Mid Day Report: Wednesday, November 19, 2025

A rent control measure could be on the 2026 ballot, the bill to release the Jeffery Epstein file heads to President Donald Trump's desk, and 311 Omakase is Boston's first Michelin-star restaurant. 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 mostly sunny, A couple of clouds out in Boston,
a chillly forty degrees at eleven o'clock on this Wednesday morning. Hello,
thanks for being with us. I'm Sherry Small. Here's what's happening.
The attorney for the nine Alston car wash workers detained

(00:26):
by Ice back on November fourth, till WBZ NewsRadio. The
three of those workers are now out of Ice custody
after posting bond. Their release comes after federal court orders
mandating that their bond be accepted and they be freed
from custody in at least two of the cases. Now,
the attorneys say the three workers are extremely exhausted and traumatized,

(00:48):
and that they were en route to their families as
of yesterday evening, and say at least two more bond
hearings for the workers are expected Thursday, a third possible
this week as well. State wide rest their hopes on
a rent control ballot question that could be a big
step closer to being on the ballot in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
As much as I get mad about paying rent, I
understand the landlord's point, but I can't keep going up
and up and up.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
People tell me they're sick of seeing their rent increase
each year because it.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
Just seems like the hears go by really quick, and
then here it is, here's your increase again. Lisa is
up and here it is, and it's like, oh my god,
it just went on.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
Poems for All Massachusetts submitted roughly one hundred and twenty
five thousand signatures this week to try to get rent
control on the ballot for next year. If passed, it
would cap rent increases at just five percent statewide. Tea
riders here at Wallaston station tell me they're fine with
a longer commute if it means cheaper rent than Boston,
but only if it stays that way. Do you feel
like the place that you're living at right now you're.

Speaker 4 (01:43):
Getting what you're paying for? Absolutely?

Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, I think so.

Speaker 5 (01:45):
My Lane learns by Mary Kines may have.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
State officials have until December third to certified signatures. They'll
need seventy five thousand to bring it one step closer
to the ballot. From Quincymjre Bros Than WVS, Boston's news.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Radio, President Trump says he will sign the bill that
compels the Justice Department release the Epstein files. After the
bills sailed through both the chambers of Congress with only
a single vote against.

Speaker 6 (02:06):
As survivors of Epstein's abuse a moment of victory.

Speaker 5 (02:09):
We're ready for the next stop, and we're ready to
finally release the file, all the file.

Speaker 6 (02:15):
The Senate wasting no time pledging to pass the villains
send it to the President's desk out a vigil survivor
is getting word of the news has passed the bill.
President Trump has pledged to sign that villain's law. But
the fact is the President doesn't need Congress to release
the Epstein files. He could do it on his own.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
That's ABC's Rachel Scott reporting. Former Treasury Secretary and former
Harvard president Larry Summers is resigning from Open Aiy's board
of directors only a week after his emails with Jeffrey
Epstein were released.

Speaker 7 (02:49):
The emails, unveiled by Congress showed Somers had a close
relationship with Epstein long after the first charges were filed
against the convicted sex trafficker. In one exchange, Summers asked
Epstein for advice on how to romantically pursue a woman
he was mentoring. Open Aiyes Board says it respects Summer's decision.
Summer said Monday he would step back from his public
commitments but continue to teach economics at Harvard. The university

(03:11):
is launching a new investigation into his ties with Epstein.
Michael Wallace, CBS News.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Let's check the fort awbz Achu weather forecast. Mostly sunny today,
but is going to be on the chili side, with
a high of just forty seven. Clear skies early tonight,
than clouds late. We'll see a low of thirty three
in Boston for most of those inland suburbs. Mid to
upper twenties overnight, then tomorrow again much like today, mid
forties on Friday, mostly cloudy. It's going to be a

(03:38):
breezy day. A couple of showers are possible at night,
but the bright spot here is we'll see a high
near fifty and then Saturday a high neer forty nine,
clouds breaking for some sunshine. Breezy once again. Right now
in Boston, we are seeing the couple clouds that were
there have now moved on out. We're just seeing sunny skies,
but it is chilly at forty degrees. Back to use

(04:00):
belling up to the bar is not as popular for
today's younger adults. Here's WBC's Drew mholland to tell us why.

Speaker 4 (04:08):
Call it the changing habits of young Americans America. A
new study finds that smoking pot cuts back on drinking alcohol. Yeah,
the research from Brown University. Were more than one hundred
and fifty students smoke joints, then they were taken to
an open bar. The joint smokers drank one third less

(04:28):
than those who got placebo joints in a different study.
How about that end result? When you are high, you
drink less. Maybe not surprising, but made formal here by
Brown University Drew maholland, WBC Boston's News Radio.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
I was gonna pay my car.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
Putting Boston on the culinary map. The city now has
its first Mitchellan Star restaurant. That high honor goes to
three point one one Oma Casse that's on Tremont Street
in the city South End. That coveted Mitchellin Star. Our
award is based on visits from independent, anonymous inspectors. Meanwhile,
six other restaurants received Big Gormond Awards. Those are awards

(05:09):
for less pricey eateies. They include Barbul and Fox and
the Knife, both of those in Boston, Sumi al Hun
and Kitchen, Pagoo and Jehanger that's all in Cambridge, and
Mahanium in Brookline. In the past, Mitchellin hadn't even considered
Boston in its awards search, but earlier this year it
announced it was including Greater Boston and Philadelphia this year.

(05:32):
A classic New England diner car is welcoming back customers
for the first time in years.

Speaker 5 (05:37):
But a minute we've walked on the door, we fell
in love with it and there was just really no
turning back after that.

Speaker 8 (05:41):
The mis Menden Diner closed during the pandemic. But now
there's new life inside the Red Diner car full of
boots with eggs, bacon, burgers and all that goodness on
the table.

Speaker 9 (05:49):
So we do all our bacon on site, the pies,
the muffins, the cookies, whoopy pies our big hit.

Speaker 8 (05:56):
Now Paul and his wife Julie are running this place
along with their two other restaurants in Medway and Bellingham.
Though this is a change of pace for them who
are new to the breakfast game.

Speaker 9 (06:04):
So we've figured why not given a shot and as
you can tell, by the decor. It's just a really
cool place.

Speaker 8 (06:10):
Julie loves the community feel this place is created over
the years and wants to keep that energy alive.

Speaker 5 (06:14):
So I love to do like fundraisers and support all
the like soccer teams and the basketball teams, the little
kids and the jerseys, and I love when they come
in here after a win.

Speaker 8 (06:24):
Or lose and Mendon I'm a Freedman, WBZ Boston's News Radio.

Speaker 2 (06:28):
You are now in the loop for news updates throughout
the day. Listen to WBZ News Radio on the iHeart
Radio app. I'm Sherry Small, WBZ Boston's News Radio.