01. Blitz or Bluff? Ret. Brig. General Weighs In
02. Roots of Joe Rogan Controversy
03. Black History: Africa and the Making of the Modern World
04. 40th Anniversary of ‘E.T.’: Interview Dee Wallace
05. How to Stay Positive When Everything is Negative
06. ‘The Lost Valentine’: Lasting Love and Betty White
07. Do a Valentine’s Day Show on Romantic Music
08. History Lessons: Inflation, Employment and Price Controls
09. America’s Longest-Running Criminal Conspiracy Against Children
10. Catching Up on Education after COVID
11. Can You Guess the Most Important Minutes of the Day?
12. Are You a Carrier of the ‘Trauma Virus?’
13. When to Worry about a Forgetful Spouse
14. What the Bible Really Says about Love
15. Interview Former Harlem Globetrotter Melvin Adams
1. ==> Blitz or Bluff? Ret. Brig. General Weighs In
Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv are at their highest in years, with a large Russian troop buildup near the shared borders of the two former Soviet republics. Invite Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Peter Zwack, who spent two years as the United States senior defense official and attaché to the Russian Federation including the recent 2014 Russia-Ukraine crisis, to discuss what’s going on in the region and what he believes Vladimir Putin wants from the situation. Zwack can share why he believes the Russians have boxed themselves in and why that makes the situation risky. “I worry very much about an accident, an incident or a provocation in these highly tense, distrustful times, where decision cycles are much shorter than they used to be,” Zwack says. A frequent media guest on national security and leadership issues, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Peter Zwack has appeared on CNN, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” the BBC and more. His new book, “Swimming the Volga,” is based on his time in Russia before the fall of the Soviet Union. Contact Terri Beavers at (434) 979-7438; BG.PBZ.r@gmail.com
2. ==> Roots of Joe Rogan Controversy
While podcast commentator Joe Rogan continues to ignite controversy as a source of false claims about the COVID pandemic, the roots of such widespread falsehoods are examined in a recent investigative report. Journalist Alex Kotch, co-author of the report “How the Koch Network Hijacked the War on Covid,” tells the story of how that corporate-bankrolled campaign originally started and how it has continued to supplant public health experts and hijack the governmental response to the pandemic. The report was produced by a partnership of the Center for Media and Democracy and The Daily Poster. Alex Kotch is senior investigative reporter at the Center for Media and Democracy and co-founder and executive director of the OptOut Media Foundation. Contact him at alex@prwatch.org, @alexkotch
3. ==> Black History: Africa and the Making of the Modern World
Former “New York Times” bureau chief Howard French thinks it’s time to adjust our historical perception of African Americans’ role in our history. He argues that gold and slaves from “Africa [were] the linchpin of the machine of modernity” and these facts should be added to how Americans look at the development of modern American history. Invite him on your show and learn, among other things, how Europe’s efforts to explore the wider world did not begin with Asia, as is universally taught, but with Africa, where led by the Portuguese in the early 1400s, they were determined to initiate trade with the kingdom of Mansa Musa, the richest man who has ever lived. French’s new book, “Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War,” begins with the commencement of commercial relations between Portugal and Africa in the 15th century and ends with the onset of World War II. Howard French is a Columbia University professor and former “New York Times” bureau chief in the Caribbean and Central America, West and Central Africa, Tokyo, and Shanghai. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137 (office); (703) 400-1099 (cell) or johanna@jrbcomm.com or Briana Caywood at (703) 646-5188 (office)
4. ==> 40th Anniversary of ‘E.T.’: Interview Dee Wallace
Four decades ago, Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” exploded onto the big screen featuring a young boy who befriends an extraterrestrial stranded on Earth. Legendary Emmy-nominated actress Dee Wallace starred in the movie as the boy’s mother and says she believes the story ultimately focuses on facing the unknown and mastering fear. Invite Wallace on your show to discuss the iconic film as well as her roles in the movies “CUJO,” “The Hills Have Eyes,” “The Howling” and many more. From ‘Scream Queen’ to an expert at creation, Dee has written numerous best-selling books and currently hosts a weekly call-in radio show. “Born: Giving Birth to a New You,” her latest book, discusses how spirituality, brain science, and religion all teach the same principles, and how you can easily use them in creating your life. Contact Harlan Boll at harlan@bhbpr.com
5. ==> How to Stay Positive When Everything is Negative
Today, when people are struggling with the ongoing pandemic and all that it has brought with it — isolation, mental health challenges, product shortages, inflation, upheaval in the way they do their jobs — people need all the help they can get to stay positive. Rick McDaniel, a beloved pastor, podcaster, and the author of “This is Living,” is known for encouraging people to see the hope that exists in the most unlikely places. Pastor Rick will deliver inspiration in the form of bite-sized stories and meditations that will help listeners hone in on what’s important in life. Learn what a church building in Spain can teach us about making progress in life, how a macadamia nut is key to surviving the pandemic, and how the growth of giant sequoias shows we can survive tough times. Rick McDaniel has appeared on “Fox & Friends,” all major TV networks, ESPN Radio, Christian TV and more. “This Is Living: Daily Inspiration to Live Your Faith” is his latest book. Contact Terri Connell at (804) 512-9581; terri@rickmcdaniel.com
6. ==> ‘The Lost Valentine’: Lasting Love and Betty White
As Valentine’s Day approaches it’s the perfect time to interview Maryann Ridini Spencer about one of her most beloved films. Maryann co-wrote and produced the movie “The Lost Valentine,” starring Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Based on the novel by James Michael Pratt, the film’s theme is lasting love, something Maryann says was close to White’s heart and a storyline to which she could relate after the loss of her dear husband, Allen Ludden. Maryann can discuss the film and her memories of Betty White and why the movie remains so popular today. Maryann Ridini Spencer is also the host of PBS-TV’s “Simply Delicious Living.” A screenwriter and author, her work has appeared on “Hallmark Hall of Fame” (CBS-TV), the Hallmark Channel, CNN, USA, SyFy, Showtime and many other outlets. “The Lost Valentine” is streaming on Amazon and The Hallmark Channel. Contact Maryann Ridini Spencer at (818) 492-9135; mspencer@rtirguests.com
7. ==> Do a Valentine’s Day Show on Romantic Music
Where would romance be without music? Most couples have “their song,” or listen to music to get in the mood. Let songwriter/pianist Dave Combs who has written more than 120 songs and put out 15 albums play cupid this year by discussing the symbiotic relationship between music and love. Dave’s instrumental music has provided the backdrop for marriage proposals, wedding ceremonies and honeymoons and he has the fan letters to prove it. Best known for the instrumental “Rachel’s Song,” Dave’s compositions have been played millions of times on radio, satellite, and internet streaming media. He is also the author of “Touched By the Music: How the Story and Music of Rachel’s Song Can Change Your Life.” Contact him at (336) 655-8320; dave@combsmusic.com
8. ==> History Lessons: Inflation, Employment and Price Controls
Higher inflation has led to calls for price controls and a reexamination of the relationship between inflation and employment. Roger Ferguson says history offers some helpful lessons, but they’re often interpreted incorrectly. He’ll discuss the issue of price controls and explain why full employment and price stability are not conflicting goals. He says, “A return to wage and price controls, while alluring, should be avoided as a wrong one. On the other hand, viewing price stability as consistent with achieving full employment was a lesson from history that central bankers could ignore for many decades when inflation was unusually low. But with price levels rising sharply, it has now returned to the fore.” Ferguson says, “Policymakers should strive to bring resurgent inflation under control using well-calibrated interest rate increases to avoid reversing the growth that the global economy has enjoyed over the past year.” Roger Ferguson Jr. is the Steven A. Tananbaum Distinguished Fellow for International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. He’s the immediate past president and CEO of TIAA. Contact him at communications@cfr.org; rwferguson@cfr.org
9. ==> America’s Longest-Running Criminal Conspiracy Against Children
Attorney Stephen Rubino will take you behind the curtain of a global scandal he calls America’s longest-running criminal conspiracy perpetrated against children and expose the devastating consequences of hiding sexual predators in plain sight. Rubino’s new novel, “Act of Faith,” incorporates his work as a pioneer in the legal field representing survivors of the Catholic Church’s sex abuse. He can discuss the truths he incorporated into the book set in the early 1960s in “Little Rome,” and how his experiences as a lawyer prepared him to tell the story. Contact Stephen Rubino at (609) 576-2238; scr@stephenrubino.com
10. ==> Catching Up on Education after COVID
The pandemic has caused students to be behind in school. Long-time educator Lori Lynn Ahrends claims that the pressure to catch up is taking a tremendous toll on students. “If we aren’t careful about what we say, we run the risk of children feeling ‘less than.’ insecure, and turning off to school altogether,” she says. Lori Lynn suggests that we should treat learning as a journey, not a destination. She is an award-winning educator and international speaker with a master’s in education; a singer/songwriter; creator of the Overall Buddies early childhood learning program; and author of the children’s book “I’m a Pig.” Contact Lori Lynn at (402) 235-4292; lahrends@rtirguests.com.
11. ==> Can You Guess the Most Important Minutes of the Day?
Did you know that you can change your life, get rid of stress, and feel more in control of your destiny in only 30 minutes a day? Interview Theo Prodromitis, author of “The Balance Between the Hustle and the Flow: Knowing When to Make Things Happen and When to Let Them Happen,” to discover why the first and last 15 minutes of your day are the most important and how to maximize them. Theo is an award-winning entrepreneur, marketing strategist, and best-selling author of “The Success Formula” with Jack Canfield. Ask her: What does neuroscience tell us about our brain activity at the beginning and end of each day? What are the four things we should do every morning? Contact Theo Prodromitis at (813) 701-5414; tprodromitis@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Are You a Carrier of the ‘Trauma Virus?’
Trauma is embedded in institutions, in our collective stories, and passed down from generation to generation. Scholar and author Dr. Sousan Abadian says that even if you think you haven’t experienced trauma yourself, you can be a carrier of the “trauma virus.” She says, “We see trauma footprints today in the riots, insurrection, and rise of extremists and many of us are unaware of the ways we are carrying the trauma virus that can create fertile ground for radicalization to occur.” She’ll explain how we may be infected by trauma, or a carrier of trauma without being aware of it because forms of trauma have come to feel ordinary. Dr. Abadian is the author of the forthcoming book “Free Me to Love,” based on her personal experience with “collective trauma” and healing. She has a Ph.D. in political economy and government from Harvard University. Contact Sousan Abadian at (617) 860-2785; sabadian@rtirguests.com
13. ==> When to Worry about a Forgetful Spouse
It’s one thing to overlook paying a bill, or to misplace your keys, or to be unable to remember a stranger’s name. It’s another thing to become so forgetful that you can’t complete a task you have done a thousand times. Or to forget how to find your way home. When such things happen, especially to a loved one who isn’t even 60, you may wonder if it’s early-onset Alzheimer’s, which can strike as early as 30. Discover more about the disease and how to spot its symptoms when you interview Carlen Maddux. A former reporter who chronicled his family’s 17-year Alzheimer’s journey in the award-winning book “A Path Revealed,” Carlen is determined to help others with information and been-there advice. His wife, Martha, was just past her 50th birthday when diagnosed. Carlen will discuss his family experiences, and what it was like to become his wife’s caregiver. Highly articulate, Carlen has done dozens of media interviews. Contact Carlen Maddux at (727) 351-8321; CMaddux@rtirguests.com
14. ==> What the Bible Really Says about Love
Why is there so much disharmony in the world when we are all God’s people? Rev. Isaac Croom Turner asks that question in his new book “Yahweh God’s Harmony in Creation.” Invite Turner to share his revelations about God and love, relationships and humanity, and why he believes we should learn to live together as a singular, holy creation regardless of our sexual orientations and differences. He’ll discuss his interpretation of the messages conveyed within the Bible about love and why he believes reading it can improve human relations worldwide. Contact Rev. Isaac Croom Turner at (313) 633-0532; cogdetroit@att.net
15. ==> Interview Former Harlem Globetrotter Melvin Adams
The Harlem Globetrotters are basketball icons who perform all over the world entertaining audiences with their hoops skills, dunks, leaps, and comedic talents, sometimes to the whistled tune of “Sweet Georgia Brown.” It takes a special brand of athleticism and joviality to be a Globetrotter and Melvin Adams was lucky enough to be a member of the team for four years – including one year as “Mr. Globetrotter.” Invite Adams on your show to talk about life as a Globetrotter as well as how sports saved him when his father died when he was 13, leaving the family in financial peril. Ask him: How did you manage to make the pros when you are only 5 ft. 8? How does one become a Globetrotter? What advice do you have for coping with fatherlessness? Adams is now a popular inspirational speaker. Contact Peggi Merkey at (281) 346-9528; pmerkey@rtirguests.com
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