As 2025 comes to a close, the Herald wishes to reflect on our coverage and share readers’ favorite stories from the year.

From in-depth local news pieces that got to the heart of our communities’ needs to scathing investigative works holding public officials accountable, the Boston Herald’s coverage sought to encapsulate the most important stories for our readership each and every day.

Read on for the Boston Herald’s top stories, according to web traffic from readers like you.

NBC10 Boston’s Pete Bouchard under fire for saying SpaceX splashdown had ‘strong hints of AI’

Pete Bouchard goes viral.

After NASA astronauts finally returned to Earth following an extended nine-month trip to space, NBC10 Boston’s Bouchard commented that the splashdown video had “strong hints of AI,” causing a potentially bigger splash with his audience.

“I’m no conspiracy theorist, but that splashdown today had strong hints of AI enhancement in the drone footage. Lighting looked cinematic. Was it the camera?” Bouchard wrote on social media.

On Bluesky, he also pointed out a pod of dolphins “that just happened to surface.”

Bouchard’s comments gained traction with Herald readers, who were split in our Facebook comments regarding the meteorologist’s intentions.

“Pete, you are a classy man and anyone that knows you knows you were not making a political statement,” one commenter wrote.

Others interpreted the sentiments as a jab toward SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

The Herald’s breakdown of Bouchard’s comments became our single most-viewed story of 2025.

Not Guilty! Jury clears Karen Read of murder, leaves only OUI conviction

In a court case that gripped the nation, Karen Read was cleared of the murder charges relating to the death of her boyfriend John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer.

The jury delivered Read’s verdict following a grueling retrial and 20 hours of deliberation.

See the Herald’s yearslong coverage of the Read saga at Bostonherald.com, including its mentions at the Brian Walshe murder trial also out of Norfolk County this December.

Massachusetts sheriff’s deputy Tom Brady fired after allegedly having employees do free plumbing work at his home

Rest assured, the Patriots G.O.A.T. did not have a side gig with the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office.

But as controversy continues to plague the county’s law enforcement departments, Herald readers got a kick out of the naming coincidence.

Cluster of Massachusetts nurses reportedly diagnosed with brain tumors

In a shocking health scare, a group of nurses at a local hospital were reportedly diagnosed with brain tumors.

A Mass General Brigham study found that the brain tumors were not linked to working conditions, but a nurses’ union was not satisfied.

Wellesley, MA – Newton Wellesley hospital. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Out-of-state firefighters in Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade were reportedly kicked out of the parade

Boston may be known for its lively St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, but the revelry wasn’t limited to locals.

A group of out-of-state firefighters were reportedly booted from the parade route for not following the Code of Conduct.

The Herald’s sources said the firefighters caught alcoholic beverages from the crowd and were not authorized to be in the parade.

Market Basket sends suspension letter to a customer

2025 was a year of Market Basket mayhem.

Amid the super market succession battle, Market Basket sent a letter to a Paul Quigley informing him he was placed on administrative leave. It was the wrong Paul Quigley though.

Meant for a Market Basket executive by the same name, the letter was mistakenly delivered to a loyal customer, who said “It’s outrageous to send it to the wrong person.”

A Market Basket store at Fletcher and Broadway streets in Lowell. (Melanie Gilbert/Lowell Sun)

Shark bites fisherman on Massachusetts beach: ‘A wake-up call’

Sharks are not only a worry for ocean swimmers, one Nantucket fisherman learned this summer.

A 21-year-old was bit in the leg by a sandbar shark after catching it and attempting to release it.

Karen Read jury foreman breaks silence: Cost, ‘shoddy’ police work, ‘no justice’ for John O’Keefe

Juror #1 gave the Herald an inside look into the enthralling Karen Read trial.

Calling it a waste of taxpayer money, the foreman said it was a major “red flag” that the police did not immediately search the house at the murder scene after O’Keefe’s body was found.

“If that body was on my front steps, I know my house would have been stormed,” the juror, who is Black and grew up in Boston’s Jamaica Plain, said.

The Karen Read jury foreman, Juror #1, wants the FBI to reopen their probe. (Photo courtesy of Regan Communications)

Ex-postal worker in Massachusetts accused of stealing $330,000-plus from people in their 70s, 80s

A former postal employee was accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from seniors.

The Pembroke man was a postal inspector, investigating scams that targeted senior citizens and other vulnerable populations.

Other top Herald headlines: 

– Massachusetts hotel shelters for migrants, homeless families set to close, questions arise

– JFK Presidential Library and Museum set to reopen after Trump executive order reportedly shut it down

– WBZ’s Jon Keller and other employees let go by Boston TV station

– Massachusetts state employee suspended with pay busted for working private job at same time

– Red rainbow weather phenomenon spotted in Massachusetts

– Howie Carr: Karen Read prosecution failing again and again