NightSide With Dan Rea

There is ongoing controversy over actress Sydney Sweeney’s jeans advertising campaign for American Eagle. The ad campaign’s tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” has Americans split over the ad’s wordplay. Critics of the ad say it promotes eugenics whereas American Eagle and supporters say it’s always been about the jeans. According to a YouGov Poll asking over 3K U.S. adults about the ad, a majority with 52% believe the wordplay in the ad is appropriate, whereas 16% found it inappropriate and 32% were undecided. Are we experiencing a cultural shift?

In her ongoing efforts to audit the state legislature, an effort State Auditor Diana DiZoglio has been at for quite a while, DiZoglio has now hired an outside law firm to bring the challenge to court. Last Fall, voters approved a measure, giving DiZoglio the authority to audit the MA House and Senate. However, state lawmakers have pushed back against the audit efforts saying an audit could violate the constitutional separation of powers between the branches.

In her ongoing efforts to audit the state legislature, an effort State Auditor Diana DiZoglio has been at for quite a while, DiZoglio has now hired an outside law firm to bring the challenge to court. Last Fall, voters approved a measure, giving DiZoglio the authority to audit the MA House and Senate. However, state lawmakers have pushed back against the audit efforts saying an audit could violate the constitutional separation of powers between the branches. Diana DiZoglio joined us on NightSide to discuss!

We kick off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! Mass Lottery Produces Estimated $1.065 Billion In Net Profit For The Commonwealth In Fiscal Year 2025 - Record-setting sales for Keno and highest prize payout percentage to date for players! Guest: State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission 1 in 3 children in Massachusetts experiences clothing insecurity. Serious and often overlooked crisis: underwear insecurity. CocoTree Kids, a MA nonprofit, launched $10K fundraising campaign with hopes of providing 2,800 underserved children across Massachusetts with a weeks’ worth of underwear. Campaign kicked off August 5th & they already hit their goal! Guest: Catherine Maloy, Founder and Executive Director of CocoTree Kids Teens say they are turning to AI for friendship. More than 70% of teens have used AI companions and half use them regularly, according to a new study from Common Sense Media, a group that studies and advocates for using screens and digital media sensibly. Guest: Dr. Supreet Mann, Director of Research at Common Sense Media How Goose the water monitor lizard was captured after two weeks on the loose! Guest: Captain Scott Amati – MA Environmental Police

Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee issued a flurry of subpoenas seeking files from the Justice Department and testimony from ex-government and law enforcement officials. Jeffery Epstein is a former financier and convicted sex offender who was accused of serial sex trafficking of women and underage girls, giving access to high profile figures. We will discuss the latest into this investigation.

On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee issued a flurry of subpoenas seeking files from the Justice Department and testimony from ex-government and law enforcement officials. Jeffery Epstein is a former financier and convicted sex offender who was accused of serial sex trafficking of women and underage girls, giving access to high profile figures. We will discuss the latest into this investigation.

UNITE HERE Local 26, the union representing hundreds of Fenway Park concession workers, warns a second strike could occur after failing to reach a satisfactory agreement with Aramark. Union workers are pushing for higher wages and other workplace protections. How could a second-strike impact fans going to a future game at Fenway? Union President, Carlos Aramayo joined us on NightSide to discuss the latest in the ongoing negotiations between Fenway Park concession workers and their employer. *Aramark has been invited to join the conversation & has not responded to our request*

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! Update on the Cape Cod Bridges Project – What’s the latest? Guest: Luisa Paiewonsky - Executive Director of MassDOT's Mega Projects Delivery Office Though we shouldn’t be nervous every time we go for a walk or a hike, we should certainly be aware and prepared to meet wildlife. How can you survive, or more importantly avoid, an animal attack? Guest: John Griffin, Senior Director of Urban Wildlife Programs at Humane World for Animals (formerly known as The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International) Those pesky mosquitoes go beyond just delivering itchy bites! They can carry potentially deadly diseases, and many people have misconceptions about this pest that could put them at risk! Fredericks shares common myths and actualities about mosquitoes. Guest: Jim Fredericks, Board-Certified Entomologist and Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Pest Management Association We’re in the heart of Hurricane Season, and we already saw the devastation of flooding in Texas…It’s a good reminder that we all need to be prepared for ANY kind of weather disaster. MEMA shares some tips! Guest: Dawn Brantley – MEMA Director

Are Israel and Hamas any closer to reaching a ceasefire? A U.S. backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire involving hostage exchanges and aid access collapsed. Israel is now considering expanding its military offensive in Gaza, while Hamas has rejected demands to disarm. The discussion continued.

Are Israel and Hamas any closer to reaching a ceasefire? A U.S. backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire involving hostage exchanges and aid access collapsed. Israel is now considering expanding its military offensive in Gaza, while Hamas has rejected demands to disarm. Jeff Robbins, former Chairman of the New England Board of the Anti-Defamation League joined Dan to talk about peace initiatives in the Middle East and the difficulties in bringing the Israel-Hamas war to an end.

The Republic Services trash collectors strike continues into another week after Republic employees voted 93% in favor of continuing the strike. The ongoing dispute that affects 14 cities and towns in Massachusetts is over wages, health insurance and lack of amnesty among other things. Are you a resident of one of the communities being impacted by this strike? How is the ongoing strike adding to public health concerns in your community? Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga joined us to discuss how Gloucester is managing trash pileups.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! The TikTok Sunburning Trend! Sufferers of acne swear by it but here’s why it’s problematic… Guest: Farah Moustafa, MD, Dermatologist and Director of Laser and Cosmetics at Tufts Medical Center How to take advantage of tax-free shopping days this weekend for MA’s tax-free weekend! Guest: Paula Fleming - Chief Marketing and Sales Officer for the Better Business Bureau in Boston Boston College student has run marathons all around the world and is trying to break a record. He’s set a goal of completing the six Abbot World Marathon Majors by the time he graduates college. #6 is coming up this fall, and crossing the finish line would make him the youngest male runner ever to earn all six of Abbott's stars. Guest: James Redding – Boston College Junior We all do it – over plan our vacations! We feel “I’ll never visit here again so I have to do EVERYTHING!” But these habits are actually making your intended relaxation vacation stressful! Guest: Laura Ratliff, Managing Editor at Luxury Travel Report

In this 20th hour of the week, Dan wants to hear about your favorite summer memory from when you were a kid.

Singer-Songwriter Justin Timberlake recently revealed he has Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that can cause fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, and more. The announcement comes on the heels of his Forget Tomorrow tour where he faced criticism of his “energy” on stage. Rheumatologist Dr. Alfred Miller joined Dan for a full discussion of what Lyme disease is and its complications.

In a recent Boston Globe article, columnist Joan Vennochi expressed her thoughts on the growing opioid crisis and involuntary commitment for those with drug and alcohol addictions. Although voluntary care is preferred, involuntary, such as a Section 35, may be the only option for law-abiding citizens to live freely without the distraction of those living unhealthily on the streets.

We began the program with four interesting guests on topics we think you should know more about! When we think of power line corridors, we don’t usually think about the habitats around them! These corridors are not just structures delivering energy across the region – they’re home to many native plants, pollinators, and hundreds of wildlife species! Guest: Sean Redding, Director of Vegetation Management at Eversource Energy Are you a sugar addict? You may want to drop that extra scoop of sugar in your morning coffee because it’s cutting years off your life and damaging your long-term health! Guest: Monica Serra, Health Scientist Administrator at the National Institute on Aging The first “wildfire-resilient” community has been built in California. It opened just months after the raging wildfires destroyed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area. Steve Hawks will tell us how these homes work and what makes them fire-resistant. Guest: Steve Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety A new study out reveals 75 percent of North America’s bird species are in decline - the latest sign of a slow-moving extinction crisis that threatens entire ecosystems. Guest: Dr. Nicole Michel, Director of Quantitative Science for the National Audubon Society and co-author of the recent State of the Birds report

Brown University joins other Ivy League schools in making a deal with the Trump Administration. Will this improve the schools?

Delta recently announced that by the end of the year, your ticket price may be decided by AI. Critics say using artificial intelligence here puts the current airline's dynamic pricing model on steroids. Delta has expressed that a variety of market forces have driven the dynamic pricing model for decades and this new tech will simply streamline the process. Do you feel AI will deliver fair pricing?

When we think of cancer, we commonly think about the predominant ones…like breast, prostate, and lung. We don’t often think about cancers found above the collarbone…such as throat, nose, and mouth. Dr. Scharukh Jalisi, Chief of Head and Neck Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was in to chat with Dan about cancers that develop above the neck.

We began the program with four interesting guests on topics we think you should know more about! Cold Case: Cathy Malcolmson vanishes (8/13/85) Guest: Emily Sweeney, Boston Globe Cold Case Files Reporter & Blotter Tales columnist Google’s top search trends for the month of July – what topics fascinated Americans this month! Guest: Google Trends Expert Molly McHugh-Johnson People filing for Social Security benefits is up 13% already from a year ago….why are so many retirees filing for SS early? Is it a good idea? What’s driving this trend? Guest: Richard Johnson, Senior Fellow in the Tax and Income Supports Division at the Urban Institute ESPN broadcaster Sean McDonough and his sister Erin will host the annual Sean McDonough Celebrity Draw Party and Golf Classic to raise funds for research and treatment of cardiac amyloidosis, a rare and often fatal heart disease - The event honors their late father, legendary Boston Globe columnist Will McDonough, who died suddenly in 2003 from undiagnosed cardiac amyloidosis. Guest: ESPN Broadcaster Sean McDonough