NightSide With Dan Rea

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide

For the first half hour Jordan discussed: The Worrell brothers may serve different districts, but they unite for the common good at 5 Erie Street in Dorchester. State Representative Christopher Worrell serves the 5th Suffolk District while his brother Brian is the Boston City Councilor for District 4. While campaigning, the brothers took the resident's skepticism of government to heart and decided to create a joint local office where people in the neighborhood could have a direct line to the government. Joining Jordan to talk about their efforts was Massachusetts State Representative Christopher Worrell and District 4 City Councilor Brian Worrell.

Then for the second half of the hour Jordan dove into his 4th topic of the evening: The End of Those Iconic Red Envelopes...

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide

The obesity rate is still on the rise and currently stands at a whopping 40% with more than 70% of Americans considered overweight. Despite our diet cola consumption with a side of low-fat products, we’re still on the upward climb to the top of the scale. So how did we get here and can weight-loss shots solve all our problems? Jordan welcomed Dr. Caroline Apovian, Co-Director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, to discuss weight management.

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide

Easthampton schools has lost its latest pick for superintendent after students alerted the town’s mayor to evidence that finalist Erica Faginski-Stark had posted “conservative and transphobic rhetoric” on Facebook, according to a recent Boston Globe article. Faginski-Stark withdrew her candidacy just days after being selected. Evidence included a post from March 2021 where she stated, “…surprised by the silence out there relative to Title IX and the lack of advocacy by women on behalf of equality for women and women’s sports” and shared a link to a “Defend Title IX Now” petition. The Easthampton School Committee’s first pick, Vito Perrone, had his offer rescinded after addressing future colleagues as “ladies” in a negotiation e-mail. Jordan asked for your thoughts.

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide:

Jordan revisited the 9 p.m. hour topic of changes to the English language, language pet peeves, and bad language habits.

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide:

Who doesn’t love a good road trip? Brendan Tibbet, a down-on-his-luck filmmaker, purchases a 1930s travel guide at a yard sale and decides to take his ten-year-old son on a two-week adventure. Following the guide, this LA to New Hampshire route covers 16 states and hits all the iconic stops along the way. Turmoil and tears are all part of the journey as Tibbet struggles to find the right time to break news to his son that will affect everything. Academy Award-winning author of On Golden Pond, Ernest Thompson, chatted with Jordan about his newest novel, Book of Maps.

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide:

So, um, ah, like, you know, why do we speak the way we do today? I mean, literally! English 101 bans these “filler words” in our speech, but linguist Valerie Fridland says we should embrace our changing language as progress, not the collapse of civilization. In her book, Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English, she outlines that language is both function and fashion. Fridland,a professor of linguistics in the English Department at the University of Nevada, Reno, joined Jordan to talk about the evolution of language!

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for U.S. President this past week in Boston. He is the second Democrat to officially enter the 2024 race for the White House. The anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer will have to run without the support of his family though, mainly because of his vaccine skepticism. The Kennedy's have always had strong ties with the Biden's, so how would a Biden re-election bid affect RFK Jr.’s campaign?

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide:

Jordan Rich opened the phone lines up for continued discussion of topics covered in previous hours and invited listeners to bring their own topics to the program.

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide:

Tuesday was Yom HaShoah otherwise known as Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day commemorates the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. The American Jewish Committee conducted a survey on the State of Antisemitism in America. Only 53% knew how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust. AJC New England Director Rob Leikind joined Jordan to discuss the survey and the importance of Holocaust education.

Jordan Rich filled in on NightSide:

It appears now is more important than ever to get serious about climate action not only nationally but locally. On day one as Governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey created the first Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience within the Governor’s Office, further marking the importance of making eco-friendly change. What are the pros and cons of moving away from fossil fuels? How do you minimize your own carbon footprint here in MA? Founder of Gridly, Rob Rosenfield joined Jordan to discuss.