All of the headlines from today's paper.
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Today's Headlines
Page one

Politics

‘It boggles the mind’: In face of Trump, Mass. Legislature has passed few bills amid tension and infighting

Following a legislative session where they struggled with backlogged bills and public finger-pointing, state lawmakers who promised change instead have fought amongst themselves. Continue reading →

Massachusetts

Is Gloucester ready for Bunker Hill?

On Saturday and Sunday, the city’s Stage Fort Park will play host to the mother of all Bunker Hill reenactments. Continue reading →

Crime & Courts

‘100 percent convinced’: Juror in Karen Read retrial speaks about deliberations, verdict

“There’s too many holes for us to fill, and it wasn’t our job to fill those holes,” Paula Prado said. Continue reading →

Higher Education

Months into his fight with Harvard, Trump now says ‘HISTORIC’ deal is close

The order from US District Judge Allison Burroughs will allow Harvard to enroll international students until the case is decided. Continue reading →

Nation

Tuition increases, layoffs are coming to a broad set of universities

Just as America’s colleges are preparing to welcome what could be the largest freshman class in the nation’s history, political and economic forces are unleashing havoc on higher education budgets. Continue reading →

The Nation

Nation

Judge orders Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil freed from detention

The ruling is a major victory and relief for Khalil, a legal permanent US resident, who played a leading role in demonstrations at the school’s campus last year. Continue reading →

Politics

A potential strike on Iran tests Trump’s propensity to play to both sides

The prospect that the United States might join Israel in bombing Iran is testing the president's ability to embrace dueling positions with little to no political cost. Continue reading →

Nation

Supreme Court allows vape companies to pick courts to hear challenges

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a government effort to narrow options for challenging Food and Drug Administration denials of applications to market electronic cigarettes. Continue reading →

The World

World

Pro-Palestinian activists break into UK’s biggest air base in startling security breach

In a startling breach of security, activists from a Pro-Palestinian group on Friday broke into Britain's largest air force base and damaged two aircraft in what they said was a protest against the country's military support for Israel. Continue reading →

World

‘Whole of Ukraine is ours,’ Putin muses without ruling out capturing key city

The Russian president made clear he had no intentions of soon ending the war. But it was less clear whether Putin was suggesting that Russia would annex additional territory beyond the four Ukraine regions that it has already declared are officially part of Russia. Continue reading →

World

UK lawmakers approve assisted-dying law

Lawmakers voted 314-291 for legalization following an impassioned, four-hour debate. Modeled on a law in Oregon, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will allow terminally ill people to choose to die. Continue reading →

Editorial & Opinion

OpEds

Men’s mental health care is in jeopardy with GOP legislation

President Trump has spent most of May and June championing legislation that would take mental health care away from millions of Americans — many of them men. Continue reading →

OpEds

Still marching after all these years

I am 84. At demonstrations against the Trump administration, I see people as old as I am everywhere. Continue reading →

Letters

A former progressive’s ‘goodbye to all that’ moment

An essay headlined "Being a progressive activist made me miserable" stirred readers to engage in a lively debate over the writer's views. Continue reading →

Metro

Massachusetts

What to know about the Battle of Bunker Hill reenactment in Gloucester this weekend

The events will bring to life the epic battle that, despite the Patriots’ tactical defeat, galvanized support across the colonies for the Revolutionary cause. Continue reading →

Massachusetts

Health experts say a little-known form of science denial explains RFK Jr.’s views on vaccines and disease

Kennedy’s unorthodox ideas about a wide range of health subjects may appear disparate to those who haven’t trawled through his more than a dozen books. Continue reading →

Higher Education

Harvard has collected 3 million biological samples over decades. Now, researchers may not have the money to preserve them.

Harvard researchers say money will soon run out to cover the costs of preserving the samples collected over decades from roughly 350,000 people. Continue reading →

Sports

Red Sox

Red Sox hiring process left some applicants confused and discouraged after infrequent human interaction

Applicants said the process using HireVue was similar to other MLB teams, with recorded interviews reviewed by managers. Others said time-consuming problem sets without direct interaction with the team can make the process frustrating. Continue reading →

Red Sox

For Red Sox manager Alex Cora, facing Rafael Devers just another part of the ‘business’

Cora pointed out that the Astros have one player remaining from their 2017 championship team and the Nationals have none from 2019. Continue reading →

Celtics

Too bad the Celtics’ roster can’t remain the same, but it’s good to know Brad Stevens will be in charge of the changes

Life moves fast in the NBA, and a punitive collective bargaining agreement is going to make teams’ championship windows slam shut even faster than before. Continue reading →

Business

Business

Purdue Pharma’s $7B opioid settlement is set for votes from victims and cities

A judge has advanced OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's $7 billion-plus plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids. Continue reading →

Economy

Massachusetts jobless rate hits 4.8 percent, the highest in nearly four years

The state’s unemployment rate rose for a fifth consecutive month in May, as the number of new job-seekers continued to swell while hiring slowed. Continue reading →

Business

State adds tax to most cable boxes

Cable boxes had been exempt from 6.25 percent state sales tax. But no more. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Obituaries

Joel Shapiro, a sculptor who could go big (or very small), dies at 83

Mr. Shapiro was a renowned sculptor who crafted sleek and mysterious miniatures, such as a three-inch-high cast-iron chair, as well as idiosyncratic large-scale works — wooden or metal stick figures that radiated wit and emotion. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Kim Woodburn, British TV’s no-nonsense ‘Queen of Clean,’ dies at 83

Kim Woodburn, the platinum-haired, trash-talking darling of British reality television who found fame as a domestic dominatrix in the long-running series "How Clean Is Your House" and in other shows of the mean TV genre, died Monday. She was 83. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Edward Anders, who duped Nazis and illuminated the cosmos, dies at 98

Edward Anders, a cosmochemist who unraveled mysteries about the solar system and the wildfires that helped wipe out the dinosaurs -- and who then, in retirement, uncovered the identities of thousands of Jews from his hometown who were killed in the Holocaust -- died on June 1 in San Mateo, California. He was 98. Continue reading →

Arts & Lifestyle

Music

Boston Calling music festival won’t be held in 2026, organizers announce, but no one will say why

The event will return in June 2027, they said in a statement, though numerous people involved in putting on the festival declined to comment on the cancellation. Continue reading →

Music

Chaparelle bring their buzzy brand of ‘Western Pleasure’ to Mass.

The Austin, Texas, band, which includes creative and romantic partners Jesse Woods and Zella Day, will perform in Marshfield and Greenfield this weekend. Continue reading →

Television

‘Étoile’ is gone after one season, and that’s a shame

The show got only one season, but made the most of its ballet setting. Continue reading →