How low will Mass. gas prices go?

Also: Is the T really improving? Look at the data; 13 art exhibits to explore this fall [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   September 19, 2024  ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 70 and a chance of showers. Good Morning Boston, Our [long rainless streak]( looks poised to [come to an end,]( just shy of a full month. So pull a light rain jacket over [your Patriots jersey tonight]( and let's get to the news: - Trending at the pump: Have you noticed that the price of gas prices has steeply fallen? According to AAA, the average price of gas in Massachusetts is now $3.17 a gallon. That's about 60 cents lower than it was a year ago and almost a quarter less than a month ago. WBUR's John Bender reports that experts don't expect the trend to stop anytime soon. (We'll pause in case you want to knock on wood.) - What to expect: AAA Northeast spokesman Mark Schieldrop predicts the average price of gas in Massachusetts to be "well below" $3-per-gallon before the end of October. And based on seasonal trends, he said the decline might not bottom out for a few more months. "We should see prices at multi-year lows by the depths of the winter here in the Northeast," Schieldrop said. (He guessed the average will approach, but not go below, $2.50.) - Zoom in: You probably can already find gas stations in some parts of Massachusetts selling gas below the $3-a-gallon mark. [The average in parts of western and southeastern Massachusetts]( is already near that threshold. Meanwhile, the average in Suffolk County remains at $3.38 a gallon. - Zoom out: The falling prices are part of [a national trend](. That's because U.S. oil refiners have been producing and exporting at record levels in recent years. Meanwhile, global demand - and to a lesser degree, domestic demand - has fallen, leading to a "glut" of inventory. (There's a [complex combination]( of factors driving those dynamics, from China's economy to changing travel patterns to EVs to the profitability of diesel and jet fuel.) We're also approaching the switchover to winter blend fuel, which Schieldrop says "usually leads to a 7%- to 8%-per-gallon price drop." - Could something get in the way of this trend? There are always wildcard factors, like international wars or hurricanes that could cause gas prices to jump up. Schieldrop also noted that there's murmurs the big refiners might soon dial back production. "At some point, the cost to produce and transport all that fuel reaches below a certain level that it's no longer profitable," he said. "And as we know, oil and gas companies want to remain profitable." - Down in D.C.: A U.S. Senate committee is slated to vote today on contempt charges against Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre, after he [ignored a hearing subpoena last week](. "I hope that we will be working together, every Senator, Democrat and Republican, to hold Dr. de la Torre accountable for his financial mismanagement and his greed," Sen. Bernie Sanders, the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said at the hearing last week. - The vote is a first step in a potentially multi-part process. If approved, the contempt motion will go to the full Senate for consideration. And if the full Senate approves the motion, the charges will be handed off to prosecutors and courts. - On track: We have an update of the MBTA's South Coast Rail project, and it's not [another delay](. The T announced last night that they plan to run more trips than initially expected: a total of 32 weekday trips between South Station and East Taunton (about half will continue to Fall River and the other half will go to New Bedford). That's up from the originally planned 26. There will also be weekend service, with a total of 26 trips across Saturday and Sunday. - The T also decided that South Coast Rail trips will be priced at $12.25 for a one-way trip. Service is slated to start next May. - It's a deal: Boston University says it's reached a three-year contract with its resident assistants following their weeklong strike earlier this month. [According to BU]( the deal includes a $1,700-a-semester stipend and expanded free meal benefits for its 300 unionized RAs. - The contract needs to be ratified by the union, which is expected to vote next week. (BU holds the broadcast license for WBUR.) - FYI: Crane Beach in Ipswich will remain closed to swimming through this coming Monday, due to shark sightings. The decision comes after additional shark sightings were reported in the area on Wednesday. (This weekend doesn't really look like swimming weather, anyway.) P.S.- Our 2024 fall arts guides wrap up today with a roundup of [13 worth-seeing art exhibits coming to Massachusetts]( this season. It includes new exhibits at the big institutions you know and love, like the MFA and ICA, as well as more electric attractions like politically charged needlework and art conjuring the spirit world. You can [check out all seven of this year's fall art guides right here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [Does it seem like your T ride is improving? It actually might be]( Data show that the T is now showing signs of real improvement as the current crop of leaders tries to earn back the public's trust. However, there are financial problems on the horizon that threaten to undo that progress, unless state officials can agree on some potentially expensive solutions. [Read more.]( [Does it seem like your T ride is improving? It actually might be]( Data show that the T is now showing signs of real improvement as the current crop of leaders tries to earn back the public's trust. However, there are financial problems on the horizon that threaten to undo that progress, unless state officials can agree on some potentially expensive solutions. [Read more.]( [The Federal Reserve starts cutting interest rates in a big moment for the economy]( The Federal Reserve moved aggressively Wednesday to start cutting interest rates as easing inflation fears gives way to concern about the job market. [Read more.]( [The Federal Reserve starts cutting interest rates in a big moment for the economy]( The Federal Reserve moved aggressively Wednesday to start cutting interest rates as easing inflation fears gives way to concern about the job market. [Read more.]( [Special prosecutor who represented 'Whitey' Bulger appointed to handle Karen Read's second trial]( Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in statement that Hank Brennan will lead the state's retrial of Karen Read in January. Brennan previously represented James "Whitey" Bulger and other prominent clients. [Read more.]( [Special prosecutor who represented 'Whitey' Bulger appointed to handle Karen Read's second trial]( Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in statement that Hank Brennan will lead the state's retrial of Karen Read in January. Brennan previously represented James "Whitey" Bulger and other prominent clients. [Read more.]( [Another wave of blasts hits Lebanon, as Hezbollah reels from pager explosions]( Following Tuesday's stunning attack via pagers, Lebanon was hit by another deadly wave of exploding communications devices on Wednesday. [Read more.]( [Another wave of blasts hits Lebanon, as Hezbollah reels from pager explosions]( Following Tuesday's stunning attack via pagers, Lebanon was hit by another deadly wave of exploding communications devices on Wednesday. [Read more.]( [In a major shift, the U.S. government explores giving renters cash, not vouchers]( Federal housing vouchers are the largest rental aid program, but many landlords reject them. Experiments will test whether cash helps more people sign a lease. [Read more.]( [In a major shift, the U.S. government explores giving renters cash, not vouchers]( Federal housing vouchers are the largest rental aid program, but many landlords reject them. Experiments will test whether cash helps more people sign a lease. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - From free admission to the Boston Athenaeum to fall crawls and festivals, we have packed list of local event recommendations for you this weekend. [Read all five of them here](. - Newton faith leaders [spoke to WBUR's All Things Considered host Lisa Mullins]( about how they're trying to ease turmoil in the city after a pro-Israel demonstration last week turned violent. - In a break with other unions (and their own history), the Teamsters are [not endorsing a candidate for president]( this election season. - A new "mountain medicine" course taught across the peaks of Maine and New Hampshire[aims to fold both medical and rescue skills into a single program](. It's a first of its kind on the East Coast. What We're Reading 📚 - Globe host's endorsement of Harris raises murky ethics questions ([CommonWealth Beacon]( - Woj bomb: Adrian Wojnarowski retiring from ESPN to become GM of his beloved St. Bonaventure ([Yahoo Sports]( - The Haitian Question ([The New Yorker](   Tell Me Something Good [Meet Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo so popular you can visit her for only 5 minutes]( A baby pygmy hippopotamus in a Thailand zoo has become a worldwide internet sensation, leading to crowds at the zoo. Zoo officials say the increased attention has led to some bad visitor behavior. [Read more.]( [Meet Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo so popular you can visit her for only 5 minutes]( A baby pygmy hippopotamus in a Thailand zoo has become a worldwide internet sensation, leading to crowds at the zoo. Zoo officials say the increased attention has led to some bad visitor behavior. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [A last-minute addition to our fall arts guides.]( 😎 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](   # # Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences](.   I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.   Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here](. Trustees of Boston University on behalf of WBUR, 890 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA, 02215, US Copyright 2024 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.