Nation

Fentanyl test strips highlight rift in nation’s struggle to combat drug deaths

The spread of fentanyl, a cheap synthetic opioid 50 times as lethal as heroin, into most kinds of illicit drugs has pushed fatal overdoses to record highs in the United States. Continue reading →

Nation

Ian leaves dozens dead as focus turns to rescue, recovery

The death toll from the storm, one of the strongest hurricanes by wind speed to ever hit the U.S., grew to more than four dozen, with 47 deaths confirmed in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba. Continue reading →

Politics

Lawmakers confront a rise in threats and intimidation, and fear worse

Members of Congress in both parties are experiencing a surge in threats and confrontations as a rise in violent political speech has increasingly crossed over into the realm of in-person intimidation and physical altercation. Continue reading →

World

Panic, bribes, ditched cars, and a dash on foot: Portraits of flight from Russia

They are bus drivers, programmers, photographers, bankers. They have driven for hours, bribed their way through many police checkpoints — spending a month’s wages in some cases — and then waited at the border, most of them for days, in a traffic jam that stretched for miles. Continue reading →

World

Cinema opens in Kashmir city after 14 years but few turn up

“There are different viewpoints about (cinema) but I think it’s a good thing,” said moviegoer Faheem, who gave only one name. “It’s a sign of progress.” Continue reading →

World

New coup in Burkina Faso raises question: Can the military bring back security?

A day after military officers seized power in Burkina Faso, residents faced uncertainty over what would happen next, as the West African nation endures its second coup in eight months. Continue reading →

LETTERS

The sound of the audience is itself a musical accompaniment

We, as presenters, work so hard to get people into the concert hall. After all that effort, we’re then going to ask them to sit on their hands? Continue reading →

EDITORIAL

Badly treated air travelers need a new advocate. Make that 50 new advocates.

A long-overdue federal rule would make it easier for customers to collect refunds from airlines. Congress should also allow states to sue the carriers when their service is egregiously bad. Continue reading →

LETTERS

Antisemitic past of German town’s Passion Play is not to be overlooked

The significant news story in 2022 is not the return of the play, having been delayed by COVID-19. Rather, it is the visionary leadership of its current director to finally work toward ridding the play of its ancient tropes. Continue reading →

Elections

After uncertainty, Democrats commit to debates in most statewide races

Debates have been scheduled between the major-party candidates in the contests for governor, attorney general, and auditor. Continue reading →

Crime & Courts

DA: Man charged with murdering mother, burning her body in Truro Friday night

A 34-year-old man is being charged with the murder of his mother in Truro after authorities responding to a well-being check found the woman’s body burning on the front lawn of a home Friday night. Continue reading →

Metro

‘It was disgusting’: There’s a cellphone junkyard at the bottom of the Charles River

When an Andover man dropped his smartphone in the Charles River, he dove in after it and found 11 more. None were his. Continue reading →

NFL

Even in Green Bay, running back AJ Dillon is never far from Boston College

Even with his success in the NFL, Dillon hasn’t forgotten about his roots — and why he decided to pursue football in the first place. Continue reading →

Dan Shaughnessy

Patriots’ attempt at a guessing game on starting QB was uncalled for, and other thoughts

Would it have mattered whether Mac Jones or Brian Hoyer played Sunday? Did Bill Belichick really think any ambiguity would confuse the Packers? Continue reading →

Tara Sullivan

Do the Celtics still believe even after an NBA Finals loss and pre-camp unrest? You bet they do

Jaylen Brown likes how this team is preparing for this season. "I think the attention to detail right now is high and alert, especially dealing with everything we got going on now," he said. Continue reading →

Business

I finally biked to work. Was it worth it?

Boston may have gotten more bike-friendly, but there’s a long way to go. An 8.5-mile ride to downtown would be a good test. Continue reading →

Business

I finally biked to work. Was it worth it?

Boston may have gotten more bike-friendly, but there’s a long way to go. An 8.5-mile ride to downtown would be a good test. Continue reading →

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IDEAS

A bitter lesson in Dedham schools

Football coach David Flynn was fired after he questioned what his daughter was learning about race. Now the school district says it’s sorry — but it has only further muddled the issue of free speech in education. Continue reading →

IDEAS

The joyful and planet-friendly mobility of e-bikes

Electric cars have their place. But when it comes to reducing emissions from transportation, electric bikes offer a far better value. Plus, they’re ridiculously fun. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Joe Bussard, obsessive collector of rare records, dies at 86

Joe Bussard, who made it his life’s obsession to collect rare 78 rpm records — some 15,000 of them, encompassing jazz, blues, country, jug band and gospel — and who spread his love for the music on radio and among visitors who joined him to listen to the fragile disks in his basement, died on Monday at his home in Frederick, Maryland, one floor above his hoard. He was 86. Continue reading →

Obituaries

Hector Lopez, who broke a baseball color barrier, dies at 93

Hector Lopez, the first Black manager at the highest level of minor league baseball and one of the last living members of the early 1960s New York Yankees dynasty, who played in the team’s outfield alongside Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, died Thursday in Hudson, Florida. He was 93. Continue reading →

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Arts

Carlos Simon readies his ‘Requiem for the Enslaved’ for live premiere

"As a Black composer, my antennas are always up for things that resonate with me," says the composer, whose piece about Georgetown’s legacy of slavery is heading to the Gardner Museum Oct. 9. Continue reading →

MATTHEW GILBERT

12 great TV show title sequences that stand out

Some of the best TV dramas open with slick and impressive title sequences that are more concerned with setting the mood than being literal. Here are a dozen standouts. Continue reading →

TABLES

A new ramen spot is stirring in Dedham; Kendall Square says bonjour to a French bistro

Plus, Parm comes to Boston. Continue reading →

STAYCATION NATION

Keep that summer vibe going: 10 reasons to head to Martha’s Vineyard now

The island isn’t a ghost town come fall. The ferries, running on a reduced schedule after Labor Day, are full of people and their dogs . . . and bridal parties. Continue reading →

TRENDSPOTTING

Cities are reclaiming spaces and uniting communities with beautiful, funky parks

San Francisco's Presidio Tunnel Tops park, which opened in July, is the latest example of spaces being reclaimed from rusting infrastructure, industrial ruins, highway underpasses, dilapidated piers, and other urban blight — a trend that began with New York City’s wildly popular High Line converted elevated railway. Continue reading →

Real Estate

Ask the Remodeler: Who ya gonna call? From chimney issues to failing foundations, where you should seek help.

Just maintaining a house here in New England is a challenge. Continue reading →

Real Estate

At summer’s end, indoor plants needs attention, too

Houseplants that spent the season vacationing outdoors need a proper transition back into the home to avoid shock. Continue reading →