All of the headlines from today's paper.
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Today's Headlines
Page one

Crime & Courts

Lewiston gunman had been involuntarily committed to a mental hospital

The shooter was involuntarily committed to a mental hospital in New York this summer after exhibiting erratic behavior during military training. Continue reading →

Health

‘The drug store is closed’: Boston begins clearing Mass. and Cass homeless encampment

Nearly three dozen people have moved out of the crime-ridden area since early Monday, as outreach workers ramp up efforts to clear it out. Continue reading →

Crime & Courts

Could a ‘red flag’ law have stopped the gunman in Lewiston?

Twenty-one states have lawsthat allow police or loved ones to seek a judicial order temporarily barring someone from possessing firearms if they demonstrate they’re a danger to themselves or others. Not Maine. Continue reading →

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Nine members of BPS’s English Learners task force resign in protest of district inclusion plan

In a letter to Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper, the resigning task force members said the district’s plan to integrate English learners into general education classrooms will lead to worse outcomes. Continue reading →

Health

Inside the movement to legalize magic mushrooms in Massachusetts

A growing number of recreational users of psilocybin mushrooms in New England are attempting to turn their passion for the fungi into a broader movement, while campaigning for local measures that would legalize the use and cultivation of the plants. Continue reading →

Boston Globe Today

Boston Globe Today | October 31, 2023

Watch today’s full episode of Boston Globe Today from October 31, 2023. Watch →

Medway family stuck in Gaza describes increasingly dire situation

WATCH: They have been trapped in the territory for weeks. Reporter John Hilliard is tracking them as they try to get home. Watch →

Cold Case Files: exploring New England’s unsolved crimes

WATCH: Reporter Emily Sweeney introduces the Globe’s new series. The goal? To shed light on long-forgotten cases. Watch →

The Nation

Nation

Biden administration approves biggest offshore wind farm yet, in Virginia

The decision comes at a perilous time for the offshore wind industry, with developers struggling with soaring costs, rising interest rates, supply chain delays, and bursts of local opposition. Continue reading →

Nation

Home schooling’s rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

The growth demonstrates home schooling's arrival as a mainstay of the American educational system, with its impact only beginning to be felt. Continue reading →

Nation

FBI director: US must be vigilant on threats amid Israel-Hamas war

"We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration the likes of which we haven't seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate years ago," said Christopher Wray, the FBI director. Continue reading →

The World

World

Charles in Kenya says ‘no excuses’ but gives no apology for colonial violence

Speaking at a state banquet on Tuesday, Charles hewed closely to the British government line, saying he felt "the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret" for the wrongdoings of the past. He steered clear of any language that might open a broader conversation about reparations. Continue reading →

World

Johnson’s former top aide is withering about UK government during COVID-19 pandemic inquiry

In keenly awaited testimony to the country’s public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, Dominic Cummings was withering about many of the people dealing with the situation, including his former boss, describing a culture of toxic relations and lack of trust — but denied that he had broken any rules. Continue reading →

World

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim attacks on Israel, drawing their main sponsor Iran closer to Hamas war

Yemen’s Houthi rebels for the first time Tuesday claimed missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, drawing their main sponsor Iran closer into the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and further raising the risks of a regional conflict erupting. Continue reading →

Editorial & Opinion

OPINION

Most Americans are tuning out the news

It is wearying and depressing to follow current affairs, especially if you don’t trust the media. Continue reading →

EDITORIAL

Governor Healey adds equity, fairness to her clemency priorities

Historic new rules provide renewed hope for second chances in a long-stagnant system. Continue reading →

OPINION

Joe Biden has a Democratic challenger; he should debate him

Dean Phillips’s candidacy gives Biden a chance to reassure voters that he’s up to the job. Continue reading →

Metro

Maine

Involuntary commitments can be a vital lifeline for mental health, but patients’ rights must be considered

Decisions about involuntary commitment require a balance between questions about safety and personal rights, clinicians said. Continue reading →

Health

Report about Maine gunman raises question: Does hearing loss play a role in psychosis?

There is no evidence that a normal person who suffers hearing loss can suddenly become psychotic as a result. Continue reading →

Politics

Healey, promising more compassion, overhauls state’s guidelines for pardons, commutations

Governor Maura Healey’s newly released framework signals the Democrat’s willingness to not only wield clemency earlier and more often than her predecessors but consider a variety of different circumstances in doing so. Continue reading →

Sports

On baseball

Ugly win by the Rangers in Game 4 of the World Series was no fall classic

Texas starter Andrew Heaney went five innings and left with a 10-1 lead. But in another sign of how poor pitching has become, the Rangers needed six relievers to finish the game. Continue reading →

on football

Forgoing a fire sale was the right move for Patriots, who need to start signing their own players

Enough is enough with the Patriots letting their talented young players get paid by other teams. Continue reading →

dan shaughnessy

This World Series threatens to take apathy toward baseball to an even lower level

Baseball seems to be sliding off the grid of relevance anyway, and Rangers vs. Diamondbacks isn’t going to help. Continue reading →

Business

Real Estate

Another downtown office building sells at a sizable loss

City Realty Group last week said it has acquired a nine-story Leather District office building for $11 million, little more than half what the property last sold for in 2015. Continue reading →

AI/Robotics

Building guardrails or preventing innovation? Biden’s AI plan tries to split the gap.

The executive order represents the first major attempt in the US to regulate AI systems on a federal level. Continue reading →

Biotech

Patients with sickle cell disease urge FDA to greenlight landmark gene-editing treatment

The treatment is administered with a single infusion and was created by Boston-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, which has most of its employees in Mass. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Obituaries

Louis Oliver Gropp dies at 88; led shelter magazines through turmoil

A longtime editor at House & Garden, Louis Oliver Gropp eventually rose to be its editor-in-chief and also led Elle Décor and House Beautiful. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Climate scientist Saleemul Huq, who emphasized helping poor nations adapt to warming, dies at 71

The pioneering scientist from Bangladesh pushed to get the world to understand, pay for, and adapt to worsening warming impacts on poorer nations. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Robert Irwin, artist of fleeting light and space, is dead at 95

Mr. Irwin identified his goal — and the underlying goal of modern art generally — as awakening viewers’ powers of observation and concentration so that they become active participants in the experience. Continue reading →

Arts & Lifestyle

Arts

MFA hands over pair of likely looted Bubon bronzes to Manhattan DA’s office

A spokesperson for the Manhattan DA’s office confirmed the two fragments are part of a wide-ranging criminal investigation into an antiquities smuggling ring. Continue reading →

GETTING SALTY

Rebelle’s Milena Pagán, MIT grad and James Beard semifinalist, will bring her singular brand of bagel to Kendall Square this year

Her secret? Eight hours of sleep. Continue reading →

WHAT SHE'S HAVING

At The Restaurant in Woburn, cracking eggs and jokes

Sometimes, you just need a good diner. And a good laugh. Continue reading →