NightSide With Dan Rea

For NightSide’s last hour of the week we like to keep it light and have fun. This week, we bring back Brushes with Celebrity, a listener favorite.

we will discuss the real-life story of the biggest FBI corruption scandal in history! The late Roger Wheeler, businessman and former owner of the World of Jai Alai, was murdered by the mob after uncovering an embezzlement scheme at the World of Jai Alai. How? By speaking with his head of security, Paul Rico, who unbeknownst to Wheeler was a former corrupt FBI agent with ties to the mob, about his embezzlement discovery. Dan was joined by the retired Tulsa police detective Mike Huff, who investigated Wheeler’s murder and took down Rico for his involvement, as well as David Wheeler, the son of Roger, who spent years fighting for justice.

Earlier this week on Monday evening we interviewed Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch in which he made spontaneous comments about the Catholic Church child sexual abuse scandal of several years ago in which he said, “That was mostly homosexual issues, not pedophilia.” Koch went on to say that “the level in which it happens with teachers and coaches is higher than it was percentage wise than the church.” The comments received lots of backlash from the public, Quincy school board and abuse survivors with some even calling for the mayor’s resignation. Tonight, Dan will address the comments made as we are joined by a sexual abuse survivor who was abused as a child by a Catholic priest, Father Porter, who was convicted. We invite other abuse survivors to share their story and let their voices be heard on NightSide

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! The disappearance of Christopher Bird…disappeared on Sunday, July 29, 1984. He was last seen by a friend at the D&Q Stables in Windham. Guest: Emily Sweeney – Boston Globe Cold Case Files Reporter & Blotter Tales columnist Mass General Brigham will soon bill you when your doctor consults a specialist about your care. Guest: Jonathan Saltzman – Boston Globe reporter Gov. Maura Healey releases ‘vision’ for statewide high school graduation requirements Guest: Chris Van Buskirk – State House Reporter for the Boston Herald What is the disorder PANDAS or PANS? 33,000 (or one in 200) children in Massachusetts suffer today from what is now known as Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus (P.A.N.D.A.S.) or Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (P.A.N.S). -Upcoming Walk – Making Strikes for PANS & PANDAS. Saturday, Oct. 4 – Boston Common. Guest: Jennifer Vitelli – Executive Director of the Look Foundation – also her son has PANDAS

Earlier this week, President Trump and his Administration made claims about the correlation between autism and Tylenol or acetaminophen use during pregnancy, warning pregnant women not to use the drug. A mounting backlash has followed with medical and autism experts alike disagreeing with Trump’s claims. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to recommend acetaminophen in pregnancy and childhood when used at the lowest dose for the shortest duration.

Earlier this week, President Trump and his Administration made claims about the correlation between autism and Tylenol or acetaminophen use during pregnancy, warning pregnant women not to use the drug. A mounting backlash has followed with medical and autism experts alike disagreeing with Trump’s claims. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to recommend acetaminophen in pregnancy and childhood when used at the lowest dose for the shortest duration. Mayo Clinic trained Rheumatologist Dr. Alfred Miller takes aim with the claims and believes the Trump Admin. is ignoring scientific studies regarding autism.

During this age of AI, we will talk about the national movement, Responsible AI for America's Youth, which is a movement that ensures every child in the United States has the opportunity to become a responsible and confident user of artificial intelligence (AI). This effort puts students and educators at the center of shaping how AI is brought into schools, elevating their voices in the national conversation. Jeff Riley, former Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, now the Executive Director of Day of AI, checked in to discuss.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! Why the brain hangs on to some memories but lets others fade…BU researchers sought out an answer to this… Guest: Leo Chenyang Lin (goes by Leo) How to best prepare for a job interview. What type of questions might come up? What’s the best way to present yourself? Guest: Laura Brown – Interview and Business Coach - co-author of the new book, Interview Speak: What Your Interviewer Really Wants You to Know What is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)? There is an upcoming Walk Sept 28th to raise funds & awareness for CMT. Guest: Jill Ricci – a Mom and representative for the CMT Association - & Son Vittorio Ricci – Individual living with CMT is walking and cycling to end the rare, incurable disease her son lives with every day. A Cursed Brick Returns To the Old North Church after a string of Misfortunes… Guest: Nikki Stewart - Executive Director of Old North Illuminated, which operates the Old North Church Historic Site

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has a new book out on her short run for the White House. Have you read "107 Days"? Dan shared his thoughts and prediction from 2019. What did you think?

After much drama and legal challenges over winning the 35-year multimillion dollar contract with the MassDOT to redevelop and operate 18 Massachusetts highway service plazas, Applegreen, has backed out of the deal. Will rival contract bidder Global Partners be awarded the contract or will the whole project get rebid? How will this shake out as MassDOT originally had a goal of beginning redevelopment this coming January…

Do students really need a college degree? With growing criticism over higher education, how is higher ed reinventing itself? For a parent or student who might be worried about a future career mixed with the daunting reality of student loan debt, is a college education still a sound investment or is it unnecessary considering today’s changing economy? Newly instated President of Brandeis University, Arthur Levine is looking beyond the horizon on what higher education should be in the future joined us to discuss.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! As fall officially begins, the American Red Cross urges people to mark the new season with a lifesaving blood or platelet donation to help keep the blood supply strong. Guest: Jeff Hall – with Red Cross of Massachusetts Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln. This book touches on the relationship between Douglass and Lincoln. Guest: Jonathan White – co-author of this book & professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University and vice chair of The Lincoln Forum. & Author of over 20 books. Memorial set for prosecutor Assist. AG Paul McLaughlin who was gunned down by a gang member in 1995. Guest: Judge Jeffrey Locke The Massachusetts State Lottery’s new “Ghostbusters™” instant ticket game & more that’s new with the state lottery. Guest: Mark William Bracken - Executive Director of the MA Lottery

With the breaking news that Applegreen, the company with the winning bid to take control of Massachusetts' service areas, walking away from the lease talks, Dan opened the phones to Caller's Choice, with so many stories to discuss!

Late night host Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC tonight after being suspended and his show previously removed "indefinitely" after he made controversial comments regarding Charlie Kirk’s murder. Disney decided to reinstate Jimmy if you will after much Hollywood backlash and boycotts however not all media companies or networks that have ABC affiliates are going to air Kimmel. Local TV station owners Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group each announced this week they would not be carrying the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on their ABC affiliates. Will you be watching Kimmel's return if it's available for you to watch? Why or why not?

Tuesday President Trump spoke to the 80th United Nations General Assembly. During the President’s speech he touched on climate change, U.S. funding cuts, bashed the U.N. over teleprompter and escalator issues, told other European leaders their countries are “going to hell” over open border policies and rejected recognition of a Palestinian statehood calling it a reward for Hamas. We discussed an overview of all that occurred during the U.N. General Assembly.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! These are New England’s most picture-perfect fall foliage towns Guest: Diane Bair - Boston Globe reporter/contributor The Big E Fair in West Springfield is well underway! What are some of the wild foods featured this year & things happening at the fair? Guest: Eugene (Gene) Cassidy – President & CEO of the Big E (Eastern States Exposition) Are we on the verge of a youth unemployment crisis? Guest: Lisa Miller - senior marketing, strategy and innovation consultant The 1775 British bombardment and burning of present-day Portland, Maine. A largely forgotten horror of the Revolutionary War. Guest: Holly K. Hurd, the executive director of the Tate House Museum

This week the U.N. General Assembly will take place in New York for its 40th session where talks of a two-state solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict is expected to dominate the conversation. The U.K., Australia and Canada have already formally recognized a Palestinian state, prompting an angry response from Israel. What other countries will join in support of a Palestinian state?

The city of Quincy is facing a lawsuit over its plan to erect two statues in front of their new public safety building to honor first responders. The statues in question depict St. Michael and St. Florian, the patron saints of police and fire departments. A “multifaith group of Quincy residents and taxpayers” being represented by the ACLU take aim with the statues saying they violate the Massachusetts Constitution by promoting one religion over another. Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch said the selection of the statues had nothing to do with the Catholic religion, that they were chosen in “an effort to boost morale and to symbolize the values of truth, justice, and the prevalence of good over evil.” Mayor Koch joined us to discuss.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows . . .Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life Guest: Steven Pinker, PhD - Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University – author of this new book Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Guest: Ed Randall - Founder + Chief Advocacy Officer of Fans For The Cure Is ‘career catfishing’ real? What is it and what do you need to be on the lookout for? Guest: Johnnie Garmon - founder and managing partner of The Perissos Group, a mission-driven consulting business Does Tylenol Use during Pregnancy Cause Autism? Guest: Dallas Reed, MD, Chief of Genetics and an OB/GYN at Tufts Medical Center

The cause of autism is unknown, and some suggest vaccines are the cause. Today, President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said taking acetaminophen during pregnancy could cause autism, and will instruct the FDA to recommend doctors suggest limiting the drug's use during pregnancy. What do you think? Dan invited listeners to call in with their thoughts.