August 25, 2020
01. Partisan Politics and the Push to Privatize the Post Office
02. What is the Future of the Grand Old Party?
03. Virtual Political Conventions: Engaging or Boring?
04. Jane Velez-Mitchell on ‘New Day New Chef’ Covid Edition
05. The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)
06. Will God Make Sure Donald Trump Wins the Election?
07. How to Come Back from a 70% Revenue Drop
08. Are Women Their Own Worst Enemies at Work?
09. Gun Violence Surging: Tips to Survive an Active Shooter
10. What Will Happen When We Run Out of Nurses?
11. How Sloppy Record-Keeping Could Cost You Your Life
12. Attorney Reveals the Dark Side of Winning a Lawsuit
13. He’s Bringing Back the Art of the Pleasant Chat
14. You Can Adopt Another Couple’s Frozen Embryo?
15. This Sugar Witch Could Save Your Life
1. ==> Partisan Politics and the Push to Privatize the Post Office
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump ally and Republican donor, faced another day of grilling before the Democrat-led House Oversight Committee Monday. DeJoy is accused of sabotaging the USPS before the upcoming election, a charge he denies. Lisa Graves of the policy research group True North says, “Congress must insist that the mail sorting and delivery capacity be restored to the pre-Louis DeJoy level of this spring and machines that were removed be restarted or repaired. Congress must also restrict the power of Steve Mnuchin to interfere with the timely delivery of mail, including medicines and ballots, and provide the funding requested by the prior Postal leadership.” Graves says, “Never before in the past century has the Postal Service leadership been held by such partisans as DeJoy and Mike Duncan [chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service], both of whom have financially aided not just the political campaigns of President Trump but also Senator Mitch McConnell. Never before has the Postal Service faced such a grave risk from the privatization pressures unleashed by billionaire Charles Koch. Congress should scrap the stacked and packed current Board of Governors, and take measures to restore its political independence and integrity and make sure future appointees are genuinely devoted to preserving and expanding the vital public service our Postal Service and its dedicated public servants provide.” Lisa Graves is the executive director of True North. She recently wrote the piece “The Billionaire Behind Efforts to Kill the U.S. Postal Service,” about Charles Koch. Graves served as deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Policy at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Clinton administration and chief counsel for nominations for Senator Patrick Leahy on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. An expert on how special interests distort our political system, Lisa has been a frequent guest on MSNBC and has also appeared on CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNBC, the BBC, the CBC, Democracy NOW, C-Span, and NPR. Contact Evan Vorpahl at evan@truenorthresearch.org or @itstruenorth
2. ==> What is the Future of the Grand Old Party?
The Trump Show is on tap this week as Republicans hold their national convention. But what’s ahead for the Grand Old Party? The same GOP leaders who’ve enabled Donald Trump for the past four years will be taking to the stage this week to talk about the future of the party and historian and foreign-policy analyst Max Boot says regardless of whether Trump wins or loses in November, the GOP’s conservative ideology as many remember it, is history. “What, exactly, is conservative about ruling by executive action and ignoring the legislative branch on taxation and spending? That is what Trump did by taking money from the defense budget to build a border wall and what he is now doing to provide relief to the unemployed.” Boot continues, “What is conservative about misusing the presidency for personal gain? That is what Trump has done by trying to blackmail Ukraine into helping his campaign, reportedly telling a U.S. ambassador to pressure the British government to hold the British Open at a Trump resort, ignoring the intelligence community’s warnings about Russian election interference, and countless other acts of pathological selfishness.” Boot says he wouldn’t believe what GOP leaders say about the future of the Republican Party because “they have shown that, like Trump, they are in office to serve themselves rather than the American people. If they are the leaders who will define the future of the Republican Party, the party doesn’t deserve to have a future,” says Boot. Max Boot is a historian, best-selling author, columnist, and foreign-policy analyst. He is a senior fellow in national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a global affairs analyst for CNN. Contact him at writetoboot@gmail.com; @maxboot or via CFR at communications@cfr.org
3. ==> Virtual Political Conventions: Engaging or Boring?
Friday night on “Real Time,” Bill Mahr compared watching the Democratic virtual convention to viewing a telethon at 2 a.m. Was he right? According to Nielsen, the convention giving Joe Biden the nod attracted about 24.6 million primetime television viewers on its last night, not counting people who streamed it. Still, the Nielsen numbers were down 17% from 2016. With the Republican convention underway, you’ll want to discuss virtual conventions with marketing professional Steve McChesney, a veteran of more than 350 TV shows and movies. He can talk about what makes for successful audience engagement and ways to compensate for speakers who can’t play off an audience’s live reaction. And, for good measure, he’ll discuss why this is likely to be the last time two baby boomer candidates face off and ways campaigns are likely to change when the politicians are millennials or Gen Zers. McChesney has been on CBS, ABC, NBC and other large media outlets. His new book is “Rearranging Change: How To Market to an Ever-Changing World” and his podcast with the same name is available on all major channels. He is available as a last-minute guest. Contact Steve McChesney at (321) 414-2147; smcchesney@rtirguests.com
4. ==> Jane Velez-Mitchell on ‘New Day New Chef’ Covid Edition
Invite former national news anchor Jane Velez-Mitchell to discuss her TV show, ‘New Day New Chef,” and this season’s special series showcasing Support and Feed, a nonprofit organization helping those in need during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond. The series, that airs on Amazon Prime and PBS, focuses on the organization’s work supplying healthy, plant-based food to children’s charities, homeless and domestic abuse shelters, food banks and senior centers. People donate to vegan restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia and those restaurants, in turn, make the food that is distributed. Filmed largely with robotic cameras, during the Covid-19 outbreak, the show follows Maggie Baird, (actress, screenwriter, vegan, and the mother of musicians Billie Eilish and Finneas, who are also vegan) as she delivers food to those in need. Jane Velez-Mitchell hosts as participating chefs whip up some of the delicious, nutrient-packed meals. Vegan celebrities, like Dynasty’s Elaine Hendrix and Downton Abbey’s Lesley Nicol, also make appearances. Jane Valez-Mitchell is the founder and editor of JaneUnChained.com, a social media news channel producing thousands of widely shared videos on the plant-based lifestyle. Valez-Mitchell hosted her own show on HLN, reported for the TV show Celebrity Justice, and was a news anchor/reporter at KCAL-TV in LA and WCBS-TV in NY. Contact Mark Goldman at mark@goldmanmccormick.com or call/text (516) 639-0988
5. ==> The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)
We know the universe started with the Big Bang, but how is it going to end? Theoretical astrophysicist Dr. Katie Mack will take listeners on a mind-bending tour of five universe-ending possibilities proposed by cosmologists that will — almost — make you forget about what the end times mean for us. Through her wildly popular Twitter account, @AstroKatie, and her new book, “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)”, Mack demonstrates that you don’t have to hold a science degree to contemplate the biggest mysteries of the universe. In the process of considering the ultimate fate of the cosmos, Dr. Mack shows us that it can be surprisingly cathartic to think about forces that are mind-bendingly destructive and also truly, inescapably, undeniably beyond our control. Still, it’s hard not to wonder what the destruction of the universe means for humanity, should we live to see it. Dr. Katie Mack is an assistant professor of physics at North Carolina State University. She is a columnist at Cosmos Magazine and has recently been named a TED2020 Fellow. Contact Johanna Ramos Boyer at (703) 646-5137; (703) 400-1099 (cell); johanna@jrbcomm.com or Erin Bolden at (703) 646-5188
6. ==> Will God Make Sure Donald Trump Wins the Election?
Even a famous Politico story contends that millions of Americans believe GOD wanted Donald Trump to become president. But is a second term in God’s plan? Interview Patric Rutherford, Ph.D., who agrees that a Trump White House was God’s permissive will. But find out why he says God may not want Trump to serve two terms. Originally from Jamaica, Dr. Rutherford has for decades studied politics, faith and human nature. His critically acclaimed book is “God and President Trump Plus the Rest of Us.” Ask him: Why did many deeply committed Christians have no qualms about electing a seemingly godless man? What does the anti-Trump contingent get right and wrong? Why didn’t he vote for Trump? How would God “grade” Trump’s first term in office? Contact Dr. Rutherford at (786) 201-6638; patricrutherford@gmail.com
7. ==> How to Come Back from a 70% Revenue Drop
Because of the pandemic, the bottom has fallen out of many businesses, affecting not only their owners but also the employees who work for them who have been furloughed or had their hours cut. What are some specific things small businesses can do to recover? Rami Odeh (Oh-DAY) has answers culled from his experience bringing his personal training company back from a 70% drop in revenue that resulted from the 2008 recession. Invite Rami on your show to hear about the big risk he took that started his company’s return to healthy profitability and the importance of seeking help when you need it. The lessons Rami learned along the way are valuable to every business owner whether on the way up, the way down, plateaued, or trying to build a saleable business. Rami is an author, certified exercise physiologist, personal trainer and corporate presenter with dual master’s degrees in industrial psychology and exercise physiology. Rami is the author of the three-volume series “Quiet The Noise.” Contact him at (770) 773-6970; rami@quietthenoisebook.com
8. ==> Are Women Their Own Worst Enemies at Work?
Women talk about the challenges they face in a patriarchal society but in reality, women are each other’s own worst enemies, often holding each other back and sabotaging one another’s careers. Many, if not most, career women would agree that the bosses that gave them the most grief in their careers were female. Why is this the case? Career coach, author and former Wall Street executive Tamara Lashchyk discusses these issues and gives real-life examples of women who vindictively tried to sabotage the career of other women, including her own boss, who fired her just two days before she retired. She can answer such questions as do female bosses treat their male subordinates better than their female reports? Is this a generational issue and are millennials better at supporting other women than baby boomers? What can women do to help each other? Tamara has been interviewed by the BBC and featured in Huffington Post. Contact Tamara Lashcyk at (848) 373-3543; TLashchyk@rtirguests.com
9. ==> Gun Violence Surging: Tips to Survive an Active Shooter
Gun violence is on the rise in cities across the country, even in the middle of the pandemic. As parts of the country reopen and gatherings occur, how can we keep safe from violence AND the virus? What do we all need to know? Explore the vital answers with personal protection specialist Allen Banks, developer of Active Shooter Prevention and Workplace Violence Prevention Training, plus special programs for schools and other locations. Ask him: How should people observe, react, find safety, shield others, or fight back during an active shooting incident? Which survival tips work best in different settings? Allen Banks is CEO of Proactive Protection Agency. Contact him at (661) 417-0786; abanks@rtirguests.com
10. ==> What Will Happen When We Run Out of Nurses?
Right now, we need nurses more than ever, but what kind of career can you expect in the profession? What should you know as you enter nursing school, graduate, become registered, and begin a nursing career? What will it take to keep you on the job? How can we all help prevent nursing shortages since the aging population needs such professionals more than ever? You’ll want to explore this timely topic and the nursing experience with all its implications by interviewing Nancy Congleton. In addition to offering solutions to help today’s nurses and ultimately everyone they serve, she will reveal the unexpected realities of the nursing profession, five relationship dynamics that nurses face, legal issues, and the concerns everyone should have when nurses feel so unprepared and overworked that they leave. An outspoken registered nurse known as Nurse Nancy, Nancy Covington has worked in the NICU, ER and case management. She’s the author of “Autopsy of the NP: Dissecting the Nursing Profession Piece By Piece.” Contact Nancy Congleton at (918) 992-4616; NCongleton@rtirguests.com
11. ==> How Sloppy Record-Keeping Could Cost You Your Life
In the middle of the coronavirus crisis, keeping your own medical records in order is more important than ever. In a medical emergency, anyone can be rattled enough to forget important details, finding themselves unable to answer physicians’ important questions about their health or that of a loved one. Anne McAwley-LeDuc, a retired nurse practitioner APRN), learned this the hard way after her husband fell down the stairs and showed signs of paralysis. At the hospital, physicians sought answers about his medical history, but she couldn’t answer vital questions. McAwley-LeDuc wants to help others — especially ordinary folks with no medical background — advocate for themselves and their loved ones for better and safer health care. She’ll discuss the role patients play in reducing medical errors, ways disorganized medical records can be deadly, and why so few patients keep good medical records or grasp the need to do so. Anne McAwley-LeDuc developed the “Personal Health Organizer” to keep essential medical information in one place and provide a snapshot of your health history. Contact her at (860) 300-1603; AMcAwley@rtirguests.com
12. ==> Attorney Reveals the Dark Side of Winning a Lawsuit
Talk about initiating a lawsuit and most people think: Hefty settlement! Getting justice! (Or retribution.) Healing and starting over. But legal trouble is stressful and expensive, and lawsuits can last years, taking more out of you than you gain. So warns attorney Francine Tone, who’s been educating the public for years about getting the right legal help, asking prudent questions, making wise decisions, and proceeding with caution as legal challenges unfold. Invite her to explore realities about suing and being sued, myths and truths about the law, and how even winning lawsuits can jeopardize your business, marriage or health. Francine is the author of “What Every Good Lawyer Wants You to Know.” Contact Francine Tone at (531) 208-1297; FTone@rtirguests.com
13. ==> He’s Bringing Back the Art of the Pleasant Chat
When is the last time you had a conversation that didn’t end up feeling like a negotiation, or worse a fight? “It’s probably been a while since a simple conversation was just that,” says Ivan Obolensky. “It’s become nearly impossible not to talk about emotionally charged topics … because that’s all we’ve got!” Interview Ivan about the art of conversation during COVID-19. He will show your audience how to set better boundaries around who they are talking to and what they are talking about, so that simple conversations don’t feel like negotiations that need to be won. Ask him about the four N’s of negotiating that can help conversations become a win-win! Ivan is an author and Renaissance man. His novel “Eye of the Moon” won Best First Book (Fiction) in the IndieReader Discovery Awards. Contact Ivan Obolensky at (818) 495-8731; IObolensky@rtirguests.com
14. ==> You Can Adopt Another Couple’s Frozen Embryo?
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
15. ==> This Sugar Witch Could Save Your Life
How much sugar have you been eating and drinking? For most people, the answer is “too much” and includes hidden sugars they don’t even know about. These are the folks who need the good kind of witch — Sugar Witch Marsha Allen — to avoid the harmful effects of sugar overwhelm such as obesity and type-2 diabetes. Marsha will explain how her program can help anyone live a sweeter and longer life without sugar addiction. She’ll discuss how to recognize and avoid surprisingly super-sweet foods, embrace healthier snacks and treats, prevent cravings that send you onto the sugar highway, keep kids from demanding sweets and more. Marsha is the host of Sugar Addicts on Crown City News TV. She is the author of “Spoiled Rotten on a Diet: Gluten, Sugar & Dairy Free Made Simple.” Contact her at (902) 906-5231; MAllen@rtirguests.com
Don’t see any guests or topics for your show? Search through past RTIR Newsletters and find hundreds of show ideas and possible guests at www.rtironline.com