Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:17] With an AM Quincy news update for Tuesday, September 22nd. Quincy's Open Heritage Day that was scheduled for this Saturday has been rescheduled due to the forecast for heavy rain and wind. The city says the event will now be held on Saturday, October 17, from 10am to 4pm Open Heritage Day features free tours, programs and experiences at historic sites across Quincy. Some of the sites participating in Open Heritage Day this year include Peace Field, Old Town hall, the Adams Academy and Quincy Historical Society, the Church of Presidents, Hancock's Cemetery, the USS Salem, the Josiah Quincy House, the Quincy Quarry and Granite Workers Museum, the Southern Tide Mill and the Dorothy Quincy Homestead. Free trolley service will be available to the sites throughout the day. There are also events planned on the Hancock Adams Common in Quincy Center. All of the events are free and open to the public.
[00:01:23] You should expect some delays along a portion of the Southern Artery in Quincy tonight. Ward 2 Councilor Richard Ashe says that line painting will be taking place from Quincy Avenue to Washington street from 9pm to 5am Painting also took place last night. Motorists are advised to use extreme caution in the area and seek an alternate route if available.
[00:01:48] The painting is taking place after the roadway was recently repaved.
[00:01:54] Ground stops at airports in the New York City area due to an equipment outage led to major delays at Logan Airport in Boston. There were more than 480 delays and over 70 cancellations at Logan by last night. The delays dropped to 16 as of 5 o' clock this morning. Some flights that were headed to the New York City area yesterday were diverted to Boston. Delta and JetBlue both had more than 50 flight delays each out of Boston. The average delay at Logan is 105 minutes, according to the FAA, which said that a low cloud ceiling is a contributing factor. U.S. department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the primary communications line failed at a key FAA facility in Philadelphia and then construction crews accidentally cut a backup fiber line in New Jersey. Hours later, the lines were fixed, but aviation experts say flight schedules don't snap back that quickly. The outage affected equipment that uses radar and radios to guide planes as they approach and depart airports. Flights into and out of Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports resumed last night, while attorneys for Lindsay Clancy filed a motion yesterday seeking to dismiss her case, arguing that retrying her after this month's mistrial would violate her constitutional protection against double jeopardy. In the filing, Clancy's legal team argued a trial judge ignored repeated warnings that a juror was refusing to follow the law and the court's instructions. The defense contends there was no legal basis for declaring a mistrial under those circumstances. A mistrial was declared on September 4 after jurors told the judge they were hopelessly deadlocked, with an 11 to 1 split in favor of acquittal after seven days of deliberations. In the motion, the defense cited a U.S. supreme Court ruling that under some circumstances retrying a defendant after mistrial can violate double jeopardy protections, arguing Clancy's case fits that standard. Last week, Clancy hired prominent defense attorney Martin Weinberg, who briefly joined Karen Reed's legal team, to assist lead attorney Kevin Reddington with the double jeopardy filings. A hearing on the next steps in the case is scheduled for September 29th. Several jurors have said in media interviews that the panel was deadlocked 11 to 1 in favor of acquitting Clancy.
[00:04:41] Massachusetts drivers are paying significantly more at the pump as ongoing unrest in the Middle east continues to disrupt global oil supplies.
[00:04:50] According to AAA, the average price of regular gasoline in Massachusetts is now 441 per gallon, up 7 cents from a week ago and 36 cents higher than a month ago. A year ago, drivers were paying an average of $3.10 a gallon, meaning gas prices have increased by $1.31 over the past 12 months. While some stations are offering slightly lower prices, others are charging nearly 25 cents more per gallon, making it worth sh around before filling up. Experts point to continued instability in the region following US Attacks on Iran earlier this year and the subsequent disruption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies. More recently, Houthi forces have targeted key sites in the region and seized an island viewed as an alternative shipping route, further raising concerns about supply interruptions.
[00:05:49] The impact extends beyond gasoline. Diesel prices have surged more than 55% since the conflict with Iran began nearly seven months ago, AAA data shows. Diesel is now averaging about $6.38 per gallon, a development economist warn, could drive up the cost of goods across the country. Higher diesel prices could also create challenges for farmers preparing for the fall harvest season, as most agricultural equipment relies on diesel fuel. As fuel costs continue to rise, experts recommend drivers compare prices at nearby stations whenever possible to help minimize the impact on their wallets, an audit of the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance found. The department has mismanaged the oversight of its call center, mismanaged complaints and violated state records retention requirements. State Auditor Diana Dezaglio's office released the audit report, which reviewed the period from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024. The department is responsible for administering the state's unemployment insurance program. The DUA provides temporary income assistance while residents search for new employment. It also determines and collects employer contributions, processes claims, establishes eligibility for benefits and provides resources and re employment services to claimants who aid in their job search. The state auditor's office said it received multiple complaints over unemployment claims stuck pending, people waiting on hold for hours and claimants unable to get assistance.
[00:07:38] According to the audit, the DUA mismanaged the oversight of its call center's performance by not establishing performance standards or monitoring procedures, leading to significant call wait times. The auditor also said it found more than half of the people using its call center were kept on hold for over 30 minutes, with about half of the callers waiting for over an hour before they spoke to an agent. The audit also found it was not monitoring whether there were timely responses to phone inquiries and did not have established standards for the call center staff, leaving no way to evaluate the data to be able to make decisions about how to more efficiently and effectively help people calling in. According to the report, the department violated state records retention requirements by not keeping call log data for three years. The DUA also violated state law by failing to provide in person assistance at three of its regional offices in Lawrence, Brockton and Springfield. The auditor found in person assistance was only available at the Boston Re Employment Center. A review of claims involving the DUA's constituent services unit revealed at least 33,000 email exchanges between DUA and legislative offices where legislators had to reach out to the department on behalf of their constituents to provide assistance obtaining benefits.
[00:09:10] A check of business news this morning in Stocks were higher. The Dow rose 366, the Nasdaq is up 599 and the S&P added 114.
[00:09:22] Asian stocks also rose, the dollar edged higher, the euro was down. Oil at $101 a barrel and sports the Red Sox are back home at fenway tonight at 6:45 for a series with Cleveland's and Bruins. Preseason action continues tonight at the Garden as the Bees take on The Flyers at 7.
[00:09:47] The National Weather Service forecast for today? Partly cloudy, breezy and a high of 64. 4 tonight partly cloudy, a low of 54. Tomorrow same thing. Partly cloudy, windy, high 64.
[00:10:00] Repeat on Thursday. Sun and clouds windy high of 62 and then our nor' easter begins to move in on Friday with showers and gusty winds and highs Friday in the low 60s for the boater today. Waves 2 to 3ft, the wind northeast at 15 to 20 knots there is also a rip current statement in effect for the coastal area throughout the day today. High tide at 8:53am and 9:07pm sunrise 6:31 sets at 6:41.
[00:10:36] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Tuesday, September 22nd.
