01. How to Build America’s Cyber Highway System
02. Can Nerd Immunity Protect Against ‘Foxitis’?
03. Attorney Weighs in on Chauvin Developments
04. Interview Former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
05. Should We Worry about Space Junk?
06. Free Fun: Experimental Performance Turns Phones into Speakers
07. Falling College Enrollments Represent Good News
08. Nomadland’: What Can We Learn from Its Inhabitants?
09. Lessons Only Flip-Floppers Can Teach You
10. See Through the Most Harmful Myths about Sunglasses
11. Why Is Everyone Leaving California?
12. Advantages Doubters Have That Self-Confident People Miss
13. Why Is the U.S. C-section Rate So High?
14. What the Far-Right Has in Common with the Far-Left
15. Living Large on a Small Budget
1.==> How to Build America’s Cyber Highway System
Recognizing that a lack of affordable, high-speed internet access has hampered economic growth and fueled inequality, Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan calls for investing $100 billion in the nation’s digital infrastructure. Invite Rob Knake to discuss why it’s important to tackle the issue and what needs to be done to ensure everyone has access to the internet. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that if internet service was not a necessary utility in a prior era, it is today. If Congress fails to act, the nation as a whole is at risk of being left behind in the digital age,” says Knake. He’ll discuss what the project should entail, how laying the fiber-optic framework is just the first step, and why he believes the Biden administration and Congress should adopt open access requirements as a precondition for any federal investments. Rob Knake served from 2011 to 2015 as director for cybersecurity policy at the National Security Council. He is currently the Whitney Shepardson Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). His work focuses on Internet governance, public-private partnerships, and cyber conflict. Contact him at rknake@cfr.org; @robknake
2. ==> Can Nerd Immunity Protect Against ‘Foxitis’?
Just how dangerous is the hold that Fox News has on Americans? And if it was indeed complicit in helping to send Americans to the Capitol to riot on Jan. 6 and in spreading misinformation about COVID-19 how can we inoculate against it? In an op-ed she wrote for The Guardian, columnist Arwa Mahdawi discussed the cable network’s outsized influence which she dubs “foxitis,” and ways we can build what Andrew Tang, Taiwan’s digital minister, “nerd immunity” to counteract it. Arwa Mahdawi recently wrote “Beware the Deadly New Disease Spreading Across America: ‘Foxitis’ for The Guardian. She wrote, “Fox may not be able to take over your brain and force you to do things in the same way that weird parasite that turns ants into suicidal zombies does, but it is hard to overstate the network’s outsize influence. A number of studies suggest that Fox News’s coverage of the pandemic, which was characterized by racism and misinformation, may have caused its viewers to take the coronavirus less seriously, for example, with consequences to public health. Contact her at @ArwaM or Arwa.Mahdawi@gmail.com
3. ==> Attorney Weighs in on Chauvin Developments
With the sentencing of Derek Chauvin fast approaching, and the looming trial of three more defendants in August, as well as the newest indictment from a federal grand jury, there are a lot of legal issues to discuss in the George Floyd case. L.A. trial attorney Greg Stone can weigh in on Chauvin’s request for a new trial and the potential verdict for the other three defendants in the case. Ask him: How likely is it that Derek Chauvin will be granted a new trial? What will the judge hand down in the sentencing of Chauvin? Why are the other defendants being tried together and what charges do they face? Greg Stone is a founding partner of Stone | Dean Law LLP, in Los Angeles. He has represented police and police departments in hundreds of cases. Contact Cherie Kerr at (714) 271-2140; cherie@kerrpr-execuprov.com or Shannon Dugger at (303) 619-3949
4. ==> Interview Former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
At 78 and newly retired from the Aspen Institute, Dan Glickman combines his sense of humor with serious reflection on his rise from the middle of nowhere to becoming a successful U.S. politician and the first Jewish secretary of agriculture. Invite Glickman, a religious man that cherishes his strong family ties, to share the lessons he’s learned about success, compromise and staying true to yourself. Hear about the 1997 Presidential Inauguration when he was chosen as the designated survivor, what it was like growing up Jewish in 1950s Kansas, and why he believes the toxicity seen in current political culture and public discourse can be mitigated using the principles that have guided his own life. Dan Glickman served for 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives (Kansas – 4th), as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President Clinton (1995 – 2001) and as chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. “Laughing at Myself: My Education in Congress, on the Farm, and at the Movies,” is his new book. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 991-8328; jboyer@rtirguests.com
5. ==> Should We Worry about Space Junk?
Mankind has been trashing his earthly environment forever and more recently has been gunking up space as well. The most recent example of the latter occurred this past weekend when China’s 100-foot rocket stage re-entered our atmosphere just above the Indian Ocean. For a look at how serious the accumulation of space junk is and ways old satellites, rocket bodies, fragments and particles are creating a 9,000-tons interplanetary environmental problem, interview Dr. Alice Gorman, an internationally recognized scholar in the field of space archaeology. She’s the author of “Dr. Space Junk vs the Universe: Archaeology and the Future” and a recent op-ed entitled “The Growing Problem of Space Junk.” She is an associate professor at Flinders University in Adelaide and a vice-chair of the Global Expert Panel on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA). Reach her at alice.gorman@flinders.edu.au
6. ==> Free Fun: Experimental Performance Turns Phones into Speakers
Speaking of free stuff, this Saturday, you can attend a livestream concert AND experiment that marries art with technology. The concert is a collaboration between the New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS) and Nokia Bell Labs and uses new C4C technology to turn audience members’ phones into speakers and enables concertgoers to become part of the performance. Developed by Nokia’s Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) lab, C4C allows the performers to sense the response of the audience in real time and activate sounds throughout the audience in synchrony with the main performance. Developers say it’s a new form of sonic immersion that enables a deeper connection between the audience and the performers. E.A.T. is a pioneering initiative that brings together the worlds of engineering, science, and the arts to humanize technology. The New Jersey Youth Symphony is a program of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts. The concert streams Saturday, May 15 at 7 p.m. EDT on WhartonArts.tv. For interviews and information on participating, contact Alice Hamlet at (908) 790-0700; alice.hamlet@whartonarts.org
7. ==> Falling College Enrollments Represent Good News
For a variety of reasons, many colleges are still looking for students this fall, reasons that include COVID fears, international students whose families are afraid to send them, and fewer young students in the college-age group. While college administrators are worried about this trend former college professor Glen Dunzweiler is anything but. He says, Good!” Glen says it’s time to think about the value of a college education vs. the debt it requires and whether a trade school or associate degree may be a better fit for young people contemplating their future. Glen can talk about how Gen Zs and their parents can plot a well-paying, satisfying future that puts their needs ahead of those of a future employer, college bursar, or loan officer. He will explain why a traditional college education does not lead to a secure future for most students, why trade schools and work experience can be a better option, and ways students can monetize their skills once they graduate. In addition to his former role as a college professor, Glen is a documentarian and the author of two books. His latest is “A Degree In Homelessness? Entrepreneurial Skills For Students.” Contact Glen at (702) 703-2219; GDunzweiler@rtirguests.com
8. ==> ‘Nomadland’: What Can We Learn from Its Inhabitants?
If you have seen “Nomadland,” the film starring Frances McDormand that won Academy Awards for best picture, best director, and best actress, or are curious about the modern-day vagabonds who played versions of themselves in the film you will want to interview Tim Winders. While McDormand’s character lived out of her van named Vanguard getting by working at temporary jobs, Tim and his wife have been living and working out of an RV named Theo since 2019; they began living a nomadic lifestyle in 2013 and have experienced communities like those depicted in the film. Although doing very well these days, Tim knows what it is like to be down and out and bounce back. At the same time, he understands the joy of finding something new around the next curve of the road. His new novel is “Coach: A Parable of Success Redefined.” He also hosts the “SeekGoCreate” podcast and is available last minute. Contact Tim at (404) 846-4639; twinders@rtirguests.com
9. ==> Lessons Only Flip-Floppers Can Teach You
Most of us think of flip-flops as nothing more than fun summer footwear. But former Miss America contestant, best-selling author and humorist Jane Jenkins Herlong regards them as a metaphor for much more. “Get your feet moving again; even if you are wearing flip-flops,” she says. “Starting your business and your life over again is like learning to walk. We may have to do things that we thought we outgrew, but passionate people are not afraid to go back and start over. Flip-flops remind us of how fragile our lives and businesses are. Never lose your sense of humor when your life flips.” Jane can illustrate how tapping into humor and finding our passions can dramatically change our lives, even in the worst of times. She is the award-winning author of four books including “Rhinestones on My Flip-Flops,” and has recorded music CDs and personal growth and comedy DVDs. As a humorist, her comedy is featured on Sirius XM 97. Contact her at (803) 599-2941; JHerlong@rtirguests.com
10. ==> See Through the Most Harmful Myths about Sunglasses
Wearing the right sunglasses is the best defense against short-and long-term eye damage from ultraviolet rays, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the world’s largest association of eye physicians and surgeons. Surprisingly, many people have no idea how to choose the right shades to keep them safe. Vision educator Linda Odubayo Thompson will share the six biggest myths that could endanger your eyesight. Ask her: what two numbers should you look for on prospective sunglasses? Will polarized lenses that look cool keep out damaging UV rays? What style of sunglasses would be your best bet? Should children wear sunglasses? Do you need sunglasses on cloudy days? Linda knows not to take her vision for granted; she has suffered from glaucoma for more than 30 years. Contact her at lthompson@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Why Is Everyone Leaving California?
Whatever happened to the Golden State? Why are Californians fleeing by the millions? Is our nation, including your state, following in California’s footsteps? Interview California-based author, columnist and speaker Rick Elkin who explores these topics in his new book, “The Illusion of Knowledge: Why So Many Educated Americans Embrace Marxism.” He’ll explain how several generations of well-meaning but gaslighted Californians have turned the nation’s largest state into a Venezuelan-style disaster zone. And why so many successful, well-educated and seemingly patriotic leaders in major institutions of academia, entertainment, social media and communications endorse Marxist social theories. Contact Rick Elkin at (760) 877-1262; RElkin@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Advantages Doubters Have That Self-Confident People Miss
In our culture, self-confidence is lauded as a virtue. So what happens when doubt creeps in? Does that mean you’re broken? Or could you have an advantage others lack? Invite leadership expert Marc A. Pitman to reveal why doubt can be a surprising gift that forces leaders to look inward to gain special insight. You’ll learn how words in your head can sabotage your efforts and why people who experience doubt are some of the strongest leaders. Pittman’s new book, “The Surprising Gift of Doubt,” provides a framework for leaders to move past feeling like a fraud and manage teams more effectively. Contact him at (317) 751-1610; mpitman@rtirguests.com
13. ==> Why Is the U.S. C-section Rate So High?
C-sections have been known to save the lives of mothers and babies. But are they done too often, when vaginal deliveries would be even safer? Currently, one in three U.S. births happens by C-section. Why have rates risen so dramatically? Get the answers when you interview Alan Lindemann, M.D., who has delivered more than 6,000 babies in his 30-plus year career as an obstetrician. Ask him: Are such major operations often done for the convenience of parents and doctors? Which medical reasons rightly lead to a C-section birth? After having a cesarean birth can a woman’s next baby be delivered without one? Dr. Lindemann will also be happy to answer your listeners’ questions about childbirth. Contact Alan Lindemann, M.D., at (828) 818-8242; ALindemann@rtirguests.com
14. ==> What the Far-Right Has in Common with the Far-Left
Both sides of the political divide have their grievances. The right contends they’ve been victimized by big government, oppressive regulations, liberal elites, socialists, illegal immigrants, etc. The left’s grievance list includes racism, sexism, homophobia, fascism, authoritarianism, capitalism, and more. What they have in common, says Sparrow Hart, is each side claims someone else is to blame and needs to make restitution to them.
Sparrow says the country’s healing requires paying attention, not to past grievances, but to the journey ahead. With over 30 years’ experience leading workshops on shamanism and the heroic journey, he knows the importance of hope, gratitude, and love in bringing the best parts of ourselves to our collective hero’s journey. “Traditionally, a ‘heroic journey’ calls people to find their best selves by leaving familiar territory behind and stepping outside their comfort zones … including the familiar comfort zone made up of people who agree with you, know they’re right, and feel morally superior to their adversaries.” Sparrow’s varied career also includes being a vision quest guide, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford, a brief stint working in a slaughterhouse, and adventures in the Amazon jungle. He is the author of several books including “Letters to the River: A Guide to a Dream Worth Living. Contact Sparrow Hart at (801) 516-0740; SHart@rtirguests.com
15. ==> Living Large on a Small Budget
The world may be opening up again, but just about everything is more expensive, and many people are struggling financially. How can you get out and enjoy things without breaking the bank? Bring Marilyn Anderson on your show to share her unique yet practical advice on how to save money while still enjoying life to the max! The author of “How to Live Like a Millionaire When You’re a Million Short!” will explain how to go through your closet and come out with cash, where to find money you never knew you had, and how to redo a room to look like a million bucks without spending a dime. She’ll also share six easy ways to make money from home and even how to go to Harvard or Yale for free! This money-saving expert, speaker and TV and film writer is an experienced guest with a breezy, fun style. Contact Marilyn Anderson at (310) 502-4047; mandersoncapnews@gmail.com