Topic: Brooklyn

MSNBC's Joy Reid attacks Kyrie Irving, calling him an "anti-vax poster child" and a "celebrity pawn." She rejects Stefan Marbury's comparison of Irving to Muhammad Ali, citing Ali's 1978 PSA for vaccines as proof they are opposites. The hosts critique Reid's "identity-less" persona and her attempt to "purge" the Ali comparison from the internet to protect her job.

The hosts point out the hypocrisy of the NBA barring Kyrie Irving, given the league's history of "load management" where stars sit out games for rest. They clarify that it is New York City's mandate, not the NBA's, that prevents him from playing home games. They suggest the Brooklyn Nets are "ramping this up" to smear Irving rather than accommodating his choice.

The discussion disputes claims that COVID-19 affects Black communities at significantly higher rates due to biological factors, suggesting instead that socioeconomic status and comorbidities are the primary drivers. As the NBA season approaches, LeBron James faces logistical hurdles as unvaccinated players may be barred from arenas in Brooklyn and San Francisco. The hosts speculate on whether James will maintain his stance or succumb to the "bullet phone" pressure from league sponsors.

The death of actor Michael K. Williams at age 54 in his Brooklyn apartment is discussed. While initial reports cited drug paraphernalia, the hosts speculate on the rise of fentanyl and carfentanyl in the cocaine and marijuana supply. They question if the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan impacted the heroin supply, leading to an "attack" of synthetic opioids from China.

The hosts mock the "Safety Pin Box," a monthly subscription service designed to "wake up white people" to black realities for fees up to $100 a month. They characterize such services as a way for "privileged elites" to profit from racial tension. The segment encourages listeners to support the "value for value" model of the podcast instead of buying "guilt boxes."

Michael Bloomberg issued a public apology for stop and frisk at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, claiming he did not realize the negative impact on Black and Latino communities. Many New Yorkers and ADOS activists view the apology as insincere pandering intended solely to secure votes for his presidential campaign. The hosts mock the idea that a sophisticated politician like Bloomberg was unaware of the trauma caused by his own policies.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams accepted Michael Bloomberg's apology, a move the hosts characterize as receiving "butter biscuits." The term is defined as a metaphor for being bought off with financial gain or political clout in exchange for defending someone's controversial actions. Donald Trump criticized the apology as "disgraceful" and "pathetic," noting that Bloomberg only changed his stance after joining the Democratic Party.

In 1973, the Department of Justice sued Fred and Donald Trump for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against Black renters in Brooklyn and Queens. Undercover "testers" revealed that Black applicants were told no apartments were available, while white applicants were shown units immediately. The lawsuit alleged that the Trumps sought to reserve specific buildings for white tenants while relegating people of color to less desirable locations.

Actress Ja'Net DuBois, who played Willona on Good Times, passed away on February 17, 2020. She is credited with writing and performing "Moving On Up," the theme song for The Jeffersons, which was inspired by her personal dream of moving her mother out of the Brooklyn ghetto. DuBois wrote the lyrics as a "promise" to change her family's life, capturing the universal desire for upward mobility and home ownership.

The "Safety Pin Box" curriculum includes tasks like giving higher tips to black people and practicing "radical compassion." A Vice report features a woman in Park Slope who admits she has no natural encounters with people of color. The hosts describe this as a symptom of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and an insulting way to engage with racial issues.

Rapper T.I. explains the strategy of investing in "blighted" properties near major infrastructure projects like stadiums. The hosts compare this to Jay-Z's involvement with the Brooklyn Nets and the Barclays Center, arguing that celebrities are used as faces for gentrification to reduce community pushback. They argue that these projects often displace the very people the artists claim to represent.