The Weekend

August 8, 2026, 8 AM; The calls come as allegations that Miller abused his ex-wife and young daughter are consuming his campaign. Miller has strongly denied the allegations. If he were to drop out, Ohio Republicans would have until Monday to name a new candidate. But, so far, Miller is refusing to back down. President Trump says he’s not going to weigh in on whether Miller, who worked in the first...

August 8 2026; 7am: The U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as the next Attorney General. Now, President Trump’s former personal lawyer has become the head of the nation’s chief law enforcement agency, while questions remain about whether his focus is on defending the rule of law or continuing to defend his former client. Sabrina Siddiqui, National Politics Reporter for the Wall Street Journal, and...

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) joins “The Weekend.” 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 https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 2, 2026; 8am: The race in Michigan is not only a battle for a Senate seat in a swing state, one that very well may determine control of the chamber next year, but it's also emblematic of the fight inside a divided Democratic Party. Democratic voters will decide between Rep. Haley Stevens, the establishment favorite, and progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Tuesday's winner will head to the...

August 2, 2026; 7am: President Trump has once again pulled back from threats to escalate US strikes in Iran, cancelling a planned attack that was expected this weekend, saying that Mideast allies reached the “perimeters of a deal” to end the war.  Mara Karlin, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities in the Biden administration, joins “The Weekend” to discuss. For...

August 1, 2026; 9am: Eugene Daniels traveled to Chicago for the DSA’s National Organizing Conference, where he sat down with members and got their insight on key issues and some things they say have been misrepresented in the media. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS pod...

August 1, 2026; 8am: Interviews with dozens of people indicate"staggering fundraising and influence operation, with Trump at the center of it all," according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Trump has raked in $800 million dollars since returning to office, including $50 million from Japan's Softbank for his presidential library, $25 million from Apple for the Ballroom project, and a $10 mi...

August 1, 2026; 7am: Yesterday at Camp David, President Trump defended the anti-weaponization fund he and his attorney general have said is dead, and blamed a Democratic governor for a water-supply attack U.S. officials say was likely carried out by Iran. As Americans continue to face higher prices at the pump and the grocery store, Trump has received all-time low approval ratings across multiple...

July 26, 2026; 9am: This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to decide whether to advance the nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. All eyes are on two Republican committee members, Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, either of whom could tank Blanche’s nomination. Meanwhile, Blanche’s leadership continues to face scrutiny. Yesterday, a U.S. District Judge ordered the acting at...

July 26, 2026, 8 AM; As the president prepares to rally in the battleground state of Michigan on Monday, early voting is happening now for the state's primary election scheduled to take place on August 4th. Earlier this month, Trump's Department of Justice sent letters to officials in three of Michigan’s Democratic-leaning cities, including Detroit, detailing plans to have federal monitors observe...

July 26, 2026; 7am: As concerns continue to grow about the steps President Trump has taken to make it harder to vote, some of his actions are hitting roadblocks. Yesterday, an appeals court upheld a lower-court ruling blocking key parts of Trump's executive order that would restrict mail-in voting in 23 states. Tomorrow, President Trump is expected to rally in the crucial battleground state of Mic...

July 25, 2026; 9am: As the Iran war drags on in its fifth month, President Trump is weighing options to majorly intensify the war. He reportedly met with top advisers and senior cabinet members to consider his options yesterday and warned a “massive attack” is to come. Meanwhile, oil prices have surged to $100 a barrel this week, with the national average remaining over $4 a gallon per tank. Repre...

July 25, 2026, 8 AM; 601 delegates are gathering in Bangor for a nominating convention to decide between the two remaining candidates: former State Senator Troy Jackson and bio-science CEO Saundra Pelletier. Each candidate will give a roughly 5-minute speech before the voting begins. Executive Director of Maine's Democratic Party Devon Murphy-Anderson joins The Weekend to discuss. For more, follow...

July 25, 2026; 7am: It’s round two of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, months after the first one was cut short by the shooting. Trump used the opportunity to take personal jabs at the press and Democrats, and made a 2028 presidential bid “joke.” Plus, Trump’s speech comes amid efforts from his administration to threaten press freedoms. On Thursday, the Justice Department had to drop subpoe...

July 19, 2026; 9am: More than two dozen House Democrats met this week for a closed-door strategy session to map out how they would respond if President Trump tried to interfere in this year's midterms. House Democrats have told MS NOW that one fear they have is that Trump could be using the Save America Act as a pretext, and if the legislation fails, Trump could declare a state of emergency to mak...

July 19, 2026, 8 AM; But across the country, voters have more real-world concerns. With that in mind, Democrats are trying to win over voters, even in red states like Iowa, by focusing on the future and practical concerns. Former Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg was in the Hawkeye State and Florida this week holding events with Democratic candidates running for office there. He joined The Weeken...

July 19, 2026; 7am: Thousands of Americans took to the streets to protest against ICE and the Trump administration’s harsh immigration crackdown. The demonstrations come as Trump is urging ICE to keep up aggressive traffic-stop operations despite the recent deadly shootings. At the same time, Trump spent this week focused on reviving election conspiracy theories, laying out the groundwork to chall...

July 18, 2026; 9am: Multiple fatal shootings involving ICE officers spark a major national day of action against Trump’s immigration crackdown. In response to the shootings, the Department of Homeland Security paused ICE vehicle stops except in cases that involved serious criminal targets. However, President Trump reversed the order. Andrea Flores, former Department of Homeland Security and White...

July 18, 2026, 8 AM; Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn continue to question whether the DOJ's controversial $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" initiative is truly "dead," as Blanche has claimed. Blanche also met with Jeffrey Epstein survivors after Sen. Tillis made it a condition for Blanche to get his vote. Glenn Thrush and Ankush Khardori join The Weekend to discuss the latest on Blanche’s c...

July 18, 2026; 7am: President Trump packed his Thursday primetime address with false and misleading claims about U.S. election security. Trump unveiled documents he claimed provided definitive proof of widespread voter fraud, but many of those are directly undercut by the documents the White House released. Chief Washington Correspondent for MeidasTouch, Scott MacFarlane, and Jackie Lopez, partner...

July 12, 2026; 9am: On Wednesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is expected to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in his hearing to become Trump’s next confirmed Attorney General. Founder and Executive Director of Justice Connection, Stacey Young, and MS NOW legal analyst and former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance join “The Weekend” to preview how it’s likely to go. For more, follow us...

July 12, 2026; 8am: It has been a little more than three months since Blanche took the reigns at the Department of Justice after Trump’s last AG Pam Bondi was fired, reportedly in part due to Trump’s growing frustration with the pace of prosecutions against his perceived political rivals. In just that short time Blanche has shown his willingness to allow his former client to assert himself, as Tru...

July 12, 2026; 7am: His office confirmed the senator "passed away from a brief and sudden illness." Senator Graham served in the House of Representatives for eight years before winning his senate seat in 2002. He briefly ran for the 2016 Republican nomination for president where he was very critical of Donald Trump, saying that the GOP would "get destroyed" if they made Trump the nominee. Senator...

July 11, 2026; 9am: He submitted paperwork to remove his name from the ballot yesterday, clearing the way for Maine's Democratic party to replace him. On Wednesday, Platner announced that he was suspending his campaign after a woman he dated accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021 - an allegation he denied as "false." As Democrats race to select a new nominee by the July 27th state deadline...

July 11, 2026; 8am: Gas prices are poised to climb again as the conflict with Iran escalates. Moody's chief economist estimates the average household has already spent roughly $1,000 more because of the war. And Trump refused to sign a bi-partisan housing bill that became law anyway at midnight. It's one of the few measures that would actually help with the affordability crisis. But Trump refused...