Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - Hitting the Target on Target, Cracker Barrel’s Rebrand, and the Reality of Texas’s GOP Congressional Map | Higher Learning | The Ringer

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

Rachel and Van start the show by reacting to the predicted increased prices for Sony’s PlayStation 5 and the Cracker Barrel rebranding. Later, they discuss the Texas House of Representatives’ approval of a GOP-centered congressional map and the disturbing release of an Israeli official charged with soliciting a minor in Nevada. They end with the Glaze of the Week and Klay Thompson’s new favorite meal (thank you, Megan Thee Stallion). 00:00 - Welcome! 10:08  - Jury finds Hernandez Govan not guilty of the Young Dolph killing 30:02 - PlayStation 5 prices will increase 36:06 - Cracker Barrel’s rebrand 52:07 - Amateur football leagues 1:01:50 - Target’s CEO steps down 1:09:58 - Texas House approves GOP congressional map 1:26:40 - The Israeli official Nevada sex crime case 1:40:58 - Glaze of the Week 1:53:06 - Klay Thompson’s new favorite meal 1:57:25 - Thanks for watching! Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Producers: Donnie Beacham and Ashleigh Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yo, yo, yo, thought warriors. What is up? How I learning is on. It is I, Van Lathen, Jr. And it's me. It's me, Rachel Liddlesty. Missed me with that. Some may say that I'm chasing the dream, but after living that,

the life that someone else wanted for me for so long, my goal in life is not any specific position of title. It's to give myself the freedom to be who I am authentically and the permission to do what I genuinely desire of anyone, Instead of what anyone with authority says, I cannot or I'm supposed. If I'm pursuing what I truly want in the moment, I'm not chasing the dream. I'm living it.

Talk your shit, race. This is from Miss me with that. Half that book is dead. Okay. It's from missing with that. You guys go get it. All right. Don't get this one.

Also make sure. Go get this one. You know. No, no, no, no. Van Lath and Fat, Crazy Tired. You working on another, aren't you working on another book? Did I make that up? They want you to write another book.

Dick riding and what has to. What has to happen? What has to change? We're both writing books right now. Let's say something. I love the listeners of the podcast. Okay, I love the listeners of the podcast. I haven't been on the Reddit in ages.

So that's helping me love the listeners of the podcast. Whenever I'm not on Reddit. I'm happy. Yeah. I haven't been on Reddit in ages. Like, my brain is different now. So the need to be in constant conversation with people has changed. Okay.

Love the listeners of the podcast. Love the people that I have community with on Instagram. But I got to say something to the Instagram followers of myself. Yo, man, it's okay to have disagreements. We had Wesley Morris. We did Senters of the Rwatchables. And Wesley Morris said that he didn't like the twerking scene in Senors. the scene where

preacher boy he plays his guitar and he sings his song and it echoes throughout the ages, Rachel. You see this scene. He refers to that scene, that whole beautiful scene.

Wait! I'm about to be your Instagram followers. Now, I just want to be clear. That whole beautiful scene where his music transcends through time and we see the influence of our music and the transition of our music

and what it's become from where it started to where it is now, that beautiful scene that seems to be all shot and I don't know movies like you, but it seems to all be like one take or one scene. I don't know. I don't even know if that's the right way to say it. That, he whittled it down to a twerking scene. He said twerking when he was talking. It's not what he did.

Okay. That's not what he did. Here's the deal. That's not what he did. By the way, you say about that scene in sinners. Sinners, it gets better every time I see it. And I love the fact that sinners makes everybody else so mad. It's like, oh, my God, we can't be honest about sinners because black people made it and we can't critique black people and their art in the right way anymore because you'll get

canceled culturally. I will say it is an interesting place to be in with black art because there are some people that say if you don't like a specific piece of black art that you don't. understand black culture. And I don't expect that anyone really understands black culture. But I do think that there's some runway to the idea that we are being a little bit too precious with some of this art and not really allowing ourselves to have conversations about it.

So I don't know. You say yes. Yes. I know you feel this way. Because there's other movies that you talked about that, you know, you might have been a little bit critical of that I don't know if you said it publicly, but like most black people would have an issue with. I mean, you're saying we need to be a little bit of it.

I need to be a little bit more pressure. But look, I'll say this. So Wesley said when they started twerking and all of that stuff, he talked about the scene. And by the way, there are so many people that I know that for some reason couldn't connect with that scene because they felt like the scene took them out of the movie. I feel like the movie,

that scene in the movie is actually black culture or Sammy's talent and the totality of it, spanning time and calling out to Remick and Remick. Because Remick, that scene has utility. Exactly the point. That scene has utility. Yeah, Remick goes, oh my God, yeah. Yeah, they're not understanding the gift of Sammy

and the reason that Remigate, it wasn't just vampires going after human beings. It was what he wanted from him specifically and seeing what he's able to do and how he's able to connect to the past, present and future. And that is what Remick wants the ability to do. He wants the gift.

There's just people just, so, that's what you're telling you. get. It's what you tell you. See, but see, that's what I don't like. Let me tell you. No, I'm asking. Are you saying Wesley didn't understand that? So we both understand the utility of the scene. We get it. We're, we like it. That is, was always going to be a very divisive scene in the movie because it's so crazy to do and have all of that stuff. The movie leaves the period that it's in and all of that. Wesley Morris is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning. It's not that he doesn't get it. I'm not saying that you're necessarily saying this.

I'm not saying that there were people in the comments that were saying and two-time pool of surprise winning, it's an appeal to authority fallacy kind of there. But it's not that he didn't get it. If he didn't like it, that's not the guy that didn't get it. And I think sometimes we get to know, it's not that he didn't get it. Like he is, he's based his life around being a critic and he is a Pulitzer Prize winning critic.

He has seen it all, done it all, the range of it. He might not be able to connect to it. But I think a lot of people go, oh my God, if you didn't like it, then there's some sort of club that you're not a part of. I think we choke, we really choke and strangle our ability to talk about and, critique art when we play the cultural gotcha games with that, which I love to do. You know I love the cultural gotcha games. But when we're talking about art, it's like, yeah, do I expect Dave Portnoy to really be able to get and connect to centers?

No, no. I can understand that. But like when we talk about Wesley or other people who might have watched the scene and maybe not thought it was the best choice, I don't think that we should do that. So to be fair, I have not listened to the episode of rewatchable. If you posted a clip, it got a reaction. It's not the whole, you know, y'all's whole podcast on this episode. What was the, he called it a, the twerking scene.

Maybe he didn't even say that. He said, he said, by the time he get to the twerking and stuff, it kind of took him out of the movie. So what was his general, the general consensus of like that scene? What did he say? what was his thought. So he clearly got it, but what was his critique? That it narratively didn't work.

That it narratively didn't work. And by the way, this is interesting. There's an interesting tension with that scene in sinners. The people that watch the movie, the people, the culture,

the blix, the blix, the blix, blick, blick, blick, blick, The people that went to see the movie, they by and large really enjoyed it from the ones that I've been able to talk to. Sure. The industry people that I know,

the actors, the writers, the directors, the people that make the artisians that I know almost always go, wasn't for me. That particular scene. Not the movie. They love sinners. But the artists that I know, know, the people involved in the industry, actors, writers, producers, all of that, it's them that seem to not be able to connect with that scene.

It's interesting. I could see how somebody could say that scene took a left turn and then came back. I could see how somebody say it could be a little, it's a little bit of a jolt. I could understand that, but I also understood why it was there. and I thought it was a creative way because easily Sammy could have just been singing and Rima could have heard it and liked it and I could have just been it

and maybe the same sentiment still would have come across but creatively the way he did it I think it was more powerful but you know, teach you some. We move on but like we gotta be able to talk about some shit it's like the whole Jalen Hertz Cam Newton

Gillie Wallow Cam, it's like that turned into a referendum on everybody's career we talk about football It's like we got to be able You know what I mean That was very entertaining by the way The back and forth between Cam and And Walla wasn't in it

But between Cam and Gilly was very entertained But we're talking about football We're talking about football We gotta be able to talk about the shit And not everybody go Ah you're not man bye So just to be clear To bring it back to what you were saying

In the beginning were people like Attacking him Were they attacking his blackness Were they attacking his blackness? Yeah Okay Yeah And every way shape of form is Wesley Morris man

is Wesley fucking Morris. Yeah, they were. So, you know, I get it. I love you guys. But, you know, every once in a while, a record going to drop and the coach is really going to be fucking with it. And me, you, whomever else is going to be like, I don't really like it. And this is why. Oh, you know.

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Ask your doctor about Tramphia today. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit Trimfairadio.com. The playoffs are here and you can predict the action all the way to the final with Fandul predict. predict the spread, total points, and even the game winner. Sign up and get a $25 bonus. Offered by Fandul prediction markets LLC, a registered futures commission merchant, 18 plus. Bonus is non-withdrawable and expires seven days after receipt.

Trading derivatives involve significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Manage your activity with our consumer protection tool. Restrictions apply. See terms at fandul.com slash predict slash bonus dash offer dash terms. This first one is just breaking as of this morning. The Memphis man charged with organizing the ambush and killing of rapper Young Dolf has been acquitted by a Memphis jury found not guilty of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. The man's name is Hernandez Govind. Govan was not accused of shooting Young Dolf, but prosecutors claimed he directed the two people who did.

The jury, though, was not convinced despite a man's testimony that Govan hired him to do the hits and was going to take $10,000 just his cut. Govan's lawyers questioned the quality of the police investigation and the validity of cell phone communications between Govan and the men who shot off arguing that nothing in the communications directly incriminated him or tied him to the killings. Reaction to this news. I mean, the two people who shot him, the two men involved have been convicted. I mean, I don't really know much about whether they were directed to or not. the fact is the two men went in to a shop, murdered him, and they have been charged, convicted. I would have been more concerned

if nobody had been held accountable for his senseless murder. Really would have been upset about that. God, I feel like, what year was that? I feel like that was yesterday. That seems like that just happened. Dolph? I think it was 21 or 22. It was... It feels like it to me. I was such a Dolph fan.

was we were just getting ready to do hip hop homicides when this had happened. And the narrative, or not the narrative, the story around it was making its way into our production apparatus. And it was just before, but maybe it was offset. Damn, these brothers, man. I know you were definitely filming with offset. Yeah, it might have been offset. Because I remember. But Dolf happened just before we could kind of get to it

and really have a conversation about it. Hip Hopicides fundamentally changed the way I look at all of this stuff now. The thing about hip hop homicides and shout out to 50, shout out to Mona, was that we did eight or ten episodes, right? We did eight or ten episodes of that show. And I talked to eight or ten mamas. eight or ten fathers. I saw that

like a rapper is like a forest. And like when that forest is growing it gives health to so many people around right? The leaves on the trees, the birds, they eat the like everyone.

So many lives are changed by young brothers and sisters because we talk about Magnolia Shorty in the documentary in the show as well that are able to get to where they're going and achieve their dreams. I mean, they send their cousins to culinary school.

They got people learn the business around them. Everything changes. These people's kids end up going to private school and all of that stuff. It changes everything, right? And then you burn that forest down, and there's nothing but embers left. Everyone goes right back to where they were before. And all they have left is their pain and the vacuum of achievement or a life success. that would have existed had that person been around.

It does so much more damage when you take these young brothers and sisters out of their situations than people even know because we know them as commodities. I say all that to say that Memphis is one of the few cities that I'm not going to talk about their street shit because it's pretty deep and how deep this goes. So the very thought that this man was involved in this at all puts him in an incredibly dangerous situation with what's been going on there for a long time. But the, I don't know how we address because I'm not saying that rappers lives are the people who are economic drivers matter more than the young brothers and sisters that

get killed on the streets. I'm not saying that at all. But what I'm saying is I don't know how we address the mental health and the safety, the physical safety of people that are involved in this industry moving forward, but it has to be addressed. Nobody talks about it. Nobody talks about the fact that you get famous and you get bread overnight

and, you know, these young brothers and sisters don't know how to eat. Like, I've heard, I talk to managers and stuff like that. And he was like, man, fuck getting this nigga out of the club. I can't get them to drink water. Like, I can't get them to put the drug. I can't get them to do. You talk to people.

I fucked not getting him. I couldn't get him not to have random, unprotected sex. And I can't get them to take care of themselves. They are indulgent so quickly and going so crazy. So because I would be talking about that, man, you get half a million, even a half a million, a million dollars in money from wherever you. You can't lead a street life alone. He's like, I can't get him to change anything. Yeah.

You know, so. Or even, not even just changing, just the creating of new. of maybe what they think the lifestyle they should be living, the lifestyle are supposed to be have as that rapper. It's interesting that you say that because I guess I never thought of it like that because immediately when you started talking, I started thinking about athletes. And with athletes,

they have a league that rookies come in. I'm not saying that they stick to it or not, but they've got classes, they've got people talking to them about the dangers off the field or off the court. There are these systems in place and with musicians,

you know, I guess it would be the record label, but they're not doing that. You would think that maybe that they would want to protect their asset in the sense of, well, if they go down this, they go down this. They don't give a fuck. Let me tell you some. I know they don't. I know, no,

no, no. I know they don't. I know they don't. I'm just saying you would think that if this person, you're investing in this person and you're putting money and time behind this person, that you would want to see them continue to succeed so that in essence, you make more money. Hell no. But instead, it's

It seems like they, yes, they feed into it because that lifestyle, that narrative, they feel is more beneficial. And it's really sad. And I never really thought of it that way. But compared to other industries where it's a wild lifestyle, they're out there better systems in place. I'm not saying they're great or perfect. Right. It's just better than this. You're absolutely right.

And let me tell you the difference in my opinion from the way that I see things. The NBA. the NFL, Major League Baseball, whatever it is. The league has a reputation. And the reputation of the league is really important to the perception of the players.

The players have to be perceived a certain way to be a part of this league that's selling all this Sunday. Hey, we want to do all of this. We want to have games and sell the kids and all of that stuff like that, go buy a keel or whatever. And so the players,

an NBA player getting involved in an accident or getting killed or being arrested it casts a negative light on the entire league. The record companies in terms of rap and all of these, they thrive off this. Remember, a lot of these young brothers and sisters are selling danger to middle America. They're selling danger to middle America.

They're selling what's in the rap. I can die at any minute. I could kill it any minute. I could fuck your girl at any minute. I could do drugs at any minute. They're selling that to Middle America. So when these things happen with them, it actually helps the brand because they want people to believe that all of this is real. And when we were doing hip-hop homicides, what I realized was that we had gotten to a point to where the rappers were not living in suburbs or Beverly Hills or wherever Calabasas anymore, conjuring stories.

about how they are doing stuff. They were being judged by their peers and by a specific audience by the number of bodies that they had and the fact about whether or not they would kill. I think about somebody like Dirk who Vong gets killed and then people are mad at Dirk because Dirk didn't sly for Vaughn, didn't kill people in response

to the killing of King Vaughn. Then you find out that there's all kinds of things that he might have been involved with. And I wonder if he even could have let it go. Or if it would have been a stain on his career for the, by the way, this man has been convicted of nothing. He has been convicted of nothing. He has been convicted of nothing.

He has been convicted of nothing. He has been convicted of nothing. But I think back to the source here that the record companies like this. Because number one, they can control the assets and the music of a debt rapper more easily than they can control the assets. the music of a living rapper, right? They can control how the music going to get put out, all the unreleased music,

all of this stuff. They can control like how they're going to be portrayed and documented. It just gives you a lot more control like when you're dealing with the ghost rather than a man or a woman who has their own perspective. When I was in Chicago talking to Pastor Brooks and Pastor Brooks was talking about

the money that he was raising for the community sitting right there in the south side of Chicago that was going to, help the generations of kids, maybe change the cycle that's going on there. My thing is Sony should pay for that bitch. Universal should pay for that bitch.

Those should pay for the community centers. No, who should pay for all of the stuff? It should be the gigantic conglomerate. Spotify. They should pay for it. I'm serious. No, I'm not disagree with you. All of the big, huge joints everywhere

that's making oodles and oodles and oodles of bread off of these brothers going out there and talking all of this shit and not being in any way invested into whether or not they are living full and productive lives and becoming fathers and uncles and all of that stuff like that. They should pay and invest. I'm not talking about building no motherfucking basketball courts either. They should pay and invest into the health of these communities that are being victimized by not just this music, but by the portrayal of black men of young.

untamed gorillas and savages. I agree with you. And I know this is supposed to be a quick hitter. One more thing. I know we talk when we talk about like drill rap and stuff like that. And we kind of talked about the responsibility or if there is any from OGs in the rap game when it comes to some of this who have made a lot of money, who've been able to build wealth and businesses outside of rap about pouring into. into the rap industry or the community in order to maybe change the mindset or, you know,

provide knowledge of what they've learned or what they didn't know back then to some of these young rappers. How much of it do you think should be their responsibility as well in addition to, like if you don't see the record labels, because we know you hear these stories from the people who are the OGs in it where the record label was screwing them over and not giving them their royalty, their rights, and now they're a lot smarter and better for it. How much of it do you think, hey, we know we can't depend on them. We got a pouring to this next generation. Fantastic.

I think, honestly, number one, I've said this before, this is the worst, worst, worst, worst generation of OGs that we've had. It's the worst generation of OGs that we had. We got bad OGs now. We got bad OGs. Now, not across the board. I know the good ones and I talk to them. And I know how they feel, right?

But we got bad OGs. We got bad OGs that, because, their OGN, in my opinion, isn't guided by any principle. You know, I see guys actually, I see the hip-hop podcasters, a lot of the older ones, actually being better examples to be real with you about how you grow and change and evolve, then a lot of the guys that's still in hip-hop because they have an audience that they, in my opinion, are still beholden to on a day-to-day basis that looks at them as they're speaking on issues and they're talking on issues.

I give Joe credit for this. Joe was just on the podcast and they were talking about the whole situation. Mark Lamont Hill talked about some of his colleagues that were killed. Oh, I saw this. And the response on the Joe Button podcast was putrid, right? It was bad.

It was bad. A lot of people don't know how to approach and talk about those incidents. Like, it was bad. It was a bad response. It was bad. You can't look at it and say it wasn't bad. It didn't treat those people like people at all.

It wasn't bad. But then you watch what they did on the show after that. And they tried to have a conversation. They attempted to have a conversation about how they fucked up, how they covered things on the show, why they cover them like they cover them, and how they need to be better. And honestly, even if that wasn't perfect,

that's all you could ask for, man. All you could ask for is the self-interrogation. Because when people are watching that show and when people are watching any show, what they're looking at is how you are going to come to terms with things that you have done wrong in the moment because maybe you don't have the cultural vocabulary, meaning you don't have a complete hold on the issue to be able to dive in and deal with it right there. And I don't know if Mark was necessarily asking for that. He was probably asking for compassion for his companions. But at the same time, to be able to say, yo, I was wrong on that. kick my ass about it. Let's have an ongoing

conversation about how we move past it. Like them, hate them, whatever. That's all you can ask for, for me. Yeah. A lot of the other people that are still involved, they don't have those ongoing conversations with their audiences. They don't. They don't, it's, there's no, there's no accountability anywhere, right?

So they don't want to provide accountability to the younger brothers because providing accountability to somebody or asking for accountability from someone is the number one way to look uncool. The number one way to look uncool is to tell someone that's doing the same shit that you did that you probably shouldn't be doing it. Then you look like the old nigger.

Then you look like the stick in the mud. And being a rapper, it's such a freeing thing. Think about it. We don't really hold rappers to almost no standards. You could be completely free. If you are actor and you bring a white woman to a red carpet, everybody got a million opinions on it. But if you are a rapper and you do it, nobody cares.

If you're an actor and you're on drugs, everybody got a million opinions about it. If you are a rapper and you are on drugs, nobody, like, it's, it's still, it's the only, they're really the only rock stars left where even their mistakes are cool. So if you are criticizing their mistakes and you are older guy, then you start to look like you have, have grown out of the understanding of who they are and you're no longer cool.

And so they just keep making the same mistakes. They keep making the same mistakes. They keep being unprincipled and not standing for anything. They keep not taking stands and not being involved in movements that would affect the people in the communities that they come from. Right? And so to me, we are coolness or our cultural need to be able to say we can't be controlled and we can say and do whatever we want is right now hitting up against the, okay, we need to understand that sometimes boundaries and conversations are good for our growth. This is not me judging anyone. I have to learn these

same things, right? But if the older black cultural voices are not going to do this, then who's going to do it? Who's going to tell this guy, hey, man, you don't have to go to jail for this thing. I went to jail for it. You don't have to go to jail for it. You don't have to do that. Yeah. So anyway. But, like, off of that. The one thing, One thing I will say is the one thing rappers are held to accountable for is that what they're rapping about matches who they are. That's the thing. I think that. That's the only thing.

They're held responsible for the morality that they've created. So if they snitch, if they lying about this, if they, and that's cool. Look, I'm not trying to tell a 22, 23-year-old person not to go out make mistakes. They're going to make mistakes. Sure. I just want to have conversations about what the big mistakes are and about how they have a responsibility to their mothers, to their fathers, to their sisters,

and to their brothers to not have them on a fucking documentary talking to me seven years later about how they are fucking dead. They owe that to themselves and to their families. So I'm the whack nigga in the room now. I'm whack. I can rap. I can wrap that. Yeah.

Oh, here we go. I can do my shit, man. Shout out to Vince Vahala. Everybody over at Vahala in Miami. They send me some beats. I might, you know, I might do my shit. All right. I would love this.

I would love this. No, no, no, I'm a rap. I fully support the rapping. Sa'Iri the kid who got an album coming out. Shout out to Sa'I. The kid, man. Like, when you talk about underrated niggas in this game,

Saa Ari, I also know the best underrated niggas in the game. He got something coming out. And I keep telling them that it's time for me to get my, you know what I'm saying? Get my shit off against him. Can I do the hook? Can I do the hook? Can you sing? Okay. I mean, we'll be fine. Okay. All right. We'll be fine. The name of our song, four heads and tities. That's the name of our song, four heads and tithes. That's the name of all

about it. Four heads and Titty. I'm not bad about it. And you know what? The album, the song cover should be my forehead with Titty with Tities on it. With Tities on it. Four Hairs and Tities. That's the first single coming from High Learning Records. Ben and Rachel on each side, Van and Rach. Man, man. Before we move on to the Sony price hike thing, you feel better when you're doing it than when you're seeing it. That's all I'm going to say.

I was in the gym. I'm boxing, man. We got an NBA player in the gym. He cold. He's going to play for the 76ers. I'm not going to say his name, but we got some real good sparring in here earlier this week. And I was about to post these videos.

They can't be posted. man. I'm really 15, 20 pounds away. Why don't you send them to a couple? See them to a couple of people. Maybe you're just being hard on yourself. Send to a couple of people who do they think. Nah, man.

It's, it's, nah, man. I don't, I don't have a muffin top. I got a dough top. It's like the dough rising out of the fucking, you know, like a cake. It goes over.

I don't have a muffins. I don't have a muffin top. I got a cake top. And then the tities, the tities, the action, I'm doing all the fucking. whatever. I can't, but these videos can't be posted. We're rooting for you. We're rooting for you. We're rooting for you.

All right, Donnie. This episode is brought to you by WeatherTech. Everyone knows winter is the MVP and making a mess. You don't need Weather Tech floor liners in the summer unless you hit the beach or go camping. Then you'd want a cargo liner or a road trip goes sideways. Ketchup goes rogue, ice cream drips. Yeah, you'd be pretty happy about those WeatherTech seat protectors. So just to be clear as the mud, you're inevitably going to step into the summer.

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Protein. Made to keep up with whatever comes next. New sweet green wraps hit different. Order now at order.com. All right. Let's talk about tariffs real quick. Sony is raising the price of his PS5 by $50 in the U.S. the company announced this week. It's in a blog post that, similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment. And as a result, we've made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. August 21st, which is today. The new prices are going to range from $550 to $750. And this is following May when Microsoft raised its U.S. Xbox prices by $80,200.

It's all you. I've never called to PlayStation in my life. I didn't know what they cost before. I have bought one for my nephews. Yeah. But I don't know. You know, this isn't the tariff thing. thing that I would have an issue with.

You know, I'm more concerned about hair. Okay, talk about hair. What I'm just saying? Like, I wear braids. I, you know, I put human hair in my braids. It's like, is the price going to go up? It's already expensive each bag. I like to wear weave and I like to change my hair.

I wear wigs. What's going to happen here? It's already overpriced. I'm more concerned with that than I am the PlayStation, but I don't want to alienate a whole group of people that are. Go ahead, man. Okay. So two things I'll say. Number one, this is where the tariffs hit you. The tariffs hit you, even when the Nintendo Switch and all of that stuff, the tariffs hit you on goods that discretionary income goes towards, right? When we get into an economy, obviously, there are all kinds of things the Trump administration are doing. They're cutting snap benefits for people who need them. Your Medicaid is under attack. It's already been defunded. All types of stuff.

Right. But the way that people are going to really understand the ramifications of economic dysfunction is through stuff like this, stuff that like you're buying something for your nephews. It's higher. It's going up. Right. It's like it doesn't seem like a lot of money. But I'm not sure sure this is the last time that Sony or Microsoft is going to raise the price here. And it will also be, also be really understood if the prices of excesses. accessories go up. So when I was working at Best Buy, we would sell the PlayStation for, let's say if the PlayStation was $199, we would buy it for $197. So $2, right? The PlayStation was essentially an advertisement tool

to get people into Best Buy so that they bought controllers and peripherals and the fans that you need and all of that other stuff, which the margins are crazy on. That stuff is stuff people buy a little bit more than the actual consoles. I don't think that there are price heights that are happening around that stuff right now. But if there are, you're going to see people start to notice that a little bit more because that stuff is bought a lot, right? So look,

this is what happens. Like people kept telling the general public that the terrorists would be passed on to the consumer and we're starting to see that. Not just in this area here, we're seeing wholesale prices in the United States race. So people are buying wholesale grocers. They're buying stuff for more money now. We'll see if that ends up in a price transfer to the consumer and how that works. And we'll see how much durability

Trump's reputation has of being this economic king when people are legitimately paying more. The job numbers are looking terrible if we ever get accurate job numbers again. And things are generally a little bit harder. We'll see how long he's looked at as an economic wizard,

how strong his branding is. Before we move on, I'll say this though. I want to talk to somebody. You talked about hair. Okay? Talk about hair. You buy a lot of hair, right? Yeah.

That's a person out here in this town, in the town of L.A. I'm in New York right now, but this is a person out here in the town in L.A. They once pitched me a movie about a black female serial killer who went around killing people so that she could then have hair to put in her head for weave. I will never forget reading this script. You know who you are and you're probably laughing right now. Were they serious? Yeah, they were serious.

I read this script and it was a good script, but I was like, I don't know who the fuck you think I am, but I cannot produce this. I mean, there were scenes in this script that were so crazy. Like, this lady had truly lost it because of all of the pressure on her to have straight hair. And so she was killing people and taking their hair. Huh?

And skinning them? Not skinning them. She was taking their hair. she was killing them for that for their grade of hair. I mean, not skinning. I mean, scalping. She was scalping them. And then doing the hair and I was like,

it might see the light of day one day. I don't think it will, which is why I'm talking about it. But it's not going to see the light of day for me. Have me not be able to go to the Martin Luther King Day parade. Because Van did that black women kill for hair movie. Nah, hell now. Fuck all that.

All right. It would be a funny comedy if you did it. I don't know, man. I'm not fun with that. Not to over analyze it, but it's like, that's so much work for some hair. Like, just like think about that. You got to scalp them.

You got to take the head, the skin off of it. Like, by the time you do all that labor, you better off just going to stealing some from the beauty supply store. But it wasn't about the hair. She was killing the beauty. She was stealing the beauty. Oh, it's deeper than that.

I'm sorry. I was inordinate. The way she looked at the first victim, the first kill. and whatever, whatever. I was told a long time ago that I could talk about this, this spec. Well, yeah, you didn't say anything.

The writer was a black person, yes? Yes, the writer was a black person. Okay, that's good. All right. Cracker Barrel revealed his new logo amid a rebrand. Say it again, Donnie. I said, I need to say Cracker with the hard R, not quackard. Cracker barrel revealed his new logo amid a rebrand.

They're switching it up. The old logo, for those who know, It featured a guy sitting on a chair, leaning on a barrel. The new one has gotten rid of the man and changed the color of the font. The CEO spoke about the changes. This is what she had to say. The feedback's been overwhelmingly positive that people like what we're doing. I'll give you another soundbite.

I actually happened to be in Orlando last week with all of our managers. We bring them together and once every other year. And the number one question that I got asked, Michael, was, how can I get a remodel? When can I get a remodel? How do I get on the list? Because the feedback and the buzz is so good. Not only from our customers, but from our team members. They want to work in a wonderful restaurant.

So we're doing everything for our guests and our team members. Julie Messino is wonderful to have you here. Pleasure to be here. Thank you for answering those questions for all the Cracker Barrel fans out there. There's a lot of great changes. Thank you so much. This is you. Well, do you like Cracker Barrel?

Yeah. Like, when's the last time you've been in one? I'm trying to visit one. Actually, there is one. There is one out here. They put one out there. They put one out there. Like the full menu.

Yeah. Yeah. If I'm back home, I try to go. Yeah, I fuck with it. Every time. Not every time. But it's, but it's, it's just something you accept, right? Because I'm not going to lie.

I've never walked into a restaurant. First discovered a Cracker Barrel on the road. We take these road trips when we're going to Ohio. We would always go to D.C. first. So drive through Tennessee's the first time I ever went to a Cracker Barrow. From a young age, there is something in the air. It always feels racist. It's not incredible.

It can be the nicest people working there. Now, not the one in Dallas. I don't even know if it's still there because that was all black people working there. But as we would travel through the South, it always, there was just like the tension, but it's just something that you accept. So when these, when these lawsuits came out about how they would discriminate against black people, and sit them in certain areas and have code names for them and all that.

Not least shocking thing ever. There's something uncomfortable in the air. But you get past it and you accept it because I even want to play checkers while I'm waiting for my food because the weight is always long. You know what I'm talking about? They got a cloth, checker table,

you sit in the rocking chairs. And it's just, we used to go every Sunday. If we weren't going to Popperos, we were going to Cracker Barrel after church. It just kind of became a family space. And like I said, the one in Dallas, in DeSoto area, it felt very black. I'm dying, laughing. And I will say, I've had a racist experience at a Cracker Barrow. It's probably the only one I really remember outright as a child. I don't think I told the

story on the podcast before. But we all went to Cracker Barrel. We were on the road. I cannot remember in which state. And we were sitting down as a family. And there was the white family's sitting next to us. And whatever the man did, he got up and moved so he wasn't, his chair wasn't on our side. Like he moved over to where in no way he was in our vicinity. And whatever my dad saw, he acknowledged it. He was like, oh, that was, that guy didn't want to sit next to us. I don't know if he said something.

I was a kid. But I just remember, oh, that white man doesn't want to sit next to us as a black family. Cracker Barrel. Cracker barrel That's as bad as it got for you. However. At a cracker barrel. At a cracker barrel.

It was as bad as it got. I'm loving the way that people are out, white people are outweighed. Oh, God damn it. I love it. I love it. So this is such a small thing,

but anytime they feel like their race perceived race, because I don't, people think cracker rolls are racist plays. I just describe a whole thing. The fact that they feel, that that is being infringed upon,

they are losing their minds. So I love it that the white people are standing up for the crackers. And it's... So much of the stuff that said about black people is... It's just because there's a dominant culture here that gets to craft a narrative.

The white people here are standing up for the crackers. They're like, you can't treat the crackers this way. Like, if the crackers want to have... what people think is a racist place, then it's cool. I have never once in any way should perform, experienced racism at a cracker barrel,

ever. Now, I'm not saying that it doesn't happen. What I'm saying is like, but this also goes back to another thing that has to do with Louisiana where I do sometimes think it's a little different in Louisiana specifically.

Not that there's not, there's all kinds of... Oh, your white people are different? our whites are slightly different. Oh, because they dance? No. Because they rap bluesie songs? No.

Are you listening? Are you going to jump to conclusions? This is a thought. No, I want you to explain. Because this is a sentiment. I hear a lot from people from the black people from Louisiana. No, no, no, no. Listen.

Racism is racism. And cultural racism is cultural racism, systemic racism is systemic racism. And Louisiana is one of the worst states in terms of that. We had many, many, many, many plantations. The legacy of those plantations exist today. Nottoway were not away burned. There were a lot of people, Louisiana whites,

that I had conversations with. They were like, oh, my God, the history of Nottoway is such that. But I'm like, fuck the history of Nottoway, right? I'm not saying that. But I am saying that like, if we eating, we kind of eaten, you know? I'm just being for real. You put it all to the side at the Cracker Barrow. A little bit.

Like, I can't speak for everybody, but if we eating, we kind of eaten. I think what I mean by Louisiana, at least the Louisiana that I grew up in is there's incredible racism, obviously, incredible racism. but we kind of don't let racism stop us from having a good time. And it's a very specific South Louisiana culture. So very specific. So like I don't know how to explain it. Like I go down there and the white people that are down there, I know them there.

And so I kind of know my way around the place culturally. So there's an understanding. In Los Angeles, much more pronounced. I feel because people in Los Angeles are so clueless with a lot of this stuff

that a lot of times they say and do things that curdle my blood way more than how I feel when I'm back home. Like it's just it's just a when you walk into a cracker barrel in South Louisiana, nobody really looks

that you are, I've never been looked at it, let me tell you. Like, I'm not supposed to be there. Like, there are restaurants that I go to in L.A. where I feel like people are like, oh, wow, look at him. He must play for the Lakers because I got that type of physique. Or whatever, like, there's places where you're not supposed to be there. There's not very many places in Baton Rouge on the South Louisiana where you go there and you feel like you're not supposed to be there.

Like, black people and white people are so, we're around each other so much. that the racism comes in the more, to me at least, there's a cultural racism and a pronounced racism. I'm not saying that it doesn't exist, but I'm saying the thing that always gets me about the community I come from is the disparity. The disparity is what it is. Yes.

That's where the racism, that's where I would look at it and be like, boom, boom, boom. It would always be the disparity. And you know, you don't feel that in the cracker, Bill. But yes, maybe you don't feel it in a CrackerBrow, but I guess, you know, what I always fight, listen, there is a flavor to southern white Louisianaians, Louisianaans, I would say it,

that you don't see necessarily in other cultures. Yes, I will give you that. But I guess you're right. It's about the disparity, and that's the point that I was going to make is maybe you don't feel that way about a Cracker Barrel, but I don't know, some of the stuff you were saying, It's like I would rather have you be overtly racist than dance art, dance to dance,

rap, know every single word, and then go to your side of the tracks of town and continue to perpetuate the disparity and the injustices that exist between blacks and whites in our city. I just, I, I, I, I'm not even talking about like being cool. I'm not saying you're doing that. Yeah, I might be talking about being cool. But some of what you were saying at the beginning felt like. that and that's why I was saying I do hear that sentiment sometimes from black people from southern Louisiana like our white people are just different and it's like oh they're different

because they know the songs and dance and they eat the y'all eat the same food or whatever because there's that cation culture cation creole culture but at the end of the day there is still huge disparity in so many different ways at the same time but there is everywhere so clearly you're contributing to yeah so this is what i'm saying i'm not i'm not necessarily there's a union in a way with y'all than in other cultures. So this is the way that I say it. To me, I think in part, where I grew up, they respect the truth.

And this is different. I'm telling you, I'm being for real now. They respect the truth. And this is different. I'm not talking about the coolness of any white people to dance to boozy and do all of that stuff. There is a cultural exchange that happens because of the closeness of,

of two races of people, two cultures of people who live next to each other. So I remember the most damning and frustrating thing about South Louisiana is that the culture is homogenous besides race and besides class. Like you're eating the same food, you're watching the same football games, you're dancing to the same music, race is the thing that separates the two cultures more than anything, which is why it was so profound to me growing up. It was like, listen, y'all like this, we like this. y'all do this, we do this.

Everybody making gumbo, y'all might be putting Franks in the gumbo and all kinds of crazy, dumb-ass shit, not cooking the go ochre down, right? But all of that stuff, the thing that separates is race, because that's the most important thing here. But there's a cultural, there's almost, there's a soft truce because we're on top of each other that exists there, that doesn't exist here, that doesn't exist in other places. There's a soft truce that, honestly, to your point,

is probably more pernicious because it allows people to exist in these bubbles in perpetuity. And then when you bring up these issues, you start to see a side of your neighbors that maybe you don't like or that you always knew was there. But it's this I... Didn't they just do something where they just separated East Baton Rouge from the rest of everything else for the school system?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, say George. Hardline, drawn. Yeah, I'm not saying that there's, that racism doesn't exist in South Louisiana. Not what I'm saying. I'm doing a poor job of articulating the fact that there is a cultural homogene there that makes you

that allows you to have a conversation with somebody there a white person there that you couldn't have in Los Angeles because that white person is not going to have anything to talk to you about. Like you don't share anything in comment. So they're not going to have anything to talk to you about. You're not, there's a communication that exists there that on its face you feel, huh, you, it's a really pronounced, the situation of black people there is really obvious

and all known white people there is really obvious, but most of the time we're able to do things and exist together in ways that I don't see it in other places. And in Cracker Barrow, I've never gone to a Cracker Barrel and felt that way ever, ever in the South. I haven't. Like I haven't where I'm at. Never.

Now, I have had direct racism and stuff happened that was police brutality. Obviously, BRPD is terrible. I've had to tell classmates and other friends. Like when I was in, when I first got to McKinley, there was a white homecoming queen and a black homecoming queen. So like shit like that. That's like 1994. Like shit like that. Right.

Like that exists. But I don't know. It's hard. It's odd. It's like, when I saw the Cracker Barrel thing change, I was like, hmm, the crackers. We're taking them out of the barrel. But like, how often have you paid attention to the logo? Like, that's the thing.

The logo has changed. They decided to remodel the inside. And they are doing things that contribute to black communities and DEI. That's dope. This is what, this is what people. are upset about. Right. This is what people are mad. I go to Cracker Barrel because I like the food. It feels like home cooking southern. It feels, I like it. That's why I look for one out here because it reminds me of the South and you don't get that feeling out here in any kind of way. Plus, they got a great fork shop. You can get the single or the dump. The cornbread, um, the food is just good. I'm trying to hit a Cracker Barrel up. But these people,

are mad because they lost the cracker with the barrel and some say the original K was a whip. Now it's just says cracker barrel pretty much the same colors. Guys we'll see you on Sundays like you'll all still be going to the cracker barrel. Maybe. This outrage is not real. We'll see if cracker

barrel can survive this. I mean once again I don't give a fuck if Cracker Barrel doesn't survive this but there is an understanding here that there's something here because like a lot of black people Southern black people that I talk to were they almost turn white on this one

it's so funny a lot of southern black people that I talked to that I talked to they almost turn white on this one They don't like this change They almost were like man Why they fucking with Cracker Barrel man I thought people were kidding when they were doing it I'm telling you I don't think they are

Like I'm not I'm not they change whatever to me I don't need Cracker Barrel if go there's not one institution that I need to stay in the way that it's always been for me to feel like something's pure. Do it. But there are a lot of black people that are like, man, we know what's up with Cracker Barrow. We go in there on our own accord.

We accept the danger. But I say this and I stand by it. I like my whites in South Louisiana better than the rest of these whites. I like them better. I don't know what to tell you guys. I like my whites better. That's okay. I can be, I'm a bad OG.

All right, next, Donnie. All right, last quick hitter. Football is this weekend. And this week, my social media feed has been flooded with these 37 and up and 40 up videos. I'll play a quick compilation that kind of sums up the online sentiment, but take a listen. Grown men need to stop chasing their childhood dreams of making it to the NFL. This is absolutely out of hand. Everything moves in slow motion and guys like this are taking hit sticks and having to get up for their 9 to 5 the next morning.

We cannot be having average Joe's that are the manager at your favorite McDonald's. Donald's pulling up to games thinking they're Justin Tuck, bending over like this, trying to take one to the house, put this man on the Chicago Bears O'Line. Your favorite underground soundcloud rapper, Chief Beef, is getting reps at running back. And you already know a bunch of angry old men hitting each other is going to lead to some brawls. Have y'all seen this? Van, you're trying to relive your old glory days or not put on the pads? Lace up the cleats.

What's up? Let's not forget that Van used to have in his bio, you know, summer, whatever year, he'll be ducking. I know that that that's not as brutal as playing football by any means. But the sentiment is still there in regards of you wanting to be like the younger, the younger kids. Do the things you did back in the day. Still at your big age.

You still want to relive the glory from back then. The sentiment is still the same. You know my favorite part of this compilation was the stands were empty. So what? Nobody was there to. nobody was there to watch these games. This is literally for the 40 and up men on the field and nobody else. Not one person was in the stands.

This is ridiculous. So let me tell you something. This is men's Botox. Men's Botox. So not these niggas. I see a lot of people out there saying, hey, just let it go. Them years is over.

don't chase that back. Y'all don't do that. Y'all don't do that. Y'all start Botox at at 29. Y'all start all the anti-aging stuff. And y'all don't do that. And you know what?

Have it. If you like it, I love it. If you like it, I love it. If you like it, I love it. All the anti-Asian stuff, everybody's doing that. But this makes those guys feel young. At the beginning of Rudy, at the beginning of the movie, Rudy.

Rachel? Have a heart. At the beginning of the movie, Rudy, they're sitting around, and Rudy's coach is talking to the team. And he says, he goes, look, for a lot of you guys, this is the last time you ever going to suit up and play football. That's it. Some of y'all are going to college.

A couple of y'all, but for a lot of y'all, this is the last time you're going to play football. So this experience that you've been having in high school or middle school, whatever, it's the last time you're going to do it, and you're fucking 17. Okay? Now, there's a reason for that, because, You probably shouldn't be putting your body through this if you're not getting paid for it

or getting a scholarship for it. That's fine. But I find it really interesting that we are living in the era of the nip, the tuck, the pool, the squeeze for people to re-access their youth to take the stuff,

to drink the stuff, to do the whole thing. But these guys out here that are playing football so that they could feel younger again, so that they could feel like they pushing somebody around. They could get their aggression out on each other, right? They have a place to outlet for that.

Whatever comes along with it, that's what comes along with it. If you shred your Achilles and you ain't got no motherfucking health insurance, that's on you. I'm sure it's a waiver sign. You get a concussion and all of that, that's on you. But they kind of raging against the dying of the light. Let them do it. I don't, like, when somebody, let them do it.

Like, let them do it. They out there. Sure. Let them do it. They want to risk, you know, CTE, broken legs, hips, not being able to walk. Fine, let them do it. The comparison you made, there's a difference between wanting to look younger and feel younger, right? I could argue that all the stuff is about the way they, like the Botox and the threading and the filler.

They want to look a certain way. And maybe that does in essence make them feel a certain way. It's too much of an extreme for me. To each its own, fine. I'm equally allowed to criticize. What I will say is the hanging up the cleats thing is real. And it may be tough for you at 17 when you're in high school. It may be tough for you when you're 22 in college.

And there are other things that you can do closer to that age to fulfill that thing that you just lost. Arena football, XFL, these were things that were created for people who couldn't quite hang up the cleats. Those are pro athletes. What are you talking about? Like, those guys that are doing that stuff are pro athletes. They didn't make it. They didn't make it to the NFL. But they played, but those guys wouldn't play college ball and did all kinds of stuff. They didn't make it to the NFL. Because the goal is to make it to the NFL. So it makes it to the NFL. They didn't make it to the CFL. So they have XFL. They have arena football. You can still keep the dream alive. Those guys, Rachel, those guys that are playing

arena and XFL are so much better than these fucking guys that are out there playing U-40. Of course, no of those guys had to play in those leagues. I didn't get there. My point is that that was closer. They may have been able to when they were 23 and 24 coming out of college. My point is that if you were doing that closer to then, it's different. This is 20 years later and you still can't hang up the cleats. This is where it's an issue.

That's the point I'm making. I'm not saying it's wrong for them. I'm saying that was close in proximity to when they were still playing the game. It's harder to let it go. that transition is hard when you've been playing since Pop Warner football and then all of a sudden it ends. You're trying to figure out what to do next. There are alternatives.

But 20 years later, play the game. Play the game. We can't even, sometimes we can't play the game too. With that new 700, with that new 700, with that new $700 PlayStation 5, play the game. I'll tell you this. What I play football out there now, I wouldn't. However, I understand that it's camaraderie. that those brothers are feeling

that they are being able to get, they're living out dreams, they're doing. I see it. I get it. I get it. And I also don't tell anybody else when it's time for them to grow up if what they are doing,

if what they are doing is not filled with social contagion, if it's not filled with dysfunction. Now, if you tell me right now that 40-year-old men, 45-year-old men playing football with pads on, if you tell me it's bad for society

and you want to make that case cool, whatever. Same thing I say about the nips, the tucks, the Botox, all of that stuff comes with health concerns too. Sometimes direct health concerns, right? So if you were to tell me right that, I can make an argument that that is bad for society, right? But it's your business. You want to feel like that?

You want to do that? It's your business. Go do it. I'll just say for these niggas that's out there playing to you 40 football. Brough. Apopticillies is a motherfucker. I'm just letting y'all know.

You ain't playing no games, man. You're done. If you bust your shit at 51, it's over. You're fucked. So go out there and reclaim you, use your glory, do the whole thing, but it's on you. This is why the stands were empty.

I'm not supporting. Who's going to come to see that shit? If I, if my man decides that he wants to play, they have families, I'm sure they have friends. If my man decides that he wants, to put the cleats back on and get out there, there are other things.

You want camaraderie, join a club, join a fraternity. Play flags, play black football, play kickball. There are flag football leagues. Why put yourself in that kind of, like, no. Oh, you want me to take care of you when you pop that Achilles? Because you decided to do some dumb shit. All right, okay. I'll tell you one thing, though.

I'll tell you one thing. There were videos. You missed them. You didn't see the videos. of the U-37 U-40 wax, the ladies that had their jerseys out. Oh, you didn't see these videos, did you? Donnie, they have them. You didn't see these videos.

They have them. They have them. So, fellas out there playing U-37, U-40, don't worry about the races. There's a woman for you. That will support you and love you. Because, look, I didn't play it in basketball games, basketball leagues all over. Now, I hung up my shit at, like, 36, right? When I felt myself trying to, like, get up for the game, when it was, I had worked all day,

and I got to listen to that motherfucking DMX on a way to get up but I'm like okay what the fuck is going on but I played in leagues all over LA until I was about 36 and 37 there's too much I had to have to focus however I wish that

my games would have been better attended by certain people and so that's all that's all I'm saying so fine don't support don't support don't support I don't if somebody out there is going to put on the U-37 crop top

and they're going to come to the game. Target. They're trying to relive it too. They are. Trying to be cute. I've seen y'all. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms,

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disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections or lower ability to fight them, and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need of vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tramfaya today. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit Trimfair Radio.com. This episode is brought to you by Spectrum Business. Fast, reliable internet means everything for your business and even this podcast. That's why I trust Spectrum Business.

It keep companies of all sizes connected with internet, advanced Wi-Fi, phone, TV, mobile services, plus 24-7 U.S.-based support. millions of business owners already trust Spectrum business. So visit Spectrum.com slash business to learn more. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas. Donnie? Target. Target announced that CEO Brian Cornell,

who's left the company for 11 years, is going to step down on February 1st. The board of directors chose C.O. Michael Fidelke to succeed him. Target had reported flat or declining comparable sales in nine of the past 11 quarters. And in March, members of the executive team told investors

that they plan to regain the reputation for selling salads goods at budget prices. This is what Cornell has said in that meeting. In a world where we operate today, our guests are looking for Tarjeet.

Consumers coined that term decades ago. No. No. No. No. No. He's gone. No.

See, Brian. No. Consumers did not coin that term. Targe. Consumers didn't coin that term. Brian Finnell. What's it called?

Cornell. Cornell. Who? Who said that? Brian Cornell. The old guy. The old guy said that. Consumers didn't coin that term.

You're lying. It's a lie. You're a liar. All right. That's not who could. Black people coined that term. That shit was on the parkers. That shit like black people coined that term.

The Tarje making Target an elevator. kind of that joke, that cultural joke, black people coined that. So don't say consumers when black people directly played a part in the separation between Target and Walmart and other places.

Black people coined that term. And Target responded. Target responded by being a place that people could go and shop and feel safe and that there were different stuff that would be in there. There was LGBTQ stuff that was in there.

There was black or stuff, the black brands. would be highlighted and then Target, and you know what Target said to those same people, they said, fuck you. That's what they said. They said it.

So black people came up with that term. Black people did that. And then Target responded to it and became a place where you can get all different types of black brands inside of the store. I keep saying this. We did the bet on black thing on Revolt TV a couple of years ago,

gave $250,000 a way to a, a black brand, but gave like a million dollars away and money period. Target was doing that. And then Target looked at those same people and said,

fuck you. And you know what they said? If it's fuck me is fuck you, Target. And so now they're in trouble. Don't change the shit now. That's what happened. Well, you know what's so interesting about you pointing out that

they mentioned Tarje, but they give credit to overall consumers and not the black community? I was listening to CNBC and they were talking about Target and how the stock is plummeting and how they're losing money, the valuation of the company is down and all of that. And they just quickly mentioned that the reason those things are happening was due to loss of the black consumer. They talked about everything else. So not only are they not giving, and this is why, and I don't mean to be negative, yes, the CEO is resigning.

and that's a thing to just mention, but it in no way addresses the demands of the black community that pastors like Jamal Bryant or the Congressional Black Caucus and the Rainbow Push Coalition are trying to trying to push to bring back to the black community. It in no way addresses those things. And your point about Tarjeet is true

and also the way that they're talking about it, CNBC and the media, they said the reason that these drops have happened and the stock is low, while Walmart and Costco are up is because Target is overpurchasing certain items. And Target just hasn't gotten it right as far as shifting to what the consumer needs as far as the products that they bring. They blamed it on tariffs. They blamed it on COVID.

And then bears that, oh, and then also, you know, black people are up. No, they didn't even say black people. They just go and they canceled their DEI. That's what they said. They are not giving credit to the black consumer. And as long as they keep doing that, you've got this Philadelphia guy who's come in and he's like, Fidelope. He has said he has three priorities.

His priorities are to improve the quality of merchandise, value and style that Target offers. Nowhere in his priority is it to consider the black consumer or the initiatives and the demands that the black community has. And if anybody forgot those demands, that is to reinstate the DEI, that is to fulfill its public commitments to invest in black-owned businesses and communities, that is to honor the $2 billion pledge to black businesses. And that's depositing $250 million in black-owned banks and also establishing retail training programs that HBCUs. It is not a priority for Target to do that. So black consumers have to keep holding the line.

Nothing in their sentiment. It's just for show. It is true that there are a litany of issues that Target has been facing for a couple of years now, even years prior to their retreat from DEI and they're seemingly sided with President Trump. That's true. We can both admit that. So some of the stuff they talked about about their inventory and the way that they did. Some of that stuff is true.

How Target is expanded, all of that stuff. That's definitely true. However, because that's true, right? Because all of those other things economically and with the business model of Target is true, it was a very, very, very inopportune time for them to isolate and alienate a very loyal customer base. So it's all true. It's true that all of this stuff exists and Target was having problems with it. But it's also true that during that they had a loyal customer base in different parts of the black community and running away from that customer base was an all-time mistake.

Tell people this as well. people keep saying go woke go broke i get it shout out to pastor jemal brian you know i always fucked with you i just fuck with the way you move i fuck with the way they tried to take you down i bet you do i fuck with some of the stuff that they said and that you was able to overcome that i fuck with you i always fucked with you i always fucked with you they can't take a good man down and i almost want to say they can't take a good nigger down okay i always fucked it with you but you know culturally

Black Americans except a lot. None of these cultural institutions are pure. None of them are, right? But I tell you one thing, no, man. When you fuck us just right, we remember. I'm telling you, when you fuck us just right, we remember. And there are a laundry list of brands,

Denny's. A laundry list of brands that you fuck us just. us right at the right time with the right leverage, we remember. And we take a chunk out of your ass until you make it right. And sometimes you never can't. And at this particular point, there are so many other things that we probably need to boycott, need to focus on, need to put our collective cultural juice behind. But for some reason, we chose this one and we not letting the fuck up.

So it could be the voices behind it. It could be the presence of Pastor Bryant behind it. It could be the fact that we felt maybe connected to Target in a way and everybody went to Target and all of that could be. But it's very specific with this one and there's no way out of it for Target except through. So we'll see what they do. Yeah. We shall see. Donnie.

All right, Texas. The Republican-led Texas House. yesterday gave preliminary approval to a new congressional map crafted to hand five additional house seats to the GOP. Democrats returned on Monday only to be assigned round-the-clock police escorts

to ensure their attendance at yesterday's session. The panel advanced a similar map Sunday. The full chamber was expected to send the new lines to Governor Greg Abbott's desk later this week. We've been covering this for a while now, now that it's happened. What are you guys' thoughts on this current state of things in Texas?

It's war. It's war. That's what's happening. You know, yesterday I did a Billy Bush's podcast. And, you know, I used to work with Billy Bush Extra. People have their opinions of Billy Bush, but, you know, I like Billy Bush. And after I finished this podcast, one of the podcast guests dropped out on Howie Mendel's podcast. And so they asked me to step in and do it.

It's supposed to be two guests. It was myself and Eric Griffin, the comedian. And so Eric and I started talking before we were started recording and we were just like talking about, I don't know how the, I didn't know this man for two minutes. and somehow we started talking about the state of the country and how he was like, no, let's keep this going. Let's just pick it up from here. And our podcast kind of became about that.

I don't even know what we were supposed to talk about because I just popped in to do his favor. And one of the things that Eric kept saying is, he kept saying, I don't think it's that bad. And I was like, they are. And he said, well, I would say, things aren't that good, but they're also not that bad. and I said, I hear you, but who I am as a black woman, I cannot accept that.

And I really say, and we go on to talk and the conversation jumps all around to different things. It's not all political. But as I was leaving, it made me think of why he might say that. And I bet a lot of people think when I say things are that bad, they think that I'm exaggerating or I'm just being very dramatic. And I think because maybe I said this, I don't remember. this is like a slow burn, right? Because that's something he said. He's like, my mom is from Belize.

My mom is an immigrant. And I still listen to her stories. And I think, wow, it's not as bad as it was in the 50s and 60s when she came over here. And I, I understand what he's saying because it was overtly racist. It was out there. There was no confusion. These things existed. these we were fighting for laws and rights to be changed and policies that that made black people

feel included in black people and brown people to have a chance. And the problem with why he thinks the way he does I think right now is because it's such a slow burn and it's not overtly racist and you really have to be paying attention to the things that are done because there's so many of them, that you almost can't quite see it because you're not feeling the impact like you would have in the 50s and 60s. And when I see what's happening right now in Texas, and I see that they pass the map and a state representative flat outset, state representative Republican, Todd Hunter, said, you want transparency? Let me tell you what transparency says. This is what he said, and I quote, the underlying goal is the plan, is this plan?

is straightforward, improve Republican political performance. He goes on to say, while there's no guarantee of an electorate success, Republicans will now have an opportunity to potentially win those districts. And then he goes on to say, the Supreme Court allows it. And that is very true. And I think we talked about Shelby in 2013, but there are cases in between then and now. In 2019, the Supreme Court, basically said, we don't do political. If it's a political question, we're not going to do it. So political gerrymandering, it was a case about gerrymandering. Political gerrymandering is okay because the Supreme Court doesn't deal with political questions. Racial gerrymandering is wrong,

but then we've seen the Supreme Court rule in certain ways. And as we talked about previously on this podcast, is going to listen to a case where racial gerrymandering is directly at issue and is one of the last things within the Voting Rights Act that might be completely eliminated to where we see that whole thing go away. And I say all this to say, it's those little things that add up that allow a Texas gerrymandering to be at issue. If you can't look at what's happening in Texas and seeing that the Republican senators are outright saying that they are particularly doing this, we are not for the people, we are for the politics, that are particularly, saying this is about Republican political performance. We are doing this to purposely

pick up five more seats so we can have political power in this state and then nationally, then you are not seeing that what is happening right now is a problem. Because what is this? It's the blueprint for the rest of the country to figure out what they want to do. A lot of people are saying that the Texas Democrats, by coming back, this isn't a victory. Well, it is because you're seeing what you can do. And yes, they lost at the end of the day when it comes to Texas, but California is now going to respond.

New York possibly is going to respond, even though I don't think that they can do it by 2026. Illinois might respond. These other big blue states might respond in the same way, but at the same time, also Republican states will too. So this is a problem. Democracy is at stake. It is no longer for the will of the people.

It is about for the will of the politician. If you can't see that that makes things a problem and how it's going to build to be greater, then you're choosing to turn a blind eye and be ignorant to it. So what you just said was so well said that it actually calmed me down a little bit because I was about to tell Eric to something like that. But I was, but I looked at him.

Look, he's got a nice face. I look at Eric. I actually really enjoyed him. You got a nice face. Like I can tell that Eric's the type of guy. But I need Eric. and the rest of his people to wait the fuck up because we're about to lose the whole thing. Let me tell you about something real quick.

I don't even need to go to the text. It's redistricting because we know kind of the broadstrokes of that. We know that that'll probably happen. We had James Telerico on the podcast. The Democrats did everything that they could. It was a fight. And it ended up more in creating political capital than it did anything else. Some of the Democrats that were willing to go as far as what they did go are probably going to be.

looked at by people as heroes, even though they fought the good fight in order to still eventually lose it. They were behind the A ball the entire time. And so now we'll see how other states respond like you just said. I need people like Air to wake up because we're about to lose the whole fucking thing. All right. Now I'm going to bring up an issue right here that is controversial to people. Because some people don't know how to approach this issue and deal with the issue because it's

become a political flashpoint. The trans issue. Now, I read in the Washington Post yesterday that the Department of Justice is subpoenaing hospitals across the country to get personal information

on doctors and patients that have been involved in gender affirming therapy for people that are under 19. And they are getting this information so much so that the Washington Post had problems to getting people to talk to them about this story because they had fear of what the federal government would do to them if they were engaged in medical care for trans people under the age of 19.

Okay. This overreach is so profound that it bleeds into, doesn't bleed into, it is government persecution on a certain type of lifestyle or lifestyle choice. Right? Eric and the rest of the erics out there have to wake up because we're about to lose the whole fucking thing. There is no part of this where the Trump administration is not putting their thumb on the scale. They are trying to manicure who gets to exist in the country. They're trying to manicure whose history gets to be told in the country.

They are trying to strengthen and in perpetuity submit their political authority in the country with the gerrymandering. It's everywhere and everything. They are trying to tailor American cities to their will. No matter whether or not crime is dropping in D.C. or not, crime in D.C. is a problem as long as we fucking say it is. we say we want DC to look different, so we send in the fucking army.

There's not one part of the thing where there's not a profound power grab, like a profound and direct power graph. If you are standing in front of a Home Depot and we think that you're a criminal, you're a fucking criminal. Get in the van. Go to alligator alcatraz.

Go to Seacotoc. Go to any other place that we've decided that you get to be sent because we said it. Fuck the 14th Amendment. Fuck the due process that you are entitled to under the 14th Amendment. We said you're that. So you're that.

We said this is this. So it is this. No process. The consent of the governed thrown out of the window. Election norms don't matter. I also read more stuff from Fox News and the Smartmatic suit a couple of days ago. Where Smartmatic is talking. We have depositions on the record.

with the Fox News people, Janine Piro and the rest of them, admitting that what they said on Fox News about Smartmatic and Dominion is not true. But you know what? It doesn't matter because it was their job to do the work of the Trump administration, to make it seem like it was true so that he felt like whatever exists in his mind, his will is being carried out in the United States of America. And everyone that wants proximity to the power, which is what he can. gives you after you do what he says to do, they do it.

They do it. So if you are somewhere right now listening to this and you don't think is that bad, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I'm getting sick and tired of this bullshit. You don't know what you're talking about. You might be a nice person. You might be a decent person, but you know what else you are? You're a dumb person.

You're an uninformed person. You don't know what you're talking about. This is a multi-front battle for the present and future of the United States of America for freedom as defined by the slave-owning fat cats that wrote this shit a long time ago and as fought for by the black people that put their lives on the line to advance the cause of freedom in this country. And if you don't see what's going on, if you don't see the attacks coming from everyone and everywhere against people that they just decided are undesirable, if you don't see what's happening,

then you don't have your fucking eyes open. And I'm not about to hold your hand through this. I'm not about to do this. Like, at all. Eric, I look at him. It seems like a Latino man. Now, how the fuck I'm supposed to make him understand that there's Latino people walking around this country right now,

scared as fuck, because they don't know when someone's going to grab them and throw them in a van. Wake the fuck up. You know what? Grow up. grow up stop telling the fucking jokes grow up

read something invest into something learn something and then stop getting on these microphones and talking this stupid fucking shit you don't know what you're talking about and we're in the ninth inning at this bitch we in overtime we're in extra innings

and we need serious people to have serious discussions everything that you said is true and you and I'm glad that you existed in that space to provide pushback and clarity on what's happening. These stories are out fucking rages, man. We're not in any way in a place where we're halfway there. These stories are outrageous.

They're outrageous. Yeah. In every way, shape, or form. I'm sick of playing around. Sick of it. No, no. I thought I calmed you down. No, no, no plan.

No, no plan around. I thought I caught you down. No. No, we're out. The Texas is different. Democrats, no. No, fuck no. I want to ask you something. We talked about this. Sorry for the rant. We talked about this

offline. But Senator Nita Turner has a different response to the redistricting than everybody else. She's calling for a general strike. She's actually not in favor of the retaliatory gerrymandering that some of these other states are talking about. She wants a general strike. She wants a general strike

of people. I really don't really understand. What is that? Well, I guess it would be better if Senator Turner were to explain that maybe we should have her on higher learning because she's actually against the retaliatory redistricting. And I think there are some people, I completely disagree, by the way. I completely disagree. Whatever, if they grab seats, whatever seats, there's no me. I'm not Democrat. But if there's a power grab by them for seats, there should be a power grab on the other side.

I'm completely okay with it. But she has a different approach to it. And I think it would be interesting to at least hear her out. maybe talk to Senator Turner about some of her ambitions and where she might want to go. And to be honest with you, some criticisms that people have against her as far as some of her solidarity with the left and how that's existed in the past couple years. There are a lot of people out there that feels like, you know, she wasn't loyal enough or she didn't stump hard enough or she wasn't out there enough for Kamala or some of the other Democrats and just kind of get an understanding of where she might lie on that, some of that stuff. I was on seeing in with her not too long ago. I think she'd probably be up for all of these questions.

But the general strike thing, I saw it on her Twitter, and I thought maybe that was an interesting way as we talk about how the Democrats or the left in broad strokes should respond to what's going on. I would love to have her come on, and I would love to hear what the strike means or what that. Because I think there are people, and I'm not saying I'm trying to push for an alternative thing to do.

I'm with you. Like, that's what y'all did. That's what we're going to do to, the days of trying to take the high road are over. And I don't even know if that's not us taking the high road. It's just, I think the high road is doing what the people want, which I've said this before, which is why I like that in California,

they're allowing the people to vote on this measure. Yeah, it's very popular. Unlike Ohio, which is another reason I would want to have her on, because they have to figure out their map this year because they put forward a map without a map. Democratic support. They didn't allow them to vote. And then it was deemed to be unconstitutional.

And so now they had to draw up a second map, which is why. And then it was held in to be unconstitutional again, which is why they have to redo this by 2025 now. So I would be really interested to hear kind of like take us through that, how they ended up there still. And what that is going to look like in Ohio as they have to redraw these maps, but also what it is that she's trying to do. So yeah. Yeah. We'll see if I reached out to her. we'll see if she's available to come on

and maybe discuss that. It's time to wait into the world of you might get canceled for this. You think so? Yeah, because I got questions here. I'm curious as to what your questions are. Yeah, like, go ahead. Okay, Donnie, I'm going to take this one from the top.

Okay. He's trying to spare you, Donnie. Donnie, take it away. Okay, Donnie. So there's a story that's being covered really directly. And some of the news sources that I read, some of the other different YouTube spots that I watch, some of the independent media I should say that I pay attention to. It's a story of an Israeli official who came to Nevada.

He is the executive director of the Cyber Defense Division. at the Israel National Cyber Directorate. I really don't know what that means. So I must tell you right now, I really don't know what that means. I could probably understand that he is a senior level Israeli official in some type of capacity. This man's name is Tom Alexandrovich. There was a conference in Nevada, Black Hat Conference, which I guess I'm kind of hacker. convention or something like that.

At the same time that this conference was happening in Nevada, it was a federal government sting. It's actually a multi-departmental sting between the FBI and the local officials there in Nevada. And it was sort of to catch a predator type of situation where they were looking for people who were soliciting sex for minors. Two-week undercover internet crimes against children sting for sex predators. This gentleman, Tom Alexandrovich, was arrested in this stink.

Now, we know that now, even though when this first happened, there were conflicting reports about whether or not he had, in fact, been arrested. Some of the reports said that he had just been detained and questioned. and then released and allowed to go back to Israel. But that did not happen. The allegations here are that this is that this gentleman came over and during the time he was supposed to be in Nevada for this conference and he was arrested for communicating for the purposes of sex

all the details that you would see in something like to catch a predator, this is what we're going to do, bring a condom, the whole nine, with someone he believed to be 15 years old. He was frequenting some sort of sight. He was on some type of place, and he was talking to someone that he believed to be 15 years old. Wasn't actually 15 years old. That's the way that these things were.

He believed it to be 15 years old. He was arrested as part of this thing. He posted $10,000 bail. Standard bail schedule for the felony charge. This felony charge of cyber luring a minor. it's a state charge. State charge. That's important.

Yeah, it's important to know. Tell us why. Well, because that issue is the government's response, right? And I think the issue is that, as you stated, the FBI was involved, also local officials, but the federal government declined to press charges. Right. It was the state. So that's important to your story, not story, but to the facts.

So he was arrested on August 6th. On August 8th, he was allowed to return back to Israel. He did not miss his scheduled flight back to Israel. After being arrested in America on a felony charge of trying to lure a minor for sex, there is an acting U.S. attorney, Segal Chata. she confirmed that he had been arrested and booked. She noted that the prosecution would be handled by the Clark County District Attorney's Office.

If you look at her Twitter, she has disgusting tweets about the Palestinian people. This has been highlighted on the Guardian. This has been highlighted on breaking points. It's been talked about everywhere. The questions here are whether or not the Israeli government got involved in getting their official back to Israel,

when he was arrested for a really heinous crime here in the United States, that he likely will never, ever stand trial for here because they're not going to give them back. Also, the fact that there seemed to be a concerted effort here to hide this or to obfuscate about what happened by the Israeli government. And I got to be honest with you parts of the American government for this gentleman. This to me is a remarkable scandal. Remarkable. I'm telling you guys right now that in a government

that purports to protect children to the point to where we talked about the overreaches from the government a little bit earlier but there was also where they're also doing things where they're trying to

subpoena the records and identities of people who've gone to drag shows so they know who they are, right? All of this stuff, this entire attack to protect children unless you are some sort of foreign dignitary from Israel, then you can come here and allegedly solicit sex from a minor and then the government of Israel will protect you and get you back home before you can actually face justice

here in America. We should say there were all types of people caught up in this thing. There were pastors caught up in this thing. There were other figures in Nevada caught up in this thing. The only reason why there is a hyper focus on this particular issue is because all of those guys that were caught up in this sting seem like they are going to be subject to justice here in the United States for what they're accused of.

and there is one person that doesn't seem like they are. And, uh, huh? What's, what's that? So, like,

what, so he's got a scheduled court appearance, um, coming up for this. And what we don't know is how involved is the Trump administration in getting this guy back to Israel? This was a, the Segal,

single chattel lady, she's a Trump appointed U.S. attorney or U.S. district attorney. What's her, what's her? What's her? So she's a, she's a U.S. attorney, which is why I was saying,

so like, we don't know, but the suspicious thing about this is you talked about the FBI being involved and the state government. The, a lot of people believe, and this is the issue,

that this should have been a federal prosecution. which would have gone under this U.S. attorney with the terrible social media behavior in regards to Palestinians. They chose not to pursue it. So it's not a government case. They chose not to. A lot of people said it would have been more effective and it would have insured accountability if the U.S. attorney decided to press charges. She didn't. It's a state charge now. So what the government is doing is saying, well, the U.S. State Department's like, Well, I mean, like, why would we get involved? Yeah, like, it's not a, it's not, this isn't, you know, the government, it's the state. You know, like, it's, it's not that he, you know, he didn't claim diplomatic community or anything. He was released by a state judge.

That has nothing to do with us. And so if there's any suspicion, it's that why didn't you file this? Why didn't you prosecute this in federal court? Why is this not a federal prosecution? That's the question that seems suspicious. The state judge, I have no idea. idea. Maybe the state judge has its own agenda, but the state judge is not involved with this attorney. U.S. attorneys federal. This would have been a district attorney to handle this case, or an ADA,

assistant district attorney to handle this case. But we don't know the state's judge involves, but it is suspicious that they would let them out on 10,000. And then in court, when he was, at the bail hearing, he was saying, I have a flight to catch. I have a flight to catch. And they still didn't put GPS on him, you know, like have him monitored in some kind of way, forbid him from leaving the state, none of that. And this, and it's like, we're talking about a child here. I have no idea why that state judge did that. But this, and I don't know if there's a connection, you know, personally, or a political agenda between the state judge and the U.S. Attorney's Office, but it is suspicious that they didn't press charges. So the next schedule of court date for him is supposed to be August 27th,

2025. Now let me ask you a question. Typically, in a situation like this, would you be compelled to be personally present at that state, at that hearing, or could you send your legal team in absentia to represent you there? And is it a thing that it's a, his next court data schedule for August 27th, 2025? I'm imagining that he's been arrested. It's a criminal case. It's a criminal case. So normally you have to be there. If this gentleman is not at his

case, which he definitely wouldn't have been, had people not blown the whistle on this on August 27, 2025, which is coming up pretty soon, then it's a major, major fucking problem. By the way, just let you guys know, I encourage everyone to go and follow

this case and look and tell me whether or not you think something weird's going on here. Tell me whether or not you think that this signal that officials from foreign nations can come to the United States do criminal shit not talking about diplomatic immunity

and stop signs and all of that stuff like that this guy doesn't have any of it and then retreat back to that to a country that we give special privileges to and then to have this person completely escape number one the actual arms justice and then number two,

the hit to reputation and prestige that comes along with being accused of something like this. Yeah. So if this was Jim Miller, this would never happen. Just like a right, you know what I mean? This would not happen.

This is extremely unusual. The guy is accused of a child endangerment felony. You're going to want to make sure that you throw the book in him. So and by the way, I'm not going to get into a whole dense issue. of these types of crimes and how they were late. You know, I'm not even getting to that. But I'll tell you guys right now, this is alarming.

And as we continue to talk about some of the things that we've been talking about here, about specific relationships with foreign governments, also some people reached out from J Street, and they were looking to separate themselves from A-PAC and away, because we talked about J-Street and Elizabeth Warren, I went and I read some of the stuff on J Street and you know they state pretty clearly what they're about

but I if for the people that want to from J Street they want to come on the podcast and talk come on the podcast and talk we'll talk to you about it but you know whatever yeah but this story is coming at this particular time

is it's interesting and the reality is it is my belief that our government and the Israeli government worked together to protect an alleged pedophile

that was looking to prey on the children of Nevada. So when I go back to the, what else I was talking about, like all of that type of stuff, all of that stuff, all the rhetoric is good. But when the rubber meets the road, what the fuck do you do? And this story's been covered so many places, the entire timeline, but there are also places where it's not being covered. We'll see if we have an episode next week. Donnie?

Are you ready for Glaze of the week? Or you want to... I am. Glaze of the week. Glays of the week. You're on somebody's meat. It's the glaze of the week. Glaze of the week. Glace of the week. Glace of the week. You're sucking dick. Wow. It's taken over. over. This hurts. Okay.

The Blaze of the week is Stephen A. Smith. Okay. I'm sorry, Rachel. He's been disappointing me as of late. Donnie, Stephen A. Smith was on Hannity, and he was talking about President Trump and everything that President Trump has been doing to be a peacemaker. Can you play the clip, please? There is no doubt that he has done. more than practically almost any administration has tried to do when it comes to ending conflicts

around the world. And he's put himself in a position where the political capital that he stands to gain isn't necessarily that great. So his willingness to do so is obviously something that should be ignored and something that should be, dare I say, applaud it to some degree. Again, that doesn't mean I like everything he does. You and I can argue back and forth about a few things. But in the end, you are absolutely right when you point out that there's not much to gain for him in a lot of this, yet he engages anyway, and you have to give credit where credit is. As we speak right now, there are 4,000 U.S. Marines

that are on a carrier that are headed towards Venezuela. This, for some, is being looked at as saber-rattling. Others are saying that these Marines are being sent down in advance of regime change in Venezuela. That is one thing. Donald Trump bombed Iran at the behest of Israel, hit three Iranian nuclear sites, right, bombed a foreign country at the behest of a different foreign country,

and got America involved in the first direct action against Iran when we've been threatened to bomb them for 40 years, the first action in a long time. So Donald Trump, Donald Trump also made the decision. decision to lift restrictions that the Biden administration, who was putrid and disgusting on the Israel-Gaza war, but had drawn a line in the sand about the types of bombs that they would allow to be used in Gaza. Donald Trump said no.

It gave them the authority to drop the 2,000-pound bombs on the peace. people of Gaza, took that away, right, leading to more destruction, has rubber-stamped, blank checked everything that the Israeli government has wanted to do in terms of the people of Gaza without any conversation, right? So if you're saying that Donald Trump has been a pursuer of peace in the conflict between Israel or the genocide that's happening right now, and, you're saying, in Gaza, you're wrong. He has talked openly about ethnic cleansing as it relates to the Palestinian people.

He has called people Palestinian as a slur. He's used it as a slur. How pro-peace and anti-conflict is that? Donald Trump has airstrikes in Yemen against the Houthis. It's been involved. He's bombed. He's signed off on. He's been right there as someone who is willing to use the military might of the United States of America to affect hegemony in that region and in other places. He's also asked for or threatened that he wants to be able to bomb and send troops in to deal with drug cartels in Mexico. sovereign nation.

If you're telling me about rushing Ukraine, telling me about other things that have happened. I want to say that Donald Trump got involved with Indian Pakistan, Pakistan, other places like that. I would tell you that Donald Trump does

what he thinks is good for him and his reputation. And if he sold himself as a peacemaker, then he is going to continue to reiterate that that's what he is but as far as what he does, we have to be able to call attention to that.

Even in the Ukraine-Russia situation. What do you have there? Like what peace has been made? The Ukraine has asked for the return of its territory, security guarantees from the West, and possible entrance into NATO. Russia is not going to do any of those things. They're not.

Vladimir Putin left Alaska without, without a ceasefire agreement. Says that he wants a peace agreement. However, there can be no peace agreement because Russia is going to be against the situations that Ukraine actually wants, and Russia is going to want the exact opposite of all that stuff. Russia's going to want assurances that Ukraine never joins NATO. They're going to want no security forces

from the West, and they're going to want to keep the territory that they've taken. So the trip where Vladimir Putin smacked Trump around and dropped his nuts on them was a nothing burger. It doesn't mean anything.

It means nothing. It means that the president used that for either a photo op or the opportunity to show people just how poor he had is at getting out of the war that he said he'd stop on day one. But no. Like this is the idea of Trump as this peacemaker is a figment of the imagination of the parts of the right that want to invent reasons to worship him. And I am concerned that Stephen A. Smith is falling victim to this type of propaganda. Oh, he should be given, no, he has waged war directly.

He has immiserated and used genocidal ethnic cleansing language against the Palestinian people. He's made the situation there markedly worse, if you ask me. And he's empowered a nation in Israel that attacks all of its neighbors. So once again, we go back to what we're talking about before. What are we doing? Like what? You know what making peace is? Making peace is this, in my opinion.

Making peace is saying, you know what? We want there to be peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. So you know what we're going to do? Because we want peace, we're not going to send another dollar in weapons over there. We're not going to do it. We want to be a part of peace. So we're not going to see any more money. over there. Not only that, we're going to ask Israel if they want a continuous or a continued

relationship with America, then peace is people being fed and peace is people having self-determination. Hey, that's what peace is. Peace is people feeling whole and being able to eat and hug their kids. That's what peace is. So as long as you're doing that, you're not going to get a dollar or a cent from the United States of America. I'm not saying that the price of the price of, administration did that because they didn't. They didn't. I'm not saying that at all. But what I'm saying is this

this idea of Donald Trump as this profound peacemaker, this is a storybook fantasy. This is like, this is in no way real. The actual facts on the ground completely contradict that. So why are we doing that? Like, why are we going on Hannity's show

and being a mouthpiece for a bunch of shit that's not true. Like, why are we doing that? Like, why are we, why are we saying, why? What's the point? Like, what's going, like, what's really happening right now?

So, look. I have, you know, I know y'all hate it when I do this, but I always want to speak in love and encouragement. I'm not doing that. Well, you gave them glaze. No, the thing's too high. You can't do that.

right. That's pussy. I'm not doing that. No, that's a glaze. That's a glaze. Because the worst type of glaze is to say things that aren't true about somebody else to launder their reputation to a bunch of people who

either want to believe something about them or have a vested interest in lying about them. And that's what that is. Donald Trump has been no peacemaker. He has never been. Donald Trump is the one who recognized Israel's claim on the Golan Heights.

Donald Trump is the one who recognized the capital of Jerusalem. Donald Trump is the one for the Israelis. Donald Trump is the one who went in and completely tipped. Not that America has never not been on the teat of Israel and vice versa. But Donald Trump is the one who made direct, direct, like did things that no other American president would even do. and stoked tensions in that region bombed Iran's number two guy

all of this stuff so this reputation as a peacemaker is whole shit yeah yeah I'm sure no I never really go in on your glaze but you're right and I think the biggest question

that a lot of people ask when you see Stephen A. Smith doing all this is what's the motivation? What's the purpose? What's really good, Stephen A? What's really good? Like, this is more than I'm trying to put my hat in the political ring to have these type of discussions. It seems motivated in another way. And I would love to ask that question. Why? Because this statement is so wrong, as you beautifully pointed out, and it seemed like you just were talking just to talk with absolutely no research done with a simple Google search would have shown that that could not be more wrong.

So what's really good? That's it. It seems like sometimes that when he goes on there, that he's trying to be palatable to their audience, which if he has a political... But he does that on his own platform. He says stuff like this on his own platform. Hopefully he'll come on the platform.

Hopefully we'll be able to talk to him about it. But I had to give him the glaze this week. Had to give him the glaze. I totally get it. He just announced his media company. I might pitch something to him. Damn, damn. Well, I got to stay true to myself.

There you go. Megan the Stallion and Clay Thompson, they went public with their relationship a few weeks ago. But Meg posted this video recently that has had the internet talking. What's up y'all? So Clay had never had spaghetti and catfish together before and ever since the first time I made it for him,

he asked me for this shit like every week. he could bring it. I bet he did. I bet he did. See what I'm talking about? See what I'm talking about? I bet he did. I bet the moment that he ate that spaghetti,

I bet that he's been asking for that spaghetti every single week. And I bet that his feelings from Meg the Stallion have probably gone through the roof since he's been eating that spaghetti. Good. You know, I love this. You know I love it because Meg is

a rough few years. And there were a lot of people who questioned her integrity, her, who she is as a person, who she is in relationships, the type of woman that she is. And I love seeing Megan happy. And I love seeing her in her soft girl era, where she is proud to showcase her man. They are being lovey-dovey with each other.

She is cooking for her man. she's happy to cook for her man. She's excited that he appreciates the things that she's given out. I love to see Megan like this. And I think a lot of people have these preconceived notions or wanted to assume certain things about Megan because of the stuff that came out surrounding the whole Tory Lane's case and with her friend.

And here she is just enjoying this beautiful relationship and sharing it with everybody else. I love this for Megan. and for Clay. He seems to be a joy good as well. I love it for Megan. I love it for Clay. I know that Clay eating that spaghetti

with that red sauce. That his life is going to be changed, right? I'll tell y'all something right now. This is another thing we're talking about culturally. All right. Of course, she could have made fish and french fries. She could have made fish and potato salad. Clay.

Yeah. Clay is over there eating that spaghetti. And now he's going to be obsessed. The tattoos all over his back. The spaghetti has changed. Look, I'll tell you, I'm from the South. The women in the South raised me well. It's a traditional meal, all right.

It's a traditional meal. In the South. Yeah, you know. Yeah, it's a traditional meal all right. You know, you know what I'm talking about, by the way. Everybody knows. The only one that doesn't know is Clay. Clay is the only one that does.

Clay does not know. Clay has no clue. Clay has no clue. The only one Clay is like, this is Clay. And this is what I was talking about last week, and I've been talking about this for the past couple of weeks.

This is Clay. Clay is like, oh my God, this spaghetti is so good. Beck it. Since I've been eating this spaghetti with this red sauce, I've got to admit, you've looked more beautiful than I've...

She's like, oh my God. And he's like, you're so gorgeous. Can I have more spaghetti and just more of you? everything from you everything since I've been eating the spaghetti I've been more attracted to you I've been more obsessed with you

the spaghetti has changed everything he'll even know eating that red sauce I'm telling you I saw Clay I saw Clay so happy damn the spaghetti is the bomb and shit like that and I started going yeah

that spaghetti all right Clay keep going I'm telling you Clay Clay Cohn next the next thing we're going to see is Clay Thompson crashes out on partisan Fontaine. Because now, right now, I'm telling you,

the next thing we can see is Clay Thompson makes this song. Like, we, like Clay by, Clay's gone, it's over. Clay's about to have the best basketball career. It's over for Clay. It's over for Clay. Stop. It's over for Clay. All right, that's it.

We out. Hopefully Senator Turner will come on and educate us about the general strike next week. Everybody pay attention to this. news, pay attention to what's going on. Don't let anybody convince you. It ain't bad. It's not as bad as they could be. Fucking, no.

Tell you 10 caps off. Do not stop learning. I'm Van Leighton Jr. I'm Rachel and Lindsay. Bye guys.