01. Did Biden Do What He Went to Do?
02. Biden’s Gift to Putin: His Signature Sunglasses
03. Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian: ‘On Juneteenth’
04. ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’: Steve Pieters
05. Comedian and Netflix Host Desiree Burch
06. A Player’s Guide to the Soaring Housing Market
07. Weddings Are Back! Tips and Trends
08. What You Can Learn from Your Incompetent Boss
09. Stuck in Pandemic Purgatory? Bounce Back Better than Ever!
10. Is What You Eat Helping or Hurting the Earth?
11. Missing This Health Task Could Be Deadly
12. Architecture in the Digital Age
13. Why Isn’t This Guest an Addict or Hooker?
14. Find Your Soulmate this Summer
15. Pop the Cork with This Expert Summer Wine Advice
1.==> Did Biden Do What He Went to Do?
US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meetings yesterday at a historic summit in Geneva. Biden called the meeting ‘positive’, and Putin characterized it as ‘constructive’, but did Biden accomplish what he went to do? Invite Russia expert Stephen Sestanovich to discuss the meeting and the yardsticks that will be used to measure who “won” and the summit’s success. Stephen Sestanovich is the George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis professor of international diplomacy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He is the author of “Maximalist: America in the World from Truman to Obama.” Contact him at (202) 509-8454; ssestanovich@cfr.org
2. ==> Biden’s Gift to Putin: His Signature Sunglasses
President Joe Biden gifted Russian President Vladimir Putin with a pair of custom aviator sunglasses, according to a White House official. The eyewear was made by a Massachusetts company that makes aviators for U.S. military fighter pilots. Beyond the statement the glasses make, vision educator Linda Odubayo Thompson says Biden’s fondness for the sunglasses says something about him and the seriousness with which he takes his health. As Linda will tell your listeners, “The eyes are porous, and the optic nerve is a direct extension to the brain. So, it stands to reason that eye protection should be added to the virus protection mix, especially for children,” she says. Linda knows not to take her vision for granted; she has suffered from glaucoma for more than 30 years. Ask her: What should you look for in a pair of sunglasses? Why do you need them on cloudy days? What does she have in common with Bono? Contact Linda Odubayo Thompson at (914) 944-1474; lthompson@rtirguests.com
3. ==> Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian: ‘On Juneteenth’
This Saturday will be an extra special celebration of Juneteenth. President Joe Biden is about to sign into law the bill that makes June 19th a federal holiday. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. The legislation gained momentum after the massive Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd last year and the Democrats’ takeover of the White House and Congress. Historian Annette Gordon-Reed, author of “On Juneteenth,” can discuss the significance of the legislation, why it has taken so long to acknowledge the day, and the legacies of slavery that still persist today. Annette Gordon-Reed is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University and the author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning “The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.” Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137; (703) 400-1099 (cell) or johanna@jrbcomm.com or Briana Caywood at (703) 646-5188
4.==> ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’: Steve Pieters
Have you seen the new trailer for the upcoming movie “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” starring Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, and Vincent D’Onofrio? The film, due out this September, recreates Tammy Faye Bakker’s historic 1985 interview with Steve Pieters. It was the first time a televangelist gave an affirming interview with a gay man living with AIDS and Pieters says it was a turning point for him as well as Tammy Faye. “So many people have said my interview with her helped them come out or even saved them from suicide, by helping them realize they could be gay and Christian, or that God was not punishing them with AIDS for being gay.” Invite Pieters on your show to discuss the movie, what it was like to be one of the first non-celebrity figures to be identified with AIDS in the early 1980s, and why his fairy wand is in the Smithsonian archives. Contact Harlan Boll at harlan@bhbpr.com
5. ==> Comedian and Netflix Host Desiree Burch
Standup comedian, writer, actress, and the hilarious and relatable narrator of the Netflix competition show “Too Hot to Handle,” Desiree Burch is taking over the entertainment scene. Put a smile on your listeners’ faces when you bring her on your show to talk about season two of the show which launches June 23, and her future projects including an upcoming turn as a contestant on the UK comedy game series “Taskmaster.” The award-winning comedian recently co-starred in Comedy Central UK’s series “Drunk History: Black Stories” and is also the host of Amazon’s official podcast “Escape the Underground Railroad,” based on the Amazon series “The Underground Railroad.” She’s appeared in dozens of comedy shows including “Live at the Apollo” (BBC), “The Jonathan Ross Show,” and the Comedy Central special “Desiree Burch Live.” Contact Whitney Peterson at (310) 749-0708 (cell) or Kelsea Knight at (66) 645-4739 (cell); agpr@andersongrouppr.com
6. ==> A Player’s Guide to the Soaring Housing Market
The booming US housing market has reached new heights with wild price increases in nearly every state and locality. Many potential homebuyers who are losing out to hypercompetitive offers are becoming frustrated. Sticker shock is giving others cold feet. What’s going on and what should potential buyers and sellers do? Invite housing industry expert and author John W. Mallett to discuss whether the current situation is a bubble ready to burst, how long prices can continue to rise, and whether potential buyers should jump in or wait for things to level out. Known as America’s Mortgage Coach™, John W. Mallett is the founder and president of MainStreet Mortgage and the author of “Buy Your First Home Today!,” a comprehensive player’s manual for anyone sitting on the sidelines of today’s red-hot housing market. Contact Mara Quigley at (661) 255-8283; mara@steveallenmedia.com
7. ==>Wedding Are Back! Tips and Trends
After a challenging year of rescheduling, postponing, canceling and producing Zoom weddings, luxury wedding planner Lynne Goldberg says, “The phones are busy, and my brides are beginning to smile again!” With the vaccine now accessible, weddings and events have also been given a shot in the arm, according to Lynne. “With smaller budgets and a different outlook, newly engaged couples are planning weddings again but this time with very different priorities. For now, elegant small weddings are in, and over-the-top opulent weddings are out.” Invite her to share the latest post-pandemic wedding trends including how to navigate the new “Wedding Invitation Vaccine Etiquette.” For more than two decades, Lynne Goldberg has been planning over-the-top luxury weddings and events for couples, organizations, non-profits, celebrities, sports figures and private clients. Contact her at (561) 212-6024; Lynne@lynnegoldberggroup.com
8. ==> What You Can Learn from Your Incompetent Boss
Is your boss completely useless and blocking your way to advancement at work? While you’re looking for your next job, you can be gaining an advantage by learning important lessons from your incompetent boss. Invite leadership expert Marc A. Pitman to reveal what you can gain by observing your boss and how you can use this information to become an even better leader yourself. His 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 Marc Pitman at (317) 751-1610; mpitman@rtirguests.com
9. ==> Stuck in Pandemic Purgatory? Bounce Back Better than Ever!
Millions of people suffered overwhelming setbacks due to the pandemic this past year. Now that the country is beginning to move forward, many feel stuck and unsure of what to do next. Tim Winders can help your listeners figure out how to bounce back from the pandemic and create the kind of life they’d like to have. The author and performance coach can offer three principles for hitting the reset button. Winders, who has over 25 years’ experience as a coach for business owners, executives, and leaders, utilizes these principles in his novel, “Coach: A Parable of Success Redefined.” 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 and is available last minute. Contact Tim at (404) 846-4639; twinders@rtirguests.com
10. ==> Is What You Eat Helping or Hurting the Earth?
Interview health coach Ximena Yanez to find out five ways what you are putting in your mouth might be ruining the environment as well as five simple things you could easily do to turn this around. Ask her: Does eating organic produce really matter? What’s so bad about GMO ingredients? What should you include in every meal? Ximena (pronounced He-men-a) is the author of the upcoming book “Healthy Planet, Healthy You: Invest Now in the Transformational Change That Will Ensure Our Future” and the former CFO of an environmental fund. Contact her at (720) 277-8617; xiyaso@gmail.com
11. ==> Missing This Health Task Could Be Deadly
You don’t want to ignore your medical records! After all, the smartest patients (and those most likely to live healthier and longer lives) never overlook the details about their family’s medications, vaccinations, doctor visits, or previous surgeries/procedures. Learn more from retired nurse practitioner (APRN) Anne McAwley-LeDuc, who advocates full and accurate record-keeping even for ordinary patients. She warns that having disorganized personal health histories can be dangerous and threaten lives! Ask her: Where should you keep and maintain essential medical records? What inspired her to create the Personal Health Organizer that provides a life-saving snapshot of one’s health history? What do doctors, school nurses and emergency departments need to know when treating your kids — and how can you help? How did COVID-19 make this issue even more important? Contact McAwley-LeDuc at (860) 300-1603; AMcAwley@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Architecture in the Digital Age
How has the world of architecture been influenced by technology? Explore the history of humanity’s adaptation to technology and look into the future with Robert S. Ellinger, Ph.D. The author of “Jeffersonian Economic Architecture in the Digital Age” can discuss how we can adapt to the catastrophic change in culture that humanity is currently undergoing as a result of seismic change in technology. Ellinger has created an architectural model using concepts from a variety of academic disciplines including spatial economics, history, systems engineering, information technology, enterprise architecture, and political science. Ask him: Where do we go from here? How does technology affect the founding father’s concept of equal opportunity for all? Contact Robert S. Ellinger at (631) 416-9232; isailbob@optonline.net
13. ==> Why Isn’t This Guest an Addict or Hooker?
Talk to Francine Tone, and you’ll be surprised that her life turned out so successful and positive. She is an accomplished attorney, author, speaker and devoted mother. But things didn’t look that way in her youth. After loss and abandonment as a child, she was molested before age 6 by her adoptive father, and she contemplated suicide nightly as a teen. Francine also suffered a near fatal car accident, went through a troubling divorce, got cancer and then dealt with a traumatic injury to her only son. But she never gave up. Now she is prepared to tell others how they, too, can overcome adversity and get their lives in order despite the worst of the worst happening. Ask Francine the difference between learning to accept trouble and turning challenges into motivation for healing; how a TV show helped save her; and what advice she has for young people who are being victimized. Among Francine’s successful projects is the best-seller “What Every Good Lawyer Wants You to Know.” Contact Francine Tone at (531) 208-1297; FTone@rtirguests.com
14. ==> Find Your Soulmate this Summer
For over a decade, soulmate coaches Orna and Matthew Walters have busted myths about love and dating and helped thousands of people around the globe find lasting love. Bring them on your show to talk about the most common dating mistakes, why love is easy for some and hard for others, and how to select an ideal partner. Find out what a soulmate is (and if you really want one), whether men are actually intimidated by powerful women, if love at first site exists. Featured guest experts on Bravo’s The Millionaire Matchmaker, Orna and Matt have been on dozens of TV shows, national radio programs, popular podcasts, and in national print media. Contact Orna and Matthew Walters at (313) 990-9310; ornaandmatthew@creatingloveonpurpose.com
15. ==> Pop the Cork with This Expert Summer Wine Advice
Finally, life is getting back to normal and that means two important things: One, we can get together with friends again, at home (without fear of killing each other). Two, it’s safe to enjoy our favorite restaurants again, which also means we can resume sharing wine with friends and neighbors, and that once again we’ll be confronted with those all-too-often indecipherable wine lists. What to do? Book Certified Wine Educator Jim Laughren, author of “50 Ways to Love Wine More” and “A Beer Drinker’s Guide to Knowing and Enjoying Fine Wine,” to help your audience make the most of this new situation. Whether it’s sharing with friends, traveling to wine regions, selecting from the wine list, or finding the best wines at the best prices, Jim can provide tips and inside information to help everyone amp up their wine enjoyment and get oriented to the new wine world. Contact Jim at (954) 317-9623; JLaughren@rtirguests.com