NightSide With Dan Rea

Morgan White Jr. filled in on NightSide:

Known for his nostalgic trivia shows, Mel Simons has been a staple on WBZ Radio for decades and entertains at reunions, weddings, bar mitzvahs, and more! Simons is also an experienced accordionist, author, humorist, disc jockey, and MC. But did you know Mel is also a veteran? Simons joined Morgan to chat about his initial feelings after donning his uniform.

Morgan White Jr. filled in on NightSide:

Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 14, 2023, and secure your spot to view this year’s annular solar eclipse! The Moon will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun creating a "ring of fire" given the Moon is slightly smaller than the Sun. Astronomer Dave McDonald talked with Morgan about this October occurrence and tips for catching a glimpse!

Morgan White Jr. filled in on NightSide:

The proverb “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is something Jason Roberts, owner of Repurposed in Provincetown, takes literally. His store features repurposed products made by local artists to creative folks as far away as Europe, Asia, and Africa! They believe in a fresh start for old stuff, so before tossing out that old lamp or small appliance, why not donate it so it may live on as a beautiful work of art? Repurposed owner Jason Roberts joined Morgan to chat about items you’ll find when visiting his Provincetown store.

A woman went viral on TikTok for her video detailing her encounter at an ice cream shop where she purchased just a warm $2 waffle cone, no ice cream and was prompted to tip. After refusing to tip $1 for a $2 cone that was handed to her the employee made an exasperated hand-flick gesture. Has tipping culture gotten out of control? When should you tip?

A woman went viral on TikTok for her video detailing her encounter at an ice cream shop where she purchased just a warm $2 waffle cone, no ice cream and was prompted to tip. After refusing to tip $1 for a $2 cone that was handed to her the employee made an exasperated hand-flick gesture. Has tipping culture gotten out of control? When should you tip?

MA legislators are again proposing the creation of a mobility pricing commission that would be tasked with studying the financial, travel and environmental impacts from congestion pricing. While lawmakers previously approved the creation of a commission to study congestion pricing, it never became law. Should MA implement a congestion tax? Sen. Brendan Crighton joined Dan to discuss.

There is a lot of confusion over food expiration labels. Is it okay to ignore some but not others? There is no national standard for food expiration dates like that of many other countries. In an effort to standardize food date labels and cut food waste, congressional leaders including Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME) have reintroduced the Food Date Labeling Act. Rep. Pingree joined Dan to discuss.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced his official 2024 presidential bid for the White House. DeSantis did so during an interview with tech billionaire Elon Musk. As a result, it appears former President Donald Trump and now DeSantis are the two front runners for the GOP. In general, who would you support on either political side as a 2024 presidential candidate? Why?

World Series Champ Mike Timlin joined Dan on NightSide to talk a little baseball, the important efforts The Angel Fund is making for ALS research, and the upcoming Sharon Timlin Memorial event; A Race to Cure ALS!

The Massachusetts Board of Education is encouraging school districts to either ban or restrict students’ cell phone usage at school. The MA Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said the dept. will likely create a matching grant of up to $1 million for districts that pilot a cell phone restriction policy. Should there be a statewide ban on cell phones in schools?