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The J-1 visa program brings some 5,000 foreign student workers to the Cape each summer. But State Department officials have reduced staff, prioritized other visas and are scrutinizing applicants' social media accounts. All of this delays visa applications, putting both workers and businesses in limbo ahead of tourist season.

A West End resident saw a trio of ghost signs and wondered how to bring them to back to life. He tracked down a local business that one of the old signs belonged to and convinced them and the West End Museum to partner and pay sign painters to restore them.

Boston's arts community steels itself for a new era of scarcity as federal pandemic funds run out and the city cuts millions in grant programs to balance the budget.

Alejandro Orrego Agudelo spent four months in ICE detention after being arrested by Boston police. But new body camera footage casts doubt on the officer's narrative, suggesting it was the officer who escalated a tense situation into a violent one. If not for that arrest, Orrego likely would have never ended up in ICE custody.

After 30 years teaching Haitian folkloric dance, Jean Appolon's studio has opened in Nubian Square. The founder keeps the glass window open during rehearsals, inviting passersby to watch dancers move to drumbeats. "Sometimes people even knock on the door and ask to come in and watch," Appolon says.

The man accused of opening fire in Cambridge and wounding two people has pleaded not guilty to armed assault with intent to murder. As the case against Tyler Brown moves forward, there's a spotlight on the parole system, the courts and mental healthcare.

He says Democrats have a chance to defeat President Donald Trump's brand of right-wing populism, but only if the party embraces core economic issues instead of polarizing culture fights.

Between DOGE and the rise of AI bots, work is far more precarious than it used to be, writes Joanna Weiss. Amid so much uncertainty, it's no surprise that people would flock to a movie that fetishizes work as much as Chanel boots.

I have no statistics to cite about the number of women who experience what is sometimes called "breastfeeding grief," writes Miriam Wasser. But I've come to believe that what happened to me, is, if not necessarily common, then at least quite prevalent.

Mental health clinicians have started asking clients how they use generative artificial intelligence chatbots to support their emotional well-being. Some clinician-researchers are building platforms to educate people about chatbots' strengths and weaknesses, and developing AI bots that are meant to deliver therapy.

Faced with rising costs on everything from gas prices to housing, to healthcare and childcare, a growing number of Massachusetts residents say they struggle to afford a middle class life, and feel insecure about their financial futures.

Researchers are studying a machine learning-powered warning system for breast cancer. It works by detecting subtle changes in a mammogram that humans can't spot, but could soon become cancer.

If you've been to a medical appointment lately, it's likely that your doctor was using some form of artificial intelligence. Increasingly, diagnostic AI tools are entering doctors' offices and hospitals, from inventions that sharpen CT scans to generative AI chatbots that analyze vast troves of medical data and spit back guidance.

From fomenting colonial discontent with British rule in the 1700s to the No Kings rallies of today, posters spread messages and question authority. At the Boston Public Library, visitors are learning the art of making their own signs.

As more people — especially young adults — reduce their alcohol consumption, local bars and restaurants are expanding their low‑ and no‑alcohol drink options or eliminating alcohol altogether.

It all began when the Belly Gang Kushington, a rising Atlanta rapper known for his strip club anthem “Friend Do (remix),” issued a challenge to his legions of followers online. “I want to pay some college tuition,” he declared. He invited college women to submit videos for a chance to win $5,000.

Legal filings by Boston Police and ICE paint Alejandro Orrego as a man with a propensity for fighting cops. Orrego sees himself as the victim of two unjust arrests.

The Native American sport, in which players use two sticks to carry and toss a small ball, is considered one of the oldest team sports in the country. For those getting together to play on Harvard's campus, it's a connection to their ancestry.

The Trump administration so far says it has no plans to send federal agents to the polls in November. But local Democrats and election officials fear other Trump actions will affect the election, including baseless claims about non-citizens voting and demands to examine voter rolls.

Boston Lyric Opera is adding its voice to America's 250th anniversary with a rebellious reimagining of the classic comedy "Daughter of the Regiment" that channels the spirit of Deborah Sampson.

Electricity demand is projected to increase across New England in the next several years. But utilities in the region are working on programs that could make that growth cheaper and better for the climate.

Local volunteers offer guidance and recommendations to help homeowners lower their energy costs and reduce climate-warming pollution.

Mike Kennealy hails from the moderate era of Republicans in Massachusetts. After a career in private equity, he worked for two terms under former Gov. Charlie Baker and has a track record closely tied to the former governor. Kennealy also had a hand in some Baker-era policies that have since become controversial in the party.

A new documentary premiering at the Independent Film Festival Boston tells the story of a North Shore musical friendship 50 years in the making. Mason Daring and Jeanie Stahl made names for themselves in the golden era of Cambridge's coffee house music scene.

New England has some of the highest energy costs in the country. Cold winters, along with other rising expenses, have rural towns looking for ways to save money. Many have embraced a switch to electric appliances, powered by home-grown renewable energy as a strategy to spare pocketbooks and help the planet.

Across New England, farmers are finding that switching to renewable energy isn't just a nice thing to have, it's becoming a necessary part of their economic survival.

New England has some of the highest electricity prices in the country. But this past winter, 140,000 households in Massachusetts got a break on their bills because they have a heat pump.

In the early 1900s a female artist dreamed of creating a museum for her Massachusetts hometown. Now the Fitchburg Art Museum is shining a light on its founder's legacy for its 100th anniversary. And to celebrate, they're offering free admission through 2029.

"Sometimes I had to be my brother's arms, legs, eyes and voice," writes Brian Trapp. "It often didn't feel like a burden, more like an alternative way of moving through the world."

James Ware was dying of cancer when he he was granted medical parole and was supposed to be released. But two months later, the lack of an adequate medical plan and bureaucratic hurdles meant he died as an inmate.

Nina Froes, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, served alongside 19 judges at the immigration court in Chelmsford. That court now has just five permanent and two temporary judges.

Before reggae became a global phenomenon, record store owner Leroy Webb helped foster a home for the genre in Boston.

Produced by the Harvard ArtLab and artist-researcher Jacek Smolicki, the Walking Festival of Sound features a lineup of 19 soundwalks, listening sessions and talks from local artists and practitioners. The events are free and open to the public.

While new grads always find the market daunting, added pressures on the employment landscape mean the current crop have their work cut out for them. And college seniors in Massachusetts are feeling that stress.

Over the last few years, shoe technology has advanced tremendously. And it's changing the sport of running for everyone from the elite athletes breaking the tape in Copley Square to the first-time marathoners who might spend four or more hours on their feet Marathon Monday.

An album and podcast from the Silkroad Ensemble and Rhiannon Giddens was inspired by the Black and immigrant labor that built America's railroads. In Boston, Black sleeping car porters unionized for better wages and humane hours.

The wealthy former biotech executive identifies as a "born again" Catholic who would bring CEO-style management to the state as a “new kind of governor.”

People in Lawrence want to know: how many private conversations were recorded in City Hall, over what period of time, and who is responsible?

The Red Sox are back at Fenway Park for the first time this season to take on the Padres in a weekend series.

The program, known as the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative, provides pro bono legal assistance to low-income immigrants facing removal.

Boston parents have long complained about delayed or no-show buses, but some say the problem has never been worse than it is now. And according to data provided to WBUR from the start of the school year through January, the district's bus operator is falling short of benchmarks for on-time service.

The Art Love Club supports LGBTQ students and their allies at a time when the country is divisive and hate is on the rise. This year, the group designed two dozen signs to hang around their school to help kids feel safe and empowered during the school day.