The Weekend

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Platner Pushes Back Jun 06, 2026

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June 6, 2026; 7am: Last night, more than 500 Mainers joined a rally for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner in his first public event since The New York Times reported allegations of physical intimidation against him by ex-girlfriends. Platner has denied the claims, and his campaign has since announced that it raised more than $200K in the 24 hours since the report. MS NOW Congressional Reporter Kevin Frey, who was at the rally, joins “The Weekend” to share what Maine voters are saying. Then, Elana Schor, Senior Washington Editor at Semafor, and David Drucker, MS NOW Contributor, discuss primaries.

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The DOJ Epstein Mishandling Jun 01, 2026

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May 31, 2026, 9 AM; Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is scheduled to appear before a House Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday, where he could face new questions about the Department of Justice's mishandling of the investigation. In her interview with the House Oversight Committee Friday, Former Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared to shift blame for the mishandling of the files' release onto Blanche, saying she “delegated oversight” to Blanche for the investigation and the release of the files. Bondi also reportedly raised questions about FBI director Kash Patel's role in the files release. Congressman Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Overisight Committee says the panel will subpoena both Blanche and Patel. Rep. Ro Khanna joins The Weekend to share his thoughts on Pam Bondi's evasive testimony.

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Trump's Bad Week Jun 01, 2026

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May 31, 2026, 8 AM; After most of the musicians slated to perform at the White House's Great American State Fair for the nation's 250th Anniversary dropped out, the president announced in a series of Truth Social posts that the concert would be changed to a rally headlined by of course, Himself. Akayla Gardner and Dana Milbank join The Weekend to discuss some of the setbacks the president is facing this week.

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Congress Returns May 31, 2026

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May 31, 2026, 7 AM; Senate Republicans are preparing for a showdown over President Trump's $1.7 billion so called Anti-Weaponization fund, which is part of a roughly $70 billion immigration enforcement reconciliation package. It's unclear how GOP leadership plans to navigate the dissent over the fund within their own party after previous concerns that some Republicans would support Democratic amendments blocking the proposal, effectively gutting the fund. Trump, of course, is likely not happy about all this, especially since he gave a self-imposed June 1st deadline for the GOP to pass the reconciliation package. House Speaker Mike Johnson probably won't be thrilled either and he's got his own hands full. The House will revisit a war powers resolution aimed at reining in President Trump's military operations in Iran, which was previously scrapped after GOP leaders concluded they didn't have enough votes to defeat it. It's expected to pass with a handful of Republican defections. Mychael Schnell and Scott MacFarlane join The Weekend to discuss the discuss the congressional vote, likely to happen this week.

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Bondi on Epstein May 30, 2026

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May 30, 2026, 9 AM; While there were no reports of her coming with that burn book like we saw in her last Congressional hearing, Democrats on the committee say Bondi was not forthcoming and was even combative at times, especially when asked about Donald Trump who she said she would not discuss. Bondi appeared to shift the blame to her deputy - now acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam joins The Weekend to discuss the hearing.

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Texas Runoffs/ GOP Divisions May 30, 2026

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May 30, 2026, 8 AM; Trump pulled off a clean sweep in Republican primary battles, driving out or sidelining candidates he deems insufficiently loyal. However, as Republicans look ahead to the general, Trump says the midterms are the least of his concerns amid negotiations with Iran. Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's campaign says it raised $3M in just 24 hours after Ken Paxton's runoff victory. President and CEO of Voto Latino Maria Teresa Kumar and Dave Weigel join The Weekend to discuss the upcoming Texas Senate election in November. Rep. Jim Clyburn also joins The Weekend to discuss Republicans' redistricting campaign and offers some advice to the Democratic party.

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Judges Rebuke Trump May 30, 2026

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May 30, 2026, 7 AM; The grown pusback included a judge ordering the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center, a judge's refusal to dimmiss the most serious charges against Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and his fellow supporters who were convicted on charges of seditious conspiracy, a ruling barring his $1.8 billion slush fund, and accusations that the president has committed fraud when he ended his lawsuit against the IRS. Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for NSD Mary McCord and Will Sommer join The Weekend to discuss the onslaught of decisions against the president.

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Concern Over Trump’s Tilt Toward Autocracy May 24, 2026

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May 24, 2026; 9am: President Trump put his authoritarian tendencies on full display this week as he is pushing to give his allies $1.8 billion dollars of taxpayer money over claims of government “weaponization”. MS NOW Legal Analyst Andrew Weissmann joins The Weekend to discuss.

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State of Democracy May 24, 2026

Show notes

May 24, 2026, 8 AM; Those districts are in states like Arizona, Michigan, and Georgia, battleground states that have repeatedly helped decide control of Congress and the White House in the past. The voters in these communities could offer an early read on how Americans are feeling about the economy, the conflict with Iran, government corruption, and the broader state of our democracy heading into one of the most consequential election cycles in recent memory. Arizona State Sen. Analise Ortiz, Michigan State Sen. Chedrick Green, and Georgia State Sen. Nikki Merritt join The Weekend to discuss the midterms in their respective states.

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Panic at the White House May 24, 2026

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May 24, 2026; 7am: Secret Service agents shot and killed a gunman who opened fire near a security checkpoint. A bystander was shot during the gunfire exchange and was rushed to a nearby hospital in serious condition. It is unclear whether that person was struck by the gunman or a responding officer. Sources tell MS NOW the suspect is identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, who had previous encounters with the Secret Service last summer and was ordered to stay away from the White House. MS NOW White House Correspondent Jake Traylor and MS NOW Law Enforcement Analyst and Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger join “The Weekend” to discuss the latest.

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