Echo News TV LLC’s Afternoon Tea Variety With K Britt: Top Local Stories and Community Insights
- Karen Brittingham-Edmond
- Aug 9
- 6 min read
August 9, 2025
Variety News Report
Advocating for Safety: Middletown Family Appeals for
School Bus Access Amid Accessibility Challenges
Middletown, NJ: A married couple from Middletown, Rob and Carolyn Bradfield, addressed the Board of Education last week, advocating for a school bus for their three children who attend New Monmouth Elementary. Carolyn, who has Usher syndrome that has led to her being legally blind and suffering from significant hearing loss, faces challenges navigating the 1.9-mile route to school. Although the family lives just outside the busing threshold mandated by New Jersey law, Carolyn expressed concerns about the deteriorating condition of sidewalks and the dangers of walking alongside busy roads with her children, particularly given her limited vision and hearing.
In 2023, the Bradfields took legal action against the Middletown school district over this issue. While the district typically refrains from commenting on ongoing lawsuits, Superintendent Jessica Alfone made an exception this week to address the situation. The couple is requesting that the existing bus route along Wilson Avenue be extended to include their children, offering to walk them to a nearby intersection to meet the bus. To learn more, please click the Middletown Patch link. https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/blind-mother-continues-legal-fight-middletown-get-busing-her-kids-new?utm_term=article-slot-5&utm_source=newsletter-daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&user_email=8b63617579edf54cbadf7183154015d85784f08e1cf6f4064784661f1b651b81&user_email_md5=e90707a6228d470c252bb1bc33689a6b&lctg=6571e20423b29a937d012200
New Jersey at Risk: Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
Looming During Peak Hurricane Season
New Jersey: Forecasters are closely monitoring tropical activity in the Atlantic Ocean, which could impact New Jersey as hurricane season peaks from August to late October. According to experts from Colorado State University, there is a 25 percent chance that New Jersey will be affected by a tropical storm and an 8 percent chance of a hurricane this season. AccuWeather indicates that the Cabo Verde season, a key period for hurricane development, is approaching. Currently, Tropical Storm Dexter is expected to downgrade to a rainstorm. At the same time, potential tropical or subtropical developments may arise off the South Carolina coast over the weekend, along with a tropical wave in the central Atlantic that could become a depression soon. To learn more, please click the Middletown Patch link. https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/s/jj006/hurricane-season-ramps-up-in-the-atlantic-what-to-know-in-nj?utm_source=local-update&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert&user_email=8b63617579edf54cbadf7183154015d85784f08e1cf6f4064784661f1b651b81&user_email_md5=e90707a6228d470c252bb1bc33689a6b&lctg=6571e20423b29a937d012200
Rahaman Ali, Brother of Muhammad Ali, Passes Away at 82
Louisville Kentucky: According to a report from ESPN by Andreas Hale, Rahaman Ali, the younger brother of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, has passed away at the age of 82. The Muhammad Ali Center confirmed that Rahaman died on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky, although the cause of death has not been disclosed.
Rahaman Ali had a professional boxing career from 1964 to 1972, achieving a record of 14 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw, following in the footsteps of his iconic brother. After retiring from boxing, he often stood by Muhammad's side and trained alongside him.
In addition to his boxing career, Rahaman co-authored a book in 2014 with boxing writer H. Ron Brashear titled "That's Muhammad Ali's Brother! My Life on the Undercard," followed by a second book in 2019 named "My Brother, Muhammad Ali: The Definitive Biography." For more details, please refer to the original ESPN report. https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/45886839/rahaman-ali-younger-brother-boxing-icon-muhammad-ali-dies
Police Capture Wanted Man After Knife-Wielding
Chase in Mercer County
Mercer County, NJ: In Mercer County, NJ, Ewing police arrested a man after he led them on a car chase through three townships. On August 1, Officer Daniel Lookner initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle flagged by a wanted persons alert at a Wawa on Silvia Street. The driver, identified as 62-year-old Victor A. Martin from Stratford, NJ, brandished a large kitchen knife when approached by officers. Despite repeated orders to drop the weapon and exit the vehicle, Martin fled, striking a police car during his escape before eventually being taken into custody. To learn more, please click the Middletown Patch link. https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/s/jj004/knifewielding-man-leads-police-on-vehicle-chase-across-3-mercer-co-towns?utm_source=alert-breakingnews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert&user_email=8b63617579edf54cbadf7183154015d85784f08e1cf6f4064784661f1b651b81&user_email_md5=e90707a6228d470c252bb1bc33689a6b&lctg=6571e20423b29a937d012200
Redefining Success: Liberation and
Healing in the Face of Systemic Racism
Author of "400 Year Holocaust: 400-YEAR HOLOCAUST: White America's Legal, Psychopathic, and Sociopathic Black Genocide
" Dante King Interview with Lurie Favors Daniel on August 7, on The Lurie Daniels Favors Show " features a candid and challenging conversation about the historical and ongoing impact of racism and white supremacy in America, particularly as it relates to the Black experience. The speaker, reflecting on their own life and academic research, discusses the deeply entrenched systems and laws that have perpetuated the oppression of Black people since the institution of slavery. They highlight how early colonial laws, such as those from the Virginia colony, specifically targeted Blackness and not just the status of being enslaved, stripping away rights and justifying violence against Black people.
The discussion delves into the psychological and societal consequences of these laws, arguing that the normalization of anti-Blackness has shaped American institutions and attitudes, leading to a society where Black excellence is often measured by proximity to or success within white institutions.
The dialogue further explores the idea that racism and white supremacy are not just social issues but are rooted in a kind of collective pathology or sickness, as described by various scholars and authors. The conversation challenges the audience to consider how Black people, and other marginalized groups, have been conditioned to internalize anti-Blackness and strive for validation within systems designed to oppress them. The speakers call for a redefinition of freedom and success, urging Black individuals to mentally, spiritually, and emotionally disconnect from the standards set by white institutions. They emphasize the importance of self-liberation and community healing, rather than seeking approval or achievement based on white norms, and highlight the need to recognize and resist the ways in which American systems continue to benefit from Black suffering and pain. The conversation concludes with a call to stop holding Black people to higher standards than those applied to white mediocrity, and to focus on building self-worth and liberation outside of oppressive frameworks.
Former Employee Accused of Bombing
Ex-Boss’s Vehicle in Delran, NJ
In Delran, NJ, Michael Patrick Takacs, Jr., a 43-year-old man from Pennsylvania, was accused by federal authorities of detonating a bomb under his former supervisor’s SUV as an act of revenge after being fired in May. The early morning explosion on July 26 created a 100-foot debris field, sending nails and bolts into the vehicle and nearby homes, but caused no injuries. An FBI investigation revealed Takacs had spent months planning the attack, including photographing the victim’s home, discussing a license plate flipper, and purchasing remote fireworks igniters to detonate the device. Takacs was seen fleeing the scene moments before the bomb exploded. To learn more, please click the Middletown Patch link: https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/s/jj11e/man-set-off-bomb-at-exbosss-home-in-burlco-after-losing-his-job-fbi?utm_source=alert-breakingnews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert&user_email=8b63617579edf54cbadf7183154015d85784f08e1cf6f4064784661f1b651b81&user_email_md5=e90707a6228d470c252bb1bc33689a6b&lctg=6571e20423b29a937d012200
Unemployment Claims Surge:
New Jersey Leads as Job Growth Slows in July
According to recent federal data, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits has reached its highest level in nearly four years, with New Jersey reporting the most significant increase. As of the week ending July 26, the seasonally adjusted number of insured unemployment claims rose to 1,974,000, marking an increase of 38,000 from the previous week. New Jersey's insured unemployment rate stood at 2.8 percent, amounting to 116,153 claims, a rise of 1,661 from the same period last year. The surrounding Tri-State area also saw notable rates, with Pennsylvania at 1.9 percent and New York at 1.7 percent. Despite this rise in claims, jobless claims remained relatively stable over the past several years, with a figure of 226,000 as of the week ending August 2, while U.S. employers added only 73,000 jobs in July, significantly below the expected 115,000. To learn more, please click the Middletown Patch link: https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/s/jj0e2/nj-unemployment-claims-reach-highest-numbers-in-years?utm_source=alert-breakingnews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert&user_email=8b63617579edf54cbadf7183154015d85784f08e1cf6f4064784661f1b651b81&user_email_md5=e90707a6228d470c252bb1bc33689a6b&lctg=6571e20423b29a937d012200
Navigating Complexity: A Scholarly Dialogue on Black
History at the Fourth Annual Du Bois Forum
The fourth annual Du Bois Forum, held from July 18 to 20, 2023, brought together prominent historians and scholars to engage in a nuanced discussion of Black history and racial issues. Founded in 2021 by Tufts University historians and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer David Levering Lewis, the forum included a roundtable at Jacob's Pillow, a tour of Great Barrington, and a panel at Chesterwood, coinciding with the unveiling of a W.E.B. Du Bois sculpture at the Mason Public Library. The panel featured distinguished academics, including Thavolia Glymph, Nathan Connolly, Lonnie Bunch, Elizabeth Hinton, and Brandon Terry, who explored the complexities of historical narratives. Terry challenged the preference for uplifting romanticized histories, while Bunch emphasized the importance of embracing ambiguity and nuance in historical discourse. Glymph highlighted societal discomfort with discussing Black trauma, and Connolly described the romantic, yet painful, aspects of the Black experience in America. The dialogue highlighted the importance of a comprehensive understanding of history that acknowledges both struggles and hope in the face of contemporary political challenges. To learn more, please click the Berkshireedge.com link: https://theberkshireedge.com/scholars-convene-at-du-bois-forum/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Celebrating Busta Rhymes: A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!
Congratulations to Busta Rhymes on receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! This incredible achievement is a testament to your immense talent and dedication to the craft of music. Your impact on hip-hop is undeniable, and it's inspiring to see you honored among the legends. Here's to many more milestones in your career! To learn more, click the Channel 7 ABC News Link: https://abc7.com/post/hip-hop-legend-busta-rhymes-honored-star-hollywood-walk-fame/17393532/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
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