All of the headlines from today's paper.
Friday, July 4, 2025
Today's Headlines
Page one

Massachusetts

In 1775 and today, an elusive American unity

Being a Virginian made George Washington a symbol of the Continental Congress’s effort to show that beleaguered Boston was not alone, and that fighting for self-determination resonated beyond New England. Continue reading →

Massachusetts

‘Game changing’: How ‘breast cancer social media’ is helping young women get diagnosed earlier

A number of celebrities, including former "The Bachelorette" star Katie Thurston and actor Olivia Munn, have recently gone public with their early-onset breast cancer diagnoses. Continue reading →

Crime & Courts

Mass. high court triggers rule to begin releasing unrepresented defendants amid lawyers’ work stoppage

Many court-appointed attorneys have stopped taking on new clients as they fight for higher pay rates from the state. Continue reading →

Politics

The House gives final approval to Trump’s big tax bill in a milestone for his second-term agenda

It was a long-shot effort to compile a lengthy list of GOP priorities into what they called his “one big beautiful bill,” at nearly 900 pages. Continue reading →

Politics

Medicaid, food aid recipients worry about safety net cuts in bill sent to Trump

The nation's social safety net would face massive changes under a bill headed to President Trump's desk. Continue reading →

The Nation

Nation

Sean Combs’s winning defense: He’s abusive, but he’s not a racketeer

Over 28 days of testimony, federal prosecutors called witnesses who gave compelling accounts of harrowing violence, acts of intimidation and voyeuristic sex in hotel rooms with oceans of baby oil. Sean Combs, they said, was the ringleader. Continue reading →

Nation

Adopt a rat? EPA employees are invited to take soon-to-be homeless lab animals

Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency's research campus in North Carolina are preparing to take on a new responsibility. Bring home lab rats as pets. Continue reading →

Nation

Kilmar Abrego García’s lawyers describe ‘severe beatings’ in El Salvador prison

Kilmar Abrego García’s lawyers said in a court filing Wednesday that he and the others were severely beaten and forced to kneel for nine straight hours upon their arrival. Continue reading →

The World

World

Strikes kill 94 Palestinians in Gaza, including 45 people waiting for aid, authorities say

More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded since the food-distribution sites opened in May. Continue reading →

World

Pope Leo returns to tradition: A summer break at a papal villa

The announcement that Pope Leo XIV would be vacationing in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, for two weeks in July was met with excitement, relief, and a burst of last-minute renovations on papal properties. Continue reading →

World

The site of the Jonestown massacre opens to tourists. Some ask why.

What makes a tragedy worth revisiting? Continue reading →

Editorial & Opinion
Metro

Vermont

What would Edward R. Murrow think of CBS parent company caving in to Donald Trump?

Trump’s lawyer had claimed Trump suffered “mental anguish” from a “60 Minutes” interview last October of then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Continue reading →

Massachusetts

‘A bright future’: Family and friends remember UMass Amherst senior killed in D.C. shooting

Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a rising senior at UMass who was working as a congressional intern, was killed in a triple shooting in Washington, D.C., police said. Continue reading →

Rhode Island

Pawtucket police release edited videos in shooting of mentally disabled man with a toy gun, raising more questions

Video from the camera worn by Officer Thomas Letourneau, who shot and wounded Sebastian Yidana from about 150 feet away across an intersection, does not show the shooting itself. Continue reading →

Sports

Sports

Supreme Court will take up a new case about which school sports teams transgender students can join

The nationwide battle over the participation of transgender girls on girls sports teams has played out at both the state and federal levels. Continue reading →

Red Sox

Game theory: How ‘MLB The Show’ became a key part of Lucas Giolito’s pre-start preparation

"I was so bad that I had to make some changes," said Giolito, recalling his dreadful 2018 season in Chicago and a change he's carried on ever since. Continue reading →

Red Sox

‘Everything starts in Venezuela.’ How a trip home helped Carlos Narváez become the Red Sox’ breakthrough player.

A critical difference between playing in the Venezuelan Winter League and the minor leagues is the focus on winning over development. Continue reading →

Business

Business

Trash pickup delayed in Mass. towns as waste collection workers’ strike drags on

A federal mediation session failed to bring Teamsters Local 25 and Republic Services to an agreement that would end a garbage collection strike affecting more than a dozen Massachusetts towns. Continue reading →

Marijuana

Cannabis Control Commission finds evidence of test fraud, orders Mass. testing lab to close

The CCC, in its first ever suspension order, alleged that Tyngsborough-based Assured Testing Laboratories failed to accurately report levels of mold and yeast it found in the cannabis it tested. Continue reading →

Business

On Cape Cod, luxury home sales are soaring

Luxury home sales on the Cape have proven resistant to two factors weighing on the broader real estate market: high interest rates and high prices. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Obituaries

Rosalind Fox Solomon, whose photos captured emotional nuance, dies at 95

Her penetrating black-and-white portraits shot in the American South, Israel, and diverse spots around the globe earned her the admiration of critics. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Michael Madsen, ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ actor, dies

The actor was a regular in Quentin Tarantino's films, appearing as menacing characters in a number of the filmmaker's movies. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota rose to the heights of soccer stardom before his tragic death at 28

The forward had just completed the most successful season of his career — helping Liverpool to a record-equaling 20th English league title and then winning the UEFA Nations League with Portugal. He also recently married his longtime partner. Continue reading →

Arts & Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Women buck trend, look to grow rodeo sport of ranch bronc riding

“I’m very stubborn, and I don’t like being defeated,” said the 18-year-old from Cessford, Alberta. In other words, the teenager was hooked on a sport that pits women against bucking horses for eight seconds. Continue reading →

Parenting

Five lessons from traveling to Italy with kids

Try the tripe. Skip the toiletry containers. Continue reading →

Performing Arts

Seeing Blue Man Group for the first time as it closes after 30 years

In its predictability and silliness, it was kind of radical. Continue reading →