May 21, 2020
01. Great Memorial Day Show: Black Hawk Down Legend
02. Trump’s Incendiary Language and Lone-Wolf Whistle Violence
03. Good News: Lawmakers Move to Protect Your Internet Rights
04. Stimulus Was Supposed to Protect Jobs — We Now Have Record Unemployment
05. Who Buys a Home During a Pandemic?
06. Lessons from First ER Doc to Die of COVID-19
07. The Pandemic is About to Test Rural America
08. Are We Running Out of Food?
09. Homeschooling Tips Parents Need Right Now
10. May is Mental Health Month: Coping During the Coronavirus
11. How the Pandemic Will Continue to Impact Your Health Once It’s Over
12. 5 Reasons to Go Consignment This Spring
13. Have Cabin Fever? Try Virtual Wine Tastings!
14. Interview a Real-Life ‘Death Whisperer’
15. May 31st is National Smile Day! Go Ahead and Grin
1.==> Great Memorial Day Show: ‘Black Hawk Down’ Legend
As we remember those who gave their lives in service to
our country this Memorial Day, consider a show with
Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Tom Satterly. Depicted in
the 2001 Oscar-winning film, “Black Hawk Down,”
Satterly led hundreds of critical military campaigns,
including Operation Red Dawn, which led to the capture
of Saddam Hussein. For 20-plus years a member of Delta
Force — the most elite and secretive special operations
force in all the U.S. military — he was the recipient
of 64 medals, including five Bronze Stars and two for
Valorous Acts. But the military hero says when he
finally got back home, he struggled to reclaim a life.
He and his wife, Jen, have spent many years in
counseling and therapy battling complex PTSD and are
now not only serving veterans, but first responders in
light of the COVID crisis. As millions of people begin
to emerge from their shelter in place orders and
advance back into what’s left of their dreams, careers,
plans, etc., Tom can share the most important steps in
assessing the damage, prioritizing recovery and moving
forward. Tom Satterly details his and other veterans’
desperate attempts to overcome PTSD, addiction and
other mental health issues in his book “All Secure: A
Delta Force Operator’s Fight to Survive on the
Battlefield and the Homefront.” Contact Jason Jones at
jason@jonesliterary.com
2. ==> Trump’s Incendiary Language and Lone-Wolf
Whistle Violence
For some Americans, President Trump’s language is
incendiary garbage. But does it actually elicit acts of
violence? While nobody would label Trump a gifted
orator, what he says has power and renowned
communication expert Helio Fred Garcia says his
dangerous rhetoric has motivated lone wolves to commit
violence. Invite the author of “Words On Fire: The
Power of Incendiary Language and How to Confront It” to
discuss the language President Trump uses that
conditions an audience to accept, condone, and commit
violence against a targeted group, rival, or critic and
the history of such rhetoric. He’ll explain ‘”one-wolf
whistle violence” — a term he coined to describe
rhetoric that provokes violence on the model of “dog
whistle” politics, where politicians use coded language
that conveys benign meaning to most people, but a
different meaning to members of a certain group or
followers of a certain ideology. Learn the playbook of
12 forms of communication that typically precede acts
of mass violence and how civic leaders and engaged
citizens can hold leaders accountable to prevent such
harm. Helio Fred Garcia is president of the crisis
management firm Logos Consulting Group and is on the
adjunct faculties of New York University and Columbia
University. He is a senior fellow at the Institute of
Corporate Communication at Communication University of
China and a contract lecturer at the Defense
Information School and at the Wharton School,
University of Pennsylvania. Garcia’s previous books
include “The Agony of Decision: Mental Readiness and
Leadership in a Crisis” and “The Power of
Communication: Skills to Build Trust, Inspire Loyalty,
and Lead Effectively.” Contact Johanna Ramos Boyer at
(703) 646-5137; (703) 400-1099 (cell);
johanna@jrbcomm.com or Erin Bolden at (703) 646-5188
3. ==> Good News: Lawmakers Move to Protect Your
Internet Rights
Amid all the pandemic news you may have missed last
week’s congressional action to protect Americans’
privacy. Sean VItka, senior policy counsel at Demand
Progress, says the issue involved amendments to the USA
Patriot Act to address FISA surveillance. Vitka can
discuss the two amendments, why they are needed and why
10 Democrats sided with Attorney General Bill Barr and
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and voted
against protecting internet browsing and search
histories with a warrant. He says, “No committee of
jurisdiction marked up or passed the underlying
legislation. Instead, through a backroom deal between
Adam Schiff and Jim Jordan, leadership rammed the USA
FREEDOM Reauthorization Act through the House without
any chance to fix the glaring problems in the
underlying bill.” He adds, “The Lee-Leahy amendment
ensures an independent voice has access to and can
raise issues with FISA surveillance targeting religious
groups, political groups, and the media. The underlying
bill remains broken, but adoption of the Lee-Leahy
amendment represents a privacy victory well beyond what
many believed to be possible.” Demand Progress is an
online grassroots activist group that lobbies to change
policies related to the internet, censorship, civil
rights, freedom of speech, government reform and civil
liberties. The U.S. political action committee serves
as a progressive public advocate for issues and
decisions that impact the public. Contact Sean Vitka at
sean@demandprogress.org or @demandprogress
4.==> Stimulus Was Supposed to Protect Jobs — We Now
Have Record Unemployment
As lawmakers wrangle with details of a third stimulus
package to help the tanked economy, many, including
political scientist Thomas Ferguson, say we need a new,
more thoughtful strategy to move the country forward
and through the coronavirus crisis. He says, “We all
know that the U.S. response to COVID-19 has lagged far
behind other countries. But now a real trap is closing.
The public premise of the government stimulus programs
was that they would be needed only for a short period
and channeling aid to businesses would enable them to
retain workers on their payrolls. So vast sums were
handed out while the Federal Reserve intervened
massively in financial markets. But now unemployment is
soaring, in a country whose health insurance system is
keyed to the workplace. Small businesses are collapsing
and plainly never got much aid. Workers are also
dropping out of the workforce in enormous numbers while
a major health and safety crisis rages. Government
policy has got to address these issues before it’s too
late. It can’t simply grant blanket immunity to
businesses for the sake of a hasty, premature
reopening. A major recalibration of policy is in
order.” Thomas Ferguson is professor emeritus,
University of Massachusetts Boston and the author of
many books and articles on politics and economics,
often within a historical perspective. Contact him at
thomas.ferguson@umb.edu
5. ==> Who Buys a Home During a Pandemic?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic started, “For Sale” signs
started sprouting up in neighborhoods across the
country, but the virus has brought the real estate
industry to a screeching halt, like many other
businesses. Now that the country is starting to open up
again, will the market rebound? Real estate attorney
Ira Kaufman says according to one survey, up to 80% of
potential home buyers say they’ve postponed or stopped
their search altogether, citing employment concerns and
the inability to visit properties in person. Invite him
to discuss the current real estate market, what buyers
and sellers need to know right now, and whether the
pandemic has changed what buyers are looking for in a
home. Ira Kaufman is a New York-based real estate
attorney with 25 years of experience in leases,
purchase/sales, financing, and development. Contact
Mark Goldman at (516) 639-0988; markgoldman73@gmail.com
6. ==> Lessons from First ER Doc to Die of COVID-19
On March 26 Renae Baker was working as a Lyft driver
when she picked up Dr. Frank Gabrin after his shift at
East Orange Hospital in New Jersey. Five days later he
was dead from COVID-19, becoming the first ER doctor in
the country to die from the virus. Baker says they
talked the entire 35-minute ride to his home in New
York City and some of what they discussed may have
saved her own life in the following days. Dr. Gabrin
developed his first symptoms later that morning. Baker
developed hers shortly after and has since recovered.
She will reveal what Dr. Gabrin told her about life
inside the ER during this pandemic, the surprising
thing he and other doctors were seeing at the moment of
COVID-19 deaths, and why he thought this could be an
important spiritual moment in our history. Baker says
they discussed everything from morale among health-care
workers to what happened when nurses got sick and how
doctors were being treated by hospital administrators.
Renae Baker is an author and speaker who has managed a
professional caroling company for decades. She has been
featured on Fox News and many more media outlets.
Contact her at (917) 509-9022; ismileny@gmail.com
7. ==> The Pandemic is About to Test Rural America
Since the novel coronavirus arrived in the United
States, it has ravaged mainly urban communities and
until very recently, rural America was mostly spared.
Epidemiologist Tara Smith says with their communities
still relatively undisturbed, it is little wonder that
so many rural dwellers remain skeptical of the virus’s
potential to upend their lives, but she warns the
pandemic has only just begun in rural America. Smith
explains how the virus will be slower moving and less
dramatic but will linger in the South and Midwest,
areas that have seen more than 120 hospital closures in
the past decade, leaving them woefully underprepared
for the epidemic. “The loss of hospitals often means
the loss of the medical providers these institutions
employed, leaving fewer health professionals to treat
rural residents, who tend to be in worse health overall
than their urban counterparts.” Tara C. Smith is a
professor of epidemiology at Kent State University in
Ohio. Her research focuses on disease transmission in
rural populations. Contact her at tsmit176@kent.edu;
(330) 672-3946 or @aetiology
8. ==> Are We Running Out of Food?
Grocery stores don’t look the same as they did a few
months ago. Besides one-way aisles, plexiglass barriers
and required mask-wearing, shoppers who venture out
after weeks of social distancing may likely find poorly
stocked shelves and shortages of basic goods. Invite
Maria Concepcion Powell, CEO and president of the U.S-
Women Grocers Association, to discuss what’s happening
with our supply chain and whether we should be worried
about a food shortage. She’ll discuss why millions of
Americans were going hungry before the coronavirus
crisis and offer insight into the role today’s business
and political leaders should play in reshaping our
post-COVID economy so that it serves everyone,
including the most vulnerable. The U.S.-Women Grocers
of America represents female grocers and other women
affiliated with the independent food industry. Maria
Concepcion Powell has over 40 years’ experience in the
food and pharmaceutical industries. Contact her at
(732) 875-6511 or uswga.corporation@gmail.com
9. ==> Homeschooling Tips Parents Need Right Now
With schools closed, many parents are now their
children’s primary educators, a role for which they are
largely unprepared. Laurie Marshall, a career educator
and author of “Beating the Odds Now” and other books,
says parents can be highly effective at exposing their
children to the rich world around them by paying
attention to two questions whose answers will be
different for each of their children. What brings that
child joy? What fascinates them? Bring Laurie on your
program to hear creative ways parents can be memorable
homeschool teachers by zeroing in on who their child
is. Marshall is a project-based learning and arts
integration specialist who has worked with underserved
youth for over 30 years. Her partners include FEMA and
Project Drawdown, the World’s Leading Resource for
Climate Solutions. She has trained over 6,000 teachers
in project-based learning and facilitated 125 nature-
based murals with over 25,000 people in schools,
nonprofits, and government agencies. Contact Laurie at
(415) 360-3304; lmarshall@rtirguests.com
10. ==> May is Mental Health Month: Coping During the
Coronavirus
According to the World Health Organization, one in
every four people suffers from mental health problems.
The coronavirus can significantly affect mental health
for everyone, but especially for those with mental
illness. Both the anxiety of contracting the disease as
well as the increase in loneliness and isolation can
worsen and trigger symptoms. Even those who don’t have
diagnosed disorders are experiencing sadness, anxiety,
loneliness, stress, and frustration like never before.
Invite psychotherapist Dr. Donna Marks to discuss how
to take this current crisis, when we feel the most
vulnerable, and learn to be as mentally healthy as
possible. “Mental health means balancing thoughts and
feelings, social and alone time, and having the
maturity to make good decisions even when we don’t feel
like it. We don’t have control over the virus, but we
do have control over how we react to external events,”
she says. “Mental health is the choice to work through
feelings and express them in productive ways. Pent-up
emotions can turn into anxiety, anger, depression, and
even suicidal states of mind. It’s also a choice to be
aware of thoughts and to act on the empowering messages
rather than self-destructive ones.” Dr. Donna Marks is
the author of two books: “Exit the Maze – One
Addiction, One Cause, One Cure,” and “Learn, Grow,
Forgive – A Path to Spiritual Success.” A consultant,
educator, public speaker, and instructor of A Course in
Miracles, she has served as an addiction counselor for
more than 30 years. Contact her at (561) 436-9360;
drdonnamarks@gmail.com
11. ==> How the Pandemic Will Continue to Impact Your
Health Once It’s Over
COVID-19 has been a game-changer especially when it
comes to public health. What are some of the likely
aftereffects your listeners should be aware of? Dr.
Annalee Kitay has already found that a great number of
people’s immune systems are compromised from the scare
of this pandemic. She adds, “People may appear healthy
on the outside but due to the incredible stress of this
pandemic, some will need to boost their immune system.”
Dr. Kitay will talk about our body’s systems and the
important communication role the brain plays with those
systems in immune function. She will share information
about the revolutionary protocol she practices and also
trains physicians in. This protocol is one of health
care’s best-kept secrets. She is one of fewer than 50
practitioners in the U.S., who are using Neural
Organization Technique, a proven noninvasive approach
to help people with everything from immune issues,
concussions to learning disabilities and low-back pain.
Dr. Kitay has done research with Kessler Institute and
also practiced with the late Dr. (Robert) Atkins at his
Center for Complementary Medicine in New York City.
Contact Dr. Kitay at (561) 462-4733;
akitay@rtirguests.com
12. ==> 5 Reasons to Go Consignment This Spring
Whether your audience members are buyers, sellers or
just interested in emerging trends, a story on the
booming clothing consignment business is sure to please
when lifestyle journalist Suzanne Wexler is your expert
(she was recently quoted in Reader’s Digest on this
topic). Suzanne will explain how gently used luxury
men’s and women’s clothing became an online super trend
and why Instagram enthusiasts were leading the charge.
Suzanne will offer five reasons why you should start
choosing consignment this spring and will even let your
listeners know how they can select clothes in their
closet for consignment vs. donation, which they can
drop off once social distancing ends. This show idea
works on multiple levels: it’s timely, it’s green and
it’s a way to make money on clothing people no longer
wear while they remain stuck at home. Suzanne is
published in the Huffington Post, National Post,
Bust.com and her work has been syndicated throughout
Canada. She’s been quoted in Goodhousekeeping.com, and
Prevention magazine and provided commentary on CTV
National and Virgin Radio; she has been on more than
200 radio stations in the U.S. and Canada. Contact her
at (514) 704-0029; suzannawexler@hotmail.com
13. ==> Have Cabin Fever? Try Virtual Wine Tastings!
Being stuck at home in lockdown doesn’t mean all of the
activities you enjoy have to stop. Wineries have
enabled customers to continue to explore new wines with
online wine tastings. Andy Hyman is a tour guide in the
Napa and Sonoma wine country who has shared his passion
for wine with thousands of people from around the
world. Invite him to share information about wine clubs
and online wine tastings so you can get your friends
together for this fun activity. His book, “Snob-Free
Wine Tasting Companion: Wine Smart in a Day,” reveals
how to get the most out of a wine-tasting experience,
how wine is made, and general knowledge about wine.
Hyman has been featured by Sonoma Magazine, the Marin
Independent Journal, Napa Valley Register, North Bay
BIZ magazine, and other radio and print outlets
nationwide. Contact him at (415) 767-1441;
andyhyman@rtirguests.com
14. ==> Interview a Real-Life ‘Death Whisperer’
While growing up in a Midwestern funeral home where her
dad was an undertaker, Margo Lenmark learned how to
communicate with the deceased. As a result, she
received many valuable lessons about living one’s best
life. “I’ve been called a ‘death whisperer’ because
death speaks to me in many ways,” she says. “People who
have passed over have given me important messages about
life that pertain to everyone. Naturally, as each
person is unique, his or her message is unique. But all
are universal, important and relevant.” Margo is the
author of the critically acclaimed book “Light in the
Mourning: Memoirs of an Undertaker’s Daughter.” The
book has received glowing reviews from a number of
prominent authors and spiritual leaders, including
Deepak Chopra. Contact Margo at (484) 928-7824;
MLenmark@rtirguests.com
15. ==> May 31 is National Smile Day! Go Ahead and Grin
The country could be forgiven if its citizens didn’t
feel like smiling much these days; after all, people
are sick and dying from a mysterious contagious disease
and are prohibited from getting too close to each
other, and unemployment is at record levels. Yet it is
because we find ourselves in this dire situation that
it is more important than ever to smile at one another
— even from six-feet apart — says Barry Shore, who is
known as The Ambassador of Joy. Shore will be
celebrating National Smile Day on May 31 and wants
everyone else to join him by starting the day with a
big smile on their faces. Certainly, if there is anyone
who knows how to smile through adversity it is Shore, a
successful serial entrepreneur with three patents who
in 2004 became a quadriplegic overnight from a rare
disease. During the 16 years that followed, Shore has
pushed himself to regain much of his functioning even
as he inspires other people to see the joy in their
lives. Shore can also talk about his Keep Smiling
Movement which he co-founded with well-known celebrity
photographer Ken Rochon. Barry hosts “The Joy of
Living” podcast and is the founder of the JOY of Living
Institute. He’s been featured on CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox and
in O Magazine, Forbes, Daily Herald, Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette, MarketWatch and more. Contact him at (310)
770-4685; barry@barryshore.com
Don’t see any guests or topics for your show? Search
through past RTIR Newsletters and find hundreds of show
ideas and possible guests at www.rtironline.com