Tuesday, January 18, 2022 View web version
Today's Headlines
Page one

Health

For marginalized groups, COVID testing shortages a bigger burden

A lack of reliable transportation, less flexible jobs, and language barriers make the search for tests more grueling in Black, brown, and immigrant communities, advocates and public health specialists say. Continue reading →

Business

For some Mass. businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed changes for the better

The pandemic crushed many small companies, as health concerns, supply chain issues, and labor shortages converged. But some were able to adapt and thrive. Continue reading →

Jobs

Mass. seeks to claw back at least $2.7 billion in jobless benefits it says were incorrectly paid

The Department of Unemployment Assistance made overpayments on about 719,000 claims in 2020-2021. It’s going after recipients even if they weren’t at fault. Continue reading →

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Families in Alabama have free, full-day prekindergarten while many Mass. families can only dream of it

Thanks to Alabama’s growing investments in early education, the state’s pre-K system is among the best in the nation in quality — and it’s free for most. Programs like Alabama’s are the envy of families in Massachusetts. Continue reading →

Massachusetts

If you’ve been aching to shoot someone with an arrow, there’s a place

As deer season closed again without a freezer full of venison, I signed us up to play something called combat archery, which Archery Games Boston’s website described as “dodgeball, but with bows and soft, foam-tipped arrows.” Continue reading →

The Nation

Nation

New Jersey fails to protect damaged Pinelands, activists say

Trucks ravage the New Jersey Pinelands, and the state is doing too little to protect the woodlands, advocates say. But officials say they're just trying to be fair to both hikers and off-road drivers. Continue reading →

News Analysis

The CDC’s new challenge? Grappling with imperfect science.

The contagious Omicron variant is pushing the CDC into uncharted territory. Because decisions must be made at a breakneck pace, the agency has issued recommendations based on what once would have been considered insufficient evidence, amid growing public concern about how these guidelines affect the economy and education. Continue reading →

Nation

Texas rabbi describes how he and two hostages escaped synagogue standoff

The rabbi of a Texas synagogue where a gunman took hostages during livestreamed services said Monday that he threw a chair at his captor before escaping with two others after an hourslong standoff. Continue reading →

The World

World

Poroshenko, former president, returns to Ukraine, roiling politics

Ukraine’s former president and a leading opposition figure, Petro O. Poroshenko, returned Monday to Kyiv, where he faced possible arrest, adding internal political turmoil to the mounting threat of a Russian invasion. Continue reading →

World

China’s births hit historic low, a political problem for Beijing

China announced Monday that its birthrate plummeted for a fifth-straight year in 2021, moving the world’s most populous country closer to the potentially seismic moment when its population will begin to shrink and hastening a demographic crisis that could undermine its economy and even its political stability. Continue reading →

World

In volcano’s wake, an agonizing wait for news from Tonga

A massive volcanic eruption spawned a tsunami that struck the island nation of Tonga two days ago, and severed communication lines now leave Tongans around the world waiting anxiously for news of their loved ones. United Nations and aid agencies are rushing to assess damages and send help. Continue reading →

Editorial & Opinion

OPINION

After China, Mass General Brigham is hungry to grow back home

Its proposal to build three outpatient surgery centers pits its need to grow against the state’s interest in maintaining a competitive health care marketplace. Continue reading →

EDITORIAL

Search for a ‘clean slate’ remains elusive

Minor infractions may mean years of lost opportunities, despite court rulings and legislative reforms that promised otherwise. Continue reading →

LETTERS

Ex-prosecutor’s comments raise questions about pursuit of justice

Andrew Lelling, former US attorney, gives the impression of capriciousness and lack of fairness in applying the law, in which some offenders are charged because of timing or politics but others are let go. Continue reading →

Metro

Boston Mayoral Race

In Brookline, questions abound for the future of its police department

Last week brought more upheaval, with acting chief Mark Morgan going on medical leave and a new acting chief, its fourth top cop in as many years, appointed by the Select Board. Continue reading →

Massachusetts

Five buildings destroyed after 9-alarm blaze rips through Salisbury seaside

The fire started at Michael’s Oceanfront Motel, located at 40 Central Ave., where fire crews responded around 2 a.m. Monday, officials said. Continue reading →

Social Justice

Maya Angelou on money is a poem only America could write

Putting the poet on a quarter and Harriet Tubman on the $20 does not honor them properly. Continue reading →

Sports

celtics 104, pelicans 92

Celtics wipe out 18-point deficit and pull away from Pelicans

Jayson Tatum led the way with 27 points as the Celtics pushed above .500 for the first time since Dec. 7. Continue reading →

ON BASKETBALL

There’s still time for the Celtics, who are making the most of a soft schedule

While the Celtics continue to deal with sluggish lapses, they're showing enough resolve to battle back against lesser opposition. Continue reading →

Bruins Notebook

On the same wavelength, David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall are clicking for the Bruins

Hall, Pastrnak, and Erik Haula have formed Boston's most productive line over the last 10 games. Continue reading →

Business

Business

For some Mass. businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed changes for the better

The pandemic crushed many small companies, as health concerns, supply chain issues, and labor shortages converged. But some were able to adapt and thrive. Continue reading →

Business

Scientist behind key CAR-T advances co-founds new biotech

Affini-T Therapeutics is a Seattle- and Massachusetts-based company that hopes to eliminate cancers by targeting the source of cancer cells. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Obituaries

Famed Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee dies at 102

Mr. McGee flew 409 fighter combat missions over three wars. Continue reading →

Arts & Lifestyle

Arts

How ‘Encanto’ and its vibrant soundtrack became a phenomenon

The soundtrack lighting up the charts, with the showstopping earworm “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” leading the way. Continue reading →

STAGE REVIEW

Lasting lessons in Lyric Stage’s ‘Mr. Parent’

In his deep-from-the-heart solo show, stage actor Maurice Emmanuel Parent explores his five-year stint as a teacher in the Boston Public Schools. Continue reading →

Names

Iceless curling is just a stone’s throw away in the Seaport

The Seaport has extended free curling — played on sheets of plastic, not ice — through Feb. 27. Continue reading →