01. The Problem with Polls: What they Tell Us, What they Don’t
02. Your Election Day Questions Answered
03. Will the Supreme Court Undo Affirmative Action?
04. Musk, Twitter, TikTok: Cyber Week in Review
05. Crackle TV’s ‘Going From Broke’
06. Why You Should Write an ‘Angry Letter’
07. Rosa Parks, Emmitt Till: Retelling Civil Rights History
08. Why We Are Blowing the Mental Health Crisis (and How to Fix It)
09. Surprising Link Between Perfume and Infertility
10. Can You Really Make Your Own Happiness?
11. 4 Tips to Ease Social Anxiety
12. Rewire Your Brain to Break Negative Patterns
13. How the Black Community Normalizes Obesity
14. What Really Happens in the Afterlife?
15. The Best Fall Nature Experiences
1. ==> The Problem with Polls: What they Tell Us, What they Don’t
With several close key races this election cycle, all eyes are on the polls, but can we trust them? W. Joseph Campbell says polls have been wrong often enough over the years that they deserve to be treated warily and with skepticism. “Polling is neither easy nor cheap if done well, and the field’s persistent troubles have even prompted the question of whether election surveys are worth the bother.” He’ll discuss whether polls in this year’s prominent races are likely to misfire and why the news media continues to report on them given their unreliability. He’ll explain how polling has changed over the years and how contemporary pollsters are experimenting as they seek new ways to reach participants and gather data. W. Joseph Campbell is a professor at American University and the author of seven books including “Lost in a Gallup: Polling Failure in U.S. Presidential Elections,” which addresses prominent cases in which opinion polls misfired from 1936 to 2016. Contact him at (202) 885-2071; wjc@american.edu
2. ==> Your Election Day Questions Answered
Next Tuesday voters will head to the polls for the midterm elections. Voter turnout is always highest in presidential election years, but some consequential elections are happening next week and the non-partisan group Vote.org wants to help all Americans participate. “Navigating our democracy can be complicated, but voting shouldn’t be,” says the group’s CEO, Andrea Hailey. “We want all voters, particularly those voting for the first time, to understand the importance of voting at all levels of government.” Did you lose your mail-in ballot? Can you submit a mail-in ballot at the polls on Election Day? Invite Hailey to take listeners’ voting questions and share where to find information on local elections no matter what your party affiliation is. Contact LToya Knighten at (510) 541-7723; ltoya@vote.org
3. ==> Will the Supreme Court Undo Affirmative Action?
The Supreme Court is currently hearing oral arguments on two major cases concerning race-based affirmative action at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. Discuss affirmative action’s past and future with author Judith Mudd-Krijgelmans (pronounced Kray-gull-mans). Hear how affirmative action came out of the civil rights movement as a means to address inequalities experienced by minorities and became law through an executive order made by John F. Kennedy in 1961. Ask Judith: Is affirmative action reverse discrimination? How effective has it been? Was it always controversial? Does it benefit everyone or just a few? Judith Mudd-Krijgelmans, a Fulbright Scholar, was one of the first Black women in the Foreign Service. A child of educators, she grew up in public housing in the Jim Crow South where Blacks were told they lived in a separate, but equal society. She is the author of “Flowers for Brother Mudd: One Woman’s Path from Jim Crow to Career Diplomat.” Contact Judith at (571) 568-8667; jmuddkrijgelmans@rtir.com
4. ==> Musk, Twitter, TikTok: Cyber Week in Review
There’s been a lot going on in cyberspace lately. In the past week alone, TikTok was being accused of monitoring U.S. citizens, hacktivists leaked documents from Iran’s nuclear program, the DOJ charged Chinese intelligence officers, a Chinese influence campaign was detected and Elon Musk bought Twitter. Invite cyber expert Adam Segal to talk about the latest technology news and what it means for your listeners. Adam Segal is the Ira A. Lipman chair in emerging technologies and national security and director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations. Contact him at (212) 434-9745; asegal@cfr.org or @adschina
5. ==> Crackle TV’s ‘Going From Broke’
Financial literacy isn’t usually considered an entertaining subject but “Going From Broke,” the award-winning TV series from executive producer Ashton Kutcher, has viewers hooked. Hosted by Dan Rosensweig (CEO of Chegg and former COO of Yahoo) and financial expert Tonya Rapley, the show helps people overcome their crippling debt to achieve financial freedom. In the wake of “The Great Resignation” manifesting across the American workforce, this season focuses on helping people manage their debt, job insecurity and growing mental health concerns. The third season features a wide range of people from all walks of life, including a young couple drowning in staggering student loans with dreams of buying a home, a military veteran and his family struggling with bad financial decisions, restaurateurs whose business took a major hit during the pandemic and a single father living paycheck-to-paycheck. Invite Dan to talk about the show and offer tips for listeners on how to take control of their debt, find their way to financial freedom, and how to best prepare for a potential recession. “Going From Broke” streams for free on Crackle beginning November 10. Contact John Angelo at john@premieretv.com.
6. ==> Why You Should Write an ‘Angry Letter’
Have you ever been so mad that steam could have come out of your ears? It happens to most of us after someone has treated us unfairly, hurt us, taken advantage of us, or failed to live up to our expectations. Unfortunately, under such circumstances we are likely to do the wrong thing: lash out at someone else nearby or say things we will later regret. Handling anger properly is one facet of being resilient, a subject Kiden Jonathan knows a lot about having fled war-torn Sudan with a baby, lived with an abusive man and spent time in a women’s shelter and the world’s largest refugee camp. Invite Kiden on your program to explain the therapeutic power of writing an “angry letter” to a person or institution that wronged you and then dipping it in a substance that she’ll reveal on the air. She’ll also share other tips on being resilient. Kiden now lives in Canada where she is a full-time college student, speaker, and the author of “Resilience: The Journey of Self-Discovery.” She has been quoted in CBC News and the “Toronto Star.” Contact Kiden at (647) 503-5092; kjonathan@rtirguests.com
7. ==> Rosa Parks, Emmitt Till: Retelling Civil Rights History
The new Peacock documentary “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” and the just-released movie “Till,” about Emmitt Till, hit screens this month shining a light on America’s civil rights struggles. Both movies are generating a lot of buzz. Nita Wiggins interviewed Rosa Parks, Muhammed Ali and many other prominent Black figures and athletes during her career as a pioneering female sports broadcaster. The author of “Civil Rights Baby” can discuss these films, how they differ from previous portrayals, and what we’ve forgotten (or were never taught) about America’s civil rights history. Wiggins is a former news and sports journalist who currently teaches journalism in Paris, France. Contact her at nitadallas@yahoo.com
8. ==> Why We Are Blowing the Mental Health Crisis (and How to Fix It)
There already was a mental health crisis in America before the pandemic. Now it is even worse. This means that a discussion with Elizabeth Power, M.Ed., could not be timelier. Invite her on your program to talk about ways the U.S. is failing to deliver the mental health services the public needs, why there will never be enough therapists to handle that load and the overlooked solution that lets people help themselves. Ask her: how could the number of prescriptions written for Zoloft be cut in half? Why do mental health diagnoses cause a lifetime of stigma? How did her refusal to be a calm, compliant mentally ill person lead her to be an influence in all things trauma-informed on every continent except Antarctica? Elizabeth has helped thousands of people to learn the skills they failed to grasp after suffering traumas as children. She is the founding director of The Trauma Informed Academy and the author of “Healer: Reducing Crises,” which offers everyday actions people can take to recover from traumatic experiences and be more resilient in the face of stress and discomfort. She is an adjunct instructor in psychiatry at Georgetown Medical Center and has been on NBC News, NPR, and in the “Wall Street Journal.” Contact her at (615) 903-0906; epower@rtirguests.com
9. ==> Surprising Link Between Perfume and Infertility
Not only can fragrances in everyday products such as soap, body lotion and laundry detergent cause a variety of health ailments, but products expert Zorica Denton learned that these could also cause infertility in women and men. “Studies show that fragrances affect male sperm and women’s fertility, making it more difficult to get pregnant,” she says. “Products with fragrances may contain anywhere from 100 to 1,000 chemicals. But they don’t have to be listed due to trade-secret policies.” Zorica developed long-term, debilitating health problems as a result of working as a perfume model. She is the founder of the natural personal care products company Zorica of Malibu and the author of an upcoming book about toxic chemicals in products. Contact her at (213) 616-7904; zdenton@rtirguests.com
10. ==> Can You Really Make Your Own Happiness?
With a barrage of bad news on all fronts and the increasing struggle most Americans are facing both at home and in the workplace, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to be happy about today. The good news is that you don’t have to wait for the world to get better. Let Mary Mitchell show you how to generate your own happiness, no matter what your current life circumstances. Mary has helped thousands of people, from inmates to CEOs, attract the happiness they want. She’ll reveal the steps you can take now to ditch constant anxiety and worry, so you can seize joy and choose success every day – even if you’re surrounded by negativity. Ask her: How can you find happiness when the whole world seems unhappy? What is your method for identifying and removing personal obstacles to happiness? How does complaining literally make you sick? Contact Mary Mitchell at (530) 561-5945; mmitchell@rtirguests.com
11. ==> 4 Tips to Ease Social Anxiety
Are you worried about going out in public because you fear that other people will judge you? Do you struggle to interact with strangers? Have you avoided speaking up for yourself at work or home because you’re afraid that you won’t be liked enough to be taken seriously? You may be relieved to know that you’re not alone – and that you don’t have to struggle with these and other common symptoms of social anxiety. Collectively, our social anxiety has only gotten worse since the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Interview Lee Vallely, the author of “Kick the Sh*t out of Social Anxiety,” to help your audience ease the stress of social anxiety and start enjoying their lives. Ask him: What are four things you can do right now if you’re experiencing social anxiety? Why is “feel the fear and do it anyway” terrible advice? How can simple breathing help you overcome social anxiety? Contact Lee Vallely at (561) 658-1266 or lvallely@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Rewire Your Brain to Break Negative Patterns
The feeling of being stuck in a rut or trapped by life’s circumstances is all too common, especially in the wake of a global pandemic that has left us with fewer choices than ever. Laura Brennan Ballet is here to help us break free of the negative patterns that keep us stuck in unhappy jobs, relationships, or situations – simply by changing the way we think. An experienced life coach and the author of “The Science of Empowerment,” Laura can teach your audience how to not just think differently, but to actually recalibrate your brain and move forward with intent, free of the negativity that’s been holding you back. Ask her: Is it really possible to live without regrets? Why does she say that we all become algorithms of the people around us? How can we “think better?” Contact Laura Ballet at (860) 831-4435 or lballet@rtirguests.com
13. ==> How the Black Community Normalizes Obesity
Obesity is an epidemic across America, but especially so in Black communities where nearly half of all adults and a staggering 82% of women are overweight. The statistics are even more alarming when considering the health risks most commonly associated with obesity. Invite Dr. Alvin Perry to discuss the genetic, behavioral and socio-cultural factors at play in the Black community, and how to change the equation to create healthier communities. Ask him: Are Blacks genetically predisposed to being overweight? Has the community normalized obesity? Why are Black women less likely to exercise (and what is the simple solution)? Alvin Perry, DBA, is a successful entrepreneur and small business expert. He’s also ISSA certified in personal training and nutrition. His book, “Just Fat!” chronicles his 80-pound weight-loss journey and shares a simple system he created that changed the course of his life and led him to the path of personal wellness. Contact him at (678) 788-7529; aperry@rtirguests.com
14. ==> What Really Happens in the Afterlife?
After experiencing a traumatic brain injury due to falling at home, author Jennifer Maag realized this was a blessing in disguise. “I became extremely empathic, which was a gift,” she says. One of those gifts was developing an understanding of what happens after we die. “When we pass over, we go to a ‘soul hospital’ and then ‘soul school’ where we learn valuable lessons. Those who have passed over often communicate with us through our dreams.” Jennifer, a licensed massage therapist, and her son, Alexander Maag, are the co-authors of the critically acclaimed book “Take on God,” which explores how to transform our inner battles into healing tools to live our best lives. Contact her at (419) 969-3259; jmaag@rtirguests.com
15. ==> The Best Fall Nature Experiences
Autumn is a wonderful time to be a naturalist in the U.S. Invite Matthew Miller, editor of the Cool Green Science blog, to share the best nature shows currently going on across the country. Learn where to spot migrating raptors and dragonflies, what’s behind the fascinating flock structure and dominance displays of wild turkeys, and why the best fall experience of all is hearing a bull elk in full bugle. Miller says the secret to witnessing incredible nature displays is simply being alert and spending time in the woods. A big proponent of observing the wildlife that lives around you, Miller suggests even those in the suburbs and city keep an eye out for white-tailed deer. “If you are really lucky you might see two bucks sparring or engaged in a full-blown antler fight,” he says. Matthew L. Miller is director of science communications for The Nature Conservancy and editor of the Cool Green Science blog. He is the author of “Fishing Through the Apocalypse.” Contact him at @eatguineapigs or Rachel Winters at The Nature Conservancy at (267) 210-2189; rwinters@tnc.org