Tovia Smith

Instead of banning indoor dining due to COVID-19, Massachusetts is squeezing restaurants with ever-tightening restrictions. At Cornwall's Tavern, it becomes a question of whether to take a break.

"That's a wonderful sentiment," says Abbi Gold, 59, a Democrat from Arizona. "It's probably a really sweet pipe dream." Hoping to help, many are ramping up trainings for cross-the-aisle conversations.

For some women, the election of the nation's first female and first woman of color to be vice president is a move in the right direction. Others say it's a reminder of how much more lies ahead.

During a bruising political season, many Americans are dropping friends and family members who have different political views. Experts say we should be talking more, not less.

Even in this blue state, President Trump is getting both criticism and kudos over how he is handling his COVID-19 diagnosis, and his managing of the pandemic as a whole.

Some voters are denouncing President Trump for the way he handled his COVID-19 diagnosis, while others are defending him, reflecting the political divide over how he's handled the pandemic as a whole.

As colleges crack down on students accused of violating strict pandemic safety rules, students are lawyering up to fight their punishments.

A go-to for generations of students — and faculty — at Boston University, the family-owned pub has been counting on the back-to-school crowds to help survive the pandemic.

Because of the pandemic, many students will be applying without standardized test scores and several other metrics selective schools have long relied on to make admissions decisions.

Hingham, Mass., is the latest town to become embroiled in controversy over the flag. Some people say it should be used to support police while others call it racist and insensitive.

Cornwall's has been a Kenmore Square mainstay for more than four decades. Now it's preparing to reopen — and to reinvent itself for survival during the pandemic.

Nelba Marquez-Greene and her husband, James Greene, are inspired by the marches for racial justice but fear they could fizzle out and become just another disappointment.

Wearing a mask has become political as some state officials have faced backlash for mandating mask use during the coronavirus pandemic.

Some people are afraid to use potentially germ-filled public restrooms as stay-at-home restrictions begin lifting. That's boosting sales of products that offer creative alternatives.

Summer camps are mulling their options for keeping kids and counselors safe amid the coronavirus crisis — or whether it's just not possible.

Many sleepaway camps announced they will be closed this summer, saying social distancing cannot happen there. But others are still planning for the possibility, drawing up extensive logistical plans.

Jeff Muhlstock from New Jersey has contracted the coronavirus and spent nearly two weeks in the hospital. He filmed his routine, offering a rare glimpse into the inside of a COVID-19 isolation unit.

One high school in New York has found a way to have safe and memorable graduation: hold it at a drive-in movie theater.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced what she called historic changes Wednesday to Obama-era guidelines that she said will make the process fairer.

The Trump administration says new rules announced on Wednesday will better protect students accused of sexual assault and harassment, but critics say they will make it harder for survivors to report.