01. The WATER Act: Mississippi Crisis Just Tip of the Iceberg
02. Big Win for Anti-LGBTQ Christian Employers
03. Why the Severe Drop in U.S. Life Expectancy?
04. The Future of Mother Earth Isn’t All Gloom and Doom
05. How Not to Hire a Hit Man
06. The Game-Changing Benefit Companies Ought to Offer Workers
07. How Did a Big-Time Bookie’s Son Become a Big-Time Business Coach?
08. Has the Black Community Normalized Obesity?
09. Psst! The Public Health Crisis No One Talks About
10. This Expert Discovered That Perfume Can Cause Infertility
11. Untold Reasons Why There Are So Many Mass Shootings
12. Confessions of a Former Pioneering Black Diplomat
13. Can You Guess the Most Important Minutes of Your Day?
14. Don’t Book a Cruise Before Hearing from This Travel Expert
15. How to Handle Life’s Sucker Punches with Ease
1.==> The WATER Act: Mississippi Crisis Just Tip of the Iceberg
“Residents of Jackson, Mississippi were without water for more than a week and have been under a citywide boil order since July. As the growing threats from the climate crisis hit aging water and wastewater systems, with water and sewer pipes nationwide averaging 45 years old, incidents like this one are becoming ever more frequent,” says Mary Grant, Water Program director for Food & Water Watch. She says these water crises are compounded by the federal disinvestment in water and wastewater infrastructure, which has hamstrung many communities’ ability to conduct preventive maintenance. Grant says, “A real solution is the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act, which would create a $35 billion annual trust fund for urgent water and sewer infrastructure improvements, and specifically direct grants to low-income communities.” Food & Water Watch research details the systematic gutting of federal funding for national water infrastructure by more than 77% since 1977. Federal relief in the 2021 federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Package provided just 7% of the identified need. Contact Seth Gladstone at sgladstone@fwwatch.org; @foodandwater
2. ==> Big Win for Anti-LGBTQ Christian Employers
A federal judge in Texas has ruled that requiring employers to provide coverage for PrEP medication (used to prevent transmission of HIV) violates the religious rights of employers. Marwan Haddad, M.D., MPH, chair of the HIV Medicine Association, is deeply disturbed by the Texas ruling, calling it “one more instance of unacceptable interference in scientific, evidence-based health care practices that must remain within the sanctity of the provider-patient relationship.” Dr. Haddad says denying access to the treatment threatens the health of the more than 1.2 million Americans who could benefit from this potentially lifesaving intervention. “Religious refusal laws allowing the personal beliefs of employers or health care providers to dictate access to prevention, care and treatment services are discriminatory and dangerous,” he says. “These laws ultimately hurt everyone.” Contact Tyler Williams at (434) 329-0940; TWilliams@messagepartnerspr.com
3. ==> Why the Severe Drop in U.S. Life Expectancy?
New reports show the average life expectancy in the United States fell again in 2021, leading to what the “New York Times” calls the “sharpest two-year decline in nearly 100 years”–– shaving a total of nearly three years off the average life expectancy compared to where the figure stood in 2019. The Health Justice Monitor blog notes that “two proximate causes [of the drop] –– COVID and chronic disease –– have everything to do with insurance gaps.” Meanwhile, “rising fatal accidents and overdoses,” which make up a substantial portion of the nation’s losses in the past two years, “reflect a sense of desperation driven substantially by medical care inaccessibility and debt.” Jim Kahn, a professor of health policy at the University of California at San Francisco and an editor and blogger at Health Justice Monitor, adds, “No other nation has experienced this drastic decline. The fall is greatest among Native Americans, and longevity for Black Americans remains the lowest of any group.” Contact Jim Kahn at JGKahn@ucsf.edu
4.==> The Future of Mother Earth Isn’t All Gloom and Doom
As temperatures rise to unsustainable heights and ecosystems buckle under the weight of climate change, it’s increasingly easy to succumb to paralysis. But, if we look at the world through a different lens, as Michael Mehta Webster suggests, we might find that when it comes to the Earth’s durability there’s a lot to be optimistic about. Webster will reveal how the natural world has a series of systems — rescue effects — that automatically activate to help organisms when their environment changes, “like a thermostat turning the air conditioning on when a room gets too warm, the rescue effect automatically turns on when a population is stressed or declining.” Through these systems, nature can independently save endangered species from extinction. Webster’s new book, “The Rescue Effect,” offers a powerful antidote to eco-anxiety — recasting the narrative of ecological decline as a continual process of adaptation and resilience. Michael Mehta Webster is an expert in ecology, conservation, philanthropy, and non-profit management expert and a professor of practice in the Department of Environmental Studies at New York University. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137; (703) 400-1099 (cell) or Erin Bolden at (703) 980-2705
5. ==> How Not to Hire a Hit Man
Melisa Schonfield was a successful psychotherapist and a respected pillar of her community, who had never been in trouble. But when her daughter’s boyfriend began abusing her daughter and young grandson, Melisa decided to take matters into her own hands, by hiring a hit man to dispose of the boyfriend. The hit man she attempted to hire turned out to be an undercover cop. Melisa spent more than three years in prison. “When my grandson was five days old, my daughter’s boyfriend threatened to punch him if he didn’t stop crying,” she says. “He [the boyfriend] never got into trouble because he fooled the police.” Melisa can share the details of her harrowing journey, and how the justice system failed her. She is the author of “Bitter or Better: The Melisa Schonfield Story.” Contact her at (305) 424-7507; mschonfield@rtirguests.com
6. ==> The Game-Changing Benefit Companies Ought to Offer Workers
What benefit should companies offer employees that would be a win-win for everyone? Get the surprising answer from Beverly Williams, J.D., an employment professional, arbitrator, and former HR executive. She’ll explain why paying for employees’ childcare would lead to better outcomes for children and their parents, more workplace productivity, and even lower income disparities. She believes offering a free daycare benefit to employees would be more impactful than paying off their college debt, benefitting society in many ways. Ask her: How would free daycare be paid for? Can most companies afford to do this? Would this be the end of living paycheck to paycheck? A partner at Wong Fleming PC in Princeton, N.J. specializing in labor and employment law, Williams also hosts the podcast Your Employment Matters with Beverly Williams. Her latest book is “Your GPS to Employment Success: How to Find and Succeed in the Right Job.” Contact Beverly Williams at (973) 576-5841; bwilliams@rtirguests.com
7. ==> How Did a Big-Time Bookie’s Son Become a Big-Time Business Coach?
Here’s why Steven Feinberg, Ph.D., stands out from all the business coaches you could interview: he’s considered one of the top 1% of executive coaches in the country who has advised Apple, Google, Linkedin, Visa, Oracle, FedEx and more. He’s a neuro strategist who can talk about why the logical solution too often fails, how to develop a wisdom detector that lets you see things others fail to notice, and much more. Ask him: What is sagacity? How can you identify patterns others miss? How do you defy expectations? What is the No. 1 foe of leaders? What was it like growing up as the son of a big-time bookie? Dr. Feinberg taught for nearly 30 years at the University of San Francisco School of Management and leadership and has guest lectured at Stanford, Cal Poly and at the UC Berkeley Extension. His latest book is “Do What Others Say Can’t Be Done … Play The Meta-Game,” and features interviews he conducted with 50 world-class leaders and entrepreneurs. Contact Dr. Steven Feinberg at (650) 374-4540; sfeinberg@rtirguests.com
8. ==> Has the Black Community Normalized Obesity?
Obesity is an epidemic across America, but especially so in Black communities where nearly half of all adults and a staggering 82% of women are overweight. The statistics are even more alarming when considering the many health risks that are most commonly associated with obesity. Invite Dr. Alvin Perry to discuss the genetic, behavioral and socio-cultural factors at play in the Black community, and how to change the equation to create healthier communities. Ask him are Blacks genetically predisposed to being overweight? Has the community normalized obesity? Why are Black women less likely to exercise (and what is the simple solution)? Alvin Perry, DBA, is a successful entrepreneur and small business expert. He’s also ISSA certified in personal training and nutrition. His book, “Just Fat!” chronicles his 80-pound weight-loss journey and shares a simple system he created that changed the course of his life and led him to the path of personal wellness. Contact Dr. Alvin Perry at (678) 788-7529; aperry@rtirguests.com
9. ==> Psst! The Public Health Crisis No One Talks About
There’s a health crisis in the U.S. and Canada that is affecting 25% of their population and no one is talking about it. Yet it negatively and unnecessarily impacts many lives and was partially responsible for the often tragic dependence on opioids. Whether we call it a crisis or a challenge, your audience needs to hear you talk to Trevor Campbell, M.D., author of “The Language of Pain: Fast Forward Your Recovery to Stop Hurting.” He says, “For years, chronic pain was seen as the persistence of simple pain and not a disorder in its own right. That has led to a lack of funding, poor undergraduate physician training, and not proclaiming it the public health crisis it is.” Invite him to share what needs to be done to address this challenge including the promise of a bio-psychosocial treatment model. Trevor studied medicine at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, before immigrating to Canada. Contact Trevor Campbell at (250) 217-7832; tcampbell@rtirguests.com
10. ==> This Expert Discovered That Perfume Can Cause Infertility
Not only can fragrances in everyday products such as soap, body lotion and laundry detergent cause a variety of health ailments, but products expert Zorica Denton learned that these could also cause infertility in women and men. “Studies show that fragrances affect male sperm and women’s fertility, making it more difficult to get pregnant,” she says. “Products with fragrances may contain anywhere from 100 to 1,000 chemicals. But they don’t have to be listed due to trade secret policies.” Zorica developed long-term, debilitating health problems as a result of working as a perfume model. She is the founder of the natural personal care products company Zorica of Malibu and the author of an upcoming book about toxic chemicals in products. Contact her at (213) 616-7904; zdenton@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Untold Reasons Why There Are So Many Mass Shootings
The world continues to watch the seemingly never-ending mass shootings in the U.S. − particularly in schools such as Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas − in shock and horror. While social observers remain baffled about the “whys” and “hows” of these horrific tragedies, renowned scholar Dr. Sousan Abadian claims that the reasons are shockingly simple. “It’s all about fear,” she says. ” All those people owning/carrying guns are the most frightened people around. How did they become so fearful, and how do we reassure them?” Dr. Sousan can discuss some of the reasons why American society may be so fear-based, including spiritual trauma, and that we are collectively suffering from the “trauma virus.” She has a Ph.D. in political economy and government from Harvard University and conducts workshops on healing from spiritual trauma. Contact Sousan at (617) 860-2785; sabadian@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Confessions of a Former Pioneering Black Diplomat
If you have ever wondered what a diplomat does, what being in the Foreign Service is like, or what it was like to be stationed in a country where coups were commonplace, this is your chance to find out. Starting in 1975 and for the next 30 years, Judith Mudd-Krijgelmans, a former English major and Fulbright Scholar, was a diplomat in the Foreign Service in New Delhi, Mumbai, Dhaka, Taipei, Hong Kong, Brussels, Libreville, Bujumbura, and Brazzaville. Moreover, she did it as a Black single mother with few role models. Ask her: Was it hard to wave the flag for an ideal America yet to be realized? What are the pros and cons of frequent travel? Who were some of the famous people you met? What lessons have you learned that are applicable to others with big dreams? Judith Mudd-Krijgelmans’s new memoir is Chocolates for Mary Judith: Black Woman Blazes Trails as a Career Diplomat. She rose from the military equivalent of a first Lieutenant to a major general. Contact Judith Mudd-Krijgelmans at (571) 568-8667; jmuddkrijgelmans@rtirguests.com
13. ==> Can You Guess the Most Important Minutes of Your Day?
Did you know that you can change your life, get rid of stress, and feel more in control of your destiny in only 30 minutes a day? Interview Theo Prodromitis, the author of “The Balance Between the Hustle and the Flow: Knowing When to Make Things Happen and When to Let Them Happen,” to discover why the first and last 15 minutes of your day are the most important and how to maximize them. Theo is an award-winning entrepreneur, marketing strategist, and best-selling author of “The Success Formula” with Jack Canfield. Ask her: What does neuroscience tell us about our brain activity at the beginning and end of each day? What are the four things we should do every morning? Contact Theo Prodromitis at (813) 701-5414; tprodromitis@rtirguests.com
14. ==> Don’t Book a Cruise Before Hearing from This Travel Expert
If you’re planning a cruise, you’ll be sure to enjoy smooth sailing with little-known insider tips from travel expert Cindy Bertram. “Having cruised many times myself, the actual process involved has become much more efficient due to COVID protocols,” she says. “And there are new apps that you can download for everything from checking in for your cruise, making advance dining reservations and booking shore excursions, along with ensuring hassle-free disembarking.” She is a communications, media and branding specialist who has spent many years in the travel and cruise industry and is the author of “How Six Women Executives Steer the Cruise Industry Today” and “Message from the Dog…Learning from Great Humans.” Contact Cindy at (219) 775-6488; cbertram@rtirguests.com
15. ==> How to Handle Life’s Sucker Punches with Ease
Life is uncertain; change can happen in an instant. Author Valentina Tjan can share how to handle life’s sucker punches to come out a winner. “You need to embrace change to reach your fullest potential,” she says. ‘Whatever happens is for the best and everything will turn out beautifully’ has to be your motto to make sense of things. Calamities can cause you to achieve your divine destiny.” She is the author of “The Best Is Yet to Come: Real-Life Journey to Riches to Inspire You to Wisdom and Wealth.” Contact Valentina at (647) 493-1694; vphoey@rtirguests.com