The Beat with Ari Melber

September 18, 2026; President Donald Trump says he is banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House. He did not cite specific reports that prompted the decision and suggested other news organizations could face similar action. The Trump administration has taken no formal action at this time. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports. Plus, Rep. Ro Khanna, who is leading the push for a second Epstein Fil...

September 17, 2026; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on new warning signs for President Trump’s economy. Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and The New York Times’ Molly Jong-Fast join. Plus, “South Park” returned with a new name, “South America,” in a jab at President Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.” To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS...

September 16, 2026; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on new fallout from President Trump’s war and economic challenges, from the Fed to the markets. Slate’s Jacob Weisberg and The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg join. Plus, Oscar winner Morgan Freeman joins to discuss his new project, “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience.” To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for...

September 15, 2026; The Supreme Court denied the Trump administration’s bid to halt a judge’s order blocking federal mail-in ballot restrictions for the midterm elections. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Andrew Weissmann, former FBI general counsel. Plus, Jimmy Kimmel says FCC pressure kept his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico off TV. The YouTube intervi...

September 14, 2026; AI rivals are coming together with a new message: “Slow it down.” Leaders from OpenAI, SpaceX and Anthropic are responding to growing concerns over the rapid pace of artificial intelligence. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Will Knight, senior writer for WIRED. Plus, the latest on the upcoming midterm elections. Political strategist Chai Komanduri and MS NOW contrib...

September 11, 2026; 6pm; MS NOW's Ari Melber hosts The Beat and reports on the U.S. marking 25 years since the September 11th attacks. Plus, new scrutiny on the Trump administration and censorship as Jimmy Kimmel alleged the Trump Administration "threatened" him and ABC over his planned TV interview with Democratic Senate candidate from Texas, James Talarico. Jason Johnson, Michelle Goldberg, Sen....

September 10, 2026; The firing of Fox host Maria Bartiromo has caused a huge rift among MAGA, pitting the conservative network against the president. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports. Plus, Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic researcher, sounds the alarm on rapidly advancing artificial intelligence. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Host...

September 9, 2026; MS NOW's Ari Melber is joined by Trump aide Peter Navarro on "The Beat" for an extended interview on the Fox-WH feud and more. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 8, 2026; With 56 days until the midterm elections, MS NOW’s Antonia Hylton reports on the latest developments and is joined by The Nation’s Joan Walsh and former Obama speechwriter David Litt. Plus, Hylton examines President Trump’s fight to restrict mail-in voting with Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign...

September 4, 2026; A federal judge temporarily halted a Trump-directed Postal Service requirement that would exert control over mail-in ballots ahead of the midterms. MS NOW's Ari Melber reports on the breaking news. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information a...

September 3, 2026; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on a pivotal court hearing challenging President Trump’s plot to corrupt the midterm ballots and is joined by Ty Cobb, a former Trump White House lawyer during his first term. Plus, Melber remembers Gloria Steinem, the women’s rights leader who has died at the age of 92. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Prem...

September 2, 2026; 6pm; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on signs that President Trump is rattled by the upcoming midterm elections and is joined by Brett Meiselas, co-founder of the MeidasTouch News Network. Plus, Melber delivers a special report on Roy Cohn, the notorious lawyer widely considered to be Trump’s “fixer” when he was a budding real estate developer. To listen to this show and other MS po...

September 1, 2026; 6pm; The Trump DOJ is facing new questions over its handling of the Epstein case. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Bloomberg’s Jason Leopold. Plus, legendary strategist James Carville joins to discuss the latest from the Trump White House and the upcoming midterm elections. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple...

Aug 31, 2026; 6pm; MS NOW's Antonia Hylton reports on the latest on the Iran war and is joined by Reverend Al Sharpton. Plus, President Donald Trump calls for NBC anchor Kristen Welker to face “rebuke or punishment” from the Federal Communications Commission over her comments about his primary endorsement record. Hylton reports and is joined by NYU's Melissa Murray. To listen to this show and othe...

Aug 28, 2026; 6pm; The war in Iran has reached the six-month mark. MS NOW’s Jackie Alemany reports and is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Eugene Robinson and Bloomberg’s Jeff Mason. Plus, Alemany reports on how a growing revolt against Big Tech could shape the upcoming midterm elections. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcas...

Aug 27, 2026; 6pm; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on tech innovator and Microsoft founder Bill Gates issuing an extensive warning about the current AI boom. Plus, President Trump faces a polling crisis amid an unpopular war and high prices. Also, Jason Johnson and rapper E-40 join for the latest installment of “Fallback.” To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Pr...

Aug 26, 2026; 6pm; Meta and a group of state attorneys general announced a settlement agreement in which the social media giant will pay up to $17 billion and make changes to its apps following allegations that its technology harms children’s mental health. MS NOW's Ari Melber delivers a special report. Obama campaign veteran Chai Komanduri joins Melber to discuss AI and social media. To listen to...

Aug 25, 2026; 6pm; Tributes pour in for country music legend Dolly Parton. MS NOW’s Ari Melber remembers the singer, songwriter, musician, businesswoman and philanthropist. Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren, Martha Ackmann, author of “And Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton,” and Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, join to discuss Parton’s legacy. To listen to this s...

Aug 24, 2026; 6pm: President Trump revives a tariff clash with ally and trading partner Canada. Veteran journalist Kurt Andersen joins to discuss. Plus, MS NOW's Ari Melber delivers a special report on a key area where Trump is trying to skirt or break the laws that oversee prosecutors. Renowned civil rights attorney Nancy Erika Smith joins. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads...

Aug 21, 2026; 6pm: MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on a flashing “Code Red” for President Trump and Republicans as Trump’s poll numbers continue to sink. Plus, Melber reports on a troubling new power grab in Trump’s retribution campaign and is joined by former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance. And in a special digital extra, listen to part of Melber’s interview with YouTube’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen...

Aug 20, 2026; 6pm; MAGA allies are making huge bets on AI amid new signs that a tech “bubble” could rattle the economy. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and journalist Ed Zitron. Plus, Melber is joined by The New York Times' Maggie Haberman for an extended discussion on the latest from the Trump administration. To listen to this show and other MS podcas...

Aug 19, 2026; 6pm: MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on new results and signals emerging from the primaries, including bruising losses for Trump-endorsed candidates. Reverend Al Sharpton and Bill de Blasio, former New York City mayor join. Plus, who is Trump aide Natalie Harp? Melber breaks down her role and influence. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium...

Aug 18, 2026; 6pm: New polling from Reuters shows President Trump’s approval rating at 33 percent. MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports and is joined by Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman. Plus, ABC is suing the FCC over threats to force its stations off the air. Melber breaks down the lawsuit with NPR’s David Folkenflik. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW...

Aug 17, 2026; 6pm; MS NOW’s Ari Melber reports on President Trump’s latest legal setbacks with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann. Plus, Rose Horowitch, author of The Atlantic’s “The End of Reading Is Here,” joins Melber and The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg to discuss America’s decline in reading, and what it could mean for culture, politics, and society. To listen to this show and ot...

Aug 14, 2026; 6pm;MS NOW’s Ari Melber delivers a special report on the tech boom, deregulation and the MAGA allies reshaping AI and media. Melber draws from a New York Times investigation, “Larry Ellison Bet It All on the A.I. Boom. Will He Be the Face of an A.I. Bubble?” New York Times reporter Jim Rutenberg joined Melber later on “The Beat.” To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without a...