Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:16] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Monday, September 21st. The Quincy City Council will meet tomorrow night instead of tonight due to the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The council will meet tomorrow at 6:30 at City hall and among the items on the agenda include a resolution calling for a no surprise government rather than a no ask no tell government. The resolution asks the administration to reveal plans for significant government actions before they're put in place in order to allow for public input and discussion. The resolution points to recent issues including the the purchase of controversial statues for the new public safety building, the installation of flock surveillance cameras across the city and the renovation of Squaw Rock and the Nickerson Post parking lot as examples of the administration not revealing plans for major expenditures before allowing for public input. The resolution is being sponsored by counselors Susan Yuan, David Jacobs, Ann Mahoney, Deborah Riley and Virginia Ryan. Also on the agenda for tomorrow night's council meeting is an order calling for a rigorous discussion on pay raises for elected officials and a review of what city services could be made available online Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch says he may use state chapter 90 money to be expanding the parking lot and creating a new home for the Massachusetts tribe at the Nickerson Post in Squantum. Koch initially planned to use revenue from the Quarry Hills lease to fund the $700,000 project, but some city councilors said state law mandates that those funds only be used for improvements at Quarry Hills. The plan includes adding about 30 parking spaces to the lot, demolishing one building at the site and using the former Step 1 Early Intervention building as a new meeting center for the Massachusetts tribe. Improvements to nearby Squaw Rock park are also being discussed.
[00:02:30] Firefighters in Weymouth rushed to rescue a person from a second floor window while fighting a fire yesterday morning. Fire broke out on Mutton lane shortly after 8:30 yesterday morning. When crews arrived on scene they located smoke showing from the house and a person in the second floor window. Fire firefighters were able to use a ground ladder to safely remove that person from the fire. Firefighters were then able to quickly knock down the blaze. Officials did not give a condition on the person who was rescued.
[00:03:02] The family of the 18 year old man who was hurt when a 17 year old girl crashed into his car head on in Plymouth last Thursday, said he remained in the hospital after that violent crash collision. Dylan Rausch's family describes him as a loving young man with a huge heart and passion for music, theater and the arts. They said he plays the flute and had just started studying music theory at Bridgewater State University.
[00:03:30] In a statement, the university wrote in part, our hearts are with Dylan and his family during this incredibly difficult time.
[00:03:39] On Thursday, just before noon, police said Rouch was hit on Plimpton Road by an unlicensed 17 year old girl who had taken her family's SUV during a well being check. Kingston police said she led them on a short chase before they ceased the pursuit for public safety concerns. Short time later, Plymouth police received a report that that same vehicle had crashed into a second vehicle. Rausch was trapped in his car after the crash had to be cut out by emergency responders. He was flown to a Boston trauma center where he remains in an intensive care unit, police said. The 17 year old girl fled the scene on foot, but was located a short time later and arrested governor Healey announcing on Friday that the Federal Transit Administration has formally closed its year long review of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities safety oversight of the MBTA, returning direct supervision of the T's safety equipment and management to the T.
[00:04:44] On September 11, the FTA sent a letter to the Department of Public Utilities formally ending their oversight and returning responsibility of the remaining safety actions to the state agency. Federal authorities said the state had satisfied all requirements and demonstrated significant improvements in its ability to increase independently oversee the safety of MBTA rail operations.
[00:05:10] Phil Ang, interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager, called it a huge accomplishment for the t and the DPU and said he's extremely proud of the milestone. In 2022, after several major safety incidents at the T, the federal government directed the Department of Public Utilities Rail Transit Safety Division to make significant changes to its staffing operations, funding and safety practices. The FTA found that the agency was underfunded and couldn't provide adequate safety oversight of the T. In response, the state overhauled its MBTA oversight, creating the Rail Transit Safety Division, which conducts independent inspections of the T, subway cars, stations and many maintenance facilities, and produces safety and compliance audits. The state has also invested in improvements to MBTA safety and reliability, eliminating all slow zones, upgrading cars and stations and increasing hiring.
[00:06:17] Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill that would pass protections for survivors of child sexual abuse by lifting a strict time limit for when survivors can sue perpetrators and the institutions that protected them. Massachusetts law currently bars child sexual abuse survivors age 53 or over from suing their abusers in civil court for those who can file claims. Liability is capped at $20,000 under the state's charitable immunity law. The new legislation, currently in conference committee, would eliminate both the statute of limitations and the charitable immunity cap for child sex abuse cases.
[00:07:02] If passed, the legislation would give survivors who are currently barred from bringing claims two years to file. House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michalowitz said there is strong support from House members. He said he's optimistic about passing the legislation. The House has unanimously supported the measure. The Senate passed a similar measure last session. The Legislature has until January 5th to send it to the governor's desk.
[00:07:30] Last year, insurance companies in Massachusetts said that they would stop covering GLP1s when used specifically for weight loss. A new report is showing the significant impact of that decision on the state's health care system.
[00:07:46] The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission said 112,000 fewer people are getting their GLP1 drugs for weight loss covered through insurance this year, a 52% drop off from last year when nearly 300,000 insured people in the state were using them. The popular weight loss drugs, sold under names such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have been blamed for inflating budgets in the public and private sector.
[00:08:14] Commission says spending on GLP1 drugs for weight loss doubled almost every year between 2019 and 2025. Blue Cross Blue Shield said last year that five GLP1 drug companies made up 20% of its total pharmacy spending.
[00:08:32] Spending on GLP1 drugs for Bay State residents with private insurance was nearly $1 billion last year. That's expected to drop to 662 million this year as insurers ended coverage. Insurance companies are still covering GLP1s when they're used to treat diabetes, Health and Human Services Secretary Kami Mana told the Statehouse News Service in March. He expects a major price crash to come for GLP1s, which would allow insurance coverage to return over the next few years.
[00:09:06] Prices for the drugs have declined as new drugs come on the market, the report said. The Commission is saying GLP1s could play an important role in improving the long term health of people who use them. The report didn't say how many people are still paying for weight loss drugs out of pocket, which can cost hundreds of dollars a month.
[00:09:28] A check of business news this morning. Stocks are mixed, The Dow down 95 points, the Nasdaq rose 104 and the S&P is up 12. Asian stocks are advancing ahead of an expected meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week in Washington. The dollar rose, the euro was down, oil at $101 a barrel.
[00:09:53] Sports Patriots win their home opener at Gillette yesterday against the Steelers. 23 Tampa Bay beat the Red Sox 5 to 1 and Sox are back home tomorrow night at 6:45 for a series with Cleveland. The National Weather Service forecast for today some morning showers and fog and then turning partly cloudy with a high 67. Partly cloudy tonight and a low around 50 tomorrow. A lot of clouds high of 62 Wednesday. Sun and clouds high 61.
[00:10:29] Mainly cloudy Thursday and a high of 62 for the boater. Waves 2 to 3ft. Winds northeast at 10 to 15 with gusts to 20 knots. High tide 7:57am and 8:12pm Sunrise 6:30 sets at 6:43.
[00:10:47] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Monday, September 21st.
