Drop-off in gifts to Obama in Mass.

By Tracy Jan

The number of supporters contributing the maximum to President Obama’s campaign fund has plunged nearly 50 percent compared with his 2008 run.

A year later, Joplin remembers deadly tornado

By Alan Scher Zagier

Thousands of people made a somber march in Joplin, Mo., in memory of the tornado a year ago that killed 161 people, injured hundreds, and obliterated neighborhoods.

A man suspected of fatally stabbing five men and wounding nine others in and around a Michigan city two summers ago was convicted of first-degree murder in the first case to go to trial.

Iran signals openness to nuclear inspections

By Steven Erlanger

The move by Iran heartened the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency but prompted critics to suggest that Iran’s willingness was a bargaining tactic.

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group appealed for calm Tuesday after the kidnapping of 11 Lebanese Shi’ites in Syria.

Vladimir Putin’s presidential administration will be dominated by the confidantes who have surrounded him for a decade.

Opinion | David Carrasco

The legacy of Carlos Fuentes

By David Carrasco

Carlos Fuentes was a living symbol and widespread communicator of the literary creativity of Latin America.

Scot Lehigh

By Scot Lehigh

A new book concludes that the Republican Party bears most of the responsibility for today’s political dysfunction.

Jeff Jacoby

By Jeff Jacoby

For 19 years Israel has clung to a policy of appeasement that has made it seem weak and irresolute, and with each retreat it has lost respect.

Big donors helping Governor Patrick travel

By Noah Bierman

A substantial portion of the funding for Governor Patrick’s two second-term international trade missions has come from a handful of powerful executives and companies.

Mass. will open 40 miles of MWRA trails to public

By David Abel

Officials announced they would make a network of trails over a century-old system of aqueducts accessible to hikers, bikers, or anyone seeking a stroll in the woods.

By Lisa Wangsness

A Vatican department rejected parishioners’ appeals of a decision by Cardinal Sean O’Malley to make six closed churches available for nonreligious use.

By Jenifer B. McKim

Prices for single-family homes increased modestly in April — marking the first bump in seven months — igniting cautious hope within the real estate industry.

Dealers hurt as consumers keep used cars longer

By Jason Notte

With owners holding onto their cars, dealers are facing a double whammy of slower new-car sales and a smaller pool of used vehicles to offer.

Tiny start-up lands a former Vertex CEO

By Steven Syre

Alkeus Pharmaceuticals Inc. will announce today that Josh Boger, the former chief executive of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., has become its executive chairman.

Bob Rittenburg, 78; track star at Boston Latin, Harvard

By Marvin Pave

Mr. Rittenburg, a hall of fame inductee for Boston Latin and the Harvard Varsity Club, died Monday of leukemia in Massachusetts General Hospital.

Obituary

Eugene Polley, 96; invented first wireless TV remote

By Carla K. Johnson

Mr. Polley's invention, the first wireless TV remote, began as a luxury, but with the introduction of hundreds of channels and viewing technologies it has become a necessity.

Orioles 4, Red Sox 1

Red Sox held in check by Orioles

By Peter Abraham

The Red Sox managed just two hits, one a home run by Kevin Youkilis. They have yet to climb over .500 this season.

On baseball

Why is David Ortiz so angry?

By Nick Cafardo

Ortiz claimed in a rant this week that he gets “no respect.” But in reality, few players around MLB are more respected than the Red Sox DH.

For Celtics, winning the third quarter is key

By Frank Dell’Apa

In their three victories, the Celtics have outscored the Sixers 82-57 in the third quarter. In their defeats, they’ve been outscored 49-28.

Food

How to make wicked good barbecue

By Andy Husbands, Chris Hart and Andrea Pyenson

It took about 12 years, lots of hard work, and a healthy sense of youthful invincibility for Andy Husbands and Chris Hart to win 30 Kansas City Barbecue Society championships.

Barbecue basics

There are a number of factors that affect a given dish, such as the fat content of the pork, the thickness of a rack of ribs, the humidity inside your smoker, and the elevation at which you cook.

Recipe for colossal barbecued shrimp with crab cake stuffing

Recipe for colossal barbecued shrimp with crab cake stuffing.