July 20, 2017
01. All You Need to Know about OJ’s Parole Hearing
02. How Govt. Policies Really Affect Your Health
03. Let Loose the Sharks!
04. No Soap Needed: Giant Dishwasher Water Park
05. Make America Laugh Again!
06. Real Dangers of a Cyber Attack
07. World Travel – How to Survive an Attack
08. Sleeveless Women Banned from Congress
09. Which Is More Intimate, Money or Sex?
10. When a Dream Job Comes with a Nightmare Boss
11. Fun Ways to Prevent Kids’ Summer Slide
12. Water Rules – Summer Swim Safety
13. One-Third of the World is Overweight
14. Teens, Faith and Family
15. Can’t Sleep? Sheep Movie May Do the Trick
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1. ==> All You Need to Know about OJ’s Parole Hearing
A parole board in Nevada will decide today whether OJ
Simpson should be released from prison after serving
nine years of his 33-year sentence for armed robbery
and assault with a weapon in a botched bid to retrieve
sports memorabilia. Invite Los Angeles-based criminal
defense attorney, Alaleh (Ahh-La- Lay) Kamran to
discuss who will decide OJ’s fate, what will be taken
into consideration, and what will come next if he’s
released on parole. Alaleh Kamran has handled a number
of high-profile cases over the past 25 years. Many of
her clients are rap and R&B artists, and other
celebrities, including those in film and television.
She’s appeared on numerous shows including Access
Hollywood. Contact Cherie Kerr at (714) 271- 2140;
cherie@kerrpr-execuprov.com
2. ==> How Govt. Policies Really Affect Your Health
On Wednesday morning, the GOP healthcare bill was
called dead in the water. By noon, President Trump had
declared it wasn’t over and promised to fight on. 30-
year career environmental consultant Ellen Moyer,
Ph.D., says America is nowhere near a solution to
putting health back into health care. Moreover, she
points out, the U.S.’s current unaffordable health-care
system focuses too much on treating disease after
allowing it to happen rather than on preventing disease
from occurring in the first place. Invite Moyer to
discuss the strong connection between government
policies and public health. “Taxpayer-funded food
subsidies are primarily used to promote junk food that
makes us sick rather than foods that make us healthy.
Meanwhile, government agencies like the Food and Drug
Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
end up protecting industry from citizens rather than
citizens from industry.” Moyer will discuss realistic
ways to promote health and reduce health-care costs
that involve education and reducing air and water
pollution and industry influence on food and medicine.
Ellen Moyer is a registered professional engineer with
a B.A. in anthropology, an M.S. in environmental
engineering, a Ph.D. in civil engineering, and 30 years
of environmental engineering experience. “Our Earth,
Our Species, Our Selves: How to Thrive While Creating a
Sustainable World” is her third book. Contact her at
(413) 862-3452; ellenmoyer@em-green.com
3. ==> Let Loose the Sharks!
Whether it’s Shark Week on the Discovery Channel or the
competing Shark Fest on the Nat Geo Channel, Sunday
begins all things shark-related. This year’s offerings
promise the usual documentaries and fear-inducing
footage of shark encounters around the world. After a
week of this you might wonder whether it’s safe to
venture beyond the shoreline. Invite George Burgess,
director of the University of Florida Program for Shark
Research to help put things in perspective. He’s one of
the top shark attack experts in the world and even
manages the official Shark Attack File of all known
attacks on humans! He’ll tell you how to avoid a shark
attack, survive one, and whether shark attacks are
increasing. In the meantime, be reassured: your chance
of getting attacked by a shark in your lifetime is 1 in
11,000,000. So it turns out that it is safe to go back
in the water, as long as you’ve got the facts! Contact
Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137;
johanna@jrbcomm.com
4. ==> No Soap Needed: Giant Dishwasher Water Park
The year’s most exciting and unique water park exhibit
on the streets of New York City is coming next month!
Sponsored by LG Electronics USA, a massive water park
will top-out at 6,750 square feet (two and a half times
bigger than a tennis court) and will soak festivalgoers
from every angle, mimicking the company’s new
dishwasher. The water park will be located on Park
Avenue between 70th and 71st Streets in Manhattan, and
will feature obstacle courses continuously soaked by
powerful jet streams, massive slides in the shape of
cutlery, and hanging glide rails to zoom down into
pools of water. Organizers hope the exhibit will give
New Yorkers a unique and fun way to cool off in the dog
days of summer over three weekends beginning August
5th. Since 2008, the Department of Transportation has
presented Citi Summer Streets along nearly seven miles
of Manhattan streets, closing them to vehicular traffic
and opening them to the public for outdoor recreation –
walking, running, cycling and playing, in addition to
many free activities for all ages. Contact Taryn Brucia
at (201) 816-2187; taryn.brucia@lge.com or Stephanie
Mayer at (212) 880-5239; stephanie.mayer@lg-one.com
5. ==> Make America Laugh Again!
Tired of the reading depressing news headlines every
morning? For a funny take on the day’s news, invite
stand-up comedian Vinnie Brand to provide humorous
commentary on today’s top local and national news
headlines. Vinnie appears all over New York City
talking about the things he knows best, kids, marriage,
bills and family – the stuff your listeners are talking
about! He his wife started The Stress Factory Comedy
Club in New Jersey more than 20 years ago. Besides his
stand-up act, Vinnie’s appeared on The Rosie O’Donnell
Show, Comedy Central’s “Tough Crowd”, and at The
Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival (Best of the
Fest), The New York Comedy Festival, and the Toyota
Comedy Festival. He’s done radio on stations across the
country has starred in a commercial for Direct TV,
released a CD entitled “This is Vinnie Calling” and
done various voice overs. Contact Ryan McCormick at
(516) 901-1103
6. ==> Real Dangers of a Cyber Attack
Imagine what would happen if suddenly there were no
cell phone service, no electrical power, no water and
no food. But that’s not all. Imagine if there were no
functioning banks and financial institutions,
automobiles, trucks and computers stopped working,
railroads were unable to roll and airplanes were unable
to fly, hospitals were unable to function and grocery
store shelves went unfilled. According to Robin Burk,
Ph.D., MBA, such a scenario is possible should portions
of America’s computer networks, electric grid etc. be
hit by a short burst of electromagnetic energy from the
type of nuclear weapon North Korea has already tested –
or by crippling cyber-attacks. She says it is only
prudent to start planning now for potential attacks
that could badly disrupt the systems we rely on. Burk’s
message is all the more powerful because of who she is:
She was in charge of the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency’s interdependent networks research and is an
expert on network science. The DTRA is an organization
tasked with safeguarding national infrastructure
against weapons of mass destruction. Robin Burk has
been featured in Wired and on MSNBC. She is the author
of the upcoming book “We Don’t Have to Collapse but We
Could: How to Fix the Complex Systems We Rely On.”
Contact her at (703) 346-4448;
robin.kowalchuk.burk@gmail.com
7. ==> World Travel – How to Survive an Attack
It’s summertime and many Americans are taking trips to
unfamiliar and foreign places. It’s one thing to find
yourself the victim of a pickpocket, but there have
been numerous stories lately involving deadly
pedestrian attacks on busy city streets. Invite former
British Army Officer Chris Bird to share advice on
staying safe in an unfamiliar city, as well as what to
do if you find yourself in the middle of a dangerous or
deadly situation. Bird says everyone needs to be aware
of their surroundings at all times—but not to succumb
to fear. He’ll explain the 4Ds to avoid as well as why
you should only walk down streets in which there are
parked cars on the same side you are on or walk facing
traffic even on the sidewalk. He’ll detail what to do
if you absolutely must send a text or be on the phone
while on the street. Bird is the author of “Surviving a
Mass Killer Rampage” and a former San Antonio Express-
News crime reporter. Reach him at (210) 308-8191;
cjbird@satx.rr.com
8. ==> Sleeveless Women Banned from Congress
Last month, several women, many of whom were
journalists, were banned from the Speaker of the
House’s lobby after wearing sleeveless blouses or
dresses. One woman attempted to remedy her cold
shoulders by using newspaper to make capped sleeves!
The rule isn’t new, but it’s never been enforced before
Paul Ryan decided it was high time to do just that last
week. Since when have women’s collarbones or arms been
inappropriate? (Is it any coincidence that Michelle
Obama had famously fit arms that she frequently
flaunted in sleeveless attire?) Have we gone back to
controlling what women can and cannot wear? “It’s not
surprising that those who are trying to create a
culture based on a society of conservative values would
glorify a way of life we saw before feminism, or
desegregation,” says Salamishah Tillet, a professor of
gender, sexuality, and women’s studies at the
University of Pennsylvania. “It’s a restriction of
progress, and it makes it very difficult for massive
progress to be made.” Contact Salamishah Tillet at
(215) 898-7346; stillet@english.upenn.edu
9. ==> Which Is More Intimate, Money or Sex?
Whether their newlyweds or married decades, many
couples feel squeamish talking about money and
finances, making it one of the last marital taboos and
the source of many couples’ problems. “When you add
together the inability to talk about money with
problems of handling it, you have by far the largest
cause of the destruction of marriages and
relationships,” says Mitchell Walker. “It’s the 800 lb.
gorilla in the bedroom that very few seem to be able to
drive out.” Walker will share how couples can put
together a simple financial plan that will bring them
together instead of driving them apart, discuss the one
question to ask yourself and your future spouse that
determines a person’s financial personality (and
future). You’ll also learn 3 things that can
practically divorce-proof your marriage. Walker is a
former vice president of finance for a Berkshire
Hathaway company. Twenty-five years ago, when he was
more than $100,000 in debt and had no assets, he dug
his way out by discovering and refining ‘The
PouchPlan.’ His book, “The PouchPlan Budget: The Simple
Way to Find Hidden Money, Improve Your Life, and Build
Wealth,” is based on his own extensive experience.
Contact him at (903) 563-3396; mwalker@PouchPlan.com
10. ==> When a Dream Job Comes with a Nightmare Boss
You land the job of your dreams … but there’s one
unavoidable problem. Your boss makes every day a
nightmare and a game of professional survival. What can
you do? How can you cope when you’re the low man on the
totem pole? Invite Nita Wiggins, a longtime Dallas
television journalist, to talk about holding on to your
dream job even though your boss wants you out. Nita
Wiggins is the author of “Fighting out of the Corner,”
a book in which she writes about staying ahead of the
ax. Contact her at (706) – 294 – 7850;
nitadallas@yahoo.com or @EducatingNita
11. ==> Fun Ways to Prevent Kids’ Summer Slide
Summer can mean vacations, pool time and relaxation,
but it can also mean summer learning loss – the
phenomenon where students can lose up to three months
of academic skills during the summer break. Adrian
Ridner, CEO and co-founder of Study.com believes that
not only can summer learning loss be prevented, but
students can even use the summer months to get ahead of
the academic year. Chat with Ridner about how students
(and their parents) can use quick and easy learning
tools on their smartphones to make progress on math,
reading and so much more, without giving up the
freedoms of summer. Ridner can also touch on how short
lessons and convenient video material can motivate
students to continue learning while in “summer mode.”
Fed up with the high cost of education, Adrian Ridner
started Study.com in 2002 with the mission of making
education affordable, effective and engaging. Today,
the company helps over 25 million students a month,
from middle school through college, with short video-
based online courses. Contact Chandni Brunamonti at
cbrunamonti@study.com
12. ==> Water Rules – Summer Swim Safety
A big part of summer is being outside, playing at the
pool and beach, and swimming! But along with the sun
and fun comes countless horror stories about kids and
drowning incidents. Carolanne Caron says everyone
should be able to enjoy the water, but there are
definitely safety issues that need to be taught to
everyone, especially kids. She says, “Many children
don’t know what rules they should follow when they’re
near water and end up getting in a situation over their
skill level.” Carolanne, a swimming and water safety
expert, can share 10 rules to teach children to be
safer around the water. She’s the author of “Water
Safety with Swimmy” and “Swimmy’s Water Safety Coloring
Book.” Contact her at (603) 424-4100;
CoachCaron@SwimCoachCaron.com
13. ==> One-Third of the World is Overweight
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine
finds that one-third of the world’s population is
carrying excess weight. More startling to researchers
though, is the finding that deaths from cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, cancer, and other life-threatening
conditions are occurring almost as often in those
considered overweight as those considered obese.
Researchers say the problem is fueled by urbanization,
poor diets and reduced physical activity. Invite Renee
Jones to talk about the main reason so many people
struggle with weight loss. “It always goes back to
food. Working out helps in many ways, but it’s not the
key to weight loss. It’s a complex issue, but part of
our inability to lose and maintain that weight loss is
emotional/comfort/stress eating. When we stop eating
to make ourselves feel better, we save a whole bunch of
calories.” Renée Jones is a counselor and coach who
focuses on freeing others from comfort eating. She is
the author of “What’s Really Eating You: Overcome the
Triggers of Comfort Eating.” Contact her at (817)
938-6250; reneepj@yahoo.com
14. ==> Teens, Faith and Family
J.F. Tucker is hoping new YA novel will help shine a
light on teen
struggles and the role of spirituality in a teen’s
life. Her book,
“Revelations,” is about a 16-year old girl traumatized
by the sudden death of her best friend. The story
touches on self-worth, questioning faith, and finding
love, even in the darkness. (It also features fantasy
elements like demons and ancient religious orders.)
Tucker says the struggles are rooted firmly in
contemporary teenage reality and she hopes
“Revelations” can be a valuable resource for parents
and teenagers to confront and discuss social pressures
and depression – while finding hope with God and
family. Contact her at (619) 213-3143;
jasminflorestucker@gmail.com
15. ==> Can’t Sleep? Sheep Movie May Do the Trick
When you can’t sleep, you’ll try nearly anything for a
few Zzzzs. An old sleep remedy is to count sheep and
while that may not work for many, Alex Tew says his new
movie may do the trick. “It’s better than any sleeping
pill – the ultimate insomnia cure,” says Tew, the
executive producer of Baa Baa Land, an eight-hour slow-
motion film with no plot, dialogue or actors — a
contemplative epic, entirely starring…sheep. “Baa Baa
Land is the first screen epic entirely starring sheep.
A cast of hundreds… all of them sheep. Count them if
you can – but don’t stress if you can’t. Sit back, wind
down, drift off … to sheep.” Weird? Yes. Boring? Tew
hopes so! Alex Tew is also co-founder of Calm, a
meditation app. For those who lack the time to watch
the entire film, an 86-second trailer available on the
Calm.com blog gives a taste, while a voiceover explains
its rationale. Baa Baa Land is slated for a red-carpet
premiere and global webcast in September. Contact Todd
Brabender at (785) 842-8909; todd@spreadthenewspr.com