Good morning and a warm welcome to your show,
Sunny Mornings in Boston. I'm your host, Melissa,
and it's Friday, February 27th. You'll be interested
to know. 94 years ago, today, in 1932. James
Chadwick discovered the neutron, identifying
a neutral particle in atomic nuclei after experiments
with beryllium and radiation. changing how scientists
understood atomic structure. This breakthrough
established a foundation for nuclear physics
and enabled advances in atomic theory, nuclear
reactors, and medical isotopes, marking a major
scientific milestone. So now you know. And now,
it's time for the weather report. This morning,
it's sunny and it feels like 13 degrees with
four mile per hour wind. The sunset will take
place at 531 and it will rise again tomorrow
at 617. It looks like we're in for a sunny Friday
with a high near 39 and a light west wind at
five miles per hour. Tonight, expect mostly clear
skies with a low around 28 and light winds. The
nearshore gooey at Cape Cod Bay reads 34 degrees
for the water temperature. Looking ahead in the
weather. Saturday will be mostly sunny with a
high near 45 and light southwest winds. Snow
becomes likely Sunday with a high near 35 and
northwest winds, with a cold low near 12 Sunday
night before a milder Tuesday near 36. and a
chance of snow overnight into Tuesday. 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, in the aftermath of a historic blizzard
that left more than 300 ,000 Massachusetts homes
and businesses without electricity, Many are
questioning why more power lines are not buried
underground. According to Christopher Nittle,
a professor of applied economics at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, underground power lines
can indeed enhance system resilience. However,
he notes that the process is significantly more
expensive, requiring utilities to dig trenches,
purchase specialized insulated wires, and potentially
remove trees or large rocks. While undergrounding
can cost 2 to 10 times more for distribution
lines, there are scenarios where this investment
might be justified. Now onto sports. Kavin Sullivan
made history with a remarkable performance. helping
the Philadelphia Union soar past Trinidad and
Tobago Defense Force Football Club and into the
round of 16 of the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup
on February 26, 2026. The 16 -year -old midfielder
scored his first two senior team goals and provided
two assists in the round one finale, which ended
in a 7 -0 victory. With his first goal, Sullivan
became the youngest American goal scorer in CONCACAF
Champions Cup history. He now awaits a significant
round of 16 matchup with Club America in mid
-March after they won their series against Club
Olympia in local sports. The Bruins celebrated
a strong return from the Olympic break, defeating
the Columbus Blue Jackets 4 -2 on Thursday night.
Victor Arvidsson led the charge with two goals,
while Morgan Gicke and Sean Curily also found
the net. Curily extended the lead in the third
period, but Columbus closed the gap with a goal
from Adam Fantilli. With two minutes remaining,
the Blue Jackets pulled their goalie, allowing
Arvidsson to seal it with an empty netter. The
game also featured a tribute to the team's Olympic
representatives, earning a warm reception from
the fans. Tonight, the 38 and 20 Celtics take
on the 15 and 43 Nets in Boston. Tip -off is
at 7. In top news, mortgage rates have fallen
below 6 % this week for the first time in more
than three years, a welcome change for house
hunters entering the busy spring home buying
season. The average rate for a 30 -year fixed
mortgage was 5 .98%. the lowest since September
of 2022, according to Freddie Mac. This drop
is expected to attract more buyers and increase
refinance applications. However, existing home
sales fell 8 .4 % in January, and buyers face
high home prices and economic uncertainties.
Despite this, the lower rates may empower more
negotiations for buyers. In business news, Home
Depot, one of the largest United States home
improvement retailers, continues to face challenges
as shoppers shift their discretionary spending
habits in stores. The retailer's chief executive
officer has raised alarm bells about how shifting
consumer sentiment and market pressures could
impact the company's future performance in sales.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, Home Depot's United
States comparable sales increased by a minor
zero point. 3 % year over year. Amid weaker consumer
demand, the retailer's operating income dropped
by 14 .4%. Home Depot executives have pinpointed
the cause of weak demand in stores. The current
mortgage rate environment has impacted housing
affordability. In crypto movement, Bitcoin is
up 3 % for the week to just over $67 ,000. Ethereum
is up 8 % to $2 ,000. And XRP is up 4 % to $1
.40. 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 tech. In 2026, the
global restaurant automation market is projected
to reach $28 billion. Miso Robotics, known for
its robot Fry Cooks, has developed Flippy, an
artificial intelligence -powered robot arm that
effectively flips burgers and has expanded to
fry stations at major baseball parks. Miso's
CDO, Rich Hull, emphasized that Flippy operates
twice as fast. and never takes breaks. Despite
challenges and declining revenues, MISO continues
to innovate and recently acquired Zignal to enhance
restaurant operations. However, experts caution
that automation has yet to prove its economic
value, with many still preferring human workers
over machines. And in entertainment news, in
streaming ratings, Bridgerton returns higher
with its fourth season debut. Prime Video's fallout
also had its best week of the second season so
far. A 19 -month wait between seasons of Bridgerton
did little to diminish the ardor for the Netflix
series. Season 4 premiered at number one overall
on the Nielsen streaming charts from January
26 to February 1, scoring 3 billion and 30 million
minutes of viewing for the week. This is 10 %
higher than the opening week of Season 3 in May
2024. Stranger Things held second place with
1 ,300 ,000 ,000 minutes of watch time. Well,
all righty, folks. It's time for the quote of
the day. And today, our quote comes from the
British physicist and Nobel laureate, Ernest
Rutherford. And he said, All science is either
physics or stamp collecting, emphasizing the
importance of fundamental discoveries like the
neutron, which transform our understanding of
the universe. 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.