Life Changing Weekend

Answering questions about health has become one of the most common ways people use AI, everything from healthcare and fitness to nutrition and preparing for doctor visits. Our first guest on this episode is Kate Rouch, the Chief Marketing Officer with OpenAI and when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she turned to AI to understand her diagnosis, prepare for appointments and navigate care.  

Next, measles cases are increasing in Northern Virginia, raising new concerns as the U.S. works to maintain its measles eradication status.  The outbreaks come as a new bipartisan national poll from the Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease (PFID) shows strong consensus among Americans on the importance of vaccination.  Candace DeMatteis, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for The Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease (PFID) joins us to discuss further.

New AARP research shows nearly one in ten adults age 50 and older have been targeted by an online romantic connection who asked for money or promoted a cryptocurrency investment, putting more than 11 million older adults at risk.  To talk with us about this, I’m joined by Amy Nofziger, Senior Director of Fraud Victim Support, AARP.

Next, nearly 1 in 4 Americans have no emergency savings and would struggle to cover an unexpected expense, according to Bankrate. 50% of consumers said their top New Year’s resolution is to save more money.  To talk about this and to offer smarter ways to save to help people reach their financial goals, I’m joined by Rod Griffin, Senior Director of Consumer Education and Advocacy at Experian.

It’s tax time again, and the 2026 tax season will be very different for millions of Americans. Major tax law changes tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will affect families, seniors, tipped workers, overtime earners, and anyone who bought a new car in the past year. To discuss this tax season, we’re joined today by Mark Steber, Chief Tax Officer, Jackson Hewitt Tax Services. 

Next, Kelley Blue Book has long been the go-to source for things car-related, and their 12th Annual Best Buy Awards reflect a year of vehicle testing and evaluation, identifying cars, trucks and SUVs with strong overall value and performance.  To discuss the best cars of 2026 and all this automotive, we’re joined today by author and car expert Brian Moody. 

And finally, according to Bank of America’s 2025 Workplace Benefits Report - NUMBER OF U.S. WORKERS TURNING TO EMPLOYERS FOR FINANCIAL HELP HAS DOUBLED - 1 in 4 Workers Want Assistance on Pressing Financial Needs, Up From 13% in 2023.  To talk about this trend, we’re joined today by Kai Walker of Bank of America

Respiratory Syncytial (SYN-SISIAL) Virus, or RSV, is a common, contagious, and potentially serious respiratory virus that affects the lungs and breathing passages.  Each year, approximately 177,000 adults 65 years and older are hospitalized in the US due to RSV and an estimated 14,000 of those cases result in death.  To discuss this further, we’re joined by Dr. Leonard Friedland, pediatrician and research scientist, Vice President and Director of Scientific Affairs and Public Health with GSK - North America and also Carole, a National Senior Games Athlete who contracted and overcame RSV.

PLUS, wastewater scanning data during the fall and winter respiratory virus season can curb the spread of illnesses nationwide. For communities and local health officials, the ability to tell if illness levels are rising, falling, or remaining the same can help them make important health decisions.  To discuss this, we're joined by AMANDA BIDWELL, SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM MANAGER FOR WASTEWATERSCAN AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY. 

At the Reviving the Community Fair in October 2025 at Kings Landing Park in Calvert County, I heard a presentation from a gentleman who survived an attempt to commit suicide.  His story was, as you can imagine harrowing but also redemptive and he is, by the grace of God, on this episode to tell us his story and how he is helping others in distress.

If you are in distress, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States and its territories. The 988 Lifeline is comprised of a national network of over 200 local crisis centers, combining local care and resources with national standards and best practices.  Remember, dial or text "988" for immediate help.

In a world where AI voices are stealing the spotlight, where algorithms flood our feeds and Zoom calls feel more scripted than sincere —from chatbots to synthetic narrators—one expert is fighting back with a message that's as human as it gets.  In his timely new book, "You Are The Message: Revolutionary Speaking Tools for a Better Life, Deeper Loves, and Irresistible Leadership", voice artist Joel Weldon says "AI can generate words, but it can’t create connection," and his breakthrough YouPWR Speaking Method proves that heart, tone, and intention are irreplaceable in building trust, inspiring teams, and forging real connections.

Unbound is an international nonprofit based in Kansas City, Kansas, and founded by lay Catholics grounded in the Gospel call to put the needs of the marginalized and vulnerable first.  And on this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, from the Archdiocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, we’re joined by Father Mike Sinkler who will tell us more about UNBOUND!  

Breakthroughs in treatment of Alopecia with Dr. Meena Singh and new treatments for sufferers of Migraines and Cluster Headaches with Dr. Alan Rapaport.

Treating Sleep Apnea with Dr. Kelly Gill and Breakthroughs in Early Detection Screening for Lung Cancer with Dr. David Tom Cooke.

Charles Billingsley

A look at the Black Friday Weekend economic report with Alison Myer of BLOCK, also Eden Greenstein, Prime Savings Expert at Amazon Prime offers a money saving program for gasoline, PLUS, Julia Bartak of Edward Jones discusses saving for education. 

World Missionary Evangelism is a powerful and far-reaching non-profit ministry that works to saves lives and souls in places as far away as Sri Lanka, Malawi, Ukraine, the Philippines to right here in the United States.  They and their partners and supporters sponsor children with food, schools and homes, provide disaster relief, provide assistance in farm projects and vocational training and wells and water projects.  And most importantly, in their work, they bring the message and hope of the Gospel and Jesus Christ to the lives of everyone they touch.

You can hear World Missionary Evangelism on the radio, every weekday at 1115am on our sister station, AM780, WAVA-AM and also streaming live online at WAVAAM.com.  You’ll hear about the work they’re doing and reflections on the gospel from the president of World Missionary Evangelism, Pastor Daniel Moore.  

To talk with us about is amazing ministry on this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, I’m joined by the President of World Missionary Evangelism, Pastor Daniel Moore.

A recent AARP survey finds Americans over 50 are leveraging more technology, both in their home and while on the go. Nearly two-thirds say technology enriches their lives by making daily life and aging easier, and they’re increasingly using digital services to manage their finances, social lives and health and wellness.  To talk about this and maybe put some minds at ease, we’re joined on this episode of The Life Changing Weekend by Tom Kamber, Executive Director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP.

Plus, the latest jobs report shows a weakening labor market.  And as Artificial Intelligence reshapes the workplace, millions of U.S. jobs could be at risk. A new report by Society of Human Resources Management - SHRM, pronounced ‘sherm’ - reveals today’s U.S. labor market lacks the skills to work with AI.  To talk with us about this, we’re joined by Alex Alonso, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at SHRM.

On this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, we're joined by one of the four pioneering researchers responsible for developing CAR T-cell therapy, Dr. Michel Sadelain, M.D., Ph.D. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy reprograms a patient’s own immune system to attack cancer and has become a recognized milestone in modern medicine. The therapy is credited with helping patients facing blood cancers, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and acute Leukemia that were once considered incurable and is now being explored in other serious diseases.

Plus, about 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. While the disease is most often diagnosed in women over the age of 50, more women under 45 are confronting breast cancer, at a time when they may be focused on their careers, relationships or family building. To talk with us about this, we’re joined by surgical oncologist Mediget Teshome, MD, MPH, FACS.

The Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child collects and delivers shoebox gifts filled with fun toys, school supplies and personal care items. For many of these children, the gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.  Today on The Life Changing Weekend, we’ll speak with Pastor Zac Vaketambewey, an actual recipient of an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift and hear – FIRSTHAND – how these simple gifts can change lives!

Learn more here:  www.SamaritansPurse.org/occ

If you tell kids today, they’d never believe it.  Television stations before the 1990s and before the ubiquity of wifi and digital TVs, were truly local.  To talk about this, and his career at the heart of it, we're joined today on The Life Changing Weekend by a Washington, DC area institution, known to many as Captain 20, or Count Gore De Vol, or even BOZO!  All these characters were inhabited by our guest, Dick Dysel!

As fall migration begins and birds travel to warmer climates, the risk of avian influenza—or bird flu—remains a concern for U.S. poultry - and to backyard chicken coops.  To talk more about this, we’re joined on this episode of The Life Changing Weekend by Dr. Chrislyn Wood Nicholson from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services.

Plus, Barbie Johnson, Tisha Winkler and Amenna Scott are The DYNAMIC THREE - a trio of young women dedicated to inspiring, empowering and transforming lives through storytelling.  Each writer brings a unique voice life experience and mission to the literary world, creating books that uplift, challenge and spark meaningful conversations.