low-income, postpartum, Medicaid

OWN’s Upcoming Show Dives Into Cash-Strapped Lives Of American Families

The show focuses on people whose financial choices led to familial strain.


OWN’s new reality show dives into the cash-strapped reality of American families.

Maxxed Out examines the lives of people navigating financial and familial chaos. At a time where economic woes seem to impact all, she show takes a deeper look at those who may have caused their own financial demise.

Produced by Lionsgate Alternative Television for OWN, over eight episodes, viewers will follow these families as they unpack what led to their dire financial state. Guided by financial expert Leah Collins, these families will learn how to break unsustainable money habits while putting them on a path toward a more profitable future.

Collins will pull no punches while addressing the rationale behind some of these poor financial decisions. Getting to the heart of this mismanaged spending, Maxxed Out goes beyond the surface of money to help families heal for the better.

From families dealing with cycles of crushing debt to those feeling the weight of mounting medical bills, these stories shed light on widespread financial issues. Each episode also offers some hope for those struggling to stay afloat.

Maxxed Out isn’t just a show; it’s a mirror reflecting the financial pressures so many of us face and the ripple effect they have on our closest relationships,” said Drew Tappon, head of OWN Unscripted Programming and Development, in a press release. “We want viewers to feel seen and understood, while also walking away with practical tools to rewrite their financial story and reclaim their peace of mind.”

Maxxed Out premieres Jan 10 at 9 p.m. on OWN.

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Keep These Black Snacks (And Seasonings) On Deck For Your Holiday Spread 

Keep These Black Snacks (And Seasonings) On Deck For Your Holiday Spread 

It’s time to create meaningful dining experiences


The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to create meaningful dining experiences that match the deliciousness of your imagination. BLACK ENTERPRISE’s 12-Day of Xmas Lists features Black-owned snack and seasoning brands which bring cultural richness together with culinary creativity to transform your table spread. These 12 selections offer consumers unique hosting enhancements through globally-inspired sauces, allergen-friendly treats and small-batch pantry staples, while supporting entrepreneurs who define modern food trends. These Black snacks should remain available beyond holiday gatherings to continue memorable taste experiences.

Essie Spice

Essie Spice is a small-batch sauce and spice blend company started by Essie Bartels, who is a Ghanaian American flavor curator. Essie Spice has operated from New Jersey since 2013 and delivers its products across the United States. Essie Spice products create perfect bold aromatic heat to enhance meats, vegetables, and sides in holiday cooking.

Zach & Zoë Sweet Bee Farm

The family-owned brand Zach & Zoë Sweet Bee Farm operates under Kam and Summer Johnson to produce raw, unfiltered honey which they infuse with natural superfoods including ginger and berries. The farm started operations in 2015 following their son’s health experience and now operates from New Jersey, while distributing its products through online channels and specific retail locations. This sweet and clean pantry essentially works perfectly for glazing, drizzling baking, and serving with holiday cheeses.

Pip’s Snacks (Pipcorn)

The sibling founders Jeff, Jen, and Teresa established Pip’s Snacks to make heirloom popcorn and crunchy snacks from basic clean ingredients. Pip’s Snacks started operations in 2012 from Brooklyn and has expanded to national distribution. Their popular party snacks make ideal companions for drinks and charcuterie platters.

Pitmaster LT’s

Texas pitmaster LeTroy Woods created Pitmaster LT to deliver authentic barbecue sauces and rubs based on family recipes. The Fort Worth-based company started operations in 2003 and delivers perfect holiday wing sauces and brisket rubs along with roasts and dipping plates that need Southern smoky flavors.

Partake Foods

Denise Woodard established Partake Foods which produces allergen-free cookies, crackers, and baking mixes. The company started operations in 2016 from New York and distributes its products across the United States. The mission of Partake Foods is to provide sweet treats for all holiday table guests, including those with allergies.

Basbaas Foods

Since 2015, Basbaas Foods has existed as the brainchild of Somali American chef and entrepreneur Hawa Hassan. The company produces Somali-inspired sauces, condiments, and marinades which deliver East African tangy flavors to food enthusiasts. Basbaas Foods’ mission focuses on enhancing dips and roasted vegetables and proteins through their distinctive flavor profile.

Hillside Sauce

Chef Robert Hill established Hillside Sauce as a small-batch hot sauce company which combines fruit with peppers and spices to produce their handmade hot sauces. Introduced in the late 2010s, Hillside Sauce is produced in the U.S. and available online. Its layered heat and depth make it a perfect addition to holiday appetizers, eggs, or any dish that needs a kick.

Capital City

Charles and Arsha Jones Jones created Capital City as a culinary gem which introduced authentic D.C.-style mumbo sauce. Since its 2011 opening this Washington, D.C.-based restaurant has become a sweet-tangy staple for wings, fries, and party platters, bringing the beloved flavors of the District of Columbia home.

The Spice Suite

Chef and curator Angel Gregorio established The Spice Suite, which offers globally inspired spice blends, oils, and culinary essentials. The Washington, D.C.-based store, which started in 2015, serves to enhance holiday home meals through its vibrant, chef-level seasoning options and variety.

Major’s Project Pop

Chauniqua Major established Major’s Project Pop, which produces vegan organic kettle corn using unrefined sugar and clean oils. The nostalgic snack debuted in 2014 and its savory and sweet flavor makes it a favorite treat for seasonal gatherings among kids and adults. Major’s Project Pop operates from Florida and delivers its products across the country.

Sienna Sauce Co.

Tyla-Simone Crayton and her family founded Sienna Sauce Co., which operates from Houston, to produce award-winning wing, dipping, and finishing sauces. Since 2017, these sauces combine sweet, tangy, and savory flavors, which suit wings, sliders, and finger foods perfectly and are great for side dippings. 

Healthy On You

The culinary creation Healthy On You, by chef Sam Brinkley, delivers organic spice blends which draw inspiration from worldwide cuisines. The California-based company started operations in 2015 to provide customers an easy method to add sophisticated holiday flavors to their roasted vegetables, proteins, and side dishes.

RELATED CONTENT: Black-Owned Seasoning Brands To Spice Up Your Holiday Table

Boston, Boston Freedom Trail, slavery, King Chapel

Angola’s National Museum Of Slavery Aims To Unite The Diaspora

Angola’s National Museum of Slavery seeks to help descendants of enslaved people reconnect with their enduring history of resilience.


With the National Museum of Slavery, Angola is positioning itself as a destination for descendants of enslaved people who want to reconnect with their roots.

Located on the outskirts of Luanda in a former chapel on the estate of Álvaro de Carvalho Matoso—a Portuguese colonizer who enslaved so many people he reportedly received a commendation—the Museu Nacional da Escravatura preserves the legacy of Angola’s enslaved population, CNN reports.

The museum displays registers documenting the forced transport of people not only to what would become the Southern United States but also to New York, Rhode Island, and other locations. It also houses relics from that era, including a wooden crucifix and a baptismal font used by Portuguese colonizers to erase the identities of enslaved Angolans through forced baptism before sending them across the Atlantic.

“They were baptized here, in the chapel,” said Marlene Ananias Rodrigues Pedro, head of the museum’s department of scientific research. “It was during baptism that enslaved people had their names changed. Their actual names were taken away, and they were given names of Portuguese origin.

“Most of them took ‘Angola’ as their surname to designate the origin of the enslaved people,” she added. “The Portuguese didn’t want them to keep their identity, to keep their personal name.”

At least 1.6 million Angolans were forcibly shipped from Luanda, mostly to Brazil. The first enslaved people in Britain’s American colonies in 1619 also came from Angola. The museum depicts the brutal methods used to force people into slavery: guns, chains, manacles, and drawings showing beatings with spiked paddles.

Some images depict wealthy white colonists feeding Black children scraps while adults served them from silver platters. Alcohol was also used to control captives, with metal stills on display showing how enslaved people were kept drunk to make them easier to pack into ships.

“It was also the colonizer’s idea to make the enslaved people drink,” Pedro said.

The museum doesn’t only depict Angolans as victims. Exhibits also highlight their fierce resistance to slavery and colonialism, with a room displaying weapons like poison arrows and showing how locals traded goods for guns to fight back.

”They fought. And hard. Independence in Africa was not handed over on a silver platter. There was resistance,” Pedro said.

That spirit of resistance persisted from the slave trade to the Angolan War of Independence (1961–1974), culminating in independence in November 1975. Museum director José António Fazenda and Pedro aim to share this history with visitors and are working with U.S. and Brazilian researchers to make Angola’s archives widely accessible, including a digitized version of the Luanda records.

“We want to create a functional library in this room,” Fazenda said. “We are currently working with a group of professionals to prepare a campaign to collect materials for this library. This is our dream. We want people who are here and want to learn more to have a place where they can.”

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Medi-Cal, program, California, healthcare, insurance, coverage, undocumented, Senator, Alexis Donald, menopause,

GOP Senator Proposes Healthcare Plan That Turns ‘Patients Into Consumers’

The subsidies for Obamacare, which were extended at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, are set to expire on Dec. 31.


As the deadline inches closer to find a solution for the millions of Americans who rely on Obamacare subsidies for healthcare, one Republican is proposing a plan that gives Democrats what they want and what Republicans desire.

Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) has proposed “the Marshall Plan,” which would extend the enhanced subsidies for one more year and then convert the subsidies into health savings accounts (HSAs), according to details posted on the senator’s website.

Republican lawmakers are reluctant to extend government subsidies, a central issue for the Democrats during the 43-day government shutdown, the longest in the nation’s history.

Americans use subsidies, also known as tax credits, to lower the cost of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These subsidies, extended at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, are set to expire on Dec. 31. This means millions of Americans will face high health insurance costs if Congress fails to act. GOP lawmakers vowed to work with Democrats to reopen the government, but there have been few details on a cohesive proposal.

Marshall ‘s proposal is an effort to bridge what both parties want.

“My plan doesn’t impact just the 24 million people on Obamacare. It’s going to impact everybody’s cost of healthcare,” the senator told Fox News Digital.  “So, if we pair bumping up savings accounts with price tags, we’re going to turn patients into consumers again, and they’ll do magic things out there. I think of this being like the magic shopping weeks, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.”

According to Marshall, the plan delivers five core reforms that will lower costs, increase access, and put patients back in control of their care, including a crackdown on fraud by requiring ID verification and minimum monthly payments. The plan would also implement price transparency reforms to enable Americans to compare costs and shop for care.

While Senate Republicans are expected to discuss a number of health care options in a closed-door meeting on Thursday, time is running out to present a plan. The Senate is expected to vote on subsidies on Thursday, Dec. 11, 20 days before subsidies expire.

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Notorious BIG, Touré, Notorious B.I.G., Netflix, Sean Combs: The Reckoning

Touré Disputes Biggie Footage In Netflix’s Diddy Doc Was Filmed Right Before He Was Killed

'That clip is way out of context. It’s from years earlier.'


The Netflix docuseries “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” has created more narratives than twists on a roller coaster ride. Another one is being debunked by writer Touré, who clarified that a video clip showing The Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie, admitting that he fears someone will kill him was actually from an interview he had conducted years before his actual death.

In a recent TikTok video he posted to his account, Touré stated that the way the clip was introduced in the doc made it seem like the Brooklyn rapper stated those words right before he was killed in a drive-by shooting in California on March 9, 1997. Touré says that was from an interview he did with the “Ready to Die” lyricist early in his short rap career, while he was promoting his debut album.

The doc shows that particular clip right before talking about and showing scenes from the murder that night.

“So I did that interview, he’s talking to me,” Touré reveals in the video clip. “The doc places this right before the Peterson Auto Museum, March 9th. But you know what? We did that interview on the first album.”

Touré explained that Biggie made those statements regarding street life, especially since he was getting out of “the game” when his debut album dropped in 1994. It could be interpreted, the way the scene cuts to the murder scene, that it may have implied fear from Biggie being in Los Angeles right before he was killed.

“That’s him talking about the street, not the game,” Touré said. “That’s him saying, ‘I’m afraid of getting knocked off on the street.’”

“If anyone started walking up, somebody from the crew would go down with a hammer. Big said to me, ‘I am afraid, afraid of the street. But I gotta be out here. I gotta live. I gotta show ‘em my music. I gotta show ‘em I’m not afraid, but I am definitely afraid.’”

He goes on to say that the doc was slightly deceiving in how the interview was placed right before discussing his murder.

“But the doc makes it like, that bite about his fear relates to the Big/Pac situation and his fear ahead of going to L.A. He may have been afraid because he knew he was in danger of being in L.A. in that moment, but that clip is way out of context. It’s from years earlier.”

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mansion

Florida Homeowner Nears Foreclosure As Squatter Lives Rent-Free, ‘It’s Deceitful, It’s Hurtful’

A Florida homeowner trying to sell her Winter Haven house is now facing foreclosure after a squatter moved in and has been living there rent-free.


A Florida mother is now facing foreclosure after listing her home for sale and getting duped by a man who’s been living there rent-free.

Charlotte Brown attempted to sell her Winter Haven, Florida, home after falling into financial hardship following her husband’s illness, WFTV reports. But instead of closing a sale, her property has been taken over by a stranger who has lived there rent-free for more than a year.

“It’s terrible… It’s deceitful, it’s hurtful,” Brown said.

Brown purchased the Winter Haven, Florida, home in 2021, drawn to the wooded lot as the ideal spot for her family. When her fiancé’s health declined, she became his full-time caretaker, straining their finances. To avoid falling further behind on mortgage and HOA payments, she listed the home for sale in 2023.

“I just had the opportunity to sell. So, that was definitely a plus, especially with the increase in, you know, the market,” she explained.

Brown soon found a prospective buyer, Obed Torres, a real estate agent from California. A company assisting Torres requested the keys to clean the carpets before his move-in, but that’s when trouble began. Torres switched title companies multiple times, and the sale never closed. By spring 2024, he had moved in anyway and has been living there rent-free ever since.

Brown filed reports with the sheriff as well as two court cases to evict Torres, but missed hearings, and both cases were dismissed. Torres claimed he was acting in good faith and said the property was abandoned. Texts show he once agreed to move out, yet as recently as April 2024, he asked the judge for an extension due to health issues.

Investigators observed and heard signs that he was living there, and neighbors confirm he and his family remain in the home. Meanwhile, Brown’s mortgage company has filed for foreclosure as she can’t keep up with payments while living elsewhere. She said she is “absolutely” afraid that she could lose her house.

Attorney Mark Lippman, who reviewed Torres’s living rent-free for over a year, agreed to represent Brown pro bono.

“His answer was garbage. So, the fact that he said that she had abandoned the property is incorrect,” Lippman said.

Florida’s recently strengthened anti-squatting law (HB 621) could help Brown. The law allows law enforcement to act faster, treating illegal occupants as criminal trespassers rather than tenants. Lippman believes this tougher statute may give Brown the legal leverage to prove Torres is living in her home without permission and reclaim it.

“If you can show that somebody’s squatting, they can actually be arrested. It is a criminal offense in Florida now. So, we are looking at that as well,” Lippman said.

Brown’s foreclosure hearing is scheduled for January, though she hopes to have the squatter removed before then. Lippman advises homeowners to prevent similar situations by never giving keys before a sale closes, attending every court hearing, keeping detailed records of all interactions during a home sale, and verifying title transfers through trusted companies.

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Jamaica,, Jamaican, currency,, cotton, money,

She Deserves! Sister Nancy Enters ‘Billboard’ Year-End Chart In First For Legendary Dancehall Artist

Sister Nancy has remained a pioneering figure for women artists in the dancehall scene.


Sister Nancy continues to impact the Dancehall scene four decades into her career.

The “Bam Bam” singer hit the Billboard Year-End Reggae Albums Artists chart for the first time. She placed in the top 10 with the reissue of her 1982 debut album, One Two. Sister Nancy was the only woman to make the list.

According to World Music Views, the re-release hit No. 3 on the Billboard Reggae album chart. Despite her legendary influence in Dancehall, she revived her fame with this limited-edition vinyl of the album.

With only 3,000 copies of the blue vinyl made, fans and music enthusiasts led to the collectible selling out. In addition to the original cover art, the vinyl included new liner notes by reggae scholar John Masouri. Alongside a special sticker sheet, its track listing also features “Bam Bam,” a timeless reggae anthem.

The 63-year-old celebrated the re-release of the album that cemented her status in Dancehall with a Record Store Day event in Queens in April. Fans flooded the store.

The Jamaica-born singer continues to pave the way for women artists in Dancehall. The former Ophlin Russell got her start in the clubs of Jamaica before moving to New Jersey in 1996. Remarkably, she worked as an accountant until 2016 while releasing music.

Her signature track has stood the test of time, remaining a popular sample for Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, and Beyoncé. The single has surpassed 200 million Spotify streams, earning silver certification, and appeared in classic media from James Bond films to Netflix hits like Ozark.

Throughout her career, Sister Nancy has made strides in the male-dominated music genre, inspired by her brother and fellow DJ, Brigadier Jerry. She even hit the road with her sibling, becoming the first female Jamaican deejay to tour internationally.

Widely regarded as the first woman dancehall DJ, Sister Nancy has released several albums, including her latest, Armageddon, released this year. Her impact was highlighted in a 2025 documentary about her heavily-sampled track.

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Matt Barnes

Former NBA Player Matt Barnes Targets ‘Bottom Of The Barrel-A** Blogs’ For Spreading Rumors Of Him Being Bilked By AI Model

'You guys believe that I got played by AI model and I’m suing ‘em?'


Former NBA player and current podcaster Matt Barnes took to his social media page to address a rumor that he was swindled out of more than $50,000 by a purported AI model from a dating app.

As the “All the Smoke” co-host speaks to the camera, he reflects on 2025 as it draws to a close. After revealing that he had hit rock bottom, he states that he had “a lot of negatives, a lot of positives” throughout the year. He is glad that his children are healthy, that business is doing OK, and that he is getting his life back in order, amid family healing. He addresses several rumors, but focused on one that says his pocket was separated from $61,000 because an AI model bilked him.

He addressed the rumor that stated he filed a lawsuit against an alleged AI model. He followed up with the blogs that reported the news and checked them on not bothering to confirm if the rumors were true. He directly lashed out at them.

“And all these little bottom of the barrel-a** blogs pick it up. Shout-out to the ones who are real and know the bulls**t, or at least check. Some of you, bottom of the barrel a** motherf**kers keep running the same garbage, but you guys believe that I got played by AI model and I’m suing ‘em?”

“Where the f**k did you guys get this from? For real. Seriously.”

He also mentioned that he had a conversation with another fellow former NBA player-turned-podcaster, Gilbert Arenas, who also reported the “news” on his show. He was disappointed that, since they knew each other, he hadn’t directly contacted him to find out whether the rumor was true.

“I told him, ‘Bro, after all we been through, bro, like, tap in with me and see if it’s real,’” Barnes said. “And, he said he apologized, he didn’t know it was that deep, but someone I’m close with addresses the lie and it catches fire.”

He said you can’t believe everything you hear.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘BE PRESIDENTIAL:’ Long Island Man Sues Ex-Boss And Medical Center For $100M Over Alleged Obama-Fueled Sex Extortion

doorDash

Hold The Pepper Spray! DoorDash Driver Banned After Being Caught On Camera Tampering With Food Order… Allegedly

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana is investigating the incident


A DoorDash driver in Indiana has been banned from the app after a customer’s doorbell camera revealed that she had allegedly pepper-sprayed the order before dropping it off.

According to 14 News, the incident was caught on camera at an Evansville, Indiana, house sometime after midnight Dec. 7. Mark Cardin, who placed the Arby’s order that night and brought it into the house, says that his wife, as she started eating, had trouble breathing. When he saw her struggling, he went to investigate the bag.

“I noticed my wife had started eating, and she started choking and gasping, and after she had a couple of bites of her food, she actually threw up,” he told the media outlet. “I had a look at the bag and seen that there was some kind of spray or something. The bag had been tampered with.”

What he saw on the video surprised him.

“So I pulled up my doorbell camera and seen that the lady who dropped the food off had actually tampered with it on purpose for some reason.”

Cardin contacted DoorDash, and his next contact was with police officers. He said the food delivery company issued a refund, but did not seem to take the accusation seriously; however, they did ban the driver. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the driver and is expecting to bring charges against her. He posted a video showing her spraying liquid, now known to be pepper spray, on the bag before leaving it for the house’s occupants.

Cardin said the deliverer blocked him on the app when he tried to contact her, so he posted on his Facebook page to identify the pepper-spray bandit and hold her accountable.

“Hey everyone, check out my Dasher Kourtney that sprayed stuff all over my food that I have no idea what it is, and that could poison my family because I have no idea what it is. DoorDash thinks it’s a joke. Kourtney already blocked me on the DoorDash app. I couldn’t even message her. Somebody’s getting sued.”

RELATED CONTENT: ‘BE PRESIDENTIAL:’ Long Island Man Sues Ex-Boss And Medical Center For $100M Over Alleged Obama-Fueled Sex Extortion

WNBA Powerhouse A’Ja Wilson Is The Time Magazine 2025 Athlete Of The Year

Wilson is the second Black women to receive the lauded status.


A’Ja Wilson, one of the greatest athletes in the history of basketball, has a new title to add to her resume.

The WNBA champion is Time Magazine’s 2025 Athlete of the Year. Wilson stands as the second Black women to earn the coveted title. Famed gymnast Simone Biles also received the marker in 2021.

Her recognition marks a significant milestone for Black women athletes, as Wilson has dominated the WNBA with her skillset and multiple championship titles. As she celebrates her third WNBA Finals win with the Las Vegas Aces, the all-star and four-time league MVP has another achievement under her belt.

However, the honor seems more than deserved given Wilson’s stacked list of accolades. She remains not only a three-time WNBA champion, but also reigns as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, six-time WNBA All-Star, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. According to ESPN, the 29-year-old is also the first player in WNBA history to win a championship, Finals MVP, league MVP, and DPOY in the same season.

While the awards remain abundant, Wilson lets her work on the court do most of the talking. She does not let the crown get to her, but also believes in giving credit where credit’s due.

“When you’ve collected everything, that’s Thanos,” shared Wilson in an interview with Time. “I mean crap. I kind of let my game do it. This was my biggest moment of doing it, because no one’s ever done what I’ve done. And I think people really needed to understand that.” 

At the beginning of this year, many doubted that Wilson could continue a legacy that had already been solidified. Despite proving the naysayers wrong, the criticism drove her to reach new levels of her game.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to get knocked down to get built back up,” expressed Wilson. “I think 2025 was a wake-up call that I needed, to let me know that I can’t be satisfied with anything. There’s somebody out there that’s going to try to take your job. You need to make sure you’re great at it, every single day.” 

The 6-foot-4-inch center faced similar opposition in a different capacity. She faced bouts of racism while growing up as a young Black girl in Columbia, South Carolina. She also navigated a learning disability, struggling with her dyslexia until a diagnosis at age 16.

Understanding what it means to overcome obstacles, Wilson remains a vocal advocate for WNBA players to receive just pay for their elevation of the sport. A leader off the court, she hopes to help charge a new era where women’s sports collects the big checks.

“All of us are going to be at the table,” says Wilson, “and we’re not moving until we get exactly what we want.” 

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