Mid Day Report: Wednesday, December, 3, 2025

Massachusetts rent prices are on the rise, Boston police investigate a deadly shooting in East Boston, and music lovers find out who they've been listening to this year. 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 news.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hartley, cloudy, a bit breezy in Boston, thirty five degrees,
it feels like the mid twenties. At eleven o'clock. Good morning,
I'm Nicole Davis. Here is what's happening. The cost of
owning a home in Boston is about to go up.
Here's wbz's Kyle Gray with the details.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Here.

Speaker 4 (00:23):
Michelle Wu is warning that homeowners in Boston are going
to see a big hike in their property taxes next year.
The mayor says taxes on the average single family home
will go up about thirteen percent, hitting hardest in the
third quarter next year. Wu says the city is raising
the taxes to make up for a deficit of commercial
taxes after the pandemic, as office buildings haven't been able
to bounce back from remote work. The mayor says she

(00:44):
understands that housing is the single biggest liability for competitiveness
and the biggest cost for residents struggling to get buy
in Boston. She called on block makers to reconsider her
home rule petition, which would hight commercial property taxes for
a short time to help ease the burden on homeowners.
So far, that petition hasn't been able to get much
traction on Beacon Hill Kyle Bray, WBZ Boston's News Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Flu related hospitalizations are on the rise here in Massachusetts.
Wbz's James rojasa's health officials are encouraging you to get
the latest flu shot.

Speaker 5 (01:13):
By mid November, point four percent of those in base
state hospitals were there for flu related illnesses. That was
more than double from the beginning of the month. That's
why health officials are urging folks to get vaccinated.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Definitely take the I got the flu shot.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
I'm ready, I prepare, and hopefully I don't get sick.
That's why I hope I.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Don't take I don't take a flu shot.

Speaker 6 (01:33):
I don't take any of that.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yeah, flu shot once every two years, Ormyre.

Speaker 5 (01:38):
So it was my annual check up and she gave
me the clue shot. Meanwhile, the rise and flu cases
comes as we're gearing up for another holiday travel period
in Dewey Square James Rojas, WBZ Boston's News Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
This comes as a new study suggests the shingles shot
could slow the progression of dementia for some patients.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
Researchers of the study published in the journal cell I'll
say the findings apply specifically to an older live vaccine
called zostavax that uses a weakened form of the shingles virus.
That specific version may slow the progression of dementia for
those already diagnosed with the disease. The vaccine was discontinued
in the US in twenty twenty and replaced with a
version that better combat shingles, but researchers say those who

(02:19):
had the previous vaccine before twenty twenty may have a benefit,
but more studies are needed, doctor say on the vaccines.
Michelle Franz and ABC News.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
And Boston Police s amm was shot and killed last
night in East Boston. This happened just before six o'clock.
First responders getting to the scene on Hovers Street pronouncing
the man dead at the hospital. So far, no word
on a motive or any suspects. Once get a look
at the forecast now and for the rest of the day,
we should have a couple of clouds. It's really about it.
Much drier and a little easier to get around than

(02:49):
it was yesterday. For sure. We've got temperatures in the
upper twenties, low thirties, and we'll see a high today
of just about forty with a mix of sun and clouds.
A bit of a breeze out there is making it
feel certainly cooler, and that is going to stick around
through tonight. Partly cloudy early more cloud's moving in overnight
alone near thirty two in Boston, close to twenty if
you're in the northern and western suburbs. Then for tomorrow,

(03:12):
we have some afternoon sun, the wind will really start
to whip. We'll have some snow squalls and showers in
the afternoon. Hi just about forty, and then some more
polar air comes in on Thursday night. Lots of sun
on Friday, but a high only twenty eight degrees. Right now,
we're at thirty one in Southbridge, thirty one in nashaua
south of Boston, thirty five in Brockton. In Boston at

(03:33):
eleven oh five, it is partly cloudy and worth thirty
four degrees. Well, today's a day that some music lovers
wait all year for. Spotify Rapped has arrived.

Speaker 6 (03:43):
Of course, you get the usuals like your top song's
artists and podcasts, but new this year, Spotify also gives
you a listening age based on what artists and genres
are in your rotation. For example, I'm twenty five years old,
but according to Spotify, my listening age is forty eight,
probably because I'm also in the top one percent of
Oasis fans around the world. But if your rotation is

(04:05):
mainly artists from the sixties, seventies, or eighties, expect to
hire listening age. Another edition this year is Rapped Party,
a feature that lets you compare top songs with your
friends to see you as the preferred music taste. Spotify
caught some flak last year for using AI to narrate
each individual Rapped, and that's been scrapped this year. Instead,
they created the Future Archive, which uses AI to break
down what you listen to on individual days. Jared Brosnan WBZ,

(04:28):
Boston's news radio.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
Governor Morey Healy says she's appalled at the Trump administration's
threat to cut SNAP benefits for democratic states if they
don't hand over sensitive personal information about who's getting the assistance.
In a statement, the governor calls it cruel, saying that
President Trump is quote playing politics with kids and seniors
who need to eat. Boston Maryor Michelle Wu says the
city is involved in many lawsuits against the administration. They

(04:53):
will keep fighting to protect Bostonians. She told reporters she
wishes President Trump would spend his time quote fixing real
problems now. Landlords in Boston could find themselves a bit
short on rent this month. That's because the city's housing
authority doesn't have the cash to make Section eight payments. WBZ.
Sherry Small has more and why.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
The housing authority blames it on the federal government shut down.
Boston pays around forty million dollars to landlords each month,
but thirty million dollars from the Feds hasn't arrived. They
say they plan to provide twenty five percent payments to
landlords now and the rest when the Feds pay up.
Sherry Small WBZ Boston's news radio.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
And the battle continues between the state and so called
bar advocates over pay now. Hundreds of those attorneys have
come together to form a new advocacy group of their own.
The Massachusetts Association of Private Appointed council says it represents
private attorneys who accept these cases to represent indigent clients.
Its mission, according to their website, is to use all
available lawful methods to, among other things, improve working conditions

(05:54):
and pay rates for these members of council. Our advocates
earlier this year largely walked off the job in Massachuset
thats demanding better pay and benefits. Judges then had to
dismiss hundreds of cases as defendants could not get any representation.
You are now in the loop for news updates throughout
the day. Listen to WBZ News Radio on the iHeartRadio app.
I'm Nicole Davis wb LEE to Boston's news radio