01. Do Russians Support Putin’s War?
02. Dealing with Ukraine News Overload
03. The Coming Medicaid Purge
04. True Crime: The 1996 Shenandoah Murders
05. Outrageous Stuff that Happens at Open Houses
06. Are You Ready to Get Gigging? Expert Freelancer Shares Tips
07. 3 Principles You Must Know to Thrive in Chaos
08. KGB Wanted Him Dead. He Lived to Tell His Story
09. Witch Doctors, Dictators, Wars: What It Took to Rid the World of Smallpox
10. What Was It Like Growing Up in the Jim Crow South?
11. Real ‘Hidden Figures’: Why There are Few Women in STEM Fields
12. What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You
13. The Essential Health Move Most People Miss
14. Is Cruising Safe During COVID?
15. Aussie Rocker: Sing Your Way to Better Mental Health and Success
1. ==> Do Russians Support Putin’s War?
Take a deep dive into the psyche of Vladimir Putin and the Russian people when you interview U.S. Brigadier General Peter B. Zwack (ret.) who was in the Soviet Union and Russia during the 1990s before and after the Soviet Union unraveled and whose recently published memoir, “Swimming the Volga,” offers cogent insights that provide context for what is happening today. Zwack says Putin carries deep “scar tissue” from unresolved issues from the fall and breakup of the Soviet Union, 30 years ago. The Russian people, Zwack says, are patriotic and support their government, but not blindly. “They do not want to go to war and are likely on edge or tuning out the drumbeat of news about Ukraine,” he says. “Meanwhile, Putin’s desire to return Ukraine to Russian control comes from deep in his psyche.” Brigadier General Peter B. Zwack (ret.) served as a senior defense official and attaché to the Russian Federation from 2012-2014. He is a global fellow at The Kennan Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and has recently appeared on CNN, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” The BBC, MSNBC, “The Washington Post” and “The Economist.” He can go further in depth for long-form interviews. Contact Terri Beavers at (434) 409-5687; bg.pbz.r@gmail.com
2. ==> Dealing with Ukraine News Overload
It’s difficult for most people to avoid feeling hopeless and sad about all the news coming out of Ukraine. For some overly sensitive people known as empaths, the war news is having a magnified effect. Alicia McBride, an empath who works with others like herself to learn to protect themselves from overwhelming feelings, can talk about ways we can shield and protect ourselves from awful situations. Invite Alicia to explain what it is like to be an empath and to feel “too much” as well as share the good things she can sense about the situation in Ukraine. She says, “You can see what’s happening without feeding the fear. You can feed the love and tune into it. Feeding the love creates positive actions like raising money, sending supplies, and sending healing thoughts and prayers.” Alicia McBride is the author of “The Empath Effect” and “I Feel Too Much.” Reach her at (484) 369-1464; Healinglightempath@gmail.com
3. ==> The Coming Medicaid Purge
Fifteen million people, including 6 million children, could potentially lose health insurance when the federal public health state of emergency (PHE) ends on April 15. Journalist Libby Watson says the PHE will likely be extended until July or later, but “states are likely already preparing to slash their Medicaid rolls enough to offset the coming loss of federal funding.” Watson reports that a right-wing campaign is pushing an end to the PHE and calling on states to begin disenrolling people immediately, and that the transition period may serve as a “gold rush” for private contractors and consulting firms. When the PHE does end, nearly all 80 million enrolled in Medicaid will undergo eligibility redetermination. Watson is the author of Sick Note, a newsletter about American health care. Contact Libby Watson at sicknotenewsletter@gmail.com; @libbycwatson
4.==> True Crime: The 1996 Shenandoah Murders
In May 1996, two skilled backcountry leaders, Lollie Winans and Julie Williams, were found brutally murdered at their remote campsite in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, adjacent to the world-famous Appalachian Trail. Despite an extensive decades-long joint investigation by the FBI, National Park Service investigators, and the Virginia State Police, this shocking case has never been solved. On the 20th anniversary of this infamous crime, award-winning journalist and author Kathryn Miles embarked on a passionate search for justice. Hear about her all-consuming obsession to solve this notorious case and the disturbing legacy of violence against women in America’s national parks. Miles found evidence of cover-ups, incompetence, and controversy that may have prevented the murders from ever being solved. Learn why she believes the wrong man has been under suspicion for more than 20 years and hear her compelling theory of a new suspect after decades of dead ends. Kathryn Miles’ new book is “Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders.” Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137 (office); (703) 400-1099 (cell) or johanna@jrbcomm.com
5. ==> Outrageous Stuff that Happens at Open Houses
An open house is supposed to induce sales, not mirth. But people sometimes do weird things at open houses and other showings, especially if they are looking at multimillion-dollar properties. Usually known only to real estate professionals, these zany stories can be yours when you interview top Realtor Valerie Fitzgerald, cohost of the new podcast “Real Estate, Real Laughs.” She can talk about people who show up to see luxurious manses in broken-down jalopies or on foot — somehow negotiating the freeway — the guy who wanted a limo to pick him up at a seedy motel where he was living, or the couple having sex in the backyard of a house that was being shown. The former star of HGTV’s “Selling L.A,” former Ford model and TEDx speaker, is one of Coldwell Banker’s Top 10 Agents, with $3 billion in sales. Valerie has 30,000 followers on Instagram. Her new weekly podcast proves there is a side to real estate most people don’t know about: the fun side. Contact Valerie Fitzgerald at (310) 861-3238; vfitzgerald@rtirguests.com
6. ==> Are You Ready to Get Gigging? Expert Freelancer Shares Tips
As last year’s Great Resignation has evolved into this year’s Great Re-imagination of the workplace, Sherry Beck Paprocki provides plenty of advice for those who are looking for more flexibility and freedom in their careers. Sherry has earned more than six figures a year as a gigger. An award-winning author, editor and journalist, though, she knows that earnings aren’t the only key to lifetime success and happiness. Invite her on your show and learn how to have a lucrative freelance business, tips to create the gig lifestyle you’ve dreamed about, and why some people have satisfying careers while others don’t. Sherry Beck Paprocki is a past president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Her work has been featured in the “Chicago Tribune,” the (Cleveland) “Plain Dealer,” the “Philadelphia Inquirer,” “Preservation” and more than 100 other publications. Her latest book is “Freelance Fancy: Your Guide to Capturing Spiritual Health, Wealth and Happiness.” Contact her at (614) 537-7159; paprockiltd@cs.com
7. ==> 3 Principles You Must Know to Thrive in Chaos
Perhaps the best word that describes present times is “chaotic.” A knee-jerk reaction might be to stay in bed with the blanket pulled over your head but that gets old fast. Instead, author and performance coach Tim Winders says it would be better to change your perspective by discovering the three timeless perspectives he will teach you. Winders, who has over 25 years’ experience as a coach for business owners, executives, and leaders, utilizes these principles in his novel, “Coach: A Story of Success Redefined,” which releases on May 17. It tells the story of a man who had it all — money, a successful company, a beautiful wife — everything society considers successful but contemplates ending his life. Winders, who along with his wife, lives and works in a large RV while traveling around the country, survived several business failures before finding a better path in life. He hosts the “SeekGoCreate” podcast. Contact Tim Winders at (404) 846-4639; twinders@rtirguests.com. Ask about last-minute availability
8. ==> KGB Wanted Him Dead. He Lived to Tell His Story
Imagine what life would be like if the KGB was after you, threatening your life? And if you had no idea you were even taking them on at first? John Christmas does not have to imagine … he lived it. While heading up an international banking group he tried to expose fraud he uncovered without realizing that the bank in question was a KGB front. Now Christmas has co-authored a new geopolitical thriller inspired by his story, “KGB Banker.” Invite Christmas on your show to talk about his experience, why it’s particularly relevant given today’s political environment, and what happened to the players he exposed. Contact John Christmas at (514) 700-9015; jchristmas@rtirguests.com
9. ==> Witch Doctors, Dictators, Wars: What It Took to Rid the World of Smallpox
Fighting a deadly virus is complicated. It took 10 years and a global campaign for the world to eradicate smallpox. Bee Bloeser and her two young children became involved when the CDC dispatched her husband to Africa in 1969. From being welcomed by cheering Africans to encountering witch doctors, a 10-acre mass grave, and living under a brutal dictator in remote Equatorial Guinea, Bee can discuss the exhilarating moments, unexpected challenges, and why she and her children were eventually evacuated after an incident with a simple child’s toy. Bee Bloeser has been featured on NPR’s “Journeys of Discovery” and NPR KCBX Radio’s show, “Issues and Ideas.” Her book is “Vaccines and Bayonets: Fighting Smallpox in Africa amid Tribalism, Terror and the Cold War.” Ask her: What are the similarities and differences between fighting smallpox and COVID? What was it like fighting a pandemic across battle lines of civil wars and the Cold War? Did she face resistance, and by whom? Contact Bee at (520) 214-5971; bbloeser@rtirguests.com
10. ==> What Was It Like Growing Up in the Jim Crow South?
History is much more potent when told through the eyes of people who have lived it. Now that much of the country is too young to recall what it was like to grow up in a deliberately segregated America, stories like that of Judith Mudd-Krijgelmans (pronounced Kray-gull-mans) are golden. 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. As a third-grader whose family had moved to a new neighborhood, she experienced a cross burning on her front lawn and reeled from the horror of having her dog poisoned. But, as she will tell you, she still describes her childhood as “happy with a loving family who tried to be typical Americans.” Judith Mudd-Krijgelmans, a Fulbright Scholar, was one of the first Black women in the Foreign Service. 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@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Real ‘Hidden Figures’: Why There are Few Women in STEM Fields
Careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are booming. But as the film “Hidden Figures” illustrated, opportunities for females in general and women of color, in particular, are sparse. According to former STEM teacher Chris A. Goldberg, it’s not that women lack brains. “Traditionally, girls are led to believe that they’re not as smart as boys in math and science,” he says. “Girls excel in elementary school, but then stop in middle school because they want to attract boys.” Chris adds that our educational system needs to do some serious revamping and encourage girls to enter STEM fields. He is the author of the upcoming book “Aliyah and the STEMsational Problem-Solvers: Cooking up the Winning Dessert.” Contact him at (610) 557-8442; cgoldberg@rtirguests.com
12. ==> What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You
How flawed is the traditional medical model in the U.S.? Can we depend on it to keep us well or is that wishful thinking? Dr. Annalee Kitay minces no words: “If you are smart, you’ll stop relying on a system that is failing everyone. Instead, you’ll learn how to tap into your body’s amazing healing properties through noninvasive modalities.” Dr. Kitay can tell your audience how to do just that. Ask her: Did medicine fail us doing the pandemic? What can people do to protect themselves against communicable and other illnesses? Dr. Kitay has been in private practice for 30 years and trained in alternative protocols that aid the body in its natural recovery. She is one of the top practitioners of Neural Organization Technique and teaches the hands-on protocol to other doctors. She is a frequent guest on talk shows. Contact Annalee Kitay at (561) 462-4733; akitay@rtirguests.com
13. ==> The Essential Health Move Most People Miss
When it comes to your health and your family’s you could be overlooking something lifesaving. That’s the message of Anne McAwley-LeDuc, who will reveal why it isn’t enough to see physicians regularly, stick to a healthful diet and exercise program, take prescription medicines correctly and avoid bad habits like smoking and excessive drinking. Anne will offer advice and answer questions about the missing ingredient most families fail to utilize: keeping accurate health histories and records. A sought-after speaker and media guest, Anne (the award-winning author of “Personal Health Organizer”) will reveal the importance of maintaining key information about every doctor visit, procedure and treatment, vaccination, and prescription for all family members. Contact her at (860) 300- 603; AMcAwley@rtirguests.com
14. ==> Is Cruising Safe During COVID?
We’ve all heard the media horror stories about COVID outbreaks on cruise ships, which many perceive as giant floating Petri dishes. But according to travel industry expert Cindy Bertram, nothing could be further from the truth. “The media are scaring people,” she says. “Cruise lines have been working together for months to put the highest level of safety protocols in place. They also work with high-level medical professionals. You don’t find that in hotels.” Cindy can share details about this and other fascinating insider glimpses into the cruise industry. She is a communications, media and branding specialist who has spent many years in the travel and cruise industry and is author of “Message from the Dog…Learning from Great Humans” and “How Six Women Executives Steer the Cruise Industry Today.” Contact her at (219) 775-6488; cbertram@rtirguests.com
15. ==> Aussie Rocker: Sing Your Way to Better Mental Health and Success
What happens when you marry pop music’s beat with an upbeat message? You get Michele Blood, an Aussie rock singer with millions of fans who these days is singing and writing catchy tunes like “Miracles Are Happening” and “Affirmation Song” that are changing people’s lives. Invite Michele to discuss the growing body of evidence that positive thinking leads to less stress, longer lifespans and better overall physical and emotional health and coping skills. Along with success guru Bob Proctor, Michele is the creator of world-renowned Affirmation Power Transformational Music and can discuss how to sing or listen your way to a more abundant life. Ask her how did she heal her body after a horrific car accident? How can people stop being complainers who blame other people for their troubles? Do affirmations really work? Contact Treavor Rogers at (619) 405-3795; Team@TheMysticalExperience.com