In The News

In a recent interview in Variety, Cameron Douglas, son of Academy Award-winning actor and producer Michael and grandson of Hollywood legend, Kirk, explained why he wrote his new bestseller, Long Way Home. “I can’t go back and change a lot of my decisions and the pain and the wreckage that some of those decisions have caused,” he said. “What I did endeavor to do is take those experiences and turn them into something useful.” In Long Way Home, which has climbed to #1 on Amazon, Cameron provides an unflinching account of his dangerous descent into years of addiction and incarceration—and his inspiring rise to recovery and return to society and family. Contrasting what it is like to grow up as Hollywood royalty with hitting rock bottom as a heroin addict, Cameron shares his struggle to return to society and family after almost eight years in federal prison.

Known for his insightful perspective on American democracy, law and governance, APB speaker Lawrence Lessig is set to release his much-anticipated new book on November 5^th, entitled They Don’t Represent Us: Reclaiming Our Democracy. In his new book, Lessig sets out to unpack why American democracy is so detached from the people it supposedly serves.

APB speaker Sonia Manzano is set to appear in the 50^th Anniversary Special of Sesame Street on HBO, Saturday November 9^th at 7 P.M. EST. Considered a cultural landmark widely praised for its approach to children’s programming, Sesame Street is not only educational, but provides special support and guidance on such topics as military families, autism, addiction and more. In 1971, Manzano landed the career-making character of “Maria” on the show.

A groundbreaking leader during her 35-year career in the U.S. Navy, Admiral Michelle Howard was the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star admiral and the first woman to be appointed to the position of vice chief of naval operations. Now retired, she will be appearing on CNBC’s Halftime Report for their annual Veteran’s Day Special. This year’s Halftime Report Veteran’s Day show will be a live taping at the Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on November 8^th.

CEO of Belfor, a disaster recovery company, APB speaker Sheldon Yellen has been making headlines for the gratitude he shows towards his 9,200 employees. Yellen recently shared that he personally writes birthday cards to each of his staff members. In an interview with Business Insider, Yellen explained that he has been handwriting birthday cards to his friends and employees at Belfor since 1985, when he was hired by the company. He went on to say, “It got people talking, we started to communicate more."

Currently the director of Duke University’s Humans and Autonomy Laboratory, as well as their Robotics program, professor and APB speaker Mary “Missy” Cummings is appearing in the PBS show Nova to share her expertise on the hot topic of automated, driverless vehicles.   

Founder of the mega-popular dietary program The Whole30, APB speaker Melissa Hartwig Urban is releasing a new cookbook on October 15^th entitled The Whole30 Friends & Family: 150 Recipes for Every Social Occasion. The idea for the 30-day elimination diet program that became the Whole30 was born through a friendly post-workout dare to cut out sugar, alcohol, and processed food. Melissa had no idea it would completely change her life, and the lives of so many others. Today, the Whole30 is one of the most established and influential nutrition programs in the U.S.

Less than two weeks after stepping down as president at Combs Enterprises, APB speaker Dia Simms has made a solo move into the cannabis industry. Her distribution firm, called BRN Group, will be a “first of its kind, privately-held, global brand development, management and distribution company that licenses, manages and distributes superior cannabis brands worldwide.”

APB speaker Jaclyn Corin, a leading organizer of March for Our Lives, continues to share her story with the goal of mobilizing and inspiring others. Her new Teen Vogue op-ed piece chronicles how she has grown as a person, an organizer and an advocate in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting tragedy. She also discusses the subsequent growth of a powerful tide of youth activism. 

Former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, APB speaker Gina McCarthy, recently sat with WBUR to discuss climate change with youth activists. McCarthy, who is currently Professor of the Practice of Public Health in the Department of Environmental Health and the Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) at Harvard, revealed that an inability to make climate change a part of everyday discussion will lead to irreversible consequences. When asked how she stays positive despite not holding “the keys” to running environmental health, McCarthy said, “You can’t be unrealistic about the challenge, but you have to be hopeful for the future...” She went on to say, “I want to make sure that anybody your age recognizes that when an administration like this may not be paying attention, it’s not the end of the discussion. It’s not the end of your opportunity to make progress...”