Progress

NEWTON - Dan Kennedy will graduate from Boston College on Monday, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and the recipient of the school's most prestigious prize, the Edward H. Finnegan Award. Winners of the Finnegan, given to the student who best exemplifies the BC motto, "ever to excel," tend to go big - top grad schools, Wall Street, overseas fellowships. Kennedy is planning to give away his computer, recycle his Blackberry, and move to a modest communal house in St. Paul, Minn.

By Tony Massarotti, Boston.com Columnist If the Red Sox are feeling good about themselves in the wake of a stretch during which they have gone 10-3, that is certainly a good thing. If the Red Sox are more unified now than they were at the beginning of the season, that is a good thing, too. And if the Red Sox are using the media and criticism as a rallying cause, that is also excellent news. But for a team that has not had a winning record at any point this season, the Red Sox on Wednesday seemed a touch beyond their skis.

America's relationship with Pakistan has been battered by a string of recent setbacks, but a top U.S. general said Wednesday that the fact that the two countries have finally started talking again is at least a positive sign. Marine Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, cautioned that "we need to be careful about overstating the progress that we're making, but I think that we've made real progress in the last several weeks with respect to having conversations with Pakistan we were not even having before.

(David L. Ryan/Globe staff) Fareed Zakaria to Harvard graduates: "When we come together, when we put aside petty difference, when we cooperate, the results are astounding. " By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent Acclaimed journalist and author Fareed Zakaria told graduating Harvard University students on Thursday that the world is in the midst of an "astonishing age of progress" that they can help shape. "When we come together, when we put aside petty difference, when we cooperate, the results are astounding," Zakaria,...

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff Sources with the NFL and players said today that progress was made today with the labor talks and it's possible there will be a vote by the NFLPA board on Monday to approve the deal. Despite some other more optimistic reports out there, that's as far as we're willing to go at the moment because things are so fluid. Things can look good one minute, and then a bump in the road can push back the timeline. But, so far, today was a good day and progress was made.

Easton has been awarded a $500,000 state grant to help turn the 48-acre Governor Ames Estate into a park. The town has allocated $500,000 from the Community Preservation Act fund to place a conservation restriction on the estate. The park, to be operated by the nonprofit Trustees of Reservations, is expected to open next year and is part of the town's downtown revitalization plan. The property, the estate of Oliver Ames, the state's 35th governor, includes woods, meadows, and ponds.

Frank Spaziani is in his third season and he is comfortable. At least more comfortable. And it shows. There is a plan in place, said the Boston College coach during media day yesterday. There is still much work to be done, starting with the regular-season opener against Northwestern Sept. 3 at Alumni Stadium. If you believe the preseason polls, the Eagles are going to be in the back of the pack in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Too many question marks and a challenging schedule - Northwestern, Central Florida, Massachusetts, and Notre Dame are the nonconference foes - await...

Barney Frank is in love. This is not exactly news — he's getting married in July — but it's still striking, the way a congressman who has cultivated a reputation for prickliness can be so publicly, sweetly sentimental. "It's funny," Frank said last week, musing about his relationship with his fiance, Jim Ready. "I used to listen to these songs about love and . . . they didn't mean anything to me. I would almost be kind of annoyed by them, you know — it's like I was left out. The whole thing takes on a meaning it didn't have.

The construction of a new track and a soccer field is in progress at Tahanto Regional Middle/High School in the final weeks of school, local officials have reported. Workers have also completed a new septic system for the middle and high school's renovation project, according to the project's website.

Work on the brick façade of the Tahanto Regional Middle/High School is underway, while school officials continue to aim for a 2013 completion date for the renovation project. Over the next several months, officials will be choosing new furnishings and technology systems for the school. - Matt Gunderson

America's relationship with Pakistan has been battered by a string of recent setbacks, but a top U.S. general said Wednesday that the fact that the two countries have finally started talking again is at least a positive sign. Marine Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, cautioned that "we need to be careful about overstating the progress that we're making, but I think that we've made real progress in the last several weeks with respect to having conversations with Pakistan we were not even having before.

The trouble with trying to measure the progress of Tiger Woods is that by his own definition, he never really gets there. Even when he was at his best, Woods always thought he could get better. So while winning tournaments is the goal, that's not always the best gauge. Woods preached patience two weeks ago at The Players Championship when he said, "Guys, I've done this before. I've been through this. … I had some pretty good runs after that, and this is no different. " He then tied for 40th at Sawgrass for the worst three-tournament stretch of...

Foreign officials have begun regular checks of whether Portugal is complying with the terms of a (EURO)78 billion bailout that demanded steep spending cuts and economic reforms. The quarterly appraisal comes amid mounting pressure in Portugal and other eurozone countries for more measures to foster growth. Austerity measures including pay cuts and tax hikes are widely blamed for Portugal's third recession in four years and a record unemployment rate of 15.3 percent. Portugal has so far drawn praise for its diligent implementation of the...

Starting Wednesday, Egypt is holding its first free presidential election since it came under dictatorship 60 years ago. The winner will succeed Hosni Mubarak, one of four rulers toppled in the uprisings that began 18 months ago across the Middle East and became known as the Arab Spring. But replacing dictatorships with democracy is proving much harder. Here's where things stand: TUNISIA The first Arab country to throw off its ruler, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in January 2011, Tunisia has also had the smoothest transition.

The construction of a new track and a soccer field is in progress at Tahanto Regional Middle/High School in the final weeks of school, local officials have reported. Workers have also completed a new septic system for the middle and high school's renovation project, according to the project's website.

Ronald Wright's 2004 book, "A Short History of Progress," looked at societal decline in terms of the past — Easter Island, ancient Sumeria, the Roman Empire, the Mayans — drawing lessons for today. Wright meant the title ironically. "Surviving Progress," a Canadian documentary inspired by Wright's book, looks at societal decline in terms of the present and future (with a few glances at the past). The lessons to be drawn — don't burn down the rain forest; greed is bad; so was Mobutu Sese Seko, the Congolese dictator; and so on — don't quite qualify as lessons.

New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte is pleased with his progress and is looking forward to pitching Monday in extended spring training, his second game action since ending a one-year retirement. Pettitte played catch Saturday, one day after a 45-pitch bullpen session at New York's minor league complex. "I'm feeling great," Pettitte said. "So far, so good. " Pettitte threw a scoreless inning in the Yankees' spring training finale Wednesday against the New York Mets.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Just watched Clay Buchholz throw in the outfield. He got out to what looked like 120 feet then came back in and threw 20-25 pitches from 60 feet. Buchholz said he threw all his pitches at the end of his session. Nothing has been announced yet, but he's line to throw off the mound in the bullpen on Tuesday. That would be a big test of his injured back. "Everything felt fine," he said. "Threw everything. It felt good.

FOXBOROUGH - Wes Welker may have done himself a big disservice in contract negotiations with the Patriots Thursday when he spoke publicly about the progress - or lack thereof - in recent talks. "There have been talks, but nothing that's brightened anything at all," Welker told the Boston Herald. "It's actually gotten worse. " Welker explained that "worse" means the Patriots' offer is now less than the two-year, fully guaranteed $16 million the team proposed during the 2011 regular season.

A doctor says a man found seriously injured in the brush a week after his pickup truck rolled off a Northern California freeway is making progress. Michael Sanchez Jr. has been hospitalized since he was found unconscious Tuesday in a dense thicket below an off-ramp along Highway 101 in south San Jose. Authorities couldn't find the 25-year-old driver after the crash, but he was located a week later when they went back to search for clues about what happened to him. Despite the medical report, questions remained about why he wasn't found during...