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Tuesday, August 18

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Good morning.

Nolan Wells’ family keeps having to bring more people into this because they still do not know what happened to their son. Ben Crump is involved. The Congressional Black Caucus asked for federal help. Al Sharpton stood with them. Now the NAACP’s legal team is joining in.

More than six weeks have passed. The state autopsy still is not public. The independent autopsy did not determine how Nolan died. His parents are still asking the same questions they were asking at the beginning, except now they have lawyers, civil-rights groups and national organizations standing beside them because apparently that is what it takes to keep this case moving.

And that is the part that bothers me. His parents should not have to build a bigger and bigger team just to get basic answers about their dead son.

They are still waiting.

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NAACP JOINS THE FIGHT

The NAACP is officially joining the legal team representing Nolan Wells’ family. Its Office of General Counsel will work alongside Ben Crump and bring additional legal and investigative resources as the family continues pushing to find out how Nolan died.

The state autopsy remains sealed ahead of grand-jury review, while the family’s independent autopsy could not determine a cause or manner of death. Nolan’s parents have also asked the federal government to get involved.

DON’S TAKE: Every new lawyer and civil-rights group joining this case is another reminder that Nolan’s family still does not believe they are getting the transparency they deserve. More than six weeks later, they should know more than they do.

Also this morning: Rep. Ro Khanna is speaking publicly about Nolan’s case and other suspicious deaths involving Black Americans. What is stunning is how few lawmakers seem to know much about these cases at all. Khanna joins me on Hot Topics at 10 a.m. ET this morning.

DEATH IN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH

Raleigh police are investigating the death of a 32-year-old Black man found hanging from a tree downtown over the weekend.

Police say traffic-camera footage shows the man arriving alone with an electrical cord and no one else entering the area before he was found. They say the evidence points to suicide, though the medical examiner still has the case.

DON’S TAKE: A Black man hanging from a tree carries history with it whether anybody likes that fact or not. Police say the video supports suicide. Fine. Finish the investigation, release what can be released and give people enough information to understand how they reached that conclusion.

HURTING AN ALLY

President Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back annual military exercises with South Korea just before the drills began, criticizing their cost and saying they send a hostile message to North Korea.

Trump also tied his frustration to South Korea’s refusal to support U.S. military action against Iran. The exercises still began Monday, but at a reduced level.

DON’S TAKE: South Korea is a longtime ally, not somebody you punish because they would not join another war. Foreign policy cannot be run like a personal loyalty test.

PRIMARY DAY

Florida voters head to the polls today in major Republican and Democratic primaries for governor and U.S. Senate.

Trump-backed Rep. Byron Donalds is competing for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, while Democrats are fighting over who gets a shot in a state that has moved sharply to the right. In the Senate race, Ashley Moody is trying to keep the seat she was appointed to after Marco Rubio left for the administration.

DON’S TAKE: Trump’s endorsement still matters enormously in a Republican primary. But Floridians are getting hammered by insurance and utility bills. Whoever wins tonight eventually has to answer for that too.

NOT SO DEMURE CROWDFUNDING

TikTok creator Jools Lebron deleted a $45,000 GoFundMe for major dental work after followers questioned why a successful influencer was asking the public to pay for it.

Lebron said years of dental damage connected to past substance abuse had left her in pain. After the backlash, she promised refunds and said she is stepping away from TikTok.

DON’S TAKE: I understand why people roll their eyes when somebody internet-famous asks followers for $45,000. But nobody really knows what is sitting in somebody else’s bank account. If people wanted to give, that was their money to give.

SELENA GOMEZ SUED OVER STARTUP

Investors are suing Selena Gomez, her mother Mandy Teefey and Wondermind co-founder Daniella Pierson, accusing them of fraud and breach of contract over the mental-health company.

The investors say they put nearly $1.2 million into Wondermind based on claims about partnerships and Gomez’s involvement that were not true. Gomez’s lawyer calls the allegations meritless and says she plans to seek dismissal.

DON’S TAKE: A celebrity name can open a lot of wallets, but these are still allegations. If the investors were misled, that is serious. If they were not, they are going to have to prove why they dragged Selena Gomez into a fraud case.

THE 223rd TIME’S A CHARM

Brock Morgan finally got his yes.

The Howard and Northwestern graduate says he submitted 223 job applications before FOX54 in Huntsville, Alabama, hired him as an anchor and reporter. His post about the job search took off because plenty of people know exactly what it feels like to send application after application into a black hole.

DON’S TAKE: Two hundred twenty-three applications is brutal. He kept going anyway. Sometimes that really is the whole thing. Keep going until somebody finally opens the door.

LUCKY SLICES

Hillman is coming back. Netflix has released the trailer for its A Different World sequel series, debuting September 24 — 39 years to the day after the original premiered.

The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s latest attempt to revisit the $5 million E. Jean Carroll sexual-abuse and defamation judgment. His separate challenge to the $83.3 million defamation award remains.

The Tupac Shakur murder trial continues today in Las Vegas. Prosecutors say Duane “Keffe D” Davis helped orchestrate the 1996 killing as revenge. His defense says his years of self-incriminating stories were made up for money and attention.

Pumpkin season is apparently August now. Dunkin’ brings back its fall menu today, including the Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte and Pumpkin Donut, plus a new Spiced Pumpkin Cold Brew.

Volunteer firefighters in Spokane left a restaurant server a $1,000 tip after learning her family had lost its home in a wildfire. They had just finished a shift fighting the same fires.

TODAY ON THE DON LEMON SHOW

At 10 a.m. ET on Hot Topics on YouTube, Rep. Ro Khanna joins me to talk about Nolan Wells, the other suspicious deaths involving Black Americans and why so few people in Washington seem to know these stories are happening.

Then I’ll see you again at 5 p.m. ET for Lemon Live at 5 on YouTube. We’ll have the Florida primary results as they start coming in and whatever else develops during the day.

Whether you’re with us this morning, this afternoon or both…I’m glad you’re here.

Thank you for making Lucky Lemon part of your morning.

Something good is going to happen to you today.

Stay lucky.