Mall of Louisiana Mass Shooting. Trump & High Gas Prices. Financial & Stress Awareness #TheBreakdown

A 17-year-old was killed and five others injured in a mass shooting at the Mall of Louisiana, believed to stem from an argument between two groups. Five suspects were arrested.

Baton Rouge police are investigating a mass shooting at the Mall of Louisiana where one person died and six others were injured. Police believe the shooting occurred after an argument between two groups on Thursday, starting in the crowded food court. Five suspects have been arrested.

The murder retrial began for former Franklin County Deputy Jason Meade, accused of shooting 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. six times in the back while Goodson was entering his grandmother's home. The first trial ended in a mistrial.

Former Franklin County Deputy Jason Meade was charged with murder and reckless homicide for killing 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr., who was shot six times in the back on December 4th, 2020. Meade testified Goodson waved a gun at him, and he fired as Goodson entered the house. Goodson was not the subject of a fugitive search. The first trial in 2024 resulted in a mistrial due to a hung jury.

Former President Donald Trump stated Americans should expect higher gas prices for 'a little while' due to the conflict with Iran, but claimed the economy and stock market were performing better than expected.

President Donald Trump said Americans should expect higher gas prices for 'a little while' as the war with Iran continues. He stated he was in no rush for a peace deal, arguing the conflict hadn't hit the economy as hard as expected, noting the stock market was at an all-time high.

An investigation found North Carolina A&T State University improperly distributed over $5.1 million in student aid, with nearly two-thirds going out-of-state and over $780,000 tied to university employees.

The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor found more than $5.1 million in student aid was improperly distributed over several years at North Carolina A&T State University. Funds meant for student services were handed out without proper oversight, sometimes based on connections. Nearly two-thirds went out of state, with over $780,000 going to individuals tied to university employees. The case has been referred to investigators and prosecutors.

Sports journalist Taylor Rooks' foundation partnered with Undo Medical Debt to abolish over $2 million in unpayable medical debt for more than 1,800 families in Gwinnett County, Georgia, highlighting the personal impact of medical bills.

Taylor Rooks' foundation eliminated over $2 million in medical debt for 1,800+ families in Gwinnett County, Georgia, through a partnership with Undo Medical Debt. Rooks shared that the initiative is personal, as her sister lives with type 1 diabetes, and she has witnessed how quickly medical bills accumulate. Undo Medical Debt purchases debt in bulk at a fraction of the cost and then erases it.

Licensed clinical social worker Mayu Mckenley emphasizes the extremely close connection between financial strain and mental health, particularly anxiety and worry, often stemming from generational habits and trauma.

Mayu Mckenley states that financial strain is extremely close to mental health, causing enormous anxiety and worry across all ages. She notes that people don't commonly associate financial stress with its impact on mental health, but they go hand in hand.

Mckenley advises individuals to reflect on their household's financial messages growing up (helpful or hurtful) and to educate themselves using available resources like podcasts and online information.

Mckenley suggests starting by thinking about how finances were handled in one's childhood home to understand personal financial messages. She also recommends taking time to educate oneself on finances through podcasts and other informational sessions.

Mckenley notes that intergenerational trauma impacts community financial habits, stressing the need for long-term planning and education to improve quality of life beyond immediate gratification.

Mckenley highlights that intergenerational trauma impacts community financial habits, leading to extremes like scarcity mindset or 'YOLO' spending driven by social media. She emphasizes the need for communities to think about long-term planning and education to improve overall quality of life.

Mckenley suggests assessing the realism of financial worries (distinguishing factual concerns from intergenerational anxiety) and separating self-worth from financial status to combat shame and depression.

Mckenley advises assessing if financial worries are realistic or if they stem from intergenerational trauma, where anxiety persists despite financial stability. She also stresses the importance of not connecting one's value as an individual to their finances to avoid shame, embarrassment, and withdrawal.

Dr. Tori Pathro Wy advises women to observe a partner's energy, how they treat family, and critically, how they treated past partners and their mother, as these are strong indicators of future behavior.

Dr. Tori Pathro Wy suggests women notice a partner's energy, how they act and respond to others, especially family. A key indicator is how they treated their last girlfriend, wife, or mother, as believing 'he won't do that to me' is a gross mistake of personality.

Dr. Pathro Wy advocates for therapy as a proactive tool for self-care and navigating everyday stressors, not just a last resort during a crisis, especially when feeling 'off' or uncomfortable in relationships.

Dr. Tori Pathro Wy states that women often wait for a crisis before seeking therapy. She encourages taking care of mental health proactively, just like physical health. If something feels 'off' or uncomfortable in a relationship, therapy should be the 'first resort' for a sounding board.

Tiffany Cross highlights that true self-love involves living, working, and dating in a way that reflects that love, rather than seeking validation by believing one can change a 'raggedy man.'

Tiffany Cross differentiates self-care from self-love, stating that truly loving oneself means asking, 'Am I living like I love myself? Am I working like I love myself? Am I dating like I love myself?' She argues that believing one can change a man who treats others poorly is not self-love but a 'brokenness' seeking healing.

Dr. Pathro Wy recommends platforms like Better Health, Sodom, Headway, and Open Path for more affordable therapy, and suggests considering church resources or life coaches for support.

Dr. Tori Pathro Wy suggests several organizations and sites for more reasonably priced therapy, including Better Health, Sodom, Headway, and Open Path. She also mentions church resources and life coaches as alternative support options.

Diamond Pearl discusses her '30 Days of Prayers for Mothers' journal, inspired by her own journey as a single mother, to help mothers find strength, faith, and community through prayer, fasting, and journaling.

Diamond Pearl created '30 Days of Prayers for Mothers' based on her personal journey as a mother, where she found journaling, prayer, and fasting to be a source of motivation and inspiration. The journal includes Bible verses, prayers, and writing prompts specific to motherhood, with bonus prayers for common challenges.

Psychotherapist Sedaria Cook explains that chronic stress elevates cortisol, leading to a constant 'fight or flight' state, and emphasizes the importance of slowing down to think strategically and protect overall well-being.

Sedaria Cook explains that humans naturally produce cortisol, a stress hormone that triggers the 'fight or flight' response. She notes that many people are not recognizing the need to slow down their bodies to think strategically and manage daily life, impacting their spirituality and energy.

Cook details how stress appears as anxiety, can lead to cardiovascular issues (especially for Black women), and underscores the need to acknowledge physical symptoms and set boundaries.

Sedaria Cook states that stress often shows up as anxiety and can manifest physically, leading to hospital visits for anxiety symptoms mistaken for heart attacks. She warns that stress can cause cardiovascular issues, which is the number one killer for all women, with Black women experiencing the highest burden. She stresses the importance of acknowledging physical feelings and setting boundaries.

Cook encourages talking about issues with trusted individuals or therapists for cathartic release and views self-care (regulating the nervous system, setting boundaries) as protection of peace.

Sedaria Cook highlights the cathartic release of talking about issues with trusted family, friends, or therapists. She emphasizes self-care, which includes regulating the nervous system and creating boundaries, as essential for protecting one's peace and changing the mindset around mental well-being.

Cook advises reframing boundaries as necessary for personal well-being ('I have to do this so I can be better for me, but also for you') to overcome guilt.

Sedaria Cook explains that creating guilt-free boundaries involves adjusting one's perspective. She states, 'You really can't pour from an empty place.' Boundaries should be seen as a way to be better for oneself and for others, fostering a guilt-free approach.

Cook offers concrete methods: breath resets (inhale 4s, exhale 6s), mindful pauses, body awareness (relaxing tense muscles), progressive muscle relaxation, asking for help, and building a strong support system.

Sedaria Cook suggests several stress management techniques: breath resets (inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds to signal safety to the body), pausing between moments before reacting, body awareness (checking for and relaxing tense muscles), progressive muscle relaxation, asking for help, learning to say no, and creating a strong support system of trusted individuals.

Cook explains that thoughts are not always real and can be retrained. She suggests alternative thinking, questioning the 'why' behind intrusive thoughts, and using phone reminders for positive affirmations to retrain the brain.

Sedaria Cook states that intrusive thoughts are not necessarily real and don't define who you are. She advises alternative thinking, asking 'why did you just think that?' to understand the discomfort, and creating positive alternative thoughts. She emphasizes that the brain can be trained, suggesting phone reminders for positive thoughts to regulate negative patterns.