01. America’s Crime Problem Is a Big Fat Lie
02. Private Equity: The Metastasizing Disease Threatening Health Care
03. Lessons from Matthew Perry’s Life and Death
04. 2024 Financial Trends
05. How to Get Unstuck in 2024
06. Should You Rethink That Holiday Proposal?
07. When the Season of Joy Leaves You Sad
08. Behind the Scenes of ‘Coach Prime’
09. WWPSD: What Would Patrick Swayze Do (and Say) in 2024?
10. Teach Your Child to Handle Criticism (and Milk It for All It’s Worth)
11. What’s Behind the Shocking Increase in Teenage Depression?
12. Get Better Faster: The Secret to Boosting Your Healing Power
13. Being Fired Changed His Life for the Better
14. How to Find Hope Even Amid Natural Disasters
15. Did You Get a Holiday Visit from Beyond the Grave?
1. ==> America’s Crime Problem Is a Big Fat Lie
A Gallup poll released this month found that 77% of Americans believe crime rates are worsening, but they are mistaken, according to new FBI data and other statistics. The FBI data, which compares crime rates in the third quarter of 2023 to the same period last year, found that violent crime dropped 8%, while property crime fell 6.3% to what would be its lowest level since 1961, according to criminologist Jeff Asher, who analyzed the FBI numbers. Murder plummeted in the United States in 2023 at one of the fastest rates of decline ever recorded, Asher found, and every category of major crime except auto theft declined. So why the disconnect? “I think we’ve been conditioned, and we have no way of countering the idea that crime is rising,” Asher says. “It’s just an overwhelming number of news media stories and viral videos — I have to believe that social media is playing a role.” Jeff Asher is a consultant and crime analyst based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jeff served as a crime analyst for the City of New Orleans from 2013 to 2015 before serving as a crime analyst for “The New Orleans Advocate” and WWLTV. Contact him at JAsher@ahdatalytics.com
2. ==> Private Equity: The Metastasizing Disease Threatening Health Care
Private equity firms increasingly make up a substantial portion of investment in U.S. health-care companies, in virtually every sector of the industry. But many communities across the country are finding that the companies are aggressively looting safety-net hospitals, stripping valuable real estate, cutting critical but less profitable services and exploiting government funding programs intended to support and stabilize health-care access. Invite Jim Baker to discuss the impact this profiteering is having on health-care workers and patients and why, despite the growing threat they pose to critical health-care services, private equity firms are largely able to operate in the shadows. Jim Baker is the executive director of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. Contact him at jim.baker@pestakeholder.org
3. ==> Lessons from Matthew Perry’s Life and Death
Actor Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler on the TV series “Friends,” described his decades-long fight against opioid addiction in his 2022 memoir. Perry’s addiction began with a single Vicodin dispensed by a physician for pain after a jet-skiing accident. Now we’ve learned from recently released toxicology reports that Perry’s death on October 28 was due to a frequently abused drug, ketamine, which he was initially introduced to by a health-care provider to treat his anxiety and depression. Chronic pain expert Cindy Perlin can discuss the lessons that physicians and patients can learn from Perry’s tragic tale. Perlin is a licensed clinical social worker, founder and CEO of the Alternative Pain Treatment Directory and the author of “The Truth About Chronic Pain Treatments: The Best and Worst Strategies for Becoming Pain Free.” She’s also a chronic pain survivor and an experienced interview guest. Contact her at cindyperlin@gmail.com or (518) 439-6431.
4.==> 2024 Financial Trends
All signs currently point to a resilient economy, yet a new Bankrate survey finds that two-thirds of Americans don’t expect their personal finances to improve in 2024. The biggest reason behind Americans’ financial pessimism continues to be inflation. Invite Sam Burns of Mill Street Research to explain the disconnect and what he sees ahead in the coming year. Sam can discuss stock picks, corporate earnings, economic news, and the current geopolitical environment’s impact on the markets. Sam Burns is CFA and chief strategist at Mill Street Research, an independent research company specializing in proprietary institutional research tools for asset allocation, stock selection, and macroeconomic indicators. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137; (703) 400-1099 (cell) or johanna@jrbcomm.com
5. ==> How to Get Unstuck in 2024
Are you feeling stuck in an unhappy job, relationship, or other unpleasant situation? Does it seem like the circumstances will never be right for you to find the perfect partner, career, or life? Luckily, you don’t have to wait for the opportunity to come to you. Learn how to make your own opportunities for breaking free from anything that holds you back when you interview Laura Brennan Ballet. The author of “The Science of Empowerment,” Laura is an experienced life coach and frequent media guest who helps people connect with their personal power to achieve anything, simply by changing the way they think about it. She’ll not only show your audience how to think differently but actually recalibrate their brains and reach for their dreams with intent. You’ll hear why we all become algorithms of the people around us, how to reclaim your authentic self, and how to move past disappointment and live life with zero regrets. Contact Laura Ballet at (860) 831-4435; lballet@rtirguests.com
6. ==> Should You Rethink That Holiday Proposal?
The majority of marriage proposals are made during the holiday season and while many people would take this as an omen of prosperity and cheer, a holiday engagement could signify some red flags in a relationship. Research psychologist, psychoanalytic therapist, and relationship therapist Dr. Frieda Birnbaum can share her perspective on the engagement season and the best ways to decipher if you and your partner are truly ready to tie the knot! Dr. Frieda is a seasoned media personality and commentator and, notably, the oldest woman in America to give birth to twins. A mother of five, her youngest sons were born when she was 60, lending her a unique perspective on issues related to parenting and the empowerment of women at any age. She’s the author of “Life Begins at 60: A New View of Motherhood, Marriage, and Reinventing Ourselves” and “What Price Power: An In-Depth Study of the Professional Woman in a Relationship.” Contact Mackenzie August at (661) 255-8283; mackenzie@steveallenmedia.com
7. ==> When the Season of Joy Leaves You Sad
The season of joy doesn’t lighten everyone’s spirits. It can also bring great sorrow and depression, especially for those who’ve recently lost a loved one. “Grief is real and needs to be addressed. It can be overwhelming,” says Marcia Chang Vogl. “It often includes physiological distress, separation anxiety, confusion, yearning, obsessive dwelling on the past, and apprehension about the future.” The ordained prayer minister can discuss ways to deal with grief and how to spot — and help — someone who is suffering. “We usually think of it as the loss of a loved one, but grief also can arise out of the loss of a job, a career, a favorite time, or even an ability. If you were an avid skier and now have injuries that keep you from the sport, there will be the grief of having to give that up.” Marcia Chang Vogle is an author and consultant for Christian Spiritual Mentoring. Her latest book is “The Path Forward.” Contact her at (714) 454-7194; marciavogl@gmail.com
8. ==> Behind the Scenes of ‘Coach Prime’
The new season of Prime Video’s hit docuseries “Coach Prime” takes viewers inside the locker room and onto the field of Coach Deion Sanders’ University of Colorado Boulder football program for the 2023 season. “Coach Prime” and the Buffaloes have shaken up the college football landscape. The series highlights Sanders’ journey to inspire the team and transform the program. It features Sanders’ sons Shilo and Shedeur along with their former Jackson State University teammate Travis Hunter and takes viewers behind the scenes of the most exciting story in college sports this year. Invite Emmy-winning executive producer and showrunner Micah Brown to discuss the series and preview the drama that unfolds during Sanders’ first full season at CU Boulder and share stories that take place on and off the field. Contact John Angelo at john@premieretv.com.
9. ==> WWPSD: What Would Patrick Swayze Do (and Say) in 2024?
Patrick Swayze left us in 2009 yet his wise words and zest for living are as applicable as ever particularly as we begin a new year. For example, Patrick said: “We kind of get ruined in the Western way of thinking that the brass ring is what’s important when it’s very simple things in life that are important — like hanging on to faith and hope. … I hope our standards, our levels of integrity and morality and passion and beliefs upgrade themselves soon.” Sue Tabashnik can talk about Patrick’s universal take on the world and core values that would be of comfort to all in 2024. Philosophical and spiritual, he was an advocate for dance, conservation, and advances in cancer treatment. Sue is the author of four books about Patrick Swayze — including “Patrick Swayze: The Dreamer” and met him several times. Contact her at (248) 617-0505; stabashnik@rtirguests.com
10. ==> Teach Your Child to Handle Criticism (and Milk It for All It’s Worth)
Most parents will do whatever they can to prevent their children from experiencing hurt and criticism. Yet receiving criticism — and learning how to manage it — is part of life. So how can parents raise emotionally intelligent children who can mine the lessons often contained in critical comments? Interview emotional intelligence expert Detri McGhee to find out and adults will also pick up some pointers they can use themselves! Detri is the author of the upcoming book “Criticism Management: The C-A-T That Tames the Dragon.” Ask her: What is the most important skill that is often neglected and how can your audience acquire it? How can kids and adults profit from every criticism they get? What tools are available to combat the negative and destructive effects of deserved and undeserved criticism? Detri is the president of Entrepreneurial Training and Marketing, LLC, a company that offers workshops and seminars on criticism management. Contact her at (870) 407-7523; dmcghee@rtirguests.com
11. ==> What’s Behind the Shocking Increase in Teenage Depression?
Teen depression and suicide have dramatically increased during the past decade. “There are multiple causes including isolation, school stress, social media, bullying, and many others,” says best-selling author Scott Kolbaba M.D. “This was made worse by the pandemic.” Dr. Kolbaba claims that enabling young people to focus on finding a purpose in life and pursuing their passions is just what the doctor ordered. His award-winning children’s book, “Clara’s Magic Garden” is an uplifting illustration of this principle. He is an internal medicine physician who graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and appeared in “Chicago Magazine” as a “Top Doctor.” Contact Dr. Scott Kolbaba at (630) 656-9507; skolbaba@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Get Better Faster: The Secret to Boosting Your Healing Power
Science has shown that a mind-body connection exists and your emotions can impact your physical health, but how much does it actually help? Discover the real power of positive thinking when you interview Stan Munslow. After helping his father beat 30% survival odds and fully recover from Stage 4 lymphoma, Stan shares his methods for faster recovery from surgery, chronic conditions, or serious illness — and improved health overall. Discover powerful techniques to optimize your mind-body connection and reclaim your health. Ask him: How can your thoughts help you decrease pain, recovery time, and even your health-care costs? Why does being the “perfect patient” help you shorten and improve a hospital experience? Stan Munslow is the author of “Get Weller Sooner: 12 Powerful, Proven Ways to Speed and Improve Your Recovery from Illness or Surgery?” Contact him at (401) 337-7436; smunslow@rtirguests.com
13. ==> Being Fired Changed His Life for the Better
Most people dread being fired. Jim North was devastated when it happened to him yet he seized the opportunity to remake his life and today is excelling more than when he was employed at his long-time job of 23 years. Why wait until New Year’s to do a show on changing course when you could interview Jim now to inspire your listeners to figure out what they want — instead of merely going along for the ride — and go for it? Jim’s firing ultimately led him to pursue a career as a writer, interview people, and travel to Jerusalem where he interviewed people whose stories were life-changing. Jim says, “Learning someone else’s story doubles your life.” Jim has produced creative presentations for events and children’s settings. He was a workshop speaker at the John Hope Franklin Symposium in Tulsa. He holds a B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in professional writing. He studied international reporting at Hebrew University. Contact Jim at (918) 809-0565; jim@jimbnorth.com
14. ==> How to Find Hope Even Amid Natural Disasters
Hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters are becoming increasingly common, leaving dazed and unprepared people to pick up the pieces. No human being can change the weather but we can develop a habit of hope, says Edie Summers, an expert on building resilience who says such a habit can also help us bounce back from divorce and job loss. Edie says, “You have much more control over how you feel than you realize.” She is the author of “The Memory of Health,” a wellness coach, mind-body fitness instructor, former executive, and the creator of the My Daily Well app. She has been featured in “Entrepreneur” and many podcasts. Ask her: How can we develop a habit of hope? How can focusing on small things to be grateful for reinforce that habit? What mindset shift do we need to practice? Contact Edie Summers at (503) 487-0058; esummers@rtirguests.com
15. ==> Did You Get a Holiday Visit from Beyond the Grave?
This time of year brings up a lot of memories and emotions, especially about people who are no longer with us. Many of us have dreamt about a lost loved one, felt the presence of someone who has passed on, or experienced other seemingly inexplicable messages from the dearly departed. While it’s common to chalk this up to mere nonsense, psychic medium and author June Edward claims that this is not your imagination playing tricks. “You can’t see the air you breathe, but it’s there,” she says. “It’s the same with souls that have passed on. They are standing right next to you!” June can share why we may feel our departed loved ones more often this time of year, how to communicate with them, and how this can vastly improve your life. She is the author of “All’s Fair in Love & Karma: 5 Steps to Relationship Mastery,” which has been endorsed by best-selling author John Gray. Contact June Edward at (508) 544-0189; jedward@rtirguests.com