The Boston Globe

‘Charlie, you’re making a big mistake’: Experts criticize state’s Monday reopening

As Governor Charlie Baker eases more pandemic restrictions on restaurants and other businesses, public health experts warn that the moves could backfire, upending the state’s progress against COVID-19 and risking a new surge in cases.

Here’s a look at what can reopen in Massachusetts beginning today

Boston delays reopening of concert halls, theaters, other indoor businesses

With latest reopening news, Mass. restaurants see a way out of crisis

Two tales of one city: The Port sits in the shadow of Moderna and Pfizer
The gulf between The Port neighborhood, home to two of the oldest public housing developments in the country, and its thriving high-tech neighbors in Kendall Square, has perhaps never been wider than at the start of 2021 when the quest to defeat COVID-19 with vaccines went into high gear.

YVONNE ABRAHAM
One year since normal’s last gasp
It seems like yesterday. It also seems like decades ago. The last year has bent time, both trapping us in a slow, endless loop and dragging us through painful milestones at dizzying speed.

THE GREAT DIVIDE

40 percent of Boston high school juniors and seniors are chronically absent, raising concerns about their futures

The most striking increases in chronic absenteeism — defined as missing at least 10 percent of classes — occurred among Black, Latino, disabled, and English-learner students.

Dave Epstein | Weather
Meteorological spring has arrived — but it will feel like winter for much of this week
A blast of Arctic air will bring mid-winter cold later Monday night and Tuesday.

CDC advisers recommend Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine should be used to inoculate US adults 18 years old and older, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a 12-0 vote.

Dr. Fauci rejects possible shopping around between three vaccine choices

MATTHEW GILBERT
At this Golden Globes, glitches and mea culpas
The technical difficulties at the outset of the broadcast gave the night a bit of live energy, but it was irritating, too.

Here’s what stars wore on the virtual red carpet

Golden Globes 2021: A complete list of winners (and nominees)

Special election for former speaker DeLeo’s seat will test appetite for progressive politics

Candidates vying to fill the seat long held by former Massachusetts House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo span the ideological spectrum, and the outcome could send a message about the changing politics of the State House.

THE BATTLE FOR THE GOP

In three Republican districts, a view of Trump’s continued dominance in the party

Former president Donald Trump is still the most popular potential presidential candidate in his party, and even his biggest Republican detractor in Congress, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, says Trump probably would win the 2024 nomination if he runs.

In return to stage, Trump stokes partisan divisions with speech at CPAC

Taking the stage for the first time since leaving office, former president Donald Trump on Sunday called for Republican Party unity in a speech at a conservative political conference, even as he exacerbated its divisions and made clear he intended to remain a dominant force in the party.

The Black history I carry with me

A Beautiful Resistance — a special project from the Globe's culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt — is celebrating Black History Month by amplifying local stories of change-makers and the people inspired by them.

Opinion

Parenthood shouldn’t be a bar to public office

Something’s wrong when politicians can spend campaign cash on tuxedos and club dues but not child care.

David Daley and Sarah E. Hunt

Citizens should demand transparency in redistricting

Abdallah Fayyad

How prisons distort American democracy

Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, and our demands on aging superstars

Press freedom is under attack in Latin America. Biden can help defend it

Project takeout: Get takeout. Save restaurants you love.
Ordering dinner will help small local businesses survive the pandemic. But that’s just the start.

Restaurants we supported this week Learn more about Project Takeout

John Oliver argues for an end to drug raids
On “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver tackled the topic of police raids — arguing that drug raids should be permanently stopped, and the general practice only used as a last resort to “save lives that are in immediate danger.”

MATTHEW GILBERT | YOUR TV GPS
This week’s TV: Meghan and Harry talk, a look back at Biggie, and a ‘Real World’ reunion
Globe critic Matthew Gilbert navigates the week in TV.

A heavyweight life science developer is looking at the Watertown Mall for new lab space
The mall is along an Arsenal Street corridor that is fast emerging as a new hub of the region’s life sciences industry and as an attractive place for development in general.

What we know so far about the sexual harassment claims against Cuomo
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York is confronting one of the most tumultuous moments of his time in office after two women who once worked for his administration accused him of sexually harassing them.

Michael Downing, whose books illuminated his illness and the lives of others, dies at 62
A novelist and teacher, Mr. Downing "taught not only writing, he taught a way to be,” a colleague said.

Adrian Walker
Once again, Boston’s battles over equity center on schools
This is the latest chapter in a fight that has defined Boston for decades: the battle for educational equity.

After years of inaction, federal regulators are on the cusp of imposing new rules to protect right whales
The proposed rules are drawing opposition from both the fishing industry and environmentalists.

Gary Washburn | On basketball
In 47 crucial seconds, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics showed exactly what they’re made of
Since being humiliated in Atlanta on Wednesday, the Celtics have backed up their statements about better play with a pair of victories.

Recommended reads

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Cosmetology is one of the most popular vocational tracks in Mass. But is it too late for a makeover of Madison Park’s beauty program?

Statewide more than 1,500 students have been enrolled in a high school cosmetology program each of the past three school years, making it one of the most popular vocational tracks across Massachusetts.

Mass. marijuana has to be ultra-sterile. Just one problem: It’s a plant
Massachusetts cannabis regulators are considering loosening the state's strict microbe standard, after farmers complained the rules hurt small businesses and discourage sustainability.

Is it COVID… or just ‘coronaphobia’? In a pandemic, it’s easy to convince yourself you’re sick
With new variants surging and cases high, it’s easy to jump to the worst-case scenario.

metro

RHODE MAP
When did you realize how serious the COVID-19 pandemic would be?
One year after the the first positive COVID-19 test in Rhode Island, we look back at the moments when we realized our lives had changed.

Bike and scooter riders, rejoice: Pointz helps navigate rides through cities safely

Boston delays reopening of concert halls, theaters, other indoor businesses

Sports

Gary Washburn | On basketball
In 47 crucial seconds, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics showed exactly what they’re made of
Since being humiliated in Atlanta on Wednesday, the Celtics have backed up their statements about better play with a pair of victories.

CELTICS 111, WIZARDS 110

‘We just stuck with it:’ Observations from the Celtics’ late escape against the Wizards

NASCAR | Dixie Vodka 400

William Byron captures NASCAR race at Homestead-Miami Speedway

business

11 things to know about filing your taxes this year
Most of us have yet to take on this annual chore. Here are some basics about who must file, how to file, and when to file.

Fraud overwhelms pandemic-related unemployment programs

A heavyweight life science developer is looking at the Watertown Mall for new lab space

politics

Democratic voting bill would make biggest changes in decades
As Congress begins debate this week on sweeping voting and ethics legislation, Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing: If signed into law, it would usher in the biggest overhaul of US elections law in at least a generation.

In return to stage, Trump stokes partisan divisions with speech at CPAC

A Supreme Court test for what’s left of the Voting Rights Act

lifestyle

‘We have our own work to do’: Golden Globes’ Hollywood Foreign Press Association makes statement on its lack of diversity
In the midst of the ceremony, three Hollywood Foreign Press Association members acknowledged the group’s lack of diversity and promised to forge “a more inclusive future.”

Here’s what stars wore on the virtual Golden Globes red carpet

ICA’s 2021 Foster Prize goes to three artists who ‘help illuminate the way forward’

arts

John Oliver argues for an end to drug raids
On “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver tackled the topic of police raids — arguing that drug raids should be permanently stopped, and the general practice only used as a last resort to “save lives that are in immediate danger.”

MATTHEW GILBERT | YOUR TV GPS

This week’s TV: Meghan and Harry talk, a look back at Biggie, and a ‘Real World’ reunion

Norman Lear, an Emerson College alumnus, accepts Golden Globes award for long career in TV

rhode island

RHODE MAP
When did you realize how serious the COVID-19 pandemic would be?
One year after the the first positive COVID-19 test in Rhode Island, we look back at the moments when we realized our lives had changed.

Bike and scooter riders, rejoice: Pointz helps navigate rides through cities safely

Raimondo expected to be confirmed as Commerce secretary on Tuesday

Newton

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Special Projects

A Beautiful Resistance celebrates Black History Month

A Beautiful Resistance, in a special collaboration with Reebok, celebrate Black History Month. Black Joy. Black Wellness. Black Futures.

See more from 'A Beautiful Resistance'Follow on Instagram

On the Street

In tackling the pandemic, Chelsea finds new strength

Brockton offers a gateway to a new generation

This time, Quincy Center’s revival looks legit

Revere was going through a revival before COVID-19. Can it stay on track?

See more from our business series ‘On the Street’: The changing face of Greater Boston neighborhoods

More

Boston Globe launches ‘Fresh Start’ initiative: People can apply to have past coverage about them reviewed
Similar to “right to forget” programs that have cropped up across the country, the undertaking is meant to address the lasting impact that stories about past embarrassments, mistakes, or minor crimes, forever online, can have on a person’s life.

Last Words: Is death the great equalizer?
Quite the contrary, a Spotlight investigation shows. Death exposes in high relief the layers of inequities, in race and income, care and opportunity, that shape life down to its final hours. It is a truth the pandemic has only underscored — one hard to see, because it is so much easier to look away.

I knew getting prostate cancer at 48 would change me. I had no idea how much
For the past year, Mark Shanahan has been working on Mr. 80 Percent, a six-episode podcast miniseries about his experience with prostate cancer. It’s a deeply personal, sometimes harrowing, often funny story about a disease that affects millions of men. The heroes are his doctors and family, who put up with some appalling behavior. You’ll hear from both.

Comfort Zone

10 reader-approved TV shows for parents and tweens

We asked for suggestions, and from "Sherlock" to "Green Acres," readers responded.

Flock to these winter birding hot spots around Boston

Pete Gilmore, field trip coordinator for the Brookline Bird Club, shared his favorite local stops.

What would Beethoven think of climate change? Composer Iman Habibi has a few ideas

Habibi's “Jeder Baum spricht” (”Every tree speaks”) is part of a new BSO Now program.

If you enjoyed ‘Your Honor,’ who am I to judge?

As a critic, I don’t pretend my opinions are the correct ones, or even the best ones; they’re just mine.

Tatiana de Rosnay on ‘Sarah’s Key,’ Boston memories, and her scary new novel

The author casts a wary eye on on the near-future in her new book, "Flowers of Darkness."

Stars to come out (remotely) for a new Boston clinic for homeless women

Renee Fleming, Laura Benanti, Cheyenne Jackson, Heather Headley, and others are slated to perform in a benefit for Health Care Without Walls.

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

IDEAS | KELLY HORAN

More heart, less darkness

Massachusetts can succeed in a teleworking world

IDEAS | KAREEM KING

Fighting the pandemic with information by us, for us

IDEAS | Christina Szalinski

Two masks could be one too many

Debra Haaland as interior secretary — a champion for the land

IDEAS | Rachel Rebouché and Mary Ziegler

Could Roe v. Wade really become ‘the law of the land’?

STAT

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The Road Ahead: Charting the pandemic over the next 12 months — and beyond
In this project, STAT describes 30 key moments, possible turning points that could steer the pandemic onto a different course or barometers for how the virus is reshaping our lives.

From a small N.C. town to big-city hospitals, how software infuses racism into U.S. health care
The racial bias can produce huge differences in assessing patients’ need for special care to manage conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or depression, a STAT investigation found.

Covid-19’s wintry mix: Dry indoor air helps the virus spread
The worry is not just that people might mingle more closely inside, but that the air they breathe will make the virus more dangerous.

In the Covid-19 death of a hospital food worker, a microcosm of the pandemic
The hospital's first employee to die of Covid-19 was a kitchen worker named Marie Deus — and her illness sparked a question. Why weren't bedside clinicians getting sick at the highest rates?

Pandemic Parenting

We can care about education and be OK writing this year off

Parenting advice

'Being forgiving of ourselves is probably the biggest'

Dinner with Cupid

'The more she smiled the more tempted I was to want to get to know more'

My mom lives 2,000 miles away but keeps my daughter company on her iPad

sports

Raptors-Bulls game cancelled after positive COVID tests

Fans got back out to the ballgames in Florida and Arizona on Sunday

Lingering knee problem keeps Jaylen Brown out of Sunday’s Celtics game

metro

Meteorological spring has arrived — but it will feel like winter for much of this week

‘Charlie, you’re making a big mistake’: Experts criticize state’s Monday reopening

Once again, Boston’s battles over equity center on schools

Nation

What we know so far about the sexual harassment claims against Cuomo

CDC advisers recommend Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine

Democratic voting bill would make biggest changes in decades

World

France’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy convicted of corruption, sentenced to jail

Prince Philip transferred to London hospital for infection treatment

Iran rejects nuclear deal talks with US proposed by Europe

politics

Some GOP state lawmakers help spread COVID-19 misinformation

Supreme Court could put new limits on voting rights lawsuits

Biden hails House passage of $1.9 trillion virus bill, now to Senate

business

Biden team readies wider economic package after virus relief

How to protect or heal trees damaged by snow

With latest reopening news, Mass. restaurants see a way out of crisis

lifestyle

A Great Barrington therapist explores grief, vulnerability, and hope through Instagram

Right now, FaceTime isn’t enough

The parenting crisis without a vaccine: loneliness

marijuana

Mass. marijuana has to be ultra-sterile. Just one problem: It’s a plant

Marijuana company sues Boston zoning board over rejection

New Jersey governor signs laws to set up marijuana market

opinion

They’re in the 65+ group, and they’d like to give their spot to educators

A bit more context on Reagan’s ‘government is the problem’ line

A missed opportunity to hear a variety of faith leaders reflect on Ash Wednesday

food & dining

At Mikkusu, a talented chef bides her time

Tim and Bronwyn Wiechmann plan a Lincoln restaurant, and hot chicken comes to Allston

Celebrating the Irish poitín

travel

New NE bike tours, a favorite bar reopens, and new virtual travel experiences

Michael Chiklis loves Aspen, Capri, and of course, Boston

The new travel reality: Vaccine required

Books

Crime and damages in ‘The Lowering Days’

A fictional retrospective of a filmmaker’s life in ‘Foregone’

Glenn Adamson on the perfect reading chair and books organized by color

Movies

Golden Globes 2021: A complete list of winners (and nominees)

Armie Hammer is in ‘Crisis’ and they can’t hide it

Some sequels take longer (a lot longer) to arrive than others

Television

John Oliver argues for an end to drug raids

This week’s TV: Meghan and Harry talk, a look back at Biggie, and a ‘Real World’ reunion

At this Golden Globes, glitches and mea culpas

music

When Beethoven resonates in a crisis

Jazz artist Maria Schneider on making music, and making a living

Velvet mornings and boots made for walkin’: Nancy Sinatra retrospective revisits a singer with swagger

Theater/Dance

Boston Ballet celebrates Jorma Elo in a rich program of new work and past highlights

On your screen but outside the box: Theater companies rise to a creative challenge

Stars to come out (remotely) for a new Boston clinic for homeless women

globe local

Devastating fire at Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut can’t touch its soul

‘It is not just about memorizing facts.’ Historians examine how Black History Month was intended to be celebrated

Meteorological winter ends this weekend

Obituaries

Michael Downing, whose books illuminated his illness and the lives of others, dies at 62

Sheila Washington dies at 61; helped exonerate Scottsboro Boys

Claudette White, innovative tribal judge, dies at 49