All of the headlines from today's paper.
Saturday, December 20, 2025
Today's Headlines
Page one

Rhode Island Crime

‘This was someone who was exceptional’: MukhammadAziz Umurzokov dreamed of helping others as a doctor

The attack has left his campus shaken, his family grieving, and his dreams unfinished. Continue reading →

Rhode Island Crime

Politicians turned Ella Cook into a political symbol. Her friends say there is more to the story.

In the days since the shooting, Ella Cook has been painted as a conservative crusader on a campus of liberals. Cook’s friends said there was far more to her life than politics. Continue reading →

Rhode Island

Brown campus shooter harbored resentment from time as a PhD student in the early 2000s, friend says

In the immediate aftermath of his death by suicide, a fuller picture of the suspected Brown University shooter emerged Friday. Continue reading →

Politics

Enhanced Obamacare tax credits are guaranteed to expire at year’s end, but the fight isn’t over

Bipartisan groups of lawmakers promised to continue working on an extension, and there were glimmers of hope this week that a compromise could emerge in the near future. Continue reading →

The Nation

Nation

Cannabis downgraded to lower classification of drugs

Trump said the main reason was to allow research into cannabis to be intensified. Continue reading →

Nation

Judge in Wisconsin convicted of helping immigrant avoid arrest by ICE

The jury found Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan guilty of a felony, obstructing an official proceeding, but acquitted her of a misdemeanor, concealing a person from arrest. Continue reading →

Politics

RFK Jr. vows campaign to fight Lyme disease, claiming officials in past administrations felt it ‘did not exist’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said one of his sons suffered facial paralysis for about a year after contracting Lyme disease. Continue reading →

The World

World

Putin says Kremlin will achieve military goals in Ukraine if peace conditions are not met

“Our troops are advancing all across the line of contact, faster in some areas or slower in some others, but the enemy is retreating in all sectors,” Putin said at the live news conference. Continue reading →

World

H-1B workers stranded in India after renewing US visas

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of highly skilled workers had their appointments canceled between Dec. 15 and 26. Continue reading →

Editorial & Opinion

OpEds

When school shooting headlines fade, the trauma doesn’t

The scars of school shootings often endure for years, shaping mental health, educational trajectories, and economic futures. Continue reading →

OpEds

Mike Johnson’s war on women

The House speaker isn’t just a sexist boss. As a party leader and as a policy maker, he has systematically made life harder and more expensive for all women. Continue reading →

Letters

MWRA’s solution to sewer overflows stirs outrage

We fought for a clean Boston Harbor. The Charles and Mystic are next. Continue reading →

Metro

Rhode Island Crime

Court documents provide timeline of suspect’s movements in Brown, Brookline shootings

Here are the moments following the first reports of the shooting Saturday, according to police and university officials. Continue reading →

Metro

Massachusetts Convention Center Authority has changed leadership, without solving its problems

The brief tenure of Marcel Vernon Sr. raises questions about whether the agency is ready to embrace change. Continue reading →

Metro

Job insecurity means added strain at holiday time

This year’s reduction of SNAP benefits only added to the strain on families hoping to provide their children with gifts. Continue reading →

Sports

Celtics

Celtics turn up the Heat in the fourth quarter

The Celtics made six 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter to pull away from the Heat. Continue reading →

Patriots

Patriots, Ravens each facing their own red-zone struggles heading into their critical Sunday night showdown

The Patriots are last in the league in red-zone defense, allowing touchdowns 75 percent of the time, but Baltimore is next-to-last in converting trips to touchdowns. Continue reading →

Patriots

Robert Spillane ruled out for Sunday’s Ravens game, dealing backsliding Patriots’ defense another blow

Veteran Jack Gibbens, who played a season-high 70 snaps last week, will likely again get the majority of them with the Patriots going without Spillane. Continue reading →

Business

Real Estate

Alnylam launching $250 million biomanufacturing expansion in Norton

The move comes after a wave of FDA approvals for the Cambridge-based drugmaker. Continue reading →

Energy

State lines up contracts to build big battery farms, led by one in Everett

The 700-megawatt Trimount project from Jupiter Power would be the largest such lithium-ion battery farm in New England, if it opened today. Continue reading →

Media

Reddit’s help in finding Brown shooter a far cry from its role in Boston Marathon bombing manhunt

In 2013, users spent half a day fixating on an individual that police never suspected played a role in the Marathon bombing. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Obituaries

Robert J. Samuelson, sharp-eyed economics columnist, dies at 79

The writer sought to explain the implications of unemployment, inflation, and government spending to ordinary readers for more than 40 years. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Christine Choy, documentarian of Asian American life, dies at 76

Ms. Choy's influential documentaries included "Who Killed Vincent Chin?" which was nominated for an Academy Award and would become a staple of study for the next generation of film students. Continue reading →

Arts & Lifestyle

Pop Culture

Michael Keaton named Hasty Pudding’s 2026 Man of the Year

“We are beyond thrilled to honor Michael Keaton as our 2026 Man of the Year,” Hasty Pudding president Daisy Nussbaum said in a statement. Continue reading →

Music

Barack Obama’s favorite music and books of 2025 lists include a Boston-born singer and a Harvard professor

The former president also shared his list of favorite movies on Thursday. Continue reading →

Music

Boston Music Awards 2025: Dropkick Murphys, ISHA!, and more win big. See the full list.

Fans and nominees took over Big Night Live on Wednesday to celebrate this year's Boston Music Awards. Continue reading →