1stHeadlinesBreaking News Headlines

WBUR

Massachusetts · RSS · up to 100 stored headlines · Visit site

Text size100%

Martin McDonagh's 'Wild Horse Nine' is both secondhand and first-rate

Structurally, the film is for all intents and purposes a remake of the director’s first feature, “In Bruges.” Starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, McDonagh is once again tagging along with two professional killers on an exotic vacation from which only one is expected to return, reviews critic Sean Burns.

Question 3: Mass. voters opt to keep partisan state primaries

Supporters of the ballot question had urged voters to back a swap to what are called "all-party" primaries or "top-two" primaries as a solution to Massachusetts' dearth of competitive elections. Opponents, meanwhile, had countered that all-party primaries would hurt independent candidates.

Mass. voters pass Question 6 to create a 'Nature for All' fund

That “Nature for All Fund" would collect between $65 million and $100 million each year from existing taxes. Advocates say that cash could be a gamechanger for conservation groups that struggle with unreliable funding; they also hope that it will help the state fulfil its goal of protecting 30% of its land and waters…

Why U.S. military bombings haven't stopped the global cocaine boom

Since last year, the U.S. military has killed 240 people from Latin America while bombing alleged drug smuggling boats. With cocaine prices falling globally, whether the killings are deterring drug traffickers or just changing how drugs reach American streets.

Encore: All The King's Dogs

Jeremy Sisto (Law and Order, FBI) and Rory Culkin (Waco, Halston) co-star in this Hungarian story about two farmers, one wise king, and a whole mess of canines.

The dazzling legacy of Boston fashion icon Yolanda Cellucci

Yolanda Cellucci, who built a Waltham bridal salon from a trunkful of wigs, died at age 91 in September. Friends, family and the designers she championed say her rhinestone-studded glamour and generosity still shape Boston’s fashion scene.

Mass. voters hit the polls on Election Day

Across the country, the focus is on a few key races that could shift the balance of power on Capitol Hill. But in Massachusetts, incumbents are broadly expected to keep their seats. Residents are focused on the nine ballot questions that ask about issues ranging from gun laws to election rules.

What the phrase ‘Heritage American’ gets wrong

The phrase "Heritage Americans" invokes blood-and-soil nationalism and Christian supremacy. “If the impulse to take pride in ancestors who played a role in founding and building our nation is natural and legitimate — and I believe it is — that claim belongs to far more of us than Nick Fuentes and company would have…

Should Greek life be abolished or reformed?

The Cornell Seven case has reignited the debate over whether fraternities should be allowed on college campuses at all. How to find the line between enriching community support and a system that might institutionalize harmful behavior.

How the AP calls elections

The Associated Press will declare winners in more than 5,200 races across the country in the 2026 midterm elections. This hallmark of AP’s elections news report is produced by a dedicated team of election analysts, researchers and race callers who make up its Decision Team.

Ocean State Job Lot’s secret to success? Breaking the rules of retail

What started with three friends and $1,500 has grown into a more than $900 million business with an unconventional approach to buying, selling and saving. The discounter is well known among New Englanders. But the Ocean State staple is no longer a local secret.

The Jackpod: Not on bread alone

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty looks back at a time when social values played a bigger role in American political life and hears a call for that ahead of this year’s midterms.

Amazon drops Westborough drone delivery plan after pushback

Amazon has withdrawn its controversial bid to introduce a drone delivery program in Westborough. There has been intense pushback to the retail giant's proposal to deliver Prime Air packages weighing less than 5 pounds by unmanned aircraft within a 7.5-mile radius of its Westborough fulfillment center.

The speculation is nearly over

With the midterm elections nearly upon us, Cog editor Cloe Axelson is paying special attention to how state officials are managing potential interference by the federal government.

Atlanta Dream force Game 7 in WNBA finals

After a lack of planning led to a lunchtime Game 6, in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,000 people, the Atlanta Dream forced a Game 7 in the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries.

Senate loads up supplemental spending bill with policy riders

Senate Democrats on Thursday released a $2.61 billion spending bill that includes a significant education funding component. The House approved its version of the bill last week, and the branches will eventually need to agree to a single bill this fall to close the books on fiscal year 2026, which ended June 30.

Super PACs ramp up ad spending in final days of governor's race

Big money backing Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue is shifting tactics in the final stretch of the governor's race, turning its fire on independent Andrea James. Meanwhile, PACs supporting Gov. Maura Healey have put money behind tying Minogue to President Trump.

Judge considers argument to dismiss Lindsay Clancy's case

Prosecutors for the Plymouth County district attorney's office have not yet said whether they'll seek a new trial against Clancy. If they do, it's also unclear if they'll stick with pursuing a first-degree murder conviction or opt to try her on lesser charges.

'You are a product of the vote you don't cast'

"I came into adulthood college educated, but smugly refusing to believe that politics and voting mattered," writes Christina Wyman, who voted for the first time at 28. Now she wants young people to learn from her mistake.

A star scientist leaves Mass. to save his research

Harvard scientist John Quackenbush has done groundbreaking work on the links between disease and genetics. But he recently took his research to the University of Chicago. He told WBUR's Tiziana Dearing it was a necessary decision when he lost most of his funding at Harvard and no one stepped up to fill in that gap.