01. Is Trump’s White House Media Ban Legal?
02. The NSA is Restructuring. Why?
03. What to Know About Growing Measles Outbreak
04. Space Expert on the 60th Anniversary of Star Trek
05. The Nature/Spirit Link and Our Moral Obligation to Mother Nature
06. Are Kids Being Taught How to Be Students?
07. The History of Television From Someone Who Was There
08. What Golf Teaches Kids That a Classroom Can’t
09. What Cutting Out Meat Really Means for Your Health
10. The Illness That Nearly Killed Him And the Music That Saved Him
11. Three Questions You Never Ask Are Quietly Running Your Life
12. What Saying No to Billionaires Taught Her About Real Self-Worth
13. This Author Reveals 72 Ways to Create Lasting Peace
14. How Helping People in Prison Makes the Rest of Us Safer
15. Are You Trying Too Hard to Be Happy?
1. ==> Is Trump’s White House Media Ban Legal?
CNN, Politico and MS NOW have taken the White House to court over President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to ban certain media outlets from covering him at the White House. The organizations call the ban an illegal assault on the press and vow to continue their coverage. Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, called the bans “thoroughly unsurprising, particularly as Trump faces low approval ratings heading into the midterms. The news media is an “easy target” for Trump, and implementing the ban is likely to appeal to his political base that overwhelmingly distrusts mass media. Calvert describes Trump’s previous ban on the Associated Press as a “much more precise target” centered on the outlets refusal to adopt “Gulf of America” when referring to the body of water widely known as the “Gulf of Mexico.” The AP initially had success in its lawsuit challenging the ban, but an appeals court later allowed that ban to stand and the case remains under litigation. The American Enterprise Institute is a Washington-based public policy think tank. Contact Lexi Baker at (301) 974-7477; Lexi.Baker@aei.org
2. ==> The NSA is Restructuring. Why?
The National Security Agency (NSA) recently announced it would undergo its most extensive restructuring in at least a decade. The initiative will create five new organizations inside the agency, focusing on AI, China, cybersecurity, combat support or warfighting, and global intelligence. Thomas Drake, a former senior executive of the NSA and a whistleblower says, “I’ve seen this movie before, a couple of times both as a government contractor and as a senior executive at NSA. A ‘restructuring’ or reorganization is the classic go-to bureaucratic response when the institution is threatened, under pressure and pushed to make it look like the bureaucracy is doing something.” While at the NSA, Drake disclosed the original mass surveillance regime put in place after 9/11, multibillion-dollar fraud and waste as well as 9/11 intelligence failures. He was indicted by the government as the signature Espionage Act case by the Obama administration in 2010 after a four-year criminal investigation and went free after a plea deal. Prior to his stints at the NSA and as a consultant/contractor in management and information technology, he served in the Air Force, CIA and Navy as an intelligence specialist. Contact Thomas Drake at tadrake@icloud.com
3. ==> What to Know About Growing Measles Outbreak
A Pennsylvania measles outbreak has grown to more than 700 reported cases with 45 children hospitalized and four related deaths. Parents have a lot of questions and Dr. Amira Roess, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert, has answers. She’ll explain how the disease spreads and what makes it so contagious, what’s behind the current outbreak and who is most vulnerable (infants, the immunocompromised and unvaccinated). Dr. Roess can provide practical parent guidance on checking a child’s vaccination status, keeping up with exposure locations and understanding symptoms and when to seek care. Dr. Amira Roess is a professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at George Mason University's College of Public Health, Department of Global and Community Health. She is a former CDC disease detective, frequently interviewed by national outlets, and highly skilled at translating complex epidemiology into parent friendly language. Contact her at (703) 993-1923; aroess@gmu.edu
4. ==> Space Expert on the 60th Anniversary of Star Trek
This fall marks 60 years since NBC aired the first episode of Star Trek. The pop culture phenomenon starred William Shatner as Captain Kirk, who led a diverse crew of humans and at least one alien on adventures in space. Invite space expert and author Christopher Lee Jones to discuss the enduring appeal of the Star Trek franchise. Ask him: How much of the technology imagined on Star Trek has actually become reality over the past six decades? What did Star Trek get right—and wrong—about the future of space exploration? As NASA and private companies push toward the Moon and Mars, are we getting closer to the kind of future Star Trek envisioned? Christopher Lee Jones is the author of “Mars Mission I: Surviving the Kessler Effect.” He is also a retired Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighter-paramedic. Jones transitioned into the space sector after researching orbital debris and Kessler syndrome. Contact Mark Goldman at markgoldman73@gmail.com or call/text (516) 639-0988
5. ==> The Nature/Spirit Link and Our Moral Obligation to Mother Nature
For millennia, nature has provided spiritual experiences of wonder, gratitude, and peace. But in our current culture, nature is being burned, poisoned, and rendered extinct. Roger Gottlieb, author of “Nature Spirituality: Embracing a Sacred, Wounded Earth,” will clarify what spirituality is and why nature has played a central role in it for religious believers and non-believers alike. He examines the environmental crisis as a civilizational rupture that transforms hope, grief, meaning, and moral responsibility. Drawing on decades of original work in environmental ethics, religious environmentalism, and contemporary spirituality, Gottlieb explores how today’s ecological crisis reshapes spiritual life. Roger Gottlieb teaches philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is the author or editor of twenty-three books on religion, environmental ethics, and spirituality. Contact Lissa Warren at (617) 233-2853; lissawarrenpr@gmail.com
6. ==> Are Kids Being Taught How to Be Students?
Schools teach reading, math and science but award-winning teacher Karen Horwitz says one important lesson is often assumed: children already know how to be students. Horwitz says they don’t. In her classroom, she explicitly taught children what school was for, why their choices affected others and how to become part of a community. She told students, “School is your job,” and compared the class to a boat: everyone had to work together for smooth sailing. Horwitz can explain why belonging and responsibility aren’t extras, how teaching children the purpose of school can change classroom behavior and learning, and why these early lessons can help develop critical thinking and citizenship. Karen Horwitz is the author of multiple award-winning books. Contact her at (312) 471-9435; khorwitz@rtirguests.com
7. ==> The History of Television From Someone Who Was There
Long before streaming put the world at our fingertips, Bob Patterson was helping beam television signals around the globe via satellite. He witnessed firsthand how innovations that once seemed like science fiction transformed what we watch today. Book Patterson for a fascinating trip behind the scenes of television history. Who really inspired the creation of CNN? How did one Major League Baseball game help launch the satellite era of professional sports? What did Patterson discover during a VIP tour of the first Space Shuttle that raised concerns about future missions? And how did early HDTV satellite demonstrations convince Congress that television’s future was digital? Drawing from his book “Iconic Moments in Broadcast History: Live Via Satellite,” Patterson shares this and more including the untold stories behind five decades of television innovation. Contact Bob Patterson at (818) 210-4965; bpatterson@rtirguests.com
8. ==> What Golf Teaches Kids That a Classroom Can’t
Tom Loegering believes golf can teach lessons that have less to do with creating golfers and more to do with preparing young people for life. Loegering is founder and CEO of Golf Program in Schools (GPS), a free, curriculum-based program that has introduced more than 53,000 K–12 students to golf. Through the game, children learn perseverance, honesty, responsibility, self-confidence, decision-making and how to recover from mistakes. An entrepreneur, golf course owner, financial planner and the author of “Success or Failure: The Choice Is Yours,” Loegering offers an unexpected perspective on education. He’ll explain how golf can teach lessons that extend beyond the course while introducing students to core values including courtesy, honesty, respect, integrity, spirit and teamwork. Contact Tom Loegering at (623) 400-8648; tloegering@rtirguests.com
9. ==> What Cutting Out Meat Really Means for Your Health
Dorothy Greet, author of “Go Veg With Class,” has watched plant-based eating transform the health of everyone from lifelong carnivores to her own students. She says the shift isn't about deprivation, it's about learning to eat differently, and watching decades-old health problems start to reverse. Greet teaches the "Going Veg With Class" approach as a practical, judgment-free path to better health, no extreme diet required — just a different way of thinking about food. Ask her: What does "going veg with class" mean in practice? What's the biggest misconception people have about switching to a plant-based diet? What specific health changes have you seen in your own students? Contact Dorothy Greet at (302) 314-6010; dgreet@rtirguests.com
10. ==> The Illness That Nearly Killed Him And the Music That Saved Him
Chris Risi was two days from dying of flesh-eating bacteria and sepsis when doctors stopped the infection — the first of four surgeries to come. Risi credits the music he wrote during his recovery with keeping him alive when nothing else could. He wrote 15 songs while rebuilding his body and his life, turning a near-death experience into a story he now shares to help others facing their own storms. Ask him: What was going through your mind when doctors told you how close you were to dying? How did writing music help you physically recover? What would you tell someone facing their own health crisis? Chris Risi is the author of “Through the Storm...Using the Power of Music to Heal, Survive, and Thrive.” Contact him at (772) 218-1902; crisi@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Three Questions You Never Ask Are Quietly Running Your Life
Are you safe? Do you belong? What choice do you have? Mitra Manesh says the questions we live by, often without realizing it, can determine whether we spend our lives reacting from fear or consciously choosing what comes next. On your show, Mitra will reveal how our most basic questions about safety and belonging can keep even successful people stuck in “survival mode.” The way out, she says, begins by changing the questions to: What are the facts? What choices do I have? What response serves me and the world around me? It’s a simple shift that can change how we approach everything from relationships and careers to uncertainty about the future. Mitra explores this progression from survival to conscious choice in her latest book, “The Attentionist: New Choices for a New World.” A senior mindfulness educator at UCLA Mindful, she brings decades of mindfulness teaching to this practical framework. Contact Mitra Manesh at (310) 807-3031; mmanesh@rtirguests.com
12. ==> What Saying No to Billionaires Taught Her About Real Self-Worth
What if knowing your worth means being willing to say no to wealth, status, and powerful people? Ninotchka Manus says she turned down marriage proposals from billionaires and refused to compromise herself for wealthy, influential men, even while moving in some of the world’s most glamorous circles. Ninotchka lived a life many people only dream about: international travel, haute couture, luxurious homes, and a social circle that included billionaires, royalty, and celebrities from Aristotle Onassis and Princess Soraya to Diana Ross. But the author of “My Life You Would Not Believe” says maintaining her independence and integrity mattered more than being defined by the powerful men around her. She’ll share what those experiences taught her about self-worth, staying true to yourself, and creating a life on your own terms. Ask her: What surprised you most about the billionaires and celebrities you knew? Can pursuing a glamorous life actually make it harder to recognize your own worth? Contact Ninotchka Manus at (917) 534-0741 or nmanus@rtirguests.com
13. ==> This Author Reveals 72 Ways to Create Lasting Peace
Michael Riso didn't expect an unplanned hospital visit to change his life — until a shocking terminal cancer diagnosis led him to a level of inner peace he'd never known. In his upcoming book, “Finding Joy in Daily Living,” Riso translates that hard-won peace into 72 simple, teachable practices anyone can use. A former golf instructor of 38 years, Riso has spent decades helping people find clarity under pressure — on the course and off. His segments are ready-made: 35 filmed clips, one for nearly every chapter in the book. Ask him: What did a terminal diagnosis teach you that nothing else could? What's one of the 72 practices anyone could try today? How did teaching golf prepare you to teach people about peace? Contact Michael Riso at (727) 353-5109; mriso@rtirguests.com
14. ==> How Helping People in Prison Makes the Rest of Us Safer
What happens inside prisons doesn’t necessarily stay there. Many incarcerated people eventually return to their families and communities, and Kim Nugent says the programming available during incarceration can help prepare them for that transition. Nugent, author of “From Prison to Possibilities: Paving Your Path,” advocates for prison programming built around education, mentorship, life skills, purpose and preparation for release. She can discuss what effective prison programming looks like, why preparation for reentry should begin before release, and how mentorship can build accountability and practical skills that carry beyond prison walls. Ask her: What kinds of programming do people in prison need most? Why should reentry preparation begin before release? What role can mentorship play inside prisons? Why should people outside prison care about the programming available inside? Nugent is a certified Brave Thinking Mastery consultant who also holds an Inner Counselor certification. Contact her at (832) 240-7494; Knugent@rtirguests.com
15. ==> Are You Trying Too Hard to Be Happy?
Many people spend years trying to improve themselves, become more successful, gain approval or finally feel “good enough.” Gerard Wouters says all that effort can become part of the problem. In “How to Make Life Simple, Happy and Successful the Taoist Way,” Wouters explores how fears, performance pressure, overthinking, the need for control and other behaviors can be unconsciously learned from family, relationships, society and the media. He believes becoming more fully yourself may require less adding and more unlearning. On your show, Wouters will explain how to recognize the difference between your authentic nature and learned behavior, why constantly trying to prove yourself can create stress and dissatisfaction, and how Taoist principles can help people simplify their lives and let go of patterns that no longer serve them. Ask him: How can someone tell which behaviors are truly theirs? What behaviors do people commonly mistake for personality? What does Taoism teach about unlearning? Why do so many people struggle with feeling they aren't good enough? Contact Gerald Wouters at gwouters@rtirguests.com
