My WBZ Afternoon Headlines. 03/25/2008.

[0:00]" WB ZWBZHD. Boston Bruins -- straight screening all online 24 hours a day this is WBZ Boston the most listened to station in New England. --"

[0:15]" Good afternoon it's 3 o'clock 33 degrees in Boston with bright sunshine I'm Diane Stern. Here's -- we're following great way to begin the baseball season the Red Sox start the season on the right -- even though -- few missteps along the way and the -- in Toronto tonight -- WBZ 725 consumer confidence -- gas prices Iraq so -- I'm Lisa -- on Wall Street the Dow was up thirteen as Wall Street tries to shake -- that lousy economic news the market want -- report coming -- a crane accident this time in Florida at least at least five workers injured and WBZ AccuWeather forecast comes from Bob -- drive -- the first wanted to -- brain -- late tonight for a -- tomorrow morning."

[0:58]" This afternoon -- it is brought to you by the most trusted name in mattresses sleepy is the mattress professionals. More bleak financial news Medicare and Social Security are in deep trouble trust is for those two government benefits programs Warren. That they both face enormous challenges they say resources and the Social Security trust fund will probably dry up. By the year 2041 for Medicare it's twenty in nineteen. While the dates of the same as a last year's report financial pressures will begin sooner when the program's start to pay out more in benefits and they collect through payroll taxes. And from Medicare. That could begin to happen this year. Slumping housing prices and sky high fuel costs are making Americans lose confidence in the economy ABC's Richard Davies has the details."

[1:44]" When consumer confidence drops that often results in more cautious buying habits and as a drag on the economy. The business research group the conference board says its monthly index. As at its lowest point since march 2003. Just before the start of the US led invasion of Iraq today's consumers are more pessimistic about their income prospects and the job market."

[2:06]" Locally some area commuters are changing their ways Lisa Meyer reports bit later this half hour. We'll have the Wall Street numbers at eight past the hour here on WBZ. One down and 161 regular season games to go the Red Sox and you may know by now managed to beat the Oakland days in overtime this morning it was played in Tokyo of course. Brandon -- is playing in the outfield and -- was the ninth inning hero of the game I was looking forward to it the whole time you know I've heard that we are going to be going to ban last year and Ls on main goals this spring is to get on the trials by. Dream come true sadly for customers of DirecTV about 80% of the big game early this morning was a black out. A DirecTV spokesman is apologizing and says temporary technical difficulties made some channels -- available. -- on to say DirecTV was able to bring -- back up at the top of the seventh inning. ESPN two was also blacked out the destiny is airing a repeat of the game this afternoon. Incidently Comcast cable set it to had a problem -- its -- with facility. That affected some subscribers for much of the game WBZ news time 35 another serious crane accident it happened this afternoon in Miami. Police now say two construction workers have died and four others have been hurt. A building at the site where it happened has been severely damaged earlier this month seven people were killed when a crane collapsed in Manhattan an inspector faces charges. A stubborn five alarm fire -- to strip mall in north -- today investigators still trying to find out how it started. There were no reported injuries WBZ's Carl Stevens tells us one of the fire ravaged stores have been a local favorite for a decade."

[3:53]" It's O'Brien's five and dime has been an institution here in Northborough since 1953. Today it's a charred mangled memories goal -- stood in the parking lot and looked at his store I'm now. I'm just now is what do you say O'Brien's was destroyed when applied businesses seriously damaged or destroyed in the strip mall. Dreams professions livelihoods up in smoke this is co owners who will --"

[4:19]" Tell me what your story has -- that this community can you. Not really it's just that very local mom and pop type store where all the kids at ground something done content."

[4:29]" No word on the cause of the fire from north -- Carl Stevens WBZ Newsradio 1030 as you know gas prices continue to rise and apparently Boston area commuters have had enough some folks are parking their cars and taking that CIA. -- WBZ's Lisa Meyer tells us in this report it's one of those challenges that we have MBTA chief Denver baskets doesn't have the hard numbers yet they lack a little bit behind but the anecdotal evidence sure is there."

[4:55]" I can tell you that them we've seen that -- boost in ridership particularly on the commuter rail I hear from conductors and folks on the platforms that you know we definitely more more people -- taken the train."

[5:05]" They're not only taking the trainer bi monthly passes in the -- is stepping up its marketing of dumped her -- it says you can save on gas parking insurance and if you get your pastor work there's that tax savings involved."

[5:17]" So when you -- all that together the convenience of not having the Charlie Karen. It really is a good deal right now."

[5:22]" And apparently a lot of people recognize the bargain Lisa Meyer WBZ Newsradio 1030 picture an area nine times the size of Manhattan that much ice has suddenly collapsed in Antarctica and at least once scientists say you can blame global warming. Satellite images show the disintegration of a 220 square mile chunk. The rest of that ice shelf is holding on by a thin strip of -- and scientists worry that -- Lego. It is so before this more dramatic ice collapses happened in 2002 and back in 1995. WBZ news -- 38."

[5:58]" Hear the news right here. See the news that WBZ 1030 --"

[6:04]" John ward -- at marketwatch.com now Diane we don't have to worry about global warming affecting the stock market today stocks not heating up at all. They're pretty much huddling along the flat -- the Dow's ups and seventeen points the Nasdaq is advancing nineteen in the S&P 500 is tacking on seven. Many tech companies have been rattled in recent months dill is off 15% since the start of the New Year. Microsoft down 18% apple down 30%. But IBM is bucking that trend it's actually up almost 10% as investors park their money and IBM. Believing it's a good way to go given the slowing economy if you want to stay intact. And flight attendants at delta airlines are set to vote on whether to join a union the vote could happen anytime after April 23. Tel -- is looking to offer buyouts to some 30000 employees. Business reports at eight and 38 past the hour on John where doc marketwatch.com WBZ news radio 1030."

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[9:32]" would you like no pain. -- to quiz him nineteen times an advantage in the spring training is gripped for days you know you and -- and so yeah sleeve of his stay here."

[9:42]" Many -- music brought to -- WBZ's John Miller in Tokyo Hideki Okajima picked up the win in relief. Papelbon earned a shaky save giving up three hits in a run in the ninth saint -- tomorrow morning. Jon Lester will start for the Red Sox Rich Harden for Oakland. The Bruins find themselves in Toronto tonight to take on the streaking maple leafs the bees have dropped three straight six of 78 of ten. And they currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with fourteen spot on their skates one of which is Toronto only four points away in the maple leafs have won three in a row. Airtime on WBZ with Dave Goucher in Bob Beers is at 725. The Celtics are off today picking up where they left off in the fourth quarter of last night's game with a 76ers. The green led eighty to 69 with -- eleven apply only to -- Philly real off nineteen straight points Andrei. It would dollar led the charge for the sixers and he would 28 points including ten in a -- during -- fourth quarter on the Celtics host the Phoenix Suns at the garden tomorrow night. Umass takes on Syracuse in the carrier dome in the ninety quarterfinals tonight the minutemen already -- win this year at Syracuse. They beat the orange in the dome although not to a -- 17100 that was back on November 28 Yankee pitcher Andy -- will miss his first scheduled start of the regular season. He is suffering from that malady that is -- a lot of athletes lately lower back spasms. UConn women -- an action tonight taking on Texas in the NCAA women's tournament. In gets underway at 930 in Bridgeport WBZ news time 317 Walt Perkins WBZ"