Roland Martin Reports Daily Podcast

• The Justice Department is preparing to investigate and sue colleges and universities over their admissions policies that they believe discriminate against whites, according to a stunning report in the New York Times. • Black lawmakers in Maryland say the state is locking African Americans out of the medical marijuana business. Maryland’s Legislative Black Caucus wants the state to increase the number of licenses it issues to grow marijuana, noting that none of the 15 that were awarded last year went to Black-owned companies. • A New York City police officer guns down a mentally ill black man for the second time in less than a year. This time, with fatal results. Family and friends of 32-year-old Dwayne Jeune, a mentally ill man who was fatally shot by a New York City police officer are questioning whether his death could have been avoided. • In Illinois, lawmakers are racing against the clock to put together a plan to fund schools or they won’t open in time for the school year. Republican Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed a school funding bill that he claims gave too much money to Chicago. • North Carolina officials have just one month to draw up new legislative-district boundaries to address racial discrimination. The order comes after three federal judges ruled the current boundaries drawn by Republicans diminish the political leverage of Black voters • The NAACP has issued a travel advisory for the state of Missouri, saying people of color are not safe in the state. The advisory is in response to a recent bill that makes it more difficult to prove discrimination in housing and the workplace. • Tens of thousands of former felons now have the right to vote in Alabama, but they may never know about it. A federal judge ruled the state does not have to notify anyone about the changes. • Delphine Metcalf-Foster was elected as the National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans, she is the first woman and first African American to hold the post. • Erica Campbell one-half of the gospel super duo Mary Mary recently stopped by NewsOne Now for a sit-down interview with Roland Martin. During their chat, Martin and Campbell discussed her new single “Well Done,” her radio show “Get Up Mornings with Erica Campbell” and adjusting to life as a solo artist.   All that and more in this edition of the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast Listen, download and subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on Google Podcasts Subscribe to  “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

• After just ten days on the job, President Trump fires his Director of Communications Anthony Scaramucci. Scaramucci’s ouster comes on the heels of his profanity-laced interview with the New Yorker. • Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office dismisses 34 cases following the discovery of police body camera footage showing cops planting evidence. As a result of the body cam video, there are many other cases connected to the cops that are now in jeopardy. • The trial of Jason Stockley starts today. Never-before-seen video will be shown during the trial of the former Saint Louis, Missouri police officer charged with the killing of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith. • #NoConfederate: Black women are taking on HBO and the creators of Game of Thrones over a new show in the works called “Confederate.” April Reign joined Roland Martin on NewsOne Now to discuss the backlash against HBO and the controversial show’s creators. • Don’t mess with #AuntieMaxine! Recently Rep. Maxine Waters questioned Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about not receiving a response to a letter inquiring about Trump’s financial connections to Russia. When Mnuchin danced around the question, Congresswoman Waters reclaimed her time! • After singing as a background vocalist for award winning gospel artist Donald Lawrence, Anita Wilson has emerged as a prominent gospel solo artist in her own right. With her first two albums receiving Grammy-nominations, the expectations are pretty high for her latest album, “Sunday Song.” Wilson recently sat down with Roland Martin on the set on NewsOne Now to talk about her new CD. • Major League Baseball honored one of its pioneering journalists during the sports Hall of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown, New York. Claire Smith received the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for her contributions to baseball writing. She is the first woman to receive the award from the Baseball Writers Association of America.   All that and more in this edition of the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast Listen, download and subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on Google Podcasts Subscribe to  “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

• Monday, July 31st is the day that marks how long in 2017 an African American woman has had to work to be paid the same as her white male counterpart did last year. • At an event with police officers on Long Island, New York on Friday to address gang violence, President Trump advised cops not to be too nice when it comes to handling criminal suspects. • The White House is now on its second chief of staff after President Trump fired Reince Priebus Friday. Trump announced the personnel change on Twitter just as Priebus was deplaning Air Force One following the Long Island trip. • After 11 years behind bars with no trial, a man diagnosed with schizophrenia is finally free. • The country’s oldest civil rights organization and the world’s leading hospitality company are teaming up to spread the economic benefits of home sharing and touring to communities of color. The partnership comes amid accusations of discrimination against minorities by Airbnb hosts that include guests being denied accommodations because they are Black. • Holistic health and wellness expert Dr. Ruby Lathon shares tips about how to transition to a healthier lifestyle by way of a plant based diet. All that and more in this edition of the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast Listen, download and subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on Google Podcasts Subscribe to  “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

• Late night drama: Senate Republicans failed to pass their paired down Affordable Care Act repeal in the early hours of this morning on a dramatic vote of 49 to 51. Three Republicans joined the Democrats to help defeat the bill. This is a stinging defeat to Donald Trump who made the repeal a cornerstone of his presidential campaign. • The Trump administration appears to now be targeting those in the LGBTQ community. Thursday’s ban on transgenders serving in the military was announced on the same day Trump’s Department of Justice filed a court brief arguing discrimination against sexual orientation is not covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. • Attorney General Jeff Sessions continues to be publicly flogged by Trump and there are new reports the president is looking into ways to install a new AG once Sessions leaves the job. • Missouri Congressman Lacy Clay is celebrating the passage of the African American Civil Rights Network Act. Under the act, the Secretary of Interior will identify and create a national network of historic sites, stories, research facilities and education programs connected to the modern African American civil rights movement. • An Oklahoma sheriff and five others have been charged in connection with the death of an inmate who was restrained in a chair. • #MelaninIllustrated: The women of Beta Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated at Florida A&M University decided to celebrate ten years with the organization, and the results are amazing. The 56 members of the sorority’s Spring 2007 line conducted a “Melanin Illustrated” photo shoot during a three-day trip to Costa Rica. • When it comes to grooming a daughter’s hair, some Black fathers haven’t been shy about stepping up to the plate. That labor of love is the subject of a new animated short film called “Hair Love,” by writer and director Matthew Cherry. • African Americans are gracing the covers of the August issues of your favorite magazines. Check out this lineup of magazines featuring some of our best and brightest stars   All that and more in this edition of the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast Listen, download and subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on Google Podcasts Subscribe to  “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

• The Congressional Black Caucus is calling for the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, accusing him of lying “under oath on more than one occasion.” • Senator John McCain returned to the Senate to ensure a Republican victory on a vote to begin debate to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The Arizona Senator said he will not vote for the GOP healthcare bill in its current form and criticized President Trump and Senate Republicans on how they’ve gone about pushing the bill forward. Now that the health care debate has begun, what version of their repeal and replace plan will Senate Republicans pass? • Two former Baltimore police detectives have pleaded guilty to robbery and racketeering charges. • A new study is providing more evidence of links between football and brain damage known as CTE. Researchers at Boston University studied the brains of deceased college football players and found that an overwhelming majority had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. • Time, Incorporated is looking to sell its majority stake in Essence Magazine. Time CEO Rich Battista tells the Wall Street Journal that his company wants to keep a partial interest in Essence because the black women’s magazine is still considered a core part of Time Inc.’s publications. • Outrage in Florida after five Black teens smoked weed and laughed while a disabled man drowned in a pond. Under current law, they were not required to do anything to help the man. They were not even required to call 911 for assistance. Should the teens be charged with a crime for allowing Jamel Dunn to die? With no help from the current administration, mayors across the nation are working to solve the social and economic problems in black communities. The leader of New Jersey’s largest city, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka spoke with Roland Martin during Wednesday’s edition of  NewsOne Now to discuss the solutions that have helped turn his city around. • Insecure’s Issa Rae discusses how “brokenness” fuels creativity during part 3 of her sit-down interview with Roland Martin. All that and more in this edition of the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast Listen, download and subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on Google Podcasts Subscribe to  “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

• Justine Damond, a white Australian national was fatally shot by a police officer after calling 911 to report what she said was a sexual assault near her home. Over the weekend there was a march to protest Damond’s killing. The Minneapolis Police Chief has resigned and calls are increasing for Minneapolis mayor, Betsy Hodges to resign. • Trump shakes up the White House, Congress votes to slap Russia with fresh sanctions for its interference in the 2016 presidential election and now new reports claim that Trump is looking into his pardoning power. • NAACP interim president Derrick Johnson discusses NAACP leadership and how the storied civil rights organization is planning to move forward during a special NewsOne Now / TJMS simulcast. • The NAACP will launch a listening tour to figure out the work that needs to be done in the current political climate. • Mayor Catherine Pugh joined Roland Martin on NewsOne Now to discuss economic development, community investment and policing in Baltimore. • The NAACP ACT-SO competition is a youth program designed by the NAACP to recruit and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African American high school students. The program combined with the NAACP convention this year in Baltimore and gives students the opportunity to showcase their talents. • Today’s #HBCUGivingDay university is Morgan State University. To donate visit www.givetomorgan.org. • The much-anticipated movie “Girls Trip” debuted this weekend pulling in big bucks. The comedy starring Queen Latifa, Regina Hall, Had Pinkett Smith and Tiffany Haddish took the number two spot at the box office this weekend with $30.7 million dollars on nearly three thousand screens. All that and more in this edition of the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast Listen, download and subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on Google Podcasts Subscribe to  “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

• Baltimore police are once again under scrutiny after this body cam video is discovered showing what appears to be an officer planting drugs. The officers involved are connected to nearly 100 criminal cases whose prosecution may now be in jeopardy. • An organization that advocates for minority participation in the telecommunications and digital industries is leading a new initiative to help people become more proficient in documenting incidents like police abuse and voter intimidation through mobile video. The Santana Initiative is named after this young man, Feidin Santana, who used his cell phone to record the April 2015 fatal shooting of unarmed black motorist Walter Scott by then North Charleston, South Carolina police officer Michael Slager. Santana’s phone video went viral and helped result in murder charges against Slager. • After spending 9 of a 33-year sentence in prison for armed robbery, O.J. Simpson was granted parole yesterday. He could be free from prison as early as October. • Actress, writer and producer Issa Rae’s wildly successful HBO series “Insecure” is back this Sunday for its second season. Season one set social media on fire each and every week making season two one of the most anticipated shows of the year. Roland Martin recently sat down with Issa to get an idea of what was in store for season two. • Finally — the new movie “Girls Trip” hits theaters today! In part two of Roland Martin’s hilarious interview with the stars of “Girls Trip,” Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall and Tiffany Haddish continue sharing their experiences while making the highly anticipated film. All that and more in this edition of the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast Listen, download and subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on Google Podcasts Subscribe to  “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

• The Election Integrity Commission met for the first time yesterday, two months after it was created by President Trump through an executive order to supposedly root out voter irregularities around the country. Rep. Terri Sewell who is fighting back as the vice chair of a new Commission called: Protecting American Democracy from the Trump Administration joined Roland Martin on NewsOne Now to discuss Trump’s bogus voter integrity commission. • Trump gives an explosive interview to the New York Times where he attacks his attorney general Jeff Sessions. Citing recusal, Trump said he wouldn’t have hired Sessions. • WTH?! is going on with Trump, Senate Republicans and their unpopular health care bill? In the last several days, their healthcare bill has gone from failing, to a repeal only, to failing, and now President Trump tells Senators, ‘Hold on, no one gets a summer recess until you pass a bill that repeals and replaces the Affordable Care Act. • President Trump’s Justice Department is reversing yet another Obama-era policy this one involving police seizing folks’ assets. Is the DOJ allowing police departments to abuse the practice of civil asset forfeiture for law enforcement’s profit? • Sen. John McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer. McCain who is 80 has a tumor that can be treated with chemotherapy and radiation, but medical experts said it almost always grows back because his type of tumor is particularly aggressive. McCain learned of the tumor after undergoing surgery last week to remove a bloodclot above his left eye. • Former federal prosecutor Paul Butler discusses his new book, “Chokehold: Policing Black Men.” Butler’s explosive new book takes a controversial look at how the criminal justice system impacts the lives of African American boys and men. • R. Kelly is vehemently denying allegations that he is holding six women in two of his homes in an abusive cult. According to a BuzzFeed News story, parents of at least two women say they have been fighting to get their daughters away from Kelly. Several women who were once close to Kelly corroborated the families’ claims, saying not only are females who are living in properties rented by Kelly in Chicago and suburban Atlanta subject to mental and physical abuse, they are also taped performing sex acts that Kelly then shows to his male friends. All that and more in this edition of the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast Listen, download and subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on Google Podcasts Subscribe to  “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

The Department of Justice tells a Texas judge that the legislature’s efforts to soften one of the nation’s most stringent voter ID laws has worked. According to the DOJ, Texas no longer discriminates against minority voters and there’s no need for any further legal action. While much attention has been focused on Trump’s bogus Election […]

• Philly’s first Black District Attorney, Seth Williams pleads guilty to a corruption charge and is immediately sent to jail. ¶ In a morning Twitter tirade, President Trump lashed out at Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski via Twitter. Republicans and Democrats are condemning Trump’s comments. • President Trump’s so-called election integrity commission wants the personal information […]

• Critics are going after Republicans over the Senate Health Care bill despite the bill being pulled from the schedule this week. Many say the Senate GOP bill is dead, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is planning to revise the health care bill when the Senate returns after the July 4th recess.   Protesters […]

• Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is forced to delay the Senate vote on the GOP health care bill after more Republican lawmakers join the opposition ensuring the controversial bill’s failure. • Bill Cosby’s court battles are far from over as he awaits a retrial in Pennsylvania and a trial date is set for a […]

• The Senate Republican health care bill appears to be near death after the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the measure would leave 22 million more Americans uninsured, and a growing list of Republican lawmakers say they won’t support the legislation. • Voting rights advocates are speaking out over what they call an attempt by […]

• Former President Barack Obama took on President Trump over the Republican Health Care bill, while the President received some blowback from members of his own party in the Senate. Does this mean the Affordable Health Care Act might survive after all? Will Senate Republicans have enough votes to pass it? • The Trump administration […]

• The fight for voting rights continues as lawmakers introduce new legislation. Rev. William Barber and members of the clergy will march on the US Capitol today to mark the Shelby vs. Holder anniversary and challenge Republicans on voting rights. • Senate Republicans have finally released a draft of their plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. […]