Good morning and a warm welcome to your show,
Sunny Mornings in Boston. I'm your host, Melissa,
and it's Tuesday, December 30th. You'll be interested
to know. Today is National Bacon Day. This savory
holiday celebrates smoky, crisp bacon in all
its forms, tracing playful origins to food lovers
and bloggers who made the morning favorite a
nationwide phenomenon. So now you know. And now,
it's time for the weather report. This morning,
it's partly sunny and it feels like 8 degrees
with 20 mile per hour wind. The sunset will take
place at 420 and it will rise again tomorrow
at 711. It looks like we're in for a partly sunny
day with a high near 27, and a strong west wind
blowing at 18 to 22 miles per hour, with gusts
reaching up to 46. Tonight, expect mostly cloudy
skies with a low around 22 and a lighter west
wind at 9 to 17 miles per hour, gusting up to
37. For all you beach runners out there, the
first high tide Tuesday will be at 645, with
the low tide at 115. The nearshore buoy at Cape
Cod Bay reads 42 degrees for the water temperature.
Looking ahead in the weather, Wednesday will
be mostly cloudy with a high near 33 and a southwest
wind of 8 to 12 miles per hour with a chance
of snow overnight and a low around 22. New Year's
Day has a chance of snow before 2 p .m., then
turns mostly sunny with a high near 28. and west
winds around 7 to 10 miles per hour, followed
by a chilly, mostly clear Thursday night near
15. Bonjour, food enthusiasts. This podcast is
brought to you by Versailles Cafe and Pastries
in Encinitas. Nestled on El Camino Real South,
just north of Encinitas Boulevard, this cafe
is a haven for culinary delights. Indulge in
their amazing eggs Benedict. or their gluten
-free crepes. You can grab a panini for lunch
or just breeze on through to get your morning
coffee. They are open every day from 8 to 5.
So stop on by and don't forget to tell them.
Sunny mornings send you. In local news, Boston
commuters using the MBTA will experience a significant
change on Tuesday as South Station unveils its
new fare gate system. Beginning on that day,
commuter rail passengers must tap or scan their
train tickets to access the track area. The T
and its operator, Keyless Commuter Services,
have completed the installation of 40 gates,
including 11 wider ones for wheelchairs and strollers.
While fare gates will be gradually introduced,
conductors will continue to check tickets on
board trains. Accepted ticket types include the
end ticket app, trolley cards, and printed tickets,
but stored -value trolley cards are not valid.
Now onto sports. The Falcons won, and now the
NFC South champion could be complicated. When
the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
both lost on Sunday, It seemed the NFC South
would be decided in a winner -take -all matchup
in Tampa Bay in Week 18. However, the Atlanta
Falcons, eliminated from playoff contention,
play a starring role. The Panthers still control
their own path. If they beat the Buccaneers on
Saturday, they would win the NFC South by reaching
nine wins. The Bucs also need to beat the Panthers
to stay in contention, but their recent struggles
make that difficult. in local sports. Keonte
George and the Utah Jazz will host the Celtics
in a crucial non -conference matchup tonight
at 9 Eastern in Salt Lake City. The Seas, currently
third in the Eastern Conference with a record
of 19 wins and 12 losses, have been strong defensively,
allowing only 110 .5 points per game. In a previous
meeting on November 4th, The Jazz narrowly defeated
the Celtics 105 to 103, with George scoring 31
points. In top news, California has officially
abandoned its pursuit of federal funding for
high -speed rail, citing the federal government
under President Donald Trump as not a reliable,
constructive, or trustworthy partner. The state
has ended a lawsuit contesting the withdrawal
of $4 billion in federal grants for the controversial
project. California Attorney General Rob Bonta
filed a motion to dismiss this complaint following
the Federal Railroad Administration's cancellation
of the grants. In a statement, the California
High Speed Rail Authority expressed that it has
decided to sever ties with the Trump administration.
The project is now estimated to cost $128 billion.
nearly four times its original price, and California
has already spent $15 billion, without even laying
one single mile of track in 15 years. In business
news, investors are preparing for a very different
Federal Reserve in the year ahead. President
Trump has indicated he is nearing a selection
for the next central bank chair. He has reiterated
his demand for lower interest rates, and expects
the new leader to align with his agenda. While
markets have not shown significant concern about
the Fed's independence, investors are wary of
potential divisions within the central bank.
Analysts warn that a less independent Fed could
threaten the economy and markets, as aggressive
rate cuts might lead to increased borrowing costs.
Many investors anticipate further rate cuts early
next year, despite the upcoming leadership change.
In crypto movement, Bitcoin is down 2 % to about
$87 ,000. Ethereum is down 1 .5 % to $3 ,000.
And XRP is down 2 % to $1 .86. Moving on to a
more local vibe. In our community spotlight on
health and wellness, we are working with a national
Pilates studio. to bring you some free classes,
so listen up. Check out Club Pilates with several
locations in the Boston area. Pilates presents
a comprehensive wellness approach, cultivating
strength, reducing tension, and elevating mental
well -being. Scientific research affirms its
benefits. So now you can check out Club Pilates
for a free class. With locations in Canton, Wellesley,
Hingham, Brookline, and Framingham, just be sure
to tell them Sunny Morning sent you by. And now,
back to the show. Let's talk science. The biggest
satellite ever just reached low Earth orbit,
and it is coming for Starlink. Texas -based ASD
SpaceMobile has launched the largest satellite
ever, named Bluebird 6, which measures 2 ,400
square feet. about the size of a three -bedroom
apartment. This satellite aims to provide direct
5G service to regular cell phones, unlike Starling
satellites. ASD plans to launch around 50 more
satellites next year. However, the larger size
raises concerns about light pollution for astronomers.
SpaceX is responding by warning the Federal Communications
Commission that Bluebird satellites pose a crash
risk. and in entertainment news. The past 12
months were supposed to turn things around for
struggling cinemas, but instead of a dramatic
return to movie -going, 2025 is running neck
and neck with a middling 2024 box office. Industry
revenues are falling far short of the expected
$9 billion in domestic ticket sales. Mike Sherrill,
the chief operating officer of Dine and Cinema
Chain Alamo Drafthouse, states that it looks
like the industry will flatline for two consecutive
years. While family films and video game adaptations
have performed well, adult -oriented dramas have
struggled. The future remains uncertain as streaming
services reshape the landscape of theatrical
releases. Well, all righty, folks. It's time
for the quote of the day. And today... Our quote
comes from the American author and humorist,
Will Rogers. And he said, even if you're on the
right track, you'll get run over if you just
sit there. And that's a wrap for this morning.
You can check out our Instagram, YouTube, and
TikTok for some captivating aerial videos with
local news and the weather reports. Have an amazing
day, my good friends. We'll see you tomorrow
with another episode of Sunny Mornings in Boston.