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March 9, 2021

New CDC guidelines stir hope of a return to ‘almost normal’ after COVID-19 vaccination

Americans got their first peek Monday at what life may be like in a post-vaccinated world with new federal guidelines that say people who are fully vaccinated can gather privately indoors without masks and without physical distancing.

In surprise move, Baker administration sets high insurance payments for vaccinations
The fee increase was a pleasant move for hospitals that wanted the higher rates, and less so for insurers that must pay the additional costs.

Cornel West leaving Harvard teaching post
Cornel West, the philosopher, progressive political activist, and outspoken social critic who last month threatened to leave his Harvard University teaching post following what he said was the denial of his request to be considered for tenure, announced Monday that he’s leaving for a position at Union Theological Seminary.

The Battle for the GOP

Biden, House Democrats take different paths on GOP extremes

As the Republican Party convulses in the wake of Donald Trump’s loss and signs of extremism among some in its base, President Biden and the White House are largely ignoring the tumult. Meanwhile, House Democrats are highlighting Republican radicalization.

Apartment buildings are bringing work perks home by putting food lockers in the lobby
Food lockers and pods are making apartment lobbies feel more like the office breakroom.

Boston school system launches outside investigation into allegations of student emotional manipulation, suspends relationship with nonprofit
The Boston public school system is suspending its relationship with a nonprofit youth advocacy organization whose unusual peer counseling sessions came to light when a student member of the school committee abruptly quit last week. The district said it will launch an outside investigation into student allegations that the group, Youth on Board, emotionally manipulated them.

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The Nation

Biden signs executive order to advance gender equity

President Biden signed an executive order Monday — International Women’s Day — establishing a Gender Policy Council in the White House that will seek to advance “gender equality and equity” in both domestic and foreign policy across government.

US journalist arrested while covering protest goes on trial

A journalist went on trial Monday on charges stemming from her coverage of a protest against racial injustice in Des Moines last year, after Iowa prosecutors defied international pressure to drop a rare effort to punish a working reporter.

House set to take up $1.9 trillion stimulus, putting Biden on track to sign this week

House lawmakers are set to vote as soon as Tuesday on a roughly $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, putting President Biden on track to sign his first major legislative accomplishment into law by the end of the week.

Offshore wind project off Martha’s Vineyard nears approval

It's a crucial step toward the long-delayed $2.8 billion offshore project becoming the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm.

NY attorney general names team that will investigate Cuomo

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday appointed a former federal prosecutor and an employment lawyer to investigate allegations that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed female aides.

COVID-19 bill to deliver big health insurance savings for many

Several million people stand to save hundreds of dollars in health insurance costs, or more, under the Democratic coronavirus relief legislation on track to pass Congress.

FBI arrests two, including Roger Stone bodyguard, in Capitol insurrection

Two men wanted in the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol were arrested over the weekend, including one who reportedly served as a bodyguard to former president Donald Trump’s longtime political confidant Roger Stone, federal authorities said Monday.

Biden faces challenge from surge of migrants at the border

Thousands of migrant children are backed up in US detention facilities along the border with Mexico, part of a surge of immigration from Central Americans fleeing poverty and violence that could overwhelm President Biden’s attempt to create a more humane approach to those seeking entry into the country.

Trump, RNC clash over using his name in fundraising

The Republican National Committee is defending its right to use former president Donald Trump’s name in fundraising appeals after he demanded they put an end to the practice.

Trial for Derek Chauvin, ex-cop charged in George Floyd’s death, forges on

The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death is forging ahead with jury selection, even though a looming appellate ruling could halt the case and delay it for weeks or even months as the state tries to add a third-degree murder count.

The World

Pope defends Iraq trip during coronavirus pandemic

Pope Francis said Monday that he wrestled over whether to visit Iraq in the midst of a pandemic but ultimately decided to put in God’s hands the fate of the Iraqis who gathered in crowded churches, often without masks, to see him.

Myanmar military storms universities and hospitals, revokes press licenses

Workplaces across Myanmar were shuttered Monday, part of a general strike aimed at strangling the power of military rulers who toppled an elected government last month. But if manufacturing and commerce were idled, anger at the brutality of the military flared further, despite the increased presence of security forces in urban centers and a tougher clampdown on the press.

Remote CIA base in the Sahara steadily grows

Deep in the Sahara, the CIA is continuing to conduct secret drone flights from a small but steadily expanding air base, even as the Biden administration has temporarily limited drone strikes against suspected terrorists outside conventional war zones, such as Afghanistan, while it weighs whether to tighten Trump-era rules for such operations.

Explosive Harry, Meghan interview reverberates across globe

Prince Harry and Meghan’s explosive TV interview divided people around the world on Monday, rocking an institution that is struggling to modernize with claims of racism and callousness toward a woman struggling with suicidal thoughts.

US presents warring Afghan sides with draft peace agreement

Frustrated by a stalled peace process and escalating violence, the US has presented an eight-page draft peace agreement to Afghanistan’s warring sides for review.

Meghan and Harry’s interview indicates racism of royal family lingers

Oprah Winfrey's “tell-all” interview with Harry and Meghan featured explosive claims from the couple about the racial hostility coming from within Britain's royal family, especially Meghan's allegation that before the couple's first child was born, the palace held “conversations” about “how dark his skin might be.”

Metro

New CDC guidelines stir hope of a return to ‘almost normal’ after COVID-19 vaccination

Americans got their first peek Monday at what life may be like in a post-vaccinated world with new federal guidelines that say people who are fully vaccinated can gather privately indoors without masks and without physical distancing.

In surprise move, Baker administration sets high insurance payments for vaccinations

The fee increase was a pleasant move for hospitals that wanted the higher rates, and less so for insurers that must pay the additional costs.

Cornel West leaving Harvard teaching post

Cornel West, the philosopher, progressive political activist, and outspoken social critic who last month threatened to leave his Harvard University teaching post following what he said was the denial of his request to be considered for tenure, announced Monday that he’s leaving for a position at Union Theological Seminary.

Boston school system launches outside investigation into allegations of student emotional manipulation, suspends relationship with nonprofit

The Boston public school system is suspending its relationship with a nonprofit youth advocacy organization whose unusual peer counseling sessions came to light when a student member of the school committee abruptly quit last week. The district said it will launch an outside investigation into student allegations that the group, Youth on Board, emotionally manipulated them.

UMass Amherst official blasts students for violating COVID-19 safety protocols with large weekend party

Some 200 students at UMass Amherst on Saturday gathered for a raucous party in flagrant violation of COVID-19 safety protocols, a campus official Monday said in a note to students.

A town-and-gown battle to save Mount Holyoke College’s child-care center

The college said it would close its on-campus child-care program within four months, provoking a loud and sustained outcry.

Quick ridership gains, or a long-term lag? MBTA aims to position itself to react as pandemic eases

Despite hopeful signs, the MBTA projects that ridership, decimated by the pandemic, will lag for years to come, a sustained downturn that could cause a long-term budget crunch.
KEVIN CULLEN

Gold Star families are more important than royal families

In this day and age, it is utterly preposterous to pay so much attention to something as patently ridiculous as a royal family.

Worcester firefighter who died in blaze awarded Medal of Honor posthumously; others honored for bravery

Worcester Fire Lieutenant Jason Menard was given a Medal of Honor posthumously at the 31st annual Firefighter of the Year awards on Monday.

Today in History

Today is Tuesday, March 9, the 68th day of 2021. There are 297 days left in the year.

Electrical malfunction caused fire at Kingston, N.H., fire chief’s home

The fire that heavily damaged the home of Kingston, N.H., Fire Chief Graham Pellerin was caused by an issue with the electric wiring, officials said Monday.

Meteor spotted across sky over Vermont, NASA reports

The meteor roared across northern Vermont at 47,000 miles per hour Sunday evening, startling people in neighboring Canada and Maine.

Strike continues at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester

Eight hundred nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester went on strike at 6 a.m. Monday, the first nursing strike in the state since 2017.

Business

Apartment buildings are bringing work perks home by putting food lockers in the lobby

Food lockers and pods are making apartment lobbies feel more like the office breakroom.

Trump policy that weakened wild bird protections is revoked

The Biden administration on Monday reversed a policy imposed under former President Donald Trump that drastically weakened the government’s power to enforce a century-old law that protects most U.S. bird species.

Beacon Hill leaders reach accord on freezing unemployment insurance rates, exempting PPP taxes

The bill is expected to be passed by the House on Thursday and by the Senate next week.

Judge rules state can’t halt unemployment payments without proper review

The state’s Department of Unemployment Assistance can’t halt unemployment insurance payments or demand repayment of benefits that have already been paid out without granting claimants a chance to present their case, a judge ruled.
Innovation Economy

During the pandemic, some businesses have managed to grow, including these seven Boston-area startups

Here are seven startups that you may not have heard about (yet) but that have been building momentum through the pandemic.

Apollo to buy Athene in $11 billion deal as Rowan reshapes firm

Apollo to buy Athene in $11 billion deal as Rowan reshapes firm

Crowd-safety tech company Evolv inks $1.7 billion SPAC deal to go public

The Waltham company’s investors include Bill Gates, Theo Epstein, and Peyton Manning. Now it's merging with a blank-check company to become publicly traded.

Legal Sea Foods’ insurance fight ends in loss

A federal judge in Boston threw out the restaurant chain’s lawsuit and found in favor of its insurer, saying that Legal did not suffer direct physical damage to its properties due to the pandemic.

Oil giants prepare to put carbon back in the ground

During more than three decades in the oil and gas business, Andy Lane has managed the construction of enormous facilities for extracting and transporting natural gas, in places like Trinidad and Indonesia. Now he is working in his native England, taking on a complex and expensive venture that essentially aims to reverse what he has spent much of his career doing.

Parent of Berkshire Bank names two directors

Stories you may have missed from the world of business.

Yellen says stimulus unlikely to cause inflation problem

Policy makers historically pulled back support just as the benefits of growth started reaching lower-income workers — to avoid runaway inflation.

Sports

peter abraham | on baseball

Though Brewers outfield is crowded, Jackie Bradley Jr. believes opportunity will be there

Reflecting on his time in Boston, Bradley said he is not quite ready to send a message to Red Sox fans — he needs a little time to get it right.
Gary Washburn | On basketball

In opposing each other at NBA All-Star Game, Celtics Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum made special memories

Brown, making his first career All-Star Game appearance, felt he belonged; Tatum was motivated to step up his game to become a starter next year.
tara sullivan

Seven games? That might not be enough for what serial offender Tom Wilson did to Brandon Carlo

Because the Capitals forward went 18 months without a suspension, Wilson wasn't considered a “repeat offender” by the NHL.
ben volin | on football

Here’s what a Patriots trade for Jimmy Garoppolo might look like

He is by far their best option at quarterback for 2021, and the 49ers might be willing to give him up.
NWHL

NWHL plans to finish what it started in Lake Placid with championship weekend in Boston

The league had to abandon its Lake Placid bubble event on the eve of the semifinals, but plans to crown a champion in late March.
bruins

Bruins have issues to work out as they prepare for surging Islanders

For one thing, the power play hasn't scored in six games. And the injuries aren't helping their cause, either.
Patriots

Patriots have no shot at Trevor Lawrence — so why did they scout him?

The star Clemson quarterback certainly seems destined to be taken No. 1 by the Jaguars, but the Patriots had their reasons.

Cowboys, Dak Prescott finally agree to long-term contract

After more than two years of negotiations, and a grotesque season-ending injury in October, Dallas has locked in its quarterback without having to franchise tag him for a second time.
Red Sox

Former Red Sox pitcher Rheal Cormier dies at 53

Lefthander, whose 16 Major League seasons included three with the Red Sox, died Monday after a long bout with cancer.
Sports Log

Boston College men earn No. 1 seed for Hockey East tournament

As Hockey East's top seed, the Eagles (16-4-1) also earned the right to host each of their games in the 10-team tourney; BU was No. 2 seed and UMass No. 3.
NATE WEITZER | HIGH SCHOOL NOTES

As winter winds down, high school football in March heats up with scrimmages across Massachusetts

Teams are taking the field for the first time in more than a year because of the pandemic, and getting a chance for a final tune-up against a competitive opponent before games start in earnest next weekend.

With a 22-0 vote from Tournament Management, MIAA sectional spring tourneys moving forward

Sports Medicine, COVID Task Force and Board must sign off on proposal. But TMC recommends June 2 opt-in, June 15 cutoff dates, and North, South, Central, and West brackets.
College basketball

Paige Bueckers leads No. 1 UConn women to Big East tournament title

Freshman guard scored 23 points to lead Huskies to convincing 73-39 victory over Marquette on Monday for program's 19th Big East title.
college basketball

Previewing this week’s men’s college basketball conference tournaments

The remaining conference tourneys wrap up this week, and the next stop after that is the NCAA Tournament.