Boston Globe Today | December 21, 2023

WATCH: Thursday's episode. Stories include: The pop concerts that struck a chord in 2023, Things to do between Christmas and New Years. Watch →

The odds of a white Christmas in New England

WATCH: Does Santa’s sled need windshield wipers? Meteorologist Dave Epstein has the places that might see snow. Watch →

Behind the most unforgettable images from 2023

WATCH: Deputy director of photography Kevin Martin shares stories behind some of the best photos of the year taken by Boston Globe photographers. Watch →

Nation

Giuliani files for bankruptcy protection

Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy Thursday, a day after a federal judge ordered him to start paying the $148 million in damages he owes to two former Georgia election workers for spreading lies that they had tried to steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump. Continue reading →

Politics

A deal on US border policy is closer than it seems. Here’s how it is shaping up and what’s at stake.

Amid grueling negotiations between senators and the White House, the contours of a bipartisan border security and immigration deal are beginning to take shape. Continue reading →

Political Notebook

DeSantis says Trump’s indictments ‘sucked out all the oxygen’ from primary

“If I could have one thing change, I wish Trump hadn’t been indicted on any of this stuff,” DeSantis told David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network in an interview that aired Thursday. Continue reading →

World

US says it’s ready to back UN resolution to allow more aid into Gaza

After nearly a week of intense negotiations, the United States said Thursday night that it was ready to support a United Nations Security Council resolution that would call for more desperately needed aid to enter the Gaza Strip. A vote was not expected until Friday at the earliest. Continue reading →

World

Breaking with postwar history, Japan to sell Patriot missiles to US

Japan is set to announce that it will approve the sale of advanced air defense systems to the United States, a significant shift in its postwar policies restricting the export of weapons and military hardware, and a move that could help Washington support Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Continue reading →

World

US and Europe eye Russian assets to aid Ukraine as funding dries up

The Biden administration is quietly signaling new support for seizing more than $300 billion in Russian central bank assets stashed in Western nations and has begun urgent discussions with allies about using the funds to aid Ukraine’s war effort at a moment when financial support is waning, according to senior American and European officials. Continue reading →

EDITORIAL

Smoking out the truth at the Cannabis Control Commission

As Treasurer Deborah Goldberg seeks to remove CCC chairwoman Shannon O’Brien, the public deserves to know more about the justification for the move — and more about the apparent disarray at the agency. Continue reading →

OPINION

Vibe check on 2023

Vibes now dominate the whispering of the spheres, whether it be the will-o’-the-wisp “vibecession,” the ongoing obsession with “vibe shifts,” or the omnipresence of “vibe checks.” Continue reading →

LETTERS

In Israel-Hamas war, how much is enough is a two-sided question

One writer writes, "Given Hamas’s stated determination to destroy Israel, what would critics have Israel do?" Another writes that 20,000 killed in Gaza — nearly 1 percent of the total population — is "a monstrous total." Continue reading →

Politics

Healey to open overflow shelter for migrant and homeless families in former Cambridge courthouse

Governor Maura Healey's administration faces a Dec. 31 deadline to open one or more overnight shelters, using up to $50 million lawmakers included in multibillion-dollar spending bill Healey signed this month. Continue reading →

K-12

Everett School Committee appoints new superintendent over community objections

Just weeks before several members are due to leave office, the Everett School Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to offer acting superintendent William “Bill” Hart the job as the district’s permanent leader. Continue reading →

GLOBE SANTA

Remembering loved ones through Globe Santa

There are donors who received gifts from Globe Santa as children, and others who contribute as a way to remember and honor lost relatives and friends. Continue reading →

On Basketball

Derrick White’s ascension has helped round the Celtics into one of the NBA’s most dominant teams

The development of Derrick White into a top-50 NBA player has been one of the Celtics' most overlooked aspects. It’s as if the Celtics added a third major contributor along with Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Continue reading →

PATRIOTS

For the players who built the dynasty, watching these Patriots is painful, but something they just won’t quit

“We spent 20-plus seasons knowing we had a chance to win. Not hoping. Knowing,” Lawyer Milloy said. “Teams don’t fear us anymore, and that sucks.” Continue reading →

BRUINS

A talk and some time watching from afar helped Kevin Shattenkirk rediscover his game with the Bruins

“We had a great, honest conversation about what I thought I was doing,” recalled the BU product about his sit-down with coach Jim Montgomery. “He wants me to be more aggressive, offensively and defensively.” Continue reading →

Healthcare

Tufts Medicine avoids financial peril, as health systems plot financial turnarounds

Also, Beth Israel Lahey Health reported similar progress compared to last year, but operational headwinds have prevented further improvement. Continue reading →

Business

‘It could have been worse’: How ski resorts are bouncing back from Monday’s storm

Snowmaking — the process of blanketing mountains in man-made flakes — was well underway at many large ski areas by Wednesday, and much-needed cold temperatures graced the forecast of the days ahead. Continue reading →

chesto means business

The promise of an electrified Fairmount line looms as state officials weigh new commuter contract

Smaller, battery-powered trains are cleaner, greener, and more nimble than the diesel-powered giants that roam the commuter rails today. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Dan Greenburg, who poked fun with his pen, dies at 87

A prolific humorist, bestselling author, essayist, playwright and screenwriter, Dan Greenburg's satirical prose examined Jewish angst, women, and sex, and he also produced a series of humorous children’s books. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Raymond Dirks, whose tipster case redefined insider trading, dies at 89

A maverick Wall Street analyst, Raymond Dirks was accused of insider trading by securities regulators but then vindicated by the US Supreme Court as a whistleblower in a major fraud. Continue reading →

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Food & Dining

‘Bar Rescue’ host Jon Taffer talks bourbon, his favorite Boston-area bites, plus how he’d rescue the ‘Cheers’ bar

"I have a deep connection in Massachusetts," says Taffer, who was in town this week for the launch of his new spirit. Continue reading →

MOVIE REVIEW | ★★★★

‘American Fiction’ has the Wright stuff

Cord Jefferson’s adaptation of Percival Everett’s satirical novel "Erasure" is a sharp, hilarious showcase for Jeffrey Wright. Continue reading →

Television

How Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck’s family situation inspired a new NBC sitcom

“Extended Family,” premiering Saturday, is a fictional take on the amicable, post-divorce parenting relationship between Grousbeck, his wife, Emilia Fazzalari, and her ex-husband George Geyer. Continue reading →