01. Former CIA Analyst and Spy Novelist David McCloskey
02. Is That Video Real? Free Deepfake Detection Tool
03. Child Poverty on the Rise Again
04. What’s the Rule for School Sick Days?
05. The Corruption of America’s Fourth Estate
06. From ‘Deep Throat’ to Karen Silkwood: What It’s Like To Be A Whistleblower
07. September is National Suicide Awareness Month
08. She Was in the Trauma Unit When Tupac Died
09. Mike Tyson’s Mother-in-Law on Helping Imprisoned Women
10. Social Anxiety Ruins Lives: Why Treatment Is Often an Afterthought
11. Subtle Signs You’ve Got an Ego Problem
12. Why ‘Do Your Best’ is Dumb Advice
13. The Truth About Sex Addicts
14. What’s the Enneagram and Why Does This Minister Use it?
15. Herbal Expert Spills the Tea on Longevity
1. ==> Former CIA Analyst and Spy Novelist David McCloskey
Take listeners inside the world of espionage when you interview David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst and consultant at McKinsey & Company. While at the CIA, he wrote regularly for the “President’s Daily Brief,” delivered classified testimony to Congressional oversight committees, and briefed senior White House officials, Ambassadors, military officials, and Arab royalty. He worked in CIA field stations across the Middle East. During his time at McKinsey, David advised national security, aerospace, and transportation clients on a range of strategic and operational issues. David will take listeners on a journey inside the secret world of the CIA, cutting through media headlines and Hollywood depictions to bring the realities of the espionage business to life. He can discuss real-life tradecraft and stories from his time at Langley. He’ll explain what the CIA actually does, what it’s like to work there, and lay out the major challenges facing the spy agency in the 21st century. David McCloskey’s new book is “The Seventh Floor: A Novel.” Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137 (o); (703) 400-1099 (c); johanna@jrbpr.biz or Reigan Wright at (703) 646-5188
2. ==> Is That Video Real? Free Deepfake Detection Tool
TrueMedia, the Seattle-based nonpartisan nonprofit that’s using AI to detect deepfakes and combat disinformation, made its technology available to the public this week. The no-cost, web-based tool, which was first released earlier this year to journalists, fact-checkers and others, is now available to everyone ahead of the U.S. elections. Users can share a social media post containing an image, video or audio file and TrueMedia’s AI, with the help of existing deepfake detection tools, will analyze the content in real time for evidence of manipulation. “For the first time, the public has easy access to the same best-in-class deepfake detection technology historically reserved for government agencies,” said Oren Etzioni, a longtime computer scientist, AI specialist and the founder of TrueMedia. “In an election cycle where disinformation is rampant, it is critical that everyone has the tools they need to verify the authenticity of what they see and hear online.” Contact Bryce Tom at btom@rubenstein.com
3. ==> Child Poverty on the Rise Again
Child poverty was cut in half to a record low of just over 5 percent in 2021 thanks to the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC). But Census data from 2022 and 2023 both show dramatic spikes and underscore the clear impact of enacting and then failing to renew effective solutions to reduce poverty. “We know how to reduce poverty. We did it in 2021, and we’ve refused to do it since––so millions of people are suffering, especially children,” says Karen Dolan, project director of the Criminalization of Race and Poverty Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. “If just the 2021 expanded CTC were extended, and nothing else, the child poverty rate would be 8.6 percent instead of 13.7.” She adds that extending the CTC also benefits the middle class. “We think about social safety net investments as being for the most destitute among us, but it’s not––it’s closer to half the population. When you think of struggling people as those who are one paycheck away from financial disaster, you’re talking about 140 million people. These are programs that benefit all of us, and we should all be interested in them.” Contact Olivia Alperstein at olivia@ips-dc.org; (202) 704-9011
4.==> What’s the Rule for School Sick Days?
Children get sick pretty often, especially in their younger years and after classrooms fill with kids returning from holidays or vacations.
Most schools around the country follow similar guidelines: with mild symptoms of illness like a runny nose or cough, kids don’t need to stay home. But beyond that, things can get tricky. Dr. Andrew Elliston can help. He says, “Never send a child to school if they’ve got a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, severe pain, or notably worsening symptoms.” When it comes to Covid-19, he says we should manage it much like the flu or a cold. “Once a child is fever free for 24 hours, is starting to feel better, and feels well enough to participate, they can return to school while wearing a good mask for the next 5 days while around other people.” Andrew Elliston MD, FAAP is co-founder and medical director of Elliston Pediatrics PLLC. Contact Ryan McCormick at (516) 901-1103; Ryan@goldmanmccormick.com
5. ==> The Corruption of America’s Fourth Estate
More and more Americans mistrust the media and Dan Luzadder says their concerns are justified. The Pulitzer prize-winning author of “The Manchurian Journalist” can share the details of a little-recognized effort by the American intelligence community to use journalists, newspapers, radio, television, magazines and book publishing to propagandize the public, both foreign and domestic, both during the Cold War – and even into the regional wars of self-interest, and into the War on Terror. He’ll identify by name the individuals, organizations, and institutions that have influenced the U.S. media for decades, shaping what the public read and believed, and creating myths that undermine historical accuracy. On you show he’ll raise and attempt to answer ominous questions about journalism’s transparency, its fealty to the truth, and how its relationship to secret intelligence interests has distorted what Americans understand about our own political environment. For the past 40 years, Dan Luzadder has worked as a reporter at local newspapers around the country and his freelance work has appeared in the “New York Times” and “New York Daily News.” He is the author of several books and is currently working on a documentary film. Contact Harlan Boll at harlan@bhbpr.com
6. ==> From ‘Deep Throat’ to Karen Silkwood: What It’s Like To Be A Whistleblower
Whistleblowers have changed the course of history. Karen Silkwood, a chemical technician and labor union activist, paid with her life when she exposed unsafe practices at Kerr-McGee Cimarron Fuel Fabrication Site in Oklahoma. Mark Felt, better known as “Deep Throat,” helped to bring down Richard Nixon by uncovering the Watergate scandal. Both were featured in major movies. However, whistleblowing isn’t always as intriguing and can be very frustrating. “While working as a broker at Morgan Stanley in the early 2000s, I was convinced that they were cheating clients,” says author Dana de Wendt. In 2007, Morgan Stanley and one of its senior traders agreed to pay $6.1 million in fines and restitution to settle allegations that the investment bank overcharged brokerage customers — one of whom was Dana’s then 87-year-old father — on 2,800 purchases of $59 million of bonds. But no criminal charges were ever pursued. Dana is the author of “Checkmate: The Morgan Stanley Whistleblower.” Contact Dana de Wendt at (772) 773-6879; ddewindt@rtirguests.com
7. ==> September is National Suicide Awareness Month
When a state trooper appeared at Rachel Zimmerman’s door to report that her husband had jumped to his death off a nearby bridge, she fell to her knees, unable to fully absorb the news. How could the man she’d married, a devoted father and robotics professor at MIT with no history of mental illness, have committed such an act? How would she explain this to her young daughters? And could she have stopped him? A longtime journalist, she probed obsessively, believing answers would help her survive. She interviewed doctors and suicide researchers. She spoke with a man who jumped off the same bridge and lived. She got answers, but not the answer—the answer to the question of why her husband killed himself. Zimmerman’s story will resonate with anyone who has struggled with grief after a loved one’s suicide. Her memoir, “Us, After,” details her journey of confronting the unimaginable and discovering the good in what remains. Rachel Zimmerman is an award-winning journalist who has written about health and medicine for more than two decades. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including “The Washington Post,” “The New York Times,” “The Atlantic” and more. Contact Lissa Warren at (617) 233-2853; LissaWarrenPR@gmail.com
8. ==> She Was in the Trauma Unit When Tupac Died
Susie Bell was a young nurse working in the trauma unit at University Medical Center in Las Vegas when infamous rapper Tupac Shakur was fatally shot. At the time, she was a member of the Mormon Church and had led a sheltered life. “I had no idea who he was,” she says. “I saw a lot of people who I assumed were celebrities coming in and out of the hospital.” At one point, Susie found herself alone with Shakur’s lifeless body and can recount that poignant experience. That is just one aspect of her often harrowing life story, which includes excommunication from the church, being drugged, raped, and dragged through the mud by a famous athlete, and more. Susie is now a nurse practitioner and author of the upcoming book “A Piece of Me: Finding My Voice After Mormonism, Marriage, Medicine & Men.” Contact Susie Bell at (213) 816-3622; sbell@rtirguests.com
9. ==> Mike Tyson’s Mother-in-Law on Helping Imprisoned Women
Rita Ali was a distinguished Philadelphia socialite and among the few African American women boxing PR professionals who hobnobbed with such famous fighters as Muhammad Ali, Michael Spinks, and Mike Tyson, who is now her son-in-law. Then it all came crashing down when she — along with her children — was convicted and imprisoned for funneling public funds. Though she has maintained her innocence throughout, Ali was tried, convicted and sent to federal prison three times. “I was convicted and sentenced three times on virtually the same charges for a crime I didn’t commit, which amounted to triple jeopardy,” she says. She is the author of “Triple Jeopardy: 3 Strikes But Not Out,” a life coach, and founder of the nonprofit We 2 Matter, which provides resources for previously incarcerated women. Contact Rita Ali at (917) 243-9214; rali@rtirguests.com
10. ==> Social Anxiety Ruins Lives: Why Treatment Is Often an Afterthought
Millions of adults and teens suffer from social anxiety disorder, yet many refrain from seeing treatment. Why? “Many young people and adults struggle with this privately, because they are fearful of what others might think of them,” according to clinical psychologist Dr. Thomas E. Brown. For those with the condition (also known as social phobia), everyday interactions cause significant anxiety, self-consciousness and embarrassment because they fear being scrutinized or judged negatively by others. Invite Brown to dispel the myths about the disorder, explain the difference between being shy and having social anxiety, and share treatment options that can help. Thomas E. Brown is professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine. He is the author of seven books including “Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults with ADHD” and the forthcoming “Social Anxiety: Hidden Fears and Shame in Teens and Adults.” Contact Dr. Thomas E. Brown at (475) 405-3549; tbrown@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Subtle Signs You’ve Got an Ego Problem
Do you take everything personally? Do you experience extreme fear and anxiety when you believe you’ve been wronged? According to psychologist and award-winning author Melody Krafft, those are signs your ego is taking over your emotions, which is very destructive. “Contrary to popular belief, having a big ego is not good,” she says. “The ego’s purpose is to keep you stuck in the past.” Melody will explain how to get unstuck and the difference between confidence and having a big ego. She’ll also illustrate how many of the problems plaguing the world today stem from egos run amok. An experienced media guest and public speaker, Melody is the author of “Get Me Out of Here! What’s Beyond This Madness.” Contact her at (703) 951-4735; mkrafft@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Why ‘Do Your Best’ is Dumb Advice
People think that doing your best is the key to success, but according to transformational speaker, educator, and businesswoman Rachel Rappaport, that attitude leads to “just getting by.” Instead, she says, “Do whatever it takes, because doing your best is not enough! It is just a well-intentioned excuse; it is a mindset that leads to feeling stuck and creates an imaginary glass ceiling.” Alternatively, doing whatever it takes will stretch your creativity, empower you, and expand your possibilities, and give you the passion that you need to succeed in business and life. Rachel is the founder of the success-coaching program MAX! She also trained with Jack Canfield, co-author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” and well-known motivational coach Tony Robbins. Contact Rachel Rappaport at (848) 266-5824; rrappaport@rtirguests.com
13. ==> The Truth About Sex Addicts
The general belief is that sex addicts are merely selfish, amoral perverts. But according to author and marriage therapist Marsha Means, the reasons for this crippling dependence are far more complicated. “I have researched the connection between sexual addiction and attachment wounds in childhood,” she says. “I see the addict as wounded and desperately in need of healthy, secure connection.” Marsha will share how to break this addiction once and for all, and how couples can survive the pain and heartache this causes in relationships. She is the author of “Learn Empathy: Help Your Betrayed Wife Heal” and “From Betrayal Trauma to Healing & Joy: A Workbook for Partners of Sex Addicts.” Contact Marsha Means at (520) 341-6002; mmeans@rtirguests.com
14. ==> What’s the Enneagram and Why Does This Minister Use it?
You might have come across the Enneagram in the workplace. It’s a typology of nine interconnected personality types and is often promoted as a means to gain insights into workplace interpersonal dynamics. Proponents say it aids in self-awareness, self-understanding and self-development. Pastor Derek Mason believes it sheds valuable light on our different core beliefs and motivations and even uses it in his ministry. Ask him: Why do some Christians believe the Enneagram is something dark, to be avoided at all costs? How is that misguided? How do you specifically use the Enneagram in your pastoral care? Derek Mason received a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is the founder and president of Identity In Christ, Inc. and Identity In Christ Media. He is not affiliated with any denomination but currently serves as an associate pastor at Grace Bible Church in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and as the assistant director of BaseCamp USA. Contact Marianna Gibson at marianna@jonesliterary.com
15. ==> Herbal Expert Spills the Tea on Longevity
The idyllic Caribbean nation of Dominica, where herbs expert Gladstone Etienne grew up, is a nature paradise known for its pristine environment, organic foods and laid-back lifestyle. Gladstone claims that the citizens there live longer, and stronger, as a result. “According to the BBC, Dominica has the highest number of centenarians per capita in the world,” he says. He also gives credit to herbal medicine, which he began studying as a child. Gladstone went on to develop a line of teas, to make it easier for Americans to gain the wondrous health benefits of herbs. He is the founder of ZABIOLife herbal tea company. Contact Gladstone Etienne at (301) 820-7656; Getienne@rtirguests.com