01. Law Professor on Minnesota ICE Shooting
02. Annexing Greenland Would Be a Strategic Catastrophe
03. How MLK Jr’s Principles of Nonviolence Can Transform Your Personal Life
04. American Health Care - Who Gets Paid and Why It Matters
05. The Benefits of an AI Girlfriend
06. Inside Today’s High-Profile Court Cases: Is Justice for Sale?
07. The 4 ‘W’s to Wellness - A Guide to a Healthier You
08. ‘The Pitt’ is Back: The Hospital Trauma is Raw and Real
09. How to Find Your ‘Goldilocks’ Hormone Level (and Why You Should Try)
10. 2026 Medicare Changes Seniors Need to Know
11. Why Old School Parenting Fails in a High Tech World
12. Is There a Way to Repair Slavery’s Lasting Wounds?
13. America is Having a Soul Crisis
14. The Dog Who Learned to Dial 911 - And the Trainer Helping Families Fix ‘Unfixable’ Pets
15. From Birthdays to Business Names: Surprising Ways Numbers Shape Success and Well Being
1. ==> Law Professor on Minnesota ICE Shooting
University of Minnesota law professor Emmanuel Mauleón says that based on what has been reported and videos of the shooting, there was “more than enough evidence to support prosecution and to allow a jury to evaluate criminal liability” in the case. He says, “The governing question is whether the use of deadly force was objectively reasonable in light of the facts confronting the officer at the moment force was used, including whether there was probable cause to believe the person posed an immediate threat of serious physical harm. That is to say, the law asks whether a reasonable officer had a concrete, immediate reason to use deadly force, not whether the officer later claims fear.” He says the case raises serious questions about federal accountability and state authority. Emmanuel Mauleón is a law professor specializing in criminal law and state power. He previously served as a Liberty and National Security Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, where his work centered on addressing White Nationalist domestic terrorism, hate crime policy, and national security surveillance. Contact him at (612) 624-8763; maule003@umn.edu
2. ==> Annexing Greenland Would Be a Strategic Catastrophe
With U.S. President Donald Trump’s operations in Venezuela appearing, at least in the administration’s eyes, to be a success, the White House appears eager to build upon its foreign-policy momentum and is looking toward other countries including Greenland. But Casey Michel of the Human Rights Foundation says any attempt by the United States to claim the island would quickly spiral out of control. “There’s good reason to think it would be the greatest foreign-policy blunder since at least the Vietnam War,” he says. Besides encouraging China and Russia to continue their expansionism he says, “There’s something else that would follow America’s devouring of Greenland, which lies at the intersection of foreign and domestic policy. Trump’s seizure of Greenland would be a monumental crime of colonialism—a moral stain, from which it would take at least a generation to recover.” Casey Michel is head of the Human Rights Foundation's Combating Kleptocracy Program and author of “American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Created the World’s Greatest Money Laundering Scheme in History.” Contact him at casey@hrf.org
3. ==> How MLK Jr’s Principles of Nonviolence Can Transform Your Personal Life
This Monday, January 19th, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and more than just a day off from work or school. Invite retired American diplomat and self-described peacebuilder Danielle Reiff on your show to explain how King’s commitment to universal love and nonviolent non-cooperation can apply to family as much as political opponents – or even to oneself. When faced with conflict within her family, Reiff incorporated King’s principles of nonviolence into her own personal life, and says the results were transformative. Reiff has spent her life in the service of peace, having supported democratic transitions and peace processes around the world as a diplomat for twenty years. Now she runs Peacebuilders, an initiative to promote nonviolence and unity in diversity in the U.S. during a critical time. Invite her on your program to help your audience learn about the value and power of nonviolence in our own lives and communities. As King’s inspiration Mahatma Gandhi said, “We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies of the world would also change.” Contact Danielle at (202) 499-7256; dreiff@rtirguests.com
4. ==> American Health Care - Who Gets Paid and Why It Matters
Over decades working inside hospitals, academic medicine, and health-care organizations, Dr. Robin Blackstone has watched a growing disconnect emerge between what medicine says it values (including prevention, judgment, continuity) and what the system actually rewards. In her new book, “American Health: Who Gets Paid,” she shows how payment - not policy, technology, or professionalism - quietly governs American health care and she argues that the U.S. health system is not broken so much as mispriced. The book is part of Blackstone’s larger project involving healthcare and AI. She argues that AI does not eliminate the need for clinicians; it exposes the need to finally pay for the work only humans can do well: early judgment, trust-building, and accountability over time. Robin Blackstone, MD, is a physician and health-systems writer based in New York. Trained and practiced as a surgeon, she has held senior leadership roles in academic medicine and global health organizations and is the founder of Blackstone Health. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137 (office); (703) 400-1099 (cell) or Erin Bolden at (703) 980-2705
5. ==> The Benefits of an AI Girlfriend
You may think of Artificial Intelligence in terms of jobs, but what about the implications it has on our relationships? 2023 Google Trends indicated a 2,400 percent increase in searches for “AI girlfriends” and millions of people are currently in what they consider to be serious relationships with AI. What benefits do AI companions present to humans that a traditional human partner might not—and what dilemmas might this technology present? These are questions that Victoria Hetherington asks and answers in her book, “The Friend Machine: On the Trail of AI Companionship.” Hetherington will delve into the rapidly evolving world of AI companionship, asking what it means to be alone, and to be in love, in a world where artificial intelligence is increasingly present and can share the experiences of people from diverse backgrounds who have sought and found companionship in AI. Victoria Hetherington is an author, screenwriter, instructor, and communications specialist who has written for Yahoo! Finance and Hazlitt and served as a frequent panelist at universities and conferences. Contact Lissa Warren at (617) 233-2853; LissaWarrenPR@gmail.com
6. ==> Inside Today’s High-Profile Court Cases: Is Justice for Sale?
Whether your listeners are trying to follow high-profile criminal trials or understand the role of politics within the courts, it can be hard to make sense of how our legal system really works. James Porfido has decades of experience on both sides of the bench as a former prosecutor and a defense attorney. He says justice may be blind, but it’s certainly not cheap and will reveal how money plays an outsized role in who wins in court, and who loses everything. He’ll expose how wealth tips the scales: from bail to legal strategy to sentencing. His book, “Unequal Justice,” dives deep into the systemic gaps that disadvantage the poor and protect the powerful. With high-profile trials in the news and court cases continually making headlines, this is the perfect time to explore whether the justice system is truly fair—or just for sale. Contact James Porfido at (973) 620-2157; jporfido@rtirguests.com
7. ==> The 4 ‘W’s to Wellness - A Guide to a Healthier You
Looking to start the new year with a healthier lifestyle? Author and YMCA associate health and wellness director Jim Carpentier can help you achieve your health and fitness goals! Following his 4 ‘W’s to Wellness, detailed in his book of the same title, is a refreshingly simple - and natural - path to a healthier and happier you. Invite Carpentier to your show to find out what the 4 ‘W’s are, how they’re scientifically proven to work, and how easily accessible they are to everyone who wants to optimize their mental and physical health. Contact Jim Carpentier at jcarpentier@msn.com or (973) 252-0194
8. ==> ‘The Pitt’ is Back: The Hospital Trauma is Raw and Real
America’s healthcare system is in crisis—but what’s often ignored is the trauma beneath the surface. This is the perfect segment as season 2 of the much lauded hospital drama ‘The Pitt’ hits screens. Kathy Allan, a board-certified holistic nurse with over two decades of experience in trauma recovery, says many nurses today are emotionally broken, betrayed by the very system they once trusted. Patients, too, are suffering from care that feels cold, rushed, and disconnected. In interviews, Allan reveals how this hidden trauma plays out, much like in the TV show, “The Pitt.” Drawing on her “12 Steps of Healing Care” and years as a healing touch instructor and somatic experiencing practitioner, Allan offers a spiritual and body-centered roadmap for transforming pain into purpose. Her stories and insights will resonate with nurses, healthcare workers, and anyone who’s ever felt harmed by the system that was supposed to help them. Contact Kathy Allan at (619) 932-5206; kallan@rtirguests.com
9. ==> How to Find Your ‘Goldilocks’ Hormone Level (and Why You Should Try)
Millions of women live with daily pain, from back aches and migraines to joint stiffness, and most instinctively reach for an anti-inflammatory. But what if the real culprit isn’t your joints, it’s your hormones? Stacey Roberts, RN, PT, MBA, has spent more than three decades helping people move beyond chronic pain, from everyday women to elite athletes, across Australia and the United States. “Hormonal fluctuations can lead to inflammation, joint pain, and muscle pain,” she says. “There’s a ‘Goldilocks’ moment when hormones are just right, not too high, not too low, giving your body its natural anti-inflammatory boost. But as women enter perimenopause and menopause, we lose that natural protection.” With training as a nurse, physical therapist and MBA, she bridges medicine movement and empowerment. Contact her at (414) 310-7845; sroberts@rtirguests.com
10. ==> 2026 Medicare Changes Seniors Need to Know
Major health care changes have taken effect for about 69 million older Americans and Medicare expert Toni King is here to helps listeners understand how these updates will affect their coverage and annual out-of-pocket costs in the coming year. She’ll also explain how Medicare directly negotiated lower prices for 10 high-cost drugs, transforming Part D and contributing to rising premiums for many enrollees. The author of “Medicare Survival Guide Advanced Edition,” Toni delivers clear, practical advice that helps families protect both their coverage and their wallets. She can also speak about the rise in Medicare scams targeting seniors na¬tionwide. Contact Toni King at (281) 677-3736; tking@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Why Old School Parenting Fails in a High Tech World
George Lee, lawyer and award-winning author of “SMART Parenting 5.0,” is helping parents prepare their children for a future defined by AI, automation, and constant change. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and technology research, Lee distills decades of teaching into 10 practical “future-readiness” keys that schools often overlook—like creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and financial literacy. With experience spanning Eastern and Western education systems, he helps families nurture adaptable, confident, and compassionate kids ready to thrive in the modern world. Lee will reveal how to replace outdated parenting myths with science-based strategies for the digital age— because the best way to prepare children for the future is to raise them to think for themselves. Ask him: What are the most important skills kids will need to succeed in the AI era? Why do traditional parenting and education models no longer work? Contact George Lee at (604) 330-8697; glee@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Is There a Way to Repair Slavery’s Lasting Wounds?
Lauraine White warns America’s reckoning with slavery can’t wait another generation. As President Trump’s non-inclusive politics fuel new battles over DEI, history standards and voting rights, she says the time for denial is over. With both enslaved and Confederate blood in her family line, White argues that real healing requires more than apologies. Her Freedom Wealth Fund lays out measurable steps that include erasing student-loan debt for descendants of slaves, free education, and rewriting U.S. history curricula to tell the full truth about the transatlantic slave trade. White insists this isn’t about relitigating the past—it’s a practical blueprint for a just future. With nearly 60% of Americans saying slavery still affects Black people’s position in society today (Pew Research), her plan will spark headlines, debate and the uncomfortable, but necessary, conversation America keeps postponing. Sample questions: Can a Confederate descendant credibly lead the call for reparations, or is that exactly why she should? Is student-debt forgiveness for descendants a fair, targeted form of reparations that taxpayers can accept? Contact lwhite@rtirguests.com (email preferred) or (770) 525-8743
13. ==> America is Having a Soul Crisis
Across every generation, stress, anxiety, and burnout are on the rise. But according to author and spiritual teacher Doreen Mary Bray, what we’re really facing isn’t just a mental health crisis, it’s a soul crisis. In her new book “The Angel and The Avatar,” Doreen reveals how losing connection with our inner selves has left millions feeling unfulfilled, anxious, and exhausted. A naturopath, shaman, and teacher for more than 40 years, she offers a fresh, practical perspective on how to restore balance through simple daily practices that realign mind, body, and soul. A compassionate and insightful guest, Doreen helps audiences understand the hidden causes of modern stress and how to turn sensitivity, overthinking, and self-doubt into tools for healing and personal growth. Ask her: What do you mean by a “soul crisis,” and how is it different from burnout? What’s one thing our listeners can do today to feel calmer and more centered? Contact Doreen Mary Bray at (438) 802-0280; dbray@rtirguests.com
14. ==> The Dog Who Learned to Dial 911 - And the Trainer Helping Families Fix ‘Unfixable’ Pets
Whether your pup’s a chewer, a jumper, or just plain bad, author and dog trainer Kathleen Troy can share how to transform even the most unruly Rovers into well-behaved bowwows. Known as the Dear Abby of the canine world, Katheleen shares her doggone delightful tales of Dylan, a pooch she rescued from South Korea that was wildly destructive. With love and patience, not only did Kathleen bring Dylan’s behavior under control, she taught him sign language, how to count to 10, and dial 911! “There are no bad dogs, just bad owners,” she says. Kathleen is the author of the "Dylan’s Dog Squad" series, as well as a book about dog training. Contact Kathleen Troy at (714) 975-9807; ktroy@rtirguests.com
15. ==> From Birthdays to Business Names: Surprising Ways Numbers Shape Success and Well Being
Most people would agree that we are in the midst of uncertain times, so is it really any wonder that so many are searching for ways to make sense of things? Ancient practices are getting a second look, including some surprising ones like numerology. Suzan Owens will explain how numbers that surround people in their everyday lives — from addresses and birthdays to business names — carry living energy that can influence success, relationships and overall well-being. A skilled numerologist, she’ll tell listeners how to work with these hidden numeric energies to influence their lives in positive ways. Whether you’re seeking advice about your career, relationships, or personal growth, Suzan will share a fresh perspective that can guide you toward your fullest potential. “Numerology helps us look beyond the surface, uncovering our deeper purpose and strengths,” Suzan explains. “It aligns us with who we truly are.” Suzan is the author of “Wisdom of Numerology.” Contact her at (509) 315-6515; Sowens@rtirguests.com
