Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Don Lemon’s Arrest and ‘Melania’ a Box Office Hit? Plus, Howard Bryant on the Erasure of Paul Robeson
18 snips
Feb 3, 2026 
Matthew Belloni, entertainment journalist and industry podcaster, breaks down why Melania outperformed at the box office and what studio politics and marketing moves drove it. Howard Bryant, author and cultural critic, explores the erasure and political battles around Paul Robeson and connects Robeson and Jackie Robinson through history and power struggles.
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Court Theory Could Cement Executive Power
- Van Lathan highlights worry about the judiciary enabling executive overreach via unitary executive theory.
- He suggests this legal view could legally codify presidential power and weaken checks on the executive.
Let New Allies In — Then Watch Their Actions
- Rachel Lindsay says accept new allies against authoritarianism but watch their future actions and votes.
- She urges evaluating whether they sustain criticism beyond the moment before trusting them politically.
Inside TMZ: Harvey Levin And Trump
- Van recounts personal history at TMZ and his complex relationship with Harvey Levin during the Trump era.
- He explains Harvey's early Trump sympathy then rapid disengagement and how that changed their dynamic.
