01. How Bad Is the Pandemic Going to Get?
02. Educators Beg Biden to Be Bold
03. True Survival Story: Shipwrecked in the Arctic
04. Mrs. Christmas Says Caroling Isn’t Cancelled!
05. From St. Nick to Santa: The Gospel of Santa Claus
06. Immune-Boosting Holiday Hacks
07. RX for a Stress-Free Holiday
08. Cheers! The Best Holiday Pours
09. How to Experience More Holiday Joy
10. Will the Supreme Court Take IVF Away?
11. Here’s How to Live a More Adventurous Life in 2021
12. Put More Yay in Every Day
13. Advantages Self-Doubters Have That Self-Confident People Lack
14. Mourning Alex Trebek, Wishing Al Roker Well
15. DOTUS: Welcome the Presidential Pooches!
1.==> How Bad Is the Pandemic Going to Get?
Laurie Garrett has been sounding the alarm about COVID-19 since the first days of the pandemic. The Pulitzer Prize-winning science author and former fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations says the U.S. is in a period of “exponential growth” of the coronavirus and “the gates of Hades have opened.” She and other health experts are calling for a very dark winter, citing the record number of new infections and hospitalizations across the country. As scientists continue to work on rolling out a vaccine, Garrett says there are concrete actions that can be taken to minimize risk and spread in the upcoming months, but Americans are suffering COVID fatigue. She can discuss how the situation got this bad and share advice on staying safe this holiday season along with some creative ways to follow basic coronavirus protocols. “The moment you start hugging someone you haven’t seen for weeks — yes, it’s good for your soul and for your heart, and we all long for it — but that is the moment when you are sharing a risk and a threat that wasn’t there before you had that hug,” she says. Garrett was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism in 1996 for a series of works published in Newsday chronicling the Ebola virus outbreak in Zaire. Contact Ron Bernstein at Assist.RBernstein@icmpartners.com
2. ==> Educators Beg Biden to Be Bold
Anticipation and advocacy are building around Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Education and whether his policies will significantly depart from past decades. Building on Biden’s reference to Franklin D. Roosevelt, over 1,000 educators and organizations have sent a letter to Biden urging the appointment of leaders who bring a bold, research-based vision for education that parallels FDR’s New Deal. Kevin Welner of the National Education Policy Center says, “Biden’s initial appointments show his desire to draw upon expertise developed during the Obama administration. The appointees know the ropes and will be able to immediately embark on the difficult work of responding to the pandemic and economic crisis, as well as reversing four years of damage. But experience is not always a good thing.” Obama’s Department of Ed largely continued the test-based accountability and charter-school policies of the George W. Bush administration but Welner says Biden promised to shift away from this old thinking — and to instead focus on closing resource gaps and opportunity gaps. Welner is director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, fellow of the American Educational Research Association, and co-author of the research brief, “What’s Next for Pre-K-12 Funding?” Contact him at kevin.welner@gmail.com
3. ==> True Survival Story: Shipwrecked in the Arctic
Your listeners have probably never heard of William Barents. The Dutch navigator was stranded on Nova Zembla in the winter of 1596 during a failed search for a northern trade route to the Far East. Using diaries, archival material, and her own three trips to the Arctic to recreate Barents’ three Arctic voyages, journalist Andrea Pitzer has pieced together his amazing story. On your show, she’ll share Barents harrowing ordeal and the lessons it teaches, including survival at 20 degrees below zero, the degeneration of the human body when it lacks Vitamin C, the history of mutiny, the practice of keelhauling, the art of celestial navigation, and the feats humans are capable of when asked to do the near impossible. Andrea Pitzer has written for The Washington Post, The New York Review of Books, The Daily Beast, Vox, and Slate among other publications. Her latest book is “Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World.” To schedule interviews for January, contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 991-8328; jboyer@rtirguests.com
4.==> Mrs. Christmas Says Caroling Isn’t Cancelled!
Families across America are having heart-wrenching conversations about how to spend the upcoming holidays. People want to have their loved ones around them, but many recognize that gathering just isn’t safe. So how do we have meaningful, memorable, joyous celebrations together? Renae Baker says, “Traveling and gathering may be on hold for this December, but holiday spirit doesn’t have to be.” Affectionately known as Mrs. Christmas, Baker has managed a professional caroling company in NYC for decades and this year she’s bringing live carol sing-alongs to virtual holiday spaces. The “I’ll Be Zoom for Christmas” and “Zoom Gali Gali” parties feature professional Broadway carolers taking real-time requests. Baker and her carolers have been featured on Fox News Chief Religion Correspondent Lauren Green’s, “Mighty Christmas” special and many more media outlets. She’s the author of “Defeating Scrooge: How to Harness the Power of Christmas Carols to Revive Your Spirit Anytime of the Year” and the Defeating Scrooge Spirit Saver Calendar. Contact her at (917) 509-9022; ismileny@gmail.com
5. ==> From St. Nick to Santa: The Gospel of Santa Claus
Everyone is familiar with Santa Claus, with his big belly, white beard, pink cheeks and omnipresent sack of toys for children. Most people know that the inspiration for Santa was Saint Nicholas, a priest and bishop who lived in the third century A.D., but few know much about the real man in the red suit. Wayne Van Der Wal, a school psychologist and practicing Christian, wants to change that. Invite him on your show and hear how St. Nicholas overcame childhood tragedy, felt called by God to take a vow of poverty, endured horrific persecution for his religious faith, and went on to become one of the most beloved, generous, loving, and famous figures in human history. The author of the historical novel “The Gospel of Santa Claus,” will fascinate your audience as he shares details of St. Nicholas’ extraordinary life and what Santa Claus has in common with St. Nick. He’ll also explain how writing the book changed the way he and his family celebrate Christmas each year and how anyone can have the best Christmas season ever, even on a limited budget. Contact Wayne Van Der Wal at (775) 338-4300; wav66@yahoo.com
6. ==> Immune-Boosting Holiday Hacks
Coronavirus cases are up in the U.S. and it’s also flu season. Combine that with Christmas and New Year’s and people’s pent-up desire to celebrate and you have a recipe for disaster. If you are looking for a guest who is timely, unusually candid and knowledgeable, you have found her. Dr. Annalee Kitay has seldom-heard advice on how to keep your immune system boosted so that you do not fall prey to viruses. Dr. Kitay says, “With traditional medicine in a questionable state, not providing sound health care, and everything going on threatening our health, it is imperative to look at other natural choices that will boost your immune system.” She also trains other doctors in this revolutionary protocol that enables the body to achieve optimum wellness. Dr. Kitay worked with and did a radio show with the late Dr. Robert Atkins. Contact Dr. Kitay at (561) 462-4733; akitay@rtirguests.com
7. ==> RX for a Stress-Free Holiday
We all have a lot on our plates right now and the stress is adding up. With the holidays now upon us, how can we dial things back to actually enjoy the season? Invite New York-based meditation expert Adam Weber to share his method for relaxing and calming your mind anywhere, at any time of the day, even at work. Weber says that in only three to five minutes you can decompress and build a meditation practice that fits into your busy schedule. Invite him to share why it’s not hard to start meditating and how you can really relax your mind in a stressful place like the office. He is the author of the soon-to-be-released book “Meditation Not Medicine: Survive and Thrive in Our Stress Filled World.” Contact him at (917) 779-8177; aweber@rtirguests.com
8. ==> Cheers! The Best Holiday Pours
It’s been an unconventional year and the holidays are sure to be the same. No matter whom you’re with or what you are eating, there will likely be some adult beverages involved and Jim Laughren, CWE, can help your listeners figure out the perfect wine for the occasion, whether they’re looking for a comforting favorite, something out of the ordinary or a bargain too good to pass up. He can also suggest creative gift ideas for the wine lovers on your shopping list like special glasses and accessories, wine club memberships and more. An encyclopedia of wine knowledge, Jim is the author of two short new eBooks, “The 15-Minute Guide to Red Wine” and “The 15-Minute Guide to White Wine.” He has appeared on radio and TV around the country and is also the award-winning author of “50 Ways to Love Wine More” and “A Beer Drinker’s Guide to Knowing and Enjoying Fine Wine.” Contact Jim Laughren at (954) 317-9623; JLaughren@rtirguests.com
9. ==> How to Experience More Holiday Joy
Could there be a simple scientific formula for experiencing more joy that could help your listeners through the COVID-infused holidays? According to author and scientist David L. Peters, such a formula exists and he has used it to cope with the grief of losing his wife of 58 years on the 60th anniversary of their first meeting. Bring David on your show to help others whose yule season is shaping up to be difficult so that they too can develop their own personal recipe for peace and happiness. David is an engineer who holds 18 patents and is the author of the book “The 12 Steps to Joy and Happiness: Finding the Kingdom of God That Lies Within.” Contact David at (607) 304-3329; DPeters@rtirguests.com
10. ==> Will the Supreme Court Take IVF Away?
Expect controversy when Nate Birt discusses in vitro fertilization (IVF) and whether it could become a casualty when the new conservative Supreme Court addresses reproductive rights. Birt, the father of a toddler who began life as another couple’s embryo, can discuss: what Roe v Wade has to do with IVF, whether this is more than a pro-life issue, and what may happen if parents are denied the chance to give birth to or adopt a baby if IVF is no longer allowed. Nate Birt is the author of “Frozen, But Not Forgotten: An Adoptive Dad’s Step-by-Step Guide to Embryo Adoption.” Contact Nate Birt at (417) 221-9045; NBirt@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Here’s How to Live a More Adventurous Life in 2021
As you think about what you would like to do differently in 2021, you should take living a safer life off the list. According to author and adventurer Sparrow Hart, safety has consequences – an ever-growing store of regrets from living small — we don’t always think about. He’ll explain why “safety-ism” — valuing safe¬ty above everything else — runs counter to scientific research and ancient wisdom; is toxic to our dreams; and antithetical to a passionate pursuit of our best selves. Sparrow’s varied career includes being a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford, a brief stint working in a slaughterhouse, adven¬tures in the Amazon jungle, and over 30 years of leading workshops on shamanism, the heroic journey, and vision quests in nature. He is the author of several books including “Letters to the River: A Guide to a Dream Worth Living.” Contact Sparrow Hart at (801) 516-0740; SHart@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Put More Yay in Every Day
It’s been a tough year, one unlike any most of us can remember. But one of the things that have saved many of us and will continue to save us as 2021 rolls around is having a hobby or two. For those who have procrastinated on finding one or still aren’t giving enough time to what brings them joy listening to award-winning author Mary K. Savarese could be a lifesaver. Mary’s own hobby — writing books — came after her last child left home and she overcame significant anxiety about her new family dynamic. Mary can talk about why it is important to find yourself, and even how to find a new hobby (that could turn into a career) that’s best for you. Mary has appeared in local publications, Mindalia TV, iHeartRadio and podcasts. Her latest book is “Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume, (who knew!).” Her latest project, “The Girl In The Toile Wallpaper” is a trilogy that will be published in the spring. Contact Mary at (860) 550-3344; maryksavarese@gmail.com
13. ==> Advantages Self-Doubters Have That Self-Confident People Lack
In our culture, self-confidence is lauded as a virtue. So, what happens to self-doubters? Are they broken? Or could they have an advantage that others lack? Invite leadership expert Marc A. Pitman to reveal why doubt can be a surprising gift that forces leaders to look inward to gain special insight. He can reveal how the words in your head could be sabotaging your efforts and why people experiencing doubt are some of the strongest leaders. His forthcoming 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
14. ==> Mourning Alex Trebek, Wishing Al Roker Well
As the nation was processing the election results word came that Alex Trebek, iconic “Jeopardy” host, had succumbed to pancreatic cancer while beloved TV weatherman Al Roker announced that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. But even with this sad news, there are lessons to be had in how Trebek lived his life since his diagnosis last year and how Roker is living his, lessons understood by Kipp Harris, who has been struck by a rare form of cancer three times. With celebrity news bringing these issues to the fore and perhaps encouraging people to go for screenings, Kipp can share what he learned from his journey. Including the importance of living fully, recognizing the many lives we touch every day, and even finding joy during chemotherapy. Kipp’s latest book is “Improbable Joy: A 3-Time Cancer Survivor’s Journey to Finding Joy in Unexpected Places.” Contact Kipp at (701) 638-4051; Kharris@rtirguests.com
15. ==> DOTUS: Welcome the New Presidential Pooches!
The White House has been without a presidential pet since the Obama’s moved out, but that will change come January when the Biden family brings their German shepherds with them. Alexandra Horowitz, author of “Our Dogs Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond,” says nearly every president since George Washington has had a presidential pet of some sort — including a ram, a cow, a badger, raccoons, and a couple of parakeets. She says dogs in particular help make the White House and its occupants more relatable. “Who doesn’t get a kick out of the images of President Theodore Roosevelt’s dog Pete chasing the French ambassador up a tree? Thinking about Champ and Major scampering through the Biden White House, knocking over a precious lamp or two, chewing the occasional executive desk leg or soiling the rug during a long night, reminds us of the pleasures, and sometimes difficulties, of living with animals.” Major and Champ are already featured on Instagram fan accounts, with thousands of followers. Alexandra Horowitz is a professor and senior research fellow at Barnard College. Contact her at alexandra.c.horowitz@gmail.com or Kathryn Gerlach at (212) 854-8037; mediarelations@barnard.edu
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