WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:06.320 It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZY, Boston's news radio. 2 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:09.400 Well, good evening, every one, thanks very much to call. 3 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:11.679 My name is Dan Ray, the host of the program 4 00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:15.439 called The Nightside. We are a year number eighteen here 5 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:19.760 on WBZ, rolling right along through a very chilly January 6 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:21.879 of twenty twenty five today. For those of you who 7 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:26.559 are keeping score in his January eighth we will be 8 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:28.760 with you all the way to midnight. We have a 9 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:32.479 number of topics of interest coming up tonight. But in 10 00:00:32.520 --> 00:00:35.880 our first hour we talked with four newsmakers. Going to 11 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:39.600 talk about the neurovirus outbreak, coming up with doctor Paul Sachs, 12 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:44.000 going to talk with former ambassador and former congress Woman 13 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:47.759 Margaret Heckler's a daughter in law, Kimberly Heckler, who has 14 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:51.119 written a book about Margaret Heckler's legacy, and also talk 15 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:55.719 with David Sealino about the Los Angeles wildfires. But we 16 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:59.320 are going to start off tonight talk a little bit 17 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:03.880 about former President Jimmy Carter, who of course passed away 18 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:06.079 a few days ago and tonight is lying in state 19 00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:09.959 at the US Capitol. Joining us is Bruce Percellt. He 20 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:12.079 is the chair of the board of the Edward M. 21 00:01:12.200 --> 00:01:17.000 Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, a great institution 22 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:19.879 over at Columbia Point right next to the John F. 23 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:24.400 Kennedy Presidential Library. And Bruce Parslett, you had an opportunity, 24 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:28.359 I guess, to spend some time with Jimmy Carter, either 25 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:32.079 while he was president, but perhaps even more importantly after 26 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:34.319 he was president. Welcome to Night's side and tell us 27 00:01:34.359 --> 00:01:36.040 about your experiences with Jimmy Carter. 28 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:41.920 Thank you, Dan. I had the opportunity to serve as 29 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:45.040 chairman of the Maker Excuse me. I did the Make 30 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:48.439 a Wish Foundation as well as Habitat for Humanity Sure, 31 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:52.719 and I spent a tremendous amount of time. In fact, 32 00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:58.319 Habitat built the largest urban habitat project uned States on 33 00:01:58.359 --> 00:02:04.200 Bluehill Avenue in Boston. And I was invited to Plaines, 34 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:07.560 Georgia with a small group and we spent the weekend 35 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:14.520 with Jimmy Carter and his wife in planes and really 36 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:20.400 got to see him in action, and it was fascinating. 37 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:28.120 He was exactly as advertised. He was incredibly genuine, and 38 00:02:29.159 --> 00:02:34.000 we went to a church service where he gave a sermon. 39 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:39.599 He afterwards invited us to go to a wedding where 40 00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:45.520 a young lady's father had passed away, and he had 41 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:51.080 read about it, and he volunteered to stand in for 42 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:56.000 the girl's dad and walk her down the aisle, and 43 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:04.039 it was incredibly genuine. There was no press, there was 44 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:08.919 no media, there was no advanced publicity. This was a 45 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:17.120 person who did really wonderful deeds after being president. And 46 00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:20.639 you know, the word on Jimmy Carter was that he 47 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:26.039 was a very ineffective president, but a very successful ex president. 48 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:28.319 Rino Bruce, you and I have something in common. I 49 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:30.840 spent a day with Jimmy Carter in Plains, Georgia in 50 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:34.199 nineteen eighty six. I suspect you were there a little 51 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:37.879 after me. I had an opportunity to meet then Governor 52 00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:41.800 Carter as he was running for president, interviewed him while 53 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:45.439 he was president, and then after his presidency, I did 54 00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:49.000 a documentary an hour on tip O'Neil and tip O'Neil, 55 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:50.919 a rain trust to spend a day with Jimmy Carter 56 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:54.719 in Plains, Georgia, and it was one of the most 57 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:58.240 interesting days of my life. And you know, I don't 58 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:01.080 want to try to top your story because you spent 59 00:04:01.159 --> 00:04:04.719 I think a lot more up close and personal time. Well, 60 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:07.840 we're driving that day with my crew to go see 61 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:12.680 former President Carter and planes, and I happened to notice 62 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:16.439 these trees, and me being a northern boy, I said 63 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:18.800 to one of my camera men, whose name was Glenn. 64 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:22.519 He was from It's from New Orleans actually with a 65 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.120 deep Southern accent, I said, Glenn, what type of trees 66 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:26.639 are those? And he looked at me and he said, 67 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:29.959 those are Peakan trees. Everybody knows Peakan trees. I did not, 68 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:32.240 so a couple of minutes later he said, well, let 69 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:34.360 me ask you how did peanuts grow? So I thought 70 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:36.560 Glenn was going to try to, you know, give me 71 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:40.480 a hard time, and I said, I'm not sure. I 72 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:45.079 think everybody knew peanuts growing a vine. Well, we meet Carter, President, 73 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:47.279 former President Carter, have a great time, and in the 74 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:50.360 protocol there is generally the crew doesn't say much. And 75 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:53.519 as we were, as he was leaving later in the 76 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:57.839 after our interview and all, Glenn piped up in his 77 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.319 Southern accent and saidmit to President, I want to know 78 00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:03.680 how do peanuts grow? And I was horrified that Jimmy 79 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:07.639 Carter probably thought that this was some TV camera guy 80 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:10.560 from Boston, some Yankee boy giving him a hard time, 81 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:13.120 and I jumped in, I said, I'm mister President. I said, 82 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.360 Glenn actually works for WBZ, but he is from New 83 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:20.199 Orleans and that is his accent. And President Carter then 84 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:25.120 spent about twenty minutes explaining in great detail to Glenn 85 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:28.639 how peanuts grew. Glenn did not know that they grew 86 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:33.319 on a vine underground. So you see that side of him, 87 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:36.199 and I'm sure you saw it in the same way. 88 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:39.399 And he was really very normal guy, probably one of 89 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:41.920 the most normal in terms of being like you or 90 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:46.680 me normal guys that ever held the office. 91 00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:52.560 Yeah, and he also did not monetize his presidency. He 92 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:58.240 did not charge for speeches after he retired or lost 93 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:03.600 his election, did not enrich himself. He went back to planes, 94 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:07.399 moved into the same house that he and Rosam Carter 95 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:11.600 lived in before he was elected. And you know today 96 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:16.399 that's a very different scenario. But he was what you 97 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:22.519 saw on TV. He was totally grounded, and you know, 98 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:26.000 he was not a politician, and that did not serve 99 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:30.560 him well while he was in office, but it served 100 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:33.759 him very well after he was in office. 101 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:36.480 Yeah, my view of him that he was the victim 102 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:40.040 of some bad timing. He became president in the wake 103 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:43.959 of Watergate, the Vietnam War, the country was kind of down. 104 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:47.279 They wanted someone who was different, and he certainly was 105 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:51.800 that hem ount of nowhere to become the Democratic nominee. 106 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:57.360 And he did have some accomplishments in office. You kind 107 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:02.639 of downplay the accord that he got Monock and Vegan 108 00:07:02.680 --> 00:07:05.360 and I wants a dot to sign, amongst others. Not 109 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.160 bad for a guy who was a peanut farm in 110 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:08.560 Georgia to pull those two together. 111 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:13.079 Yeah, I mean, he did suffer from some bad luck. 112 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:18.959 I mean, the oil crisis was disastrous, and the hospit 113 00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:23.079 situation and the attempted rescue and a lot of those 114 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:31.199 events tainted his presidency to this day. But his performance 115 00:07:31.720 --> 00:07:36.480 after leaving the White House, you know, has been exemplary 116 00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:39.959 and I think sets a very high standard for how 117 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:42.319 a former president should conduct himself. 118 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:46.680 And he had a lot of time. You know, he 119 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:51.040 had the benefit of about forty four years as a 120 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:54.800 post president, which I don't think any other president has 121 00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:58.120 come close to having. Someone mentioned to me that his 122 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:03.519 post presidency was almost as long as the entire life 123 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:05.120 of President Kennedy. 124 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:11.040 Yeah, that's that's that math is about right. You know, 125 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:13.759 I want to share an amusing story with you, if 126 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:19.839 that's okay. I'm going to try to be as discreet 127 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:22.879 about it as possible. But we had gone to dinner 128 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:29.120 at a small restaurant and it was a very very 129 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:32.320 simple restaurant. It was more like a meeting house. And 130 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:37.679 I excused myself before the dinner to go to the 131 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:45.279 men's room and there were journals and I was doing 132 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:49.200 what I was intending to do when I went there, 133 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:52.840 and I'm standing up and I hear this little noise 134 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:55.000 out of the corner of my ear, and I turned 135 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:59.240 to the right and there's Jimmy Carter and we are 136 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:01.799 both going about out our business and the same thing. 137 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:09.159 He asked me about my background, and that was how 138 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:12.240 I first met him. So, you know, today there'd be 139 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:14.720 secret service all over the place and so forth. But 140 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.960 I don't know many people who can say that that 141 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:24.559 is how they met a former president, but it was. 142 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:29.000 It was an amusing experience. 143 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:32.480 ABC used to do these documentaries called up Close and Personal. 144 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:34.799 That would have that would have fit that character. So yeah, 145 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.559 that probably would have bruce you You are the chair 146 00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:40.559 of a of a great institute, the Edward M. Kennedy 147 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:44.600 Institute for the US Senate. People may not know as 148 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:46.840 much about it as they do about the Kennedy Library, 149 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:50.759 but it is a fabulous facility. I actually hosted and 150 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:57.279 interviewed Natan Sharansky, the Soviet dissident now Israeli politician, at 151 00:09:57.320 --> 00:10:00.720 the Institute about ten years or so ago. It is 152 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:05.519 a fabulous building and anyone who's interested in politics needs 153 00:10:05.559 --> 00:10:09.639 to see that building, to get inside and see the 154 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:14.840 creation that is the is the identical size of the 155 00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:18.240 floor and the seats of the United States Senate. So 156 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:20.000 I just I can't tell you what a big fan 157 00:10:20.039 --> 00:10:22.840 I am of the facility that you now share. So 158 00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:25.399 thanks for what you do, and thanks for joining us tonight. 159 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:27.159 You're very very welcome. 160 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:36.039 All right, Bruce personally of the Kennedy Institute, Thanks so much. Bruce. 161 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:40.159 When we get back, we are going to change topics 162 00:10:40.200 --> 00:10:42.919 and we're going to talk about more difficult topic, and 163 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:46.120 that is the neuro virus outbreak with doctor Paul Sachs 164 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:48.799 coming back on night Side right after this break. My 165 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:51.399 name is Dan Ray. You listen to WBZ Boston. This 166 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:53.679 is You can listen to us on ten thirty of 167 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:56.120 the A and dial. Also can download the new I 168 00:10:56.200 --> 00:10:59.240 Heard app when you would like, and you can listen 169 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:02.159 to us anywhere the world, from anywhere in the world, 170 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:04.879 any hour of the day. Back on Nightside right after this. 171 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.960 Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World 172 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:12.159 Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio. 173 00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:19.799 All right, I think everyone has heard of the neuro virus, 174 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:26.840 and it is everywhere apparently at this point, and we're 175 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:32.320 going to talk with doctor Paul Sachs about the neural virus. 176 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:35.120 He's the clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases 177 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:37.879 for Brigham and Women's Hospital, one of my favorite hospitals 178 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:42.919 here in New England, the hospital that our great friend, 179 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:47.639 doctor Larry Cohne was a cardiac surgeon at for for decades. 180 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:50.039 Dr Sachs, welcome to Nightside. How are you, sir? 181 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:53.159 I'm well, Thank you, Dan, how are you? 182 00:11:53.639 --> 00:11:56.399 I'm doing just great. I don't know if you overlapped 183 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:00.240 with doctor Larry Cohne, but he's a great friend. He 184 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:02.919 was also a great contributor to this program. Whenever I 185 00:12:02.919 --> 00:12:05.240 think of Brigham and Women's Hospital, I think of my 186 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:08.320 friend Larry and he would commit and do two hours 187 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:11.919 in the radio and just enjoy himself. I told him 188 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:14.879 that in his next life. Unfortunately he passed a few 189 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:16.159 years ago. I said he was going to be a 190 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:18.039 radio or he had been a radio person in a 191 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:21.000 prior exist. And so I've had great luck with doctors 192 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:22.720 from Brigham and Women's, and I know we're going to 193 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:24.799 have great luck with you. What's going on with no 194 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.600 real virus? I always think of that as something that 195 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:30.080 is an outbreak on a cruise ship. And now it's 196 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:32.080 supposedly all over Massachusetts. 197 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:35.799 What's going on, Well, it's actually all over the United States. 198 00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:39.799 There's a huge increase in neuro virus cases. And you 199 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:42.120 know someone who's had it. Everybody knows someone who's had it. 200 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:44.240 I have a close friend who's had it. I've got 201 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:47.480 patients to have it. It's basically the kind of the 202 00:12:48.519 --> 00:12:52.759 food poisoning illness of come that both directions, the upper 203 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:55.679 direction in the lower direction. That's very, very difficult. So 204 00:12:55.720 --> 00:12:57.559 it's a tough one. 205 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:02.679 But I love you using those technical medical terms. 206 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:06.679 Go right ahead, doctor, Well, I just I just think 207 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:09.200 that people should be aware that this is out there 208 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:13.840 and circulating, and it's very contagious and the best protection 209 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.759 is really to wash your hands carefully. It's getting back 210 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:19.960 the lessons that we have learned from since we were 211 00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:22.799 in school, which is basically the best way to prevent 212 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:25.639 infections to wash your hands. And this is true about noravirus. 213 00:13:25.960 --> 00:13:29.519 Yes, as they say in kindergarten, you know, wash your hands, 214 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:32.120 work well with others, pay attention. So I got to 215 00:13:32.120 --> 00:13:34.799 go in life when you really think about it, Look, 216 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:41.519 here's my question, how does does this disease? Does it 217 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:46.159 have a cycle? Meaning this was designated that every seven 218 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:49.120 years this thing comes at us as a vengeance or 219 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:51.559 were they able to trace it and say, hey, this 220 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:55.559 year we had I think about cruise ships. Now, maybe 221 00:13:55.720 --> 00:13:58.159 I'm dumb about that, but I didn't know if they 222 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:02.399 were like five or six cruise ships that simultaneously sent 223 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:05.960 a couple of thousand people back into America, you know 224 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:10.279 who had been infected, what's the what's the genesis of it? 225 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:11.080 Are we able to know? 226 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:14.440 So you're absolutely right about cruise ships. Cruise ships are 227 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:20.159 intensifying locations for infections because people are on the boat, 228 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:24.200 they really can't escape, and once someone gets sick, they're 229 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:26.000 all going to the same place. To eat, and so 230 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:28.960 if there's a food borne illness or anlys that's spread 231 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:32.440 by poor sanitation, cruise ships amplify them, and so those 232 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:36.559 amplifiers do cause these big outbreaks. But what's happened this year, 233 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:38.519 and for reasons that are not quite clear, is that 234 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:42.000 it's actually happening in the community at large, and so 235 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:44.720 we're seeing way more cases than we usually do, and 236 00:14:45.240 --> 00:14:48.399 that's that's why it's newsworthy. I do think it also 237 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:52.240 relates to the underlying community. When we have immunity to 238 00:14:52.279 --> 00:14:54.879 these viral infections, it tends to protect us. And those 239 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:58.480 immunity community can fade gradually over years, so maybe this 240 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:01.600 year is particularly particular vulnerable, and that's why we're seeing 241 00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:03.000 so much, so many cases. 242 00:15:04.519 --> 00:15:08.840 I dealt with an upper respiratory affection for about two weeks, 243 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:10.679 and since I have you, I'm going to ask you 244 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:13.519 about it, because my understanding is that there's a lot 245 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:15.679 of that stuff going around. I was sent off to 246 00:15:16.039 --> 00:15:17.960 chest X ray to make sure I didn't have pneumonia, 247 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:20.480 and my doctor kind of said to me, well, you 248 00:15:20.519 --> 00:15:24.000 can call it ur upper respiratory if you want to 249 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:28.879 call it bronchitis. Is are those the two you know 250 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:32.159 again different body locations, the upper respiratory which you just 251 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:35.399 couldn't stop coughing and you couldn't get anything up to 252 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:40.360 minimize the coughing. Are those the two big problems that 253 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:41.720 we're looking at this winter. 254 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.559 So welcome to the winter. The winter is when we 255 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:47.039 see more of these infections. We're more aware of it 256 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:49.440 now than we used to be because of COVID nineteen 257 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:54.600 and indeed, in every winter even before twenty twenty, we 258 00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:58.120 started seeing more infections and most years who would just say, oh, 259 00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:01.120 it's the flu season. But now we're really hyper aware 260 00:16:01.159 --> 00:16:04.840 of these and this year, just like all years, we're 261 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:09.840 seeing lots of viral respiratory infections. And the added bonus 262 00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:13.600 joking is that if you're seeing more gas from intestinal infections, 263 00:16:13.639 --> 00:16:17.240 which is neurovirus, this is really off. 264 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:21.159 I get paid to ask questions, I truly do. That's okay. 265 00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:25.200 You get paid to solve people's medical problems. Is there 266 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:28.720 is this about fifty in terms of these two these 267 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:30.559 are the two biggies of the winter. Are they about 268 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:32.720 the same in terms of the number of people that 269 00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:34.919 have been affected? Or is neuro virus? 270 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:35.559 Uh? 271 00:16:36.039 --> 00:16:40.600 You know much more about and about the bronchial upper 272 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:42.000 respiratory infections. 273 00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:45.000 Well, I can't give you numbers to compare, but I 274 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:48.240 will tell you that if someone has neurovirus a bad case, 275 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:52.720 they're they're incapacitated. You know, they have a couple of 276 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:56.200 days at home where they're not doing anything. You know, 277 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:59.360 And anyone who's had this illness understands what I'm talking about. 278 00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:03.679 And you know, I mean again just to tell you 279 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:06.720 that that it's first of all, it's very contagious, but 280 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:08.799 not one hundred percent. So if you're in a household 281 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:11.079 where there's a person who has it, it does make 282 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:15.240 sense to try to avoid the person. It makes sense 283 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:17.680 to try to wash your hands frequently, to not share 284 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:20.160 food with that person, and you could not get it. 285 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:23.759 It is contagious, but not one hundred percent. And second, 286 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:27.839 you know the viro respistory infections, those are spread predominantly 287 00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:31.599 by airborne transmission, so it's very different. So nor virus 288 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:34.240 is spread more by contaminated food and water and by 289 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:38.400 contacting surfaces, whereas the residtory viruses are spread more by 290 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:41.680 you know, the air. That's something we've learned very clearly. 291 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:44.359 So they're two different things. But they both get both 292 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:45.720 get increased in the winter time. 293 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:50.480 I follow the numbers that are released every week about 294 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:53.880 the number of COVID cases, and there's always a few 295 00:17:53.920 --> 00:18:00.920 deaths related to COVID. Sure is COVID seems to stabilized. 296 00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:02.759 From the numbers I'm looking at it. It's always about 297 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:06.200 fifteen hundred new cases a year in a state with 298 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:10.359 six point seven million. That's a decimal point. But you know, 299 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:12.400 I learned of a friend of mine today, not going 300 00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:15.200 to identify who that person was, who was diagnosed with COVID. 301 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:18.519 I took COVID tests when I first got this bronchitis 302 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:26.160 when it was COVID is not the big problem this year. 303 00:18:26.599 --> 00:18:29.559 It's neurovirus and or the bronchitis, is what I'm getting 304 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:30.559 from our conversation. 305 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:34.880 So you're absolutely right. COVID is still there because your 306 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:37.000 friend had it, and we all know people have had it, 307 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:39.799 but it's not nearly as serious as it was in 308 00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:42.519 the first one to two years of the pandemic. That's 309 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:44.680 because of our built up immunity and we have built 310 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:49.160 community from prior infections plus prior vaccinations, so we should 311 00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:53.480 still pay attention to it. And it's very lethal potentially 312 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:57.400 to people who have underlying medical problems, but it's not 313 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:00.480 the same problem, so it should be contextualized other things 314 00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:03.720 that people can get. So I would say that this season, 315 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:07.720 it's it's influenza right now, there's tons of flu out there, 316 00:19:07.960 --> 00:19:11.480 it's covid, it's it's nouro virus, it's it's a it's 317 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:14.279 a mix. But that doesn't mean that we should stop 318 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:18.839 interacting with people, stop having our holiday celebrations, which has finished. 319 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:21.880 This is part of the package of being in a 320 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:25.559 winter location, and it just means that every year should 321 00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:28.240 just beware that this is the season where these infections 322 00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:29.039 start increasing. 323 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:32.720 Here's my dumbest question of the night. Will the really 324 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:35.759 bitterly cold weather of the last few days in the 325 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:38.160 next couple of days, will that knock a lot of 326 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:42.759 this stuff down? Or is that just an old lives tale. 327 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:48.400 I want to be polite to you, but it really 328 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:52.359 it's very unclear. I mean, the bitter cold weather certainly 329 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:55.960 puts people in a situation where they're more likely to 330 00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:59.920 huddle inside and not interact with others, so potentially it could. 331 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:02.799 But on the other hand, you know, the outdoor activities 332 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:05.559 that are very safe for respiratory tract infections are basically 333 00:20:05.640 --> 00:20:09.920 non starters, so it's really hard to say good question though. 334 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:13.200 Well, as they say, they pay me to ask questions, 335 00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:15.480 and I try to do my best here. You did 336 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:19.160 a great job, though. You have lived up to the 337 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:22.440 doctor Larry Cone Brigham and Women's Hospital standard, which is 338 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:23.000 a high bar. 339 00:20:23.319 --> 00:20:26.200 Here, nice, I I want you to know a great 340 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:27.920 cardiac surgeon. I remember him fondly. 341 00:20:28.359 --> 00:20:32.519 Just a wonderful guy. Just a wonderful guy. Doctor Paul Sachs, 342 00:20:32.519 --> 00:20:34.519 you sound the same way. Thanks so much. Love to 343 00:20:34.519 --> 00:20:38.720 have you back. You make it understandable even for people 344 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:42.440 like me, which is quite an accomplishment. Thank you, doctor, 345 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:44.880 appreciate it very much. Have a great, great rest of 346 00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:46.359 the week and weekend, and stay well. 347 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:48.079 Thanks to help. 348 00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:50.759 Dan. All right, when we get back, we're going to 349 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:54.079 talk a little bit about politics. We're going to talk 350 00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:58.799 about a Massachusetts native who served in Congress, was a 351 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:06.720 cabinet secretary and eventually ambassador to Ireland. Congresswoman, Ambassador and Secretary, 352 00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:09.160 Margaret Heckler, going to talk with her daughter in law, 353 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:12.599 who has written a book about Margaret Heckler her legacy 354 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:15.960 as a trail blazing Force for Justice inequality. Going to 355 00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:18.079 be back on Nightside right after the news at the 356 00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:18.960 bottom of the hour. 357 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:25.039 It's Nightside with Boston's news Radio. 358 00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:30.880 All right, we are back. And I had an opportunity 359 00:21:31.160 --> 00:21:35.440 during my career as a teller's reporter to cover Congresswoman 360 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:39.640 Margaret Heckler, both while she was a member of the 361 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:47.400 House of Representatives representing Massachusetts, later as she served as 362 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:51.559 a Cabinet secretary in the Reagan administration and beyond that 363 00:21:52.039 --> 00:21:56.400 as ambassador to Ireland and with US. Is Kimberly Heckler, 364 00:21:57.359 --> 00:22:00.000 the author and also daughter in law of Margaret Heckler, 365 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:05.039 with a very special tribute and a book entitled A 366 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:09.440 Woman of Firsts. Kimberly Heckler. Welcome to Nightside. How are you. 367 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:13.759 I am doing great. Thank you so much, Dan, Thanks 368 00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:14.319 for having me. 369 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:20.119 You're really welcome. I again, had plenty of interaction with 370 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:25.680 your late mother in law. She was a Republican here 371 00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:30.920 in Massachusetts, which it was a difficult road to road 372 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:36.160 to uh to travel. H A proud Boston Universe, Boston 373 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:41.160 College alumnus, UH and and and and she touched all 374 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:43.799 the bases, as they say, as an elected official, as 375 00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:48.160 a Cabinet secretary and as an ambassador. Uh tell us 376 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:51.279 what what will you tell us about her legacy? 377 00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:51.559 Uh? 378 00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:54.720 And and why? Obviously you had tremendous access to her. 379 00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:56.680 So I'm sure that's why you decided to write the book. 380 00:22:56.720 --> 00:22:59.680 But what will people learn from the book that they 381 00:22:59.799 --> 00:23:00.480 need to learn? 382 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:07.839 Well, thank you, Dan. I married Margaret Heckler's only son, 383 00:23:08.119 --> 00:23:12.759 the baby of the three siblings two daughters and a son, 384 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:17.960 and John Heckler. So Margaret lived in Arlington, Virginia, no 385 00:23:18.079 --> 00:23:21.559 further than a mile away from us as a married 386 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:26.880 couple for my entired married life, and so I didn't 387 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:29.920 get to know Margaret until she was ambassador to Ireland. 388 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:34.640 And at that point I also wasn't aware at the 389 00:23:34.680 --> 00:23:39.079 time that she was the most powerful American in Ireland. 390 00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:46.000 And so through raising kids and Sunday night dinners, some 391 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:52.240 of the stories came out. And basically most of the wonderful, 392 00:23:52.359 --> 00:23:59.440 amazing legacy pieces that make her historically significant I learned 393 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:03.559 in her life years. Because she didn't really go into 394 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:07.599 detail about how she wrote the law for women to 395 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:10.400 get credit and credit cards in their own names for 396 00:24:10.440 --> 00:24:14.000 the first time in American history. I had no idea 397 00:24:14.440 --> 00:24:17.039 that she was one of the primary sponsors for the 398 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:22.240 Equal Rights Amendment as a Republican, the stories that I 399 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:24.599 learned about what she did as a Health and Human 400 00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:28.559 Services secretary, that she was quoted as being one of 401 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:32.920