Thursday, October 21, 2021 View web version
Today's Headlines
Page one

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Rafaela Polanco is the first Boston School Committee member who doesn’t speak fluent English. Here’s how she’s filling communication gaps for countless families

“I thought advocating for my child’s school would make me vulnerable,” Rafaela Polanco said. “But then I did it. And nothing happened to me ... so I kept going.” Continue reading →

Boston Mayoral Race

Boston mayoral candidate Annissa Essaibi George inspired as a teacher and businesswoman

Former students praise Essaibi George for her patience and guidance, but her time as a teacher and operation of her small business also fit into a broader pattern of administrative lapses that runs throughout her professional career. Continue reading →

Health

Vaccinating 5- to 11-year-olds against COVID could help tame the pandemic, but some parents will need persuasion

Nationwide, some 28 million youngsters, ages 5 to 11 — roughly 8 percent of the country’s population — would be eligible for the shots if authorized by federal health regulators at their upcoming meetings starting next Tuesday. Continue reading →

Business

Amherst College to end legacy admissions advantage for children of alumni

The college said “legacy students” have made up about 11 percent of each incoming class, but going forward that status will no longer be a factor in the admission decision. Continue reading →

Technology

In Gloucester, a tech startup plots the future of coffee

In a renovated seafood factory, Cometeer has recruited scientists from MIT, Apple, and Tesla to work on a flash frozen coffee puck that can yield a perfect cup. Continue reading →

The Nation

Nation

Gunman in Parkland school shooting pleads guilty to murdering 17 people

Nikolas Cruz, the former student who killed 17 people at a South Florida high school in 2018, pleaded guilty Wednesday to 17 counts each of murder and attempted murder, paving the way for a jury to decide whether to sentence him to death or life without parole. Continue reading →

Nation

Border arrests have soared to highest levels ever recorded, new CBP data shows

US authorities detained more than 1.7 million migrants along the Mexico border during the 2021 fiscal year that ended in September, and arrests by the Border Patrol soared to the highest levels ever recorded, according to unpublished US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data obtained by The Washington Post. Continue reading →

Nation

In a first, surgeons attached a pig kidney to a human — and it worked

Surgeons in New York have successfully attached a kidney grown in a genetically altered pig to a human patient and found that the organ worked normally, a scientific breakthrough that one day may yield a vast new supply of organs for severely ill patients. Continue reading →

The World

World

Female judges in Afghanistan, now jobless and in hiding

When Nabila was a judge in Afghanistan’s Supreme Court, she granted divorces to women whose husbands were sometimes jailed for assaulting or kidnapping them. Some of the men threatened to kill her after they had served their time, she said, and some are among those who have been released by the Taliban. Continue reading →

World

Fossil fuel drilling plans undermine climate pledges, UN report warns

The report, released Tuesday, looked at future mining and drilling plans in 15 major fossil fuel producing countries, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, China, India, and Norway. Continue reading →

World

Queen ‘reluctantly’ cancels trip, citing medical advice

Queen Elizabeth II, who has been a redoubtable presence in British public life since the death of her husband, Prince Philip, in April, canceled a trip to Northern Ireland on Wednesday because doctors advised her to rest. Continue reading →

Editorial & Opinion

EDITORIAL

Cutting the Child Tax Credit would be a big mistake

Senator Joe Manchin wants to scale back one of President Biden’s signature policies. Neither the White House nor congressional leadership should take his proposal seriously. Continue reading →

OPINION

Has Everett had enough of Mayor Carlo DeMaria?

Whatever one thinks of him — and he tends to provoke strong reactions — DeMaria has been one of the more transformative mayors in Greater Boston. Continue reading →

OPINION

Pandemic relief funds give us a chance to get it right on racial justice

The American Rescue Plan funds could help close the racial wealth divide and to put an end to the inequities this pandemic has exacerbated. Continue reading →

Metro

Boston Mayoral Race

Fact checking the second Boston mayoral debate between Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George

Tuesday’s debate between city councilors Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George in their campaign for mayor grew heated at points. The Globe took a deeper look at statements by the candidates. Continue reading →

Metro

Annissa Essaibi George’s risky gambit

Running behind in the polls, Boston mayoral candidate Annissa Essaibi George has opted for a scorched-earth strategy. But who gets burned? Continue reading →

Politics

Boston ordinance gives city oversight of surveillance technology, sets limits on school information sharing

Wednesday’s City Council vote follows its decision last year to ban government use of face surveillance technology. Continue reading →

Sports

Astros 9, Red Sox 1

Astros take control of ALCS by blowing out Red Sox in Game 5

The Sox must win Game 6 Friday night in Houston to stay alive in the series. Continue reading →

bruins notebook

Bruce Cassidy isn’t tinkering with Bruins lineup yet: ‘Right now, the pieces fit’

Things worked well enough in the season-opening win over Dallas, so the coach stuck with his lineup against the Flyers. Continue reading →

Celtics notebook

Jaylen Brown was breathtaking in his return from a COVID quarantine for the opener vs. Knicks

Brown returned from his COVID quarantine for the Celtics' season opener in New York vs. the Knicks, but forward Al Horford, who tested positive on Oct. 11, remained sidelined. Continue reading →

Business

Business

Amherst College to end legacy admissions advantage for children of alumni

The college said “legacy students” have made up about 11 percent of each incoming class, but going forward that status will no longer be a factor in the admission decision. Continue reading →

Business

Sales of Biogen’s controversial Alzheimer’s drug disappoint

Aduhelm generated just $300,000 in revenue during the third quarter, but the Cambridge biotech’s CEO says it will “stay the course.” Continue reading →

Business

AMC to add onscreen captions at some locations

Advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing have long sought more and higher-quality captioning, but theater owners worry that people who aren’t deaf simply don’t like seeing captions at the movies. Continue reading →

Obituaries
Arts & Lifestyle

MUSIC REVIEW

A swath of energizing alt-rock from Twenty One Pilots at House of Blues

On Tuesday, the second night of Twenty One Pilots’ four-night Boston stint, the duo put its catalog on shuffle while adding a few cover-song curveballs. Continue reading →

BOOKS

Juicy new mysteries and thrillers to tingle your spine this scary season

A collection of titles, most published this year, that deserve a spot in your reading pile. Continue reading →

Names

HBO Max moved up the release of ‘Dune’ to Thursday. Here’s when you can stream it

Denis Villeneuve's long-awaited sci-fi epic will finally be released in the US Thursday, both in theaters and on HBO Max. Continue reading →