Politics

Cuba and US take tentative step with talks on migration

There were no major breakthroughs, but the mere fact that the U.S. was holding substantive talks was a sign relations might be looking better under President Biden after going into deep freeze under his predecessor, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said Friday. Continue reading →

Nation

Coach’s prayers prompt Supreme Court test of religious freedom

The court’s decision, expected by June, could revise earlier understandings about when prayer is permitted in public schools, the rights of government employees and what counts as pressuring students to participate in religious activities. Continue reading →

Politics

Meadows was warned Jan. 6 could turn violent, House panel says

Mark Meadows, the final chief of staff for President Donald Trump, was told that plans to try to overturn the 2020 election using so-called alternate electors were not “legally sound” and that the events of Jan. 6 could turn violent, but he pushed forward with a rally anyway, the House committee investigating the Capitol attack alleged in a Friday night court filing. Continue reading →

World

Discreetly, the young in Japan chip away at a taboo on tattoos

Japan has a longstanding taboos against tattoos, which remain identified with organized crime even as the Japanese mob has faded and body art has become widely popular in the West. Continue reading →

World

Rio’s Carnival parade returns after long pandemic hiatus

Colorful floats and flamboyant dancers are delighting tens of thousands jammed into Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Sambadrome, putting on a delayed Carnival celebration after the pandemic halted the dazzling displays. Continue reading →

World

‘A great pity’: Ukrainian village faces a churchless Easter

A single metal cross remains inside the church of shattered brick and blackened stone. Russian soldiers used the house of worship for storing ammunition, residents said, and Ukrainian forces shelled the building to make the Russians leave. Continue reading →

LETTERS

Darwin’s theory of sexual selection is in need of an update

How I wish he’d had access to the hundreds of hours of interviews I recorded of women describing the wide range of traits that made the actual men in their lives sexually — and reproductively — attractive. Continue reading →

EDITORIAL

Thirty percent of BPS students don’t speak English as a first language. The district is still failing too many of them.

The heavy turnover in top administrative positions reveals chronic instability in the Boston Public Schools. Continue reading →

LETTERS

Cities, towns hampered by sway of state restrictions

Boston, Gateway Cities, and other municipalities with significant populations of color are disproportionately affected by state restrictions. Continue reading →

Crime & Courts

Calif. man allegedly threatened to commit anti-LGBTQ violence at Merriam-Webster in Springfield

Jeremy David Hanson, 34, of Rossmoor, Calif., is facing one count of interstate communication of threats to commit violence. He is due to appear next week in US District Court in Springfield, officials said Friday. Continue reading →

Metro

Welcome to the whimsical world of David M. Bird’s ‘Becorns’

Bird’s imaginative art project features tiny characters crafted from acorns, twigs, and other outdoor materials and posed in nature as if they’re interacting with real-life woodland creatures. This year, the artist’s project took off — and found itself a larger-than-life audience. Continue reading →

Politics

State Senate poised to debate long-awaited sports betting bill Thursday — but differences with House remain

The prospect of legalized sports betting in Massachusetts could take another step forward this week, when the state Senate is expected to debate its version of a bill to greenlight gambling on professional teams. Continue reading →

Dan Shaughnessy

Vaccination issues could start costing the Red Sox games, and other thoughts

This is no longer strictly a medical or personal-freedom issue. It’s a baseball question. It’s a competition question. As in “Do Your Job.” Continue reading →

Bruins 3, Rangers 1

David Pastrnak returns to lineup to spark Bruins’ victory over Rangers

Pastrnak also picked up an assist on Taylor Hall’s goal at 1:07 of the third period. Continue reading →

INSTANT ANALYSIS

The Celtics parried every Nets rally, and other observations after pushing Brooklyn to the brink in Game 3

Dorchester native Bruce Brown more than did his part for the hosts, but a first quarter with 11 lead changes didn't have another in the final three as Boston got hot at all the critical moments. Continue reading →

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IDEAS

It’s time to see nuclear power in a different light

It’s a carbon-free source of electricity that is always on and defunds fossil fuel tyrants like Vladimir Putin. It’s expensive — but we probably can’t afford to do without it. Continue reading →

IDEAS

The feminizing of fascism in Europe

A gender change in leadership may soften a party’s rough edges, but it should not be mistaken for progress. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Romeo Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Texas author who set series of novels along border dies

Romeo Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, an award-winning Texas author who began in the 1970s writing a series of novels that told the stories of people living in a fictional county along the Texas-Mexico border, has died. He was 93. Continue reading →

Obituaries

John DiStaso, ‘dean’ of NH political reporters, dies at 68

A veteran political reporter in New Hampshire who covered 11 first-in-the-nation presidential primaries, John DiStaso interviewed countless candidates and long provided analysis on campaigns and elections. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Laura Hales, Mormon who examined LDS Church’s tough issues, dies at 54

The Mormon Church has long been criticized by outsiders and former members for aspects of its history, doctrine and culture. But Laura Hales, a lifelong member, approached the subjects from “a faithful but not necessarily devotional perspective,” as she put it in her podcast’s final episode, in May. Continue reading →

MOVIES

Boston’s Independent Film Festival is back — and back in theaters

More than 60 films are on this year’s program, which runs from April 27-May 4, and screenings will take place at the Somerville Theatre, Brattle Theatre, Coolidge Corner Theatre, and WBUR’s CitySpace. Continue reading →

PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEW

Not child’s play

In David Levinthal's photographs, at the Griffin Museum of Photography, toys tell a story of 'America!' Continue reading →

TELEVISION REVIEW

In David Simon’s ‘We Own This City,’ the thugs who rule the streets wear badges

Set in Baltimore, the HBO miniseries is a portrait of almost every variety of police corruption you can imagine, done openly and blatantly. And like Simon's "The Wire," it amasses into a depiction of systemic failure. Continue reading →

CANADA

Want to feel like you’re in some kind of CGI fantasy dreamscape? Visit Vancouver.

No matter where you turn, there are mountains, beaches, rain forests, public art, and parks. How can one city be surrounded by so many snow-capped mountains? Continue reading →

TRAVEL

So that’s where our neighbors went! Exploring Loyalist legacy of Saint John, New Brunswick

Saint John is so conscious of its roots that it established a Loyalist Trail walking tour that weaves in and around the historic center of the now-sprawling city. Continue reading →

Real Estate

Pandemic shifts ‘supercommuting’ into high gear.

‘I love my team, but half of us don’t live within an hour or two of the office.’ Continue reading →

Real Estate

Home of the Week: For under $650k, a Walpole Colonial with a fun take on stairs

The three-bedroom property is near Francis William Bird Park. Continue reading →