Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Tuesday, July 1st.
[00:00:22] Our Quincy Police are warning people about an increase in package thefts from homes and apartment buildings. Check Chief Mark Kennedy says they're receiving at least 10 complaints per week about the so called porch pirates. The latest incident was captured on video on Hatherly Road. Kennedy advises people to require a signature for delivery or use a lockbox.
[00:00:49] The first ever Quincy Maritime Festival will be held July 4th, 5th and 6th along the Marina Bay Boardwalk to celebrate Quincy 400. Activities will include live music and entertainment, historical reenactments, boat displays and tours, sand sculptures, a bike and a wagon parade and a beer garden.
[00:01:13] Quincy 400 presents the Journey Continues a free concert this Sunday from 2 to 6pm on the Hancock Adams Common in Quincy Center. Featured performers include the Beantown Swing Orchestra, the Boston Lindy Hop Dancers, Lexington Minuteman reenactors and the Boston Alarm Company Fife and Drum and the Adams National Historical park in Quincy presents Independence Day at the Park. A reading of the Declaration of Independence will be held Friday at 11am and 3pm at the Adams Farm at Penn's Hill on Franklin Street, Jefferson and Adams. A stage play will be performed on Friday at 3pm at the United First Parish Church in Quincy Center. The events are free and are open to the public.
[00:02:06] Other news today the Massachusetts Legislature yesterday tossed the budget to Governor Mara Healey, approving a $61 billion annual spending bill on the earliest date in nearly a decade as Congress hurtles toward major spending cuts that could force significant revisions to state plans. A day before the start of the fiscal year, the House and Senate accepted a compromise annual budget that ramps up spending on health care, education, transportation and other key areas while reining in rental broker fees, codifying free bus trips at regional transit authorities and allowing the use of political campaign funds for adult care services.
[00:02:54] It is the earliest the Legislature has completed an annual state budget in nine years, tying the June 30 enactment date on the fiscal 2017 budget. Healy gets 10 days to review any bill sent her way, and barring a superhuman speed review of the 416 page package, Massachusetts will again fail to have an annual budget in effect by the July 1 start of the fiscal year. Last time a governor was able to sign a budget into law before the fiscal year began was in 2010. Lawmakers yesterday also sent Healey an interim budget to keep payroll and government services flowing in the early days of fiscal 2026 while the governor reviews the annual plan.
[00:03:43] Healy signed the stopgap measure yesterday afternoon. The compromise annual budget would increase state spending by about $3.3 billion, or 5.6% over the spending plan that Healy signed last summer. Health care, including mass health and education, remain some of the largest cost drivers.
[00:04:06] A proposal by Governor Healy could change who's responsible for paying for broker fees in the Massachusetts rental market. The proposal, part of that state budget plan, would shift the responsibility from the tenant to the landlord as part of the state's efforts to tackle housing costs and availability, according to the governor's office. The average cost of rent in Massachusetts is $2,500 a month, but tenants entering into rental agreements could shell out more than $10,000 up front before even moving into their new apartment between first and last payments, security deposits and broker fees. The $61 billion annual state budget that was filed on Sunday approves votes taken yesterday afternoon of 139 to 6 in the House and 38 to 2 in the Senate.
[00:05:02] President Trump's attempt to halt birthright citizenship for some babies born to immigrants will not take effect in Massachusetts, according to Attorney General Andrea campbell. But a U.S. supreme Court ruling complicates the outlook in red states. In a ruling last Friday, the nation's highest court limited nationwide injunctions that for months had prevented Trump's Day one birthright citizenship executive order from taking effect, and the high court stopped short of deciding whether the order itself runs afoul of the US Constitution. Instead, the court delayed Trump's order from taking effect for another 30 days and returned cases challenging the policy to lower courts. More legal action is expected in the coming weeks. Now, Campbell says the executive order will not go into effect here in Massachusetts, echoing a sentiment several other Democratic attorneys generals shared during a virtual press briefing. Depending on when or whether justices address the underlying constitutionality question, the Democratic attorneys general and some legal observers warned that citizenship for newborns could become a patchwork system, with the changes blocked in states who challenged Trump taking effect and those that did not.
[00:06:26] The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution declares that all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside, end quote. Justice has ruled along ideological lines that individual district court judges don't have authority to grant nationwide injunctions against executive actions, handing a win to the Trump administration as it seeks to end birthright citizenship.
[00:07:01] A Canton man has agreed to plead guilty to defrauding Medicare of more than $4 million. 55 year old Krishna Gidwani is among more than 300 people now charged nationwide in connection with the more than $14.6 billion an alleged fraud, making it the largest health care fraud takedown in history. Gidwani was charged with one kind of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. A plea hearing is set for July 30. Gidwani submitted claims for durable medical equipment that was medically unnecessary, not wanted by the Medicare beneficiaries and tainted by kickbacks, according to prosecutors. Gidwandi also allegedly worked with Raju Sharma from Sharon and other co conspirators to own and operate a medical equipment company that paid telemarketing companies for orders for orthotics such as ankle, wrist, knee and back braces. Often, the Medicare beneficiaries did not need or want the braces that were shipped to them, and the doctors whose signatures appeared on the medical equipment orders often did not treat the beneficiaries and did not prescribe the equipment. In May, Sharma also agreed to plead guilty to health care fraud conspiracy for his alleged role in the screen. This plea hearing is set for July 8. Nationally, criminal charges have been filed against 324 people accused of health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes. Federal officials said the schemes involved the submission of of over $14 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances.
[00:08:53] The Massachusetts State Police announcing a new initiative yesterday they say will help to modernize policing in the state and build public trust. Dubbed the excellence initiative, Col. Jeffrey Noble says the initiative aims to improve transparency and devolving the department with purpose, clarity and accountability.
[00:09:16] In a 3 1/2 minute video, Noble identified four goals for the Enhance organizational health and operational excellence Strengthen accountability to enhance public trust deepen community connection and expand public outreach Promote safer communities through crime prevention and violence reduction in order to enhance organizational health, Noble said he's appointed new command staff, commissioned an independent review of recruit training and implemented a new skills based promotional process.
[00:09:53] Also, Noble says the department's developing a new leadership training program as well as enhanced health and wellness program. He says he's seeking to earn and maintain public trust through reinforcing internal oversight and raising investigative standards. The goals he outlined include strengthening accountability by restructuring captain roles and launching a field supervisor pilot to improve leadership presence, supervision and operational accountability. Noble also said there'll be an increase in department audits of body worn camera footage to help ensure trooper conduct aligns with departmental standards and public expectations.
[00:10:35] As part of the Mass State Police commitment to deepen community connection, Noble said the department established a community affairs office led by a civilian chief of Community affairs officer who will help to engage communities across the State Department also created a new six week Citizens Academy, providing stakeholders with firsthand insight to the MSP operations number. Noble says the department will enhance its strategic focus on proactive enforcement, data, informed policing and strong partnerships to reduce violence, protect critical infrastructure and support safer communities. Statewide, a check of business news this morning. Stocks are higher. The dow is up 275 points. The Nasdaq rose 96, the S&P adding 31.
[00:11:27] Asian stocks also higher after US stocks added to their records. With the close of a second straight winning month, the dollar's down. The euro rose and oil at just about $65 a barrel.
[00:11:42] Sports Red Sox get a bit wing at Fenway last night, beating Cincinnati 13 to 6. Back at it tonight at 7:10.
[00:11:51] The national weather Service forecast for today, some morning rain and maybe a thunderstorm, then turning warm and humid today with a high of 89. Patchy fog tonight, low 71 tomorrow. Hazy sunshine, a high 88. Thursday, hazy, warm, humid, an afternoon storm. High Thursday 89.
[00:12:13] And for the Fourth of July and Friday, mostly sunny. Comfortable, a high of 82.
[00:12:19] Out of the water today. Waves about 2ft. Southwest winds at 10 to 15, gusting to 20 knots. High tide 5:02pm Sunrise 511 sets at 8:24.
[00:12:31] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Tuesday, July 1st.
