the Boston Public Schools, a private bus company and a local charter school claiming her 9-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted several times. The suit, which was filed Friday by attorneys from Morgan and Morgan, a personal injury law firm, claims the 9-year-old was sexually assaulted by an 11-year-old numerous times during a seven-month period in the 2022-2023 school year. The lawsuit names the city of Boston, the Match Foundation, Inc. and Transdev Services Inc., a transportation company, as the defendants, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained and reported by the Boston Globe. “The sexual assaults took place just a few feet from the bus monitor and the bus driver on the ride home after school from the Match Charter Public School,” the lawsuit said. Read More: Suspect arrested after 2 Boston University students sexually assaulted The girl, who was named Child Doe in the suit, attended Hyde Park school and took a bus from the Boston Public Schools owned by Transdev, Inc., according to the lawsuit. The girl was unable to finish the fourth grade because she was scared she’d be sexually assaulted again, according to the Boston Globe. The 11-year-old boy had threatened the girl with physical violence if she ever reported her abuse. In May, the girl’s family alerted the school about their child’s sexual assault, the lawsuit said. Although Transdev required the bus to be equipped with video cameras, no footage could be found from October 2022 to May 2023. “Our lawsuit alleges that it was the failure of Boston Public Schools and Transdev to follow their own policies that directly led to this young child’s assault,’’ attorneys from Morgan and Morgan said in a statement to the Globe. “Our client will experience a childhood haunted by trauma and flashbacks, and we will do everything in our power to hold the defendants accountable and prevent anything like this from happening to another child in our city.”

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4politics

Mass. temporary shelters meet overflow requirement, Healey admin. says

Less than a week after the state abruptly opened a new temporary shelter for migrant and homeless families in Cambridge, the Healey administration said it has met the Legislature’s new requirement to open an overflow site by the end of the year. But the state House’s top Democrat, who pressed for the overflow site directive, didn’t explicitly agree with that assessment Friday morning. A spokesperson for Gov. Maura Healey told State House News Service that the administration feels that it’s fulfilled the condition she agreed to in a supplemental budget to operationalize by Dec. 31 a “state funded overflow emergency shelter site or sites for eligible families who have been waitlisted for placement at an emergency shelter” due to the system reaching capacity. The new law doesn’t explicitly define the parameters of an overflow site, such as how many families must be accommodated or how long they may remain at temporary sites. Asked if he agreed that the overflow site requirement had been met, House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-3rd Norfolk, responded with a statement to State House News Service. “We are hopeful that families on the waitlist are being provided with a safe place to sleep as required by our legislation,” Mariano said. “We will continue to monitor the steps taken to address the shelter crisis, including the required reports, to help ensure that there are operational overflow sites through the end of the fiscal year.” Some 391 families are on the waitlist, Healey spokesperson Karissa Hand said. Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice pegged the figure at more than 400 families during a virtual Cambridge community meeting Thursday evening. The waitlist was at 242 families on Dec. 13. Rice said the average family size is three people. Throughout the 90-minute virtual forum, Cambridge city and state leaders explained how they selected the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds building and began welcoming families last Friday with little public notice or engagement. About three-quarters of families stuck on the waitlist have been directed to temporary shelter and overnight arrangements, Rice said. Officials have been scrambling to open temporary overflow sites since the shelter system hit Healey’s 7,500-family capacity limit in November amid a surge of new arrivals, and each day brings about 10 additional families to Massachusetts, Rice said. About five to 10 families are also leaving the shelter system daily, he said. When Secretary of State William Galvin offered up the east Cambridge property, Rice said his team decided in less than a day to start fixing up the former courthouse. “We’ve been very fortunate this week -- it hasn’t been below freezing very much, but that is a crisis that I’m worried about,” Rice said. “But when I find, and we find as a group and incident command, a location that is worthy of taking a look, we move very rapidly, as rapidly as we can. Do we do it perfectly? Do we have the most perfect community engagement plan? No, we don’t.” Rice thanked city leaders, including Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Yi-An Huang, for their support and “friendly attitude” in navigating the unpredictable demands of the migrant crisis. Cambridge has been willing to help and “gone above and beyond on trying to solve problems,” Rice said. “It was not entirely clear that everything was going to be completed in time, even a week before, so a lot of the exploration of the site to make sure that everything was going to be prepared and that it would actually work did happen incredibly fast,” Huang said. “The goal of the administration would be that there is a longer period where this can be noticed to the community and there can be more of a conversation. But then the reality of the emergency and the crisis and finding a place for families, especially with the winter, sometimes it’s not happening as much as we would like.” The meeting came months after lawmakers criticized the Healey administration’s lack of communication, including with municipalities, as more hotels in their communities began serving as emergency shelters and more migrant children began attending local schools. In response to Healey’s shelter cap, lawmakers wrote the new law with the overflow requirement in order for the administration to unlock $250 million in additional funding for the emergency shelter system. Healey agreed to the requirement when she signed the supplemental budget that included it on Dec. 4. The administration must also submit biweekly shelter updates to the House and Senate Ways and Means committees. The first submitted report was dated Dec. 18, and Hand said the administration will submit another report next week. Rice said the Cambridge Registry of Deeds building is one of five overflow sites, which officials have also referred to as safety-net shelters. The other state-funded overflow shelters are at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy and a clinical risk assessment site in Revere, alongside other sites funded through a grant partnership the administration launched with United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Hand said. “We know that is going to continue being a growing problem before it’s not, and some really hard conversations are going to have to happen,” Rep. Marjorie Decker, a Cambridge Democrat, said of the massive shelter demand. “But I think this kind of collaboration with municipalities across the state, as well as legislators and our state partners is really important.” The flood of new arrivals is affecting major cities across the country, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams this week pointed the finger at Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for transporting migrants by bus and planes without warning. Adams on Wednesday issued an executive order stipulating that chartered buses bringing migrants into the city will be required “to provide 32 hours’ notice before arriving in New York City and information on the population they are transporting, as well as be required to drop passengers off at a designated location in Manhattan only during specified hours.” The mayor’s office said Abbott was using asylum seekers as “political pawns” and noted a surge of 14,700 new arrivals in the last month, including 14 “rogue buses” with migrants that arrived from Texas in a single night. Violations could result in fines and charter buses being impounded, and Adams signaled city officials may also file lawsuits. In Cambridge, Rep. Mike Connolly said he’s visited the shelter several times. The initial families assigned to the shelter seemed “quite tired” and “exhausted,” the Cambridge Democrat told the News Service earlier this week. The space can accommodate up to 200 people, or roughly 60 to 80 families, Rice said. “These families are mostly migrants, and they’re coming here for the opportunity to pursue the American dream as part of our society,” Rice said. “They want to get out of this system, they want to work. We want to help them get a work authorization as quickly as possible. They’re all here legally, in accordance with the federal government rules and regulations.” Eligible families on the waitlist are brought to the shelter at 6 p.m. and depart at 7 a.m., said Blair Brown, an assistant education secretary who’s now working on the overflow shelter team. She described the Cambridge site as a “very temporary overnight shelter,” where families are sleeping on cots in two congregate rooms. Families are provided dinner and breakfast, and MIT has offered shower facilities, Brown said. During the day, she said, the families spend time at the state welcome centers, located in Quincy and Allston, where they can connect with more state resources and determine their next steps. Maura Pensak, Cambridge’s housing liaison, said it’s better for families to stay in more traditional shelters, where they would have their own space and not need to leave every day. “This setting is hopefully just a real quick turnaround while they’re waiting,” she said. “Think of it as a waiting room.”

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4politics

Ramaswamy Repeats Call for Ballots to Be English Only

Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican tech entrepreneur running a long-shot campaign for president, doubled down Friday on his pledge to tighten voting laws if he is elected. In his remarks in Ames, Iowa, he reiterated his promise to make English the only language on ballots. The language minority provisions of the Voting Rights Act prohibit such English-only ballots in many cases. His promise, which he has highlighted frequently in recent months, is one of many voting reforms that have become popular among Republican voters that he has seized on. “One thing I will work with Congress to deliver is a minimal federal standard for our federal elections,” he told voters at the Friday event. That standard would include “single-day voting on Election Day, as a national holiday with paper ballots, government-issued voter ID to match the voter file, and yes, English as the sole language that appears on a ballot.” Mr. Ramaswamy, who is polling far behind his Republican rivals in Iowa at fourth place, has long called for extraordinary rollbacks to voting rights in other ways as well. Early on in his campaign, he generated attention by calling for Americans under 25 to be barred from voting, unless they pass the civics test required of immigrants seeking citizenship or unless they serve in the U.S. military or as a first responder.

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0business

Lottery's $177,752 chief marketing officer placed on paid leave

The Chief Marketing Officer at the Massachusetts State Lottery has been suspended with pay and without a cause offered. Lottery CMO Edward Farley has been out of the office since early November, according to an agency spokesperson. No reason was given for Farley’s temporary ouster from his $177,752 per year position, nor was an end date for his leave provided. “He is currently on paid administrative leave, effective November 8,” a lottery spokesman told the Herald when asked to respond to rumors of Farley’s removal. “As a matter of policy, the Lottery does not discuss personnel matters.” A spokesperson for State Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who oversees the state lottery, referred questions on the matter to lottery staff. Farley has been with the lottery since at least 2015, serving as both assistant executive director and chief administrative officer before taking the role as the head of the agency’s marketing efforts in the summer of 2022. At the end of October, the lottery’s marketing department was recognized for its efforts by the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries as an award finalist at their annual conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Massachusetts State Lottery won a Boston New England Regional Emmy Award in 2022 for a composite of marketing videos made by Keith Macri and Geoff Filleti under Farley’s leadership. Farley could not be reached for comment.

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6sports

Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones a nominee for prestigious NFL award

FOXBOROUGH - In January, Jonathan Jones was honored with the Ron Burton Community Service Award. Now the Patriots cornerback has a chance at earning one of the NFL’s most prestigious honors. Jones is this year’s Patriots nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The award acknowledges NFL players who excel on the field and demonstrate a passion for creating a lasting positive impact beyond the game in their communities. While Jones said Tuesday he was too young to remember Payton as a player, he is well aware of Payton’s legacy and impact beyond the gridiron. “(The award) wasn’t on my radar, but it’s something you aways hear about and you see,” said Jones, who is preparing for Thursday night’s game with the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Just being a fan of the game, a fan of football, just seeing guys year after get nominated. I just continue to do work, and show up. Not just here in Boston, but in Auburn, and my hometown (Long Beach, California), and all the places that mean a lot to me.” $200 INSTANT BONUS DRAFTKINGS MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BET FANDUEL MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $50, GET $250 BONUS CAESARS MASS CLAIM OFFER $1,000 FIRST-BET BONUS BETMGM MASS CLAIM OFFER MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. Jones started the Jonathan Jones Next Step Foundation to positively impact the lives of youth in his New England and Georgia communities through education and mentorship. A champion of woman’s causes, Jones also made history as the first male ambassador for iPlay Like a Girl, an organization supporting women and girls in STEM and sports. In February, he revisited the Auburn Sustenance Project, hosting a community fundraiser and packing means for those in need. Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced Jones’ nomination to the team. The veteran cornerback, who has been a stalwart of the Patriots defense in a disappointing season, said he was surprised by the news. “There’s so many guys in this locker room that do so many good things,” he said. “There’s other guys who are deserving as well . . . it’s something you don’t take lightly. There’s so many men before me, not only in this organization, but in the National Football League, that do a lot in their communities, and to be tied to a name like Walter Payton, that’s something (that’s special).” 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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2culture

The Inscrutable Glamour of Melania Trumps Mother

Throughout the Trump presidency, Amalija Knavs — mother to first lady Melania Trump — was something of a mysterious figure. Mrs. Knavs, who died earlier this week, rarely made public comments or gave interviews. Striking and perfectly coifed, Mrs. Knavs was a recurring but almost entirely silent presence during the Trump presidency, much like her daughter. Mrs. Knavs and her husband Victor appeared often in the background of photos of the first family, accompanying them on trips to places like Camp David or Mar-a-Lago, and attending special events. And there’s something startling, even uncanny about photos containing both the Trumps and the Knavses: The two couples look like mirror images of each other. Mr. Trump and Mr. Knavs, just two years apart in age, have similar physiques and stature — even hair styles.

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6sports

Patriots vs. Giants picks against the spread (Matt vs. Jim)

MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour and sports director Jim Pignatiello have been friends for decades. This year, they are picking NFL games against each other with nothing but bragging rights on the line. Beware, they both aren’t very good at this. Is this the saddest Boston-New York matchup ever? There’s no playoff implications. No real bragging rights. Should either team even want to win? This game only matters for draft order and of course gambling. New England Patriots at New York Giants When/Where: Sunday, 1 p.m. EST MetLife Stadium Watch/ Stream: FOX fuboTV (free trial and NFL RedZone); Sling; DirecTV Stream; NFL+ The Line: Patriots -3.5 (from Sports Betting Dime). Wager: 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. Wear: Shop for jerseys, shirts, hats, hoodies and more at Fanatics.com 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.* Jim Pignatiello Record after Week 11: 17-10 — I have a rule. Any time I’m picking a game where one of the QBs shares a name with a character from my favorite movie, I have to pick that team to win. Now I just have to hope someone tells Tommy to go home and get his shinebox. Pick: Giants Matt Vautour Record after Week 11: 16-11 — I remain flabbergasted that there isn’t more conversation about the fact that Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito has same name as Joe Pesci’s unforgettable character in “Goodfellas.” After playing like a funny guy early, he looked good last week. Unlike his movie namesake (spoiler alert), I don’t think he’ll get whacked on Sunday. Pick: Giants More From the Associated Press: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-8) AT N.Y. GIANTS (3-8) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox AGAINST THE SPREAD: Patriots 2-8; Giants 3-7-1. SERIES RECORD: Patriots lead 7-6. LAST MEETING: Patriots beat the Giants 35-14 on Oct. 10, 2019, at Foxborough, Massachusetts. LAST WEEK: Patriots had a bye; Giants beat the Commanders 31-19. PATRIOTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (27), PASS (22), SCORING (31) PATRIOTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (16), RUSH (9), PASS (T18), SCORING (T23) GIANTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (13), PASS (32), SCORING (32) GIANTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (28), RUSH (29), PASS (22), SCORING (28) TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Patriots minus-6; Giants plus-3. PATRIOTS PLAYER TO WATCH: Whoever starts at quarterback. Mac Jones has started every game this season, but Bailey Zappe has relieved him three times — in two blowouts and again at the end of a 10-6 loss to the Colts on Nov. 12. Zappe was 3 of 7 for 25 yards and finished by throwing an interception on a fake-spike play to seal the game. Will Grier also is on the roster, and Malik Cunningham is on the practice squad. GIANTS PLAYER TO WATCH: Micah McFadden. With leading tackle and fellow inside linebacker Bobby Okereke dealing with hip and rib injuries, McFadden may have to do more. The second-year player has taken a major jump this season. His three fumbles recoveries are tied for the league lead. He had eight tackles, a tackle for a loss and a pass defensed to go along with a recovery last week. He has career highs with 65 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. KEY MATCHUP: What can Patriots coach Bill Belichick do to get Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito off his game? Belichick remains one of the NFL’s top defensive minds and he will come up with something. The Washington Commanders used every gimmick defense last week in sacking DeVito nine times and getting 11 quarterback hits. Despite it all, DeVito completed 7 of 8 passes for 113 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions on third down for a perfect rating of 158.3. DeVito completed 18 of 26 passes for 246 yards and did not throw an interception against Washington. KEY INJURIES: The Patriots are relatively healthy coming off their bye week. OL Trent Brown has ankle and knee injuries; he didn’t travel to Germany for the Indianapolis game because of a death in the family, but said he wouldn’t have played anyway. ... WR DeVante Parker missed the past two games with a concussion. Giants OT Evan Neal (ankle) will miss his third straight game. ... DT Dexter Lawrence (hamstring) did not practice all week and is doubtful along with WR Darius Slayton (neck) . .... CB Adoree Jackson (concussion) is back at practice after missing two games. SERIES NOTES: New England has won the past two games in the series and holds a 7-4 edge in regular-season games. The Giants and Eli Manning won the only two playoff games, denying Belichick and Tom Brady Super Bowl titles on Feb. 3, 2008, in Glendale, Arizona, and Feb. 5, 2012, in Indianapolis. STATS AND STUFF: It will be Bill Belichick’s 423rd game with the Patriots, the same as Don Shula with Miami. Only George Halas (506 with the Bears) and Tom Landry (454, Dallas) lasted longer in one place. ... TE Pharaoh Brown is averaging 24.3 yards per reception. ... DL Davon Godchaux has eight total tackles in each of his past two games. ... RB Rhamondre Stevenson needs one more rushing touchdown to move into the top 20 in franchise history. He has 13. With 43 rushing yards, he would pass Steve Grogan (2,176) for 19th on the team’s career list. ... The Patriots had a season-high 167 rushing yards against the Colts. ... New York’s offense scored its first, first-quarter touchdown last week. ... Saquon Barkley has rushed for at least 50 yards in 11 consecutive games, the longest active streak in NFL. ... He caught two TDs against the Commanders. He needs 118 yards from scrimmage to reach 7,000. ... Okereke had a season-high 14 tackles Sunday and has 105 for the season. .... OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux had two sacks and has 10 1/2 for the season. ... S Xavier McKinney has at least 10 tackles in three straight games. ... CB Darnay Holmes has interceptions in the past two games. ... CB Nick McCloud got his first career interception last week. ... OLB Isaiah Simmons had a 54-yard pick-6 to ice the win over Washington. FANTASY TIP: DeVito threw three touchdown passes and did not have a turnover last week despite all the pressure. He has five touchdowns and one interception overall in his two starts. He can become first undrafted rookie and third undrafted player since 1967 to have two or more TD passes in each of his first three starts.

16949dd8224265f96f43bfbb522324e7

2culture

Your favorite classic Christmas music might have New England ties

There's nothing like a classic Christmas song to get you in the holiday spirit. You probably know many of the time-worn melodies and cheery lyrics by heart, even if you didn't mean to memorize them. But, did you know that some of the most well-known tunes have New England ties? Radio Boston revisits its 2021 conversation with Joe Bennett, a professor and musicologist at Berklee School of Music, about some local Christmas classics that we've come to love over the years.

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4politics

Finance Committee wont recommend $1M public safety plan to Holyoke City Council

HOLYOKE — With questions still looming around the sustainability of the $1 million public safety initiative called Ezekiel’s Plan, the Holyoke Finance Committee voted unanimously to refer the plan to the City Council without a full recommendation on Monday. The Holyoke City Council is set to vote on the safety plan at its meeting tonight. If passed, Ezekiel’s Plan, also known as Operation Safe Streets, would include several city departments, local, state and federal agencies, working together to reduce violent crime and improve quality of life in Holyoke. While there are still more conversations to be had, Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia reminded the Finance Committee that the plan was created to mitigate and prevent tragedies, like the one stemming from a shooting on Oct. 4 that claimed the life of a newborn baby boy named Ezekiel. “Vote or don’t,” Garcia said. “The community wants to get started and (is) tired of waiting around for local government, who they feel like doesn’t care about them.” The plan includes funding for increased property inspections, creating the homeless liaison position, tenant and neighborhood protections, and a new community response division to be appointed by Garcia, if passed. According to Garcia, the community response division will aid residents with housing and neighborhood issues that often lead to or attract illegal activity, violence and homelessness. When announcing Ezekiel’s plan on Oct. 30, Garcia said it would be paid for with several sources, which included the federal American Rescue Plan Act, the city’s capital stabilization fund, opioid settlement money and other local appropriations. On Monday, Finance Committee Vice Chair and City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain teased out several positions and expenditures in the plan he was opposed to, including $50,000 to support a health inspector position. “The question is, what’s the long-term sustainability we are committing to? Do we have an extra $50,000 every year to fund that position? It says here they’re going to do housing-, trash- and permit-related inspections. Is that position going to bring in revenue of $50,000 or more?” Jourdain asked. While funding projections have not been outlined, fees, inspections, permitting and enforcement are typically revenue sources an inspector would bring in, said Sean Gonsalves, the director of the Holyoke Board of Health. Jourdain also said he doesn’t agree with spending $90,000 for housing and legal counsel for tenants. “Our job is to check apartments. Make sure that people live in safe and sanitary housing conditions. That’s always been a responsibility of a municipality, but buying lawyers for people to get in fights with their landlord is not the duty of city government,” Jourdain said. Israel Rivera, city councilor and chair of the Public Safety Committee, also questioned portions of the safety initiative that included legal counsel for tenants, the sustainability of five police officers and overtime, why a task force would be created to travel outside of Holyoke, and what a homeless liaison’s role and responsibilities would look like. The city's Finance Committee won’t recommend public safety plan to Holyoke City Council. Pictured here is Mayor Joshua Garcia, speaking after a deadly Oct. 4 shooting in Holyoke. (Don Treeger / The Republican, File) Garcia said funding amounts for each line item are not set in stone, and the safety plan is packaged together for flexibility. “It is more like these are the things that we are looking to do, and here’s what we’re looking at for costs. The $1 million is a flat line item,” Garcia said. For example, Garcia said, during his presentation at a public safety meeting on Nov. 29, youth programs are yet to be identified. “It’ll be a process of soliciting proposals from organizations,” Garcia said. Garcia proposed the $1 million comprehensive public safety initiative as a part of a supplemental budget, but then on Nov. 21, Holyoke City Council passed the supplemental budget without funding the public safety plan. During a Nov. 29 City Council meeting, Garcia said he pulled back on the public safety plan to further explore and explain funding sources with the Finance Committee. One of the main reasons Ezekiel’s Plan was pushed back to the Finance Committee was because of concerns about adding the additional police officers, and how to pay their salaries after the one-time ARPA funding is used up, Joseph M. McGiverin, the chair of the Finance Committee, said during the November meeting. The original public safety plan was to include hiring 13 additional foot and bike patrol police officers; that has now been dropped to five and will be sustained through attrition funding when other officers retire within the next few years. Funding for the plan originally included the installation of a citywide surveillance camera system, but that has been funded by the city’s supplemental budget. It also included a crime analyst position, which might be brought back to the City Council for a future vote.

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3entertainment

Hakim, Meet Hakeem: How a Young City Farmer Got to Know a Congressman

Growing up, Hakim Jeffrey did not think much about politics. But people would often point out that his name sounded very similar to the name of his representative in Congress, a rising star in the House and fellow Brooklyn native. “All of them would just tell me, ‘You should meet this man some day,’” Mr. Jeffrey said. He brushed it off. Mr. Jeffrey, who lived in the Bay View Houses, a public housing development in Canarsie, thought of himself then as “just a regular 16-year-old boy from the projects.” Then, at 18, he started working on a new farm at the development, one of several the New York City Housing Authority had helped build to provide healthy food for residents. He loved it. Before, he had been an introvert who skipped school to play video games. On the farm, he would give important people tours, showing how he grew chard, kale, tomatoes, squash, basil and other produce.

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1crime

Police charge Quincy man with lighting a raccoon on fire, report says

A Quincy man was arrested after police say he tried to light a raccoon on fire, according to a report. Police arrived at the backyard of a home on Royal Street in Quincy on Dec. 30, according to NBC Boston. Police told the outlet that, upon arrival, they saw two people arguing and a raccoon in a cage that appeared to have burn injuries. Police got video of a 63-year-old Quincy man making a fire in a tin can, then placing the cage with the raccoon inside on top of the burning trash can, according to NBC Boston. The man was charged with animal cruelty and was arraigned on Tuesday, while the raccoon was taken to an animal hospital, where it survived, but the severity of the injuries was unknown, NBC Boston said.

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5science

3 baby girls born at Boston hospitals at midnight on New Year's Day

Just as 2024 arrived in Boston, three baby girls were making their debuts at two of the city's hospitals.All three were born precisely at midnight on Jan. 1, according to a statement from the hospitals.Selena was born at born at Brigham and Women’s Hospital to mom Margarita and dad Roberto of Dorchester. Margarita and Roberto said they were not expecting their baby for another couple of weeks, but Selena had other ideas."They told us: 'She's ready to come, we're going to get a doctor in,' and that's when they told us: 'You might have the first baby of the new year,'" Roberto said."We went in with an original plan. God bless any woman who goes in and they think that they're going to stick with that plan, because my whole plan flipped at the last minute and I didn't stick with the original one whatsoever," Margarita said.Meanwhile, Emily Margaret was born as the third child of Eileen and Andrew DeRoma of Canton and Ophelia was born to of Min Li and Huaien Wang of Quincy at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.The city's big hospitals said they keep in contact at the start of each new year to determine which has the honor of welcoming the first babies of 2024. Just as 2024 arrived in Boston, three baby girls were making their debuts at two of the city's hospitals. All three were born precisely at midnight on Jan. 1, according to a statement from the hospitals. Advertisement Selena was born at born at Brigham and Women’s Hospital to mom Margarita and dad Roberto of Dorchester. Margarita and Roberto said they were not expecting their baby for another couple of weeks, but Selena had other ideas. "They told us: 'She's ready to come, we're going to get a doctor in,' and that's when they told us: 'You might have the first baby of the new year,'" Roberto said. "We went in with an original plan. God bless any woman who goes in and they think that they're going to stick with that plan, because my whole plan flipped at the last minute and I didn't stick with the original one whatsoever," Margarita said. Meanwhile, Emily Margaret was born as the third child of Eileen and Andrew DeRoma of Canton and Ophelia was born to of Min Li and Huaien Wang of Quincy at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The city's big hospitals said they keep in contact at the start of each new year to determine which has the honor of welcoming the first babies of 2024.

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6sports

NFL firings have begun; team cans coach after 11 games

The NFL head coach firings have begun. The Carolina Panthers became the first team in 2023 to part ways with their head coach. On Monday, the team confirmed that they have parted ways with head coach Frank Reich after just 11 games with the team. $200 INSTANT BONUS DRAFTKINGS MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BET FANDUEL MASS CLAIM OFFER BET $50, GET $250 BONUS CAESARS MASS CLAIM OFFER $1,000 FIRST-BET BONUS BETMGM MASS CLAIM OFFER MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234 MA Gambling Helpline. According to Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer, “multiple players” learned of the firing through social media before hearing from the team. The Panthers, who currently have the NFL’s worst record at 1-10, hired Reich this past offseason as part of a major overhaul. Reich, who came up as an offensive coach, was expected to pair with No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young at quarterback. However, things have not gone as expected in Carolina. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Reich’s 11-game tenure was the second-shortest in NFL history. “I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers,” owner David Tepper said in a statement Monday. “I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well. Effective immediately, Special Teams Coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as our interim head coach. Senior Assistant Jim Caldwell will be a special advisor to Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown, who will take over play calling duties.” This marks the second season in a row that Reich has been fired as a head coach. Reich had previously served as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts for five seasons. That was until he was fired last November following a loss to the New England Patriots.

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0business

2 Boston-area breweries plan to merge to create Tasty Liquid Alliance

Dorchester Brewing, founded in 2016, plans to merge with fellow Boston-area brewery Aeronaut Brewing, which began in 2014, with locations in Somerville and Everett. In a post on Instagram on Thursday, Dorchester Brewing announced the merger, saying Aeronaut was a “likeminded local brand.” “This partnership will usher in a new era of innovation in the local craft beer scene,” the post read. A press release from Dorchester Brewing said the new parent company will be called Tasty Liquid Alliance. Matthew Malloy, CEO of Dorchester Brewing, who will be CEO of the combined company, said in the release that polling resources and expertise was going to put the company in the best position in the industry. “We feel the industry is beginning to consolidate and we want to be at the forefront of this landscape shift and work hand-in-hand with other growing breweries as we look to the future while keeping diversity, experimentation and open cultures intact.” Malloy said Tasty Liquid Alliance would be looking to add other breweries or beverage makers into their company in the future. Read more: DA identifies man and woman found dead on dirt road off Massachusetts highway The Instagram post continued that both beer brands are staying as is and functioning independently, but under one parent company, “allowing us to make things even better,” the post said. “For you, our customers, nothing really changes on your end,” the post said. “You get to continue enjoying all your favorite beers from both DBC and Earonaut at each of our local taprooms and throughout the local beer scene.” Auronaut’s production for larger batches will be moving to Dorchester Brewing’s location in Dorchester and the Aeronaut staff will keep brewing small batch beers in Somerville. The Everett Cannery taproom will continue to operate into 2024, the post read. “We are beyond excited about this partnership and look forward to what the future brings,” the post read. The merger is expected to take place near the end of September in 2024. Along with producing their own beer brands, the two breweries will provide contract brewing services for 20 regional and national brands.

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2culture

The Weekender

Credit... Mette Lampcov for The New York Times, Max Whittaker for The New York Times, Mary Inhea Kang for The New York Times

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3entertainment

Boston finally has its own Subwaydle

First, there was Wordle. The simple game offered a new, five-letter word for players to guess every day. Then, the spinoffs began. Some hewed closely to the original game — like Hardle (a harder version of Wordle) or Quordle (a challenge to solve four five-letter words simultaneously). But then it went a step further. New puzzles sprung up that asked users not to guess based on words, but rather people, places and things. There was Worldle (identifying countries by their shape), Actorle (guessing an actor by their career history) and Heardle (identifying songs from just a snippet). Finally, it’s Massachusetts’ turn to shine with MBTAdle, which dares you to guess a specific MBTA trip from Station A to Station B — including two transfers. Madeleine Barowsky, a 27-year-old software engineer who lives in the Boston area, started on it as a personal project last week. By Wednesday, it was live. “I just had a few days off for Thanksgiving and was talking about Subwaydle with a friend, and she was like: ‘You should make one for Boston,’” Barowsky told GBH News. “And I was like, ‘You know what? I have nothing but time on my hands right now. Let's do it.’” She based it on New York’s Subwaydle, which launched in early 2022 to a fanfare of local media coverage that proclaimed it was “perfect for hardcore New Yorkers.” Barowsky used the game’s open-source code and chatted with its creator. “Once I started, I was just really interested and wanted to keep going,” she said. Players have to pick a specific route to connect Station A to Station B. (This reporter got Wednesday’s puzzle in two guesses.) There are more than 36,000 permutations, enough that the game won’t repeat the exact same route for 99 years — but it might give you the same two stations to connect. “It's not going to be the most efficient route most of the time,” Barowsky said. “If you could get there in a few ways, you still have to get the right one according to the puzzle.” But unlike in New York, there aren’t too many lines — or, too many opportunities to transfer (see: the lack of a Red-Blue connector). So Barowsky got creative. “We just have like a lot of branching both on the Green and the Red Lines, so I treated them as different trains running on a lot of the same track,” she said. “That's something that a few people have commented on — like, if you're going towards Alewife, it doesn't really matter if you get on a train that originated at Ashmont or Braintree.” The MBTAdle of today isn’t set in stone: Barowsky considered including key bus routes, too. “But I wanted to just launch it first and see if people are even interested,” she said. For first-time players, Barowsky has a few tips for success. “You should have looked at the map before you played — I think it's kind of cheating to look at the map while you're playing,” she said. “Just remember, there are not that many stations where you can transfer. So, if you don't recognize the station, maybe it's on the Green Line Extension.”

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4politics

Iowas political paradox: red state leads in wind as GOP denies climate change

Sign up for The Meltdown, a weekly newsletter highlighting the latest apocalyptic dramas, debunking climate myths, and sharing sustainability hacks, all while arming you with information to hold polluters and the government accountable. Enter your email to subscribe. Iowa holds a unique place in American politics. Far from the corridors of power in Washington D.C. or the wealthy streets of New York City, this modestly populated farming state of just under 4 million people has been the nation’s first gauge in presidential elections for over fifty years. It’s a curious focal point where the first significant decisions about who might lead the country are made. Despite the Republican Party’s stronghold in Iowa, the state stands out in another, perhaps paradoxical way: its commitment to renewable energy. In 2022, Iowa led the nation in wind turbine energy, with around two-thirds of its electricity coming from renewable sources, primarily wind. This presents an intriguing contrast as we head into Monday’s caucus. Iowa, a state that vigorously champions renewable energy, is governed by a party whose rhetoric often downplays or even dismisses climate change. This was evident in a recent GOP primary debate in Des Moines, where both Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley scoffed at the idea of human-made climate change. Both expressed desires to dismantle President Joe Biden’s green policies, with Gov. DeSantis questioning why the U.S. should act while countries like India and China lag behind in environmental efforts. So, how does this dichotomy resonate within Iowa itself? To get a clearer picture, Reckon turned to Cody Smith, a senior policy advocate at the Iowa Environmental Council. Based in Des Moines, this coalition is dedicated to ensuring a just and healthy environment, as well as a sustainable future for all Iowans. Reckon: Iowa is a state leader in wind energy, but it’s also a solidly red state. Sort of a paradox. How do Republicans at all levels of politics, including presidential candidates, reconcile those dueling messages? Cody Smith: I would start off by saying that Iowans are independent thinkers and we have had the responsibility of being first in the nation in the presidential nominating contests for decades now. And that’s part of the culture here. I think that independent thinking allows Iowans of all parties and all political affiliations to be able to recognize that wind energy is good for our economy, it’s good for our farmers, and it’s good for our rural communities. Just in 2021, Iowa wind turbines generated about $57 million in state and local taxes. It also paid $67 million in land lease payments to landowners hosting the projects. What that shows us is wind energy is a winning investment for Iowa’s communities, whether or not you believe in climate change. It certainly seems possible to believe in renewable energy and reject climate change at the same time, even though those ideas typically exist as polar opposites of the current energy narrative. How does that play out in Iowa? It’s possible to believe in both, but I would argue that most Iowans recognize that climate change is impacting the state. We’ve seen flooding in 2019 and 2008, where we had some deaths and disastrous floods. In 2020, we saw a major derecho that had a massive impact on our electrical system. And wind energy has performed well throughout all of those disasters. I think it’s possible to walk that line. The messaging itself is interesting. There have been comments from leading candidates about wind energy having negative impacts on health and other things. I think Iowans are able to see through that and recognize that wind energy is playing an important role in our communities, funding schools, helping improve roads, and other important local services that we see, including fire and EMS. A recent poll noted that 75% of Iowans said they would back a candidate who recognized climate change as the greatest threat to humanity. What does that tell us about Iowa voters? Iowans are no strangers to the impacts of climate change, as I mentioned. We’ve had an increasing amount of natural disasters, whether it’s flooding or even heat waves this summer. These are things that we have hardly seen in the state, and they seem to be happening every other year or sometimes even multiple times in one year. I think anybody, particularly farmers, whose livelihood relies on the natural resources of Iowa, is experiencing those changes every year. They’re living through unprecedented heatwaves, floods, and the impact that has had on our economic activities, whether it’s farming and agriculture, or our manufacturing sector. As we move forward throughout the next several years, I think it’s going to continue to rise as an issue in the minds of Iowans. Despite anti-climate change and renewable energy rhetoric seemingly louder than ever, there also seems to be this growing acceptance of renewable energy throughout the country. For example, GOP-led Texas leads the nation in many different types of renewable energy production. How has that creeping and almost silent acceptance of renewable energy in red states happened? I think you hit the nail on the head. Iowans, whether they’re Republicans or Democrats, know that renewable energy just makes sense. It’s common sense that investing in renewable generation is the cheapest for customers of our electric utilities, as well as being good for the environment. And whether or not climate change is a motivating factor for Iowans in their decision-making processes, everybody wants clean water and they want clean air. When we think about the communities that are still hosting coal plants across the state, they’re having to deal with pollution impacts at the local level. And that’s regardless of the carbon dioxide or methane emissions that may come from those plants. For example, up in Sioux City, Iowa, Mid-American Energy runs two coal plants. We actually had the nation’s 15th-largest coal plant. So, we have these challenges where communities are breathing in that toxic air dealing with sulfur dioxide or nitrous oxide and increasing rates of asthma. This is a real issue and people see renewable energy as a clear alternative, not only to clean the pollution of our fossil fuel generation that we still have and operate, but also to be able to have a lower cost option for customers as we move forward into the next several decades. Looking at the political bureaucracy, how all the levers and mechanisms of government work, how has Iowa managed to pursue so many wind turbine projects? A number of regulatory frameworks and incentives have led to wind energy being so dominant here in the state of Iowa. Some of them are a little bit more wonky, such as advanced ratemaking, which is a practice that allows our electric utilities to recover the costs and get a guaranteed return on investment for new projects and electricity generation before they’ve even built it. The idea here is that they can get some regulatory certainty and know the investments that they’re going to make will have a guaranteed return before they build them. That practice has been around in Iowa for about 15 to 20 years. And that has really allowed the risk to be removed from wind energy generation as we kind of tested it out and continued to grow. There’s some question about whether or not that’s still necessary, given the proven reliability and cost-effectiveness of wind energy. I would also mention that both the state and federal governments have had production tax credits and investment tax credits for wind energy and solar energy. The state’s credits have since expired, but the federal government’s investment and production tax credits for wind energy and solar energy have continued to drive the marketplace and make it more cost-effective, even without those tax credits in place. Wind energy is still the most cost-effective electricity source generator. You brought up something interesting that is a major issue nationwide. Coal ash disposal has become one of the greatest threats to the environment and communities in recent years. How is Iowa dealing with its coal ash? Recent research has demonstrated that about 99% of coal plants are more expensive to operate than renewables. We have to think about how we regulate our utilities and how we set up our policies to make sure that the decisions they make are cost-effective for customers and good for reliability. When it comes to coal ash, we have seen some of our utilities in the state, for example, Mid-American Energy, propose dumping their coal ash deposits directly into the Missouri River. Here at the Iowa Environmental Council, we pushed back on that, and they eventually abandoned the application to the state. But Iowans were ready to jump up and push back against that because they recognized even if people value coal for reliability — or maybe they have generational jobs where workers, their fathers and grandfathers have worked at the same plant — nobody wants to have that coal ash or the pollutants associated with coal-fired electricity dumped directly into our state’s rivers. Iowans, again, are demonstrating that we are independent thinkers who evaluate things as they come through. It gets difficult during the caucus season because things that happen here are directed by the national conversation as much as they inform it. It can be hard to really see what Iowans believe and how we influenced this process. What does the future look like for renewable energy in Iowa? I don’t want to sugarcoat everything and say there aren’t challenges. It’s not necessarily helpful to the industry or to the cost for Iowa’s electricity and electric customers when candidates degrade wind energy and then spread false narratives about the impacts on health. For example, some claim wind turbines can cause cancer. That’s not helpful. In recent years, we’ve seen a growth in opposition from local residents for both wind and solar. And that’s going to become increasingly challenging as the opposition continues to get organized. There’s research that demonstrates that this increase in organization from the opposition is also being funded by the fossil fuel industry. That’s not unique to Iowa. Five years ago, somebody might show up and complain that a wind turbine is too close to their home or farm, or they just don’t like the way that it looks. Those are valuable, verifiable and objective concerns that can be mitigated by responsible citing and zoning. But over the last five years, as this issue has become more politicized, we’ve definitely seen an influx of resources on the opposition side to push back and spin false narratives about the health impact, the reliability, and the overall success of wind energy in the state of Iowa. It’s a growing concern. But we’re hopeful that, looking forward, Iowans will continue to exercise independent judgment and see the truth for what it is.

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3entertainment

15 must-see concerts at Bostons smaller music venues during winter 2023-24

Events 15 must-see concerts at Boston’s smaller music venues during winter 2023-’24 Boston's small- to mid-size venues will be hosting shows to suit all tastes in December, January, and February. Jamila Woods, Open Mike Eagle, Tinashe, Marshmello, and Josh Ritter are all coming to Boston's smaller stages this winter. Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Slow Factory; Courtesy Photo; Monica Schipper/Getty Images for ABA; Courtesy Photo / Nick Farr; Courtesy Photo As Steve Martin once said, “Let’s get small!” Here are 15 concerts worth seeing at Greater Boston’s smaller venues, organized by genre. (Sites include Brighton Music Hall, Paradise Rock Club, Royale, Big Night Live, The Sinclair in Cambridge, Crystal Palace in Somerville, The Cabot in Beverly, and Chevalier Theatre in Medford; check out our guide to larger venues here.) Please note, some of these shows may only have verified resale tickets available. Best soul, R&B, and blues shows Matthew Stubbs, Tim Carman, and Pat Faherty of GA-20. – Courtesy Photo / Fancey Pansen GA-20 is one of Boston’s most successful and high-profile blues units. Three of their releases have topped the Billboard Blues Albums chart, and two — including this year’s “Live in Loveland” — have fallen just one spot short of that mark. Advertisement: They are also three-time Boston Music Awards Blues Artist of the Year honorees, and are nominated in the same category (for this sixth time overall) and for the Live Artist of the Year trophy this year. Austin-based blues, funk, and soul guitarist Black Joe Lewis has released six albums and two EPs since 2007; 2009’s “Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!” was produced by Jim Eno of Spoon, for whom Lewis opened — along with fellow indie rockers Okkervil River — in 2007. His latest effort is “The Difference Between Me & You” (2018). Saturday, Dec. 2, 8 p.m., Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave., Boston, $25 Jamila Woods was born and is currently based in Chicago. However, she is an erstwhile New Englander by virtue of having graduated from Brown University. As a writer, she is a published poet, anthology editor, and an associate artistic director of Young Chicago Authors. As a musician, she has released three albums since 2016. The first two, “Heavn” and “Legacy! Legacy!,” were ranked among the top albums of their respective years by multiple outlets, with both appearing on the year-end lists by Pitchfork, Exclaim!, and NPR. If the reviews that accompanied the Oct. 13 release of “Water Made Us ” are any indication, then it is sure to be similarly recognized. With Kara Jackson, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 8 p.m., The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $45 Best rap and hip-hop shows This Brooklyn-born and bred trio is currently on tour in celebration of the 10th anniversary of “BetterOffDead,” a mixtape that was released before their debut EP (“Clockwork Indigo,” recorded with Flatbush hip-hop duo The Underachievers) and their two LPs, “3001: A Laced Odyssey” (2016) and “Vacation in Hell” (2018), the latter two of which peaked at No. 10 and 11, respectively, on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The most recent entry in the group’s discography is 2020’s “now, more than ever,” which came out ten days after the murder of George Floyd alongside a statement from the band that read, in part, “This music was made for you. It was released with you in mind. Use it to start an evolution.” With A$AP Twelvyy, Sunday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m., Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., Boston, $77.51(verified resale ticket) Over his dozen-plus years of recording, Open Mike Eagle has released numerous collections of songs with revealing and descriptive titles such as “Unapologetic Art Rap,” “Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes,” the highly praised “Brick Body Kids Still Daydream,” “What Happens When I Try to Relax,” “Anime, Trauma and Divorce,” and this year’s “Another Triumph of Ghetto Engineering.” In the press release that accompanied “Another Triumph’s…” forthcoming release, Eagle stated, “These songs are all fancy ways of saying ‘f— you’ to people that ignore us and ‘thank you’ to people that care if we live or die!” With Pink Navel, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 8 p.m., The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $20 Best alternative, indie, and rock shows Anyone who has followed the Boston independent music scene at any point in the past 20 years has to at least recognize the name Will Dailey. After all, it’s difficult to fly under the radar of local fans when you’re a seven-time BMA winner in four different categories. If you more of a television person, then you may have heard at least one of his several songs that have appeared on — among other programs — “90210,” “CSI” and its offshoots, “NCIS” and its offshoots, “Numb3rs,” “BOSE,” and “Ghost Whisperer.” If you like what you’ve heard or would like to hear what so many others have, check out him and his band in Davis Square on Dec. 9. With Hayley Reardon, Saturday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m., Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, $20 Named after an obscure 1963 movie that was filmed in Vermont, Hallelujah the Hills has established itself as one of the most admired Boston-based rock bands of the 2000s. Fronted by singer, songwriter, guitarist, journalist and author Ryan H. Walsh (click here for an interview about his book “Astral Weeks”), the sextet won more or less universal — and international — acclaim for its ambitious 2019 epic, “I’m You.” Last September, Walsh announced on the HTH website that the band would begin work on “DECK,” which would comprise “52 songs, one for each card. 4 thirteen-song albums, one for each suit.” With Eldridge Rodriguez and Aaron & the Lord, Friday, Dec. 15, 8:30 p.m., The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $20 Although my introduction was belated, I became an instant fan of Torres upon hearing “Thirstier” two years ago. It was the Orlando native’s fifth album, and my hurried attempt to play catch-up revealed that any of the previous ones would have had me just as effortlessly hooked. The follow-up to “Thirstier,” “What an enormous room,” is set for release on Jan. 26. As the first singles — “Collect” and “I got the fear” — indicate, it is (to use a critic’s cliché) less immediate than its predecessor. However, they are also unmistakable signs of artistic growth by an artist who is not only unafraid but eager to experiment. With Addie, Saturday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m., The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $20 Best dance and electronic shows DJ/producer Marshmello has topped Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart three times in the past five years. He also has (by my count), 20 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum singles worldwide — the most successful of which is “Happier,” featuring the British band Bastille — making him one of the most popular practitioners of his chosen genre. His newest record, “Sugar Papi,” debuted at No. 1 on Nov. 18, 2023. It was his first venture into Latin music, with Latin artists serving as most of its guests and most of the song titles being in Spanish. Thursday, Dec. 28, 9:30 p.m., Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., Boston, $97.50 Snakehips is a duo from Sheffield, England. Their biggest hit is the 2015 worldwide smash “All My Friends,” featuring Tinashe (see below) and Chance the Rapper. Other hits include collaborations with MØ (“Don’t Leave”), Anderson .Paak (“Money on Me”), and Anne-Marie & Joey Badass (“Either Way”). In 2023, the duo issued a remix of Taylor Swift’s “Lavender Haze” and their debut full-length, “Never Worry,” which featured a slew of guests that included Medford-born hip-hop artist and six-time Boston Music Award winner BIA. Saturday, Jan. 28, 10:30 p.m., Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., Boston, $28.40 Best folk, country, and Americana shows Taylor Goldsmith, Lee Pardini, Griffin Goldsmith, and Wylie Gelber of Dawes. – Courtesy Photo / Matt Jacoby This Los Angeles quartet has spent 2023 touring in support of 2022’s “Misadventures of Doomscroller,” which was released in a deluxe edition in February that featured a live performance, and in recognition of the 10th anniversary of “Stories Don’t End,” which was also given deluxe treatment this year. The former was, like several other Dawes records, produced by Jonathan Wilson, whose credits include Margo Price, Father John Misty, and Billy Strings. Together and individually, Dawes and Wilson have been praised for their approximation of the Laurel Canyon sound, the classic practitioners of which include Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Neil Young. With Annika Bennett, Thursday, Dec. 28, 8 p.m., The Cabot, 286 Cabot St., Beverly, $68.50-$112.25 Josh Ritter will spend the two weeks of February touring in celebration of the two full decades that have passed since the release of his third LP, “Hello Starling.” Like Dawes, however, he will (presumably) have one foot planted firmly in the present, as he has another album, “Spectral Lines,” that will still be less than one year old when he plays the last of these shows at the Paradise. And just to keep things interesting, Ritter recently recorded his own version of Cyndi Lauper’s “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough.” Given that I am a fellow ’80s kid who is only six months older than he is, I can definitely appreciate that. Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17, 8 p.m., Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, $54 It has been 62 years since the release of her debut, and folk stalwart Judy Collins is doing some of the strongest work of her seven-decade-spanning career. Last year’s “Spellbound,” her 29th studio LP, was the first on which she composed all of the songs herself. Her efforts were rewarded with a Grammy nomination — her seventh — for Best Folk Album. And not many performers who are eight decades into life — or much younger for that matter — can say, as Collins did in a recent interview, “Before the pandemic, I was doing 125 shows a year. I think it’s down to a hundred this year, but it’ll probably go back up.” Friday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m., The Cabot, 286 Cabot St., Beverly, $46.50-$101.00 Best pop show “I consider myself a pop artist who makes R&B-tinged pop music,” then-24-year-old Tinashe said in a 2017 interview with The Guardian. At that point, the Kentucky-born singer had two albums, a worldwide debut hit single (“2 On,” featuring ScHoolboy Q), and a shared lead vocal on another global smash (“All My Friends,” by Marshmello and including Chance the Rapper) to her credit. She had also headlined two tours and opened for Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and Beyoncé. Since then, Tinashe has headlined three tours and recorded four more records, including “BB/ANG3L,” which dropped on Sept. 8, 2023. (It is probably worth noting that Tinashe said in a 2020 Rolling Stone interview, “I’m going to go as far as to say we need to abolish genres in general.”) Monday, Feb. 12, 8 p.m., Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston, $32.50 in advance/$35 day of show Best singer-songwriter shows Born near LA and raised near Montreal, Patrick Watson — which is technically the name of the lead singer/songwriter and the band — has achieved an admirable level of popularity in his/its homeland and earned a fair amount of praise south of its border. Writing for the Boston Globe in 2015, Jeremy D. Goodwin made favorable comparisons to Andrew Bird, Rufus Wainwright, and Broken Social Scene. I, meanwhile, upon hearing 2022’s “Better In the Shade,” immediately thought of Nick Drake upon hearing Mr. Watson’s vocals. (And I was, of course, not the first to do so.) With La Force. Tuesday, Dec. 12, 8 p.m., The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $30 The artist born Charlyn Marie (“Chan”) Marshall has recorded her own versions of songs by dozens of others. Thirty-eight of them can be found on “The Covers Record,” “Jukebox,” “Dark End of the Street,” and “Covers.” Interestingly, but probably not surprisingly, the only artist whose songs she recorded two of on any of the aforementioned records is Bob Dylan. For her latest release, Marshall has gone whole hog on Dylan by recreating in its entirety his 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” concert. Unlike the mislabeled Dylan bootleg whose name stuck (hence the quotation marks — it was actually recorded at the Manchester Free Trade Hall), “Cat Power Sings Dylan” was, in fact, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall. And now she’ll perform the whole thing in Medford. Saturday, Feb. 17, 8 p.m., Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest St., Medford, $55-$95 Also, don’t miss: What concerts are you looking forward to during winter 2023-2024? What did we miss? List the concerts you're looking forward to this winter. (Required) Let us know and we'll update the list above, and/or include your suggestions in a new article. Please include date and venue. Name Your name may be published. Neighborhood/Town Your neighborhood/town may be published. What are your preferred pronouns? He/Him She/Her They/Them Other Please select your preferred pronoun so we may correctly refer to your response in an article. Email or phone Please enter an email address and/or phone number that we can easily contact you with. We may reach out for more information. It will NOT be published.

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1crime

Former Milford teacher pleads guilty to child sex abuse video possession

A former second-grade teacher from Milford appeared in federal court in Worcester on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to possessing child sex abuse videos, acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy’s office said. Vincent Kiejzo, 36, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of child pornography, Levy’s office said in a statement. Read more: Sutton magician Scott Jameson pleads guilty to child porn charges A search of Kiejzo’s home in September 2020 resulted in the findings of a USB drive connected to Kiejzo’s bedroom television, Levy’s office said. The USB drive contained links to websites with videos depicting children being sexually exploited, along with over 6,000 images of child sex abuse, including pictures involving infants. The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Kiejzo was arrested and charged that same month before he was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy Hillman scheduled Kiejzo’s sentencing for April 4, 2024.

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4politics

New Boston Police Contract Will Let Civilians Direct Traffic at Some Construction Sites

StreetsblogMASS relies on the generous support of readers like you. Help us meet our year-end fundraising goals – give today! Last week, the labor union that represents most Boston police officers ratified a new contract that will introduce a number of reforms – including one that will start allowing civilians to take unwanted traffic detail shifts at construction sites. Under the former contract, Boston Police officers were the only people allowed to direct traffic for events and at construction sites. And they got paid extremely handsomely to do so: Boston police working as flaggers take home $60 an hour. In spite of that lucrative pay, Boston has a lot of construction sites, and fewer and fewer people who want to wear a police uniform. Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara told StreetsblogMASS earlier this year that over 40 percent of requests for police details at construction sites were going unfilled. The new labor contract removes a key barrier to reforming this system. But there is still a city ordinance on the books that requires at least one Boston Police officer at every city construction site "to protect the safety and general welfare of the public and to preserve the free circulation of traffic." A press spokesperson for Mayor Michelle Wu told StreetsblogMASS last week that their office is aware of the ordinance and has "identified multiple legal paths to implementing the new collective bargaining agreement." Old rules created absurd delays for street projects Councilor Lara also told StreetsblogMASS that many privately-run construction sites will simply ignore the law and do their work without a flagger if nobody responds to their requests for a detail. But construction firms who are sticklers for the rules can end up waiting months before a cop shows up to let them get their work done. That's what happened earlier this year in Oak Square, where the MBTA waited a full year for a police detail to show up so that they could paint some new crosswalks on Washington Street in Oak Square. Neighbors report that those crosswalks finally got painted in August – after a year-long wait. New contract hikes pay, allows civilian flaggers For all these reasons, allowing civilian flaggers at construction sites had been one of the city's key points of negotiation for a new collective bargaining agreement with its police union. Police details will still be required at "high-priority" events and construction sites, which involve major streets, busy intersections, or major events that anticipate over 5,000 attendees. The new contract would also pay cops who work those high-priority details "the highest overtime rate of the most senior officer." At other worksites, such as those along quiet neighborhood streets, Boston Police would still get the right of first refusal to fill traffic details. But if no Boston Police are interested, the work can be offered to other non-BPD certified officers, including campus police and retired Boston cops. If people with those qualifications still aren't interested, construction contractors can then offer the job to civilian workers. The agreement further specifies that anyone directing traffic in those lower-priority sites will earn $60 per hour. The new agreement will also ban cops from double-booking their shifts, which allowed some to get paid twice for the same period of time when one detail ended early. Incredibly, the police department is still using a labor-intensive paper-based system to assign details in each police district. The new agreement will allow for a citywide electronic scheduling system.

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6sports

2023 All-Western Mass. Boys Cross Country: Selections announced for fall season

MassLive announced its All-Western Mass. boys cross country selections for the 2023 season on December 29. Led by a strong crop of juniors, Ludlow won the Class A Western Mass. team competition and followed it up by taking home the runner-up trophy at the state meet.

5f68e30d2fb84b7bb8f0633ae6f942ac

5science

Health experts from Boston will make the climate connection in Dubai

And what a place to make their inaugural appearance: The annual conference is being held in Dubai, the glitzy pulse of the global oil patch. Host United Arab Emirates is among the world’s leading oil exporters, and it’s already being accused of putting its thumb on the scales in favor of fossil fuels. For the first time in the nearly 30-year history of the United Nations’ global climate talks, the annual conference will have a Health Day, an official venue that elevates the public health concerns from a warming planet. There, public health experts, including some from Boston, are expected to warn of an increasingly dire future, in which the human toll from extreme weather, infectious diseases, and air pollution worsens as emissions from fossil fuels continue. Advertisement Starting Thursday, global leaders from 197 nations will gather for the two-week international climate summit known as COP28 to discuss the growing toll of climate change — and what can be done about it. Public health experts will also make the case that the burning of fossil fuels is not just a driver of climate change, but also a massive medical threat that can no longer be overlooked. “Rule number one for health professionals is to bring the stories of our patients — to bring the human face of these numbers — into the conversation and create an accountability for that,” said Gaurab Basu, a Boston-area physician and director of education and policy at Harvard Chan C-CHANGE, who will present at the conference. Basu is hoping that by being in Dubai and telling the stories of his patients, he can help show the stakes for keeping the worst of warming at bay. He’s one of several Boston-area health and climate experts attending the talks. With its globally leading institutions, Boston has long been a hotbed of research at the intersection of health and climate change. Now, as the UN conference holds its first official Health Day on Saturday, some of those experts will help drive the agenda. Advertisement Francesca Dominici, a professor of biostatistics, population, and data science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, will be making the case that air pollution — which is sometimes not considered to be directly related to climate change — and its deadly impacts must be taken into account. “The climate conversation is all about burning fossil fuels, and burning fossil fuels is the main and most toxic source of air pollution,” she said. On panels and in conversations with the gathered officials, she’ll be driving that point home. Elizabeth Willetts, director of planetary health policy at Harvard’s school of public health, said she’s hoping to raise awareness about how little health has previously been taken into account at the climate talks, and find ways to address health issues through the process there. Willetts and other experts said they hope their involvement will lead to increased reporting on health outcomes, and a new consideration of how climate change impacts health. But even before the talks begin, many climate advocates and experts were skeptical that public health would be properly addressed. “For as long as I can remember, health has never been treated as a serious factor in the consideration of climate action or as a significant driver of climate investments,” Gina McCarthy, former national climate adviser to the White House, wrote in the Financial Times in early November. Advertisement She is among the climate leaders calling for negotiators to agree to phase down all fossil fuels. But that may be a long shot. In October, Health and Policy Watch reported that a draft of the “health and climate ministerial declaration” set to be released during the climate talks omits any reference to fossil fuels and their harms. Instead, the declaration focuses largely on the need to adapt health systems to climate change. This year’s talks are also being led by Sultan al-Jaber, who is the head of the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned oil and gas company. Earlier this week, the Centre for Climate Reporting and the BBC reported on leaked documents that show the UAE plans to use its position as host to lobby for oil and gas deals around the world. The COP28 Health Day will be held just weeks after the release of the latest Lancet Countdown, an annual report on climate change and health conditions produced by a group of leading scientists, detailing how the continued dependence on fossil fuels is impacting our health. According to the report, air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels results in 1.9 million premature deaths across the globe annually. “Despite 27 years of annual climate-change negotiations, world leaders still refuse to acknowledge the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels,” wrote Lancet Countdown executive director Maria Romanello, who is also a climate change and health researcher at University College London. Advertisement At the conference, Dominici, of Harvard, will also be sharing the results of her latest study, published earlier this month in the journal Science, which showed how many deaths are caused by air pollution at individual coal-fired power plants in the United States. By analyzing emissions data and Medicare records, Dominici and her coauthors found that between 1999 and 2020, 460,000 excess deaths among Medicare enrollees were attributable to coal-fired power plants. The tiny particulates emitted from coal power plants, known as PM2.5, raise the risk of many life-threatening conditions, including asthma, heart disease, low birth weights, and some cancers. The researchers found that PM2.5 emitted from coal plants is twice as deadly as the same particulates from other sources, such as vehicles or factories. The coal plants associated with the most deaths were in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, and Alabama. Dominici said she hopes this paper will “put to rest” the idea that coal-fired power plants are safe to keep running. Beyond coal-fired power plants, pollution from gas and diesel cars and trucks is not only warming the planet, but also continuing to dirty the air and endanger health. Climate-related health impacts also extend far beyond air pollution. Extreme weather driven by climate change has led to food insecurity and water scarcity. According to the Lancet report, 127 million more people were exposed to moderate or severe food insecurity in 2021, compared to 1981-2010, due to more heat waves and droughts. Advertisement As the global climate warms and disease-carrying pests shift, more people have also become increasingly at risk from potentially life-threatening illnesses like dengue, malaria, vibriosis, and West Nile virus. In past years, Dominici said, “it’s been very frustrating that there was no health consideration” in the climate talks, especially given how hard it has been to get firm commitments to fossil fuel reductions into the final agreement. Having an official health day is definitely progress, she said. Sabrina Shankman can be reached at sabrina.shankman@globe.com. Follow her @shankman.

22de985f5cd9e45266511978d3a7b6b4

5science

Surprise! Mass. is a terrible place to drive, according to new study

Transportation Surprise! Mass. is a terrible place to drive, according to new study The study ranks Mass. as No. 45 among U.S. states, making it the worst in New England. Traffic in Weymouth, Mass. during a storm. A new study ranks Mass. as one of the worst states to drive in. The good news? We’re not the worst. Mass. ranked right above California, a state notorious for its traffic, but below every other New England state when it comes to driveability. The study, conducted by WalletHub, used 31 different indicators to determine the driveability of every U.S. state. Factors included average gas prices, share of adults who wear a seatbelt, and average commute time by car. Based on these indicators, Mass. landed itself at 45 out of all 50 states. Trailing below are California, West Virginia, Delaware, Washington, and Hawaii (in that order). The top ten slots are dominated by rural states with low rush hour congestion rates and lower gas prices. WalletHub also identifies safety as an important component, including factors like the rate of vehicle theft and larceny. Advertisement: On the podium for top three best states to drive in are Iowa, then Georgia, followed by Kansas. Not only are these states less congested, but they have lower gas and car prices, fewer traffic fatality rates, and a shorter average commute. WalletHub even points out that Georgia has cracked down on Driving Under the Influence (DUI), with the second-strictest laws in the nation. But what is dragging Mass. down? The state ranks relatively high in safety (No. 4) and access to vehicles and maintenance (No. 8). Most detrimental to Mass.’s driveability are traffic and cost of ownership. Mass. barely escapes last place in the traffic category, only beating out Maryland. But according to a report by INRIX, Boston alone has the fourth worst traffic in the world. Bostonians, on average, lost 134 hours of valuable time stuck in traffic in 2022, according to that report. All of this data has significant implications in regards to safety and sustainability. According to the city of Boston, the percentage of people driving alone to work in the city has hovered around 38% for more than a decade. Slightly below, at around 33%, are people who take public transportation for their commute. Advertisement: While increasing public transportation use could alleviate some of Boston’s traffic congestion, the MBTA has undergone many changes over the years. Recent and ongoing construction to the Red, Green, and Orange lines have been a part of an ongoing $9.6 billion plan to transform the T. Mayor Michelle Wu’s office has a current goal of reducing the percentage of commuters driving alone by 50% by 2030. According to the Go Boston 2030 plan, shifting the main mode of transportation away from driving can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and costs.

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4politics

A plane flying over Harvards campus pulled banner that said Harvard Hates Jews with Palestinian flag

The Globe could not immediately confirm who organized or funded the plane, nor who sent the release. Harvard did not respond to a request for comment. A news release shared with the Globe on Thursday morning said the plane would “circle the college’s campus over the next few days,” to condemn and respond to “runaway antisemitism” on Harvard’s campus, including “shocking support for Hamas terrorism,” since the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. CAMBRIDGE — On a cold afternoon in Harvard Square, people stopped what they were doing to look at a low-flying plane dragging a banner that read, “Harvard Hates Jews,” with a Palestinian flag. Advertisement The plane circled Harvard two days after the university’s president, Claudine Gay, and the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, testified before a Republican-led congressional committee about a purported rise of antisemitism on their campuses. Some of their remarks provoked denunciations and calls for their resignations, including one controversial exchange with Representative Elise Stefanik in which the three presidents said that calls for genocide of Jews would not necessarily violate their schools’ rules. Gay and UPenn president Liz Magill later expanded on their remarks. The news release about the plane mentioned the controversial testimony. “This rise of antisemitism has been either ignored or even endorsed by the universities’ leaderships, as was witnessed at the Congressional hearing held on December 5th,” the release said. The release said the plane is dragging a Palestinian flag because it “has become the symbol of . . . violent Jew hatred in America.” It also said the plane will visit other “Ivy League campuses.” Nick Kowalske, a Harvard junior, saw the plane pulling the banner as he walked through a campus gate into Harvard Square. “I think describing opposition to settler colonialism as antisemitism is dangerous and wrong,” he said, while wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf. “I think people need to recognize that you can stand with the Jewish people while opposing actions by the Israeli government that are in violation of international law.” Advertisement A young woman who identified herself as a Harvard student stopped to take a photograph of the airplane as it flew over Cambridge Common. “It’s very disrespectful to associate the Palestinian flag with hate,” she said. “Supporting Palestinians does not equal hating Jews.” (She declined to give her name.) A plane pulled this banner over Harvard's campus on Thursday. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff A nearby street pole was covered with flyers, including a “Kidnapped” poster referring to hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, which was ripped in half. Another flyer, labeled with the logo of a group called Harvard MIT UPenn Jews for Palestine, said that criticism of Israel does not equal antisemitism. A middle-aged man with a megaphone in front of the university’s Science Center ranted about hedge fund billionaire and Harvard alum Bill Ackman, who called for Gay’s resignation earlier this week. For some, the plane brought to mind an October stunt by a conservative group that sent trucks to Harvard Square plastered with the photos and names of students believed to be involved with pro-Palestinian advocacy. “Harassment of college students is not helpful to either side and it needs to stop,” Kowalske said. The plane circled Harvard at a time of elevated campus tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. Reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia have been on the rise since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in Israel, which killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Campus protests have intensified in recent weeks as Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 16,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian authorities. Advertisement Twenty-three Harvard students are facing disciplinary action for behavior related to campus tensions over the Israel-Hamas war, according to a Harvard spokesperson. The controversies at Harvard began on Oct. 7 when the Palestine Solidarity Committee, a student group, issued a statement blaming Israel for “all unfolding violence.” Critics saw the statement as justifying Hamas’s attack. The PSC said it was meant to put the attack in the context of a long-running conflict. On Thursday, the PSC posted on social media: “We reject the racist weaponization of the Palestinian flag to create hate and fear on Harvard’s campus.” At the Tuesday congressional hearing, Stefanik, a New York Republican, asked Gay: “Dr. Gay, at Harvard, does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment, yes or no?” Gay answered: “It can be, depending on the context.” She added that such speech would violate Harvard’s policies if it was “targeted at an individual.” On Wednesday, she issued a statement expanding on her remarks. “There are some who have confused a right to free expression with the idea that Harvard will condone calls for violence against Jewish students,” she said. “Let me be clear: Calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community, or any religious or ethnic group are vile, they have no place at Harvard, and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held to account.” Advertisement The Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which held Tuesday’s hearing, said Thursday it is opening “a formal investigation” into Harvard, UPenn, and MIT after members found the presidents’ testimonies earlier this week to be “absolutely unacceptable,” Representative Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican, said in a statement. “Committee members have deep concerns with their leadership and their failure to take steps to provide Jewish students the safe learning environment they are due under law,” Foxx said, adding that the investigation will include document requests and, if needed, subpoenas. Shortly before 1 p.m. on Thursday, Harvard graduate student Michael Zhang skateboarded past the man with the megaphone at the science center, while the plane circled overhead. “Crazy world we live in,” Zhang said. Hilary Burns can be reached at hilary.burns@globe.com. Follow her @Hilarysburns. Mike Damiano can be reached at mike.damiano@globe.com.

a55847cac5f836660fddac8f09e8e6c4

4politics

What the Houthis Really Want

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Attacks by Houthi militants on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, once seemed like a dangerous sideshow to the war in Gaza. But as the attacks have continued, the sideshow has turned into a full-blown crisis. Vivian Nereim, the Gulf bureau chief for The Times, explains what cause is served by the Houthis’ campaign.

53d2c928147255fb108c26dc973317a2

0business

Why Boston wants to ban guinea pig sales in pet stores

Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here. We may not have as much snow as Mount Washington, but some parts of coastal Massachusetts are seeing their first flakes of the year this morning. While you put on those hats and gloves, and make your way to that almost fully reopened Green Line, let’s get to the news: Guinea pigs on the agenda: The Boston City Council is slated to vote today on a proposed ordinance to ban the sale of guinea pigs at pet shops in the city. It’s not because city councilors dislike the furry rodents. They’re actually hoping to cut down on the growing number of abandoned and surrendered animals. Supporters of the ban say people buy guinea pigs without realizing how much work they require. According to the MSPCA, 60% of the guinea pigs the group has rescued were originally acquired at pet stores, and they spend nearly twice the time in shelters as cats and dogs. “In 2023, we have taken in a total of 383 guinea pigs,” Deb Bobek, the director of operations at Boston’s MSPCA, said during a City Council hearing Monday. “We have also seen a large increase in the number of abandoned and stray guinea pigs, a sign that owners are becoming more desperate for help.” The deets: In 2016, Boston passed an ordinance banning pet shops from selling dogs, cats and rabbits from commercial breeders. The new proposal — filed by Councilor Liz Breadon — would simply add guinea pigs to that list. (Cambridge and Attleboro already have similar bans.) If passed, it would mean guinea pigs could only be sold by shelters and rescue animal groups in Boston. The fine for violators would be $300 fine per animal. We have a deal: If you’ve listened to any of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s monthly interviews on Radio Boston, you know she’s been focused on the city’s police union contract negotiations as a vehicle for police reform. This week, after months of negotiations, the city finally agreed to a new five-year contract with its largest police union. And for the first time yesterday, Wu and Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Larry Calderone shared the details of the deal. What BPPA members got: The contract includes a 21% increase in base salary over the 2020-2025 period, including retroactive pay. Officers can also get higher pay for working on a new “high priority” category of construction details. What the city got: Wu says the contract includes “significant” reforms, including to the disciplinary process and police detail work. The contract prohibits officers from using arbitration to overturn disciplinary action for a list of specific serious offenses. It allows unfilled detail shifts to be filled by retired officers, college police and even civilians. And it calls for an independent medical examiner to settle disagreements over whether an officer can return from medical leave. (About 10% of the entire BPD force had been on medical leave for over a year when negotiations began.) You can read through a full overview of the reforms here. The post-agreement vibe: Calderone says his membership is pleased with what he called a “fair and equitable” agreement. “We help policing evolve,” he said. “I know the famous word out there is reform, but I like to look at it as police evolving.” What’s next: Funding for the contract — a total of $82.3 million — must now be approved by the Boston City Council. (BPPA members already voted to ratify the deal on Monday night.) It’s official: The Worcester Red Sox will soon have new owners. New York-based Diamond Baseball Holdings announced its plan yesterday to buy a majority stake in the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate. The group already owns nearly 30 minor league baseball teams, including the Portland Sea Dogs and Salem Red Sox. What stays the same: The WooSox will keep playing at Polar Park and former Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino will remain as chairman. What could change: Diamond Baseball Holdings CEO Peter Freund told the Boston Herald the group should be able to use its scale to bring more big events, like concerts, to the ballpark. In other baseball news: The Sox traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees last night in exchange for three pitching prospects. ESPN has more details on the trade. P.S.— Today is the last day of WBUR’s year-end fundraiser and we still have $148,000 to go. Over 3,200 independent journalism fans have already made their gift. Please consider joining them to help us reach our goal.

54167ae7a9328e5536f123358dfe6fc4

5science

NASA Streams Cat Video From Deep, Deep Space

“This would be like the same capability that you’d want to have if you’re sending an astronaut to the surface of Mars or something like that,” said Dr. Abhijit Biswas, the project technologist. “You want to have constant contact with them.” The demonstration was done with the help of NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which was launched on Oct. 13 with the aim of exploring an asteroid with the same name. The D.S.O.C. experiment is using laser communications, as opposed to traditional radio frequencies, in an attempt to transfer large gobs of data at faster rates over greater distances. (The video is of Taters chasing a laser pointer. In 1928, a statue of the cartoon character Felix the Cat was used to test television transmissions.) The transmitted data rates of 267 megabits per second are comparable to rates on Earth, which are often between 100 and 300 megabits per second. But Dr. Biswas urged caution about the results of the demonstration. “This is the first step,” he said. “There’s still significant requirements for ground infrastructure and things like that to take something that’s kind of a proof of concept to transform it into something that’s operational and reliable.” The video was transmitted using a flight laser transceiver, one of several pieces of new hardware being deployed for the first time. The D.S.O.C. system is made up of three parts: the transceiver, which was installed on board the Psyche spacecraft, and two components on Earth: a ground laser transmitter (roughly a 90-minute drive from the laboratory) and a ground laser receiver at the Palomar Observatory in Southern California.

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0business

Boston Scientific gains FDA approval for Watchman FLX Pro LAAC device

“We are pleased to introduce U.S. clinicians to our newest LAAC technology, which is designed to enhance post-procedural healing, improve the precision of Watchman FLX Pro implants, and expand the size range of treatable appendages,” Joe Fitzgerald, Boston Scientific’s group president of cardiology, said in a prepared statement announcing the news. “These enhancements to our Watchman FLX technology will enable efficiency during implant procedures and allow physicians to optimize treatment for their patients.” “There is a rich history of safe use and low thrombosis rates in cardiovascular devices that utilize this thromboresistant polymer coating, and we have adapted that model to provide a more streamlined healing process that begins immediately following LAAC,” added Kenneth Stein, MD, Boston Scientific’s senior vice president and global chief medical officer. “We believe this evolution of the Watchman device also gives promise for a future with less thrombosis risk, which may eventually enable a simpler post-implant drug regimen for patients.” In September 2022, Boston Scientific gained approval from the FDA to expand the labeling of its Watchman FLX device to include an additional 45-day dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) treatment option. This allowed U.S. clinicians to choose between DAPT and short-term OAC plus aspirin following LAAC procedures.

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4politics

Opinion | The Supreme Court Should Overturn the Colorado Ruling Unanimously

When Donald Trump appeals the Colorado decision disqualifying him from the ballot in that state’s Republican primary, the Supreme Court should overturn the ruling unanimously. Like many of my fellow liberals, I would love to live in a country where Americans had never elected Mr. Trump — let alone sided with him by the millions in his claims that he won an election he lost, and that he did nothing wrong afterward. But nobody lives in that America. For all the power the institution has arrogated, the Supreme Court cannot bring that fantasy into being. To bar Mr. Trump from the ballot now would be the wrong way to show him to the exits of the political system, after all these years of strife. Some aspects of American election law are perfectly clear — like the rule that prohibits candidates from becoming president before they turn 35 — but many others are invitations to judges to resolve uncertainty as they see fit, based in part on their own politics. Take Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which blocks insurrectionists from running for office, a provision originally aimed at former Confederates in the wake of the Civil War. There may well be some instances in which the very survival of a democratic regime is at stake if noxious candidates or parties are not banned, as in West Germany after World War II. But in this case, what Section 3 requires is far from straightforward. Keeping Mr. Trump off the ballot could put democracy at more risk rather than less. Part of the danger lies in the fact that what actually happened on Jan. 6 — and especially Mr. Trump’s exact role beyond months of election denial and entreaties to government officials to side with him — is still too broadly contested. The Colorado court deferred to a lower court on the facts, but it was a bench trial, meaning that no jury ever assessed what happened, and that many Americans still believe Mr. Trump did nothing wrong. A Supreme Court that affirms the Colorado ruling would have to succeed in constructing a consensual narrative where others — including armies of journalists, the Jan. 6 commission and recent indictments — have failed.

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6sports

Girls Basketball Scoreboard: Emersynn Cage leads undefeated No. 2 Longmeadow over No. 3 Northampton & more

SAN FRANCISCO — While the Celtics are a veteran-heavy team with arguably the best top-6 rotation in the league, they’re still forming a new identity. That’s natural considering the offseason changes with adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis into the fold, along with Marcus Smart’s departure. So the team saw a leadership shakeup with Smart gone, and how that void would be filled was one of the more interesting points early this season. Enter Jaylen Brown, who has been one of those leaders the Celtics have been able to count on early this season. The counting stats are down for Brown — that’s the case for just about all the Celtics — but he’s showcased maturity as part of his game. That’s an area longtime teammate Al Horford said he’s seen from Brown. 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. “Jaylen is coming into his own as a player in this league,” Horford said. “He continues to kind of understand who he wants to be, how he wants to play. Him, and like Jayson (Tatum), we both put a lot on them, give them a lot of things to handle. I feel like JB has been very willing to learn to grow as a player, and the growth has come very quickly. To me, that’s pretty impressive in different areas.” It was just last game against the Magic where Brown put together one of his best all-around games. His defense has been an impressive point of emphasis, and Brown has gotten buckets for the Celtics for years. But he was under control in the recent victory, making the right decision by sprinkling in that playmaking he’s been criticized for lacking. There are other parts of leadership, too, as the 27-year-old is now the longest-tenured Celtic. That honor was previously held by Smart, but now it’s Brown as he’s in eighth season in the league. The leadership aspect is still an ever-evolving process, but it’s at least something his teammates have taken notice of and can respect. “As a leader, he’s leading by example,” Horford said. “He is being more vocal. He’s just continuing to get better. For me, it’s just encouraging just to see the natural growth. He’s still I consider a younger guy, but I just feel like he continues to grow, he continues to figure it out and put it together. And these last few games have been pretty impressive just to see him take control of games and just kind of do his thing.”

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5science

Huge Turbines Will Soon Bring First Offshore Wind Power to New Yorkers

The pier on the Connecticut coast is filled with so many massive oddities that it could be mistaken for the set of a sci-fi movie. Sword-shaped blades as long as a football field lie stacked along one edge, while towering yellow and green cranes hoist giant steel cylinders to stand like rockets on a launchpad. It is a launching point, not for spacecraft, but for the first wind turbines being built to turn ocean wind into electricity for New Yorkers. Crews of union workers in New London, Conn., are preparing parts of 12 of the gargantuan fans before shipping them out for final assembly 15 miles offshore. “They’re sort of space-stationesque,” said Christine Cohen, a Democratic state senator who toured the assembly site last week. “Seeing the components up close, it’s just breathtaking how immense they are.” The turbines will make up South Fork Wind, a wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean whose completion is pivotal to Northeastern states’ hopes of switching to renewable sources of energy. Recent setbacks to several other offshore projects in the region have raised concerns about whether and when they all will be built.

1f53e64006a4261192e9a10beda28dc5

6sports

Boston Globe All-Scholastics

Around baseball, impression is Red Sox content to let top of the trade and free-agent markets pass them by Boston has the ability to put together a package including young, controllable players who can contribute in the big leagues soon, but is unlikely to make the sort of long-term commitments needed for the biggest names.

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4politics

School Committee election disputes continue between Gosselin and Gunther

WESTFIELD - Jeffrey Gosselin, who ran unsuccessfully for the Westfield School Committee in the Nov. 7 Municipal Election, filed a suit against the Westfield Democratic City Committee on Dec. 26, 2023 in Superior Court in Springfield. In the lawsuit, Gosselin charged the democratic committee and its chair Jeffrey Gunther with not following its bylaws when he was denied financial assistance for his campaign following a request for support that he said he made during the Sept. 14 and Oct. 12 meetings. Gunther also ran for the School Committee, and was elected.

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4politics

Don't compare me to the almighty.' The origin of Biden's saying.

“Don’t compare me to the almighty,” White said in launching his bid for a fourth mayoral term. “Compare me to the alternative.” His impromptu statement didn’t last long and wasn’t captured on audio or video. But a bit of it still echoes in American politics and voters could hear it often this year. WASHINGTON — The TV camera crews had departed Boston City Hall after a news briefing on May 21, 1979, when Mayor Kevin H. White surprised a clutch of lingering reporters and his own aides with an announcement that wasn’t expected for weeks: He was running for reelection that fall. Advertisement President Biden adopted the saying years ago and sometimes attributed it to the late White, a fellow Irish-Catholic politician whom he admired, while other times he cites his father, or no one at all. Ascertaining its true source is complicated, but determining its meaning is not. It neatly defines Biden’s political persona — at once religious, pragmatic, self-effacing, and pugnacious — and succinctly frames his challenge in overcoming low approval ratings to win a second term in a likely rematch against Donald Trump. Get Today in Politics A digest of the top political stories from the Globe, sent to your inbox Monday-Friday. Enter Email Sign Up “It is actually the antithesis of the Trumpian statement, ‘I alone can fix it,’ " said former Biden speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum. “Trump says, ‘I alone can fix it,’ and doesn’t. Joe Biden says, ‘Don’t compare me to the almighty’ and comes pretty damn close to getting everything done that people hoped for him to do.” Biden’s frequent use of the almighty comparison has pushed it into the political lexicon, with other politicians picking it up and some citing him as the source. But as with many political sayings, its origin is unclear. Boston Mayor Kevin White and his wife, Kathryn White, stand on stage during his victory party at the Copley Plaza in Boston on Nov. 6, 1979, after White won a fourth consecutive term for mayor. David L. Ryan White himself in 1979 attributed the phrase to the Canadian prime minister at the time, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, according to the Globe’s story on his announcement. But there’s no record in the Canadian media of Trudeau saying it himself and it appears to have first been said about him. Advertisement “We don’t have to compare him to the ideal,” Finance Minister John Turner said of Trudeau days before Canada’s 1972 elections, according to The Montreal Star. “We don’t have to compare him to the almighty. We just have to compare him to the alternative.” Other members of Trudeau’s Liberal Party adopted the saying, and it was used in a party election strategy document reported in news stories in April 1979, just weeks before White quoted it in Boston. Trudeau used a bland variation in a 1978 press conference, “Considering the alternatives, I’m the best man,” according to his biographer, John English. But English said in an email that he wouldn’t be surprised if Trudeau adopted it and failed to cite Turner. “The two of them came to dislike and distrust each other, and Trudeau would never give him credit for the origins of his comment,” said English, a retired history professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario and former Liberal member of the Canadian Parliament. “He undoubtedly knew of it. In fact, Trudeau had a remarkable memory and drew upon it for quips that became identified with him.” Trudeau was known for his eloquence, as was White, who was Boston mayor from 1968-84. The trait helped make White a finalist to be the running-mate of Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern in 1972. Advertisement White’s former press secretary, Boston public relations executive George Regan, who was his aide for 11 years, said he had never heard him use the almighty comparison before the 1979 reelection announcement. Neither had Micho Spring, his chief of staff from 1978-84. “He thought it captured the essence of what an election is — a choice between two actual candidates — not between an incumbent and an ideal,” Spring, now a reputation strategy consultant, said in an email. But Ira Jackson, who was White’s chief of staff from 1972-75, said he remembered White using it earlier than 1979. “I think it’s very much the way he viewed himself,” Jackson, who now teaches a course on leadership and social change at Harvard. “Just the fact that he would say, ‘Don’t compare me to the almighty’ suggested that might be a reference point that people had in mind, himself included. But it was a wonderful way of Kevin positioning himself: a little bit of humility, a little bit of humor, a lot of Irish and very competitive.” Those characteristics, particularly the Irish part, help explain the connection to Biden, who also leans into that heritage. “He was a very big fan of Kevin White’s. They just really hit it off,” said Ted Kaufman, a longtime Biden aide who was appointed as his Senate replacement when he became vice president. “He was always really respectful of mayors and how difficult that job is.” Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau and President Reagan, in Ottawa during an international summit on July 18, 1981. GEORGES BENDRIHEM/AFP via Getty Images As Biden told it during a 2011 forum in Washington, he was in Boston for a Democratic Party event during his first year in the Senate in 1973 and heard White use the slogan as reporters were hounding him. Advertisement “And the gaggle of press got him as he came out of the mayor’s office and basically said, ‘Well, wise guy, hot shot ... how do you feel now?’ " Biden said. “And he looked at them. I’ll never forget what he said. He said, ‘Look, don’t compare me to the almighty. Compare me to the alternative.’ ” Biden was at a Democratic event in Boston in 1973, according to the Globe archives. He was the luncheon speaker at a political seminar at the Sheraton Boston Hotel on Dec. 8, 1973, sponsored by the Democratic State Committee. But White, “who was invited and listed as a panelist, was conspicuous by his absence,” the article said. A search of the Congressional Record, news archives, and White House transcripts indicates Biden first began using the almighty comparison in public while campaigning for Democrats ahead of the 2010 midterm elections. “You know, there used to be a mayor of Boston ... this is way back in ‘72. His name was Kevin White. He said, ‘Don’t compare me to the almighty; compare me to the alternative,” Biden told the Democratic National Committee’s summer meeting in St. Louis on Aug. 20, 2010, drawing laughter and cheers before repeating the saying for emphasis, according to a transcript. But Biden, typically careful to attribute other people’s words after a 1987 plagiarism scandal derailed his first White House bid, has shifted the attribution from White to his father over the years. Advertisement “My dad used to have an expression. He’d say, “Joey, don’t compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative.” Biden told a Democratic National Committee fund-raiser in Boston on Sept. 12, 2022. And sometimes Biden doesn’t attribute the saying at all. Kaufman said Biden used it well before he became vice president in 2009, the point when almost all his public comments were chronicled by the White House and news media. “He doesn’t always attribute it to his father, but that’s how I remember it, especially when he first got started,” Kaufman said. “His father was good at this kind of stuff, so it wouldn’t surprise me that his father told him that.” A Biden campaign spokesman declined to comment on the origins of the saying. Kaufman said Biden primarily uses it when campaigning. Biden and White have similarities that would lead both to embrace the almighty comparison, said Nussbaum, who researched a speech White almost gave, defying Boston’s court-ordered school busing, for his 2022 book, “Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History.” “Look at [White’s] old speeches, they were this wonderful combination of progressivism, civic hope, good governance, and idealism, combined with a real political savvy. And, of course, the Irishiness of it all,” said Nussbaum, who was Biden’s speechwriter from February 2021 to May 2022 and now is a partner at the Washington public affairs firm Bully Pulpit International. “I think a lot of that is in Biden’s DNA. And White was a peer of a lot of the people who Biden admired and modeled himself after.” Former Boston mayor Martin J. Walsh said the saying is a perfect fit for Biden. “It’s coming from his heart, it’s coming from his gut,” said Walsh, who is close to Biden and served as his labor secretary before stepping down in March. “He wouldn’t be running for president if the alternative was stronger, and he’s concerned about the alternative.” For Jackson, White’s former chief of staff, the almighty comparison indicates Biden is willing to take the fight directly to Trump. And it’s an ideal way to sum up the choice facing Americans next fall, as it was for Bostonians in 1979. “It’s so useful. It’s so memorable. It’s so penetrating. It’s so simple,” Jackson said. “It’s wonderful that Biden occasionally attributes it to Kevin White. That’s a sign of his humility and that sort of fraternity of Irish pols who respect one another. But it’s not necessary. And I don’t think Kevin White thought it was necessary to always refer to Pierre Elliott Trudeau. And who knows where Trudeau got it, if he got.” Jim Puzzanghera can be reached at jim.puzzanghera@globe.com. Follow him @JimPuzzanghera.

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4politics

Mass. House, Senate say they have reached a deal on supplemental budget

The Massachusetts House and Senate say they have reached a deal on a supplemental budget that is expected to provide additional funding for the state's overtaxed shelter system, among other things. Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Sen. Michael J. Rodrigues, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, announced the agreement in a joint statement Thursday morning. “On behalf of our fellow conferees, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve reached an agreement on the supplemental budget to close the books on Fiscal Year 2023," they said. "Our respective staffs are actively working to finalize remaining details and complete the work required to file a Conference Committee report. We anticipate a report being filed in the coming hours to ensure that the House and Senate can act on the report promptly and send it to the Governor.” More to come.

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4politics

Rep. Jim McGovern condemns Henry Kissinger after diplomats death at 100

Following the death of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at age 100 on Wednesday, condemnation for his record under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford exploded on social media. Kissinger died at his Connecticut home on Wednesday. In the 1970s, he served under Nixon and Ford as a national security advisor, secretary of state and sometimes both, according to the AP. He attended Harvard University and earned a B.A. in 1950 and a Ph.D. in 1954, according to his biography on the State Department’s website. He went on to be an advisor to several presidents in the decades after Ford’s electoral defeat in 1976. Of the many who spoke out, one Massachusetts politician shared his thoughts on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Remembering all the lives Henry Kissinger destroyed with the terrible violence he unleashed in countries like Chile, Vietnam, Argentina, East Timor, Cambodia, and Bangladesh,” Rep. Jim McGovern, D-2nd District, posted Thursday. “I never understood why people revered him. I will never forgive or forget.” Remembering all the lives Henry Kissinger destroyed with the terrible violence he unleashed in countries like Chile, Vietnam, Argentina, East Timor, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. I never understood why people revered him. I will never forgive or forget. — Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) November 30, 2023 A popular reaction seen across social media was sharing a passage from chef and television host Anthony Bourdain. In 2001, he wrote about Kissinger on a trip to Cambodia in a tie-in book for his Food Network show “A Cook’s Tour.” “Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands,” Bourdain wrote. “You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with (former television host) Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking.” “Witness what Henry did in Cambodia — the fruits of his genius for statesmanship — and you will never understand why he’s not sitting in the dock at The Hague next to (former Yugoslav and Serbian president Slobodan) Milošević,” he continued. “While Henry continues to nibble nori rolls and remaki at A-list parties, Cambodia, the neutral nation he secretly and illegally bombed, invaded, undermined, and then threw to the dogs, is still trying to raise itself up on its one remaining leg.” Staunch criticism of Kissinger’s record goes back decades. The same year “A Cook’s Tour” was published, the late journalist Christopher Hitchens called the diplomat a war criminal in his book “The Trial of Henry Kissinger,” where he cites the deaths of millions as being a result of Kissinger’s diplomacy. Kissinger’s tenure drastically impacted several countries, including Vietnam, Chile, Argentina, East Timor, Greece, Cyprus, Bangladesh and Cambodia, among many others. Biographer and Yale University professor of history Greg Grandin has estimated that the deaths of 3 million people around the world were a result of Kissinger’s time in the White House, according to The Intercept.

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6sports

2023 All-Western Mass. Girls Cross Country: Selections announced for fall season

MassLive announced its All-Western Mass. teams for girls cross country on Dec. 28. Take a look at the first and second teams in Class A and Class B below: Class A

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3entertainment

Xbox, Playstation consoles on sale during Walmarts Huge Holiday Savings Event

Christmas is a little less than two weeks away and those still shopping for gifts can get up to 60% off of gifts including, Xbox and PlayStation consoles during Walmart’s Holiday Savings Event happening now. During Walmart’s Huge Holiday Savings Event, the Xbox Series X 1TB SSD Console with two controllers, originally listed for $599, is currently on sale for $419.99, which saves customers $180. There are also other Xbox consoles on sale where customers can save up to $50-$150. For those who are more PlayStation people, Walmart is also offering savings on those consoles. The PlayStation 5 Disc Console Slim - Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Bundle, which is originally listed for $559.99, is currently on sale for $499, saving customers $60 during the savings event. Here is a look at more savings on Xbox and Playstation products during Walmart’s savings event: Xbox and Playstation consoles are on sale at Walmart right now for the Holiday Savings Event (photo courtesy of Walmart)Walmart

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4politics

Aleksei Navalny Found in Remote Arctic Prison, Easing Fears Over His Safety

Ukraine had a win and suffered a defeat Ukraine said today it had destroyed the Russian warship Novocherkassk in Crimea, one of the most significant attacks against Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet in months. But in a setback, Ukraine acknowledged that it had largely retreated from the eastern city of Marinka after a monthslong battle. Russia said that the ship had been damaged overnight by “aircraft-guided missiles,” but did not specify whether it had been permanently disabled. The developments underscore the diverging fortunes of the two combatants in a war that has largely settled into a deadlock: Ukraine racking up naval successes in the Black Sea and Crimea, and Russia pressing its attack on battlefields in the east. During a news conference today, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s top military commander, compared the failed fight to defend Marinka to the battle for Bakhmut, which fell to Russia last May. Every inch of Ukrainian land is vital, he said, but “the lives of our fighters are more important to us.”

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2culture

Boston firefighter reunites with children he saved decades later

There was a touching reunion between a Boston firefighter and the family he saved on Wednesday — one decades in the making. It was just another day on the job for Boston firefighter Joe Gilmore when he braved the flames swallowing a Dorchester home 45 years ago and emerged with two frightened children. On the anniversary of that life-changing day, Silvia Fox would finally embrace the man who saved her family, with tears of gratitude filling her eyes. "Those are my kids you saved. You carried them down the stairs," she said. Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters. It's the same for Umar Fox. "I told you a hundred times and I’ll say it again," he said. "I wouldn't be here. I appreciate you." Gilmore has 38 years of firefighting under his belt and says he's thrilled that after decades, the family tracked him down. "I think it was a great thing that we got this together. I got to meet one person that I helped get out of a fire and he got to meet me," Gilmore said. Unfortunately, Lisa Fox, who Gilmore also rescued, was unable to make the reunion, but Umar, Silvia and Gilmore say the reunion will go beyond Wednesday — they plan to keep in touch.

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3entertainment

Mass. State Lottery winner: $500,000 grand prize claimed in crossword-style game

A $500,000 lottery grand prize was claimed from a crossword-style scratch ticket game on Wednesday, leaving just one grand prize remaining to be claimed in the game. The crossword-style scratch ticket game is called “Big Blue Bonus Cashword,” which is a $5 lottery ticket released on July 12, 2022. Besides the single $500,000 grand prize left, there’s also just one $10,000 prize remaining to be claimed in the Massachusetts State Lottery game as of Jan. 4. The $500,000 prize claimed on Jan. 3 was from a scratch ticket sold in New Bedford at a store called Mark’s Beverage. A $100,000 prize was also won during Wednesday night’s “Mass Cash” drawing. It was sold in Sterling from a shop called Applegreen Sterling. The winning numbers for the drawing were 3, 8, 21, 28 and 30. In addition, a $100,000 prize was claimed from a “Millions” ticket on Wednesday, and was sold in Revere from a Convenience Market store. Overall, there were at least 851 lottery prizes worth $600 or more won or claimed in Massachusetts on Wednesday, including 21 in Springfield and 25 in Worcester. The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of all the winning tickets each day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.

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3entertainment

Matt Damon, Casey Affleck film scenes in Mass. for upcoming movie

Hollywood stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck were back in their home state of Massachusetts on Tuesday to film scenes for their upcoming movie "The Instigators."Damon and Affleck, both Cambridge natives, were spotted together at a shoot near the Squantum Yacht Club at Wollaston Beach in Quincy."The Instigators" is an Apple Original Films project that is set to be released sometime in 2024. The movie is set in Boston and is about two thieves who wind up on the run with help from one of their therapists after a robbery goes wrong, but not much else is known about the plot.The film is being directed by Doug Liman, who worked with Damon on the "Bourne Identity." Damon and Ben Affleck, Casey's older brother, are among the movie's producers, along with Jeff Robinov, John Graham and Kevin Walsh.According to Deadline, the movie's cast also includes Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Ron Perlman, Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser and Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow, who starred in the remake of "White Men Can't Jump" that was released this year.Previous filming for "The Instigators" was done during the spring in the North End of Boston, Boston's Back Bay, the Charles River Esplanade, Memorial Drive in Cambridge and in Quincy.Previous coverage: Hollywood stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck were back in their home state of Massachusetts on Tuesday to film scenes for their upcoming movie "The Instigators." Damon and Affleck, both Cambridge natives, were spotted together at a shoot near the Squantum Yacht Club at Wollaston Beach in Quincy. Advertisement "The Instigators" is an Apple Original Films project that is set to be released sometime in 2024. The movie is set in Boston and is about two thieves who wind up on the run with help from one of their therapists after a robbery goes wrong, but not much else is known about the plot. The film is being directed by Doug Liman, who worked with Damon on the "Bourne Identity." Damon and Ben Affleck, Casey's older brother, are among the movie's producers, along with Jeff Robinov, John Graham and Kevin Walsh. According to Deadline, the movie's cast also includes Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Ron Perlman, Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser and Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow, who starred in the remake of "White Men Can't Jump" that was released this year. Previous filming for "The Instigators" was done during the spring in the North End of Boston, Boston's Back Bay, the Charles River Esplanade, Memorial Drive in Cambridge and in Quincy. Previous coverage:

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4politics

Biden Administration Announces Rule to Cut Millions of Tons of Methane Emissions

House Republicans said Wednesday they were investigating whether President Biden was involved in his son Hunter Biden’s decision to defy a congressional subpoena in their latest attempt to link the White House to accusations against the president’s son. The chairmen of the Oversight and Judiciary Committees wrote a letter to Ed Siskel, the White House counsel, demanding all documents and communications between the president’s office and Hunter Biden, his legal team and Kevin Morris, a wealthy Hollywood lawyer who is friends with the president’s son. At issue are the events of Dec. 13 when Hunter Biden appeared on Capitol Hill, but not to sit for a closed-door deposition as Republicans demanded. Instead, he held a news conference to denounce the Republicans’ investigation into him and his father, and insisted on testifying only in public, suggesting Republicans would twist his words with selective leaks. The younger Mr. Biden is under federal indictment and facing accusations of tax crimes related to his overseas business interests, including with companies and partners in Ukraine and China. At the news conference, he acknowledged his personal failings, described in scandalous detail in the indictment, but said they had nothing to do with his father.

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6sports

After long look in the mirror, Bruins forward gaining confidence

BOSTON — Jakub Lauko’s confidence took a hit during the Bruins’ recent road trip. But after a bit of self reflection, he turned things around and got back to playing his game. The forward scored his first goal of the season in Boston’s 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night at TD Garden. Lauko only played 8:25, but led the team with five hits. “I didn’t really have much this season going good for me. So it’s good to get something,” Lauko said after the game. “I was trying too hard. I was trying to play hard the last few games, and it paid off.” BetMGM BET $5, GET $158! BONUS BETS CLAIM OFFER Promo code: MASS158 STATES: MA, KY, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. Going into Thursday, Lauko had yet to score a goal and just three assists in 31 games. “When you’re looking at your game and see bagels, it has an impact on you,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said after the game. “It tends to wear on you, makes you impatient, makes it harder to stay with your own process that helps the team.” It was easy for him to pinpoint where he knew he needed to make some changes — Jan. 11 against the Vegas Golden Knights after sitting the previous two games — and he knew he had to change what he was doing. Otherwise, Lauko wasn’t going to be able to contribute the way he knows he’s capable of doing. “I took a long, long look in the mirror. I wasn’t happy with the way I was playing,” Lauko said. “Sit for two games and my confidence hit complete rock bottom. So, I took a look at myself and I said, ‘Hey, if you want to stay here and play for those guys, you need to do something about it.’ So, I think since the Vegas game (I) was trying to turn (things) around. Hopefully, I’ll keep going and playing better.” Lauko added that playing hard, “bringing in energy” and “making the right plays” are keys to help him keep his confidence up when he’s in a slump. But there was a stretch where the 23-year-old felt like he couldn’t do much right when he was on the ice. “I felt like the last 10 games, every decision that I made on the ice was kind of the wrong one,” he said. “So, I just had to turn it around, start from zero and start playing my game again.” Aside from the energy, Lauko also brings physicality to the ice — he’s never afraid to drop the gloves with an opponent and stick up for a teammate. His offensive game, though, was one that left much to be desired. But after getting a small promotion to the third line and playing wing with Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic, the results came almost instantly. Lauko has been working in practice to hold onto pucks longer and put himself in better scoring opportunities. It paid off Thursday, and he’ll look to carry that momentum going into Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

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2culture

Ask Amy: How do I tell my friend I just need her ear, not endless advice?

Dear Amy: “Carol” and I are extremely good friends. I know she cares deeply about me. However, whenever she asks about my life, instead of sympathizing with my problems and my feelings, she clings to an issue I’ve mentioned and immediately brainstorms solutions to my problem -- as though I or my family members were incompetent at solving our own problems. She asks me about how my life is, and I respond honestly. In these situations, I have not asked her for any advice. I believe that Carol cares deeply for me and my family. She does not want to see us have struggles, but I find her unsolicited reactions very hurtful. I know she thinks she’s helping, but her drive to fix everything implies that if I did things her way I wouldn’t have problems or negative feelings. I can’t share about my life without getting some sort of “stop the pity party and get solving this” response. It is affecting our friendship. I find myself selecting specific, insignificant issues to tell her about. I’ve stopped telling her about important issues in my life until they are resolved. How do I get her to lay off the condescending solution-seeking sessions? Am I unreasonable to want to share my feelings with someone and just have them empathize with me? Is it wrong to have some validation, instead of streams of constant unsolicited advice? – No Messy Feelings Allowed Dear No Messy Feelings: I have a little sticky note on my desk with this sentence written on it: “All unsolicited advice is self-serving.” I heard this once on a call-in radio show and immediately wrote it down. Most people loathe unsolicited advice; hearing instant “solutions” can make a person feel oddly defensive about one’s own problems. So think about that quote. “Carol” is serving her own needs by leaping onto your problems. She is self-serving when she offers her instant solutions (“I’m Carol, the problem-solver!”) and self-soothing, too – tamping down the anxiety that arises when she believes someone she loves is making a mistake or in trouble. Plus – leaping in like this is annoying, plain and simple! You should pull back the curtain a little and tell her honestly about how this habit affects you: “I know you’re smart. I trust your instincts. But you may not realize that when I open up about problems or issues in my own life, I’m not asking for solutions. I’m just expressing how I feel about things. I’m hoping that you can listen without problem-solving. This might seem frustrating for you, but it helps me the most when I feel heard and understood.” You can also preface a narrative by saying, “I’m not looking for answers here; I just feel the need to vent about some things that are going on. Can you offer me your sympathetic ear?” Dear Amy: My daughter is a single mother of two children, ages 7 and 5. She and the children have lived with me for all but a few months of the eldest child’s life. We have a nice little household and get along very well. My daughter is the primary parent and I’ve always respected that. I’m here to help. We talk things through, but she makes ultimate decisions regarding her children. She has been dating “Brian,” for about a year, and they are talking about marriage. The problem is that he is pushing back regarding the children. He believes he should have the power to make parenting decisions and to discipline him. I disagree with this approach, but I have not weighed in at all. I’m wondering what you think. – Gram Dear Gram: Stepparents integrate best into a new family by taking it slowly and developing trusting and affectionate friendships with the children. The stepparent role (certainly at the beginning) is to support the primary parent. In my own life as a stepparent, I think of this as “holding hands” with my spouse through challenges. (This sounds very much like the role you’ve assumed in your household.) In my opinion, it is a red flag for a prospective spouse to approach the stepparent role with discipline on his mind – and on the table. Dear Amy: “Wondering Employee” didn’t know how to respond to her employer’s statement that he went without a pay raise in order to give the staff a raise. I’m wondering if he neglected to mention a year-end bonus that he gave himself. I had a boss who did that: a six-figure bonus! – Empty-pocket Employee Dear Employee: Crafty! (You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.) ©2023 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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4politics

Jacques Delors, Passionate Architect of European Unity, Dies at 98

Jacques Delors, a hard-driving French politician who as the European Union’s executive for a decade became the chief architect of a more unified Europe and the father of Europe’s common currency, the euro, died on Wednesday at his home in Paris. He was 98. His death was confirmed by a spokesman for his daughter, the French politician Martine Aubry. As president of the European Commission, the European Union’s executive body, from 1985 through 1994, Mr. Delors maintained a nearly religious faith in the principle of a federal and communal Europe, even as the eurozone debt crisis, a contentious debate over migration and the essential question of whether rich northern countries would keep providing funds to their near bankrupt neighbors in southern Europe threatened to rip this vision apart. Despite such conflicts, Britain has been the only country to leave, which it did in 2020, and the union has grown to 27 countries, compared with 10 when Mr. Delors took the helm in 1985. Twenty of those countries use the euro, legal tender for about 350 million people. The philosophical heir to Jean Monnet, another steely French technocrat who laid the original groundwork for a federal Europe, Mr. Delors laid out a timeline for the euro in the so-called Delors report in 1989. The euro was formally adopted in 10 years later.

01d5aaa1ac54b1c4983a5c6da788c2c9

2culture

Children of Jailed Narges Mohammadi Accept Her Nobel Peace Prize

Iran’s most prominent human rights activist, Narges Mohammadi, was supposed to be handed the Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Oslo on Sunday. But, locked inside Evin Prison in Iran, Ms. Mohammadi, 51, was unable to attend and her 17-year-old twin children, Kiana Rahmani and Ali Rahmani, instead accepted medal and diploma on her behalf and read out a speech she had prepared. “I write this message from behind the tall and cold walls of a prison,” she said in her speech, making a plea for a “globalization of peace and human rights” in a world where authoritarian governments continue to commit abuses against their people. Ms. Mohammadi’s children have not seen their mother since 2015, when they fled Iran for France, and they have been unable to speak with her for two years, after Iranian prison authorities banned her from phone contact with them, according to PEN America, a free-speech group.

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6sports

Injured Bruins defenseman still 'a ways away' from returning

Derek Forbort hasn’t played in a game for the Bruins since Dec. 3. The Bruins defenseman was placed on long-term injured reserve Dec. 7 and doesn’t have a timetable for when he’ll get back on the ice. “He’s still a ways away,” coach Jim Montgomery told reporters Sunday. “He’s not day-to-day.” The extent of Forbort’s injury is unknown, but Montgomery said last month it’s something the defenseman has been dealing with since the beginning of training camp. 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. “At one point we gave him five days off and it was doing well. But the nine games in 16 days, just the repetitive demands on the body, it’s come back and we’re going to give him a little extended time to try to nip this for the rest of the year,” Montgomery said Dec. 7. Before the injury, Forbort appeared in every game for the Bruins this season. He played a big role on the Bruins’ penalty kill and has left a void in that spot in his absence. The Bruins recalled Mason Lohrei to fill the void, and he’s been making the most of his time in the NHL. While he only has a point in Boston’s last five games, the 22-year-old has been playing big minutes and making his presence known on the ice. Boston will continue on without Forbort for the foreseeable future as it looks to extend its win streak to four games Tuesday when the Bruins play the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road.

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2culture

Bigfoot, Sasquatch search in Berkshires with author John O'Connor

Thunder boomed. Lightning detonated. The wind whipped the trees into a blur. While those of us who’d arrived too late for the night’s hunt were thumbing our phones, other folks were out there, no doubt drenched, combing the woods for Bigfoot. One by one, empty tents came loose of their moorings, stakes pried from the loamy earth, and they rolled like tumbleweeds across our campsite. By the time I stepped outside, I was an island struggling to stay afloat. Shoeless, I splashed to my Subaru Forester. Sodden Bigfooters were trickling out of the woods. I rolled down my window to chat with one of them, an elaborately ponchoed Ohio Bigfooter named Marc DeWerth. With his headlamp aimed at me, he was a disembodied voice in the darkness. Marc laughed wearily when I asked how the evening had gone. Probably it was the rain talking, but he said, “There’s a lot of deluded people in this. You might decide it’s all [expletive]. If you decide that, you should write it. Just because others believe it doesn’t mean you should.” When word came that a tornado had touched down near Albany, New York, and was barreling straight for us, I figured we had time. One always had time. Albany was what, an hour’s drive away from the Berkshires? How fast could a tornado possibly travel? Quite fast, actually. The irresistible lure of Bigfoot took our group deep into the woods — and to entirely unexpected places. Get Globe Magazine An engaging blend of award-winning narrative journalism, opinion, lifestyle, travel, recipes, and advice. Enter Email Sign Up The wind was frightening now. Advertisement Did I actually detect, carried ever so faintly on the wind, the sound of someone screaming? In the morning, a scene of devastation. Tents strewn everywhere by the tempest. At a picnic table, a group of us gathered over oatmeal and coffee: Scott Ward, 49, a drug and alcohol counselor from Connecticut; Colby Heffernan, 18, a firefighter from Maine; Colby’s father, John, 53, an employee of the Maine Turnpike Authority; Francis “Fran” Culligan, from Connecticut, 60ish; Fran’s son, Frank Jr., in his early 40s; and Josh Earnest, 28, a waste-water treatment plant operator from Stockbridge. Those who’d been out late wore zombified expressions of fatigue. Advertisement Jonathan Wilk, our expedition leader, waded over. “That was probably me you heard yelling last night,” he chuckled. “I was standing in my tent holding on to the corners, trying to keep the whole thing from blowing away.” Michael Hirshon for the Boston Globe Jon was 51 and wore thin glasses, baggy khakis, and a gray T-shirt with the words “Entering Squatchachusetts” on a Massachusetts town sign. He founded “Team Squatchachusetts” in 2006 and is also an investigator for the Bigfoot Field Research Organization, which hosts a half-dozen or so research expeditions every year, costing between $150 and $400 to attend, to suspected Bigfoot habitats across the United States. He had a late-September, hacking cough. As a paramedic with a Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster team on 9/11, he’d spent 40 days inhaling toxic dust at the World Trade Center site and had developed respiratory problems. I’d contacted Jon through the Team Squatchachusetts website, and he’d invited me on his Berkshires expedition, a trip, he said, “deep into the heart of Massachusetts Bigfoot country.” While working on a movie script featuring Bigfoot, I had started seeing branded merch everywhere. On CBD oil and air fresheners. On car polish and coronavirus masks. On scented candles and Nalgene bottles and maple syrup and vile, undrinkable IPAs. Why hadn’t I noticed this before? Advertisement What I really wanted was to understand where Bigfoot came from. What would research reveal about the folklore and anthropological backstory of Bigfoot? Was it an actual zoological possibility or a human-wide cultural delusion, a manifestation of a universal desire to believe in the unbelievable? While I had my doubts about Bigfoot, the point wouldn’t be to prove or disprove whether it existed, but to try and set aside my own convictions, unpeel the oniony layers of belief, and understand something about Bigfooters and the culture that shaped them. I spent the better part of a year going on “expeditions” to suspected Bigfoot haunts across the country, attending conventions and festivals, and taking part in one Bigfoot film shoot. Knowing as little as I did, I thought America itself might poke its head out from behind Bigfoot’s shadow. Massachusetts’s first documented Bigfoot sighting took place in Berkshire County in 1765. The Barrington Beast, as it came to be known, resembled a large bear with a gorilla-like face. It had a habit of breaking into colonists’ homes and making off with food and shiny objects. The trespass of private property being a peculiarly American sacrilege, the creature was captured, transported to Cambridge, and “fixed in a cage” for study, according to one account. The beast had the “appearance of calmness and innocence when observed,” it was said, but “boldness and ferocity when thinking itself unseen.” Somehow it managed to escape and flee back into the wild. In 1865, The North Adams Transcript published several stories about a “wild man” leaping fences and crossing darkened roads. It was blamed for livestock deaths. “Farmers Terrorized!” screamed a typical headline. Again a posse ran it down. It turned out to be a gorilla, presumably on hiatus from a circus. Advertisement And on October 18, 1879, The New York Times printed an article about two hunters who encountered a wild man in the mountains near Williamstown. It was about 5 feet tall, they said, “with very wild eyes,” walked upright, and was covered in bright red fur. Mistaking it for a bear, one of them shot it. “With fierce cries of pain and rage, it turned on its assailants, driving them before it at high speed.” Dropping their guns, the men lit out, vowing never to return. There’s a bunch more. I’m tempted to take such stories at face value, as portents from an unmapped continent. On the other hand, fake news has been with us since the invention of the printing press. Seventeen years after the Barrington Beast, Benjamin Franklin, hoping to stoke revolutionary fervor, published propaganda narratives about rampaging Indians, loyal to the British crown, scalping and torturing American colonists. As with the Barrington Beast, some readers would’ve treated these sensational claims with skepticism. Others would’ve swallowed them whole. After breakfast, our group drove in convoy to the Savoy Mountain State Forest, disembarking near a Civil War graveyard. We were just 20 miles from the Melvilles in Pittsfield, another six from the Hawthornes in Lenox. Advertisement Straining to be heard over a rain-swollen river, Jon told a story that explained what we were doing there: I was a 20-year-old park ranger on my night rounds. When I pulled into this parking lot, a creature ran in front of my headlights. I didn’t know what it was. But I knew it wasn’t a human being and it wasn’t a bear. It turned its whole torso and looked right at me. It had long, golden, flowing hair. I wouldn’t call it fur. It looked...groomed. But it had amber eyes and was about 6 feet tall. What also stood out was its long arms that went down past its knees. When I went to get in my truck, there was another creature behind me in the trees, maybe 30 feet away. But it was much taller. . . It let out a scream that would terrify anyone. I stepped on the gas and didn’t let my foot off until I was 7 or 8 miles down the road. If you’re not prepared for it, seeing a Bigfoot is like a horrible car accident. You feel like, God, I wish I hadn’t seen that. Because it did change my whole life. That was the end of my park ranger career. I couldn’t come back here. I was too scared. Once people find out you’ve had a crazy encounter like that, they razz you pretty hard. There’s a stigma about being a Bigfoot witness. If I hadn’t had that experience, I’d be making fun of people like us too. He found another job, moved, got married, and tried to forget what he’d seen — until an episode of the TV show Finding Bigfoot rekindled his interest. Jon became obsessed. Not an ideologue. His enthusiasm lacked a presumption of certainty, except for one detail: Something was out there. “There isn’t much that can’t be explained as natural phenomena,” he’d told me earlier. “Eyewitnesses are exactly that: eyewitnesses. They’ve made mistakes that have sent people to jail under wrongful convictions. But people are seeing something. I’ve seen something. And I can’t unsee it.” We drove on. Up onto a broad clearing with dramatic views of a north-south valley lying between zigzagging, sun-browned hills. In the brush, wild turkeys squabbled. Jon said all the land we could see had for centuries belonged to the Iroquois — the Mohawk, specifically — whose legends accounted for Bigfoot-like creatures. He didn’t elaborate. But in Giants, Cannibals and Monsters: Bigfoot in Native Culture, author and anthropologist Kathy Moskowitz Strain names three truly horrible beasts in particular: Ot-ne-yar-hed (stonish giant), Tarhuhyiawahku (giant monster), and Ge no sqwa (stone giant). One Ot-ne-yar-hed for instance, with its rock-hard skin impermeable to arrows, ran around the countryside devouring people on sight. Until the Upholder of the Heavens lured him and all other Ot-ne-yar-hed into a cave near Onondaga, in present day New York, and sealed the entrance with a boulder. One managed to escape, seeking “asylum in the regions of the north,” Strain wrote. When we turned to leave, the wild turkeys asserted themselves, squawking maniacally. Colby Heffernan thought they weren’t wild turkeys at all. “The way it called was more of a high-pitched scream,” he said. Jon, sensing the implication, immediately countered, “I think I know most of my wildlife calls, and that sounded like turkeys to me. I’ll call ‘em up here if you want.” Undeterred, Colby said, “This was more like a whoop. We have wild turkeys in Maine. Turkeys make a lot of noise. But turkeys don’t whoop.” His wide-eyed fervor caught on. Others seconded him, affirming that the turkeys didn’t strike them as remotely turkeyish. Some stepped closer to peer into the brush. “It could be something else,” Colby pleaded. “I just wanna know what.” I thought I knew the feeling — the magnetic tug of hidden things. A few years ago, I went bow hunting for elk in Colorado. It was a couchbound dilettante’s heroic fantasy mediated by brawny huntsmen pals. For five days, we circumnavigated the White River National Forest, one of the elkiest places in the United States, never once laying eyes on an elk. We heard them bugling. Heard them thrashing in the trees. But no elk. That’s how it goes. Elk are full of surprises. They’re like Bigfoots, you think, until a herd 50 deep crosses the road behind the Del Taco where you’ve stopped for lunch. Michael Hirshon for the Boston Globe The thrill, needless to say, is in the hunt. But it’s also in wilderness’s capacity to exceed your imagination, literally and metaphorically. We left disappointed, Colby casting wistful, over-the-shoulder glances. Jon whispered to me. “You can see how the imagination can run wild. It could be something or it could not. But they want it to be what they want it to be. And it’s their trip. I’m just here to make sure they don’t get lost or eaten by a bear. I suppose it could be something. But also, could it?” he said. “We’ve got to remind ourselves that we all have Sasquatch on the brain.” Charles Hoy Fort, born in 1874 in Albany, New York, is often credited with inventing our modern notions of the paranormal and supernatural. He combed through old newspapers, clipping bizarre stories and compiling them into books. He was all over the map: ESP, teleportation, strange disappearances, poltergeists, sea monsters, lights in the sky, flying saucers, alien abductions, reincarnation, stigmata, spontaneous human combustion, anomalous footprints, and freak deluges of frogs, rocks, blood, worms, and even “a thousand tons of butter.” He didn’t take much of this seriously. But his books sold well. The New York Times referred to one as “so obscured in the mass of words and quagmire of pseudo-science and queer speculation that the average reader will find himself either buried alive or insane before he reaches the end.” After his death, he became a cultish figure, inspiring a generation of science-hating charlatans, among them Scottish biologist and Bigfooter Ivan T. Sanderson. Unlike Fort, whose influence on pseudoscience was huge, Sanderson claimed to abhor it. Like Fort, he was a world-beating BS-er with contempt for scientists. Sanderson’s outré stories paid the rent. The nuttier the better. Like the time gigantic three-toed footprints materialized on a beach near Tampa in 1948. After a two-week “investigation,” Sanderson declared the tracks had been made by a 15-foot “vast penguin,” a visitor from the Southern latitudes. He’d even seen one himself, he swore, while scouting the Suwannee River. He dubbed it, unoriginally, “Old Three Toes.” Old Three Toes’ tracks appeared on and off for a decade before drying up in 1958. In 1988, the St. Petersburg Times revealed that Old Three Toes had been a sham. A local mechanic named Tony Signorini and a friend, using tools in their auto repair shop, had made three-toed, cast-iron feet with tennis shoes attached. From giant penguins, Sanderson graduated to “wild men,” namely Bigfoot, the story that most fascinated him. In 1961, he published Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come to Life, an exhaustive five-continent romp. The book is as close to a holy writ as Bigfoot literature gets. Not only did the word “cryptozoology” make its debut, but so, in a sense, did Bigfoot. Sanderson “was the first to tell the world about these ‘new’ hairy beasts of the rainforests of California,” says well-known Bigfooter Loren Coleman, referring to giant footprints found near Willow Creek a few years before, educating “a whole new generation of cryptozoologists-in-training,” including Coleman himself. Abominable Snowmen is also where Native folk tales and iconography of shaggy humanoids first became mashed up with the white man’s self-ratifying pseudoscience, fueling a sloppy condensing and transmogrification of Indigenous legends that characterize much of the Bigfoot canon today (we take what we like, discard the rest). The book was the first to report the strange case of “Jacko,” a Bigfooty creature said to have been captured near Yale, British Columbia, in 1884, and interned in the town jail. Coleman thought it was “a local rumor brought to the level of a news story that eventually evolved into a modern fable.” But the alternative reality became a classic of the genre. Coleman’s basic insight was that Jacko was an example of how modern myths find their origin point, acquire narrative gravitas, and get passed down the centuries. Dinner that evening was “campfire foil meal”: a big envelope, filled with sausage and vegetables and McCormick Grill Mates seasoning, sealed tight, then tossed onto the coals. And voilà: a cowboy pot roast. Ingenious. After dark, several of us returned to the state forest. Carrying stacks of wood and a BioLite stove, we climbed to a kind of plateau and built a fire. Beside us was an enormous boulder, perhaps a story tall, balanced menacingly on one edge, hence its name, Balanced Rock. The night felt oppressively dim. “As dark as dark is dark,” said Gary (that’s not his real name — he was concerned about his professional reputation). Our setup, Jon explained, was “a typical bait-type of situation.” We’d make a fire and play music — ”Beethoven, not Cheap Trick” — alerting Bigfoots to our presence. “If they’re around, they’ll come take a look.” Jon thought there were two up here, including a gray-colored “rogue male” with a black patch on his arm. “You can trace eyewitness reports of him from Maine to Massachusetts.” There were also black bears and moose of indeterminate number and ferocity. “Remember,” he said, “we’re not trying to find Sasquatch. That’s not gonna happen. They’re gonna find us.” At one point, guys were scanning the tree line with FLIR thermal imaging cameras, which register infrared “heat” signatures in wavy rainbow outlines. A pair of night-vision goggles was being passed around, courtesy of a Bigfooter who bore an uncanny likeness to the actor Jon Bernthal (a lazy description I’m sticking with). “Bernthal” worked for a federal agency: “I can’t tell you which one, but I’ve got cool toys.” The goggles, he mentioned as he helped holster them awkwardly onto my head, cost $10,000. The world became a swampy green canvas, both beautiful and sinister. “Cool, huh?” Bernthal said. “Now I’ll take them back.” Gary grilled kielbasa, passing wedges around on a paper plate. Soon enough, we were trading Bigfoot stories. Scott said he’d been kayaking once on a reservoir in upstate New York when something in the trees started lobbing fistfuls of stones. Bigfoot was a blip on his radar. “I’d spent a lot of time in the backcountry and never had an experience that swayed me one way or the other.” But something exciting was going on. Red squirrels were chittering away. Songbirds likewise. He beached the kayak to take a look when he suddenly fell ill: nauseated, dizzy. The animals went silent. “I started to feel, I don’t know, crazy. It was like I’d walked through a veil in some transcendental sense. My ears were congested. I couldn’t keep my balance.” He skedaddled. Michael Hirshon for the Boston Globe Gary talked about finding a trackway through the hemlock grove over our shoulders. This was a few years ago. Heavy rain. He was with Jon Wilk and others. For no particular reason, Gary whistled. Something whistled back. A wood knock followed. He and Jon heard rustling. Jon saw movement, a dark figure, and walked toward it. He found a footprint, then another. “I had this feeling like something was hiding from me, watching me,” Gary said. “Not hunting, but it didn’t feel right. There was a feeling in the air like something was afraid of us.” They skedaddled. On the way out, one of their companions started vomiting. Jon too felt off. I always liked hearing firsthand Bigfoot stories. Unlike written accounts, you could more easily take their measure. You could imagine the confusion, the wonder, the pregnant tension, and almost step through the screen into a world of campfire horror. Especially if you happened to be sitting at an actual campfire. What also caught my attention were the strange echoes between Scott’s and Gary’s experiences: the shock of discovery suggesting an entanglement with a sense of validation (“See, I’m not crazy”). The physiological symptoms weren’t incidental, either: sudden nausea and faintness are common during encounters. And both fed a hunger to fill in narrative gaps. It’s an endearing quality of Bigfooting, the endless inquisitiveness, a rejection of easy answers and the traps they held, constantly searching for clarity in the face of inevitable disappointment. Bernthal: “That’s what I don’t understand. How can we not have video of an animal that lives in the woods? It doesn’t add up.” Gary: “It’s always very mysterious, whatever it is. Always blurry and uncertain.” Scott: “I can’t imagine living in a world where we’d figured everything out.” Bernthal: “We wouldn’t be sitting out here if we’d figured it all out.” Josh: “The fact is, nobody has any real idea what Bigfoot is. There’s nothing concrete to back it up. And I’m as far over the line into believing in Bigfoot as you can get without actually seeing one.” Colby: “So much depends on what you believe.” According to recent surveys, more than three-quarters of Americans hold at least one supernatural or paranormal belief: The most common is ghosts and “haunting spirits” (57.7 percent), trailed closely by ancient civilizations like Atlantis (56.9 percent), possession by the devil (42 percent), frequent alien visitation (41.4 percent), extrasensory perception (41 percent), communicating with the dead (29 percent), reincarnation (24 percent), and witches (21 percent). Another common conviction is that “Satan causes most evil in the world” (35.8 percent). That’s roughly how many believe, with some certainty, that US officials were complicit in the 9/11 attacks. Where, I asked, did Bigfoot fit into all this? Gary: “Well, you gotta remember to have a scientific, analytical approach, to rule out everything else first.” Josh: “I try to stay rational. I can’t tell you what it is because I don’t know.” We chewed on that a minute. Bernthal: “I just don’t understand how they disappear the way they do. If it’s a portal, like quantum physics interdimensional stuff, then they must come and go when and where they want. Maybe you only see what they want you to see?” It’s difficult to summarize my feelings about this. We all hold strange beliefs. “Predispositions in human nature can combine with mythological truthiness to make weird beliefs easy to swallow,” wrote cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker. He notes that people tend to divide the world into two distinct zones of belief — what Pinker calls the “reality mind-set” and the “mythology mind-set.” The first comprises the Heideggerian, physical world around us and the tasks and affairs governing our daily lives. It’s what helps us keep gas in the car, money in the bank, beer in the fridge. Helpfully, you can base your behaviors on these beliefs since they’re easily discernible as “true” or “false.” “People have mostly accurate beliefs about this zone, and they reason rationally with it,” Pinker wrote. The other zone — the “mythology mind-set” — is more tenuous. This is the world beyond the physical: “the distant past, the unknowable future, faraway people and places...the cosmic, the counterfactual, the metaphysical.” It’s here that we toy with notions and ponder narratives about the world that we may find enlightening, alarming, or entertaining, but that we have no way of testing or knowing for certain whether are true or false — truth or falsity being irrelevant in this instance. As Pinker says, “The function of these beliefs is to construct a social reality that binds the tribe or sect and gives it a moral purpose.” We tend to keep our mythological beliefs “insulated” from our reality mind-set. In other words, it’s possible to hold beliefs that you don’t treat as factually true. I believe I’m the finest table tennis player who’s ever lived. I also believe that I age imperceptibly faster in my top-floor apartment than the people who live in the basement, as Einstein’s relativity theory proposes. But I don’t behave as though either of these beliefs has any bearing on reality. Fortunately, most folks are like me. Or they’re like the millions of Americans who claimed Hillary Clinton ran a pedophile ring out of a Washington pizzeria and yet they never picked up the phone to call the police: we lack the courage of our convictions. (Only one conspiracist took the next step and showed up at Comet Ping Pong with a loaded assault rifle.) Beliefs that aren’t just demonstrably false but also potentially deadly corrode the most basic standards of decency and democracy. I thought again of Forteanism and wondered if it were possible to set it alongside the more incendiary extremism of QAnon. Both movements were engaged in asymmetrical wars of belief in which gullibility and a willingness to abjure one’s critical faculties — the very criticisms adherents leveled at their establishment adversaries — obtained. But the Balanced Rock crew weren’t fringe weirdos. They struck me as curious, honorable guys searching for understanding and connection. Belief for them had as much to do with communal identity as with an animating sense of wonder. That was the heart of it, I thought: pals. Plain are the consolations of solidarity, or in today’s parlance, the immunity of the herd. The night wore on. Around 1 o’clock, we began getting restless. By “we,” I mean “I.” But eventually others also talked of packing it in. We had gambled on Balanced Rock and lost. And then, abruptly, a sighting. Four Bigfooters had tramped down trail, back to where we’d parked. They were returning along one side of the narrow path when Scott and Frank Jr. heard movement in the trees. When they turned to look, their headlamps converged. In that split second, Frank Jr. saw something. A head and torso. Standing in the snarled bush. Not a bear. Not a moose. On two legs. Gone. Colby and Fran scrambled over. They all shut off their headlamps to listen. They heard what sounded like footfalls trodding uphill and away. All this Colby and Frank Jr. spat out when they dashed back to the fire. “On the other side of Balanced Rock!” “As we were coming back up the trail!” “Fifty yards away!” “Standing upright and looking right at us!” “No, it wasn’t a bear!” The drama of the moment deleted chunks of data. What I recall is we backtracked to the spot of Frank Jr.’s sighting, found squat, walked down a little gorge into a riverbed where a log hung across a rocky torrent, negotiated the log inch by slithering inch, stumbled, fell, got wet, scrambled ashore to much guffawing, walked on, boots squelching, caked in slimy mud, Colby doggedly out ahead of us, urging, striking up a gravel path that turned out to be the one we’d followed in, the sight of our cars, crowding inside, giddy and exhausted, the luxury of warm air and store-bought chocolate chip cookies, headed out, a sliver of moonlight, the earth traveling around the sun. Author John O'Connor will discuss his book at a couple of Boston area bookstores in early February. For details, check the end of the story. The following morning, I said goodbye to the Balanced Rock crew and headed north to Whitehall, New York, at the southern tip of Lake Champlain, for the 2021 Sasquatch Festival and Calling Contest. Sandwiched between rich agricultural land and the 5,000-square-mile Adirondack Mountains, Whitehall had the hardscrabble appeal of a New England fishing village. The festival was a testament to local ingenuity, part of a multipronged effort to forestall the economic atomization of flyover country. Later, Gary texted to say that he and Colby had found something interesting in the ground behind Balanced Rock: a 16- to-17-inch-long footprint. “Let’s just say the evidence lined up with the story from that night!” They’d made a plaster cast. Gary sent a photo of it. To me, it looked like an oversized shoeprint. But such photos are rarely revealing. I called Jon for his input. “I have my doubts. I think it’s a double-bear print. But I’m not here to crush anybody’s dreams. I want to help people on their journey. You saw something? God bless you.” I called Gary. “The cast looked good when we were pouring it. You could clearly see toes. A bear came up as a thought. But black bears don’t weigh much more than we do, and this was thickly rooted hard ground, so whatever this was, it was very heavy. I can maybe see how an expert might look at it and think it’s a bear print. But that doesn’t discount the fact that a couple of folks heard something, and one person saw something.” They’d found other tracks right where Frank Jr.’s creature would’ve been standing, suggesting something bipedal. “From that angle, it would’ve had a direct line of sight to our fire. If something wanted to watch us, that’s where they would’ve done it from.” He knew Jon was dubious. “When you take in the geography of the place, triangulate it the right way, piece all of it together, the evidence adds up,” Gary said. “While I can’t say it definitely was a Bigfoot, I also can’t say it definitely wasn’t.” He spoke again of having a scientific approach. “I feel like a scientist who says there’s a mix of nitrogen and oxygen on a distant celestial body. Even though we’ve never seen it up close, the evidence suggests it should be there. In the same way, it’s fascinating and humbling to think that something like this could be right under our noses. Sort of like UFOs. There’s a lot we don’t know. I’m open-minded to all of it.” An argument was taking place in my head: I’d seen diddly to suggest that Bigfoot resided in the Berkshires. What I’d experienced instead was the intoxicating power of belief, a power that’s in all of us. At the same time, one need not be kissed before falling in love. Bigfoot may or may not be real, I thought, but either way, there’s something profoundly true about the feelings it evinces. John O’Connor is a journalist and writer in Cambridge. This story is adapted from his forthcoming book, The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster, available for preorder. Copyright 2024 by John O’Connor. Reprinted by permission of Sourcebooks. All rights reserved. Send comments to magazine@globe.com. EVENTS: O’Connor will be the featured author at the Brookline Booksmith on February 6 at 7 p.m., and at Copper Dog Books in Beverly on February 7 at 6 p.m.

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6sports

Red Sox lose out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who reportedly agrees with Dodgers on $325 million deal

Politics Red Sox lose out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who reportedly agrees with Dodgers on $325 million deal The Red Sox were one of the handful of teams who met with the Japanese phenom. FILE - Japan's Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers a pitch during the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Mexico on March 20, 2023, in Miami. Yamamoto, the most prized pitcher on the free-agent market, has agreed to a $325 million, 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to multiple reports. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File) AP LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prized free-agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a $325 million, 12-year contract, according to multiple reports. Yamamoto is set to join Japanese countryman Shohei Ohtani with the Dodgers, who signed the two-way superstar to a record $700 million, 10-year deal last week. The Dodgers did not confirm the agreement with Yamamoto on Thursday night. MLB.com and ESPN were among the outlets citing anonymous sources in reporting the deal. The New York Yankees and New York Mets were among the many clubs that pursued Yamamoto. It’s the third major pitching coup for the NL West champion Dodgers this offseason. In addition to Ohtani, the team signed right-hander Tyler Glasnow to a $136.5 million, five-year contract after he was traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to Los Angeles. Advertisement: Ohtani made a video pitch to Glasnow to join him in Hollywood. “It was important to Shohei that this wasn’t the one move we were going to make,” Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman said at Ohtani’s introductory news conference last week. Yamamoto was 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA this season, striking out 169 and walking 28 in 164 innings. He is 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA in seven seasons with the Orix Buffaloes. Yamamoto struck out a Japan Series-record 14 in a Game 6 win over Hanshin on Nov. 5, throwing a 138-pitch complete game. Orix went on to lose Game 7. Orix posted the 25-year-old right-hander on Nov. 20 and Major League Baseball teams had until Jan. 4 to sign him. Yamamoto’s deal with the Dodgers would be the largest and longest ever guaranteed to a big league pitcher. Ohtani was a two-time AL MVP with the Los Angeles Angels before becoming a free agent this offseason and moving to the Dodgers. Yamamoto pitched his second career no-hitter, the 100th in Japanese big league history, on Sept. 9 for the Buffaloes against the Lotte Marines. The game, watched by MLB executives, extended his scoreless streak to 42 innings. A two-time Pacific League MVP, Yamamoto also threw a no-hitter against the Seibu Lions on June 18 last year. His fastball averaged 95 mph and topped out at 96.6 mph in Japan’s semifinal win over Mexico at the World Baseball Classic in March. He threw 20 fastballs, 19 splitters, six curveballs, six cutters and one slider in a 3 1/3-inning relief outing. Batters swung at 11 of his splitters and missed four. Advertisement: Following hard-throwing 21-year-old sensation Roki Sasaki, Yamamoto gave up two runs and three hits in 3 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks, allowing Alex Verdugo’s RBI double. Yamamoto was charged with a second run when Isaac Paredes hit an RBI single off Atsuki Yuasa. Under the MLB-NPB agreement, the posting fee will be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would be a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.

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4politics

Springfield mayoral candidate Justin Hurst accuses opponent of trying to steal election by accusing him of paying for votes

SPRINGFIELD – Mayoral candidate Justin J. Hurst vehemently denied accusations his campaign paid people $10 to vote for him, calling the allegations a coordinated effort by his opponent to steal the election. The 10-year city councilor held a press conference Thursday morning to address claims that he and a campaign volunteer recruited people near the Worthington Street shelter on Saturday, drove them to the polls and then paid them $10 after they returned with an “I voted early” sticker. Hurst is in a head-to-head race with long-time Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, following a five-way preliminary election where the mayor came on top with 47.8% of the vote and Hurst followed with 28.8% of the ballots. Election Day is Tuesday, but the city has held early voting daily, starting on Oct. 25 and ending Friday. “Any accusations that my team paid residents in exchange for their vote is unequivocally false and nothing more than a last-minute smear campaign by an administration that is vulnerable for the first time in 16 years,” Hurst said. Surveillance cameras outside City Hall recorded Hurst dropping voters off at the polls and one of his volunteers handing out $10 bills on Saturday, when early voting was taking place. Hurst pushed back at what the video shows. “I don’t see anything germane to us buying votes in it,” he said. His campaign offers supporters with limited transportation rides to the polls and brings them home after they vote. The practice is common among many candidates’ organizations and Hurst said he has done it in the past when running for the council. “We don’t give out money in exchange for votes. I don’t know how much clearer I can be,” Hurst said. But city officials said the allegations are not simply based on camera footage of Hurst giving rides to residents. The video shows Gilfrey T. Gregory, peeling off bills for voters outside City Hall. Gregory, who is a convicted felon, said in an earlier interview that he often hands out money to people who need help and denied paying for votes. Hurst came to Gregory’s defense, saying the man has turned his life around, as have many disfranchised people he hopes to assist if elected as mayor. “That gentleman is a volunteer for our campaign. That gentleman has volunteered on many campaigns. That particular gentleman has spent more time in prison than he has spent out, but he is a good man,” Hurst said. “We’re running a campaign that is inclusive. We know that individuals struggle. We know that. But we also know that people want to make sure that they can turn their pain into purpose.” How it began Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola-Lopez first reported suspicious activity during Saturday’s early voting to the mayor’s office. Staff referred her to City Solicitor John Payne, who is also a retired judge, Sarno said in a written statement. “These allegations are very serious and upsetting to me,” Sarno said. “Voting is a sacred trust and should be treated as such. The integrity of our elections must be protected.” Payne said he has reviewed the surveillance video footage and the affidavits. Based on what he saw, he called for the Hampden District Attorney’s Office to launch a criminal investigation. Officials for District Attorney Anthony Gulluni have declined to comment about the allegations or a possible investigation. Several election workers, as well as a police officer who was providing security at the polls, also signed affidavits. They said in those sworn statements that voters asked where they would get their $10 — along with other questionable comments. Hurst said he hasn’t seen the affidavits and said the first time he heard of the allegations was when a reporter for The Republican called him Wednesday. “The use of municipal resources and employees, all of whom are hired and paid by the mayor, to investigate voter fraud in a hotly contested race that he is running is flat out wrong,” Hurst said. He added that it is suspicious that the allegations are being reported five days before Tuesday’s election and by a newspaper that endorsed his opponent. “These allegations are deliberately designed to distract voters who want answers from the current mayor as to why their taxes have gone up eight of the last eight straight years and will go up again this year,” Hurst said. He also brought up other issues he has been hammering the mayor on for months, such as the $90 trash fee all residents pay, questions about financial mismanagement and claims that much of the $123.8 million in federal pandemic recovery money the city has received has gone to businesses that support Sarno. In the last month, the two have been campaigning hard, between grassroots efforts and advertising on television, radio and on websites. The most recent campaign finance reporting shows that as of Tuesday, Sarno had $70,000 at the end of the preliminary election in September and raised about $85,800 this month. He spent $124,000 and has a balance of about $32,000. Hurst missed the Wednesday deadline to submit his monthly finance report to the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance. He ended the preliminary election with just under $4,000 in the bank and in an earlier interview said he had raised enough money to do the outreach his campaign needs to win. He accused Sarno of “running scared” and said the mayoral race will not be decided by an established candidate spending a lot of money, since many people are looking for change. “The assumption that if you are Black, Brown, or poor and decide to exercise your right to vote that you are being paid in return is exactly why we are in desperate need of change,” Hurst said. If elected, Hurst will be the city’s first Black mayor.

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3entertainment

WordleBots New Preferred Opening Word: Trace

In our recent analysis of 515 million Wordle games played over a year, we noted that a few changes would soon be coming to WordleBot’s dictionary. As of today, those changes are now live — including a new opening word in both regular and hard mode. WordleBot plays no role in the words selected to be Wordle solutions and doesn’t know the solutions. But, unlike human players, who are free to guess just about every five-letter word in the English language — 14,855 of them — we’ve limited the bot to a smaller set of roughly 4,500 relatively common words to choose from when making its guesses and recommendations. We listened to feedback from readers who wanted certain words added (like BARRE and MOREL and MERCH) and certain ones deleted (PWNED has been owned, and EGADS to YEESH; all three are out). We also have new data on reader guesses that has helped us get a feel for which words are more familiar to more people. Perhaps the most noticeable effect of all these changes will be that, starting today, the bot’s preferred opening guess has shifted — ever so slightly — to TRACE, from SLATE. And in hard mode, the bot’s favorite word is now neither TRACE, nor SLATE, but TROPE.

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4politics

Lawrence City Councilor-Elect Fidelina Santiago accused of voter fraud

A Lawrence city councilor-elect is among two women indicted by a grand jury on voter fraud charges connected to the November 2023 local election, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday evening. Lawrence District A Councilor-Elect Fidelina Santiago was indicted on four counts each of illegal voting or attempt to vote, conspiracy to vote or attempt to vote illegally, unlawful interference with voters, and obstruction of voting, the district attorney’s office said in a news release. A woman named Jennifer Lopez was also indicted on the same counts. Santiago did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the charges Thursday morning. The district attorney’s office did not say what the women did to warrant the charges, but said the investigation into the women was sparked by a referral from the Secretary of State’s Office about “concerning allegations of fraudulent voting associated with the November 2023 local election.” “Interfering with an election not only undermines the legitimacy of government but erodes the public’s confidence in the process. My office will vigorously prosecute individuals that threaten the integrity of elections,” Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said in the release. In November, NBC10 Boston reported that the district attorney’s office was investigating voter fraud related to Ring camera footage that appeared to show a woman removing ballots from a man’s mailbox in Lawrence. It is unclear whether the footage is related to the charges against Santiago and Lopez. According to the city of Lawrence’s official election results, Santiago beat her opponent, Vladimir Acevado, by about 16 points on Nov. 7. Her Facebook profile says she is from the Dominican Republic, that she studied medicine there, and that she also attended Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill. “Your voice matters, and your vote can make a difference. By casting your ballot, you are actively shaping the future of our community. Let’s come together, exercise our civic duty, and ensure that our voices are heard,” she wrote in one post this fall. WCVB-TV reported that Santiago is set to be sworn in as a city councilor in less than two weeks, but that the charges shouldn’t affect her inauguration. The station spoke to Lawrence City Council President Marc Laplante, who said he will wait for more information on what happened before passing judgement. “Those allegations and the indictments are serious. There’s no question about that. But, again, let’s not leap to what we all think could or could not be happening,” Laplante said.

ec63bc1c758c8be4c0d2e1103320e9cc

4politics

Ron DeSantiss Campaign Trail Quirk: The Word Do

All humans have oddities in the ways they speak. But those of presidential candidates are exposed more than most. All day, the candidates talk. And talk. And talk. Sometimes in scripted stump speeches, sometimes in off-the-cuff remarks to voters and the news media. And few talk more than Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who, in trying to make up his deficit in the polls, will on a typical day host five events for voters, sit for three interviews on television and hold a gaggle with reporters. Over the weeks and months on the campaign trail, one of Mr. DeSantis’s most curious verbal quirks has become clear: the way he sometimes uses the word “do.” During a CNN debate last week, Mr. DeSantis pledged to help seniors afford prescription drugs. “I want seniors to be able to do,” he said.

1b0464fa65af4bcf493ee922d84def52

6sports

How to watch Falcons vs. Saints for free, with division title in reach for Atlanta

BOSTON — The Celtics had an interesting quirk in their schedule this week as they hosted two teams over the course of four games. They first had a two-game set against the Cavaliers then another mini-series hosting the Magic over the course of a jam-packed six days. There was likely plenty of juice that could have come from those games against two playoff-caliber opponents. The Cavs could’ve made a statement, though they’ve struggled recently. The Magic explained thoroughly that they have a chip on their shoulders whenever they play the Celtics (with an assist to Eddie House there). Still, all of those factors didn’t mean much for the Celtics. They came away with a perfect 4-0 week, taking care of their opponents in impressive fashion. They blew out the Magic again 114-97 on Sunday to tack onto the win streak. The C’s are not only 20-5 on the season, but they’re still perfect at home at 14-0. And Jayson Tatum said he doesn’t want anybody to take away from what they just accomplished. 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. “What we did this week was impressive, I feel like,” he said. “I’m not certain that last year we would have won all these games. But playing two really good teams that present different challenges; teams that, especially Orlando, we struggled with in the past. Especially Friday, we had three bigs out and the way that we played in that game, we figured out a way to win. Winning these four games at home, I don’t know what everybody else thought, but it was impressive and I was proud of the way we played.” The Celtics impressed in the way they won those games. They dug out of an early hole against the Cavaliers in Game 1. Then they went out early in Game 2 vs. Cleveland, fending them off as the Celtics didn’t let the visitors get too close. In Game 1 against Orlando, the Celtics were missing three big men but still blew them out. Then Jaylen Brown dominated Sunday in the Game 2 win over the Magic. Interestingly, the Celtics are 20-5 and at a similar point when they went on their West Coast trip last December. Back then, they were powered by some hot 3-point shooting. This season, the wins have been more sustainable as the Celtics aren’t shooting lights out. And all that’s left is to keep building on those victories. “I’ve been on enough teams, and we was 20-5 at this point last year,” Tatum said. “So it’s not like we weren’t good. But I think there’s just certain moments throughout the season. We just had two playoff series, kind of, and I think the way we just responded from game-to-game. We played four games in six days and to win how we did it, I feel like was impressive.”

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1crime

Classmate sexually assaulted girl on Boston school bus, family says in lawsuit

A family is suing Boston's public school district and a bus company, alleging that their 9-year-old girl was repeatedly sexually assaulted by another child on a bus. The lawsuit, filed against Boston Public Schools and transportation company Transdev Services, alleges that a student of the Match Charter Public School was repeatedly assaulted on the bus over the course of seven months during the last school year. Morgan & Morgan, the law firm representing the family, announced the lawsuit Friday. "This 9-year-old girl was raped repeatedly on her school bus on the way home from school by an 11-year-old boy who was her classmate," attorney Nina Bonelli said at a news conference. According to the lawsuit, the assaults occurred "just a few feet from the bus monitor and bus driver." Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters. Bonelli and fellow attorney Alexander Zodikoff said in a statement shared by Morgan & Morgan that the lawsuit "alleges that it was the failure of Boston Public Schools and Transdev to follow their own policies that directly led to this young child's assault." Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors. The complaint says that, despite a Transdev requirement that video record the buses at all times, no footage existed. Asked about the lawsuit, a representative for Boston Public Schools said the district "took all the available and appropriate steps possible" after learning of the allegations. "Boston Public Schools' top priority is the safety of our young people," district spokesperson Max Baker said in a statement Friday. "Our jurisdiction to take action is limited when it comes to students who do not attend a Boston Public School but still utilize BPS buses, and we were devastated to learn of this disturbing alleged incident five months after it occurred." He also noted that the district's Department of Transportation gave all available information to the charter school the girl attended, "which is legally responsible for investigating all incidents of impropriety regarding their students." Footage from Boston Public Schools' school bus security cameras is stored, but not permanently, according to the district, and when the allegations were brought to the district, recordings from the dates in question were no longer available. Match Charter Public School, which has three campuses, functions as its own school district. It has 1,250 across its elementary, middle and high school campuses, according to its website.

b3e8533c611e3bc0f5aa74243fefea1e

6sports

NFL picks for wild-card weekend

The Memphis Tigers, appearing in its 10th straight bowl game, take on the Iowa State Cyclones in the Liberty Bowl. The Tigers are 9-3 while the Cyclones are 7-5, having won six Big 12 games. Memphis, which had the AAC’s No. 2 scoring offense (39.7 ppg), is led by 1,000-yard rusher Blake Watson. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht is the Big 12 offensive freshman of the year. The Cylcones are 1-2 in the Liberty Bowl. Fans looking to watch this college football bowl game can do so for free on fuboTV, which offers a free trial (as well as RedZone, for you NFL fans) or on DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial. SlingTV has promotional offers available, as well. Through the end of 2023, fuboTV is also offering $20 off the first two months of subscription (in addition to the 7-day free trial). Who: Memphis vs. Iowa State When: Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET Where: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee Stream: fuboTV (free trial); or Sling; or DirecTV Stream Tickets: StubHub and *VividSeats Gear: Shop around for jerseys, shirts, hats, hoodies and more at Fanatics.com Sports Betting Promos: Football 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: Memphis is playing Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl for the second time since 2017. The Tigers have a chance for some payback after losing that game by a point. Memphis needs a victory on its home field for just the fifth season in school history with at least 10 wins and the fourth since 2014. Iowa State is 1-2 all-time in this bowl. The Cyclones are trying to finish winning three of their final four. They upset then-No. 19 Kansas State 42-35 in the regular season finale. Iowa State is playing in its sixth bowl since Matt Campbell took over as coach. WHAT’S AT STAKE? With a victory, Memphis can post just the fifth season in school history with at least 10 wins and the fourth since 2014. The Tigers also can get a little payback after losing this bowl to Iowa State 21-20 in 2017. The Iowa State Cyclones are 1-2 all-time in this bowl. Iowa State is looking to finish winning three of its final four and comes in having upset then-No. 19 Kansas State 42-35 in the regular season finale. KEY MATCHUP Iowa State’s opportunistic defense against a Memphis offense that averaged 39.2 points a game this season. The Cyclones ranked fifth in the NCAA picking off 16 passes and tied for 18th nationally with a plus-8 turnover differential. PLAYERS TO WATCH Iowa State: QB Rocco Becht is the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and has school freshman records with 20 touchdown passes and 2,674 yards passing that had been held by Brock Purdy, now in the NFL with San Francisco. Becht also has the freshman mark with 209 completions in 12 career starts. Memphis: Seth Henigan is the third-youngest starting quarterback at 20 in FBS this season. He comes in needing to throw for 321 yards for a school record, and he already has 17 300-yard passing games and five 400-yard passing games that are the most in program history. He ranks 10th averaging 293.2 yards passing per game and 11th with 3,519 yards passing for the season. He is ninth averaging 313.8 yards in total offense per game. FACTS & FIGURES Iowa State is playing its sixth bowl game with coach Matt Campbell, a big improvement for a program that had made 12 bowl appearances in its 124 seasons. ... Memphis is one of nine teams in FBS with nine or more straight bowl appearances, a group that includes Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and Iowa. ... Iowa State is 7-2 all-time against American Athletic Conference teams. The Cyclones are 1-5 all-time in games played in Tennessee, including 1-3 in Memphis. ... Memphis has won 87 games since 2014, 16th-most nationally in that span and most among AAC schools. ... Memphis has scored 20 or more points in 26 straight games for the longest active streak nationally. ... Memphis has forced at least one turnover in 24 of the last 30 games with 54 takeaways in that span. ... Iowa State has won 20 straight games when leading at halftime and is 41-5 when leading at the half under Campbell. The Associated Press contributed to this article

3eb9e8f40d9e0de339b29873126c326b

4politics

A snowstorm in Iowa is hindering Republicans campaign plans.

A storm that is forecast to dump close to a foot of snow in parts of Iowa on Monday and Tuesday is upending the campaigning plans of some candidates as they try to make the most of the last week before the Republican caucuses. Nikki Haley, who has been rising in the polls and is trying to establish herself over Ron DeSantis as the definitive alternative to former President Donald J. Trump, had to cancel an event in Sioux City on Monday because of “travel difficulties.” Mr. Trump’s campaign “indefinitely postponed” an event in Ottumwa for the same reason. Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, and his daughter Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the state’s current governor and former White House press secretary, had been scheduled to appear on the former president’s behalf but couldn’t make it to Iowa because of the storm. The actress Roseanne Barr withdrew from a Trump campaign event scheduled for Tuesday, too. That event — in Boone, Iowa, about 40 miles north of Des Moines — will still be held, but with a far less prominent headliner, the former acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker.

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1crime

4 facing charges in Kowloon restaurant brawl on Thanksgiving eve

Three men and a woman have been charged in a fight that erupted the night before Thanksgiving at iconic Saugus, Massachusetts, restaurant Kowloon, police said Thursday. Saugus police identified the four people and the charges they face, and noted that a report was being prepared for the Saugus Board of Selectmen about the incident. That report wasn't available as of Thursday morning. The four people facing charges are: Rosaria Sophia McCauly, 32, of North Reading — she faces two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous and a count of disorderly conduct Arnold John Carey Marujo, 19, of Somerville — he faces an underage drinking charge and disorderly conduct Donovan Clark, 19, of Lynn — he faces an underage drinking charge, disorderly conduct and assault and battery Anthony John Micelli, 35, North Reading — he faces charges of assault and battery and disorderly conduct Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters. The four were due to face their charges at Lynn District Court. It wasn't immediately clear if they had attorneys who could speak to the charges. No arrests have been made but an investigation remains ongoing into the fight at Kowloon Restaurant. This breaking news story will be updated with more information.

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6sports

Westfield wrestling lands seven pins, rallies past Holyoke, 51-27

WESTFIELD – The Westfield High School boys wrestling team started off slow in its first dual meet of the 2023-24 season. The Bombers finished at a blistering pace. Westfield exploded for seven pins – three of which came in the first 30 seconds – to defeat Holyoke, 51-27, Tuesday night at home.

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3entertainment

Ready to Love season 9 premiere: How to watch on OWN for free Jan. 12

“Ready to Love” shows up in Fort Worth, where Nephew Tommy guides a new roster of singles on their journey to find love in season 9 premiering on Friday, January 12. Season 9 will premiere at 8 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on OWN. Viewers looking to stream it live can do so by using Philo, fuboTV or DirecTV Stream. All three streaming platforms offer free trials. According to a description of the show from OWN, “Ready to Love,” is “a dating series that explores the real-life dating interactions of sexy, successful and grown black men and women in their 30s and 40s who are each looking for lasting love and an authentic relationship.” It’s a unique twist on a typical dating show, which highlights the men’s observations and experiences in the search for true love. The show is hosted by Thomas “Nephew Tommy” Miles. How can I watch “Ready to Love” without cable? Season 9 will premiere at 8 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on OWN. Viewers looking to stream it live can do so by using Philo, fuboTV or DirecTV Stream. All three streaming platforms offer free trials. What is Philo? Philo is an over-the-top internet live TV streaming service that offers 60+ entertainment and lifestyle channels, like AMC, BET, MTV, Comedy Central and more, for the budget-friendly price of $25/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.

7fe25aa8e73d43ada763cd4dd6748eb2

0business

Sports Illustrated Thrown Into Chaos With Mass Layoffs

Some Sports Illustrated staff members received emails with immediate layoff notices, while others were told in further Zoom meetings that they would keep their jobs for at least 90 days. (Roughly 100 journalists work for Sports Illustrated.) Arena Group’s executives told Sports Illustrated staff members they planned on continuing to publish the magazine and website, despite having their license to operate the publication revoked. But it was not immediately clear how that would work. It was also unclear whether the magazine’s owner, Authentic Brands Group, would strike a new agreement with the Arena Group or find a new company to operate it. But it seems certain that even if Sports Illustrated survives in some form, it will be severely diminished. The mood among staff members in the wake of the layoff announcement was a mix of anger, frustration and confusion. Journalists at Sports Illustrated texted and messaged one another on Slack, unsure in some cases who had been laid off, and what the ultimate fate of the magazine would be. For decades, Sports Illustrated was a weekly must-read for sports fans and a financial engine for the Time Inc. empire. It once had over three million subscribers, and its writing, reporting and photography were considered the pinnacle of sports journalism. Landing on the cover was the most coveted endorsement an athlete could receive, even well into the television and internet eras. And its annual swimsuit issue was a pop culture phenomenon. “I think it is one of the best magazines to ever exist, with some of the best photographers, writers and editors that have ever been in one building,” said Rick Reilly, who for years wrote the magazine’s popular backpage column. He added, “If it is really dead, it has kind of been dying.”

6ce02c5af52760e42d827540c6eafc18

6sports

Bailey Zappes secret to success: Sat behind a computer and just stared at a screen

How did Bailey Zappe and the New England Patriots offense go from getting shut out to scoring three touchdowns in a half in just four days? The quarterback says it may have had something to do with all the film he watched ahead of Thursday night’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 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. Zappe was invited on set with Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football Crew to discuss the Patriots’ third win of the season, which featured him throwing three touchdowns in the first half. Analyst (and former All-Pro corner) Richard Sherman asked what had changed between Zappe’s start on Sunday and his start in Pittsburgh. Zappe said it came down to film study on the computer -- since the Patriots had so little onfield practice time with the short week. “We didn’t really get much physical reps. So the only thing I did was sat behind a computer and just stared at a screen the last two days, three days,” Zappe said. “So I might transfer that over to the next few weeks.” Zappe went 19-of-28 through the air for 240 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, good for a 115.2 passer rating. The second-year quarterback was asked what the key was to his strong performance. In true Patriots fashion, Zappe deferred to his teammates, including tight end Hunter Henry, who was also on the Amazon Prime Video set. He also hinted at a key piece of advice he’d gotten from Bill Belichick. “I mean, just give it to my playmakers like this guy,” Zappe said, gesturing to Henry. “Just doing the best I can to give the ball to them. Coach Belichick always says, ‘We can’t make yards until I get rid of the ball.’ So just give it to these guys, give it to them, let them go make plays and that was the mindset of this game.” Zappe’s strong performance helped the Patriots improve to 3-10 on the season. Next up, it’s a Week 15 home game against the Kansas City Chiefs. We’ll find out if Zappe keeping his nose in the computer will keep his strong play going.

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4politics

New Trump Cases Shadowed by Rocky Relationship With Supreme Court

Indeed, the Trump administration had the worst Supreme Court record of any since at least the Roosevelt administration, according to data developed by Lee Epstein and Rebecca L. Brown, law professors at the University of Southern California, for an article in Presidential Studies Quarterly. “Whether Trump’s poor performance speaks to the court’s view of him and his administration or to the justices’ increasing willingness to check executive authority, we can’t say,” the two professors wrote in an email. “Either way, though, the data suggest a bumpy road for Trump in cases implicating presidential power.” Now another series of Trump cases are at the court or on its threshold: one on whether he enjoys absolute immunity from prosecution, another on the viability of a central charge in the federal election-interference case and the third, from Colorado, on whether he was barred from another term under the 14th Amendment. The cases pose distinct legal questions, but earlier decisions suggest they could divide the court’s conservative wing along a surprising fault line: Mr. Trump’s appointees have been less likely to vote for him in some politically charged cases than Justice Clarence Thomas, who was appointed by the first President Bush, and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who was appointed by the second one. In his speech at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, Mr. Trump spoke ruefully about his three appointees: Justices Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, suggesting that they had betrayed him to establish their independence.

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6sports

Jayson Tatum working out with Celtics legend during offseason

Jayson Tatum has spent a large chunk of his summer documenting his offseason as he prepares for a pivotal season for the Celtics. Recently, Tatum spent some time working out in Los Angeles alongside long-time trainer Drew Hanlan. However, a clip shows there was a special attendee at some of those workouts: Hall of Fame forward Paul Pierce. “Watching JT sharpen those tools, seeing what greatness looks like,” Pierce said in Tatum’s Instagram clip. DraftKings Massachusetts $150 Bonus Bets! CLAIM OFFER 21+. Physically present in MA. Eligibility restrictions apply. Valid 1 per new customer. First-time depositors only who have not already redeemed $200 in bonus bets via OH or MA prelaunch offer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 bet. $200 issued as bonus bets that expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded. See terms at http://draftkings.com/ma. Pierce has been a vocal supporter of Pierce throughout his career, putting him in some lofty franchise company over this past season. “I’m seeing his game mature right before our eyes,” Pierce said of Tatum. “He’s a lot stronger. He’s playing with a lot more confidence. The way he’s passing the ball. He’s doing a better job getting to the free throw line. He’s rebounding the ball at a high level. I already know what he’s doing as a scorer. If he can continue to play like this, sky’s the limit for him. He should be able to bring home that MVP trophy. More importantly, he’d rather bring home a championship than an MVP trophy ... he could end up the greatest Celtic to ever put on that uniform. I’m telling you, that’s what I see. He’s got that type of potential.” Tatum will be working with a revamped roster in Boston this season after the team traded away Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis this offseason. Brad Stevens is clearly making a bet on Tatum’s offensive upside by trying to place more dangerous parts around him on that side of the floor. Whether Tatum can follow in Pierce’s footsteps and bring the Celtics a title remains to be seen but it certainly should be encouraging for Celtics fans to see him spending time with one of the top scorers in team history.

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3entertainment

How to Watch The Masked Singer Holiday Sing-Along special for free on FOX

“The Masked Singer” will celebrate the holidays with a look back at the best moments from Season 10 in a special holiday episode airing on Tuesday, December 12. The special episode of season 10 will air at 8 p.m. EST on FOX. Viewers looking to stream the episode can do so by using FuboTV and DirecTV Stream. Both streaming services offer seven-day free trials when you sign up for a new account. The new episode will feature all-new jaw-dropping surprise performances from Season 10 contestants. The show is a “singing competition guessing game based on Korean format King of Mask Singer. Twelve celebrity performers wear costumes to conceal identities. One singer is eliminated each week and unmasked. Small hints are given for the viewer guess along, IMDB said. Here is a look at “The Masked Singer” from The Masked Singers YouTube channel: How can I watch “The Masked Singer” without cable? The special episode of season 10 will air at 8 p.m. EST on FOX. Viewers looking to stream the episode can do so by using FuboTV and DirecTV Stream. Both streaming services offer seven-day free trials when you sign up for a new account. 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 Stream? 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.

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4politics

Trump Turns on Ramaswamy Just Days Before the Iowa Caucuses

Former President Donald J. Trump attacked Vivek Ramaswamy, who is most closely aligned with him in the race for the Republican nomination, accusing the wealthy entrepreneur of engaging in “deceitful campaign tricks.” "A vote for Vivek is a vote for the ‘other side’ — don’t get duped by this,” Mr. Trump said on social media, adding that “Vivek is not MAGA.” An hour earlier, a senior adviser for Mr. Trump, Chris LaCivita, also attacked Mr. Ramaswamy on social media as a “fraud” in response to a photo showing supporters of Mr. Ramaswamy wearing shirts displaying Mr. Trump’s mug shot that said “Save Trump, vote Vivek.” The attacks from Mr. Trump and one of his top aides in quick succession suggest that the Trump campaign has deliberately shifted toward attacking Mr. Ramaswamy in the final days before Monday’s Iowa caucuses.

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6sports

Matt Poitras not an option for Bruins vs. Penguins

Matt Poitras’ World Juniors tournament came to a heartbreaking end when Team Canada was upset by Czechia in the quarterfinals round. Czechia scored in the final 11 seconds to move on, while Team Canada was sent packing. The Bruins rookie will now return to Boston a little earlier than expected, but it’s unclear exactly when that will happen. “Don’t know yet,” coach Jim Montgomery told reporters after Wednesday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “I think he’s traveling back today. He won’t be an option for the next game. And then we’ll start discussing integration back into the lineup.” 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. Boston hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday for its first home game of 2024 as it looks to continue its hot streak since the holiday break. They play at TD Garden again Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning before going on a four-game road trip that begins with the Colorado Avalanche and ends with the St. Louis Blues. Poitras had a four-point tournament (two goals, two assists) for Team Canada and was on the ice for the final goal in Tuesday’s loss. While his time in Sweden was cut short, Poitras will now be able to return with what he learned about playing in big games and big moments. He was in a bit of a slump before his departure, but playing at the World Juniors might have been beneficial for the rookie for a number of reasons. There will need to be a roster move made when Poitras returns, as well. But that’s a bridge the Bruins and Montgomery will cross when the time comes.

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3entertainment

Andre Braugher Died of Lung Cancer, His Publicist Says

Andre Braugher, the Emmy-winning actor who died this week at 61, was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago before succumbing to the disease, his longtime publicist, Jennifer Allen, said on Thursday. When Ms. Allen confirmed his death this week, she said he had died after a brief illness. A 2014 profile by The New York Times Magazine said that Mr. Braugher was intensely private and “stopped drinking alcohol and smoking years ago.” Though he had an expansive career, Mr. Braugher was best known for his roles as a stoic, composed police officer on “Homicide: Life on the Street,” the 1990s NBC police procedural, and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” the Fox sitcom that later moved to NBC.

1f0cd2a448797278813bf0d71c64b4bf

7weather

Ahead of heavy snow in Massachusetts, winter storm warning expands across state

It’s getting about time to bust out that snow shovel. Ahead of heavy snow expected to fall in Massachusetts between Saturday and Sunday, a winter storm warning has expanded across most of the state. Forecasters are warning of snow accumulations of up to 8 to 12 inches, wind gusts as high as 35 mph and a potential flash freeze that should make travel difficult throughout the commonwealth. “A winter storm is on tap this weekend for the East Coast. Heavy snow, freezing rain, and flooding will be possible. Hazardous travel conditions are likely,” the National Weather Service said. Read more: Worcester announces winter parking ban on Saturday as storm approaches The winter storm warning should go into effect Saturday afternoon across nearly all of the commonwealth, except southeastern Massachusetts, where a less-serious winter storm watch will be in place, as well as the Cape and Islands, where no warning or watch is expected to be issued. The warning, which will go into effect 4 p.m. Saturday and last until 1 a.m. Monday, was initially supposed to cover only the western, central and northeastern parts of the state. However, it has been expanded to encompass the area between northwest Rhode Island and Boston as well. Across most of the western, central and northeastern parts of the state — including Springfield, Worcester and Lawrence — 8 to 12 inches of snow is expected to fall. Six to 8 inches are forecast in western Berkshire County, eastern areas of the Pioneer Valley, Boston and northern Bristol and Plymouth counties. Lesser amounts, ranging from 6 inches to no snow at all, are predicted closer to the Cape and Islands, according to the weather service. Winter Storm Warning * High Confidence in 6-12 inches of snow * Hazardous travel expected Winter Storm Watch * Medium Confidence in 6-12 inches of snow * Rain snow line uncertain east of I-95 * Flash freeze possible late Sunday afternoon * Hazardous travel likely pic.twitter.com/RyIxoI5g1b — NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 5, 2024 In terms of the timing of the widespread snowstorm, moderate to heavy snow should start falling in Western Massachusetts around 9 to 10 p.m. Saturday before spreading eastward and eventually exiting the state by about 6 to 7 a.m. Sunday. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are expected to complicate anyone’s travel plans, the weather service noted. Here is a loop of projected hourly #snowfall rates from 7 PM tonight to 7 AM Sunday. Moderate to heavy snow enters western MA/CT ~ 9-10 PM, then spreads eastward & exits eastern MA 6-7 AM Sunday. Hourly snowfall rates of 1-2" (green areas) are likely, hence difficult travel. pic.twitter.com/Ld6iszDoSm — NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 6, 2024 The storm will be at its strongest overnight Saturday. There should be a temporary lull in the intensity of the precipitation Sunday morning followed by a resurgence late in the morning into the afternoon, with the greatest impacts expected across Eastern Massachusetts, the weather service said. Forecasters are anticipating a possible flash freeze in the Boston to Providence corridor. Any remaining slush late Saturday or early Sunday may result in some icy spots in eastern and southeastern parts of the state into Rhode Island that could make travel difficult, according to the weather service. Any lingering snow should taper off Sunday night. The weather is expected to remain dry and quiet Monday with seasonable temperatures forecast, the weather service said. Another “powerful, multi-faceted” storm system is expected to barrel through southern New England late Tuesday into Wednesday, bringing with it the possibility of strong to damaging winds, heavy rainfall and coastal and river flooding, the weather service detailed.

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1crime

MBTA crews clean up historic streetcar after vandals deface 50s trolley

Local News MBTA crews clean up historic streetcar after vandals deface ’50s trolley The old-school orange trolleys are some of the most iconic symbols of Boylston Station (aside from the Boylston Squeal, of course). A recent effort to clean up a historic PCC streetcar at Boylston Station removed not only graffiti, but also several years of carbon dust, according to MBTA streetcar operator and Carmen's Union Local 589 delegate Scott Page. Scott Page/Courtesy Photo A few days after vandals targeted a historic streetcar at the MBTA’s Boylston Station last November, Scott Page’s inbox started pinging. The messages from fellow T workers had a common theme: “How can we fix this?” “I kept getting messages from streetcar operators who were saying, you know, ‘This doesn’t look good. This is our history; this is something that we take pride in,’” said Page, the Green Line delegate for the Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589. “And when you roll into Boylston and there’s graffiti on the side of the car, that’s disheartening.” Advertisement: So Page reached out to Ryan Coholan, the T’s chief operating officer, and together they made a plan to clear away the graffiti. It took about a dozen volunteers from the MBTA and Keolis four hours, and “a lot of elbow grease,” according to Page, but the crew managed to get the streetcar cleaned up on Dec. 30. “I could not have asked for a better end of 2023,” Page said. “I think what sometimes people don’t realize is just how many people there are who work here and care about not only what we do, but care about how this place looks and how it runs. And to have people give up their own time to come out and try to clean up something that’s really valuable to not only us, but the riders we serve — I think that was great.” MBTA Transit Police previously asked for the public’s help identifying three people of interest in the Nov. 12 vandalism, sharing photos of the individuals on social media. Transit Police Supt. Richard Sullivan told Boston.com last week that the department has no update in the case. ID Sought re: Vandalism at the MBTA's Boylston Station midnight 11/12 on historic trolley. Recognize these subjects of interest? Pls contact our CIU at 617-222-1050 w/any info you have. You can remain anonymous. TY pic.twitter.com/kSEKDppO18 — MBTA Transit Police (@MBTATransitPD) November 24, 2023 According to Page, the orange PCC streetcar — one of two historic streetcars that sit on a side track at Boylston — was built in 1951 and predates the MBTA itself by more than a decade. A group of Local 589 volunteers fully restored the streetcar in the late 1970s, and it was used for novelty trips throughout the 80s and 90s before it was retired around 1998. Advertisement: “It has a history of sort of being preserved to celebrate the work that we do,” Page said. Graffiti artists have targeted the historic Boylston streetcars before, with T employees notably launching a similar cleanup effort in 2014 after the PCC streetcar and an older Type 5 car were tagged. A group of volunteers met up on Dec. 30 to clean graffiti off a historic streetcar at Boylston Station. Left to right: Bryan Snow (MBTA), Ronnie Mosley Jr. (MBTA), Brandon Barlow (Keolis), Scott Page (MBTA), MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, Nick Tomkavage (MBTA), Richie Phipps (MBTA), and Alicia Gomes (MBTA). – Scott Page/Courtesy Photo There were some logistical challenges to the cleanup this time around (Boylston notably lacks running water), but the volunteers were ultimately able to remove both the graffiti and several years of carbon dust. Among the volunteers was MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, who “took a particular interest” in some well-preserved 1990s-era advertisements inside the streetcar, according to Page. “I want to express my sincere gratitude to the employees who volunteered their time during the holidays to remove the graffiti and make the trolley shine again,” Eng said in a statement. “We should be proud of the MBTA’s history as we look forward to a bright future.” In addition to highlighting the T’s history, Page believes the cleanup effort could also be seen as one way for T and union leaders to feed workplace morale. “The fact that I got phone calls from people saying, ‘I want to come and help and clean this thing,’ that to me was kind of heartwarming,” he said.

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3entertainment

Worcesters Festival of Lights will headline this finalist from NBCs The Voice

Worcester will inaugurate the holiday season with the return of its annual Festival of Lights event on the common on Friday, Dec. 1, with one particular “voice” set to take to the stage. Michelle Brooks Thompson, a finalist from NBC’s “The Voice,” is slated to perform, along with the Worcester Public Schools Choral Groups and AMPP Worcester. Thompson became a finalist on the NBC show in 2012, and has since performed and competed in more music competitions in the decade since, according to her website. Read more: Microdose magic mushrooms this holiday season The event is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m., with the tree lighting scheduled for 6 p.m. The tree lighting marks the start of the Festival of Lights, with the ice-skating rink in the center of the Oval. Skaters can bring their own skates or rent a pair for $5. Skating opportunities will carry on until Feb. 25, 2024, according to the city website. Along with music and ice skating, there will be interactive roving circus performers and fire performances, a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus, a heated beer tent and over 15 food trucks, face-painting stands, street performances, carriage rides and more, the city said. Read more: MGM Springfield opens outdoor ice skating rink for holidays The event will also feature a large-scale light installation called “Illuminaciones” by local artist Zebbler Peter Berdovsky, according to the Downtown Worcester Instagram page. This will also be on view in the Worcester Common until the end of February. “The annual Festival of Lights is a fun, community initiative that brings people together to celebrate family and friends during the holiday season,” City Manager Eric D. Batista said in a statement. “Making time to spend with loved ones is important and we are proud to offer an inclusive festival with engaging activities throughout the winter season.” The Festival of Lights wraps up at 9 p.m. on Friday, but will pick back up on Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

3d60ce86efc8dc7a7b303e99c9dfc07e

0business

Restaurant News for the Week Ending January 14

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d412cb01bb6b42fbf5a658ba5567f669

2culture

A Masterpiece That Inspired Gabriel Garca Mrquez to Write His Own

But at its core, “Pedro Páramo” is a tale of two journeys, or perhaps one journey that unfolds into two. The first is a linear one driven by a Telemachean quest: a man searching for his missing father. The narrator, Juan Preciado, goes to his parents’ hometown after his mother dies, seeking his long-estranged father, Pedro Páramo. He plans to demand reparations. But what he finds is a ghost town. Then he dies. (This is not a spoiler; the story continues after his death as if nothing really happened.) The second journey is Dantesque: a spiraling descent into a kind of underworld. But unlike Dante’s mathematically plotted inferno, with its concentric circles and somewhat navigable geography, Rulfo’s is largely sensory, densely packed with sounds and their endless reverberations. Many Latin American readers know the opening sentence of the novel by heart: “Vine a Comala porque me dijeron que acá vivía mi padre, un tal Pedro Páramo.” From the beginning, we find ourselves in an unstable space-time that we will question and redefine as we move through the novel. For English-language readers, key differences in two translations of the opening line will help bring this ambiguity to light. The 1994 translation, by Margaret Sayers Peden, reads: “I came to Comala because I had been told that my father, a man named Pedro Páramo, lived there.” The most recent translation, by Douglas J. Weatherford, is: “I came to Comala because I was told my father lived here, a man named Pedro Páramo.” Just as the exchange of “here” for “there” radically changes the story’s spatiality (where the narrator is speaking), the use of “was told” — less removed than “had been told” — shifts its temporality (when the narration happens). Nothing can fall into place in a novel if the author does not have control over its sense of time, be it linear or fractured. In novels of fractured time, the sequence of events must be governed by a logic of its own, one justified by the book’s central questions. Throughout “Pedro Páramo” — in which a central concern is how the world of the living haunts the world of the dead, and not vice versa, as with most ghost stories — time ebbs and flows in a kind of tidal pattern. It is not quite circular, because circles are closed circuits, but the cadence is similar to something cyclical, to the uprush and backwash of water breaking over sand, over and over again. The dead, tormented by lives they can no longer participate in but which their memories replay, over and over again, produce a steady undercurrent of murmurs, laments, mutterings, chatter, whispers, quiet confessions. If where and when we are in “Pedro Páramo” is constantly shifting, then sound is the swift and sinuous vehicle that carries us through it. For a class I taught this fall, I asked my students to find the many sonic markers in the novel. (It was a fun experiment, and we shared the results with the sound designers of a forthcoming “Pedro Páramo” film. They wrote back to say they were inspired by our sound lists and wanted to credit the students.) I was astonished to see how much of the novel is composed of aural details. Still air shattered by doves’ flapping wings. Hummingbirds whirring among jasmine bushes. Laughter. A tap of knuckles on the confessional window. A church clock ringing out the hours, “one after another, one after another, as if time had contracted.” Also sounds we cannot hear, but can almost imagine: “the earth rotating on rusted hinges, the trembling of an ancient world pouring out its darkness.” And of course, the myriad sounds of rain.

9801050338aeeebe97bffe57f3b9b355

3entertainment

How to Make Canaps Like a Professional Chef

The French chef Yann Nury wants you to remember that the winter holidays will be over soon. Roasts will be sliced, served and forgotten; Champagne will be drunk. And, if you choose to serve canapés, each one you make, no matter how labor-intensive, will be gone in a single bite. “Enjoy the specific moments,” Nury, 40, says. “It’s [only] once a year.” Despite their transience, Nury believes canapés are important: They can set the tone for a whole meal. Indeed, the amuse-bouche has become one of the hallmarks of the namesake catering company he founded in 2011 after working on the chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud’s private events team. “Seductive single bites define our business,” Nury says. Working from his headquarters in a nearly 3,000-square-foot loft in New York’s SoHo, he’s planned meals for fashion brands and art-world clients in cities around the world, among them a Cuban-inspired feast in honor of what turned out to be the final show that the fashion designer Virgil Abloh staged for Louis Vuitton, in Miami. Nury’s inventive takes on classic hors d’oeuvres — for example, thyme-laced tartlets filled with tendrils of Iberico and creamy stracciatella, as a play on ham and cheese — highlight his exacting but playful approach. For a holiday party, Nury recommends preparing canapés that are elegant but comforting and not overly serious. In the videos below, he shares the steps for making three such small bites. First are his tater tots garnished with caviar and Sorrento lemon, which he sometimes finishes instead with juicy orbs of salmon roe or a thin slice of orange and a sprinkle of spices (if you nail the flavor and texture of the canapé’s base, says Nury, the topping can be unfussy). To accompany these, he suggests tiny wedges of tomato jam-topped grilled cheese. “For a great party trick,” Nury says, you can stick a barbecue grate in your fireplace and cook the miniature sandwiches to order. And completing the trio is his surprisingly hearty beef tartare with chips. For a plant-based alternative, grated carrot or golden beet can be used in place of beef, Nury says, and you could even serve the dish deconstructed, allowing people to assemble their ideal bites. That last twist satisfies another of his tenets of special-occasion hosting: Guests should be invited to tailor your creations to their own tastes. The best holiday food, after all, fulfills a personal fantasy of the season. But he also recommends being kind to yourself and abiding by his firmest rule: Don’t do the dishes until the next day.

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6sports

Petey calls Boston paradise after taking it over during USA tour

Olivia Reid Fans attending a concert at Roadrunner in Boston, MA. Photo by Olivia Reid/ Photography Editor. The legend of Puff Sullivan continues. Social media personality Peter “Petey” Martin—whose sketches filled with ridiculously unpredictable plotlines helped him amass millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram—showed off his sentimental side when he headlined Paradise Rock Club on Sunday, Nov. 12. The decorated influencer was promoting his recent album, “USA” with a tour of Uncle Sam’s Country that spanned over three weeks last month. Petey’s music career stems from the early-mid 2010s, where he formerly released music under the name “90 Pounds of Pete;” his discography from that era can be found on YouTube when searched by his former moniker. As for the music itself, there are striking similarities between his previous albums and his most recent works. The songs “Arms” and “Waited Too Long,” which both came out 10 years ago, hold a very strong connection to his 2021 album, “Lean into Life.” His most recent work, “USA,” instrumentally focuses on an indie rock sound with hints of electropop and alternative rock, all the while bridging the gap with his discography through thematic structure. Witnessing him play live showcased how well he meshes with these genres. The vibes among him, his bandmates and his fans were second to none, and it seems he found his signature sound and molded himself as a praiseworthy musician. While fans waited, some pop punk classics were playing, including “Nothing On My Back” by Sum 41 and “Ocean Avenue” by Yellowcard. With the PA speakers blaring “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows” by Brand New, Petey and his band entered to a darkened stage and an abrupt explosion of cheers. The artist began his set with the first lyrical track of his newest album, “I’ll Wait,” and his presence captivated the crowd, who frantically began to jump into a frenzy. The backing track that began the song was met with a distinguishable drum fill known by fans, who grew antsy at the sound of Petey subsequently cheering “let’s go” into the microphone. Throughout the set, Petey’s energy on stage encapsulated fans, as he made hand gestures full of excitement throughout many songs, including playing air guitar or drums when he wasn’t using an instrument of his own. This first occurred when he mimicked the drum beat during the intro of the opener. The crowd was going ballistic, and soon sang along, bringing the energy to a climax. The song resonates with those who struggle with mental health, more notably anxiety, expressing a need to take control of life and the struggles of overthinking and insomnia. Petey continued to play songs off his new album, playing “I Tried to Draw a Straight Line” and “Home Alone House” back-to-back after the opener. It wasn’t until the bridge of the latter number that he was able to greet the Boston crowd and talk about his excitement for performing in Paradise. Then, he whipped out his ax for the first time. Playing rhythm guitar for the remainder of the show, he periodically switched between a gray Fender Telecaster and red Fujigen Odyssey with HSS pickups. With the middle of the set looming, Petey played four songs from “Lean into Life,” starting with the title track. It touches on the theme of anxiety, as well as the ups and downs of life and seeking motivation when all hope is lost. “Lean into Life” was followed by “We Go On Walks,” “Microwave Dinner” and “Pitch a Fit!” The fans got riled up and sang the lyrics alongside Petey, with the bridge of “Lean into Life” and the introduction to “We Go On Walks” as prominent examples. The raw emotion of “Microwave Dinner” was profound in the set, as it is in the album version. Especially the outro, when he begins to raise his voice and express his emotions more bluntly, bringing up childhood trauma, complications with current affairs and self-care. Prior to performing “Pitch a Fit!,” Petey addressed the audience with his love for the city of Boston. He began cracking jokes about how he doesn’t agree with his friends when they tell him Boston is boring because its only attractions are old buildings where you can watch sports; he said that’s the whole point of why Boston is so great. Fans were bringing comic relief of their own with heckling; one fan screamed that he liked Petey’s shirt between songs, while another one screamed “Where’s Puff Sullivan?,” a reference to one of the characters he portrays in his videos. After performing “Pitch a Fit!,” Petey performed his most recent songs, “Skip This One,” “Family of Six” and “Birds of a Feather.” Afterwards, he played his most popular songs, two of which were singles off of “USA.” The crowd was already rough and rowdy at this point, and Petey opened the floor for even more chaos when the band performed their own rendition of the timeless classic, “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. The instrumental of the track brought a lot of flair, as it shied away from Fleetwood Mac’s version with a more electropop tone that coincided with some distortion from the guitars. Petey was able to hit notes similar to that of Stevie Nicks, and he brought his own style with raspiness in parts of the song, too. Immediately following the cover, Petey and Co. began performing “Did I Mention I’m Sorry” and “The Freedom to F— Off.” The first verse to the latter got the crowd going, as they chanted the lyrics before the melodic guitar riff introduced the chorus. To deafening chants of “Petey!,” the artist and his bandmates came out to perform the encore: “Don’t Tell the Boys.” It is a beautiful song that talks about an undying friendship, and the crowd was screaming the moment the backing track began. It was an experience nobody there would forget. A line in the second verse gave everyone the opportunity to scream their hearts out, to which Petey pointed his mic at the crowd for them to finish the measure. Not a single person in the venue didn’t scream “’Til Marissa f—ing dies,” and it provided a nice idiosyncratic gesture made by the artist, and a worthwhile memory for all involved. The end of the song had an extended outro, as Petey played the closing riff an extra four bars before walking off stage, his final words to the onlookers being “I love you Boston, thank you. Good night.” Petey’s performance was a spectacular showing for an underrated artist. Fans attending the show brought the club down. Even Petey’s merch salesman said Paradise Rock Club was one of the best places for performing “Don’t Tell the Boys” because of how passionate and loud the fans got. Allston was buzzing the night of Nov. 12, and fans got a sneak peak of the social media sensation in his element. If all goes to plan, his music career will take off and reach much higher ground than his successful career as a social media personality, and many more will bear witness to how truly talented this man is.

e46dfa72e8af7aac62ada0e7d36cbca7

7weather

Heat emergency declared in Boston as region struggles through high temperatures and humidity

The emergency declaration remains in effect though Friday, as the National Weather Service warns that the heat index could reach 100 degrees across much of Massachusetts. “The impacts of climate change are more palpable than ever, with extreme heat posing risk to our communities,” Wu said in a statement. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu declared a heat emergency Thursday as the region struggles through a wave of high temperatures and humidity that is impacting the first week of school for thousands of students across Massachusetts. “Heat and humidity persist through Friday, with the peak of it this afternoon when heat indices approach 100 degrees,” forecasters wrote Thursday morning on social media. Advertisement The weather service has issued a heat advisory for interior Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island until 8 p.m. Friday. Western Massachusetts is considered to be at “marginal risk for severe weather” Thursday afternoon. Public schools in Boston opened on Thursday and most of the system’s 50,000 students will be in classrooms with newly installed air conditioning. A total of 121 school buildings have air conditioners or central air, leaving just over a dozen without climate control, school officials said. Get Breaking News Alerts Stay up-to-date with important news developments, delivered right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up “Although extreme heat affects Bostonians of all ages, with the new school year starting, our Boston Public Schools staff will be following protocols to ensure our kids have an enjoyable, safe first week back at school,” Wu said. In communities where school buildings do not have air conditioning, officials are cancelling classes or letting students out early. “Based on the forecast for temperature and relative humidity both overnight and tomorrow, we expect temperatures inside non-air conditioned spaces to become even hotter than they were over the past two days,” Shrewsbury Public Schools Superintendent Joe Sawyer wrote to parents on Wednesday. “In my judgment, the conditions in non-climate controlled classrooms will be unhealthy in the afternoon hours.” Advertisement Shrewsbury dismissed students around 11:20 a.m., and a number of districts, including Framingham, Springfield, Worcester, Chicopee and Westfield, did the same. In Lowell, classes are canceled Thursday and Friday. “The temperatures in many classrooms are expected to be too hot for teachers to teach effectively,” school officials posted on the district’s homepage. “This decision was made out of concern for the health and safety of Lowell Public School staff and students.” In Boston, 15 Centers for Youth & Families community centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 64 splash pads will be operating, along with the city’s public pools, officials said. Public library locations are also available for residents seeking a break from the heat and humidity, Wu said. Woburn Public Schools will close early on Friday, the district posted online. The high school will dismiss at 11:30 a.m., followed by the middle schools at noon and elementary schools at 12:30 p.m., the district reported. Worcester announced it will also have three facilities serving as cooling centers during the sweltering temperatures Thursday and Friday, including the Worcester Public Library main branch, WPL Frances Perkins Branch, and the Worcester Senior Center. Water will be provided at cooling centers, and Quality of Life team members will be equipped with water for distribution during their travels throughout the city Thursday and Friday, according to a city spokesperson. Advertisement Emily Sweeney of the Globe Staff contributed to this report. John R. Ellement can be reached at john.ellement@globe.com. Follow him @JREbosglobe.

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6sports

Two-time Super Bowl champion reveals what Patriots should do in 2024 draft

What the Patriots will do in the 2024 NFL Draft is a big question. They’re going to get a high pick, it just remains to be seen exactly where they’ll fall on the draft board once the regular season comes to an end. New England would certainly benefit from a change at quarterback, but it’s just one of many issues. The Patriots also need some help on offense. While many believe whoever is in charge — whether that’s Bill Belichick or someone else — will draft a quarterback, one former Patriots linebacker wouldn’t take that route. On the latest episode of “Eye On Foxborough,” Rob Ninkovich joined MassLive’s Karen Guregian to discuss where the team’s priorities should be come the 2024 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. “I don’t think it’s so bad. It gives you some flexibility. I don’t know if I was really hot on the top two picks. So if you’re gonna have No. 4, you’re still gonna get a great football player,” Ninkovich said. “And you can let the teams in front of you — you think the Bears are gonna draft a quarterback No. 1 overall? I don’t know. ... So I think you let those teams figure it out. And then you could take a step back and see what else the rest of the league is gonna do.” If it was up to Ninkovich, he wouldn’t be so fast to draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. “I would definitely look at a game breaker. I’d look at a receiver. If (Marvin) Harrison Jr. is there — which he might not. If you’re the top two teams and you have a quarterback you probably want to get a playmaker,” he said. “But all I know is this: It doesn’t matter if you have Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, the best quarterbacks ever. If you can’t protect them, and you don’t have a guy to throw to, you’re in trouble. So you gotta protect the quarterback and you gotta have somebody to throw to. “So if I had the controls, I would go after a big-time target or I would go after the best tackle in the draft. And then you could find a great quarterback in the second or third round.” Ninkovich also added that there will be quarterbacks available on the free agent market in the offseason. What the Patriots will do at quarterback is one of their biggest questions going into 2024. The team could look very different come next season, but answers will begin to come to light once the draft rolls around.

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1crime

Video shows police knew Maine shooter was a threat and felt unsafe confronting him

Police in Maine feared that confronting an Army reservist in the weeks before he killed 18 people in the state’s deadliest mass shooting would “throw a stick of dynamite on a pool of gas,” according to video released Friday by law enforcement. The footage, which was released to the Portland Press Herald and then sent to The Associated Press, documents a call between Sagadoc County Sheriff’s Sgt. Aaron Skolfield and Army Reserve Capt. Jeremy Reamer. Skolfield was following up with Reamer about the potential threat posed by Robert Card, a 40-year-old Army reservist from the Lewiston area who carried out the Oct. 25 attacks at a bowling alley and a restaurant. Skolfield mentioned Maine’s yellow flag law, which can be used to remove guns from potentially dangerous people, after Reamer said Card had refused medical treatment after his hospitalization during his Army service. Reamer echoed the idea that officers could get hurt if they went further to make sure Card wasn’t a threat: “I’m a cop myself. ... Obviously, I don’t want to want you guys to get hurt or do anything that would that would put you guys in a compromising position have to make a decision.” A second video, which is also blurred, shows an officer at the home of Robert Card Sr. trying to check whether the shooter’s brother Ryan has his guns. “I understand that Ryan has his weapons, and I just want to make sure that’s the case. Are you familiar with that at all?” the officer asks. But Card Sr. says he hasn’t spoken with Ryan in the last few days. The officer says he’ll try again later. “I just wanted to make sure Robert doesn’t do anything foolish at all,” he says. Two days after the attacks in Lewiston, Card’s body was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound two days after the shootings. Reports soon began to emerge that he had spent two weeks in a psychiatric hospital months before the attacks and had amassed weapons. Under Maine’s yellow flag law, a warning to police can trigger a process where an officer visits an individual and makes a judgment call on whether that person should be placed in temporary protective custody, triggering assessments that with a judge’s approval can lead to a 14-day weapons restriction. A full court hearing could lead to an extension of restrictions for up to a year. Since the Lewiston shooting, questions have been raised about why the law wasn’t used to remove guns from Card. In the newly released videos, Reamer said the Card family had taken responsibility for removing the weapons, and Skolfield said he would reach out to a brother of Card’s and ensure that any weapons had been removed. Skolfield referred to the Cards as “a big family in this area,” and indicated that he didn’t want to publicize that police were visiting the home and kept the information off the police radio. A report released last week by Sheriff Joel Merry previously made clear that local law enforcement knew Card’s mental health was deteriorating. Police were aware of reports that he was paranoid, hearing voices, experiencing psychotic episodes and possibly dealing with schizophrenia. Merry declined to comment on the release of the videos. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has appointed an independent commission led by a former state chief justice to review all aspects of the tragedy. And Maine’s congressional delegation said Friday there will be an independent Army inspector general’s investigation to review the Army’s actions, alongside an ongoing administrative Army investigation.

87052c7fc03627111926de4dd23d5b04

6sports

Mohawk Trails Addie Loomis, Weston Den Ouden pick up wins in PVIAC Alpine Race No. 2

Mohawk Trail earned first place finishes in the boys and girls PVIAC alpine races on Thursday. Weston Den Ouden took first place in the boys race with a time of 30.38, while Addie Loomis placed first in the girls race with a time of 44.52.

4ca9f0ec078ca90e5530f240414948f3

0business

Federal Reserve Meeting Fed Signals Rate Cuts in 2024

Thinking of buying a home? Mortgage rates are running at the highest levels in more than two decades. Policymakers at the Federal Reserve will announce their latest decision on interest rates on Wednesday, and although they are expected to keep rates steady, their assessment of the economy often moves markets, with implications for borrowers and savers. The Fed last raised its benchmark rate, known as the federal funds rate, in July to a range of 5.25 to 5.5 percent. A series of rate increases that began in March last year was intended to rein in inflation, which has cooled but remains elevated, leading Fed officials to suggest that they will keep rates high for a prolonged period. That means the cost of credit cards and mortgages may remain relatively high, making it more difficult for people who want to pay down debt — as well as those who want to take out new loans to renovate their kitchen or buy a new car. In recent weeks, the long-term market rates that influence many types of consumer and business loans have drifted lower, but remain higher than before the pandemic. “We were very spoiled for a while with low rates, and that lulled us into a false sense of security in terms of what the true cost of debt can be,” said Anna N’Jie-Konte, president of Re-Envision Wealth, a wealth management firm. Here’s how different rates are affected by the Fed’s decisions — and where they stand now. Credit Cards Image People carrying credit card debt should focus on paying it down and assume rates will continue to rise. Credit... Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times Credit card rates are closely linked to the Fed’s actions, which means consumers with revolving debt have seen those rates rise over the past year — and quickly (increases usually occur within one or two billing cycles). The average credit card rate was 20.72 percent as of Dec. 6, according to Bankrate.com, up from around 16 percent in March last year, when the Fed began its series of rate increases. People carrying credit card debt should focus on paying it down and assume rates will continue to rise. Zero-percent balance transfer offers can help when used carefully (they still exist for people with good credit, but come with fees), or you might try negotiating a lower rate with your card issuer, said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. His research found that such a tactic often works. Car Loans Higher loan rates have been dampening auto sales, particularly in the used-car market, because loans are more expensive and prices remain high, experts said. Qualifying for car loans has also become more challenging than it was a year ago. “The vehicle market has challenges with affordability,” said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive, a market research firm. The average rate on new car loans in November was 7.4 percent, up slightly from the start of the year, according to Edmunds.com. Used-car rates were even higher: The average loan carried an 11.6 percent rate in November, surpassing a high set earlier in the year. Car loans tend to track the five-year Treasury note, which is influenced by the Fed’s key rate — but that’s not the only factor that determines how much you’ll pay. A borrower’s credit history, the type of vehicle, loan term and down payment are all baked into that rate calculation. Mortgages Image The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage generally tracks the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds, Credit... Gabby Jones for The New York Times The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage does not move in tandem with the Fed’s benchmark rate, but instead generally tracks the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds, which are influenced by a variety of factors, including expectations around inflation, the Fed’s actions and how investors react to all of it. Mortgage rates are running at the highest levels in more than two decades. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage was 7.03 percent as of Dec. 7, according to Freddie Mac, compared with 6.33 percent for an identical loan the same week in 2022. Other home loans are more closely tethered to the Fed’s moves. Home-equity lines of credit and adjustable-rate mortgages — which each carry variable interest rates — generally rise within two billing cycles after a change in the Fed’s rates. The average rate on a home-equity loan was 8.92 percent as of Dec. 6, according to Bankrate.com. Student Loans Borrowers who already hold federal student loans are not affected by the Fed’s actions because that debt carries a fixed rate set by the government. (Payments on most of these loans have been paused for the past three years as part of a pandemic relief measure, and became due again in October.) But batches of new federal student loans are priced each July, based on the 10-year Treasury bond auction in May. And those loan rates have climbed: Borrowers with federal undergraduate loans disbursed after July 1 (and before July 1, 2024) will pay 5.5 percent, up from 4.99 percent for loans disbursed in the year-earlier period. Just three years ago, rates were below 3 percent. Graduate students taking out federal loans will also pay about half a point more than the rate a year earlier, or about 7.05 percent on average, as will parents, at 8.05 percent on average. Borrowers of private student loans have already seen those rates climb thanks to the prior increases. Both fixed- and variable-rate loans are linked to benchmarks that track the federal funds rate. Savings Vehicles Savers seeking a better return on their money have had an easier time: Rates on online savings accounts, along with one-year certificates of deposit, have reached their highest levels in more than a decade. But the pace of those increases is slowing. “Consumers now have several options to earn over 5 percent yield on their cash,” said Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com, part of LendingTree. A higher Fed rate often means that banks pay more interest on their deposits, though it does not always happen right away. They tend to raise their rates when they want to bring in more money. The average yield on an online savings account was 4.46 percent as of Dec. 1, according to DepositAccounts.com, up from 3.02 percent a year ago. But yields on money market funds offered by brokerage firms are even more alluring because they have tracked the federal funds rate more closely. The yield on the Crane 100 Money Fund Index, which tracks the largest money market funds, was 5.19 percent on Tuesday. Rates on certificates of deposit, which tend to track similarly dated Treasury securities, have also been ticking higher. The average one-year C.D. at online banks was 5.32 percent as of Dec. 1, up from 4.15 percent a year earlier, according to DepositAccounts.com.

2460b76a5460088f05a7e04a06dddf48

3entertainment

Beer Nut: Too many options are better than fewer

On a recent trip, I met a bartender named Nick who hailed from Belgium. Having never been there, I grilled him about certain Belgian beers and how they were viewed in his homeland. We covered a wide span of topics, but what found most interesting about our chat was Nick’s combination of semi-surprise and minor confusion – let’s call it puzzlement – over the seemingly endless plethora of beer choices outside his country. Belgium is known for some of the best beers going, but Nick said he was amazed about how many variations of the same styles can be found even in one bar. He said that in Belgium, most bars might have between five and eight taps, but also more bottled beer than in many other countries he’s been to. It certainly didn’t seem like a complaint. Likewise, I sometimes ruminate on the cornucopia of beer choices with at least a small bit of bemusement. And like Nick, my thoughts don’t represent any sort of criticism. But I do wonder if the seemingly endless parade of variety is necessary. There doesn’t seem to be any downside: “the more, the merrier” and all that sort of thing, right? And people love having choices and options. I know I do. But Nick mentioned one problem with having so many options in one bar. “It would be hard to control myself and not try them all,” he said, tongue in cheek. This led me to wonder if there is such a thing as too many choices. I’m sure we’ve all faced decisions where the options seemed overwhelming and we wished for a narrower field of choices. Sometimes certain details of a decision aren’t that important to us, and we’d just rather not have to deal with them. With beer, I have seen customers walk into a bar with dozens of beers on tap and look a bit bewildered. Maybe they’re new to craft beer or maybe they’re just casual fans. Now, let’s assume that they know they like IPAs in general, but aren’t overly familiar with all the nuances the style has to offer. They stare at the beer menu or lineup of tap handles and see four or five different IPAs (which isn’t unusual these days). While a lot of beer bars gladly give out samples, Nick winced a little about dealing with this type of situation. “I can see giving two or three tastes, but not five,” he said. And even for me, having a surfeit of choices can give me pause. Sometimes it’s just difficult to make up your mind. What if you choose wrong? Well, the good thing about beer is that you can always choose again. And that’s better than having restricted options, right?

d1bbe6a1fddc4ed13528483aee806bd0

7weather

Monday starts off sunny and cold, with another storm headed our way

As the weekend approaches, New England has shifted gears in weather. A fast-moving southern stream disturbance is poised to bring changes, with dry and sunny conditions prevailing in the morning on Friday, but clouds will increase as the swift-moving system approaches from the southwest during the mid to late afternoon. This system will usher in a bout of light rain, beginning in western-central Massachusetts and Connecticut between 2 and 4 p.m. and spreading eastward into Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts between 3 and 5 p.m. The accompanying southwest flow will elevate temperatures to unseasonably mild levels, peaking in the low to mid-50s across eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts, while other areas can expect upper 40s. Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters. The night will remain damp, with light rain and mild temperatures, and the potential for areas of fog, particularly in Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts. Saturday, some drying is expected after a few morning showers north of Boston as the departing disturbance leaves behind mostly cloudy conditions with temperatures into the 50s again. More showers are expected in the morning for northern New England, and northern Maine will see periodic light snow accumulating to one to three inches by Saturday night. That cold air in the far North Country sits behind a slow-moving cold front that will sag southward into southern New England Saturday night, but won't deliver enough cold air for a change to snow Sunday — except in northern New England. Ski and snowmobile country will find a change to snow from north to south and hilltop to valley Sunday into Sunday evening, meaning return trips from ski areas to southern New England are best started before sundown Sunday. The snow line should stop somewhere around the Berkshires and Monadnock Region to Lakes Region Sunday night into Monday morning, as precipitation is expected to taper sometime Monday. Our team has issued a First Alert Sunday due to expected heavy rain and downpours later this weekend. Stay with NBC10 Boston for the latest information. Thereafter, the midweek next week looks cool and dry before renewed showers are possible next Friday into Friday night, though from this early view our First Alert Team remains optimistic for conditions Saturday at Gillette Stadium for the Army-Navy football game, with highs in the middle 40s and likely dry conditions expected at this point.

10a892778bc1ce5b3efbb4abc2e2b2d9

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Mass. weather: Western Mass. could see more snow after Sunday storm

With the odds looking more likely that parts of Massachusetts could see up to a foot of snow on Sunday, more precipitation in the days after appears possible, forecasters said. As of Thursday, the National Weather Service said it sees a possibility for a warming trend to start on Tuesday followed by heavy rain and strong winds on Wednesday. The recent snowfall could add a new problem to this system. “Antecedent wet conditions and a fresh snowpack may introduce some flood concerns on area streams and rivers,” forecasters said. Cities like Boston and Worcester are on track to see rain on Wednesday, both less than 1 inch, according to AccuWeather. But parts of Western Massachusetts could see a reprise of Sunday’s snow on Tuesday. The Weather Channel said Thursday that Springfield has a 60% chance of snow on Tuesday, part of a “potential winter storm.” The expectation is conditions will be cloudy with a chance for snow starting in the afternoon, before evolving into all rain overnight. Temperatures in Springfield should see a high of 37 degrees during the day and only drop down to 35 in the evening, the Weather Channel said. Elsewhere in the region, North Adams could also see “a little snow in the afternoon,” according to AccuWeather. Pittsfield is also on track to see wet snow Tuesday afternoon. Springfield and North Adams could see less than 1 inch of snow, while Pittsfield could see 1 inch of snow. By the Wednesday after, all three cities should see some rain before sunshine returns on Thursday. Read more: Here are Massachusetts weekend snow predictions in 5 maps But compared with the Sunday storm, forecasters are not certain about the snowstorm potential on Tuesday, with confidence in it being low, National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Pederson told MassLive. Tuesday could turn out rainier than Sunday, he said. “Generally, that 24 to 36-hour window is when we’re getting into our higher confidence,” he said. “...Generally with any system when you’re five to six days out or more, the variability with any models make it difficult to say with certainty how much snow will fall. But as we get closer, the confidence increases.” MassLive reporter Will Katcher contributed to the reporting of this story.