01. The Implications of a Gaza Escalation
02. The Justice Department has a Credibility Crisis
03. Scientific Journals Can’t Keep Up with Fake Papers
04. The Role of a College President Today
05. Robot Bunnies Deployed in Florida to Fight Pythons
06. Great B-T-S Show: Why Pushing Your Kids Could Break Them
07. 4 Radical Fixes to Finish Rescuing America’s Economy
08. Want to Heal Division? Teach Inclusion and Tackle Bias
09. How to Turn Problem Pooches Into Perfect Pups
10. Need-to-Know Advice About Helping Aging Parents
11. Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Relationships
12. Laugh More, Hurt Less: Revolutionary Advice for Chronic Pain
13. Magic Mushrooms: The Healing Power of Plants
14. This Pastor Died—Twice—And Came Back With a Message
15. Prince Philip, Nelson Mandela, Elizabeth Taylor: This Flight Attendant Met Them All
1. ==> The Implications of a Gaza Escalation
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering a full takeover of Gaza despite Israel’s military chief warning against the move saying it would trap the military within the enclave and put the remaining hostages at risk. It would also mark a major escalation of the Israeli campaign at a time when the government is under international pressure for a truce. Invite Middle East expert/ historian Asaf Romirowsky to discuss the situation. Ask him: What is the main goal of Netanyahu’s plan regarding the Gaza Strip? Why does he believe full occupation of Gaza is necessary? What role do hostages play in the reasoning behind the plan? What about the consequences—both short- and long-term—of fully occupying Gaza? What are the humanitarian implications of intensified military operations in Gaza? Asaf Romirowsky is the executive director of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East. He holds a PhD in Middle East and Mediterranean Studies from King’s College London, UK and has published widely on various aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict and American foreign policy in the Middle East, as well as on Israeli and Zionist history. Contact Mark Goldman at (516) 639-0988; markgoldman73@gmail.com
2. ==> The Justice Department has a Credibility Crisis
Legal experts say members of the Justice Department have been intentionally misleading the courts and violating court orders causing some jurists angry and mistrustful of the institution they once believed in most. “I think people don’t fully appreciate how much the ability of the legal system to work on a daily basis rests on the government’s credibility,” says Stephen Vladeck, a Georgetown University law professor. “Without that credibility, it’s going to be harder for the government to do anything in court—even ordinary things.” A number of judges have openly questioned the fundamental honesty and credibility of Justice Department lawyers in recent weeks, something that would have been unthinkable only months ago. And judges aren’t the only piece of the legal system showing distrust. According to recent news reports, federal grand juries in Los Angeles have been refusing to indict defendants in connection with immigration protests. The Justice Department has pushed back against criticism saying they will not apologize for defending “the policies and priorities the American people have demanded,” according to a department spokesman. Contact Stephen Vladeck at stephen.vladeck@georgetown.edu
3. ==> Scientific Journals Can’t Keep Up with Fake Papers
A growing tide of fake papers is flooding the scientific record and threatening to muddy the waters of science and scientific understanding. That’s the finding of a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to author Luis Amaral, a physicist at Northwestern University, the issue is “paper mills” that charge money to publish fake studies. He says, “The entire structure of science could collapse if this is left unaddressed.” Amaral says paper mills look for weak links, then exploit them to place hundreds of fabricated studies with vulnerable journals or publishers. Publishers have been forced to retract hundreds of papers at once, in some cases shutting down journals. Amaral can discuss how widespread the problem has become in just a few years, why AI makes the trend especially concerning and what publishers are doing to spot fraudulent papers before they get to print. Luis Amaral has published over a 180 scientific peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journals, including Nature, Science, PNAS, Cell, and PLOS Biology. Contact him at amaral@northwestern.edu
4. ==> The Role of a College President Today
Higher education is in crisis. American colleges and universities face declining enrollment and rising costs. Campuses have become emblematic of our culture war, sparking debates about diversity, equity, and inclusion; free speech; unionizing student workers and athletes; and mental health, to name a few. Many campuses are still recovering from the financial and social costs of the pandemic. High-profile resignations of campus leaders have dominated the media, and the average term length for a college president has shrunk: 58% of current campus leaders plan to step down within the next five years. Invite Beverly Daniel Tatum, the former head of Spelman College, to discuss the contemporary challenges of the college presidency including how to navigate the disruptive impact of rapidly changing federal policies and ways to address volatile campus conflicts and preserve free speech. Tatum was president of Spelman College for 13 years. She’s the author of the NYT bestseller “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” Her new book is “Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times.” Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137; (703) 400-1099 (cell) or johanna@jrbpr.biz or Erin Bolden at (703) 980-2705
5. ==> Robot Bunnies Deployed in Florida to Fight Pythons
Researchers in Florida have found a creative way to track down invasive pythons. Burmese pythons are believed to have been introduced in the Everglades through the exotic pet trade in the 1970s. They’ve become top predators in the local food ecosystem and are difficult to track, so researchers at the University of Florida decided to find a way to lure them out into the open using one of the pythons’ favorite snacks: marsh rabbits. Earlier this month, a team led by Professor Robert McCleary unleashed 40 solar-powered, remote-controlled robot bunnies. Hear how they came up with the idea, why they used robots instead of real rabbits, and how the experiment is working. Robert McCleary is a professor of wildlife ecology and conservation at the University of Florida. Contact him at (352) 846-0566; ramccleery@ufl.edu
6. ==> Great B-T-S Show: Why Pushing Your Kids Could Break Them
As kids head back to school, many parents ramp up the pressure by focusing on higher grades, tougher sports and more achievement. But LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame Member and certified mindset coach Cindy Miller says this pressure-cooker approach is doing more harm than good. After decades of working with young athletes (and watching too many walk away broken), Cindy now teaches a better way to raise resilient, self-driven kids without crushing their confidence. She’ll share how perfectionism, comparison and performance pressure backfire, and what parents should focus on instead. Ask her: Can pushing kids to win actually make them perform worse? What’s the one thing parents should say after a tough loss or bad grade? Contact Cindy Miller at (716) 670-5341; cimiller@rtirguests.com
Looking for more B-T-S topics and guests? Stay tuned for our ‘Back to School’ RTIR Newsletter this Tuesday, August 12th
7. ==> 4 Radical Fixes to Finish Rescuing America’s Economy
Can President Trump really fix America’s economy for good? Author and entrepreneur Mitch Francis says, “Yes, if he tackles four broken systems.” Mitch outlines practical, non-partisan plans to pay off the $36 trillion national debt for good, reinvent the obsolete Federal Reserve, clean up the corrupt stock market casino, and make taxes simple and fair for all. His most radical proposal? A game-changing ‘Asset Standard’ to eliminate the debt immediately, without raising taxes or cutting spending. Mitch Francis is the author of "Bad-Ass Solutions For Today's Big-Ass Problems." He’s the founder and CEO of publicly traded and private companies and develops, owns, and manages commercial real estate across the country. Contact Mitch Francis at (424) 380-4561; Mfrancis@rtirguests.com
8. ==> Want to Heal Division? Teach Inclusion and Tackle Bias
Division is rising in politics, workplaces, schools and even friend groups. But Dr. Dionne Poulton says healing starts with a simple truth: we all have biases and ignoring them only deepens the divide. As a PhD-trained educator, former national athlete and DEI strategist with 20+ years of experience, she explains why inclusion efforts often fail—and how teaching people to recognize their own biases can shift entire environments and their interactions with others. She offers a non-shaming, evidence-based way for people—whether executives, team leaders, educators or parents—to rethink their assumptions and biases and rebuild human connection. Ask her: Can bias actually help us sometimes—and when does it backfire? Why are so many DEI efforts making things worse instead of better? Dr. Dionne’s new book is “DEI 2.0.” Contact her at (404) 383-8924; dpoulton@rtirguests.com
9. ==> How to Turn Problem Pooches Into Perfect Pups
Whether your pup’s a chewer, a jumper, or just plain bad, author and dog trainer Kathleen Troy can share how to transform even the most unruly Rovers into well-behaved bowwows. Known as the Dear Abby of the canine world, Katheleen shares her doggone delightful tales of Dylan, a pooch she rescued from South Korea that was wildly destructive. With love and patience, not only did Kathleen bring Dylan’s behavior under control, she taught him sign language, how to count to 10, and dial 911! “There are no bad dogs, just bad owners,” she says. Kathleen is the author of the "Dylan’s Dog Squad" series, as well as a book about dog training. Contact Kathleen Troy at (714) 975-9807; ktroy@rtirguests.com
10. ==> Need-to-Know Advice About Helping Aging Parents
Imagine you’re preparing for a performance review at work, need to attend your kid’s soccer game later this afternoon, and the phone rings: your mom has just fallen in the shower, or your dad’s had a stroke. Would you know what to do, which questions to ask, and who to call? Certified Senior Advisor® and Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist® Debbie C. Miller has the answers. The author of “Doing the Right Thing: Simple Solutions, Essential Tips, & Helpful Resources for Assisting Aging Loved Ones,” Miller brings over 30 years of experience guiding families through the emotional and logistical maze of senior care, providing a step-by-step approach to making confident decisions. Ask her: What are the biggest mistakes families make when trying to care for aging loved ones? What are some pervasive myths about elder care? Contact Debbie Miller at (703) 844-4074; dmiller@rtirguests.com
11. ==> Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Relationships
Ever feel like you're pushing love away—without even realizing it? Whether you're navigating the dating scene or struggling to connect with a long-time partner, you might be falling into hidden patterns of self-sabotage. Dr. Philip Agrios has spent over 30 years uncovering what he calls the “Inborn Sabotaging Trait”—a subconscious behavior that quietly undermines our relationships, happiness, and health. From ghosting and trust issues to repeated arguments or unexplained distance, he offers a revolutionary approach to repairing and revitalizing love by addressing the real root causes—not just symptoms. Dr. Agrios can explain how this biological trait develops, why it shows up most often in romantic connections and how listeners can instantly identify and neutralize it. Ask him: What’s the biggest self-sabotaging behavior people bring into their relationships? How can someone shift these patterns if they’ve been repeating them for years? Contact Dr. Philip Agrios: (848) 337-5018; Pagrios@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Laugh More, Hurt Less: Revolutionary Advice for Chronic Pain
We’ve all heard the adage, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Long-time chronic pain survivor Vita Oyler is living proof of that. When she was a young, highly athletic woman, she accidentally stepped on a rock, after which she developed reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), a severe malfunction of the nervous and immune systems. This led to decades of excruciating pain and, ultimately, the amputation of her foot and part of her leg. But she has managed to survive, and thrive, via incorporating humor into her healing journey. “Laughter releases the body’s natural painkillers known as endorphins,” she says. “Researchers have found that humor can increase tolerance to pain.” Vita is a rehabilitation counselor and doctoral candidate at San Diego State University. She is the author of “Got Pain? Now What?” Contact Vita Oyler at (209) 255-2962; Voyler@rtirguests.com
13. ==> Magic Mushrooms: The Healing Power of Plants
According to research presented at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference in Denver, patients who had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder experienced a dramatic decrease in depression after just one dose of psilocybin (magic mushrooms). Author and psychotherapist Anjalia McGoldrick is living proof of the power of plant-based psychedelics. “I got pregnant at 13, was in an abusive relationship at 14, and escaped with my life at 16,” she says. “Although I became a successful psychotherapist, I still carried deep wounds. Psychedelics absolutely changed my life.” Anjalia is the author of the critically-acclaimed memoir "The Child I Left Behind A Mother's Journey To Healing & Forgiveness." Contact Anjalia McGoldrick at (540) 616-3200; amcgoldrick@rtirguests.com
14. ==> This Pastor Died—Twice—And Came Back With a Message
When Pastor Nancy Frecka slipped into death—twice—she never imagined what awaited her. Floating above her lifeless body, she watched nurses scramble, unable to find a pulse. Then came the divine encounter with Jesus Himself. Pages of her past flipped like a book until stopping at the moment that shaped her soul—childhood tragedy involving her brother, a shotgun, and a haunted house. But death wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of a mission. Nancy returned from the other side with a powerful message. “The message of forgiveness is key to having a life full of peace, love and joy,” she says. Nancy is a speaker, pastor, and the author of "God Says, "You Can Trust Me:” Supernatural Encounters with God." Contact Nancy Frecka at (330) 422-6955; nfrecka@rtirguests.com
15. ==> Prince Philip, Nelson Mandela, Elizabeth Taylor: This Flight Attendant Met Them All
As a flight attendant who has jetted around the world for more than 40 years, Tania Anderson has met everyone from the mega rock band U2 to the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Britain’s Prince Philip, and five U.S. presidents! “I met the gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor on several occasions,” she says. “She was one of the most gracious people in Hollywood. When I told her I had known her sons Mike and Chris from school, she gave me their private phone number!” Tania also established a side gig in show biz, working as an extra on the popular TV show "West Wing," and in several scenes in the hit Steven Speilberg film "Catch Me If You Can." She is the author of the memoir "On Butterflies' Wings: An Anthology of International Escapades," and the upcoming “Synchronicity -- the Escapades Continue." Contact Tania Anderson at (213) 513-6099; tanderson@rtirguests.com
