All of the headlines from today's paper.
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Today's Headlines
Page one

Cradle of Doubt

New wearable, high-tech baby monitors raise questions about co-sleeping risks

Pediatricians worry about parents buying these infant monitors, many at high cost, to prevent sudden infant sleep deaths or reduce bed-sharing dangers. Continue reading →

Weather

Two dead as powerful storm leaves hundreds of thousands without power across New England

Across the region, ferocious winds toppled trees and powerlines and littered streets with debris while heavy rain caused coastal flooding and made some roads impassable. Continue reading →

Arts

In a church built by abolitionists, Christian and Jewish congregations come together amid bomb threats

“This is part of loving our neighbor,” says Northampton pastor who recently unveiled a colorful — and communal — display of support for members of Beit Ahavah synagogue. Continue reading →

Elections

RFK Jr. is attracting support with celebrity and conspiracy. But can he get on the ballot that way?

Kennedy is trying to translate his quixotic campaign — a blend of leftist, right-wing, and conspiratorial populism — into an operation that can actually impact the 2024 presidential race. Continue reading →

World

Pope Francis allows priests to bless same-sex couples

The Vatican said Monday that Pope Francis had allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, his most definitive step yet to make the Roman Catholic Church more welcoming to LGBTQ+ Catholics and more reflective of his vision of a more pastoral, and less rigid, church. Continue reading →

Boston Globe Today

Boston Globe Today | December 18, 2023

WATCH: Monday's episode. Stories include: The books we loved in 2023. How does happiness impact the human body? Once a leader in solar, Mass. now trails behind Watch →

The silver lining behind the Patriots’ losing streak

WATCH: Falling to the Chiefs brought some good news for the franchise. Sports correspondent Khalin Kapoor explains. Watch →

How did the baby die? And can caregivers really be blamed?

WATCH: The Globe Spotlight team examines SIDS, co-sleeping and why the government punishes some parents in their three-part series, 'Cradle of Doubt.' Watch →

The Nation

Nation

Locked out of local government: Residents decry increased secrecy among towns, counties, schools

“Governments feel emboldened to basically flout democracy (and) say, ‘We’re in charge. Don’t question us. We’re not telling you what’s up,’” one researcher said. Continue reading →

Nation

Abbott signs law allowing Texas to arrest migrants, setting up federal showdown

The surge of migrants has become a political liability for President Biden, who has been criticized by Republicans and some Democrats for the record number of arrivals at the southern border under his watch. Continue reading →

Nation

Inside the booming business of cutting babies’ tongues

Lactation consultants and dentists have aggressively promoted the procedures, even for babies with no signs of genuine tongue-ties and despite a slight risk of serious complications. Continue reading →

The World

World

Austin says civilian safety is a ‘strategic imperative’ for Israel

Israeli leaders said they are considering the next phase of the war in the Gaza Strip, amid mounting pressure from the United States to shift away from the high-intensity, large-scale warfare that has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths. Continue reading →

World

Pentagon announces new international mission to counter attacks on commercial vessels in Red Sea

The US and a host of other nations are creating a new force to protect ships transiting the Red Sea that have come under attack by drones and ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Continue reading →

World

In a Baltic nation, fear and suspicion stalk Russian speakers

The small and vulnerable Baltic country is traumatized by past occupation by Russia and terrified that President Vladimir Putin might seek to “protect” Russian-speaking compatriots in the Baltics just as he has done in Ukraine. Continue reading →

Editorial & Opinion

EDITORIAL

$2 billion redevelopment will turn public housing into mixed-income community

Constructed in the 1930s, the Mary Ellen McCormack complex in South Boston is overdue for a new look — and a new vision. Continue reading →

OPINION

Israel, how many deaths in Gaza are enough?

Retribution for Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack was as swift as it was inevitable. But the moral question was and is: how much is enough? Continue reading →

LETTERS

DiMaiti family’s scholarship was a fitting tribute to Carol

This gesture to youth and families in Mission Hill, who were so wrongly targeted, touched the hearts of thousands not only in Boston but also across the country and the world. Continue reading →

Metro

Massachusetts

Old North Church’s oldest artifacts, four wooden angels, repaired and reinstalled ahead of holiday services

The angels were made in present-day Belgium in the 1620s and have perched upon the church’s gallery railing since 1746. Continue reading →

Massachusetts

Pope Francis formally allows priests to bless same-sex couples

The declaration, issued by the Vatican’s doctrinal office, gives priests greater flexibility to bless LGBTQ Catholics in same-sex unions. Continue reading →

Higher Education

Harvard sees applications for early admission drop by 17 percent over last year

The figures are the first measure of undergraduate applications to Harvard since the onset campus unrest over the Israel-Hamas war that began in October and a US Supreme Court ruling in June that banned the use of race in college admissions. Continue reading →

Sports

Tara Sullivan

The Chiefs won this game, but their recent struggles are a reminder of how amazing the Patriots’ glory days were

Six Super Bowl titles and nine appearances between 2001 and 2018, a stretch during which the Patriots failed to win the AFC East title only twice, is unparalleled in the history of the sport. Continue reading →

revolution

When will Lionel Messi come to Gillette Stadium? We’ll find out Wednesday.

The Revolution's 2024 schedule is set to be released, and the team already expects the Inter Miami game to sell out. Continue reading →

On Basketball

Why the Celtics are better prepared for a long West Coast swing than they were last season

The Celtics are trying to avoid the same fate as last December, when they were humbled by the Warriors in California. They'll take on Golden State on Tuesday, the first of a four-game swing ending Christmas Day. Continue reading →

Business

bold types

Ron Shaich takes Life Alive and Level99 concepts out of state for first time in 2024

Bold Types is our weekly roundup of the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene. Continue reading →

Business

Did the Grinch come for the office holiday party?

Corporate party planners have noted a shift since the pandemic in what their clients want for office holiday festivities. They’re seeing more demand for daytime celebrations and parties with reduced alcohol. Continue reading →

Retail

The state’s first THC drink ‘package store’ is opening in Medford

The soon-to-be-open location of Theory Wellness includes a “beverage dispensary” full of seltzers, sodas, and energy drinks infused with cannabis. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Obituaries

Merle Goldman, whose insights informed US relations with modern China, dies at 92

Historian Jonathan Mirsky once called Dr. Goldman “the foremost Western expert on China’s intellectual dissidents — especially writers.” Continue reading →

BASKETBALL

Eric Montross, Celtics draft pick and former UNC star, dies at 52 after cancer fight

Mr. Montross was the No. 9 pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and spent two seasons in Boston. Continue reading →

Arts & Lifestyle

LOVE LETTERS

He texted me after two years

Now I have to get over him. Continue reading →

Lifestyle

Tom Brady responds on TikTok to family who accidentally got a photo of him at CVS

"My mom must have been printing some photos out in San Francisco," the former Patriots quarterback wrote in the comments of the social media post. Continue reading →

STAGE REVIEW

Midwinter Revels serves up a frolicsome ‘Feast of Fools’

The narrative — in which a king surrenders his crown and a trio of fools fight monsters — is, as always with Revels, skillfully embellished with song and dance. Continue reading →