We are heartbroken at the passing of our dear friend and fierce TAC fan, Katerina. We dedicate Season 3 to her. Love ya, Kat.

Season 3 is here—and somehow Laura Loomer, the 2026 midterms, TikTok drama, and a $4 cake pop all landed in the same group chat.

Shannon, Stacey, and LV begin by catching up on a summer filled with Vegas prices, Hersheypark roller coasters, Essence Fest, community meetups, and “adult money” that is officially on an improvement plan.

Then the conversation turns to the political chaos surrounding the 2026 midterms, Laura Loomer’s racist attacks against Angie Nixon and other Black women in politics, MAGA infighting, voter registration concerns, and the increasingly unserious state of the country.

After that, the algorithm takes over.

The ladies unpack TikTok relationship drama, Chrisean Rock and Blueface, Nara Smith making Skittles, AI-generated vertical dramas, and the viral controversy involving an Amazon driver, a “Treat Yourself” sign, and a $4 cake pop that created TikTok’s newest folk hero.

If your FYP is unhinged, your money is acting funny, and you have whispered “help us, Lord” at the news this week, welcome home.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What Shannon, Stacey, and LV did over the summer• Vegas prices, Essence Fest, Hersheypark, and community meetups• The approaching 2026 midterm elections• Laura Loomer’s attacks on Black women in politics• MAGA infighting and Natalie Harp• Why everyone should check their voter registration• TikTok relationship rabbit holes• Chrisean Rock, Blueface, and Nara Smith• The viral $4 Cake Pop Thief controversy• AI vertical dramas becoming TikTok’s new soap operas

YOUTUBE CHAPTERS:

00:00 A Million Episodes—and a Million Fights00:23 Welcome to Season 301:41 What We Did Last Summer03:52 Meetups, Hersheypark and Essence Fest06:54 The 2026 Midterms and Political Chaos07:15 Laura Loomer’s Attacks on Black Women10:01 Natalie Harp and MAGA Infighting12:22 Milo, ICE and a Very Unserious Country12:46 Midterm Anxiety and the Mitch McConnell Watch13:31 Lindsey Graham, Dolly Parton and a Strange Summer15:32 Voting Concerns and Texas Registration17:05 TikTok FYPs Have Gone Off the Rails17:27 Mike and Rachel’s Relationship Drama20:20 Chrisean Rock, Blueface and Internet Rabbit Holes21:45 Nara Smith and Cake Pop Drama23:13 TikTok’s $4 Cake Pop Thief26:26 AI Vertical Dramas: TikTok’s New Soap Operas30:06 Season 3 Wrap-Up32:10 Post-Credits Blooper

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Like, comment, subscribe—and tell us we’re pretty!

Thursdays are for chaos.America’s favorite DEI Group Chat is back.

Produced by Messy Genius Media.

Also, if you can… consider donating to the GFM set up to help Katerina’s sons with her final medical bills and end of life costs. Kat's GFM

The group chat is officially in session.

This week on The A Collective, Shannon, Stacey & LV tackle the chaos of summer in 2026: rising gas prices, expensive travel, grocery sticker shock, healthcare anxiety, vaccine conversations, and why hot girl summer may actually be cancelled by inflation.

Plus, the internet gets weird. The hosts spiral into TikTok rabbit holes, Baby Reindeer comparisons, internet obsessions, and the kind of algorithm chaos that somehow becomes your whole personality for 48 hours.

If your FYP is strange, your grocery bill hurts your feelings, and you’ve whispered “help us Lord” at least once this week… welcome home.

✨ Subscribe for smart, funny conversations about politics, culture, internet chaos, women’s lives, health, and whatever fresh nonsense the timeline throws at us.

In This Episode:

“Help Us Lord” becomes the official vibe of 2026

Ebola headlines & public health concerns

Vaccines, healthcare, insurance & medical anxiety

Why summer travel is looking expensive

Gas prices, airline costs & “hot girl summer” in this economy

Grocery sticker shock and outrage over soda prices

TikTok rabbit holes, Baby Reindeer comparisons & internet chaos

Why everyone’s algorithm is spiraling

🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform📰 Subscribe to our Substack for bonus content & behind-the-scenes chaos📲 Follow along for clips, commentary & community

This week on The A Collective, we somehow went from Mother’s Day memories to modern prom culture, parenting styles, latchkey childhoods, graduation inflation, and whether anybody under 18 actually needs Tom Ford heels.

We talk:

growing up as latchkey kids

childhood church memories

“cool mom” culture

gentle parenting vs consequences

prom dresses getting increasingly unhinged

graduation photo shoot pressure

social media parenting expectations

why everybody suddenly has a graduation ceremony

and the unexpected return of… the home phone.

Also:LV accidentally begins negotiating with the Lord for a sugar daddy.

As one does.

We were supposed to talk about media… and accidentally proved why it’s changing in real time.

In This Episode:

Welcome back to The A Collective — where smart women talk real life, real news, and everything in between.

This week, we’re diving into the shift in media power — from mainstream outlets to independent journalists, TikTok creators, and political “newsfluencers.”

Is traditional media still necessary?Or are influencers becoming the new gatekeepers of information?

We get into:

The rise of independent media & Substack journalists

TikTok, X, and how social media is shaping political narratives

Whether “newsfluencers” can be trusted

Paid influencers in politics (yes… it’s happening)

Why candidates MUST have a social media strategy now

And how younger voters are changing the entire landscape

This isn’t just about media… it’s about who controls the story now.

👇 Stay connected with us everywhere:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theacollectivepodSubstack: https://theacollectivepod.substack.com/Beacons: https://beacons.ai/theacollectivepod

💬 Drop a comment:Where do YOU get your news right now?

This week on The A Collective, we’re back breaking down the chaos… and trying to figure out if any of it is actually normal (spoiler: it’s not).

We kick things off with a conversation about anxiety, overthinking, and being the friend who immediately assumes the worst—and shows up anyway.

From there, it’s straight into the headlines:

We unpack the Labor Secretary resignation and the growing list of questions surrounding it, including allegations, investigations, and the all-too-familiar pattern of “resigning” before accountability hits.

Then we get into the Ka$h Patel lawsuit—including the now-infamous battering ram story—and what it means when legal strategy meets public chaos.

We also talk about:

Trump publicly arguing with the Pope (yes, really)

Rising global tensions and the very real stakes behind the headlines

Concerns about leadership, decision-making, and what happens when people in power are clearly unfit

And because we needed a break from… all of that, we shift into Coachella—where influencer culture, brand deals, and online backlash took center stage.

We get into:

The fallout surrounding creators attending Coachella

The pressure placed on influencers to “take a stand”

Where people draw the line when it comes to brands, politics, and personal values

And whether any of it is actually consistent

We wrap things up with a lighter conversation about Cardi B’s tour, cultural moments, and why authenticity still matters.

🎧

In this episode:

Labor Secretary resignation & ongoing investigations

Kash Patel lawsuit + “battering ram” controversy

Trump vs the Pope

Global tensions and political instability

Coachella backlash & influencer accountability

Cardi B’s tour and cultural impact

💬

Let’s talk:

What part of this week made you stop and think… what is actually happening right now?

🎁

Bonus Content (Substack Subscribers):

Before we even started recording, things got chaotic.

Dog medication battles.Family stories.And a conversation that somehow escalated before we even hit “record.”

🔗

Follow + Connect:

📺 Watch full episodes📝 Subscribe on Substack📱 Follow for clips and updates

The circus rolled into another week and somehow the tent got bigger.

This episode of The A Collective covers the unraveling ceasefire confusion, the Trump administration’s ongoing chaos, Melania’s surprise public statement, the Epstein file speculation, and the political merry-go-round that keeps spinning.

From celebrity chaos and Chris Brown discourse to Middle East policy confusion, media scrambling, and what happens when nobody in charge seems to know the plan, we’re breaking down the week the only way we know how: sharp, honest, and just a little unhinged.

🎧 Follow for weekly commentary on politics, culture, media, and whatever fresh disaster lands in the group chat next.

📩 Join us on Substack for bonus clips, bloopers, and subscriber-only behind-the-scenes chaos:

https://theacollectivepod.substack.com/

📱 Find us everywhere:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theacollectivepod

Beacons: https://beacons.ai/theacollectivepod

This week on The A Collective, LV, Stacey, and Shannon take us from the dark side of the moon straight into the chaos on Earth.

We’re talking the Artemis mission and NASA’s incredible moon journey, the latest political and media chaos, the women’s NCAA controversy involving Coach Dawn Staley, and the return of Kanye West’s latest public spiral, celebrity support, and canceled festival drama.

From sharp social commentary to the kind of group-chat chaos only this trio can deliver, this episode covers the headlines everyone is talking about.

✨ Subscribe for new episodes and hot takes

🎧 Follow The A Collective on all platforms

💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments: would YOU go see Kanye?

#TheACollective #Podcast #Politics #PopCulture #Artemis #NASA #DawnStaley #NCAA #KanyeWest

In this episode of The A Collective, LV, Stacey, and Shannon break down the latest political chaos—from Trump’s weekend threats and market manipulation to rising gas prices, healthcare loss, and the controversial Save America Act.

They also dive into ICE presence in airports, media silence, and what it all means for everyday Americans trying to make sense of it all.

Smart, unfiltered, and a little unhinged—just how we like it.

EDITING NOTE: LV’s video got stuck at 99.9% upload after recording and while Riverside swore we had the full HD footage… they clearly believe in Trump truths.

This week on The A Collective, LV, Shannon, and Stacey are back navigating the absolute chaos that is… everything.

From a literal meteor hitting Ohio to escalating tensions with Iran, the hosts unpack the growing concerns around war, media suppression, and what feels like a full-blown global identity crisis. Add in airline meltdowns, TSA chaos, economic anxiety, and whatever is happening in the Oval Office… and yeah, it’s a lot.

They also dive into:

The fear of “Vietnam 2.0” comparisons

Media consolidation and what it means for truth

The economic ripple effects of oil, travel, and global instability

Trump’s latest unfiltered moments (including… Trumpstrodamus??)

Why the rest of the world is looking at the U.S. like 👀

And the real question: are we watching an empire fall in real time?

Plus: clown shoes, Target betrayal, and why the phrase “non-practicing white woman” might stick forever.

Buckle up. This one spirals—in the best way.

Another week, another political mess.

In this episode of The A Collective, Shannon, Stacey, and LV break down the latest chaos unfolding in American politics and global affairs.

This week’s conversation covers:

• Rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran

• Americans stranded abroad after escalating conflict

• Gas prices surging after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz

• The fallout from Kristi Noem’s controversial hearings

• Allegations of questionable government spending

• Texas political primaries shaking up the House

• The debate over Jasmine Crockett, Talarico, and the future of Democratic leadership

• Why Black women leaders still face resistance in American politics

• What the upcoming midterms could mean for Congress

As always, the hosts bring sharp commentary, humor, and a little sanity while trying to make sense of the week’s political chaos.

Because somehow… every week the mess gets bigger.