Nightside With Dan Rea

By now, most of the known world or at least anyone not living under a rock, knows who the “Coldplay Couple” is, that was outed at a Coldplay concert for having an affair after getting caught on the jumbotron with their arms wrapped around each other. The last thing Astronomer CEO Andy Bryon and Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s Chief of HR, probably ever thought, would be that for one, their love affair would be laid bare for the world to see and two, that it would be turned into such a viral sensation via memes and reenactments. While the two were morally in the wrong, do you think they are entitled to privacy? Did their lives deserve to be so publicly outed the way they were? 

By now, most of the known world or at least anyone not living under a rock, knows who the “Coldplay Couple” is, that was outed at a Coldplay concert for having an affair after getting caught on the jumbotron with their arms wrapped around each other. The last thing Astronomer CEO Andy Bryon and Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s Chief of HR, probably ever thought, would be that for one, their love affair would be laid bare for the world to see and two, that it would be turned into such a viral sensation via memes and reenactments. While the two were morally in the wrong, do you think they are entitled to privacy? Did their lives deserve to be so publicly outed the way they were? Matthew Gasda, columnist for UnHerd joined the conversation to share his take!

According to a new Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll of 500 Boston voters likely to participate in the September 9th preliminary election, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has a 30-point lead over challenger Josh Kraft. In addition, the polling shows Wu leading Kraft across age groups and racial demographics, as well as among Democrats, whereas Kraft is polling better with Republicans and Independents. David Paleologos, director of Suffolk University Political Research Center says all the ingredients are here to set up a big win for Mayor Wu this Fall. Pollster David Paleologos joined us to discuss.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!Massachusetts Once Again Ranks Among Worst States for Cost of Doing Business. Chris Anderson - president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council – which co-organized the MA Opportunity Alliance stopped by.Nonantum Neighborhood in Newton paints Italian flag road lines over yellow lines in time for St. Mary of Carmen Society Festival! With Terry Sauro – President of the Nonantum Neighborhood Association.Gen Z has regrets: 1 in 4 say they wish they hadn’t gone to college or would’ve picked a higher-paying industry. Paul Peters - business owner, bestselling author and host of the podcast On Purpose with Paul Peters discussed it with Dan.What is chronic venous insufficiency, the condition diagnosed in President Trump’s legs? Shivani Kumar, MD, Vascular Surgeon at Tufts Medical Center checked in.

NightSide’s last hour of the week we like to keep it light and fun. A favorite, Brushes With Celebrity returns. 

According to Allstate's 2025 Best Driver Report, Boston ranked worst in the nation for the 10th consecutive year! The report found that Boston drivers are 244-percent more likely to get into a collision than the national average. Do you think Boston drivers are really that bad? What are your experiences driving on the roads in the Greater Boston area? What makes us so bad and what can we do, if anything, to turn that around?

Despite the controversy over the Italian flag road lines down Adams Street, the St. Mary of Carmen Society Annual Festival has kicked off this week in the Nonantum neighborhood of Newton and will continue through the weekend. Were the Italian flag road lines repainted before the festival? If so, how? Where? Has there been any fallout or any response from the City of Newton? Vice President of the St. Mary of Carmen Society Festival, Carl Pasquarosa along with other Newton residents joined in conversation to discuss the festival!*Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller has an open invitation to join the conversation on NightSide*

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!From Lobster Rolls to Cheap Eats, The Boston Globe Unveils 2025 Best of the Best List Highlighting best places to eat, things to do, etc. With Annalisa Quinn - Globe Magazine interim editor.The largest piece of Mars was found in the Sahara Desert and sold at auction for $5.3 million! How does it end up in the Sahara desert? Talia Sepersky - Program Manager and Planetarium Educator at the Museum of Science Center for Space Sciences explained.Top funeral trends in 2025 – Traditions are changing and the ways people are handling death now… Paul Fried - expert on end of life planning – founder of I Made The Arrangements a website that helps people plan their own funerals joined Dan.A New Medicare Dementia Program Now Available in Massachusetts – Called The GUIDE program that offers new, no-cost support to dementia caregivers. Rosaleen Doherty – Owner of Right at Home Boston (a company that provides

A newly proposed bill in Massachusetts proposes a ban on tobacco and certain nicotine products for people born after 2006. Do you think this is a good idea for the state or do you believe in a free market where individuals and businesses make their own economic decisions?

A devastating fire broke out at The Gabriel House, an assisted living facility in Fall River, last Sunday, killing now 10 people as another person has succumbed to injuries because of the fire. Was this a preventable tragedy and if so, how? Was the assisted living facility up to code? Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire but have said it is not considered suspicious. However, there is speculation over whether higher firefighting staffing levels would have saved more lives. This fire has shone a light on what has been a long simmering dispute over fire department staffing. Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters and Lt. Jay Burns with the Fall River Fire Department joined us to discuss.

A newly proposed bill in Massachusetts proposes a ban on tobacco and certain nicotine products for people born after 2006. Do you think this is a good idea for the state or do you believe in a free market where individuals and businesses make their own economic decisions?

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!The Molly Bish Cold Case – 25th Anniversary and Emily Sweeney – Boston Globe Cold Case Files Reporter checked in.What Causes Obesity? A major new study is upending common wisdom…Gretchen Reynolds – WaPo health columnist focusing on exercise science and fitness stopped by.Zoo New England’s Blanding’s Turtle Conservation Reaches Generational Milestone. Headstarted Blanding’s Turtle Lays Eggs 15 Years After Release! Emilie Wilder, Zoo New England's Associate Director of Conservation Engagement joined Dan.A Bronx Tale: The One Man Show Starring Chazz Palminteri - Fri Jul 18th - 8:00PM at the Chevalier Theatre. Chazz discussed it with Dan.

While on vacation, Dan noted the one year mark from President Trump's shooting. After all this time, not much is known about the shooter, and Dan wants to know why, since we knew quite a bit about Lee Harvey Oswald fairly quickly. 

It was a scary moment for roughly 500 MBTA riders Tuesday afternoon when a Blue Line train traveling from Maverick Station to the Aquarium station shut down leaving passengers stuck underground without air conditioning. It took Boston firefighters about an hour to evacuate the passengers through the subway tunnels to safety. According to the MBTA, a 50-year-old broken cable was the cause of the disabled train. In addition, a recent report shows operational costs at the MBTA have risen. Brian Kane, the Executive Director of the MBTA Advisory Board, joined us to discuss these points of interest and more!

Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Alan Leventhal joined us Wednesday evening with a message of encouragement for younger generations. If you feel disheartened by the current state of affairs in the world, whether it’s the war in the Middle East, economic hardships, or civil unrest, Leventhal believes our youngest generations can overcome whatever obstacles are thrown their way, the same way older generations did with WWII, the Vietnam War, and more.

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!The 2024 most popular dog breeds and which breeds are gaining popularity! Brandi Munden - Vice President of Public Relations & Communications for the American Kennel Club has the answers.New Data Shows 59% of Workers Feel Anxious Taking Paid Time Off…Why? Toni Frana - career expert for LiveCareer joined Dan to discuss.A Local illustrator/animator of mainly children’s books that has made a very successful career creating and sharing emotionally and socially complex topics into approachable messages that touch hearts and change minds. Peter Reynolds – Illustrator/Creator & Animator. Also owns a local bookstore in Dedham called: Blue Bunny Bookstore stopped by.Heat emergency declared in Boston through Friday Brian Thompson – AccuWeather Meteorologist checked in.

President Trump is once again threatening tariffs against friendly countries and foes alike! While many are concerned about the President’s latest round of tariff rates that have reached their highest level since 1910, inflation has remained fairly stable this year. While inflation is up, it’s not as high as many economists expected when Trump first started rolling out tariffs. Gregory Stoller, professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business joined us to discuss Trump’s tariffs and the current state of the U.S. economy.

President Trump is once again threatening tariffs against friendly countries and foes alike! While many are concerned about the President’s latest round of tariff rates that have reached their highest level since 1910, inflation has remained fairly stable this year. While inflation is up, it’s not as high as many economists expected when Trump first started rolling out tariffs. Gregory Stoller, professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business joined us to discuss Trump’s tariffs and the current state of the U.S. economy.

While overall violent crime in MA is down, antisemitic hate crimes have risen by 20% in the last year. Recently the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism came out with a report on their findings and recommendations when it comes to K-12 education in the state. The Commission found antisemitism in Massachusetts K-12 public schools to be a “pervasive and escalating problem, with a large number of reported incidents of hate, bullying, harassment and discrimination experienced by families and teachers”. Brookline School Committee member Dr. Jesse Hefter joined Dan to discuss the importance of educating kids about the existence of antisemitism and getting ahead of it!

8:05PM: The long, long road to taxing mileage in Massachusetts…Guest: Mike Deehan - Axios Reporter8:15PM: A Message of Hope to those who have experienced a natural disaster such as the Texas FloodsGuest: Kim Cantin – keynote speaker & a survivor of the deadly 2018 Montecito mudslide8:30PM: Study finds that happy thoughts could be the secret to a stronger memoryGuest: Dr. Patrick Porter – Founder of BrainTap8:45PM: Senate school cellphone bill leaves key details to districtsGuest: Chris Lisinski- State House News Service Reporter