The show opens with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s video attacking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ahead of Netanyahu’s UN General Assembly appearance. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas and inciting violence against Jewish New Yorkers. Ebro, Laura and Rosenberg use the exchange to explore how criticism of Israel, antisemitism, identity and social-media algorithms can collapse complicated conversations into arguments people may not actually be making.

The conversation then shifts to the death of Nolan Wells. A Mississippi grand jury unanimously declined to indict anyone after reviewing testimony from 43 witnesses, 132 subpoenas and physical and digital evidence. Although the grand jury said the circumstances were consistent with drowning and found no credible evidence of criminal conduct, both the state medical examiner and an independent pathologist have left the cause and manner of Wells’ death undetermined. His family and attorneys continue to seek further investigation.

Kevin Ortega-Rojas joins the discussion to walk through what is known about the injury to the back of Wells’ head, questions surrounding the autopsy and toxicology findings, what a “no true bill” actually means and why investigators could revisit the case if new evidence emerges. The group also separates documented findings from some of the rumors and conspiracy theories that circulated online after Wells’ death.

• (00:00:00) UN week and Netanyahu’s message for Mamdani
• (00:01:05) Netanyahu accuses Mamdani of supporting Hamas
• (00:03:00) Criticizing a government vs. attacking a people
• (00:05:45) How algorithms feed fear, anger and extreme arguments
• (00:07:30) Ms. Rachel and the debate over speaking up for children
• (00:09:10) Rosenberg wrestles with criticism of Israel and antisemitism
• (00:11:20) How personal history shapes what people see and hear
• (00:14:30) Nolan Wells case: no criminal charges
• (00:15:55) What the grand jury actually found
• (00:17:15) Questions surrounding the injury to Wells’ head
• (00:19:00) Toxicology results and why they remain disputed
• (00:22:15) Could the federal government become involved?
• (00:24:00) The grand jury vote and the unanswered question of whom to charge
• (00:26:15) How the case could be reopened if new evidence emerges
• (00:28:50) Social-media rumors complicated the Nolan Wells story

-----------------------------

Experience the Culture: Catch Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg, and the rest of the network 24/7 on the Amplified Voices TV app: amplifiedvoices.com/podcast-ebro/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The show opens with Ebro, Laura and Rosenberg reacting to President Donald Trump’s meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion, including Mamdani’s response when Trump defended barring several news organizations from the White House. They also discuss the president’s declining approval numbers and the unusual political relationship between Trump and Mamdani.

Laura then discusses the latest development in the Nolan Wells case after a Mississippi grand jury found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges in the 18-year-old’s death. The crew questions what remains unresolved and whether additional information from Wells’ family or an independent examination could provide more answers.

The largest conversation centers on the White House press ban. Ebony McMorris joins from Washington to explain how CNN, MS NOW and Politico’s removal affected the television press pool, why other major networks stopped providing pool coverage in solidarity and how the dispute is now moving through federal court. The outlets argue that the ban violates First Amendment and due-process protections.

The discussion also turns to the White House’s launch of Trump TV and what government-controlled messaging means for independent media coverage. Ebony explains the difference between the TV and radio pools — including why her AURN White House access remains intact — before previewing what journalists are watching next in the court fight.

• (00:00:00) Rosh Hashanah, calendars and life after Europe
• (00:02:10) Trump and Mamdani meet at Gracie Mansion
• (00:03:10) Mamdani reacts as Trump defends the White House press ban
• (00:05:05) The crew breaks down Trump and Mamdani’s political relationship
• (00:06:45) What happens when the White House press pool disappears?
• (00:08:30) No criminal charges in the Nolan Wells case
• (00:10:35) White House launches Trump TV
• (00:11:20) Major networks unite over the press-access fight
• (00:12:35) Lisa Leslie receives a statue in Los Angeles
• (00:15:25) Ebony McMorris joins from the White House
• (00:16:15) How the White House television press pool actually works
• (00:18:35) Press ban heads to federal court
• (00:21:00) Trump TV and the fight over government-controlled messaging
• (00:25:10) UN General Assembly, China and global tensions
• (00:28:05) What the press fight means for Ebony and the radio pool

-----------------------------

Experience the Culture: Catch Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg, and the rest of the network 24/7 on the Amplified Voices TV app: amplifiedvoices.com/podcast-ebro/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ebro and Laura dig into the backlash surrounding a Converse campaign image that critics said evoked a KKK hood and lynching imagery. Converse removed the ad and apologized, but the conversation turns to a bigger question: how does an image like that make it through multiple layers of a major corporate marketing operation, and was outrage itself part of the strategy?

Later, Ed Sheeran addresses the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from his tour. Sheeran apologizes for mistakes, says venues should not pre-approve performers’ content and speaks publicly about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel. Ebro and Laura discuss the professional consequences artists and athletes can face when they speak on politically sensitive issues.

The Rundown also covers the 2026 VMAs and the White House barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists from the grounds, a move the three outlets are challenging in federal court.

• (00:00:00) Yom Kippur Monday in New York
• (00:01:00) UN General Assembly week brings traffic, security and protests
• (00:03:50) ELR finds a new audience online
• (00:06:35) The controversial Converse ad sparks backlash
• (00:09:15) Converse apologizes and removes the image
• (00:10:30) How did the ad make it through the approval process?
• (00:12:45) Racist imagery, rage bait and corporate marketing
• (00:16:35) Ed Sheeran addresses the Macklemore fallout
• (00:18:50) Sheeran speaks about Israel and Gaza
• (00:23:00) Why speaking out can come with major consequences
• (00:26:50) Snoop Dogg hosts the 2026 VMAs
• (00:29:20) White House bars CNN, MS NOW and Politico
• (00:31:50) September 21 and the Earth, Wind & Fire dilemma

-----------------------------

Experience the Culture: Catch Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg, and the rest of the network 24/7 on the Amplified Voices TV app: amplifiedvoices.com/podcast-ebro/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rapsody joins Ebro, Laura and Rosenberg for Family Friday to talk about the freedom she has found at this stage of her career. She opens up about the space she has carved out for herself, running a relatively small team and the moment she stopped measuring success by industry expectations — describing 2024 as her “surrender year” and this chapter as her “freedom season.”

She also gets into God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops, working with live instrumentation, the influence of Terrace Martin and Denaun, her upcoming unplugged shows — and casually reveals that Stevie Wonder calls her on special occasions.

Later, Rapsody weighs in on Jay-Z and Colin Kaepernick, explaining why she believes Black communities need both business power and activism rather than choosing between the two. The conversation expands into Harry Belafonte, private dialogue, criticism and accountability before turning to Stephen A. Smith and the importance of listening when longtime supporters push back.

Chapters:
00:00:00 — Rapsody Joins Family Friday
00:01:55 — How Rapsody Keeps Her Career Organized With a Small Team
00:03:20 — Rapsody’s Jewelry Collection and Supporting Artists Through Vinyl
00:04:45 — Introducing the Kids to Turntables and Hip-Hop
00:07:25 — Maya’s Surprisingly Hardcore Taste in Rap
00:09:20 — Stevie Wonder Calls Rapsody on Special Occasions
00:11:30 — Is Rapsody Happy With the Space She Has Carved Out?
00:12:10 — God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops and Finding Artistic Freedom
00:14:30 — Why the Music Business Stopped Being Fun
00:15:35 — Terrace Martin, Denaun and Building the Album With Live Instruments
00:16:10 — Rapsody Prepares for a Run of Unplugged Shows
00:16:50 — When Does a Live Band Make Hip-Hop Better?
00:21:10 — Rapsody on Jay-Z, Kaepernick and Two Forms of Activism
00:24:40 — Why Private Conversations Still Matter
00:29:40 — Criticism, Accountability and Refusing to Make Everything All-or-Nothing
00:35:35 — Rapsody on Stephen A. Smith and Listening to Criticism

-----------------------------

Experience the Culture: Catch Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg, and the rest of the network 24/7 on the Amplified Voices TV app: amplifiedvoices.com/podcast-ebro/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With Colin Kaepernick back in the spotlight on his book tour, Ebro and Laura revisit how his national anthem protest became a national controversy and how much of the original message was lost amid the backlash. They discuss his decision to kneel, the role of veterans in shaping that form of protest, the NFL’s response and why the current Macklemore controversy has them thinking again about the power influential people can wield over who gets a platform.

Earlier, the crew reacts to a report on injectable peptides being sold at a Brooklyn bodega. Four products were sent for independent testing, and none contained the active ingredients listed on their labels; the testing also did not determine what the substances actually contained. That sparks a larger conversation about weight-loss and fitness trends, distrust of pharmaceutical companies and why buying something injectable from an unregulated source carries a very different risk than getting treatment through a medical professional.

The episode also covers Jerry Greenfield’s concerns about Ben & Jerry’s losing its ability to speak out under corporate ownership, Chris Brown’s response to the controversy surrounding a Texas lawmaker’s recognition of him and a tragic Los Angeles news-helicopter crash. Guru Time closes with a widowed mother of three searching for affordable after-school care while trying to keep her job.

• (00:00:00) Family Friday plans and the week ahead
• (00:00:55) Jerry Greenfield says Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced
• (00:03:30) Corporate pressure, activism and the Macklemore connection
• (00:05:55) New York street-safety proposals
• (00:07:20) Injectable peptides are being sold in bodegas
• (00:08:10) A lab tests four Brooklyn bodega peptide products
• (00:10:20) Why people are turning to unregulated peptides
• (00:13:35) Chris Brown responds to the Texas tribute controversy
• (00:15:20) Tragedy as a news helicopter crashes in Los Angeles
• (00:16:40) Colin Kaepernick’s book tour reaches Brooklyn
• (00:18:40) Why Kaepernick chose to kneel
• (00:20:00) Revisiting the NFL backlash and what happened afterward
• (00:22:10) Macklemore brings Kaepernick’s experience back into focus
• (00:24:35) What changed after Kaepernick’s protest
• (00:26:15) Guru Time: a widowed mother needs after-school help

-----------------------------

Experience the Culture: Catch Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg, and the rest of the network 24/7 on the Amplified Voices TV app: amplifiedvoices.com/podcast-ebro/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Macklemore fallout gets even bigger. Ed Sheeran addresses Macklemore’s removal from his tour, while the remaining opening acts and his backing band withdraw in solidarity. Ebro, Laura and Rosenberg debate whether Sheeran misread the moment by trying to remain neutral, how much responsibility belongs with Robert Kraft and other venue owners, and whether Sheeran should have risked canceling shows rather than continuing without Macklemore.

The crew also gets into the complicated business side of a stadium tour — contracts, hundreds of employees, ticket refunds and the financial consequences of walking away — while asking why the artists tend to receive more public scrutiny than the venue owners making the decisions. They also consider whether the controversy has ultimately amplified Macklemore’s message rather than silencing it.

Later, Laura highlights Drake’s FOMO film and an unreleased lyric saying “Pray for Gaza,” while the crew discusses Texas state Rep. Venton Jones’ apology after participating in a Chris Brown tribute. They also turn to the Kennedy Center, where a federal judge again blocked adding President Donald Trump’s name to the building before its board voted to close the main venue for renovations.

• (00:00:00) The Macklemore and Ed Sheeran fallout gets bigger
• (00:01:35) Ed Sheeran responds as his openers and backing band withdraw
• (00:03:00) Should Sheeran have stood by Macklemore and risked the shows?
• (00:05:00) Tour contracts, money and the legal consequences
• (00:07:30) Sheeran’s attempt to remain politically neutral
• (00:09:20) The consequences of speaking out on Palestine
• (00:12:25) Can Macklemore and Ed Sheeran remain friends?
• (00:15:20) Seven stadiums and Robert Kraft’s role in the dispute
• (00:16:40) The Kanye stadium comparison raises more questions
• (00:18:10) Did trying to silence Macklemore make the story even bigger?
• (00:23:10) Drake’s FOMO film and the “Pray for Gaza” lyric
• (00:24:20) Venton Jones apologizes over the Chris Brown tribute
• (00:26:25) The Kennedy Center closure and Trump naming fight
• (00:29:05) Mitch McConnell, a viral video and paid sick leave
• (00:31:00) Life gets heavy and the crew talks about coping with change

-----------------------------

Experience the Culture: Catch Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg, and the rest of the network 24/7 on the Amplified Voices TV app: amplifiedvoices.com/podcast-ebro/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The crew spends much of the episode unpacking Macklemore’s claim that Robert Kraft and other stadium owners pressured Ed Sheeran to remove him from upcoming stadium dates after his pro-Palestinian remarks. They debate whether Sheeran should have stood by his longtime friend, what responsibility comes with being one of the world’s biggest artists and whether attempts to silence Macklemore have only amplified his message.

The conversation then digs deeper into the business and free-speech questions surrounding the dispute, including what tour promoters and privately owned stadiums may have known about Macklemore’s politics before booking him. The crew also argues that the backlash risks reinforcing the very perception its critics are trying to combat.

Ebony McMorris joins from Washington with an update on the Supreme Court blocking new mail-in ballot procedures before the midterms. She also details allegations from a federal whistleblower who says government employees were instructed to access state voter-registration systems using individuals’ personal information while looking for potentially ineligible voters. The discussion expands to election security, the stakes of the midterms and the future makeup of the Supreme Court.

• (00:00:00) Macklemore fallout takes over the show
• (00:02:30) Macklemore says stadium owners pressured Ed Sheeran
• (00:03:40) Ed Sheeran’s attempt to remain neutral
• (00:05:05) Should Ed Sheeran have stood by Macklemore?
• (00:07:05) Did everyone involved already know Macklemore’s politics?
• (00:09:00) Robert Kraft, privately owned stadiums and tour contracts
• (00:11:10) The crew reacts to Kraft’s statement
• (00:12:25) Did the backlash only make Macklemore’s message louder?
• (00:14:30) Rosenberg describes a conversation with another Jewish listener
• (00:16:10) Ebony McMorris joins from Washington
• (00:17:00) Supreme Court blocks new mail-in ballot rules before the midterms
• (00:19:00) Whistleblower alleges improper access to voter-registration data
• (00:21:50) Election interference concerns and what could happen next
• (00:23:00) Could Trump get two more Supreme Court appointments?
• (00:25:50) Congressional Black Caucus at 50 and what’s at stake

-----------------------------

Experience the Culture: Catch Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg, and the rest of the network 24/7 on the Amplified Voices TV app: amplifiedvoices.com/podcast-ebro/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The crew opens with a bigger conversation about artificial intelligence, from AI-powered scams and deepfakes to whether the companies building increasingly powerful systems should be trusted to regulate themselves. They question who should ultimately set the rules and connect today’s fears around AI to the surveillance powers Americans accepted after 9/11.

Laura then reports that Lil Durk was found not guilty on all five charges in his murder-for-hire case, although the rapper still faces additional legal battles. Later, Papoose’s “Jezebel” reignites the public breakdown of his marriage to Remy Ma, with the crew wondering how much of the renewed attention is personal conflict and how much may also be feeding upcoming music.

Colin Kaepernick’s recent comments about Jay-Z and the NFL spark one of the episode’s biggest debates. The crew considers Kaepernick’s activist position alongside Jay-Z’s decision to work within the league and whether different approaches to change have to be mutually exclusive. The episode closes with a discussion of Fat Joe defending his use of the N-word and why familiarity with hip-hop culture does not automatically settle who gets to use a racial slur.

• (00:00:00) The whole crew is back
• (00:01:00) AI scams, deepfakes and warnings about what comes next
• (00:02:35) Should AI companies be allowed to regulate themselves?
• (00:04:50) Robots, accountability and the lessons of post-9/11 surveillance
• (00:07:15) Lil Durk found not guilty in murder-for-hire case
• (00:09:20) Why Rosenberg has checked out of rapper trial culture
• (00:11:30) Hip-hop, street credibility and when the danger becomes real
• (00:14:15) Papoose responds to Remy Ma with “Jezebel”
• (00:16:30) Is the Remy and Papoose drama also becoming promotion?
• (00:19:20) Colin Kaepernick addresses Jay-Z’s NFL deal
• (00:21:40) Kaepernick’s activism versus Jay-Z’s corporate strategy
• (00:24:45) Did Jay-Z regret saying “we’re past kneeling”?
• (00:26:30) Can two completely different approaches both move things forward?
• (00:27:20) Fat Joe and the debate over who can use the N-word
• (00:31:45) Why an “N-word pass” doesn’t travel everywhere

-----------------------------

Experience the Culture: Catch Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg, and the rest of the network 24/7 on the Amplified Voices TV app: amplifiedvoices.com/podcast-ebro/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.