NightSide With Dan Rea

At a time when casual dining chains struggle with inflation, shifting consumer habits, and competition from fast food, some such as Chili’s are making a huge comeback! By selling consumers on their value meals and simple menu options and then using the power of social media to do it, we’re seeing chain restaurants gain favor again. Which restaurant chain is your favorite, and which would you like to see make a comeback in New England? Sherif Mityas, a restaurant industry expert and the CEO of Brix Holdings, a multi-brand franchising company that owns Friendly’s among other chains, joined us to discuss!

The New Hampshire State House of Representatives passed legislation to eliminate annual vehicle safety inspections. The bill is now in the Senate awaiting a vote. NH and MA are part of only 14 states that require a safety inspection every year. Do you think a requirement is necessary? Could MA move to eliminate annual safety inspections as well? NH Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Steven Smith says there’s no real evidence that inspections are making the roads safer. Rep. Smith joined us to discuss. *The NH Automobile Dealers Association (against this movement) has been invited to join in tonight’s conversation but has not committed at this time*

The New Hampshire State House of Representatives passed legislation to eliminate annual vehicle safety inspections. The bill is now in the Senate awaiting a vote. NH and MA are part of only 14 states that require a safety inspection every year. Do you think a requirement is necessary? Could MA move to eliminate annual safety inspections as well? NH Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Steven Smith says there’s no real evidence that inspections are making the roads safer. Rep. Smith joined us to discuss. *The NH Automobile Dealers Association (against this movement) has been invited to join in tonight’s conversation but has not committed at this time*

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! Antisemitic Incidents in New England in 2024 Break All Previous Annual Records for the Fifth Year in a Row. With Samantha Joseph - ADL New England's Regional Director One Warm Coat, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing free coats to children and adults in need. With Beth Amodio - President and CEO of One Warm Coat joined in. Seth Kopald, PhD - certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Practitioner & Author of "Self-Led: Living a Connected Life With Yourself and With Others" checked in. Julio Vincent Gambuto – Author & Moviemaker of "Please Unsubscribe, Thanks!: How to Take Back Our Time, Attention, and Purpose in a World Designed to Bury Us in Bullsh*t." also checked in. Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

The Food and Drug Administration along with the Department of Health and Human Services announce a plan to phase out all petroleum-based artificial food dyes from the nation’s food supply. U.S. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary pointed to the benefits Europe has gained from removing petroleum-based food chemicals from its food, saying food dyes offer no nutritional value. Do you support the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda? Do you believe the steps that the FDA and HHS are taking are in the public’s best interests? Do you have any concerns? Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

The Food and Drug Administration along with the Department of Health and Human Services announce a plan to phase out all petroleum-based artificial food dyes from the nation’s food supply. U.S. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary pointed to the benefits Europe has gained from removing petroleum-based food chemicals from its food, saying food dyes offer no nutritional value. Do you support the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda? Do you believe the steps that the FDA and HHS are taking are in the public’s best interests? Do you have any concerns? Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

It’s officially tick season, which in New England typically runs from April to September. Tick Man Dan joined us to discuss what you need to know about ticks and the best tick prevention for keeping your family safe! Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

It’s officially tick season, which in New England typically runs from April to September. Tick Man Dan joined us to discuss what you need to know about ticks and the best tick prevention for keeping your family safe! Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! Survey: 53% of Consumers Don't Know What a FICO Score Is! Adriana Ocanas - consumer credit cards analyst at U.S. News & World Report joined Dan to discuss! Susan Shapiro -gender expert and bestselling author of "Estranged: How Strained Female Friendships are Mended or Ended." The complexities of female friendships and how they differ than male relationships. Lowell General Hospital’s TeamWalk for Cancer Care is coming up on Sunday, May 4th! Bruce Robinson - Board of trustees Development Chair, Lowell General Hospital stopped by. CDC weighing end to universal COVID vaccine recommendations. Dr. Shira Doron - Chief Infection Control Officer for Tufts Medicine and Hospital Epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center checked in. Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

U.S. stocks fell sharply, and the dollar index slid to a three-year low on Monday amid President Trump’s continued criticism of the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. While questioning Powell’s policy approach, the President has been urging the central bank to immediately lower interest rates, which is rattling investors. This hour, Dan asked listeners do they trust the current administration, or are they nervous? Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

U.S. stocks fell sharply, and the dollar index slid to a three-year low on Monday amid President Trump’s continued criticism of the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. While questioning Powell’s policy approach, the President has been urging the central bank to immediately lower interest rates, which is rattling investors. Gregory Stoller, professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business joins us this evening to discuss the current state of the stock market and the economy. Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

The second murder trial began Tuesday for Karen Read, who is accused of killing her police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe. Prosecutors argue Read backed her SUV into O’Keefe after dropping him off at a party and returned hours later to find him dead. A mistrial was declared after jurors couldn’t reach a decision. The defense says Read is being framed and is part of a vast conspiracy among the homeowners, law enforcement, and fellow afterparty guests. Read has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene. We discussed the trial’s opening statements and discussed how this trial might differ from the 1st trial. Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! The American Heritage Museum and What It Offers, with President & Financial Director of the American Heritage Museum Rob Collings. John Wilson – MA father accused in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal & author of "Varsity Blues - The Untold Story of The Scandal Within the Scandal." joined Dan. Gen Z grads say their college degrees were a waste of time and money as AI infiltrates the workplace. Jon Schultz - Technology & AI Expert - founder and CEO of ezLocator explained. Karen Read’s Retrial Begins! Phil Tracy – Criminal Defense Attorney checked in! Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

Last week, six female passengers traveled to space for a sub-orbital mission aboard Blue Origin’s new Shepard rocket. Among the six passengers was pop superstar Katy Perry and broadcast journalist Gayle King. The trip received a lot of criticism from the public as well as celebrities pointing to how it privatizes space travel and the alleged environmental impact, with actress Olivia Munn saying, “Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride?". Gayle King took offense to the backlash calling it sexist to use to the term “ride,” a term she says would never be used to describe an all-male trip. We discuss the mission, the criticism, and space tourism in general. Would you travel into space like that if given the chance?

On Easter Monday, Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, died at the age of 88. Pope Francis is being remembered for his humble and more progressive style of leadership. As the 266th pope, he did things quite differently, more humbly, than his predecessors, for example, having chosen to live in the Santa Marta guest house in the Vatican rather than the traditional Apostolic Palace. The late Pope was more progressive in how he reformed the Vatican with his outreach to the LGBTQ community as well as his elevation of women to higher levels in the church than ever seen before. Father Jonathan Gasbar, Pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Brookline and former Secretary to Cardinal O’Malley, was in Rome in 2013 for the last conclave that chose Pope Francis.

On Easter Monday, Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, died at the age of 88. Pope Francis is being remembered for his humble and more progressive style of leadership. As the 266th pope, he did things quite differently, more humbly, than his predecessors, for example, having chosen to live in the Santa Marta guest house in the Vatican rather than the traditional Apostolic Palace. The late Pope was more progressive in how he reformed the Vatican with his outreach to the LGBTQ community as well as his elevation of women to higher levels in the church than ever seen before. Father Jonathan Gasbar, Pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Brookline and former Secretary to Cardinal O’Malley, was in Rome in 2013 for the last conclave that chose Pope Francis. Father Gasbar joined us to remark on the inspirational life of Pope Francis.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! Lexington High School took the crown at the Massachusetts State Finals of the National Personal Finance Challenge, hosted by Council for Economic Education. The all-female team will compete at the national competition in June. Dan was joined by Riyanna Beri (student) and Rachel LeComte (teacher). The pros and cons of a new dating trend known as 'floodlighting'. Jennifer Styers - Dating and Relationship Coach/Expert explained. Gen Z has a different attitude about dining from baby boomers and millennials—and it shows in smaller tickets at chain restaurants. Sherif Mityas - restaurant industry expert and the CEO of BRIX Holdings stopped by. Pope Francis dies at age 88. The world reacts. Prof. Mathew Schmalz Professor of Religious Studies at The College of Holy Cross checked in. Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

For our last broadcast hour of the week, Dan wants to know what really “grinds your gears” and gets under your skin? Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal citizen of El Salvador but residing in Maryland, was removed from the U.S. on March 15 as part of a series of deportation flights that sent hundreds of alleged gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador. However, Abrego Garcia’s removal was admittedly an “administrative error” by the Trump Administration. Despite the error, the Admin. claims Abrego Garcia is associated with MS-13. Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador with hopes of releasing Abrego Garcia but was unsuccessful. We discussed the overall topic of wrongful deportations mixed with the Trump Admin's aggressive action of mass deportations. Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!

Some local parents took to filing federal complaints against Burlington Public Schools over detailed sex questions on a middle school “Youth Risk Behavior Survey” that was given to their children despite opting out of the survey. The parents filing the complaint argue that the definitions of various sexual activities mentioned in the survey were too graphic for some students as young as 11. We discussed parental rights and what parents are entitled to regarding their children's education. Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!