Front Page
A daily dose of top stories in the headlines, breaking news, sports and entertainment.
The Ellisons' Trump Payoff, an Intruder Comes for Today Show's Craig Melvin, and R. Kelly's Hail Mary to the White House
A new Paramount shareholder lawsuit claims the Ellisons paid President Trump thirty-six million dollars and agreed to get rid of CNN anchors he doesn't like to help get their Warner Bros. Merger approved. A man got past security at the Today show, went looking for Al Roker, then lunged at Craig Melvin while shouting a racial slur. And R. Kelly is asking President Trump to shorten his thirty-year prison sentence.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Cyclospora Outbreak, Women Over 40 Are Out-Birthing Teens, and Who Really Took Boosie's $600K
A parasitic infection called cyclospora is sweeping thirty-four states and causing severe, watery, explosive diarrhea. Nearly seven thousand people are sick. Here is what you need to wash, peel, and watch for. Plus, for the first time in U.S. history, women over forty are having more babies than teenagers. Family medicine and longevity expert Dr. Noelle Reid joins Mimi Brown to break down what is behind the shift and what women in their late thirties and early forties need to know. And rapper Boosie is fighting to get three hundred thousand dollars back from two notorious Washington fraudsters...
Political Hot Topics with Ashley Etienne: Lindsey Graham's Empty Seat, Trump's Iran Mess, and the Bill the Democratic Party Owes Black America
Ashley Etienne, former senior advisor to President Obama, President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, joins Mimi Brown for a round of political hot topics. Lindsey Graham's sister just got appointed to his Senate seat with zero experience. Democrats still don't have a midterm message, even in an affordability crisis. Trump is set to address the nation Thursday night; Ashley tells us what to listen for and why the war in Iran is his biggest headache. Plus, her viral Essence op-ed, "The Party We Built. The Bill Has Come Due," on why the Democratic...
The Kadir Skinner Video, Boosie's $300K Fight, and Netflix Wants to Be Cable Again
Attorneys for Kadir Skinner, the nineteen-year-old shot in the back by Wilmington Police —release bystander video showing him handcuffed and alive on the ground with no medical attention. Rapper Boosie is fighting to get three hundred thousand dollars back from a Washington lobbying firm after a Trump pardon he was told had been signed never came. And Netflix, the company that killed cable is now looking to bring it back with live channels, bundles, and a possible Letterboxd deal.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ben Crump Enters the Nolan Wells Case, Karmelo's Team Fires Back, and 50 Cent Goes to the Emmys
Ben Crump has stepped in to represent the family of Nolan Wells the eighteen-year-old football player found dead on a Mississippi barrier island. The family has commissioned an independent autopsy, and claims text messages have been deleted from his phone. Karmelo Anthony's new legal team drops a sixty-three-page motion for a new trial citing secret courtroom deals, closed doors, and a ten-minute decision that shaped his defense. And 50 Cent gets three Emmy nominations for his Diddy documentary and he is NOT being humble about it.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener...
Freedom Fuel, Marcellus Wiley’s Arrest, and Hov at Yankee Stadium
The White House just opened its own gas stations, twenty-five of them, all selling gas at three forty-seven a gallon. Former NFL star and ESPN analyst Marcellus Wiley has been arrested for domestic violence, and his wife has filed for divorce. And Jay-Z kicks off a historic three-night run at Yankee Stadium tonight with ticket prices falling days before showtime.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
IShowSpeed at the World Cup, Trump Accounts Go Live, and Tubman Off the Twenty
FIFA has opened an investigation after IShowSpeed was targeted with a racist remark by a fan at the World Cup. Trump Accounts officially launched on July 4th and every eligible baby is getting a thousand dollars from the government to start. And the Treasury Department confirms Harriet Tubman is off the twenty-dollar bill. Again.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nolan Wells, The Anthony Appeal, and Big Tigger's Wife
An eighteen-year-old football player from Mississippi, Nolan Xavier Wells, has been found dead after going missing on a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island. His family has hired Attorney Ben Crump. Karmelo Anthony's new legal team has filed an appeal and is asking Judge John Roach to be removed from the case over the interviews he has given since the verdict. And Big Tigger's estranged wife Alicia Brown has been arrested in Georgia on kidnapping-related warrants tied to a 2019 case in Maryland.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
The Long View — Part Three with Ian Dunlap
The final installment of AI and Your Paycheck. Mimi Brown closes out her three-part series with Ian Dunlap, founder of Red Panda. What to teach your kids right now so they are not left behind. Which careers AI cannot replace. How he ranks the major language models. And the math on AI spending that Ian says is going to start unraveling in 2027. Faith over fear. Craft over panic.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The AI Playbook — Part Two with Ian Dunlap
AI is here and the people learning how to use it are about to leave everybody else behind. In Part Two of her conversation with Ian Dunlap founder of Red Panda. Mimi Brown gets into the practical playbook. Which AI tools to download today. How to prompt them so you actually get something back. How to use them to make extra money on the side, sharpen your investments, and become indispensable at work. Ian also breaks down why the AI wave is going to widen the wealth gap and how to make sure you end up on the right...
AI and Your Paycheck — Part One with Ian Dunlap
AI is no longer the future — it is the now. More than forty-five CEOs have publicly talked about cutting staff because AI can do certain jobs faster and cheaper. So, what does that mean for you? Your paycheck? Your career? Your kids coming out of college this summer? Mimi Brown sits down with Ian Dunlap founder of Red Panda to break down what's actually happening in the job market, which industries are already being hit, and how to make AI work for you instead of against you.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.co...
The Playbook Before July 1st — Part Three with The Student Loan Doctor
Part Three. The final installment. Mimi Brown closes out her three-part series with The Student Loan Doctor, Sonia Lewis and this is the episode that pulls it all together. The big picture from Part One. The default playbook from Part Two. Today, the step-by-step. What every borrower should be doing this week, this month, before the July 1st deadline hits. The paperwork to file. The calls to make. The clock is ticking.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How to Keep Them From Taking Your Money — Part Two with The Student Loan Doctor
Part Two of Mimi Brown's conversation with The Student Loan Doctor, Sonia Lewis. This time the practical playbook. How to keep the federal government from garnishing your wages. How to avoid default before it ever hits. What to do step by step if you are already in default and need a way out. Plus, the brand-new borrowing caps on Parent PLUS loans every parent needs to understand before signing for another dime. Big information. Real money.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Student Loan Reset Is Coming — Part One with The Student Loan Doctor
Forty-two million Americans owe the federal government a combined one-point-eight-seven trillion dollars in student loans. On July 1, the rules change. Under President Trump's "big, beautiful bill," several existing repayment plans including the Biden-era SAVE plan are being eliminated. Anyone who borrows starting July 1 will have just two repayment options on the table. In Part One of this special conversation, Mimi Brown sits down with The Student Loan Doctor, Sonia Lewis, to break it all down. What is going away. What is staying. What current borrowers need to do right now.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
...
The Killing of Kohen Wiley, The Wallet, and Howard to the NFL
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. A one-year-old baby, Kohen Wiley has been shot and killed by police in Senatobia, Mississippi, after officers responded to a call about an alleged shoplifted box of diapers. Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump is now representing the family. A new Federal Reserve survey shows Americans are more pessimistic about their finances than they have been in over three years. And a Howard University strength coach just earned her way into an NFL building.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The White House Lie, The Park Signs, and Tyra vs. Netflix
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. UFC fighter Josh Hokit used his post-fight interview at the White House to spread a false conspiracy theory about former First Lady Michelle Obama. A federal judge orders the Trump administration to put history exhibits about slavery, civil rights, and climate change back into national parks within twenty-one days. And Tyra Banks is suing Netflix over how she was portrayed in their America's Next Top Model docuseries.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What's On the Video — Part Three with Karmelo Anthony's Parents
Today's episode is set up in two parts on the Karmelo Anthony case. First , three people who say they personally requested and viewed the security footage from the trial held a press conference to give their account of what is on the video. We hear from them directly. Then, Mimi Brown plays Part Three of her exclusive sit-down with Karmelo Anthony's parents, where the parents share their own perspective on what they say the video shows.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Judge Speaks + Part Two: Karmelo Anthony's Parents
Judge John Roach Jr. who presided over the Karmelo Anthony murder trial is speaking publicly for the first time since the verdict. Mimi Brown breaks down what the judge said about cameras in the courtroom, the all-non-Black jury, and the rumors about his relationship with the Metcalf family. Then — Part Two of Mimi's exclusive sit-down with Karmelo Anthony's parents, recorded hours after the verdict and sentence came down.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Parents Speak. Karmelo Anthony's Mother and Father Sit Down with Mimi Brown
Part one. Just hours after a Texas jury found their son guilty of murder and a judge sentenced him to thirty-five years in prison, Karmelo Anthony's parents sit down with Mimi Brown. They reflect on the verdict. The sentence. The fifteen months of harassment, swatting calls, and threats their family has lived through. The trial they watched from inside a Collin County Texas courtroom. And the son they are still fighting for. Mimi sets up the conversation, shares what she walked into the room expecting and what she walked out understanding.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
Karmelo Anthony Sentenced to 35 Years. Civil Rights Attorney Lee Merritt Breaks Down What Comes Next
Karmelo Anthony has been sentenced to thirty-five years in prison for the 2025 stabbing death of Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet. Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who lives in Frisco, Texas — joins Mimi Brown to break it all down. What thirty-five years actually means under Texas law and parole rules. The politics of Collin County and why this verdict landed the way it did in this specific community. The decisions made inside the courtroom that the appeals team is going to be looking at — and what the road forward looks like.
From the Black Effect Podcast Networ...
Karmelo Anthony: GUILTY. Attorney David Otunga Breaks Down the Verdict
Mimi Brown dedicates the entire episode to the verdict that just came down out of Collin County, Texas — Karmelo Anthony has been found guilty of murder in the 2025 stabbing death of seventeen-year-old Austin Metcalf. The self-defense claim did not hold. The sentencing phase is now underway. Attorney David Otunga joins Mimi to break down what the jury heard, why the verdict landed where it did, what to expect from sentencing, and the role race played in this case, both inside and outside the courtroom. Just the trial — the verdict — and what comes next.
From the Black Effect Podcast...
The Closing Arguments, Mortgage Assistance, and Meta's Privacy Settlement
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. The Jury in the Carmelo Anthony case listened to the closing arguments from prosecution and defense. A federal judge approves a settlement to help low to moderate income borrowers pay for their mortgages. Meta begins to send consumers payments related to their $725 million settlement. Plus, the Front Page Two-Minute Take.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The McClain Reversal, The Jobs Gap, and The Garden Tonight
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. A Colorado appeals court overturns the homicide convictions of two paramedics in the killing of Elijah McClain. The May jobs report says the economy is strong but Black unemployment is nearly double the national rate, and people are not feeling this report. And tonight, at Madison Square Garden, President Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani are both at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, sitting in very different sections. Plus, your Monday Brief, your Ring doorbell may be storing your face, the SpaceX IPO is days away, and measles is closing in on...
The Alabama Map, The Anthony Trial, and Halle Berry's Mission
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. The Supreme Court hands Alabama a congressional map a lower court called intentionally racist. Testimony begins in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial, and no Black jurors will hear the case. And Halle Berry has a new mission that starts at the gynecologist's office. Plus, the Front Page Friday Quiz.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Firing Order, A Moment of Silence, and BET's Next Chapter
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. President Trump signs an executive order that strips civil service protections from eight thousand career federal workers. The Minnesota Republican Party holds a moment of silence for convicted killer Derek Chauvin at a state convention. And BET unveils its first-ever Board of Advisors featuring Bob Johnson, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, and Troy Vincent. Plus — The Headlines We Didn't Take Seriously Enough. The 1883 law that built the modern federal workforce — and what just happened to it.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Verdict, The L.A. Review, and Serena's Return
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. A South Carolina jury has acquitted a store owner of murder in the killing of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton over four water bottles. Los Angeles prosecutors are now reviewing a new sexual assault case against Sean "Diddy" Combs. And Serena Williams is coming out of retirement to play in London. Plus, The Underplayed. The 105th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre just passed without national coverage.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Primary Day, The Trial, and Issa Rae's TikTok Takeover
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. It's primary election day in five states — what's on the ballot and what's at stake. Jury selection has begun in Texas in the high-profile Karmelo Anthony murder trial. And Issa Rae just made TikTok history with the biggest micro-drama in the platform's history. Plus, the Front Page Two-Minute Take. The internet has been trying Karmelo Anthony for over a year. Now the real courtroom finally gets to weigh in.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Epstein Hearing, The Kennedy Center, and the Concert Walkouts
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi admits to redaction errors in the Epstein files — and points the finger at Trump's acting AG. A federal judge orders Trump's name off the Kennedy Center. And a growing list of artists are pulling out of the Trump-aligned Freedom 250 concert on the National Mall. Plus, your Monday Brief four things to watch this week.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The $250 Bill, The Locker Room, and Uncle Nearest
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. The Trump administration is preparing a $250 bill featuring the President's face. A New York Giants rookie quarterback set off his locker room after introducing Trump at a rally. And one of the biggest Black-owned liquor brands in America is in serious legal and financial trouble. Plus, the Front Page Friday Quiz.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Octagon, The Cuts, and The Tiny Desk Tribute
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. Construction crews are bolting together a UFC octagon on the South Lawn of the White House for President Trump's eightieth birthday. While federal cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and student loans hit millions of Americans this summer. And NPR Tiny Desk is paying homage to BET for Black Music Month. Plus, The Headlines We Didn't Take Seriously Enough.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two Southern Wins, A Letter to Corporate America, and Whoopi Steps In
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. Two Southern states just suffered major setbacks in their fight to redraw congressional maps that would have weakened Black voting power. The Congressional Black Caucus just put hundreds of corporations on notice. And Whoopi Goldberg just shut down the racist criticism aimed at Lupita Nyong'o. Plus, The Underplayed.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Third Incident, The Evacuation, and The Pell Grant
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. The third shooting incident around President Trump in just one month. Fifty thousand people in Orange County, California evacuated after a chemical tank overheated. And a major change to federal student aid could reshape how Americans think about college. Plus, the Tuesday Two-Minute Take.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Supreme Court, the Dismissal, and George Floyd
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. The Supreme Court's busy month. A surprising dismissal in the Virginia school shooting case. And six years since the death of George Floyd. Plus, the Monday Brief.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Approval Drop, The Drive Home, and The Spotify Deal
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. Trump's approval just hit a new low. Your Memorial Day traffic and gas survival guide. And the Spotify-Universal AI deal that's quietly reshaping music. Plus, the Front Page Friday Quiz.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Boycott, The Mistrial, and The Weed Rules
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. The NAACP is urging Black athletes to rethink playing for Southern schools over voting rights. A mistrial motion took center stage in the Virginia elementary school shooting trial. And the TSA is changing the rules for travelers carrying weed. Plus The Headlines We Didn't Take Seriously Enough.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Tax Deal, The Trial, and The Outbreak
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. The IRS just agreed to never audit Trump or his family for their past tax returns. A Virginia school official is on trial three years after a six-year-old shot his teacher. And the WHO just declared a new Ebola outbreak a global emergency. Plus The Underplayed.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Two-Billion Dollar Fund, The Bar, and the Bond
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. Trump's nearly $2 billion fund for January 6 defendants. The American Bar Association just killed law school diversity rules. And Kim Kardashian just paid the bond to free a man from Oklahoma's death row after 29 years. Plus the Tuesday Two-Minute Take.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The March, The Map, and the Med Schools
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. Thousands marched in Selma and Montgomery for voting rights. The Supreme Court rejected Virginia's redistricting appeal. And the DOJ is going after Yale and UCLA medical schools over admissions. Plus, the Monday Brief.
From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Medicare's Freeze, Spirit's $10 Million Bonus, and Florida vs. the NFL
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. Medicare just froze new home health and hospice providers. Spirit Airlines workers got laid off by email while executives line up for $10 million in bonuses. And Florida is going after the NFL rule that helped Black coaches get top jobs. Plus the very first Front Page Friday Quiz. From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Sticky Note, The Senate Bar Tab, and the $89 Streaming Bill
Mimi Brown breaks down the day. The Trump DOJ is subpoenaing journalists. The FBI Director and a U.S. Senator just turned a Senate hearing into a bar fight. And six years later, Louisiana pays the family of Ronald Greene.
New episodes every weekday. From the Black Effect Podcast Network.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
