All of the headlines from today's paper.
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Today's Headlines

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Page one

Massachusetts

Federally funded programs helping Mass. families face cuts in November

Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps low-income residents pay heating bills, and Head Start services for thousands of children, could lose funding Nov. 1. Continue reading →

Crime & Courts

‘A tragedy’: Mother and former nurse killed in shooting amid mental illness and life on the streets

As her condition worsened and her physical health declined, she withdrew from the robust life she had built. Continue reading →

Health

Massachusetts says most consumers on the ACA exchange would pay hundreds more next year if subsidies expire

The state is among the first in the nation to provide specifics on how much more expensive insurance could become for the roughly 24 million people nationwide who rely on the exchanges for affordable health insurance. Continue reading →

Politics

John E. Sununu launches US Senate bid in New Hampshire, taking on Scott Brown for GOP nomination

Sununu’s candidacy could energize Republican hopes of reclaiming the seat, as his party seeks to keep their majority after the midterm elections. Continue reading →

Politics

White House expands East Wing demolition as critics decry Trump overreach

Much of the structure was torn down Tuesday to make way for President Trump’s planned ballroom, despite complaints about the project’s lack of transparency. Continue reading →

The Nation

Politics

Trump said Black Chicagoans wanted his ‘blitz.’ Many disagree.

Six weeks into Trump's “Operation Midway Blitz,” people in neighborhoods most affected by violent crime have concluded the president is not focused on protecting them. Continue reading →

Politics

University of Virginia strikes deal to pause Trump administration investigations

Unlike some universities’ deals with the Trump administration, the Virginia agreement announced Wednesday does not include a fine or monetary payment, said Paul Mahoney, interim president of the university. Continue reading →

Nation

In first six months of 2025, cost of weather catastrophes escalated at a record pace

The Trump administration this year stopped updating a federal database that tracked the cost of extreme weather and informed an annual list of hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters that each caused at least $1 billion in damage. Continue reading →

The World

World

Vance denies the US dictates to Israel as he meets with Netanyahu over Gaza cease-fire

The vice president acknowledged that the road to long-term peace is challenging, with the cease-fire less than two weeks old. Continue reading →

World

Trump levies new sanctions on Russian oil giants in a push on Putin to end Ukraine war

The sanctions against oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil followed months of calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as bipartisan pressure on Trump to hit Russia with harder sanctions on its oil industry. Continue reading →

World

Coffee production may be imperiled as forests are destroyed for more crops

Every day, we drink more than 2 billion cups of coffee worldwide, by some estimates, and demand keeps rising. Continue reading →

Editorial & Opinion

Letters

Boston could really move the needle in museum music

A cottage industry can be built around museum music in Eastern Massachusetts with few new resources required, provided institutions work together. Continue reading →

Letters

Court of public opinion weighs in on protesters’ arraignment

Readers react to a recent Opinion column headlined, "Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time, protesters." Continue reading →

Letters

Neighbors’ concerns overlooked as Cambridge project proceeds

Our members support affordable housing in Cambridge. But this project stands as a cautionary example of how not to build it. Continue reading →

Metro

Transportation

Here’s what to know about funding for the Cape Cod bridges, amid federal threats

Russell Vought, in a tweet last Friday, warned that the US Army Corps of Engineers “will be immediately pausing over $11 billion in lower-priority projects” in Boston and other locations. Continue reading →

Crime & Courts

Man who allegedly stabbed former Fall River mayor has long arrest record, mental health history

Corree K. Gonzales pleaded not guilty Tuesday to allegedly assaulting police officers who detained him in connection with the stabbing. Continue reading →

Crime & Courts

Former WBZ-TV anchor Kate Merrill drops claims against onetime colleague in lawsuit filed against network

Merrill's lawsuit alleges she was forced out of her job over unfounded allegations of racial bias. Continue reading →

Sports

Celtics

Celtics blow late lead, stumble out of the gate in season-opening loss to 76ers

Celtics showed signs of promise, but shortcomings were glaring, as they coughed up a 13-point fourth-quarter lead in a 117-116 loss. Continue reading →

Red Sox

Will Mookie Betts get a fourth ring? Some thoughts on the Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series.

The Dodgers are 9-1 in the postseason, outscoring the Reds, Phillies, and Brewers by 18 runs. They will go into Game 1 of the World Series having played only four games over the previous 14 days. Continue reading →

High Schools

‘I still can’t believe it’s me:’ Concord-Carlisle’s Emmy O’Donnell joins U-19 US national team in Portugal

O'Donnell, who leads the Dual County League in scoring, is committed to Duke and spent part of her summer playing in California with some of the top players in the country. Continue reading →

Business

Healthcare

Nearly 200,000 people could lose access to UMass Memorial in contract dispute with Blue Cross

Patients may have to seek care elsewhere or pay higher out of pocket costs to get health care services from UMass Memorial and its providers. Continue reading →

Real Estate

From massage chairs to rooftop basketball, two-thirds empty downtown tower invests $100 million to woo tenants

Downtown office tower hopes to bring people back to the office with fancy re-do. Continue reading →

Healthcare

Moderna says key study of its CMV vaccine, expected to be its next big win, failed

It's a significant setback for the Cambridge company, which is already facing pressure from Wall Street and the federal government. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Obituaries

Francisco Pinto Balsemão, ex-Portugal leader and media tycoon, dies

Francisco Pinto Balsemão, a former prime minister of Portugal in a turbulent post-coup period who withdrew from front-line politics and created a national media empire, has died. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Stephanie Johnson, burlesque dancer with stories to tell, dies at 81

Ms. Johnson performed as a burlesque dancer in New York in the 1960s and '70s and later turned into a viral social media star. Continue reading →

Arts & Lifestyle

Books

Geraldine Brooks on love, loss, horses, and why she calls Martha’s Vineyard home

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author is Boston Book Fest’s memoir keynote speaker on Saturday. Continue reading →

Dance

Dance studio turns to community to help pay off back rent, but long-term financial pressure remains

Tara Brown’s Boston Dance Studios in the North End recently lost Suffolk University’s business amid the university’s budget cuts. Continue reading →

Lifestyle

Niece grows distant from family after wedding

Advice from R. Eric Thomas. Continue reading →