Parenting is never easy, but families have been stuck together for months now and things have gone a little haywire in many homes. September usually brings relief with kids going back to school, but this year many students are sitting at the kitchen table instead of a desk in a classroom. How can we keep on keeping on without completely losing it? Families will welcome the creative suggestions of educator Laurie Marshall, suggestions that will help everyone get along better and safely blow off stress. She’ll share why parents and kids should put paper bags over their heads to convey emotions such as anger and silliness, why families should make a practice of singing and dancing together, and how taking three deep breaths when they feel out of control can center parents and interrupt impulsive behavior that can lead to harming family members. Marshall is a bullying prevention expert and the author of multiple books. She has trained over 6,000 teachers in project-based learning and facilitated 125 bully-prevention, nature-based murals with over 25,000 people in schools, nonprofits, and government agencies (NASA, FEMA, U.S. Botanical Gardens). Contact Laurie Marshall at (415) 360-3304; lmarshall@rtirguests.com
What Happens to Frozen Embryos when Couples Split?
Recent news stories have explored the issue of frozen embryos caught in the crossfire of couples who have uncoupled. Fertilized during happier times, these embryos may remain in limbo forever and rack up storage fees if the couples cannot agree on their future. Or, as Nate Birt advises, the couple can agree to let the frozen embryo be adopted by someone else, a possibility they may not have considered. Learn more when you interview Nate, whose daughter began life as another couple’s frozen embryo. Nate is the author of “Frozen, But Not Forgotten: An Adoptive Dad’s Step-by-Step Guide to Embryo Adoption.” Ask him: What are some of the controversies that surround frozen embryos? Are fertilized embryos people or property? How costly is it to adopt such an embryo? Contact Nate Birt at (417) 221-9045; Nbirt@rtirguests.com
Does ‘Meeting the Beatles in India’ Tell the Whole Story?
With the release of the filmmaker Paul Saltzman’s new documentary, “Meeting The Beatles in India,” now is the time to meet Susan Shumsky, who spent 22 years in the ashrams and six years on the personal staff of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM). This multi-award-winning author exposes the complete, uncensored, unapologetic, behind-the-scenes story of the Beatles in India. Susan’s fascinating version of events digs deeper to unearth much more than Saltzman’s film. Produced by David Lynch (founder of the TM-based David Lynch Foundation), the film paints TM as the hero. In contrast, Susan, a rare insider, spills stunning, behind-the-curtain secrets about what it was really like at the ashram, and how Maharishi influenced the Beatles and their song lyrics. She has participated in more than 1,200 interviews including for the Sunday Express of London, L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, GQ, Woman’s World, and Fox News with Alan Colmes. Susan has 18 books in print in English, 36 foreign editions, and has won 40 prestigious book awards. Reach her at (917) 992-5175; divinerev@aol.com
Do a Show on TV Legend Lucille Ball
Celebrate the life and career of Lucille Ball, who for years was the most Emmy-garlanded woman, winning six and being nominated (if you count lifetime awards) a whopping 15 times! Her last Emmy award was given posthumously in 1989. Darin Strauss, author of “The Queen of Tuesday: A Lucille Ball Story,” will share fascinating facts about Lucy and how she transformed the TV industry and became the world’s first female media mogul — all while suspected of being a communist and navigating the public outcry over her interracial marriage to Cuban co-star Desi Arnaz. Strauss is the author of several books. His latest, “The Queen of Tuesday,” is a blend of history, fiction and memoir that imagines his grandfather having an affair with Lucille Ball — whom his grandfather actually did meet at a ceremony held by Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump, in 1966. Contact Lissa Warren at (617) 233-2853; LissaWarrenPR@gmail.com
Why Wildfires Are So Destructive
More than 85 major fires are burning up and down the West Coast, from northern Washington to Southern California and have killed at least 17 people in three states. The fires have caused unprecedented damage in Washington and Oregon and exacerbated what has already become California’s biggest wildfire season ever. Invite wildfire expert James Moseley on your show to discuss the way we battle these wildfires and why they cause such widespread damage. Moseley can share what factors lead to wildfires and whether climate change is entirely to blame. You’ll learn why we may see new wildfire dangers in many states as well as how we can better protect firefighters and save lives. Moseley is the CEO of Sun FireDefense, a company that offers advanced fire defense and home wildfire protection products. Contact James Moseley at (818) 486-4662; jmoseley@rtirguests.com
Comedian Michael Ian Black on Raising Better Men
Michael Ian Black is many things: actor, comedian, screenwriter, award-winning children’s book author, essayist, memoirist, and podcaster. He is also a man and the father of a boy on the cusp of manhood himself. In his new book, “A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son,” Black offers a thoughtful and personal appraisal of the complicated meaning of masculinity in our times. Written in the form of a letter to his son as he gets ready to leave for college, the book is based on both personal experience and thoughtful observation of the rapid changes taking place in society. Black also shares stories of his complicated relationship with his own father, who died when he was a child, and his upbringing in an often-contentious lesbian household. Invite Black on your show to discuss coming-of-age in a time when boys were routinely told to “act like a man,” with no direction on how to do so — or even what those words meant; why we need to challenge the outdated assumptions our society continues to impose on boys about their place in the world; and how boys of the rising generation can navigate that change to become more evolved men. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 991-8328; jboyer@rtirguests.com
Why are Trump Supporters So Loyal?
Donald Trump’s presidency has been marked by disruption and turmoil, but his support has remained remarkably stable. How can that be? Political observers believe American voters are shifting away from transitory measures of performance like traditional metrics of peace and prosperity, and toward bedrock attitudes about demographic, cultural and economic change. “That is certainly what gives Trump a floor: By stoking those cultural war fires you are going to win over a certain share of the electorate that has this more racist and sexist and xenophobic views,” says Brian Schaffner, a Tufts University political scientist who has extensively studied the correlation between political preferences and cultural attitudes. “When your identity and view of (the nation’s) identity overlaps with your partisan identity so much, it’s hard to ever consider shifting sides,” Schaffner says. Some political observers believe that stability, paradoxically, points to years of polarization and rising turbulence in American politics and life. Brian Schaffner is co-author of several books including “Campaign Finance and Political Polarization: When Purists Prevail.” Contact him at (617) 627-3467; brian.schaffner@tufts.edu
Happy National Sausage Month! Tailgate at Home
Tailgating season is officially here and while fans may be missing from the parking lots and stands of their favorite stadiums, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) and National Pork Board have teamed up to share fun ways to recreate the experience at home. “The Ultimate Homegating Guide” is full of recipes for traditional grilling staples like bratwurst and Italian sausage, but it also includes some unexpected international flavors like Polish sausage and cabbage, and chorizo huevos rancheros. “Sausage works on the grill, in dips and especially for breakfast for those who love to get started early on game day,” says NHDSC president and Hot Dog Top Dog Eric Mittenthal. He’ll explain this month’s #ShowUsYourSausage photo contest (no, not that kind of picture!) and how sharing photos of your homegate party and recipes could earn you a $100 gift card. Contact Eric Mittenthal at (202) 587-4238; (404) 808-8396 or emittenthal@meatinstitute.org
Great Election Show: Running for Local Office
New York Times bestselling author Heather Lende has been writing about her hometown — Haines, Alaska — and about what community means for more than a decade. After the 2016 elections, she was inspired to take a more active role in politics and decided to run for office in Haines. And … she won! For a great election season show, invite Heather to share the funny and entertaining story of her first term on the small-town assembly, and how the political, social, and environmental issues her community faces are not so different from the issues being played out on the national stage. Heather Lende’s new book, “Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics,” could serve as a “how-to guide” for anyone thinking of beginning a career in local politics. She says, “I think that social justice and public health are very much in the realm of local governments, and so much of what happens going forward will fall on the shoulders of people like me — elected to local councils and commissions — and how we interact with the community and the pressure from different interest groups.” Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 991-8328; jboyer@rtirguests.com
VP Debate Analysis: Look at the Body Language
Let’s talk about last night’s vice presidential debate and what the candidates said with their words — and their body language. Invite Dr. Carole Lieberman to discuss Vice President Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris’ performance through a psychiatrist’s lens. Ask her: Based on body language, who came off as most confident and most comfortable? Were there any portions of Vice President Pence and Kamala Harris’ answers where either was saying something that was contradicted by their body language? When did each candidate appear to be at their strongest and when did they appear to struggle? Of all the topics Pence and Harris covered in their debate, which ones did they appear to be the most serious about and which ones did they appear to show the least concern for? Carole Lieberman, M.D., M.P.H., is a board-certified psychiatrist, forensic psychiatrist/expert witness and author. She has appeared on “Oprah,” the “Today” show, “Good Morning America,” CNN and other media outlets and hosts two podcasts. Contact Ryan McCormick at (516) 901-1103; (919) 377-1200 or ryan@goldmanmccormick.com