Boston Globe Today | December 20, 2023

WATCH: Wednesday's show. Stories include: Holiday treats for sports fans during the last week of the year, the holiday classic with a local twist. Watch →

Colorado removes Trump from ballot, Mayor Wu makes big announcement

WATCH: Political Reporter James Pindell answers what could happen if other states boot the former president. Plus, what the Mayor's apology means for the city. Watch →

ER, urgent care or your doctor’s office? Choose wisely.

WATCH: Your choice could have a big impact on your wallet. Consumer advocacy reporter Sean P. Murphy breaks down the difference based on his experience. Watch →

Nation

US releases ally of Venezuelan president in exchange for 10 Americans

The deal came after months of negotiations between President Biden and Maduro’s top officials, which were brokered by Qatar, according to US officials. It comes as the Biden administration tries to improve relations with the authoritarian government in Caracas. Continue reading →

Nation

New York City moves to end most uses of solitary confinement

New York City banned most uses of solitary confinement in city jails on Wednesday, setting the stage for a showdown between City Council leaders and Mayor Eric Adams, who opposes the ban and has vowed to veto the measure. Continue reading →

Political Notebook

Trump’s lawyers tell Supreme Court to stay out of immunity dispute in 2020 election case for now

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team last week urged the nation’s high court to take up and quickly consider Trump’s claims that he enjoys immunity from prosecution as a former president. Continue reading →

World

After years of wrangling, EU countries reach major deal on migration

European countries struck a key deal Wednesday to overhaul their joint migration system, an agreement years in the making and aimed at allaying mounting pressure from ascendant far-right political parties across the continent. Continue reading →

World

Hamas leader makes visit to Egypt for Gaza talks

Ismail Haniyeh, the top political leader of Hamas, was in Cairo on Wednesday to hold talks with Egyptian officials about a possible truce in the war in the Gaza Strip as concerns in Israel grow over the fates of the dozens of hostages still being held in the enclave. Continue reading →

World

Blocked by Polish truckers, Ukraine turns to the Black Sea to boost trade

Ukraine’s government said Tuesday that more than 10 million tons of cargo had already been exported through a shipping corridor recently established by Ukraine to evade Russia’s effective blockade of its Black Sea ports. Half of these exports are agricultural products, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, said in a statement. Continue reading →

EDITORIAL

After Colorado court kicks Trump off ballot, US Supreme Court needs to settle questions on 14th Amendment

The high court needs to set standards for what counts as insurrection lest state courts start removing candidates for inconsistent and overly broad reasons. Continue reading →

OPINION

Are blessings for same-sex couples the beginning of the end of anti-LGBTQ Catholic theology?

By making blessings available to same-sex couples, our church has, for the first time in any document, acknowledged that there can be holiness and sacredness in these relationships. Continue reading →

LETTERS

Homeless family’s agony is an indictment of state’s harsh aid policy

We should be helping the homeless with housing without question or delay. It is unconscionable for the state to decide that some poor people apparently deserve to be homeless. Continue reading →

Metro

‘Racist and wrong’: Mayor Wu apologizes to Boston’s Black community, men falsely linked to Stuart killing

Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox also apologized for the department's actions following the 1989 killing of Carol Stuart, including the police manhunt that involved countless questionable stops and searches of young Black men. Continue reading →

Rhode Island

States are trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire

Some states that stockpiled millions of masks and other personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic are now throwing the items away. Continue reading →

Metro

Wu’s eloquent apology can be the start of healing

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu issued something none of her predecessors had been able to muster: an eloquent, full-throated apology to Willie Bennett and Alan Swanson. Continue reading →

CELTICS

Jayson Tatum missed his first game of season, but Kristaps Porzingis made sure it didn’t cost Celtics

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum missed Wednesday’s 144-119 destruction of the Kings due to the left ankle sprain he suffered during Boston’s overtime loss to the Warriors on Tuesday night. It’s the first game he has missed this season. Continue reading →

RED SOX

Tyler O’Neill thinks his breakout 2021 was no anomaly, and the Red Sox hope their new outfielder is right

Acquired from the Cardinals in a trade earlier this month, O'Neill has both speed and an elite glove in the outfield — two things the Red Sox have been sorely lacking in recent years. Continue reading →

PATRIOTS

Patriots veterans push any weight of Bill Belichick’s status aside, focus on finishing season strong

Belichick's future as Patriots coach not a distraction to players. “I have a job to do, and Bill will tell you the same thing,” defensive lineman Davon Godchaux said. Continue reading →

Technology

Trailing other states, Massachusetts kicks off EV charging program

Assignments are expected in May to pick companies to build DC fast charging stations serving Route 2, Interstate 91, Interstate 495, and a portion of Interstate 195. Continue reading →

THE FINE PRINT

Emergency room versus urgent care: Which should you go to if you’re hurt or sick?

Our choices in those stressful moments have serious financial consequences. Continue reading →

commentary

Mayor Wu’s Electeds of Color holiday party was a sign of how far Boston has come

It matters that Boston’s first elected mayor of color can host a gathering for a dozen Black, Latino, and Asian politicians at a locale synonymous with power. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Jeanne Hoff, pioneering transgender psychiatrist, dies at 85

Perhaps the first openly transgender psychiatrist, Dr. Jeanne Hoff, allowed a documentary crew to accompany her to the operating room for her gender-affirming surgery, a choice mostly done as an example for her patients. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Longtime Chiefs offensive lineman Ed Budde dies at the age of 83

One of the leaders of fearsome Chiefs teams that won AFL titles in 1966 and 1969, then beat the Vikings in Super Bowl IV, Ed Budde was a five-time AFL All-Star and was chosen to two Pro Bowls once the league merged with the NFL. Continue reading →

Obituaries

J.G.A. Pocock, historian who argued for historical context, dies at 99

As one of a group of historians known collectively as the Cambridge School, J.G.A. Pocock came to prominence in the late 1960s with a fresh approach to the study of political thought, characterized by an emphasis on context and an unwillingness to assume that all ideas and problems were viewed in the past as they would be viewed today. Continue reading →

Books

In Michael O’Donnell’s debut novel, a father and son hide from danger in the White Mountains

The Boston College Law graduate drew inspiration for “Above the Fire” from a time of COVID isolation with his own son. Continue reading →

Television

George Clooney: Matthew Perry ‘wasn’t happy’ making ‘Friends’

"It didn’t bring him joy or happiness or peace," Clooney revealed in an interview with Deadline. Continue reading →

Names

After 12 years, two children, and ‘Barbie,’ Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach quietly marry

The couple wrote box-office-hit "Barbie" together during the pandemic. Continue reading →