Nation

From AI to immigration, these new state laws will take effect in 2026

From cellphone bans to higher minimum wages, here are some of the important policy changes set to go into effect in 2026. Continue reading →

Nation

Duty? Insanity? These former members of Congress want to come back.

Republican House candidate Mayra Flores keeps getting the same question: Is she insane? Continue reading →

Nation

Families of murder victims in Washington say Trump is ignoring them

While crime is dropping in Washington — homicides are down 31 percent compared with the same time last year — D.C. police have recorded 127 murders through Dec. 26, including 28 since Trump announced his federal takeover. Continue reading →

World

Experts question Denmark’s vaccine program as a model for the US

The United States is poised to adopt the childhood vaccine recommendations used in Denmark. The decision has alarmed public health experts in both countries. Continue reading →

World

Surge of economic pain pushes Iranians to the streets

Protesters took to the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran on Monday to decry surging inflation and the collapse of the national currency. Continue reading →

World

The world wants more ube. Philippine farmers are struggling to keep up.

Its photogenic hue and subtle flavor have helped fuel a viral craze — putting pressure on the Philippines to supply more, even as climate change ravages harvests and producers in China and Vietnam ramp up their own purple yams. Continue reading →

Editorials

Too few kids are eating school breakfast

High-poverty districts should focus on implementing breakfast after the bell. Continue reading →

Columns

Robert Kraft’s 2025 win streak faces its toughest opponent: Wu

Winning the Super Bowl might be easier than making an Everett stadium deal with the Boston mayor by midnight on New Year’s Eve. Continue reading →

Columns

Is a guards union lawsuit against DOC just payback time?

A slap-on-the-wrist punishment is now a federal case. Continue reading →

Politics

ICE plan to house detainees in Merrimack meets some opposition, surprise in N.H.

A renovated industrial warehouse would be used to house 500 to 1,500 immigrant detainees, according to the plan. Continue reading →

Crime & Courts

$400,000 worth of lobster disappears after being shipped from cold storage warehouse in Taunton

The FBI is actively investigating the incident, an executive at Rexing Companies, the freight operator, said. Continue reading →

Massachusetts

An Acela adventure, at 1/1000th of a second

A weekly photo column by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Stan Grossfeld. Continue reading →

Celtics

Jaylen Brown is elevating his game as the Celtics’ offense runs through him for the first time

Brown has scored 30 or more points in nine straight games and was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Continue reading →

Patriots

Center Garrett Bradbury’s ironman streak comes to an end, and other snap count observations from Patriots-Jets

Bradbury was healthy and would have finished the game, but the score was so lopsided that the Patriots decided to rest a number of their starters. Continue reading →

Patriots

Even with AFC East title secure, Patriots have more to earn in regular-season finale

The latest motivational approach? Earn everything. Continue reading →

Bold Types

Former HR chief Denyse Medlenka takes over for Tim Rowe as CIC chief executive

CIC, now led by Medlenka, is known for its coworking spaces, but its fastest-growing revenue source in 2026 will likely be providing consulting services. Continue reading →

Real Estate

For the second year running, Boston’s commercial buildings are worth less than the year before

Boston's commercial tax base is taking a hit as buildings sell for less than their current owners paid for them. Continue reading →

Jobs

Tough job market has people using dating apps to get interviews

Automation has squeezed human contact out of hiring, which has pushed applicants to seek any path to a live hiring manager, no matter the means. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Gary Graffman, piano virtuoso and renowned teacher, dies at 97

A rare neurological disorder cost him the use of his right hand in his 50s, setting Mr. Graffman on a distinguished path as a teacher. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Michal Urbaniak, pioneering jazz fusion violinist, dies at 82

Michał Urbaniak, a Polish violinist and jazz fusion pioneer who in the 1970s became one of the first jazz musicians from his Eastern bloc country to gain an international following, died Dec. 20. Continue reading →

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Television

A double dose of Francis Ford Coppola awaits this week

Mike Figgis’s documentary "Megadoc," on Criterion, offers a behind-the-scenes look at "Megalopolis," which itself screens at the Alamo on New Year's Day. Continue reading →

Arts

Jacqueline Harpman’s ‘I Who Have Never Known Men’ is a reminder not judge a book by its cover

French novel "I Who Have Never Known Men" was out of print since the early 2000s, until it's new translation in 2019. This year, the book hit the New England bestseller list multiple times and became a phenomenon on BookTok, is listed on the Goodreads Most Popular Books of 2025 list, and has been called "'The Handmaids Tale' for Gen Z". On the 30th anniversary of the book's publishing, young women are discovering the story as an essential piece of feminist literature that is as relevant now as it was when published. Talking to academics, as well as young readers themselves, the piece explores the book's delayed impact on the mass American readership, and why it is resonating with readers now more than ever. Continue reading →

Music

SiriusXM called ‘recession pop’ the ‘playlist of the year.’ But what does that mean for listeners — and the economy?

There is no credible evidence that “recession pop” actually indicates a recession. So why do music fans keep tossing the term around online? Continue reading →