Workers: $1 hike in Mass. minimum wage is welcome

An estimated 280,000 Massachusetts workers — including 28,000 in Boston — will ring in the new year with a welcome addition to their paychecks. That's the number of minimum-wage earners expected to get a $1-per-hour boost in their pay starting Jan....

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Maura Healey may sue drug cos. to rein in Rx abuse

Attorney General-elect Maura Healey said she would consider taking legal action against pharmaceutical companies to help rein in prescription drug abuse that can lead to heroin addiction. Healey pointed to a lawsuit brought by Kentucky against Purdue...

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France drops its super tax on millionaires

PARIS — It was supposed to force millionaires to pay tax rates of up to 75 percent: "Cuba without the sun," as described by a critic from the banking industry. Socialist President Francois Hollande's super tax was rejected by a court, rewritten and ultimately...

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Chipotle apologizes for NY worker's police protest

NEW YORK — Two Chipotle chief executives have apologized to New York City police officers who were greeted by a restaurant employee making the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture popular with protesters. Co-Chief Executive Officers Steve Ells and Monty...

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Alert issued after likely HIV porn set infection

LOS ANGELES — California public health officials issued an alert Monday after finding "very strong evidence" that an adult film actor became infected with HIV as a result of unprotected sex on an out-of-state film shoot. The Department of Public Health...

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No health insurance? Penalties to rise in 2015

WASHINGTON — The cost of being uninsured in America is going up significantly next year for millions of people. It's the first year all taxpayers have to report to the Internal Revenue Service whether they had health insurance for the previous year,...

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Somerville program helps young adults develop skills for employment

A Somerville workforce development program has teamed up with a jobs website to match low-income young adults with local businesses. Although anyone can post or apply for one-off jobs or part-time work for free on HelpAroundTown.com, young adults age...

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Amazon quick-delivery plans threaten small stores

Bay State convenience stores could be in for a world of pain in 2015 if Amazon speeds up and expands its same-day delivery services. All signs point to Amazon vastly growing its Massachusetts footprint in the next year, and CEO Jeff Bezos has made no...

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Mayor Martin J. Walsh: ‘A ways to go’ on securing Wynn agreement

Mayor Martin J. Walsh said the city still has "a ways to go" before reaching a deal with Wynn Resorts that would clear the way for the casino giant to obtain Boston roadwork permits for its $1.6 billion gaming palace in Everett. Walsh told the Herald...

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Can Mass. casinos compete?

The state's gaming czar says local casinos are ready to weather mounting competitive pressures in New York and Connecticut in 2015, as his commission gears up to regulate its first gambling facility in Plainville and grapples with uncertainty over whether...

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Mass. skiing awaits cold

Massachusetts ski areas are awaiting this week's forecasted return of colder weather to make more snow and kick the season up a notch. Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton, which opened Nov. 21, had one of its strongest and earliest launches in...

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Short-sellers get last-minute gift with debt relief extension

WASHINGTON — For David Foster of Chicago, it was a stunning and welcome early Christmas present for him, his wife and three young children. The Senate's 11th-hour extension of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act through Dec. 31 will save Foster,...

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Insurer to rescue Connector

A Massachusetts health plan, citing widespread bewilderment over the Health Connector's latest attempts to sign up Obamacare recipients, said it will offer last-minute insurance to Bay Staters who missed key deadlines. "The bottom line is many members...

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Union Wharf duplex location can’t be beat

This brick-and-beam duplex on Union Wharf was completely redone three years ago, incorporating original granite details with contemporary finishes, including a wine cellar. Unit 101 is a first-floor and basement-level corner duplex with wood-beam ceilings...

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Hacks are security wake-up call

Businesses are re-examining their security controls and wondering where the next attack will come from after the Sony Pictures hack and a subsequent cyberattack that crippled the Xbox and Sony PlayStation networks on Christmas morning. "It is the new...

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Quincy residents to be left with emergency facility only

The long-struggling Quincy Medical Center will permanently close its doors tomorrow, leaving Quincy residents without an official health facility sooner than originally planned, which could spur legal action from the Attorney General's office. "Because...

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Honda recalls 1,252 Crosstours over side air bags

NEW YORK — Honda is recalling 1,252 Crosstour vehicles due to a faulty side air bag made by troubled air bag supplier Takata. The Honda recall is for 2015 model year Crosstours. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the side air bag...

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Mayor Marty Walsh makes Dorchester tour

It was a merry Christmas Eve day in Dorchester yesterday as the mayor and police commissioner went on a goodwill tour of businesses. The event began with a gathering at the Teen Center at St. Peter's where neighborhood kids received presents from police...

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Single-family home sales fall in Nov.

Single-family home sales fell last month while the median price rose, particularly in Greater Boston, driven by a continuing shortage of inventory, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Statewide, the number of closed sales dropped...

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Bitcoin now available at local stores

You can now pick up some bitcoin with that bottle of soda and bag of chips at the store down the street. LibertyX, a company that originally made and operated bitcoin vending kiosks, has expanded to let any store sell bitcoin for cash at the register,...

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Sony tries to save face with 'Interview' flip-flop

ATLANTA — Sony's flip-flop on releasing "The Interview" shows the studio is working furiously to try to chart the right course through political and public-opinion minefields. Although analysts don't believe the decision will have any effect on Sony's...

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The Ticker

Dow, S&P hit record highs in 'Santa' rally The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at record highs as the market delivered its fourth gain in as many trading days. Pharmaceutical and technology stocks were...

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Business Protocol: Toe the line in kissing under mistletoe at holiday parties

Hung over a doorway during Christmas, mistletoe remains one of the season's most beloved traditions. They say mistletoe has spiritual and healing powers. It is also said to be a sexual symbol and an aphrodisiac. One legend states couples kissing underneath...

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Two top execs leaving MassChallenge

Two members of MassChallenge's executive team are stepping down. In emails yesterday, Akhil Nigam, president and co-founder of the Boston-based startup accelerator and competition, and Karl Buttner, chief mentorship officer, said they will remain advisers...

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Booting Up: A cure for credit card debt

'Tis the season for credit card debt, but don't fear: We've got you covered with a list of some of the top digital tools to help you dig yourself out of that financial holiday hole. The average consumer is expected to spend more than $800 on gifts for...

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Cambridge frets over business climate

Two of Cambridge's top priorities — supporting biotech companies and being green — are in a tug-of-war as the city mulls tougher emissions standards for new construction. A city task force has been meeting for nearly a year to come up with a way for...

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Asian markets gain as oil rebounds

SEOUL, South Korea — Asian markets were mostly higher Monday after the Fed's pledge not to rush to raise interest rates prompted investors to add risky assets ahead of the year-end holiday. A rise in the price of oil boosted energy stocks. KEEPING SCORE:...

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Mass. lagging on tech IPOs

Massachusetts has fallen farther behind California and New York in the number of companies in the tech IPO pipeline, according to industry tracker CB Insights. This year, California had 308 companies in the tech IPO pipeline, while New York had 61 and...

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Foreign-trained med workers need help

Massachusetts needs more centralized information on relicensing pathways, improved career supports at workforce-development and educational institutions, and a review of licensure regulations to help the state's more than 12,000 foreign-born health care...

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Research shows owners coming up short on home values

WASHINGTON — Do American homeowners think their properties are worth less than the actual market value, as measured by professional appraisers? Highly unlikely, you'd probably say. Everybody knows that owners tend to have optimistic impressions of what...

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Three T rail lines reopen on weekends

The MBTA is restoring weekend service to three commuter rail lines beginning next Saturday, two years after budget constraints forced it to cut the runs. Saturday and Sunday service will resume for the Kingston/Plymouth and Greenbush lines, and Saturday...

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Row house gets modern updates

This two-bedroom condo is one of two just carved out of a brick row house in Boston's charming Bay Village. While the upper-floor unit has just gone under agreement, Unit 1 at 34 Melrose St., a 1,229-square-foot first-floor and basement duplex, is available...

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Mercedes SUV more than meets the eye

Do not let the understated appearance of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML250 make you shy away from taking a long look at this diesel-
powered sport utility vehicle. Although Mercedes offers a wide array of crossovers and SUVs in many shapes and sizes, I found...

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Weak coffee sales hurt Dunkin’ Donuts earnings

Dunkin' Brands announced weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter sales and lowered its 2015 outlook yesterday, blaming declining sales of Dunkin' Donuts' packaged coffee and continued pressure on consumers. Shares fell as much as 9.45 percent yesterday...

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Boston’s Revere Hotel gets a new owner

Boston's trendy Revere Hotel has a new owner, a little more than 2 1⁄2 years after it debuted following a $29 million transformation of an undistinguished Radisson Hotel into the luxury boutique property. Bethesda, Md.-based Pebblebrook Hotel Trust,...

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Hot Property: Think inside the Box in Chelsea’s Flats at 22

The Flats at 22 in Chelsea's new Box District neighborhood is now leasing — and providing some relief from Boston's high apartment prices. This is developer Mitchell Properties and builder Traggorth Cos.' third apartment project in the area of former...

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The Ticker

UMass prez leaving for Maryland post University of Massachusetts President Robert Caret is leaving to become chancellor of the University System of Maryland. The announcement was made yesterday by James Shea, chairman of the USM Board of Regents. Caret...

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Patient Fed spurs Wall Street

The Federal Reserve yesterday said it will be "patient" in raising interest rates, sending stocks soaring as Wall Street registered its best day in more than a year. Fed chairwoman Jan­et Yellen said economic fundamentals will be the guide for raising...

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Brewery expansion on tap for Jack’s Abby

Framingham craft beer maker Jack's Abby Brewing will undergo a major expansion that will allow it to ramp up production, offer its beer in cans and 12-pack bottles and open a restaurant and much larger tasting room. The 3-year-old company has leased...

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Menus will sport new calorie labels for alcohol

WASHINGTON — Don't want to be confronted with the number of calories in that margarita or craft beer? Then avoid the menu and order at the bar. New menu labeling rules from the Food and Drug Administration will require chain restaurants with 20 or more...

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