February 8, 2018
01. Stock Market News – Good? Bad? Neither!
02. Harsh Words for White Women Who Support Trump
03. Malcolm X – The Lost Tapes
04. Gung Hay Fat Choy! The Year of the Dog
05. AIDS in America is a Black Disease
06. Lovebirds with Wrinkles: Late Bloomers
07. Should Your Valentine Pass a Personality Test?
08. Finding Your Roots? DNA Testing’s Shortcomings
09. Starting this Month: The IRS Can Take Your Passport!
10. The Gig Economy and the New Tax Law
11. Get Ready to Live on Only $1369 a Month
12. Is a Deadlier Flu on the Way?
13. Leftovers: Women Shaping China’s Future
14. The Ultimate Underdog
15. When Grown Kids Can’t Fly the Coop
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1. ==> Stock Market News – Good? Bad? Neither!
Josh Bivens says we shouldn’t panic about Monday’s
stock market plunge, and Tuesday’s rebound doesn’t
matter either. He says what matters is understanding
the vast chasm between Wall Street and Main Street.
“Whatever stocks do in the coming week or month, the
fact is that the economic agenda of President Trump and
his Republican allies is destined to fail the wage-
earner over the long run. The more time and attention
we all spend obsessing over growth in wages and the
less we do over growth in stock prices, the smarter
economic policy would get.” Bivens says boosting
stocks by attacking the economic power of American
workers isn’t just a betrayal of populist promises made
over the past year by Trump, it’s also bad economics.
Josh Bivens is the research director at the Economic
Policy Institute in Washington, DC. He is a
macroeconomist who has written extensively about
inequality, including as a co-author of the “State of
Working America.” Contact Dan Crawford at (202)
775-8810; dcrawford@epi.org or Liz Rose at
lrose@epi.org.
2. ==> Harsh Words for White Women Who Support Trump
A majority of white women ? 53 percent ? voted for
Donald Trump. In fact, the majority of white women have
voted Republican for decades, but sociologist Jesse
Daniels says the white women in the Trump
administration are using their considerable, albeit
provisional, power to drive the country into a ditch
and don’t deserve the benefit of your doubt. “It’s hard
for us to grasp the idea that white women are culpable,
because it doesn’t fit the widespread culture image of
us as benevolent, peaceful and nurturing. These
assumptions allow white women to behave in ways that
materially harm non-white people, without being held
accountable,” says Daniels. “As we look for
explanations for this presidency, and all the
destruction it has wrought, we must hold white women
accountable for their active role in our collective
misery.” Jessie Daniels is a professor of sociology at
Hunter College and The Graduate Center, CUNY, and the
author of the forthcoming book “Tweetstorm: The Rise of
the ‘Alt-Right’ and the Mainstreaming of White
Nationalism.” Contact her at jdaniels@hunter.cuny.edu;
@jessienyc
3. ==> Malcolm X – The Lost Tapes
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Tom Jennings’
latest film, ‘The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X,’ provides a
unique perspective on the legendary and controversial
civil rights activist. Airing on the Smithsonian
Channel during Black History Month, the film relives
Malcolm’s pivotal years with never-before-seen footage
and audio tapes, including recordings made on the day
of his assassination. Tom can discuss how the film
presents insight into Malcolm X using media reports
from the time, and the moments that ultimately shaped
his legacy as one of the most important figures of the
civil rights movement. Contact John Angelo at
john@premieretv.com
4. ==> Gung Hay Fat Choy! The Year of the Dog
The Chinese New Year begins February 16th and is
traditionally marked with elaborate parades, fireworks
and dragon dancers, but you need not be Chinese to
celebrate. 2018 is the year of the Earth Dog and people
who are born this year will be serious, good
communicators and excellent employees. Carlyn Montes De
Oca, an author, animal advocate and human health
expert, says even if you don’t believe in Chinese
astrology, you can still celebrate the Year of the Dog
with your furry friend. From helping us get fit to
unplugging and learning to be in the moment, Carlyn
will share the ways dogs are the best health and
wellness gurus we have! Carlyn Montes de Oca is the
author of “Dog as My Doctor, Cat as My Nurse: An Animal
Lover’s Guide to a Healthy, Happy & Extraordinary
Life.” Contact her at (415) 306-1853;
cmdo@animalhumanhealth.com
5. ==> AIDS in America is a Black Disease
Yesterday was National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day but
you probably didn’t know it. Many believe the AIDS
epidemic is over, but Phill Wilson says nothing could
be further from the truth, especially for black
Americans. “Black communities disproportionately bear
the brunt of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America. Almost
half of all new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. in 2016
occurred within the black community alone. These
numbers are alarming on their own but carry additional
weight when considering black Americans make up only
about 12 percent of the total U.S. population.” Wilson,
president and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, says “We
have the diagnostic, surveillance, treatment and
biomedical prevention tools necessary to eradicate our
country of this disease. We cannot end the HIV/AIDS
epidemic in America if we don’t address the unique ways
this disease affects the black community.” Contact him
at (213) 353-3610; PhillWilson@BlackAIDS.org
6. ==> Lovebirds with Wrinkles: Late Bloomers
Jerry Seinfeld was 45. Gloria Steinman was 66. Both are
examples of people who married for the first time later
in life and there are plenty of examples of celebrities
who found love the second or third time around as they
aged: David Letterman, George Clooney, and James
Brolin, for instance. This Valentine’s Day, why not do
an unusual show on late bloomers who found love and
ways being older and more mature can make it easier to
find your soul mate and your own soul? Barbara Plasker,
an expert on late bloomers who says being a late
bloomer in love is a good thing, will be your guide.
Plasker is the author of “Simple Ways to Transform Your
Life: Lessons Learned by a Late Bloomer” and the
ultimate late bloomer who earned her master’s degree in
industrial design when she was 40 and her doctorate in
adult education at 56. Contact her at (845) 368-4413;
barbaraplasker@live.com
7. ==> Should Your Valentine Pass a Personality Test?
Meeting eligible singles is a cinch – just use dating
apps or websites. But meeting someone with that special
spark is just the beginning. Dr. Sarah E. Brown says
finding a life mate is akin to hiring the right
employee. Using the same process and questions used in
screening a job applicant will help you answer
important questions. Do you share common interests?
Will your personality complement theirs? What strengths
and traits will each candidate bring to your life?
Sarah says that adding a personality test will further
minimize the guesswork and unpleasant surprises that
may arise in a fledgling relationship. It helps
couples decide whether their relationship is going
somewhere – or if they’re just spinning their wheels.
After all, romance is a serious business, and you’ve
got to carefully screen anyone vying to become your
partner. Using the same tools businesses use to build
successful teams in their workforce, anyone can find
the right match for their own interests, strengths, and
personality needs so they can fulfill themselves at
home and work, in both career and relationships. Ask
Sarah how she met her husband! Contact Dr. Sarah E.
Brown at (302) 521-9739 or sarah@bookofyou.com.
8. ==> Finding Your Roots? DNA Testing’s Shortcomings
Millions of people have already had their DNA tested to
find out about their ancestry, an indication of how
strong the urge is to link ourselves to our forebears.
Robb Lucy is one of them, learning that he is mostly
Irish but also 20 percent south Asian with dashes of
African, Italian, Grecian and Scandinavian thrown in.
And while it is cool to know that, he asserts that DNA
testing only takes us so far; it does not reveal the
stories of our ancestors, who they were or the kind of
lives they led. Robb is on a mission to leave his own
descendants, and yours, with a more complete picture of
who we were. He’ll explain how to leave a digital life
story that will educate your progeny hundreds of years
from now. He calls this legacy building “DNA
digitality.” A journalist, writer and producer, Robb
Lucy is the author of the “How Will You Be Remembered:
A Guide to Creating and Enjoying Your Legacies Now.”
Contact him at (604) 874-7700; rlucy@createmylegacy.com
9. ==> Starting this Month: The IRS Can Take Your
Passport!
The IRS is rolling out a program this month to take
passports for all taxpayers who owe more than $51,000.
But you need your passport to travel and when you start
a job to prove your identity. Are you a potential
candidate for IRS revocation? What do you do? Let tax
pro Abby Eisenkraft, author of “101 Ways to Stay Off
the IRS Radar” and “Combat Tax-Related Identity Theft”
educate your audience on what the IRS is doing, how
they work with the State Department, and how you can
get help. Frequently quoted by the press, she is one of
the leading experts on IRS problems and how to avoid
them. Contact her at (347) 598-0111;
abby@RealLifeTaxAdvice.com
10. ==> The Gig Economy and the New Tax Law
According to a study by LinkedIn, 43 percent of the U.S
workforce will do some form of freelancing by 2020.
This includes Uber drivers, multi-level marketing
distributors, and online sellers as well as various
service providers. Even though the new tax law has many
provisions favorable to small businesses, many in the
gig economy could lose their deductions. Certified
public accountant Lisa London says the IRS may consider
a business a “hobby” and therefore, the related
deductions would be disallowed. She’ll explain steps
you must take to be considered a for-profit business
including accurate record-keeping and business and
marketing plans. London has been a CPA for three
decades and specializes in assisting small businesses,
nonprofits and churches. She has been quoted in U.S.
News and World Report and featured on national and
local media. She’s the author of “The Accountant Beside
You” series of resources and “BANISH Your Bookkeeping
Nightmares-The Go-To Guide for the Self-Employed to
Save Money, Reduce Frustration, and Satisfy the IRS.”
Contact her at (919) 770-3746;
lisalondon@lisalondoncpa.com
11. ==> Get Ready to Live on Only $1369 a Month
Imagine the nightmare of reaching retirement age only
to discover that basically overnight you’ll have to
live on only $1,369 each month because you never
bothered to save for retirement. That amount is the
average monthly Social Security check received by 42
million retired workers in the U.S. as of June 2017.
That’s only $16,428 a year! Chartered retirement
planning counselor Rodger Alan Friedman, CRPC®, can
tell your audience the simple steps they can take now
to make sure this doesn’t happen to them. Learn how
just a few small adjustments to your current spending
habits can make the difference between living
comfortably in retirement and struggling to make ends
meet. He’s the author of The Mindset of Retirement
Success: 7 Winning Strategies to Change Your Life.
Friedman has been featured by magazines and radio
stations nationwide. Contact him at (844) 3MY-PLAN
(NY); Rodger@RodgeronRetirement.com
12. ==> Is a Deadlier Flu on the Way?
You’ve heard that this year’s flu is hitting people
hard and that the vaccine has not been effective. But
the real danger of a flu like we are experiencing goes
beyond the very real impact on everyone who’s catching
it, says Dr. Robin Burk. The greater danger is that a
small mutation might lead to a reprise of the deadly
Spanish Flu pandemic of 100 years ago that is believed
to have killed as many as 50 million people all over
the world, in some cases just a few hours after
symptoms developed. This year’s version of the virus is
particularly apt to morph, and also causes serious
symptoms in a lot of people. Even so, she says we can
interrupt the virus’s spread and lower the chances of
an even deadlier version of flu emerging next year. Dr.
Burk managed research at the Defense Threat Reduction
(counter WMD) Agency that addresses this issue. She’ll
talk about what research has to say about using even a
partially-effective vaccine and what other steps you
can take today. Dr. Burk is the author of “Check Your
Connections: How to Thrive in an Uncertain World” and
can be reached at (703) 346.4448;
robin.kowalchuk.burk@gmail.com
13. ==> Leftovers: Women Shaping China’s Future
What’s life like for young women in China today?
American journalist Roseann Lake will share what she
found about the lives of Chinese women. Combining her
historical and demographic research along with scores
of touching/often humorous real-life anecdotes from
colleagues and friends you’ll learn about the culture
in China and hear stories of desperate mothers hacking
their daughters’ dating profiles to secure a quick
proposal. Known as ‘leftovers’ if they fail to marry by
age twenty-five, these women represent a China in which
gender roles have not evolved as vigorously as society
itself, and where new professional opportunities have
made women less willing to compromise their careers or
concede to marriage for the sake of it. Roseann Lake is
The Economist’s Cuba correspondent. She was previously
based in Beijing, where she worked for five years as a
television reporter and journalist. Her new book is
“Leftover in China: The Women Shaping the World’s Next
Superpower.” Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703)
646-5137 or Megan Bonomo at (703) 646-5188.
14. ==> The Ultimate Underdog
Sue Pighini can identify with the Philadelphia Eagles.
She has overcome considerable challenges to get where
she is and is not averse to taking risks. She’s come
back from being struck by lightning, held up at
gunpoint and facing down cancer. She’s literally been
through hell and has the stories and lessons to show
for it … and wisdom that will inspire your audience
members to live more fully and joyfully from this point
on. Sue’s book, “Expect the Extraordinary,” has won
several book awards, the latest from the Soul Bridge
Awards in Europe. Reach her at (941) 685-7159 or
sue@SuePighini.com
15. ==> When Grown Kids Can’t Fly the Coop
By some accounts, 40% of young Americans now live at
home with their parents. Long gone are the days of
moving out on your own after college, which means the
average family nest is staying fuller, longer, which
isn’t necessarily a good thing! Invite psychologist
Kevin Fall to discuss how parents and their grown kids
can survive without screaming, what to do when your
young adult isn’t motivated to move out, and how his
own son went from high school drop-out, felon, and
suicidal teen to a college graduate, loving dad, and
thriving professional with a clean record. Dr. Kevin
Fall is an award-winning speaker, author, psychologist,
and leading expert on human connection. He and his son,
Austin, now work to help parents reconnect with and
inspire their troubled teens. Their book “How to Get
Your Son Back: 7 Steps to Reconnect and Repair Your
Relationship” shares lessons they learned in repairing
their own relationship that could help other parents do
the same. Contact Austin Fall (913) 208-7075;
Austin@LifeDoctor.com
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