Category: Current Events

In a Season of Political Chaos, This Activist is Focused on Planting Hope

While headlines scream division and despair, Sam Daley-Harris is quietly leading a revolution in how ordinary citizens engage with democracy. The activist and author of Reclaiming Our Democracy, Daley-Harris  teaches “transformational advocacy”—where working to change an issue transforms you in the process. His approach has helped people move from political paralysis to powerful action.

Invite Daley-Harris on your show to hear stories of everyday citizens discovering their political power. He’ll explain how feeling overwhelmed isn’t weakness—it’s the starting point for meaningful change. From his own journey as a musician-turned-activist to guiding others through civic engagement some call “sacred and profound,” Daley-Harris offers practical tools for anyone ready to move from anxiety to agency.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS: What is transformational advocacy and how does it differ from traditional activism? How did you go from performing music to teaching people to reclaim their democracy?

CONTACT: Sam Daley-Harris at (202) 804-2504; Sdaley@rtirguests.com

Former Nurse and Stand Up Comic Gets Serious About Healthcare’s Darkest Secret

Kathy Allan spent 20 years as a hospital nurse before witnessing something that changed everything: cleaning staff in scrubs discharging new mothers, while administrators threatened her for asking questions. She realized healthcare had become addicted to profits over patients.

This Board Certified Holistic Nurse and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner channeled her trauma expertise and comedy background into Gutsy Nurses—a program teaching nurses how to survive a broken system. Inspired by recovery principles, she developed the 12 Steps of Healing Care to beat the industry’s profit addiction. Her shocking revelation: nurses are 18% more likely to commit suicide than the general population. 

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
• You say healthcare is addicted to profits—what does that look like from inside a hospital?
• How does your stand-up comedy background help you discuss such dark topics?
• What are these 12 Steps of Healing Care, and how do they protect nurses?

CONTACT: Kathy Allan at (619) 932-5206; Kallan@rtirguests.com

Why Evangelicals Are Losing Credibility with the Next Generation

From Gen Z’s exodus from church pews to viral TikToks calling out hypocrisy, one thing is clear: younger Americans are increasingly skeptical of evangelical Christianity. Former preacher Rick Patterson believes it’s not a loss of faith. It’s a loss of trust.

In his thought-provoking new book The Matthew Challenge, Rick says that many churches have aligned themselves with power and culture wars instead of compassion and character. As a former ardent atheist who now holds master’s and doctoral degrees in Christian MInistry, Rick has a rare insider-outsider perspective on how the pursuit of being “great again” has distorted the message of Jesus as well as why the next generation isn’t buying it.

Rick blends theology, psychology, and real-world stories to help audiences understand why this credibility gap exists and what must change to close it.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

  • What do younger generations find most hypocritical about today’s evangelical church?
  • Can politics and faith ever mix without compromising the core of either?

CONTACT: Rick Patterson at (517) 300-2706; rpatterson@rtirguests.com 

Why 1.1 Million Layoffs Could Be the Best Wake-Up Call for Your Career Strategy

Greg Mohr has helped over 250 people escape corporate instability by placing them into 500+ franchise locations—and he says recent mass layoffs are forcing workers to ask the right question: “Why am I building someone else’s wealth?”

As the only franchise consultant with a Wall Street Journal bestselling book about franchising (Real Freedom), Mohr reveals why waiting for the next layoff is the riskiest career strategy of all. He’ll explain how franchise ownership provides what corporate jobs can’t—true control and wealth-building. He’ll share his process for finding the right franchise fit, debunk the myth that everyone should franchise (some shouldn’t), and reveal why former executives often struggle with franchise ownership. Greg will offer listeners a free PDF copy of his book.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS: You say 1.1 million layoffs should be a wake-up call—what are people still not getting? Why do you tell some people NOT to buy a franchise? What makes former corporate executives struggle with franchise ownership?

CONTACT: Greg Mohr at (361) 204-5470; gmohr@rtirguests.com 

How to Stay Indispensable in an Unstable Job Market

With mass layoffs back in the headlines and economic anxiety rising, employees at every level are asking the same question: How do I make sure I’m not next?

Business transformation expert Shawn Fry says the key isn’t working harder, it’s thinking differently. After leading organizational change in 60+ companies across 17 countries, Fry noticed a surprising pattern: the people who kept their jobs during uncertainty weren’t the loudest or the busiest. They were the most focused, adaptive, and connected.

Shawn shares with your audience why traditional goal-setting doesn’t work in today’s market, and the counterintuitive steps employees can take to become indispensable, even when their company feels shaky.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

  • Is visibility more important than performance in times of layoffs?
  • What’s one daily habit that protects your job better than your resume?

CONTACT: Shawn Fry at (330) 422-4090; sfry@rtirguests.com

How to Talk Across Differences Without Burning Out or Blowing Up Relationships

Americans are talking more than ever, yet understanding each other less. Differences in politics, faith, and values are making even simple conversations feel risky.

National Muslim leader and peacebuilding expert Daisy Khan explains that many well-meaning attempts to bridge differences actually make conflict worse. She explains why facts alone rarely change minds, how silence and cancel culture fuel division, and how simple language shifts can de-escalate conflict in real time.

Drawing on her work training schools, workplaces, and communities, Khan reveals practical tools for confronting bias without escalating conflict. She also shares insights from her book 30 Rights of Muslim Women, which challenges common assumptions about faith, identity, and equality.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS: Can avoiding controversial topics actually fuel extremism? Why do attempts at empathy sometimes backfire in cross-cultural conversations?

CONTACT: Daisy Khan at (917) 905-7829; dkhan@rtirguests.com

Are You Addicted to Caffeine—and Don’t Even Know It?

More than two-thirds of American adults, and increasingly children and teenagers, consume caffeine every day, yet few consider it an addiction. Health researcher and author Norbert Heuser says caffeine isn’t just in coffee. It’s in soda, energy drinks, green, black, and white teas, and even an increasing number of snacks. And, it’s quietly shaping our brains, moods, sleep, and long-term health.

Drawing on more than 45 years of research and insights from his book Coffee Addiction & Caffeinism, Norbert challenges the belief that caffeine is harmless. He explores how everyday use may contribute to anxiety, chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, fertility issues, reduced gray brain matter, cognitive decline, and even harm to the unborn, while also explaining why most people never question its impact.

On your show, Norbert reveals what science is starting to show, why caffeine dependence has become socially acceptable, how to recognize addiction, and practical ways to reduce its hidden effects—without sacrificing energy or performance. He also shares great-tasting, caffeine-free alternatives to coffee.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

  1. Is caffeine more addictive than we think?
  2. What happens when you try to quit?
  3. How do you define addiction?

CONTACT: Norbert Heuser at (727) 261-2313; nheuser@rtirguests.com

Political Insider Reveals What No One Tells You About Running for Office

Most people think running for office is about speeches, slogans, and shaking hands. Rob Curnock knows better. As a former TV political reporter, party leader, and unlikely congressional candidate, he’s seen the process from every angle. He pulls back the curtain on the physical exhaustion, emotional toll, family strain, and political hardball that define modern campaigns. After challenging and almost winning after running against an “unbeatable” incumbent, he discovered how power really works behind closed doors. “I experienced the often brutal realities of running for office—and learned how ordinary citizens can shake up the system,” he says.

Rob is a long-time broadcast journalist and the author of Dead Man Running.


SAMPLE QUESTIONS: Are politics really as down and dirty as the media makes it out to be? What are some of your most challenging experiences while running for office?


CONTACT:Rob Curnock at (254) 822-3741; rcurnock@rtirguests.com

Whistleblower Reveals What Happens When Speaking Up Becomes Dangerous

Karen Horwitz, an award-winning public school teacher and whistleblower, describes what happens when educators raise concerns inside their school districts. “Schools are often described as the foundation of democracy,” Horwitz says. “What I witnessed was how quickly that foundation cracks when people are afraid to speak.”

Horwitz says the pattern she documented was consistent: teachers raised concerns internally, and instead of problems being addressed, they quietly lost their careers. After speaking publicly, she co-founded an organization to prevent teacher abuse and began hearing similar accounts from more than 2,000 teachers who reported retaliation.

She explains how silence is enforced through fear, power imbalances, and institutional self-protection. Horwitz is the author of A Graver Danger, which draws directly from teacher whistleblowers to examine systemic failures.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:Why do people stay silent inside institutions? When did you realize your experience wasn’t unique? What impact does silencing teachers have on democracy? 

CONTACT: Karen Horwitz at (312) 498-9074 : khorwitz@rtirguests.com

This Engineer Says His Invention Can End School Shooting Deaths

Engineer and inventor Leonard Fonarov believes he has created technology that can finally stop children from being killed in school shootings. A survivor of the World War II siege of Leningrad and a longtime Florida resident, Leonard was moved to act after the tragedy at Parkland, just miles from his home. His patented invention, the Leonardo ISV, is a bulletproof, rapid-response rescue vehicle designed to reach an active shooter inside a school in just 5–9 seconds—a speed that could mean the difference between life and death. Unlike SWAT teams, which can take 20–40 minutes to arrive, the Leonardo ISV is on-site, patrolling hallways, ready to protect children and teachers instantly. He is the author of “I Will Stop School Shooting Forever,” and explains his invention—and why he believes America’s children can finally be safe. Contact Leonard Foranov at llfonarov@rtirguests.com; (754) 289-4905