Also: A pattern of complaints at Plymouth jail; another Trump assassination attempt [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser]( September 16, 2024 ☀️ Sunny, with a high of 79. Good Morning Boston, It's Monday again. [May I offer you a baby turtle]( this trying time? Now, let's get to the news: - Good news for homebuyers? Data released this morning by the Massachusetts Realtors Association shows a glimmer of hope for those hoping to buy a home in the state's particularly pricey housing market. For the second month in a row, the association's "housing affordability index" for both single-family homes and condos went up last month. Amy Wallick, the president of the association, told WBUR's Dan Guzman it's "a positive trend for both buyers and sellers alike."
- What's the affordability index? Wallick says [the measure]( looks at the median home sale price, mortgage rates and local average salaries to determine how affordable it is to become a homeowner in the current market. The higher the number, the more affordable it is to own a home.
- What's causing the trend? Over the last two months, Wallick said there's been a "slight" decrease in the median sale price for a home in Massachusetts. (For single-family homes, it was $650,000 last month.) Plus, [mortgage rates have come down a bit, too](. "Those are two big driving factors," Wallick said, adding that there are also more homes for sale compared to last year.
- Looking ahead: According to Wallick, the real estate business slows down in the summer, as many people get preoccupied with vacations. But autumn usually brings an uptick in new listings. "Now that we're coming into the fall, we're already starting to see some more inventory," said Wallick. She's hoping to see data that supports a pickup in market activity by the end of the month. - Another looming strike? Nurses at the Faulkner Hospital in Boston's Jamaica Plain are threatening a one-day strike in the near future, as they[bargain for a new contract](. The Massachusetts Nurses Association says they'll give the state a required 10-day notice for a potential strike today. (An official strike date is still TBD.)
- Faulkner's 500 unionized nurses say they want wage parity with nurses at other Mass General Brigham system hospitals, like Brigham and Women's, which ratified a new contract this week.
- However, a Mass General Brigham spokesperson defended the relatively lower wages paid to Faulkner nurses, saying it's because of lower reimbursements from insurance carriers and less specialized care offerings compared to other hospitals. "If a strike does take place, we are positioned to provide the care our patients expect," the hospital spokesperson said. - The Worcester County District Attorney's office says it is reviewing [the death of 25-year-old Enrique Delgado-Garcia]( a police recruit who became unresponsive during a defensive tactics training exercise at the academy in New Braintree on Thursday.
- Delgado-Garcia's mother told reporters that he was hit and injured during the exercise, raising questions about why the training was "so rough." His death comes less than a month before Delgado-Garcia was supposed to graduate with his class on Oct. 9. - Can you believe it? After 42 years and more than 6,500 games, Red Sox broadcaster Joe Castiglione [announced Sunday that he will be retiring from the booth]( at the end of this season. "While I feel I am at the pinnacle of my career, it's time to spend more time with Jan, my bride of almost 53 years, my kids, and grandkids," the 77-year-old said in a statement, after [announcing his decision on air during Sunday's game]( against the New York Yankees. Castiglione was [inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this summer](.
- The Red Sox will pay tribute to Castiglione's career before their final regular season game on Sept. 29. He also plans to continue to make occasional fill-in appearances in the WEEI booth. P.S. - This upcoming Thursday, WBUR will be holding a community listening session in Lowell. Whether you're a parent, teacher, student, school administrator or just a local resident invested in education and the state of public schools, we'd love to hear directly from you. Come and tell us about both the challenges or bright spots with the local K-12 education system. [Get the details on attending here.]( Hanna Ali
Associate Producer, Newsletters Nik DeCosta-Klipa
Editor, Newsletters The Rundown
[Trump was targeted in apparent 'attempted assassination,' the FBI says](
Former President Trump was the target of what the FBI said "appears to be an attempted assassination" at his West Palm Beach golf club. President Biden said he was briefed and a person has been detained. [Read more.](
[Trump was targeted in apparent 'attempted assassination,' the FBI says](
Former President Trump was the target of what the FBI said "appears to be an attempted assassination" at his West Palm Beach golf club. President Biden said he was briefed and a person has been detained. [Read more.](
[Plymouth jail complaints reveal pattern of abuse against ICE detainees, report claims](
The report, issued by local advocates for prisoners and immigrants, reviewed records of complaints and violations at Plymouth County Correctional Facility that date as far back as 2002. [Read more.](
[Plymouth jail complaints reveal pattern of abuse against ICE detainees, report claims](
The report, issued by local advocates for prisoners and immigrants, reviewed records of complaints and violations at Plymouth County Correctional Facility that date as far back as 2002. [Read more.](
[Stuck-in-space astronauts reflect on being left behind and adjusting to life in orbit](
The astronauts stuck in space say it was hard to see their Boeing capsule leave without them. Their public comments Friday from the International Space Station come after last week's return of the Boeing Starliner capsule that took them to the orbiting lab in June. [Read more.](
[Stuck-in-space astronauts reflect on being left behind and adjusting to life in orbit](
The astronauts stuck in space say it was hard to see their Boeing capsule leave without them. Their public comments Friday from the International Space Station come after last week's return of the Boeing Starliner capsule that took them to the orbiting lab in June. [Read more.](
[Officials ignored warning signs prior Harmony Montgomery's death at the hands of her father, lawsuit says](
The mother of Harmony Montgomery, who was killed by her father, has filed a lawsuit against the state of New Hampshire, alleging it was negligent because it had failed to investigate reports of physical abuse before she was killed. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages. [Read more.](
[Officials ignored warning signs prior Harmony Montgomery's death at the hands of her father, lawsuit says](
The mother of Harmony Montgomery, who was killed by her father, has filed a lawsuit against the state of New Hampshire, alleging it was negligent because it had failed to investigate reports of physical abuse before she was killed. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages. [Read more.](
[Pioneering ballerina Michaela DePrince dies at 29](
DePrince, born in Sierra Leone, lost both her parents during the country's civil war. She became the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and later joined the Boston Ballet. [Read more.](
[Pioneering ballerina Michaela DePrince dies at 29](
DePrince, born in Sierra Leone, lost both her parents during the country's civil war. She became the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and later joined the Boston Ballet. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Last night's primetime Emmy Awards resulted in big wins for streamer hits like "ShÅgun", "The Bear" and even "Baby Reindeer", (despite an [ongoing lawsuit](. [Here are five takeaways from the night](. (You can see the full list of winners [in this roundup from NPR.]( - An upcoming Apple software update will [allow some AirPods to double as over-the-counter hearing aids]( getting FDA approval last week, the new feature will be rolled out this fall. - Our fall arts guides continue with[a roundup of 11 local dance events]( from an October ballet production of "Dracula" to an exciting exploration of the past, present and future of tap dance. - "Hombres," now playing at the Gloucester Stage Company, tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a yoga teacher and a construction supervisor, both of whom are Latino men. The play is a "refreshing" examination of masculinity, race and sexuality, [writes theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair.]( What We're Reading 📚 - Does living near a casino impact youth gambling habits? ([CommonWealth Beacon]( - Stranded in the CrowdStrike Meltdown: 'No Hotel, No Food, No Assistance' ([The New York Times]( - Too Good to Be True ([The Assembly]( Tell Me Something Good
[A celestial trifecta: What to know about Tuesday's lunar eclipse](
This month's harvest moon will not only coincide with a supermoon, but also with a blood moon and partial lunar eclipse. [Read more.](
[A celestial trifecta: What to know about Tuesday's lunar eclipse](
This month's harvest moon will not only coincide with a supermoon, but also with a blood moon and partial lunar eclipse. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [An archaeological find in an odd place](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( [Donate](
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