01. Domination: How the U.S. Achieved it and Who Wants It Now
02. How Congress Could Rein in the Supreme Court
03. It’s National Pet Month: Do a Show on Celebrity Pets
04. Therapist? 1 in 3 Prefer Their Hair Stylist
05. Is it Ever OK for a Boss to Yell?
06. How to Use Brain Glue to Make Your Ideas Stick
07. Secrets of the World’s Most Celebrated Brands
08. From Tic-Tac-Toe Chickens to Roulette Wheel Custody Battles: Crazy Stories from the Courtroom
09. The Amazing Health Benefits of ‘Microadventures’
10. Why 39-Year-Old Actor Chris Hemsworth Is Concerned About Alzheimer’s, and You Should Be Too
11. Tips to Get the Most From Your Doc Visits
12. How Slowing Down Can Make You More Productive
13. What Would We Do if Aliens Contacted Us?
14. What Is an Empath – and Could You Be One?
15. How to Make ‘Happy’ Choices
1. ==> Domination: How the U.S. Achieved it and Who Wants It Now
At a time when some claim the United States is “destined for war” with China, and when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked fresh concerns about nuclear war, foreign policy expert Sean Mirski offers a window into where we’re headed by looking at how the U.S. became the world’s greatest power in the century after the Civil War. Minski’s new book, “We May Dominate the World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus,” details how the U.S. achieved complete supremacy by squeezing European rivals out of the hemisphere while landing forces on their neighbors’ soil with dizzying frequency. He offers a window into the trajectory that other regional powers — including China, Russia, and Iran — may take in the coming decades. Minski says understanding the factors that led a rising United States to conduct a muscular foreign policy in its neighborhood can shed valuable light on how to prevent Armageddon in our own century. Sean Mirski is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He currently practices national security, foreign relations, and appellate law and is a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137; (703) 400-1099 (cell) or Erin Bolden at (703) 980-2705
2. ==> How Congress Could Rein in the Supreme Court
While many argue that the separation of powers constrains Congress from imposing meaningful checks on the Supreme Court, Steve Vladeck says that’s not true. The author of “The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic” points out that in the first century under the Constitution Congress repeatedly used an array of unquestioned constitutional powers to check the court. “Even the most pro-judiciary readings of the Constitution still leave to Congress broad control over the court’s docket, its budget and just about everything else short of the justices’ tenure and salaries,” he says. “Thus, it isn’t that the Constitution prevents Congress from pulling these levers to exert influence over the court; it’s that Congress has chosen to stop pulling them.” Steve Vladeck is a professor at the University of Texas School of Law.” Contact him at (512) 475-9198; svladeck@law.utexas.edu
3. ==> It’s National Pet Month: Do a Show on Celebrity Pets
People are their most genuine selves when they’re with their pets, even celebrities. Celebrate National Pet Month, with photographer Johanna Siegmann, whose new book, “In Good Company,” features portraits of notable people with their pets. “No matter how experienced or nervous someone is about being photographed, interviewed or even in crowds, as soon as they are with their pets, everything changes,” Siegmann says. Unlike traditional pet portraits, these unique images depict the relationship between people and their beloved pets and portray everyday moments between them, which are intimate and mundane, often humorous, whimsical, or touching, and always genuine. Participants include the late Ed Asner, Ed Begley Jr., Richard Karn, Norman Lear, Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell and many others from a wide range of fields including the arts, science, literature, performance and music. A portion of the book’s profits will go to support Apex Protection Project, a Los Angeles-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created to save wolves through education, rescue and advocacy. Contact Harlan Boll at harlan@bhbpr.com
4.==> Therapist? 1 in 3 Prefer Their Hair Stylist
Beauty parlors and barber shops have always been a place to bond and literally “let your hair down,” but has the stylist’s chair become the therapist’s couch? May is Mental Health Month, and according to one recent poll, nearly a third of Americans (32%) say they are more likely to discuss their worries with the person who cuts their hair than with a professional therapist. Women, younger adults, Midwesterners and Hispanics are most likely of all to do so, according to the survey of 1,005 Americans by pollsters on behalf of AQ, an anxiety management app. Dr. Shaun Nanavati, a neuropsychologist, says time, money and stigma can prevent people from going to a mental health professional, plus there just aren’t enough trained therapists to meet the overwhelming demand. Stylists and barbers, of course, lack the training and qualifications to tackle many of the issues that trained therapists do, stresses Dr. Nanavati. “And yet some of their clients may feel more relaxed, trusting and open with them than they would with a trained therapist.” He’ll share ways to bridge the therapy gap including an innovative new app that collects vitals through an Apple Watch. It tracks anxiety levels in real time and offers proven measures to help lower anxiety in the moment. Dr. Nanavati is the chief science officer of AQ. Contact Todd Brabender at toddb@spreadthenewspr.com
5. ==> Is it Ever OK for a Boss to Yell?
Some bosses are quiet while others tend to shout. But is it ever OK to raise your voice to an employee? Workplace expert Christina Curtis says what matters most is the overall relationship a boss has with employees. “If there is a healthy relationship where employees feel like they can speak up and ask questions, then if a boss’s stress comes through once in a while, there is an understanding that they are only human, and they can apologize if they have made a mistake,” she says. “When it becomes a trend that bosses are yelling or undermining employees, that is abusive supervision and is super stressful for employees. It is hard to be around, and it will inevitably make the quality of work go down as people don’t feel like they can get help, ask questions, or make mistakes.” Curtis will share ways executives can voice their displeasure with subordinates in a professional manner and discuss generational differences when it comes to leadership styles. Christina Curtis is founder of Curtis Leadership Consulting and the author of “Choosing Greatness: An Evidence-Based Approach to Achieving Exceptional Outcomes.” Contact Mark Goldman at (516) 639-0988 (call/text); markgoldman73@gmail.com
6. ==> How to Use Brain Glue to Make Your Ideas Stick
James Bond (no, not THAT one!) knows how to get to yes in surprising and unexpected ways. And whether you’re looking to sell more of your products or services, level up your career with a raise or promotion, or boost your personal life through better relationships, you need to hear from this guest. He reveals the incredible secrets to highly effective persuasion that will have more people than you ever imagined saying “yes!” to your ideas, offerings, and so much more by applying “brain glue” to make yourself unforgettable. A top behavioral management and business marketing specialist, James has worked with a virtual Who’s Who of American business as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies. This popular and frequent media guest has been featured in “Forbes” and the “Los Angeles Times” and appeared on ABC News, CBS News, and Fox News, among many others. Jack Canfield calls his new book, “Brain Glue,” “mind-blowing … this should be required reading for anyone in business.” Contact James Bond at (805) 424-8611; jbond@rtirguests.com
7. ==> Secrets of the World’s Most Celebrated Brands
Would your listeners like to know how celebrities create world-class brands so they can do it too? Raj Girn, an internationally celebrated brand authority and the creator of “The 6-Step Guide That Celebrities Use to Guarantee World-Class Brand Presence,” is prepared to offer the same fantastic tips to your audience that she has passed on to executives at L’Oréal Paris, Estée Lauder, Johnnie Walker, Cîroc, Sheraton and Fairmont Hotels and people like Priyanka Chopra, Hannah Simone, Robin Sharma and Freida Pinto. Ask her: What are the four biggest myths that prevent brands from taking off? What are the six steps to creating a world-class brand that anyone can dial in, no matter what their size or budget? A media celebrity in Canada who has been featured in “The Wall Street Journal” and “Globe and Mail,” and on FOX and CBS, Raj is a regular contributor to Entrepreneuer.com, ThriveGlobal.com and Medium.com and an internationally best-selling author whose blog attracts 500,000 unique monthly visitors. She also publishes a weekly newsletter with over 100,000 subscribers and has a combined social media network of over 1 million. She runs The Open Chest Confidence Academy. Contact Raj Girn at (647) 490-3158; Rgirn@rtirguests.com
8. ==> From Tic-Tac-Toe Chickens to Roulette Wheel Custody Battles: Crazy Stories From the Courtroom
Have you ever seen a chicken playing tic-tac-toe in court as evidence in a case? Experienced attorney J.D. Mortmain has! Movies and television portray the courtroom as a dramatic place full of nail-biting tension, but in real life, that’s not always the case. In fact, there’s often more humor than horror happening behind closed doors — such as the psychologist who failed his own test trying to prove a defendant was disabled. J.D. shares stories of the lighter side of the law with your audience. He has helped thousands of clients, many with unusual experiences like fighting for custody of a roulette wheel and the couple who divorced and remarried every year to profit from tax breaks. An author and experienced media guest, J.D.’s latest book is “The Fuzzy Pink Bathrobe and Other Tales of the Law.” Contact J.D. Mortmain at (860) 969-2693; jmortmain@rtirguests.com
9. ==> The Amazing Health Benefits of ‘Microadventures’
Dacher Keltner defines awe as “an emotion that we feel when we encounter vast mysteries that we don’t understand.” That sounds big, but it turns out it doesn’t have to be. “It can happen when we encounter somebody’s extraordinary kindness, we listen to a moving piece of music, we’re out in nature, [or] we hear a big idea that really moves us,” he says. Keltner champions “microadventures” — simple, easy-to-achieve excursions that inspire a sense of awe and allow us to tap into the emotion’s health and well-being benefits, without having to travel all the way to the Grand Canyon or the Taj Mahal. The author of “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life” will share the benefits of awe as well as “micro-adventure” ideas. Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., is the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the host of the award-winning podcast The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. Contact him at (510) 642-2490; Greater@berkeley.edu
10. ==> Why 39-Year-Old Actor Chris Hemsworth Is Concerned About Alzheimer’s, and You Should Be Too
Chris Hemsworth is known for playing action-adventure heroes like Thor. His body is chiseled and toned and he looks to be in the prime of life. So that’s why it was surprising to learn that Hemsworth is scaling back on his career after learning that he carries a gene that makes him eight to ten times more likely to get Alzheimer’s than the average person. Dementia is often mistaken as an “old person’s disease,” but Hemsworth proves that memory-robbing illnesses can happen to even young people. Find out more when you interview Carlen Maddux, a former journalist who cared for his wife for 17 years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 50. Carlen will reveal what he has learned about early-onset Alzheimer’s, its possible causes and more. Ask him: What are the signs and symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s? What about the gene Hemsworth has? How does Alzheimer’s affect families? Contact Carlen Maddux at (727) 351-8321; CMaddux@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Tips to Get the Most From Your Doc Visits
Have you noticed how the minutes you get with your doctor have become shorter? That’s why it is even more important to use such time wisely. During the visit, what should you communicate? What should you ask about your conditions, prognoses, treatments and preventative efforts? What advice and instructions are crucial (even lifesaving) to get? Learn more when you interview retired nurse practitioner Anne McAwley-LeDuc, whose career included 43-plus years of varied experience in the medical field. Anne will talk about understanding and following through on well¬ness strategies, remembering what your doctors need you to know and do, avoiding health mistakes, and caring for others in your family (particularly children and the elderly). Her advice will also help you maintain an important record of your health history. Anne McAwley-LeDuc is the author of the award-winning book “Personal Health Organizer.” Contact her at (860) 300-1603; AMcAwley@rtirguests.com
12. ==> How Slowing Down Can Make You More Productive
When was the last time you did something for yourself? Our lives are busier than ever before. Between jobs, families, and social obligations, it can often feel like every day is precisely scheduled from the minute your alarm goes off until the time you go to bed and set it for the next day. Not only is there zero time for yourself, but you feel guilty when you do take time out — because there’s always something you could be getting done. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to talk to Valerie Whetstone. She’ll show your audience ten simple ways to carve out me-time every day so you can rest and recharge, no matter how busy your life has become. This best-selling author and coach who has trained with Jack Canfield and Oprah Winfrey reveals not only how to put yourself first, but why you must do so today! Ask her: How can you instantly stop feeling guilty about putting yourself first? Why does slowing down make you more productive than ever? How did she nearly die by not taking time for herself? Contact Valerie Whetstone at (408) 752-5943; vwhetstone@rtirguests.com
13. ==> What Would We Do if Aliens Contacted Us?
Is there life beyond Earth? Science has shown there are plenty of planets in the galaxy, many with similarities to our own, giving hope to the idea of other civilizations in the cosmos. But who’s to say everyone would get along? Enter a world of intergalactic threats and celestial battles when you interview retired U.S. Navy Commander Christopher Loric. His new book “SESG Explorer” is a sprawling sci-fi adventure influenced by real-world events and historical figures. The story centers on a fleet of American ships on a diplomatic mission to a faraway planet after receiving a mysterious message. Ask Loric: How did your 28 years in the military inform your writing? What inspired you to write this book? Christopher Loric is a retired U.S. Navy commander. He was deployed with the U.S. Navy and served twice with the U.S. Marine Corps including a year in Iraq; he had multiple assignments at commandant command level planning and overseeing multiple operations. Contact him at (757) 636-4680; stormrider712@hotmail.com
14. ==> What Is an Empath – and Could You Be One?
Do you sometimes know something is going to happen before it does? Do you actually feel the pain of others? Do you experience keen physical discomfort in the presence of certain people? If so, you may be an empath or perhaps you may find that you know someone who is, someone like Jennifer Maag. She says, “After experiencing a traumatic brain injury due to falling at home, I became extremely empathic, which was a gift.” While being highly empathic can cause people to be hyper-sensitive, Jennifer can share how mastering the emotions that accompany this trait can greatly benefit one’s existence. 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 inner battles into healing tools to live one’s best life. Contact her at (419) 969-3259; jmaag@rtirguests.com
15. ==> How to Make ‘Happy’ Choices
Unlock the hidden secrets of happiness and discover five things you think will make you happy but actually won’t when you interview this dynamic guest! Jennifer Hughes is on a mission to help people choose happy. Most people get it backward, avoiding things that will make them happy while actively choosing things that end up disappointing them. A certified life coach, trainer of The Success Principles, and author of “Choose Happy: Be This, Not That,” Jennifer can help your audience strengthen their relationships, achieve their dreams, and skyrocket their happiness to new levels. Ask her: What are the five unexpected things people believe will make them happy but actually won’t? Why is it so important to take responsibility for our own happiness, and how can we do that? What would you say to someone who doesn’t believe that happiness is a choice? Contact Jennifer Hughes at (480) 745-2113; jhughes@rtirguests.com