Afternoon Report: Wednesday, December 24, 2025

A woman is dead after a massive house fire in Needham. Negotiations continue in Egypt today, over whether to move into the second phase of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell joins 19 other states in suing the Trump administration over gender-affirming care for young people. Stay in "The Loop" with WBZ NewsRadio. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is WBZ, Boston's news radio, redefining local.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
News thirty three degrees in Boston at four o'clock. Good afternoon,
and thanks for joining us on this Christmas Eve. I'm
Suzanne Sasville. Here's what's happening. The mass Department of Public
Health is out with an alert for residents about a
potential exposure to measles. Wbz's Charlie bergeron with the story.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
State health officials confirming an out of state adult visitor
who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month
was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number
of locations. December eleventh, about twoint forty the visitor arrived
at Logan on an American Airlines flight from Dallas Fort Worth, Texas.
The visitor stayed at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel
in Westborough and then left the state the following day,

(00:54):
December twelfth, leaving Logan on a nine to twenty pm
flight on JetBlue to Las Vegas. Department of Public Health
is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and local partners to identify and notify those who may
have been exposed to measles from this individual. Measles very contagious. However,
the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because

(01:16):
the vaccination rate in the state is high. Those who
could have been exposed and begin to develop symptoms of
measles should call their healthcare provider before visiting an office, clinic,
or emergency department. Charlie Burger on WBZ Boston's news radio.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
A twenty one year old woman is dead after a
massive house fire in Needham. The fire started at around
five a m. At a single family home on Woodworth Road,
and two other people in the home were able to escape.
It's unclear what started the fire, but at least seven
departments were called in to help put out the flames.

(01:55):
As the investigation continues, State Fire Marshal John Devine is
everyone to check the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
in their homes. Negotiations continue in Egypt today over whether
to move into the second phase of ceasefire talks between
Israel and Hamas.

Speaker 4 (02:16):
A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office at Gal
Hirsch flew to Cairo this morning along with officials from
the Israeli Army, shin Bet and Mosad to meet officials
from Egypt and Katar. The talks are expected to focus
on returning the remains of the last Israeli hostage, still
being held in Gaza. Hamas says it does not know
where he is buried, acclaim Israel says it does not.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Believe CBS's Linda Gradstein. Meantime, Bethlehem celebrates somewhat of a
return to normalcy after the Israel Hamas war canceled Christmas
celebrations the last two years.

Speaker 5 (02:54):
A moment of joy and wonder where the Christmas story began.
Thousands traveled from nearby towns and villages to attend Bethlehem's
annual tree lighting ceremony in Major Square, the first such
celebration since twenty twenty three, but hardly any foreign visitors.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
CBS's MTS Taia reporting mostly cloudy overnight, with a low
of twenty seven in Boston, low twenties further inland for
Christmas Day tomorrow, Cloud's breaking for some, sun becoming breezy
with the high near forty on Friday Sunday for a bit,
then becoming more cloudy, much colder, with a high of

(03:36):
just twenty four, Snow developing later Friday night and continuing
into Saturday morning. We could get one to three inches
the high on Saturday twenty six. Right now in Boston,
it's partly cloudy and thirty three degrees. Once again, Massachusetts
Attorney General Andrea Campbell joins nineteen other states in so

(04:00):
doing the Trump administration, this time over gender affirming care
for young people. WBZ Sherry Small has details.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
Massachusetts included in the coalition of states suing the Trump
administration over gender affirming care for young people. Earlier this month,
HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Junior made the claim that certain
forms of gender affirming care are quote unsafe and ineffective,
and threatened to punish doctors, hospitals, and clinics that continue
to provide such care by excluding them from federal Medicare

(04:30):
and Medicaid programs. The lawsuit claims Secretary Kennedy doesn't have
the authority to make that threat, and that his declaration
violates federal law by changing medical standards and healthcare policies
without going through the proper procedures. Campbell saying it would
limit access to medically necessary in life saving care for
trans youth and threaten access to healthcare for millions who

(04:52):
rely on medicaid. The coalition is asking the court to
set aside the declaration. Sherry Small WBZ, Boston's News Radio.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
A federal judge has blocked President Trump's effort to revoke
the security clearance from a whistleblower attorney. CBS's Lynda Kenyon with.

Speaker 6 (05:09):
That attorney Mark Zaid, sued the Trump administration after the
President rescinded his security clearance, as well as the clearances
of prominent Democrats. The judge ruled the president's action was
government retribution and since Zaid introduced credible evidence that he
cannot properly advise current clients if do not access to
certain information, Zaid responded, quote, this is not just a

(05:29):
victory for me. It's an indictment of the Trump administration's
attempts to intimidate and silence the legal community, especially lawyers
who represent people who dared to question or hold this
government accountable. Linda Kenyon, CBS News Washington.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
The Department of Justice says they've found more documents that
potentially connect to the Jeffrey Epstein case. ABC Stephen Portnoy
with the latest.

Speaker 7 (05:53):
The Justice Department now says the FBI and the Manhattan
US Attorney's office have uncovered over a million more docuss
that potentially relate to the Epstein case. The Department says
attorneys are working around the clock, but it might take
a few more weeks to review these documents and make
legally required reactions. Critics have said the administration has been
too slow to release the Epstein files and has wrongly

(06:15):
blocked out the names of government officials and of potential
co conspirators referenced by them in internal emails.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
The DOJ says it will release more files as soon
as possible. You are now in the loop for news
updates throughout the day. Listen to WBZ News Radio on
the iHeartRadio app. I'm Suzanne Sosville, WBZ, Boston's news radio