Author and physician Bettye Kearse is the great-great-great-granddaughter of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, and half-brother, President James Madison. For Martin Luther King Day, invite Dr. Kearse to share her perspective on being a descendant of both one of the Founding Fathers and also of a slave. With such a unique heritage, she can discuss how Martin Luther King’s message and legacy impacted her life growing up in America. Bettye Kearse is the author of “The Other Madisons: The Lost Story of a President’s Black Family” and the subject of a documentary film. She presented her story at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and has been featured by NPR, podcasts, and radio stations across the country. Contact her at (617) 640 4803; bettye@bettyekearse.com
Category: Current Events
Racist Cops? Are Their Numbers Exaggerated?
Mark Rusin, a former Las Vegas METRO police officer and retired ATF special agent with nearly 30 years as a law enforcement official, wants to talk about Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, and defunding the police. He says although there are some bad apples, all cops are being unfairly painted as racist when “99% of cop shootings of ‘unarmed’ people occur when they resist arrest or fail to follow commands.” He adds, “It is a known fact that when an ‘unarmed’ subject refuses to follow lawful police commands and chooses to physically engage in hand-to-hand combat with an officer they must be treated as ‘armed’ because every officer has a loaded gun at their side.” Rusin will also share why allegations of racism have led to police apathy in America and what that means for public safety. A consultant to “CSI” and other shows, he is the author of the upcoming book “METRO: Sin City Chronicles.” An earlier novel, “Justice For Dallas,” based on real events, is being turned into a screenplay. Contact Mark Rusin at (520) 205-1113; msrusin@comcast.net
Why Biden Alone Can’t Heal the Nation
Americans’ anxiety around the election was palpable. When news networks called the race after days of counting ballots, it was as if the country finally exhaled and spontaneous celebrations erupted across the country and the globe. Joe Biden has called for this to become a moment of national healing, but Donald Trump still hasn’t conceded the race. Sankarshan Das says if and when he does, peace still won’t prevail. “This election will not heal our country. There are deep, deep wounds which Joe Biden is incapable of healing.” Invite the spiritual master to discuss what’s broken in our society, what we need to heal, and whether any politician can provide it. Sankarshan Das is the author of the upcoming book “Conquer Your Mind and Deliver the World: Empowering You to Awaken Your Divine Consciousness and Create Global Happiness.” He is also a singer-songwriter who once appeared onstage between Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. His song, “The Peace Formula,” has been praised by Barack Obama. Contact him at (512) 643-6740; sdas@rtirguests.com
It’s National Diabetes Month: Could Someone You Love Have It and Not Know?
Did you know that more than 30 million adults have diabetes and more than 7 million don’t even know they have it? Or that one in four adults has prediabetes? With these staggering numbers, no one can afford to be diabetes illiterate particularly during National Diabetes Month. That is why you’ll want to interview Nadia Al-Samarrie, a leading patient advocate in the diabetes community who knows this topic inside and out. She can answer such questions as: what are some of the biggest myths about diabetes? How did being born into a family with type-2 diabetes and being married to a type-1 diabetic affect her life? What does she wish everyone knew about diabetes? Nadia is editor-in-chief of Diabetes Health, a 400,000-circulation magazine used in hospitals, diabetes classes, and doctors’ offices as an educational resource for patients, and her AskNadia column is ranked No. 1 by Google as is her DiabetesHealth.com website. Nadia is also the author of “Sugar Happy: Your Diabetes Health Guide in Achieving Your Best Blood Sugars and Letting Go of Your Diabetes Complication Fears.” She has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, and other major cable networks. Contact her at (415) 741-3545; nalsamarrie@rtirguests.com
Why Would God Want a Trump Presidency?
After years of being a casino owner, billionaire businessman, reality TV star and tabloid target, Donald Trump gained enough fame to be elected the 45th president. Patric Rutherford, Ph.D., believes it was God’s will that put Trump in the White House. Why? Did God approve of Trump’s fame? His business skills? His lifestyle? His ability to attract loyal followers? Or Trump’s desire to be in charge? Explore Trump’s amazing political journey when you interview Dr. Rutherford, author of “God and President Trump Plus the Rest of Us.” Ask him: Are Christians who see President Trump as a divine deliverer justified in their support for him? Why can’t President Trump pivot to acting presidential? Does anything justify the divisiveness and hate that the Trump presidency has engendered? How would God grade Trump’s presidency? Contact Dr. Patric Rutherford at (786) 201-6638; patricrutherford@gmail.com
Unravelling Your Post-Election Emotional Exhaustion
Many Americans braced for election night chaos. That never came but dealing with the delayed election results has caused even more stress, according to many mental health professionals. Myke Merrill, D.Min., author of “Why Do People Act that Way? (And What Can I Do About It?),” says everyone is different, but there are some common ways we are reacting. He says, “One prevalent emotional response to the election and its results can be anxiety — a foreboding sense of risk and disaster. A second significant response, and possibly of greater issue, can be rage, all up and down the anger scale — a powerful desire to bring about change or get control.” Dr. Myke says people experiencing these two powerful emotional systems tend to be very vocal and active about professing and stressing their inner response onto anyone and everyone within range. He’ll also explain more common and subtler emotional responses to the election, which he says can be just as powerful and challenging to navigate. Dr. Myke Merrill was a panelist on the national television show “Ask the Pastor” for 18 years. Contact him at (585) 615-6383; myke@grippingreality.com
Anxiety to Rage: Americans Respond to the Election
What should we expect from the American public this week? Ask Myke Merrill, D.Min., author of “Why Do People Act that Way? (And What Can I Do About It?)” Dr. Myke says, “One prevalent emotional response to the election and its results can be anxiety — a foreboding sense of risk and disaster. A second significant response, and possibly of greater issue, can be rage, all up and down the anger scale — a powerful desire to bring about change or get control. People experiencing these two powerful emotional systems tend to be very vocal and active about professing and stressing their inner response onto anyone and everyone within range.” Dr. Myke can also explain more common and subtle emotional responses to the election, which he says can be just as powerful and important to acknowledge. Dr. Myke Merrill was a panelist on the national television show “Ask the Pastor” for 18 years. Contact him at (585) 615-6383;
myke@grippingreality.com
World Kindness Day Is More Important Than Ever
With a contentious election to sort out, a pandemic to deal with and a general decline in civility, we could all use some gentle reminders to be kinder to our fellow human beings. World Kindness Day on November 13th might be just the thing to bring a divided nation and world together, according to former paraplegic Barry Shore. Invite the author/entrepreneur who has earned the sobriquet the Ambassador of Joy to discuss how to celebrate the holiday and share eleven ways to practice kindness. Listeners will learn how to become a joy generator in as little as 55 seconds and be encouraged to participate in Shore’s worldwide Keep Smiling Movement. Barry Shore is a successful serial entrepreneur who in 2004 became a quadriplegic overnight from a rare disease. Over the past 16 years, he has worked to regain some of his functioning and has become an avid swimmer who logs two miles per day. A motivational, keynote speaker and host of the weekly radio show-podcast “The Joy of Living,” Shore is the founder of the JOY of Living Institute. He’s been featured on CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox and in O Magazine, Forbes, Daily Herald, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and MarketWatch. His upcoming book is “The JOY of LIVING: Healthier Wealthier You.” Contact Barry Shore at (310) 770-4685; barry@barryshore.com
What Makes 2020’s Wildfires the Worst in Modern Memory?
Changing temperatures, rogue winds, drought, and human actions. Are those the reasons for the devastating wildfires across the West that have been killing people and animals, destroying homes, paralyzing the wine industry, and decimating millions of acres in California alone? What can be done to stop or even prevent such destruction? James Moseley, CEO of Sun FireDefense, may be the most impressive wildfire expert you’ll ever interview. His California-based company defends life and property from wildfire every year. Ask him: What keeps so many wildfires burning with such intensity? What role does climate change play? What can people do to protect themselves and bounce back? How can we save firefighters’ lives? Is wildfire season winding down? Contact James Moseley at (818) 486-4662; jmoseley@rtirguests.com
What’s Behind Biden’s Aviators?
Joe Biden has been wearing aviator sunglasses for most of his life. Some might say he looks cool. But putting style and politics aside, Joe may be onto something. Wearing wraparound aviator sunglasses (but not necessarily pricey Ray-Bans can help you protect your health, especially during COVID-19, reports vision educator Linda Odubayo Thompson. As Linda will tell your listeners, “The eyes are porous, and the optic nerve is a direct extension to the brain. So, it stands to reason that eye protection should be added to the virus protection mix, especially for children,” she says. Linda knows not to take her vision for granted; she has suffered from glaucoma for more than 30 years. Contact Linda Odubayo Thompson at (914) 944-1474; lthompson@rtirguests.com