By Tracy Jan

When it comes to winning over a skeptical or downright hostile public, lessons can be drawn from Massachusetts, health care advocates said.

‘Cliff’ talks at stalemate as Obama makes public appeal

By Lori Montgomery

Speaker John A. Boehner declared talks have reached a ‘‘stalemate,’’ as Obama insisted that tax rates on the wealthy must rise.

N.J. train derailment tips tankers, sickens dozens

By Geoff Mulvihill

The National Transportation Safety Board will try to decide whether the derailment was from a problem with the bridge.

By Maggie Michael

Protesters vowed to bring down a draft constitution approved by allies of President Mohammed Morsi.

Israel OK’s new West Bank settlement construction

By Aron Heller and Karin Laub

Israel approved the construction of 3,000 homes in Jewish settlements on Israeli-occupied lands, drawing swift condemnation from Palestinians.

EU not worthy to win Nobel Peace Prize, say three laureates

By LOUISE NORDSTROM

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and two others have contested this year’s award to the EU, saying it contradicts the prize’s values because it relies on military force.

JOAN WICKERSHAM

An ideal holiday film

By Joan Wickersham

The problem with most Christmas movies is, well, Christmas. The 1957 film “Desk Set,” however, isn’t a Christmas movie, it just happens to occur between November and January.

editorial

All it takes is an explosion at a strip club, and suddenly the underappreciated world of gas infrastructure is getting the attention it deserves.

Martin F. Nolan

Author George V. Higgins’s linguistic loot

By Martin F. Nolan

In two dozen novels George Vincent Higgins, whose book “Cogan’s Trade” was recently made into the movie “Killing Them Softly,” transformed the mystery-thriller genre.

Government Center T station to close for 2 years

By Matt Rocheleau

An estimated $90 million renovation project at the City Hall Plaza stop is scheduled to start in the late summer or early fall.

Church arson leaves Cape Cod uneasy

By Katheleen Conti and Derek J. Anderson

Parishioners of a Brewster church struggled to understand why someone set the blaze early Friday that destroyed the 25-year-old building.

Adrian Walker

Alexandra Zapp’s parents fight to prevent more tragedies

Since Zapp’s 2002 murder at the hands of a longtime sexual predator, her parents have been devoted to a single purpose: trying to stem the tide of sexual violence.

Grand jury sets sights on compounding pharmacy

By Todd Wallack

A federal grand jury has begun investigating the Framingham company that made the tainted steroid injections blamed for at least three dozen deaths in seven states.

By Erin Ailworth

NStar is facing more questions after Thursday’s outage in Cambridge, the latest in a string of disruptions this year caused by equipment failures.

TCBY will try again in Massachusetts

By Laura Finaldi

TCBY plans to open 15 to 25 self-serve shops in the Boston area over the next few years, saying that giving customers more control has revived the business.

Bart Mulhern rose from messenger to head of home delivery at Globe

By Alli Knothe

Mulhern, 99, was so proud of the paper, he would deliver newspapers with his car when a truck broke down.

By David W. Dunlap

Alan S. Oser, 81, covered real estate for the Times from 1969 through 2004, several years past his nominal retirement.

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, 86

By Jamie Stengle

Ziglar, who wrote more than 30 books on living a balanced life, aimed to help people achieve success.

Celtics 96, Blazers 78

Celtics show needed life minus Rondo

By Gary Washburn

With Rajon Rondo serving the first of his two-game suspension, the Celtics responded with a stifling defensive performance in a 96-78 win.

BU 4, BC 2

BU hockey takes down No. 1 BC

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell

The ninth-ranked Terriers played their best game of the season in a 4-2 win over Boston College.

Patriots tight ends lining up for opportunity

By Shalise Manza Young

Rob Gronkowski’s absence has provided Daniel Fells and Visanthe Shiancoe an opportunity to play bigger roles. Michael Hoomanawanui also has contributed.

He Saved Me, Too: the story of an unlikely friendship

By Bella English

A simple question launched a conversation between an elderly Holocaust survivor and a young mother that would last nearly 15 years and would, for both of them, become a lifeline.

How to behave when you’re at the theater

By June Wulff

Recently your focus might have been on table manners, but now it’s time to switch to theater manners during this season of nutcrackers and scrooges.

From the Archives

From Globe archives: Prohibition in Massachusetts

On Dec. 5, 1933, the 18th Amendment was repealed and Prohibition ended in the United States.