01. Why Democrats’ Climate/Tax Bill Is a Big Deal
02. Inside America’s Teaching Shortage
03. Good News about Monkeypox
04. The History of Modern Parenting
05. Why Python Hunters Are Flocking to Florida
06. An American Woman Abroad: ‘What I Learned from a Brutal Dictator’
07. The Distorted Truth Christian Nationalists Believe
08. Heat Waves Can Impact Mental Health Too
09. Take the Higher Road. It’s Called Etiquette
10. Naked Neighbors, Crazy Clients, Pesky Pets: True Stories from a High-End Realtor
11. September Is Healthy Aging Month
12. How to Live a Life without Regrets
13. Is It OK to Criticize Childless Couples?
14. This Guest Reveals Why Rejection Is a Gift
15. Help Save the Monarch Butterfly
1. ==> Why Democrats’ Climate/Tax Bill Is a Big Deal
Can you imagine the GOP going through the struggles Democrats did to pass the climate/tax bill they just did? Political commentator Paul Waldman says you probably can’t, and that’s just one reason why the bill’s passage is a great achievement. “This is what it means to have a party in Washington that cares about governing. Even if the passage of a big, complicated bill doesn’t inspire you to burst into song, and even if the deep structural problems of our system remain, it shows that at the right moment, with the right people in charge, the country can still make progress.” Waldman says it’s easy to be cynical and disappointed about what didn’t make it into the bill but he says the game of politics is one inevitable cycle: dreaming, then working, then accepting something less than the dream, then deciding to keep working and dream again. Paul Waldman is a weekly columnist and senior writer for “The American Prospect.” He also writes for the Plum Line blog at “The Washington Post” and “The Week” and is the author of “Being Right Is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success.” Contact him at @paulwaldman
2. ==> Inside America’s Teaching Shortage
A nationwide teaching shortage is forcing some districts to take drastic measures like moving to four-day school weeks and offering hefty sign-on bonuses to new hires. The stakes are incredibly high, says Laura Boyce, executive director of Teach Plus Pennsylvania, an education nonprofit working with the state of Pennsylvania on recruitment strategies. “These shortages cause a vicious cycle that makes conditions for the educators who are there untenable,” she says. She’ll explain how the issue has been looming for years (even before the pandemic) and discuss the real reason teachers have been leaving the profession in record numbers. She can also talk about ways to solve the problem, including Pennsylvania’s ramped-up effort to recruit new and diverse teachers. Teach Plus Pennsylvania is an education nonprofit that empowers excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student success. Contact Laura Boyce at lboyce@teachplus.org
3. ==> Good News about Monkeypox
Many activists have condemned the Biden administration for the lack of urgency in addressing the growing monkeypox outbreak. Dr. Stella Safo says the recent state of emergency declaration is one of the best and most helpful things we’ve heard in the last few weeks. “We’ve been watching a slow-moving train wreck,” she says. “It’s very good news that the federal government has declared a state of emergency and that other individual states continue to do so. My hope is that it’s going to mark a turn in the response –– which has been, if anything, lackluster –– toward something more robust.” Stella Safo, M.D., M.P.H., is an HIV primary care physician and the founder of Just Equity for Health. Contact Dr. Safo at stella@justequityforhealth.com; @AmmahStarr
4.==> The History of Modern Parenting
Why is parenting so hard today? Andy Bomback believes a lot of it has to do with society’s expectations and how we see parents portrayed in the media. And, as he points out, it’s very different for moms than dads. The author of “Long Days, Short Years: A Cultural History of Modern Parenting” can discuss the pressure on mothers to have (and do) it all; generational trends in parenting (from baby whispering to free-range kids); how outside disciplines such as neuroscience, behavioral economics, and biostatistics have staked claims in the parenting space; and even the perils of parenting during a pandemic. Bomback will explore the anxiety that plagues modern parents and offer both a window and a mirror into how 21st-century mothers and fathers are trying to enjoy their time with their children, because “the days are long, but the years are short.” Andy Bomback is a nephrologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the father of three young children. Contact Lissa Warren at (617) 233-2853 (cell); LissaWarrenPR@gmail.com or @lissa_warren
5. ==> Why Python Hunters Are Flocking to Florida
Deer, raccoons, possums and foxes once roamed the Everglades National Park in south Florida. Nowadays, you’re lucky if you spot one mammal in the area, according to wildlife experts. Who’s to blame for this decline in wildlife? Burmese pythons. Invasive animal biologist Michael Kirkland says that’s why hundreds of snake hunters gather each year for the Florida Python Challenge, created in 2013 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation to help combat the state’s ecosystem issue. Kirkland says the pythons have been “decimating wildlife for years.” He says, “Human detection and removal are the most efficient and effective tools in the toolbox right now.” Kirkland said there has been up to a 90% decline in animals in the area due to pythons. Organizers of the Python Challenge say more than 800 people signed up for this year’s event which began August 5 and runs through August 14 and offers cash prizes for the most and longest pythons caught. Michael Kirkland is an invasive animal biologist at the South Florida Water Management District. Contact him at (561) 686-8800; mikirkla@sfwmd.gov
6. ==> An American Woman Abroad: ‘What I Learned from a Brutal Dictator’
Authoritarianism is on the rise. Author Bee Boesler knows what it is like to live under a dictatorship in total social isolation. Her family lived on an island cut off from the outside world run by a murderous dictator who burned all the boats, censored mail, and dictated with whom you could socialize. Bee offers an unblinking look at what it was like to represent the U.S. abroad and be an eyewitness to what many experts said couldn’t be done: nations working together to end a pandemic that threatened the world. “Vaccines and Bayonets: Fighting Smallpox in Africa amid Tribalism, Terror and the Cold War,” details Bee’s time in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea (where she was one of only two American women), including brushes with a brutal dictator and a heartbreaking humanitarian crisis unknown to the outside world. An award-winning author and engaging public speaker, Bee Bloeser has been featured on NPR’s” Journeys of Discovery” and NPR KCBX Radio’s show,” Issues and Ideas.” Contact her at (520) 214-5971; bbloeser@rtirguests.com
7. ==> The Distorted Truth Christian Nationalists Believe
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene recently labeled herself a Christian nationalist and says the “movement” will solve school shootings and “sexual immorality” in America. For years, Amanda Tyler has been tracking Christian nationalism and sounding the alarm about it, but she says Greene’s comments mark an alarming shift in the public conversation and she thinks Christians have a special responsibility to separate themselves from this ideology. “American Christians can and should be self-critical about the ways our faith and our country have been influenced by Christian nationalism, and we need to come together to loudly reject those who would embrace it as their identity and as a policy direction for the country.” She says, “Christian nationalism is a political ideology and cultural framework that merges Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s promise of religious freedom.” Amanda Tyler is the executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and the lead organizer of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign. Contact Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons at guthrie@BJConline.org
8. ==> Heat Waves Can Impact Mental Health Too
It’s been sweltering across much of the U.S. recently and a lot of attention has been on preventing heat stroke, heat exhaustion and other health problems. But Carole Lieberman, M.D., M.P.H., says prolonged, excessive heat waves can also aggravate mental health issues. Dr. Lieberman can discuss why anxiety, depression and bipolar symptoms may get worse when the temperature rises, specific signs someone is struggling and ways to help. Carole Lieberman is a board-certified psychiatrist and author. She was trained at NYU-Bellevue and Anna Freud’s London Clinic and has served on the clinical faculty of UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute for years. Contact Mark Goldman at Goldman at (516) 639-0988 (call/text)
9. ==> Take the Higher Road. It’s Called Etiquette
Most of us would agree that people seem to disrespect others more these days leading to arguments, yelling, fighting and worse. It’s especially true when politics comes up. Zane Carson Carruth, a certified etiquette business expert reminds everyone there’s a way to approach these conversations by taking the high road. “While everyone’s entitled to their opinion, etiquette in conversation puts on pleasant restraints and safeguards so points of view don’t go too far off kilter or into damaging territory,” says Zane. She advises opponents to remove their war helmets and take a more cordial road toward respecting others and not overstepping boundaries and says that proper etiquette is anything but weak. She says it shows even your staunchest adversaries you’re a decent human being who deserves equal respect. Zane Carson Carruth is an author, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Contact Spencer Cowen at (845) 558 4321; spencercowen.transmediagroup@gmail.com
10. ==> Naked Neighbors, Crazy Clients, Pesky Pets: True Stories from a High-End Realtor
Selling real estate to the rich and famous can sometimes be crazy, often hilarious but never boring. Let top Realtor Valerie Fitzgerald, cohost of the podcast “Real Estate, Real Laughs,” take your audience behind the scenes to hear some of the greatest stories never told before. While she can’t mention names, Valerie can dish on the unusual and sometimes embarrassing situations she and her peers have encountered (for example, showing a house while a naked couple was visible directly outside the window) and a whole lot more. Maybe you’ll hear about the role cats play in whether someone likes a house or not, celebrities who show up for appointments in disguise, or the fantastic perks the wealthiest potential buyers may be awarded to keep them happy. The former star of HGTV’s “Selling L.A,” former Ford model and TEDx speaker, Valerie Fitzgerald is one of Coldwell Banker’s Top 10 Agents, with $3 billion in sales. She 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
11. ==> September Is Healthy Aging Month
Karl Zarse, M. D., is best known for empowering people over 45 to be proactive in their aging journey. Specializing in immunity and wellness, Dr. Z’s conversational online videos and simple age-appropriate philosophies have triggered a national following of lifelong athletes, GenX’ers and boomers eager to look and feel their best, especially when faced with chronic injury and or pain. From simple strengthening exercises that improve balance to at-home pain relieving methodologies and on-the-go nutrition musts, Dr. Z can share simple ways to outmaneuver aging and conquer chronic injuries. He’ll discuss intermittent fasting, supplements, cupping, sleep secrets and much more. Karl Zarse, M.D., is double board-certified in interventional pain management and anesthesia. Contact Adrienne Mazzone amazzone@transmediagroup.com
12. ==> How to Live a Life without Regrets
Whether it’s your choice of a college major, that job you took that you’re stuck with now, a huge, missed opportunity, or the one that got away, everyone has regrets, and you just have to live with them — or do you? What if you could live your whole life and never regret a thing? Talk to Laura Brennan Ballet and learn how to do just that. The author of “The Science of Empowerment” and a life empowerment facilitator, Laura shares with your audience how to climb away from the chaos and drama to live the positive life you’ve always wanted, without regretting anything – and how you can connect with the people and experiences you’ve always wanted to discover. She’ll discuss how to turn your fears into advancement opportunities, a simple method for instantly replacing negative thoughts with happiness, how to become a force for greatness, and much more. Contact Laura Ballet at (860) 831-4435 or lballet@rtirguests.com
13. ==> Is It OK to Criticize Childless Couples?
Does our society discriminate against the childless? Do we assume that everyone should have children and that those who don’t are selfish? Is it OK to ask strangers if they have children? Can most people truly understand the pain of being childless due to infertility? And finally, since children are so valued by U.S. society, should health-care plans cover IVF costs? Spark an enlightening discussion that may change minds when you interview Frances Jones, the author of “Overcoming the Emotional Stigmas of Infertility: Barren But Not Ashamed.” Her book tells the story of her over 20-year journey of never conceiving children and offers tips for couples traveling a similar journey. She’s a global women empowerment speaker, an advocate, and a transformational coach who has been featured on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox affiliates, in the “Los Angeles Tribune” and other media. Contact her at (901) 910-0915; fjones@rtirguests.com
14. ==> This Guest Reveals Why Rejection Is a Gift
Dr. Carl Barnes began to experience rejection before he was even born! His unwed teenage mother almost aborted him. Then he went on to experience years of academic, professional and personal rejection, including a painful divorce. “I applied to several positions in the Navy, but repeatedly got rejected,” he says. “I had a difficult time continuing my education because I wasn’t a good test taker.” He eventually overcame the odds and went on to a 35-year career in the military, ultimately becoming a Navy chaplain; and earned five degrees, including a doctor of ministry in leadership. He can share the one trait that led to his success: resilience. Carl is the author of “Resilient Sailing: 10 Lessons to Persevere in Life’s Stormy Seas,” and conducts life coaching workshops and online courses. Contact him at (407) 809-8047; cbarnes@rtirguests.com
15. ==> Help Save the Monarch Butterfly
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has just added the migratory monarch butterfly to its Red List of Threatened Species as endangered. The monarch is the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration like birds, but the native populations have declined dramatically since the 1980s, especially in the western United States. Destruction of habitat and rising temperatures are increasingly threatening the species, but Wendy Caldwell of Monarch Joint Venture says it’s not too late to protect them. She’ll discuss current efforts to save the butterflies and how listeners can help by growing milkweed and reducing pesticides. “I think that this IUCN listing will continue to help us grow momentum just by generating awareness that monarchs are in trouble,” she says. “They need our help, and everybody has a role to play.” Wendy Caldwell is the executive director of Monarch Joint Venture, a nonprofit that coordinates a network of more than 110 organizations from all over the United States to conserve the migration of the monarchs. Contact Stacy Carlson at (612) 208-6049; stacy@monarchjointventure.org
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