NightSide With Dan Rea

The New England Patriots head to Denver this weekend to play the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game. Dan wants to know your prediction for the outcome of the game! Who will win and by how many points? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend, a massive snowstorm is expected to hit Boston and parts of New England! Meteorologists predict the storm to be a long-duration event with varying degrees of intensity for about 36 hours in the Boston area that begins Sunday and continues into Monday. The weather forecast is calling for a foot of snow up to nearly two feet in some regions! How are you preparing for this massive snowstorm coming our way? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio will join us to discuss how she plans to sue Massport amid her ongoing efforts auditing the state legislature. This week DiZoglio's office released the findings of an audit into settlement agreements across 21 state agencies, finding that they entered into 263 agreements totaling roughly $6.8 million in taxpayer funds over a five-year span. She joined us to discuss her office's findings and her planned efforts moving forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! The Patriots play the Denver Broncos this weekend. The Patriots have been plenty good during this magical season, but luck has been on their side, too. Guest: Tara Sullivan – Boston Globe sports columnist Senate wants monthly disclosure of ballot question financing. Guest: Katie Castellani – State House News Reporter Monster storm to slam New England with up to 2 feet of snow! Guest: Ken Mahan – Boston Globe Meteorologist Cold & snow safety tips to help people avoid ending up in the ER over the next few days with the incoming snowstorm. Guest: Amir Darvish, MD, Emergency Medicine Physician and Director of Emergency Ultrasound at Tufts Medical Center See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey made the State of the Commonwealth address Thursday night in Boston. One of the main focuses of her speech will detail her plan to lower utility bills for MA residents. The governor’s office released a statement today saying that the governor will announce several new initiatives to lower costs, including immediately reducing electricity bills by 25 percent and gas bills by 10 percent for every Massachusetts residential utility customer in February and March 2026. We wanted to know what your utility bills are costing you these days as we discussed energy costs in MA! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey made the State of the Commonwealth address Thursday night in Boston. One of the main focuses of her speech will detail her plan to lower utility bills for MA residents. The governor’s office released a statement today saying that the governor will announce several new initiatives to lower costs, including immediately reducing electricity bills by 25 percent and gas bills by 10 percent for every Massachusetts residential utility customer in February and March 2026. We wanted to know what your utility bills are costing you these days as we discussed energy costs in MA! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Massachusetts Road to Opportunity Acts aim to end the Massachusetts practice of taking away driver’s licenses for reasons that have nothing to do with unsafe driving, such as unpaid parking tickets and toll fees or failure to update a mailing address. A new statewide survey of more than 1,000 Massachusetts voters conducted by Beacon Research finds staunch support for passage of the Road to Opportunity Act, with 78% backing the legislation and 16% opposed. Do you support the act? Why or why not? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We kick off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! Who burned down St. Ambrose church in Dorchester? Guest: Emily Sweeney – Boston Globe Cold Case Files Reporter 2026 Best Cars for the Money Guest: Alex Kwanten - U.S. News Autos’ Managing Editor Escape the Technology Trap, Eliminate Stress, and Reclaim Rest. How constant digital stimulation dysregulates cortisol, the body’s master stress hormone, leading to chronic fatigue, anxiety, poor sleep, and strained relationships. Guest: Justin Hai - serial entrepreneur, product designer, and innovator whose career spans health, wellness, biotechnology, and consumer products. & Author of this book: Stress Nation: Escape the Technology Trap, Eliminate Stress, and Reclaim Rest Severe blood shortage: Red Cross blood supply drops 35% Guest: Kelly Isenor – Director of Communications for the American Red Cross of Massachusetts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday President Trump spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in which he demanded “immediate negotiations” with European counterparts on the fate of Greenland. Trump told leaders he would not use military force to acquire Greenland. He went on to say that while he has “tremendous respect” for the people of Greenland and Denmark, “every NATO ally has an obligation to be able to defend their own territory. And the fact is, no nation or group of nations is in a position to be able to secure Greenland, other than the United States.” Following his speech, Trump announced on his socials that he had reached the “framework” of a deal on Greenland with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and that he would not impose the tariffs against Europe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday President Trump spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in which he demanded “immediate negotiations” with European counterparts on the fate of Greenland. Trump told leaders he would not use military force to acquire Greenland. He went on to say that while he has “tremendous respect” for the people of Greenland and Denmark, “every NATO ally has an obligation to be able to defend their own territory. And the fact is, no nation or group of nations is in a position to be able to secure Greenland, other than the United States.” Following his speech, Trump announced on his socials that he had reached the “framework” of a deal on Greenland with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and that he would not impose the tariffs against Europe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday President Trump spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in which he demanded “immediate negotiations” with European counterparts on the fate of Greenland. Trump told leaders he would not use military force to acquire Greenland. He went on to say that while he has “tremendous respect” for the people of Greenland and Denmark, “every NATO ally has an obligation to be able to defend their own territory. And the fact is, no nation or group of nations is in a position to be able to secure Greenland, other than the United States.” Following his speech, Trump announced on his socials that he had reached the “framework” of a deal on Greenland with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and that he would not impose the tariffs against Europe. Alan Leventhal, former ambassador to Greenland under the Biden Administration, joined us to discuss! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! The new U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030) – with a look at what has changed under HHS Secretary RFK, Jr.Guest: Dan Glickman - was The Secretary of Agriculture under Bill Clinton, a Congressman (KS-04) in Kansas for 18 years, and the President of the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA). He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at Tufts University, a Senior Fellow at Bipartisan Policy Center, and also chairs the board of Hunger Free America Senator Bill Driscoll Jr. has uncovered more than $2.4 Million and counting in preferential or exclusive funding intended for Gateway Municipalities, provided to cities or towns that no longer meet the legal criteria to be considered a Gateway Municipality under Massachusetts General Laws Guest: Sen. Bill Driscoll (D-MA) Obesity among young Americans has been a major challenge for US military recruiters Guest: Jim Blythe - third generation U.S. Navy Combat Veteran & host of a YouTube show called The Veterans’ Impact Show Dangerous cold, wind chills ahead of 'significant' weekend snow in Massachusetts Guest: Accuweather Meteorologist Chad Merrill See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump continues to ramp up his pressure campaign to acquire Greenland, the Arctic island and semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, citing U.S. national security needs. Top U.S. allies have rejected the president’s statements on acquiring Greenland and are preparing retaliatory tariffs if the U.S. acts… What's at stake and what's the likelihood of Trump actually taking action to acquire Greenland? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump continues to ramp up his pressure campaign to acquire Greenland, the Arctic island and semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, citing U.S. national security needs. Top U.S. allies have rejected the president’s statements on acquiring Greenland and are preparing retaliatory tariffs if the U.S. acts… What's at stake and what's the likelihood of Trump actually taking action to acquire Greenland? Former Ambassador to Denmark, Alan Levanthal, checked in with Dan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As of the end of 2025, the Massachusetts Parole Board had approved the release of 39 murder convicts, while denying parole to 12 inmates. This year so far in 2026, the Parole Board has released 5 more murder convicts, denying just 3. This comes in the wake of the state Supreme Judicial Court ruling in 2024 that ruled that emerging adults aged 18 to 20 at the time of the offense cannot be sentenced to life without parole. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We kick off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! Where AI is headed in 2026 & how parents and educators can better protect kids online this year. Guest: Angela Nakalembe (pronounced Neck-Ah-LAM-BAY)– chemical engineer by trade – now works for YouTube as the company’s engineering program manager for trust and safety. "I WISH I’D QUIT SOONER: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss." Guest: Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett - workplace and organizational psychologist The Boston accent is disappearing…come how and is that a good thing? Guest: Marjorie Whittaker – speech language pathologist – founder of the Whittaker Group Look Twice: Your Guide to Staying Safe in an Unsafe World – helping everyday people spot risks before they become problems — at home, at work, on the road and in public spaces. Guest: Tim Beard – Author - former CIA officer and security expert See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protestors in Minnesota entered a church to draw attention to their cause. Dan thinks this is a step too far. What do you think? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Jeffrey Gold is one of approximately 156 clinicians in Massachusetts who operate a “direct care” practice. Dr. Gold does not accept insurance, and his patients pay a set monthly fee to cover check-ups, sick visits, telehealth, and in-office procedures. Things like lab work and imaging are arranged through outside sources at reasonable contracted prices. Dr. Gold joined Dan to talk about this growing trend of direct care medicine as difficulties increase with access and affordability in the current health care system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transportation funding in Massachusetts continues to be a tough conversation among state leaders and lawmakers. The MBTA has a projected fiscal shortfall of nearly $900 million by fiscal year 2029 due to expenses rising faster than revenue. Governor Maura Healey proposed using proceeds from the state’s new millionaires' tax ($687 million) to fund the T, but by the time the FY2026 state budget was passed, the amount was down to $470 million. Dan spoke with Brian Kane, Executive Director of the MBTA Advisory Board, about the T’s budget woes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We began the program with four interesting guests on topics we think you should know more about! It’s MLK Day! Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and leader of the American Civil Rights Movement who fought against segregation and racial injustice. He earned his PhD in systematic theology from BU‘s School of Theology in 1955 and donated his papers to the University – Hendrickson talked about MLK and their collection. Guest: Ryan Hendrickson, Assist. Dir. for Manuscripts at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University We’ve been told for years to prioritize low-fat dairy, but now RFK Jr. has flipped the food pyramid to emphasize whole milk and full fat dairy – Is this in our best interest? Dr. Mozaffarian explained. Guest: Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, cardiologist and director of the Food Is Medicine Institute at Tufts University The interest in therapeutic communities appears to be growing among U.S. healthcare providers, and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is encouraging the creation of more "healing farms" across the country for people struggling with substance use. Shawn’s addiction treatment “farm” happened quite by accident, and he’s glad it did! Guest: Shawn Hayden, President/CEO of the Gardner Athol Area Mental Health Association A new trend is on the rise for Gen Z men – it’s called “Trad Son” or “Hub-Son”: a stay-at-home-son who chooses to live with their parents, often rent-free, and take on domestic responsibilities typically associated with stay-at-home partners. **One man quit his $190K job to become a stay-at-home son. Is this a healthy trend? What are the drawbacks / benefits psychologically – and how to do parents who don’t approve of this trend effectively handle a trad son? Guest: Dr. Sanam Hafeez, Founder and Director of Comprehend the Mind See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.