All of the headlines from today's paper.
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Today's Headlines
Page one

Massachusetts

Boston wants to revamp Chinatown zoning. Will it be enough to blunt gentrification?

The proposed changes would preserve its historic row houses, and also remove rules that once gave birth to the Combat Zone, the former adult entertainment district. Continue reading →

Massachusetts

‘Our goal is literally to keep people alive’: Shelter demand soars around Massachusetts amid extreme cold

Many facilities are at and over capacity, and teams fanned out to reach people living outdoors. Continue reading →

Health

What do celery, dark chocolate, and parsley have in common? Maybe clues to a longer life.

Americans are living longer but with more years burdened by chronic disease. Researchers say molecules in certain foods may help us live healthier, longer. Continue reading →

K-12

Boston Public Schools recommends multiple school closures, mergers

The closures, part of the district’s ongoing long-term facilities plan, would take place at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Continue reading →

Politics

Trump floats using force to take Greenland and the Panama Canal

President-elect Donald Trump refused on Tuesday to rule out the use of military or economic coercion to force Panama to give up control of the canal that America built more than a century ago and to push Denmark to sell Greenland to the United States. Continue reading →

Boston Globe Today

Meta ends fact-checking ahead of Trump administration

The owner of Instagram and Facebook is switching to user-based fact-checking. Media reporter Aidan Ryan explains what's behind the media giant's decision. Watch →

TikTok trend lands students in handcuffs

Assumption University students are facing criminal charges after an attempted kidnapping. Reporter Danny McDonald explains what happened and why. Watch →

UnitedHealth CEO shooting fuels anger against insurance industry

Medical reporter Jessica Bartlett and STAT investigative reporter Casey Ross reflect on how Americans experience healthcare. Watch →

The Nation

Nation

Pilot program allows pharmacists to prescribe abortion pills

Pharmacists have begun prescribing abortion pills, not simply dispensing the medication — a development intended to broaden abortion access by taking advantage of rules that give them prescribing ability in most states. Continue reading →

Politics

Jimmy Carter eulogized by Kamala Harris, congressional leaders at US Capitol

Nearly 44 years after Jimmy Carter left the nation’s capital in humbling defeat, the 39th president returned to Washington for three days of state funeral rites. Continue reading →

Nation

Israeli strikes kill 17 people in Gaza, nearly all of them women or kids

The Israeli military said it targeted militants who had taken part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war, without providing evidence. Continue reading →

The World

World

Strong earthquake hits remote Tibet in western China, killing dozens

At least 126 people have died and 188 were injured in the quake, which struck shortly after 9 a.m. at a depth of 6.2 miles in Dingri County, near one of Tibet’s most historic cities, in western China, state media reported. Continue reading →

World

The Panama Canal’s newest voyagers: fishy intruders from two oceans

The Panama Canal has for more than a century connected far-flung peoples and economies, making it an essential artery for global trade. But of late the canal has been linking something else, too: the immense ecosystems of the Atlantic and the Pacific. Continue reading →

World

Taiwan says it suspects a Chinese-linked ship damaged an undersea internet cable

Taiwan is investigating whether a ship linked to China is responsible for damaging one of the undersea cables that connects Taiwan to the internet, the latest reminder of how vulnerable Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is to damage from China. Continue reading →

Editorial & Opinion

EDITORIAL

School closures are hard. But Wu and Skipper’s plan will make BPS a better district.

Simply by virtue of putting more kids in fully enrolled schools with a broader range of programming, the closures and reconfigurations should have a beneficial impact. Continue reading →

OPINION

Who radicalized Matthew Livelsberger?

Before blowing up a Cybertruck in Las Vegas, the Green Beret advocated for a violent purge of Democrats from the government and military. Continue reading →

LETTERS

And so the Patriots’ dismal season stumbles to the end

If the Krafts knew since 2019 that Jerod Mayo would be their next head coach, where was the plan? Continue reading →

Metro

Massachusetts

Immigration spurs bump in Mass. population

Fueled by the highest immigration levels in decades, Massachusetts saw its largest population increase in 60 years between 2023 and 2024. Continue reading →

Transportation

Boston traffic ranked fourth worst in the US, study says. But, some small victories.

The average motorist traversing Boston spent 79 hours stuck in traffic in 2024, according to an annual study from INRIX, a transportation analytics company. Continue reading →

Health

Norovirus cases in Mass. surged in 2024, outpacing previous years, officials say

Cases over the winter season have so far outpaced the previous year, with 134 cases reported in November and 279 reported in December. In 2023, there were 52 cases reported in November and 112 in December. Continue reading →

Sports

patriots

Which Patriots will be free agents this offseason, and should the team bring any of them back?

Jonathan Jones, Jacoby Brissett, and Austin Hooper are among the notable players to watch. Continue reading →

Patriots

Most who get fired after one season don’t get a second NFL head coaching job

Whether Jerod Mayo will seek out another opportunity — as a head coach or otherwise — remains to be seen. Continue reading →

Bruins Notebook

The Bruins’ Mason Lohrei still learning to trust his offensive instincts

Bruins defenseman finds it's a balancing act on when to jump into the play. Continue reading →

Business

Business

Bedsores, a noose made by patient: Nurses union requests state monitors at Tenet hospitals, citing safety lapses

Tenet Healthcare called the union’s claims "unfounded attacks" and "publicity stunts." Continue reading →

Media

New investors bring ownership overhaul at New Hampshire Union Leader

The new investment comes amid an effort to cut costs at the organization, which has struggled to maintain print subscribers and build an online audience. Continue reading →

THE FINE PRINT

He thought his physical therapy would cost $25 per session. Then came the bill for $4,515.

It turns out the facility where a Newton college student was treated for an ankle injury is an outpatient department of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, which charges "hospital visit" rates. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Obituaries

Alison Field, who conducted groundbreaking research into eating disorders and obesity, dies at 58

"Alison was the preeminent scholar on adolescent obesity and eating disorders,” said Kerri Boutelle, a pediatrics professor at the University of California, San Diego. Continue reading →

Arts & Lifestyle

Documentary

Netflix documentary about the ‘Jerry Springer Show’ dives into the cultural changes it foretold

The show played a big part, “in people not wanting to understand each other, but just shout at each other and fight,” said Luke Sewell, the documentary's director. Continue reading →

Arts

Sorry not sorry: These are the ‘banished words’ of 2025

If you would like to utilize the comments to add yours, go ahead, 100%. Continue reading →

Lifestyle

Ready to ‘purge and burn’ 2024 and its Christmas trees? Have we got a community bonfire for you.

Whatever attracts you to the flame, here is where to find your “this is fine” moment in coming weeks. Continue reading →