The Breakdown with Shaun King

We just learned late last night that the shooter in Nashville purchased an astounding 7 guns, including multiple assault rifles, from 5 different stores across Tennessee, and loaded up on tons of ammunition... all while being treated and evaluated for severe mental health issues. And no red flag was raised. WHY? Because conservatives in Tennessee fought against all red flag laws and made it one of...

It happened again. Yet another school shooting in America. Over and over and over again. We keep seeing them. They rips schools and communities apart. And as always, nothing substantive gets done about it. Today I want to push the conversation forward some and try to expound on WHY nothing gets done on this issue. It's not as simple as we make it out to be. It's not just the NRA. It's much deeper....

As it stands right now, Israel might have the single most conservative government in the world. It's partly what allows them to oversee such a despicable system of Apartheid. But as we speak, protests have completely brought the entire country to a standstill. People are resigning from government jobs, businesses are shutting down, flights are being canceled - all because the far-right government...

On today's special episode of The Breakdown I want to introduce to some of you, and reintroduce to others, my dear friends Allan Boomer and Tiffany Hawkins of Momentum Advisors who give some of the smartest financial advice around. At The North Star we are proud to produce The Momentum Advisors show and today we are playing a full episode for you to check out. They are amazing. My wife and I learn...

Listen - they have money for what they believe in. They make money magically appear for the things they actually care about. If you ever want to know the true heart and priorities of a person (or company or government) just look at their budget. Period. And in a state that is STRUGGLING to cover healthcare costs and educational costs, suddenly they have a billion dollars to spare on mass incarcera...

I thought conservatives were the party of "law and order," right? But if that was the case, why would they be melting down at the mere possibility of Donald Trump being held accountable for his obvious crimes? The answer is obvious - when they call for "law and order" they mean it mainly for African Americans and immigrants of color. They don't actually love police. It's why they had no problem be...

As their dear leader is nearing arrest, I have one simple question for conservatives. And I think this question gets to the heart not only of who they are, but what they actually believe about law and order, mass incarceration, policing, and so much more. Let me unpack and explain it. To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdo...

It appears that Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, is going to be arrested this week. Like most of you, I'll believe it when I see it, but it does indeed appear as if this is about to happen. I have at least 3 things I want you to know about this case and the likely arrest that's going to follow. It could get dangerous. Let me unpack and explain it. To listen to today’s FULL EP...

Exactly 1 month ago today, a wonderful Black couple and their 5 sweet babies, were traveling from Georgia to Chicago for a family funeral when they were pulled over by Tennessee Highway Patrol on a bogus traffic stop for "staying in the left lane and not actively passing someone." In other words, driving while Black. The children, which include a newborn, a 2 year old, a 3 year old, a 5 year old,...

In this throwback episode, we revisit the important question of how to measure success for Black America. Together, we'll explore the metrics that really matter when it comes to moving our community forward. Is it home ownership? Is it college education? Is it the number of people killed by police or incarcerated? Or is it wealth? We'll delve into the outcomes and numbers that truly show whether w...

Last night, I was up late thinking about what appears to be a horrible case of injustice deep in Mississippi. Hours earlier I was thinking about a horrible case of injustice in Buffalo. And hours before that, and before that, and before that I was being contacted about egregious cases of injustice from coast to coast. And I felt a bit overwhelmed, in great part, because it appears to me that the p...

War is hell. And the war in Ukraine is no different. Russia has already created nearly 10 million Ukrainian refugees. Entire towns have been destroyed. Tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people have been killed. That's ALWAYS what war does. But I think my take on this war might surprise you. Let me unpack and explain it. To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to A...

As the executives of Silicon Valley Bank privately rushed to give themselves their annual bonuses and sell their stock in the company, the general public had NO IDEA the bank was about to crash. It's one of the largest single banks to crash in American history. And in some ways Silicon Valley Bank not only knew it was going to happen, they helped cause it by alerting their biggest investors, who i...

With the exception of the police murder of Tyre Nichols, can you name even ONE other victim of police violence from this year? That’s by design. Today I’ll explain why. Let me unpack and explain it. To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast. If you a...

Am I surprised? No. But am I disgusted down to my bones? Absolutely. After begging and pleading for Black votes... After wearing Kente cloth and taking a knee for injustice in America... After marching and protesting against injustice - the Democratic Party just spit in the face of Black leaders, Black voters, and Black people in general. Let me explain. The Washington DC City Council voted 12-1,...

My guess is that about 75% of my audience is actually not into the NFL. Let me explain to you why what happened to star quarterback Lamar Jackson yesterday should matter to all of us. It was clearly a case of collusion. It was unethical at best and illegal and racist at worst. Let me unpack and explain it. To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and s...

As the United States continues the march toward having 400 million people, we are still stuck with an antiquated 2 party system that was created hundreds of years ago. Do you know how many people lived in this country in 1776? 2.5 million people. Cramming 400 million into 2 political parties is preposterous. And it's why almost every developed democracy around the world has at least 4, but sometim...

I'm a huge sports fan. And follow the NBA closely as a hobby. Ja Morant, the young Memphis Grizzlies star, is definitely one of my favorite players to watch. My whole family loves him. But sadly, over the past year, he has had at least 3 incidents with guns, that have made it clear, to say the least, that Ja is not quite on the right path. Truthfully, a full fledged intervention needed to happen a...

It's completely and utterly disgusting. And racist. That's all I can even muster the energy to type right now. Listen to the podcast to hear me unpack and explain it. To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast. If you are already on Apple Podcasts or...

Do you know who the FBI and Department of Defense says the single biggest threat to the safety and security of America is? It's damn sure not drag queens? It's conservative white supremacists. But somehow, instead of thinking about how they can address the violent racists in their own home, conservatives have decided to do what they always do... play a dangerous smoke and mirrors game where they m...

The fastest path to the Republican nomination for President is white supremacy. In part, that's why Nikki Haley, who is an Indian American, and Tim Scott, an African American, will never win the nomination. Nearly 8 years ago, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote something that actually shocked me - where he called Donald Trump America's "First White President." Of course, America had 43 white presidents before...

I don't know if you saw the news, but Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just took over the Disney tax district and literally appointed his homies to run it. His memoir comes out today. He's openly homophobic. And is fighting hard to make sure Black history isn't taught in Florida and his base LOVES IT. In case you missed it, the Republican primaries for President are underway. Trump has announced he's...

It's a big decision, TBH. Where you get your news is something that I really want you to think long and hard about. Who invests in that company? Who runs it? What is their public and private agenda? Who is their core audience? All of those questions have a HUGE impact on what stories they tell, how they tell them, and ultimately impacts what stories they completely ignore. Because right now I see...

When you get a chance, go listen to the important new podcast, Alphabet Boys. In it, a brave reporter breaks the news that the FBI planted a paid informant inside of the movement in Denver to not only feed the FBI information, but to destroy the people leading the movement there by trying to get them to commit crimes they had no previous intent to commit. I have 2 main conclusions that I want to s...

As you have likely seen, a horrible and completely preventable environmental disaster is rapidly getting worse in Ohio - and a ton of blame can go around - from Trump to Biden - and certainly to Norfolk Southern - which owned and operated the train that derailed. It's super easy for Democrats to blame Trump - who repealed policies that might've prevented this accident. And it's easy for Republican...