NightSide News Update 4/6/26

President Trump held a news conference Monday to celebrate the weekend rescue of an American airman who was badly injured and trapped behind enemy lines. The airman had managed to evade capture by hiding in a mountain crevice. Dan continued to bring you the very latest on the war against Iran and heard listners' thoughts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump held a news conference Monday to celebrate the weekend rescue of an American airman who was badly injured and trapped behind enemy lines. The airman had managed to evade capture by hiding in a mountain crevice. Dan continued to bring you the very latest on the war against Iran and heard listeners' thoughts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Entrepreneur and Activist Paul English, best known for co-founding the travel search engine KAYAK, already donated $5 million to UMass Boston back in 2023 to establish an AI Institute at his alma mater. Now, English is dropping $1 million to help train teachers at Boston Public Schools in AI so they can pass their knowledge on to students, ensuring every kid who graduates is proficient in AI. English joined Dan to talk about the importance of AI learning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We began the program with four interesting guests on topics we think you should know more about! 8:05PM:  Using tax returns for home improvements is a common way to reinvest in your property, but the Better Business Bureau warns homeowners to use caution to avoid scams and poor-quality work.Guest:  Paula Fleming, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer for the Better Business Bureau, Boston  8:15PM:  Every year Matt and the Matt Brown Foundation team run the Boston Marathon – this year is no different!  Please consider supporting the Matt Brown Foundation run for 2026!  **Matt Brown is a former Norwood High School (MA) hockey player who became a motivational speaker and founder of the Matt Brown Foundation after sustaining a paralyzing spinal cord injury in a 2010 game.Guest:  Matt Brown, former Norwood High School hockey player and Founder of the Matt Brown Foundation  8:30PM:  The Environmental Working Group has released its 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ and finds widespread PFAS (forever chemicals) pesticide residue on non-organic fruits and vegetables. Find out what produce made the list of the 2026 “Dirty Dozen” – But don’t fret, there’s also a 2026 “Clean Fifteen” for safer eating! Guest:  Varun Subramaniam, Science Analyst for the Environmental Working Group  8:45PM:  There’s a new scam in town, and you probably wouldn’t think much of it since most websites have been asking you to “prove you’re a human” through CAPTCHA (the box that pops up and asks you to click on pictures of traffic lights or crosswalks) for a while now. But hold on – don’t open a “Run” box or paste code if asked to!!  It’s a scam! Guest:  Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource CenterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For NightSide’s last hour of the week, we like to keep it light and fun. A popular topic is "Brushes with Celebrities." Whom have you met? Was it a pleasurable or disappointing experience?    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. Supreme Court has taken up arguments over President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship, which grants citizenship to anyone born in the United States, regardless of their parents’ nationality or immigration status. The justices on the country’s highest court seem skeptical of Trump’s order. What is your opinion on President Trump’s birthright citizen executive order?    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Massachusetts Department of Health wants to take away pepper spray and non-lethal restraints from Tewksbury State Hospital’s public safety officers. The state-run hospital has a large mental health patient population that includes criminal defendants who have psychiatric and behavioral issues. The hospital has a history of problematic incidents involving patients who’ve attacked healthcare workers. The nurses’ union that represents Tewksbury Hospital said the hospital’s public safety officers “absolutely need the tools” to keep the staff safe. MA Rep. David Robertson agrees and filed a petition pushing back on the state’s proposal. Rep. Robertson joined us to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of our continuing news coverage this evening, we’ll discuss the robot umpires that the MLB debuted this baseball season! 8:05 PM: Mass. Senate approves ban on selling dogs, cats, and rabbits in pet shops. Bill also broadens animal cruelty, welfare laws. Guest: Katie Castellani – State House News Reporter  8:15 PM: For third year in a row, Eversource teams up with the Arbor Day Foundation to offer 1,000 free trees to customers. Guest: Chris Gonzalez – Manager of Vegetation Management for Eversource  8:30 PM: MLB’s “robo umpire” debuts this baseball season! Guest: Peter Abraham – Boston Globe Sports Reporter 8:45 PM: A look ahead at the weather!  Guest: Accuweather Meteorologist Brian Thompson  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments over President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship in the United States. President Trump attended the first day of oral arguments Wednesday, making him the first sitting president to attend arguments at the country’s highest court. During the session, the nine justices appeared skeptical of Trump’s order with Chief Justice John Roberts appearing to dismiss a contention by U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer defending Trump's order saying, "Eight billion people are one plane ride away from having a child who's a U.S. citizen." To which Roberts replied, "Well, it's a new world, but it's the same Constitution." Where do you come down on birthright citizenship? Do you think Trump’s order will stand?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It will be an exciting time for Bostonians as the World Cup comes to Boston this summer. There have been some fundraising concerns about making the massive event as grand as originally envisioned. While organizers acknowledge there has been some fundraising obstacles, they believe they will still put on a “fiscally responsible, very exciting event for Massachusetts and Boston.” What are your thoughts on the upcoming World Cup? Are you planning to attend?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.