NightSide With Dan Rea

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!

8:05PM: The Cold Case of Kendric Price, a life lost too soon

Guest: Emily Sweeney – Boston Globe Cold Case Files Reporter

8:15 PM: Why the act of doing something kind aligns so well with positive habit formation – and how to create a ripple effect across families, schools, and workplaces. 

- How “mattering” is a psychological tool that we can teach children – preventing struggles later in adulthood.

Guest: John Miles - former U.S. Navy officer, combat veteran, and Fortune 50 executive – author of the new book: You Matter Luma (a children’s book) & bestselling book, Passion Struck, which speaks to adults who feel unseen, undervalued, and stuck in a rut of meaningless.

8:30 PM: Touched: The Marin Morrison Story. A moving tribute by author Matt Morrison to his daughter Marin, a U.S. Paralympic Team swimmer whose journey from promising teenage athlete to competing on the world stage in Beijing became a source of inspiration for people around the globe.

Guest: Matt Morrison – author of Olympian Marin Morrison & author

8:45 PM: It’s still Winter, and you know what that means! Snow!

Guest: AccuWeather meteorologist Bob Larson checked in with a look ahead to the weekend.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When traveling by airplane, have you ever wondered by airlines tend to board passengers starting from the front rows back? Why not load passengers starting with the furthest rows in the back of the plane moving forward, so you're not bumping into people in the front rows as you go by? Dan shared a recent travel experience he had and discussed how there must be a better way to board airlines!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We looked at the case of Somerville man James Rodwell, who argues he was framed and wrongly convicted for the murder of Louis Rose Jr., a Burlington police captain’s son. Rodwell has been trying to prove his innocence for 45 years now and just last April was granted a clemency hearing to plead his case. According to Gov. Maura Healey’s clemency guidelines, hearings should be held,and recommendations should be issued within six months of filing a petition under most circumstances...however a hearing has yet to be scheduled... What is the holdup? We discussed this argument of a case of innocence with Rodwell's attorney, Veronica White.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio continues her legal battle to audit the State Legislature by calling on the state’s highest court to compel legislative leaders to comply with her effort to audit. DiZoglio is maintaining her push to seek legal counsel and has been asking MA Attorney General Andrea Campbell for approval to hire outside counsel to help her conduct an audit of the State Legislature as any lawful litigation brought by state officials must be authorized by Campbell’s office. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio checked in 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!

8:05 PM: Northeast Arc has received a transformative $2.2 million gift from the Estate of Dick and Gail Jauron. The gift is the largest in Northeast Arc’s 72-year history. Ensures the long-term accessibility of Northeast Arc’s Special Olympics and social programs that promote a healthy lifestyle for kids and adults with disabilities.

Guest: Kacy Jauron – Daughter of Dick and Gail & previously part of Northeast Arc’s Development Team

8:15 PM: The remarkable true story of Phoenix Air. A behind-the-scenes account of the unprecedented air evacuation of Ebola patients from West Africa in 2014—an operation that changed the course of global medical response.

Guest: Kevin Hazzard - former paramedic, journalist and award-winning author of the non-fiction book NO ONE’S COMING: The Rogue Heroes Our Government Turns to When There’s Nowhere Else to Turn

8:30 PM: Addressing homelessness reform in America and a look at current homelessness policy in the U.S.

Guest: Michele Steeb – Advisor | Thought-Leader | Speaker | Author & CEO of the Free Up Foundation (a nonprofit that addresses homelessness)

8:45 PM: The Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) Festival 2026 Happening Wednesday, March 18 through Sunday, March 22 at the Brattle & Coolidge Corner Theatre.

Guest: Phil Healy - BUFF co-director 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After starting a previous topic, Dan switched gears and asked the audience if they love where they live. We got calls from many places! 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where do Massachusetts students rank among the nation for proficiency in reading and math? In 2025, MA ranked #1 on the Nation’s Report Card receiving the highest numeric score of any state on all four assessments for fourth and eighth grade math and reading. However, when it comes to post pandemic educational recovery overall, especially for lower income children, Massachusetts is still lagging behind other states…The Nation’s Report Card found that low-income children are more likely to test proficient in reading in Mississippi or Louisiana than in Massachusetts or New York, with MA often thought to have the best public school system in the country (and one that spends twice as much per pupil). We took a look at the statistics and asked you what your educational experience has been with your children. Do you believe structural changes need to be made to keep up with other states?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another MA convicted murderer originally facing life without parole is set free after being parole eligible under MA's new ruling that emerging adults, those 18 to 20 at the time of the offense, could not be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Former Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson's husband Tanzerious Anderson, who was convicted of murdering Imam Yazbek during a robbery at the age of 19, will be released. Is this fair? While the Parole Board in its decision said Anderson has addressed his need areas through several programs and deems him "compatible with the welfare of society", do you think his release is still warranted? We discussed in general MA's ruling on parole eligibility for emerging adults aged 18-20.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Presidents and UFOs…It appears every President in recent history, certainly every Democratic president including Obama Was Into UFOs. Why do they all believe it?
Guest: Daniel Greenfield - CEO at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, writer for Front Page Magazine & Author

Boston is quickly emerging as a food and wine destination… Boston becomes a global meeting point for the wine world as producers travel in from Sicily, Georgia, South Africa, and California for the Boston Wine Expo happening March 7-8, 2026 with Over 100 International Wineries and Exclusive Master Classes. Open to the public & patrons get to sample a variety of wines from over 100 wineries. Held at Hilton Park Plaza Hotel in Boston
Guest: Raffaele Scalzi - Director of the Boston Wine Expo

Cool on the Outside, Screaming on the Inside. A modern guy’s guide to projecting stability with style, “A field guide for those who have mastered the art of detachment while quietly unraveling." 
Guest: Charles O’Neill (pen name Brand Mavrick) - Author

Business Insider readers voted on whether they would choose a $120K remote or $240K in-office job. The results were closer than they expected…
Guest: Henry Chandonnet - Business News Reporter for Business Insider

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bradley Jay filled in on NightSide:

Happy President’s Day! We honored all our great leaders, and we revealed some of the lesser-known histories of our White House dwellers. From John Quincy Adams skinny-dipping in the Potomac to Andrew Jackson's swearing parrot, listen for some funny presidential stories with historian Rich Rubino.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.