NightSide With Dan Rea

Based on data from a new Gallup World Poll used to put together the 2026 World Happiness Report, young people are less happy than they were a decade ago, with heavy social media use linked to lower life satisfaction and higher levels of stress and sadness. The data shows that declines in interpersonal trust, institutional trust, perceived social activity and social meeting frequency account for much of the wellbeing loss among Gen Z and millennials. With young Americans more digitally connected than ever yet seemingly overall feeling lonelier than ever, how can we turn that around and rebuild human connections that lead to greater happiness? Mimi Nicklin, a global empathy advocate and best-selling author on human connection, stopped by to discuss!

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8:05PM: FBI Boston Recovers 17th Century Reliquary Urn Stolen from Italian Church.

Guest: Pasquale Morra – FBI Boston Special Agent 

8:15PM: The FTC is cracking down on “Ghost Cars” – how some car dealers are pulling bait and switch tactics promoting or advertising cars that have already been sold or don’t exist at all to get folks into the dealership to sell them something else! What you need to know…

Guest: Ray Shefska - Automotive retail analyst & founder of CarEdge

8:30PM: Hundreds of MNA Nurses and Healthcare Professionals Rallied at the State House Tuesday to reinforce the urgent need for Senate action on An Act Requiring Health Care Employers to Develop and Implement Programs to Prevent Workplace Violence (H.4767/S.1718).

Guest: Liz Taylor - nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Plymouth – who was at the rally 

8:45PM: What is hantavirus? The rare and deadly virus that killed 3 on a cruise ship.

Guest: Dr. Zoe Weiss - Director of Clinical Microbiology at Tufts Medical Center

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In 2025, New Hampshire lawmakers passed a measure to eliminate their annual motor vehicle inspection requirement, effective Jan. 31, 2026. The vendor that had overseen the state’s vehicle inspections, Gordon-Darby Holdings Inc., challenged that measure, filing a lawsuit. The state was made aware by federal and state officials that repealing the inspection program without first obtaining the EPA’s approval regarding federal environmental law would violate the Clean Air Act. The program was repealed without approval first, leading to further legal proceedings and public confusion. What are your thoughts on eliminating annual motor vehicle inspections?

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In 2025, New Hampshire lawmakers passed a measure to eliminate their annual motor vehicle inspection requirement, effective Jan. 31, 2026. The vendor that had overseen the state’s vehicle inspections, Gordon-Darby Holdings Inc., challenged that measure, filing a lawsuit. The state was made aware by federal and state officials that repealing the inspection program without first obtaining the EPA’s approval regarding federal environmental law would violate the Clean Air Act. The program was repealed without approval first, leading to further legal proceedings and public confusion. What are your thoughts on eliminating annual motor vehicle inspections? NH House Majority Leader Rep. Jason Osborne checked in to bring clarity to the topic!

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Massachusetts GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve is a former Marine, MBTA chief administrator and acting general manager who just secured his place on the September Republican primary ballot along with opponent Mike Minogue. Shortsleeve has been calling on Minogue to debate him for months now ahead of the primary election, to which Minogue has brushed off his requests, instead challenging Gov. Healey herself to debate. Brian Shortsleeve joined us on NightSide and took your calls and discussed the issues he’s prepared to tackle if elected governor!

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8:05PM: The Price is Right Live, an interactive stage show coming to the Chevalier Theatre in Medford on May 8th!

Guest: Todd Newton – Host of The Price is Right Live & Author & Entertainment Reporter 

8:15PM: The 2026 Red Sox Hall of Fame! Includes Mike Timlin, Johnny Damon, and Bill Mueller.

Guest: Mike Timlin – former 2x Red Sox World Series pitcher 

8:30PM: Voters Sound Alarm on Mental Health System Failure in New National Poll. New April 2026 survey of voters and affected families finds near-universal agreement that serious mental illness is poorly treated and requires urgent federal action

.Guest: Dr. Tim Murphy – Psychologist, board chairman of the Schizophrenia Policy Action Network (SPAN) & former member of Congress 

8:45PM: "May the 4th Be With You!" Why May 4th has become a “holiday” for many…

Guest: Dan Mazella – Traffic Reporter and Director of Operations for Total Traffic’s Boston Division by day – Stars Wars Expert by night!

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Dan asked the listeners if they've ever had an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction, or a moment where someone asked who dressed you?  

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President Donald Trump said he is not satisfied with Iran's latest proposal and called the War Powers Resolution “unconstitutional.” The May 1 resolution deadline is now set to pass without action as lawmakers have left town for a week. Meanwhile, the U.S. is still facing pain at the pump, and tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union are set to increase to 25%.

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As Boston Mayor Michelle Wu continues to look for ways to generate revenue for affordable housing, she has signed a bill imposing a 2% fee on high-ticket real estate sales exceeding $2 million. Mayor Wu outlined that this is the fourth time the city has petitioned the state legislature for permission to impose such a fee, and it would have already generated $160 million had it been adopted the first time. Greg Vasil, CEO of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, is opposed to transfer taxes and says they really don't work. Vasil joined Dan to explain.

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8:05PM:   El Niño has been making headlines lately as this year, we're in for a “Super” El Niño. What exactly does that mean, and how will it affect Massachusetts and beyond?

Guest:  Dr. Emily Becker, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Studies 

8:15PM:   Local kids facing serious illness & disability take the field with college athletes at Boston College for Team IMPACT’s 4th annual Boston College Field Day this Sunday, May 3, from 2-4 PM.

Guest:   Maura Ambrose, Regional Executive Director, Northeast at Team IMPACT 

8:30PM:   It’s college graduation time, and today’s graduates will be setting off to pursue careers they’ve spent years preparing for. They believe they have it all figured out, but this year’s college graduates are expected to change careers at least 5 times. Why is this?

Guest:   Marcy Fitzgerald, author of the critically acclaimed new book, “Finding Your Space: A Permission Slip for High Achievers to Evolve, Pivot, and Thrive on Their Own Terms” 

8:45PM:   Nuclear medicine may just be the answer for many cancer patients. Nuclear medicine uses radioactive material, and doctors say it can be a lifesaver. With radiation exposure known for causing cancer and damaging DNA, how could it possibly heal?

Guest:   Dr. Phil Mulugeta, Clinical Director, Division of Nuclear Medicine Imaging and Therapy at Penn Medicine and Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology at Perelman School of Medicine, UPenn

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