The Thick

Welcome back Thickums! We’re diving into the complex dynamics of friendship this week and using Savannah James as the catalyst to the convo. We kick things off with the viral clip that has everyone talking—she flies first class while her best friend fly business and pays her own way. If we were billionaires, how far would our generosity actually extend? Would we upgrade the whole crew, or are there boundaries? We segue into Chris Rock’s story about a childhood friend who was wrongfully imprisoned for 19 years that asked Rock for help with his legal fees. Chris Rock refused and says he will help his friends out but his hard line is he doesn’t pay for legal fees. Does having the means to help someone mean we should?As per usual, we delved into the latest pop culture topics like Gypsy Rose’s fiancé passing away, Candace Owens is wlw I guess, Amanda Seales’ diss track and much more. The news is light this week but the convo isn’t, so get comfy, lock in and enjoy this episode of The Thick!IG, TikTok & YouTube: @thethickpodcastFollow our hosts everywhere at @tabriamajors and @damnmindyMusic Credit: CWatt$Sources1: Hatch Escapes LA https://www.hatchescapes.com Man From Beyond Houston https://strangebirdimmersive.com/themanfrombeyond/2: Pete Hegseth cutting 20% of top Us military officials https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/30/hegseth-military-personnel-cuts3: Project Meridian https://www.npr.org/2026/10/06/nx-s1-5991899/elon-musk-palmer-luckey-pentagon-drones-ai4: Trump sends $500 “rebate” checks to battleground states https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trumps-500-obamacare-rebate-checks-land-prime-political-battlegrounds-2026-10-01/5: Pete Hegseth creates Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-defense-department-pentagon-religion-41405eb6dd60ca5a3f45fe3387f829526: FlyDubai flight under attack https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/flydubai-pilot-planned-crash-israel-airport-tel-aviv-oman-investigatio-rcna601806 7: Pneumonic Plague in Russia https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/plague-suspected-russia-lab-pneumonic-siberia-symptoms-treatment-rcna6015898: Dolly Parton x Community Coffee https://www.communitycoffee.com9: Actum universal housing https://www.universalshelter.orgTimestamps00:00:00 Intro + REGISTER TO VOTE00:02:23 Trump tryna bribe ppl for votes + Mr. Global00:06:05 Tabria’s catch up: escape rooms, Verity, Doing Life00:16:43 Tabrindy’s astrology 00:18:08 Mindy’s catchup: fights, parties & concerts 00:28:55 Good childhoods, piercings & tattoos00:33:30 Pete Hegseth reshaping Pentagon & military 00:38:45 FlyDubai flight went down00:44:18 Pneumonic Plague in Russia?00:45:28 Good News, Dolly Parton, Actum & family reunited 00:48:56 Ken Urker, Gypsy Rose’s fiance, dies00:53:56 Candace Ownes wlw00:57:09 Amanda Seales diss track01:01:26 Druski on Time 10001:04:06 Eminem featured on Kid Rock Christian album01:05:57 ComplexCon01:08:08 Bill Withers estate suing Olivia Dean + Frequency of Love01:09:54 Kai Cenat & Reggie01:20:50 Davinchi01:26:38 Pro Black & Interracial dating 01:38:59 Chris Rock didn’t help innocent man w/ legal fees01:45:50 Are we too generous?01:51:59 Lebron James02:00:35 What sorority would you join?02:02:40 Would you rather?02:07:28 Recession indicators 02:12:41 Outro

This week on The Thick, we unpack Nikole Hannah-Jones’ decision to send her daughter to an under-resourced, predominantly Black public school and the complicated decision Black parents face: Is a “good” school worth being racially ostracized?  We unpack this discussion, the intense criticism Hannah-Jones received for her decision, and the tradeoffs Black parents navigate with this decision. In the news, we break down the latest developments in the Nolan Wells case, the Cornell sexual-assault case, Title IX rollbacks, and more.Then in pop culture: the VMAs, Taylor Swift’s underwhelming new album, and Mariah Carey’s Billboard record somehow being broken by a song we’ve never even heard.Education, race, parenting, opportunity, justice, and a little pop culture mess—we’re getting into everything!IG, TikTok & YouTube: @thethickpodcastFollow our hosts everywhere at @tabriamajors and @damnmindyMusic Credit: CWatt$SourcesNearly half a million deaths projected worldwide due to Super El Niño https://apnews.com/article/el-nino-climate-change-heat-deaths-0a6bb09c708041ec5c705093892443e8Mortgage rates increase https://www.npr.org/2026/09/24/nx-s1-5977796/mortgage-rates-freddie-mac-homebuyingIran negotiations w/ the US https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-iran-set-hold-separate-talks-with-mediators-monday-or-tuesday-official-says-2026-09-28/?Airlines cut back on holiday travel https://travel.yahoo.com/news/articles/flying-home-holidays-3-major-021439505.htmlDept. of Education rollback Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/ed-dept-officially-kills-biden-rule-that-added-lgbtq-protections-to-title-ix/2026/09Grad student loans limited even further https://hechingerreport.org/grad-students-health-care-fields-federal-loan-limits/Project 2025 Tracker https://www.project2025.observer/enNolan Wells SnapChat messages https://justicefornolanwells.com/garrett-report?page=9Jay Megan’s deep dive https://www.youtube.com/@Nerdypinkpanda/videosDA reopens Cornell case + Jane Doe’s original statement https://abcnews.com/US/district-attorney-reopens-case-alleged-cornell-university-gang/story?id=136806149Nikole Hannah-Jones original essay on choosing her daughter’s school https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/12/magazine/choosing-a-school-for-my-daughter-in-a-segregated-city.htmlNikole Hannah Jones follow-up piece https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/magazine/ny-public-schools-black-students-segregation.htmlThis American Life podcast episode w/ Nikole and her daughter https://www.thisamericanlife.org/898/an-argumentTimestamps00:00:00 Transition lenses00:06:56 Tabria’s catch up00:09:40 Models are a blank slate00:11:52 Mindy’s catch up00:14:05 Utilities are UP00:17:01 Super El Niño00:20:24 West Nile in SoCal00:22:14 Mortgage rates increase00:28:15 Iran War & diesel00:32:11 Title IX rollbacks00:34:18 Student loans limited00:36:46 Nolan Wells00:44:47 Cornell gang rape00:56:02 Good News00:57:14 Burps & interview etiquette00:59:42 Good News cont.01:01:03 Condolences to Raz-B & Mona01:02:00 Judge Judy01:05:56 Celebs & Influencers arrested at UN protest01:06:52 VMAs came and went01:08:17 Taylor Swift 01:21:58 Choosin’ Texas beat Mariah’s record01:26:23 Hannah Gann the new Rachel Dolezal 01:32:17 Nicki Minaj interview w/ Lara Trump  01:33:03 Topic: Nikole Hannah-Jones01:40:55 As Black parents, would you choose education over culture?01:46:19 Tabria’s school experience01:49:37 Mindy’s school experience01:54:56 Nikole’s intent vs impact01:58:10 What’s the solution?02:03:26 Social Media/Phones part of the problem02:06:32 Tell us about your experiences in school02:07:40 Rank yourself with boy, girl, man, woman02:13:28 Which people are the most generous?02:17:35 Outro

Gas prices are up, the press pool is out, and the Internet isn’t real! This week on The Thick we dive into our news and pop culture catch up, including Hasan Piker’s Clock It interview, KWN’s “joke” of a crush on KeKe Palmer, #EmmysSoWhite, and the untimely passing of Presley Gerber.Then we detour into the Patrick Clancy and Rachel Danis interview on 60 Minutes and how one viral post became a textbook example of Dead Internet Theory. What happens when we can no longer tell who, or what, we’re conversing with online? Bots and AI agents can create content, write comments, drive engagement…sooo what’s the point anymore?IG, TikTok & YouTube: @thethickpodcastFollow our hosts everywhere at @tabriamajors and @damnmindyMusic Credit: CWatt$SourcesIranian Senior Adviser says Trump and  Netanyahu must be removed to reopen Strait https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iran-adviser-strait-hormuz-closed-trump-netanyahu-1820411Houthis take over Red Strait and how that affects US https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-houthis-seized-a-critical-strait-and-attacked-saudi-arabia-heres-what-it-means-for-the-u-sAramco halts October crude oil deliveries to some European refiners https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/aramco-halts-october-crude-deliveries-some-european-refiners-after-pipeline-2026-09-18/US oil reserves fall to lowest level since 1982 https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-stocks-us-strategic-petroleum-reserve-fall-lowest-level-since-1982-2026-09-21/SPR Storage Sites https://www.energy.gov/hgeo/opr/spr-storage-sitesUS oil reserve levels threatens salt caverns https://fortune.com/2026/08/17/depleted-us-strategic-oil-reserves-risk-damaging-salt-caverns-iran-war/Trump renaming Kennedy Center? https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-declines-say-whether-he-will-tear-down-kennedy-center-2026-09-18/White House press pool https://apnews.com/article/trump-pool-ban-cnn-msnow-politico-dc1a144d37a5d2e90488eec110ca9835White House launches TrumpTV https://www.npr.org/2026/09/22/nx-s1-5977768/trump-tv-media-ban-white-houseFederal Reserve raises interest rates https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/federal-reserve-rate-hike-reflects-new-world-of-sticky-inflation-and-faster-growthBots outnumber humans online https://www.forbes.com/sites/josipamajic/2026/06/04/bots-now-outnumber-humans-online-and-the-internet-was-never-built-for-this/Timestamps00:00:00 Intro00:01:20 ADHD 00:03:11 Tabrindy goes cycling00:11:27 Tabria’s catch up00:14:27 Mindy’s catch up 00:20:18 Iran war + gas shortages00:29:01 Trump keeps trying to rename Kennedy Center00:31:37 No Press Pool00:35:23 Federal Reserve raises interest rates 00:37:44 Clock It interviews Hasan Piker00:42:24 Jehovah’s Witnesses blood transfusions00:45:37 Good News00:47:33 RIP Presley Gerber00:49:07 Emmys So White00:50:04 LGBTQ discrimination in Turkey00:52:05 Content creator fights robot00:54:18 Ed Sheeran response to Macklemore 00:57:45 Torey Lanez “Tour”01:00:18 KWN “joke” about KeKe Palmer crush01:17:37 Patrick Clancy 60 minutes interview 01:31:41 Bots online01:33:31 Dead Internet Theory01:48:42 Did we peak at Millennials01:58:27 Name 15 states in 12 seconds01:55:25 If AI takes over by 2030, what would you do in the next 3 years?01:57:09 Beyonce & Solange

Is gatekeeping always a bad thing? This is what we’re delving into this week on The Thick. The “mid-tier” events have disappeared which has led to influencers occupying spaces once reserved for established entertainers, insiders and celebrities. The VMAs, AMAs, Billboard Awards, Hip-Hop Awards, etc were stages that bridged the gap between the obscure and the A-list. Now it seems like if you have a phone and a following, you can be at the Met Gala.We’re not arguing that this new found access is bad—its a good thing! But what happens when the barrier to entry is so low that talent and originality become more diluted—does exclusivity actually serve a purpose?We unpack and delve into the news cycle with Mitch McConnell coming back from the dead, Trump bribing Americans with imaginary checks again, and Jasmine Crockett’s poor decision making, plus so much more! There’s no gatekeeping here, so grab a seat and let’s unpack.IG, TikTok & YouTube: @thethickpodcastFollow our hosts everywhere at @tabriamajors and @damnmindyMusic Credit: CWatt$SourcesSaudia Arabia’s East-West pipeline damaged ⁠https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-prices-rise-saudi-pipeline-outage-fresh-attacks-raise-supply-concerns-2026-09-15/⁠Mr. Global’s video on the East-West Pipeline ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mrglobaltoo/video/7685060782400245005?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc⁠Ashley St. Clair and the dangers of Elon Musk ⁠https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-documentary-venice-film-festival-ai-8d684e5e1455c04590e6bcb786735d03⁠Former Anthropic employee ‘genuinely frightened’ for humanity’s future ⁠https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1kx0gyje9wo⁠Jacob Coxon’s X post about AI ⁠https://x.com/hilbertspaess/status/2097476196791709843?s=12⁠Sam Altman confirms OpenAI won’t go public this year ⁠https://fortune.com/2026/09/12/sam-altman-openai-ipo-delay-ill-advised-moment-safety-concerns/⁠Jimmy Kimmel’s interview w/ James Talarico ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLDE9LrGpNk⁠1.2 million Texas voters placed on suspension list ⁠https://thedailytexan.com/2026/09/10/1-2-million-texas-voters-placed-on-suspension-list-ahead-of-midterm-elections/⁠Timestamps00:00:00 Mindy’s tilt00:04:34 Dutty Wine in your 30s 00:06:20 Tabrindy did Solidcore00:12:50 9/1100:18:00 Censored music00:21:30 Mindy’s catch up00:26:58 California coastline/Super El Niño00:32:03 Saudi Arabia pipeline00:37:39 Trump promises $5000 dividend checks 00:38:53 Mitch McConnell only half dead00:40:19 Ashley St. Clair00:42:02 Anthropic whistleblower00:46:53 People living in bunkers since 2020?00:49:06 Jasmine Crockett honors Chris Brown00:53:00 Another James Talarico interview blocked00:57:07 Fat Joe isn’t Black01:05:28 Issa Rae invests in LA Pro Volleyball team01:06:01 Why Did I Get Married Again01:10:49 Macklemore & P!nk 01:13:05 Lady Gaga gives birth/everybody pregnant 01:15:50 Lil’ Boosie scammed01:17:11  Hyrox shitty situation01:21:25 The “Mid-tier” moments are gone01:25:48 Did exclusivity make “the moment”?01:29:02 Are things better now?01:36:16 Do low barriers to entry dilute talent?01:38:22 Popular vs famous01:40:29 If you could only listen to music from 1 decade…01:42:52 How much to complete Solidcore class w/ no breaks?01:45:45 If Elon paid you to shut up would you?01:47:27 How would you disperse $200k to charity?01:55:04 Outro

Are you a cutie patootie or a baddie? This week on The Thick, we ask the important questions before diving into everything else going on the world.In the news, we break down the House condemning socialism and the Lindsay Clancy trial ending in a mistrial. Then it’s pop-culture catch-up: Beyoncé’s box, P!nk calling out Macklemore over his advocacy, + more!For our main topic, we talk through Keith Lee thanking God for protecting his family after a crash caused by a drunk driver, while another person tragically lost their life. What does it mean to publicly call yourself blessed in the wake of someone else’s tragedy? We unpack the way people talk about divine protection and favor. If God intervenes to save one person, what does that say about the person who wasn’t saved? And somewhere between politics, theology and pop culture, we also determine whether we are  cutie patooties or baddies. What do yall think?IG, TikTok & YouTube: @thethickpodcastFollow our hosts everywhere at @tabriamajors and @damnmindyMusic Credit: CWatt$SourcesHouse condemns Socialism ⁠https://legis1.com/news/house-condemns-socialism-resolution-passes⁠Black man’s burned body found in Mississippi ⁠https://www.wlbt.com/2026/08/25/body-found-burned-wrapped-tarp-greenville/⁠Man found hanging near Dodger’s Stadium ⁠https://www.complex.com/sports/a/markelibert/man-found-dead-hanging-bridge-la-dodger-stadium⁠Family Annihilation stats ⁠https://www.parents.com/parenting/dynamics/inside-the-mind-of-family-annihilators/⁠Mother in Illinois obsessed with Clancy case, fatally strangled son ⁠https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/06/us/illinois-corie-walsh-child-death⁠15 y/o fatally shoots woman at liquor store in Detroit ⁠https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2026/08/24/shooting-detroit-liquor-store-bodies-stoepel-haverhill-drive-by/91447969007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116552p117350l001150c117350e1195xxv116552d--59--b--59--&gca-ft=138&gca-ds=sophi⁠Chicago shooting left 16 year old deceased ⁠https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shooting-injures-2-teens-south-stony-island-avenue-woodlawn-cpd/18893393/⁠Timestamps00:00:00 Intro00:02:34 Cutie Patootie vs Baddie00:08:04 Solar Punk utopia00:10:02 Tabria’s catch up00:13:25 Mindy’s catch up00:19:54 Watch out for the food yall!00:22:06 Mindy’s catch up cont.00:24:10 We’re doing [solidcore] together!00:26:38 The tea leaf lady 00:30:47 Lilith placement 00:32:54 Arcade.gov00:35:13 House condemns Socialism00:36:13 Rula Jubreal calls Hakeem Jeffires “monkey”00:38:49 Something is wrong in Mississippi00:41:30 Lindsay Clancy case ends in mistrial00:51:22 End gun violence!00:54:33 UN votes to correct maps00:58:37 NY hair stylists required to know how to work on all hair types01:02:49 Mamdani banned AI in elementary schools for 1 year01:03:30 Adidas amputee campaign featuring IDF soldier01:06:41 Fuck P!nk01:11:07 Artists canceling tours01:15:38 Beyonce girl, this box??01:22:48 Keith Lee thanks God01:39:13 Most alarming symptom from medical professionals01:41:40 What stage of our lives have been the hardest? Mindy’s answer01:47:14 Tabria’s answer01:50:15 What is something we would never do for social media?01:53:31 Outro