The Weekend

March 29, 2026; 9am: As the U.S.-Israel war against Iran enters its fifth week, The Washington Post reports the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations. While President Trump has yet to approve the plans, it comes as the U.S. Central Command said more than 3,500 U.S. forces arrived in the Middle East on Friday. Nancy Youssef, Staff Writer at The Atlantic and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, Retired Commander of U.S. Army Europe, join "The Weekend" to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March, 29 2026, 8 AM; With Iran continuing to block the key Strait of Hormuz the price at the pump continues to climb closer to $4 a gallon. In fact the war has raised the price of everything from flights to fertilizer and food prices and even balloons for your kid's birthday party. Jared Bernstein joins The Weekend to discuss the financial burden the war is taking on Americans. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 29, 2026; 7am: Yesterday, massive “No Kings” protests swept across the nation, and organizers say at least 8 million people attended more than 3,300 demonstrations, with nearly half of them held in battleground states. What does this mean for the midterms? Former Congressman Joe Walsh and the President of Media Matters, Angelo Carusone, join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

Organizers said the purpose is to stand up against President Donald Trump, his administration and his increasingly authoritarian policies. This will be the third “No Kings” protest of Trump’s second administration. While protests are set to begin in the U.S. Later this morning, protests overseas have already begun. Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joins The Weekend to discuss the latest on the protest. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March, 28 2026, 8 AM; The Trump administration is once again seeking a DOJ probe into one of Trump’s most vocal critics, New York Attorney General Letitia James, after the administration had already failed to prosecute her multiple times. In the same week the DOJ settled a lawsuit from trump ally Michael Flynn for a reported $1.2 million, despite the fact that Flynn pleaded guilty to misleading the FBI during its investigation. Former Federal Prosecutor Brendan Ballou joins The Weekend to discuss Trump's escalated retribution campaign. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 28, 2026; 7am:  Last night, the House of Representatives passed a short-term Republican proposal to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security after rejecting a deal passed unanimously by the Senate that would have funded most of DHS, except ICE. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the House GOP bill is dead on arrival, and amid the standoff, President Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA workers as soon as Monday. MS NOW Senior Contributing Editor Michele Norris and former DHS Chief of Staff Miles Taylor join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March, 22 2026, 9 AM; Democratic candidate for New York's 12th Congressional District Jack Schlossberg joins The Weekend in an exclusive interview to discuss his presentation that Profile in Courage award to Minneapolis residents. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 22, 2026; 8am: Organizers predict next week’s “No Kings” protests will be the largest in American history. One of the issues fueling the protests is Trump’s draconian immigration crackdown. Chief Political and Advocacy Officer for the ACLU, one of the organizations planning “No Kings” events this upcoming Saturday, Deirdre Schifeling, and Democratic strategist and senior advisor to the Harris-Walz campaign, Adrienne Elrod, join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 22, 2026; 7am: The Senate has been working through the weekend to come up with a plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security. In an attempt to speed up that process, President Trump threatened to replace TSA officers with ICE agents as soon as Monday. Eli Stokols and Eugene Robinson join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March, 21 2026, 9 AM; Meanwhile – questions remain if U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi will comply with the committee's subpoena to answer questions about the investigation. House Democrats stormed out of a last-minute closed-door briefing with Bondi this week. They say they were enraged by her refusal to commit to testifying under oath. Democrats also pressed Chairman James Comer on whether he’d compel Bondi’s testimony or seek to hold her in contempt, but Comer does not seem interested in that. Sen. Jeff Merkley joins The Weekend to discuss the latest on the Epstein investigation. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 21, 2026; 8am: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard contradicts Trump’s claims about the war with Iran, including on whether Iran’s nuclear program posed an imminent threat, even as the White House used that as justification. At two separate hearings this week, she said it’s not her job to assess threats. John Brennan, Former Director of the CIA and MS Now Senior National Security and Intelligence Analyst, joins “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 21, 2026; 7am: Overnight, Iran says its nuclear facility – the country’s largest enrichment site – has been hit in an airstrike. On Friday, President Trump said he was considering winding down military presence in the region. However, MS NOW reports the administration has doubled the number of United States troops deployed to the region. Josh Lederman, fellow at the Center for International Security Studies, and Alan Eyre, Former Senior U.S. Diplomat, join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 15, 2026; 9am: This weekend, the U.S. has intensified airstrikes on Iran’s most important oil export terminal, Karg Island. Investors warn that additional action could plunge global oil markets into further chaos as the island exports roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil. U.S. Amos Hochstein, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources under President Biden, joins "The Weekend" to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March, 15 2026, 8 AM; A recent NBC poll shows that the war has not fractured the MAGA base all that much, with 90% of MAGA-aligned republicans approving of the strikes on Iran. However, some prominent MAGA and conservative media figures are among those crying foul the loudest over the war. When it comes to republicans who don’t align with MAGA that number falls to 54 % in support of the attacks on Iran. David Drucker and Adam Serwer join The Weekend to discuss why some elected officials in the G.O.P are getting increasingly nervous about the iran war's impact on their election prospects in November. Makena Kelly also joins The Weekend to discuss the whistleblower report revealing how social security data may have been taken by a former doge employee to his new job. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 15, 2026; 7am: In an interview with NBC News, President Trump claimed that Iran was ready to negotiate a ceasefire but rejected their offer because “the terms aren’t good enough.” But Trump has declined to say what those terms would be. This comes as the president has called on allies to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz. White House Correspondent for NOTUS, Jasmine Wright, and senior economics reporter for Axios, Courtenay Brown, join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March, 14 2026, 9 AM; A bipartisan group of senators is calling for a probe into the Justice Department’s redactions of the files accusing the Trump administration of violating the Epstein files transparency act and re-victimizing survivors. A bipartisan group of senators is calling for a probe into the Justice Department’s redactions of the files accusing the Trump administration of violating the Epstein files Transparency Act and re-victimizing survivors. In the house, Oversight Committee chairman James Comer said this week that they are moving quickly to schedule depositions from Attorney General Pam Bondi and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick. Rep. James Walkinshaw joins The Weekend to discuss the congressional concerns of the DOJ's release of Epstein files. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 14, 2026; 8am: As the economic pain from the war gets worse, the Trump administration says it’s just short-term pain for long-term gain. This week, the stock market took another nosedive as Iran’s newest leader vowed to use the Strait of Hormuz as a “tool to pressure the enemy.” Plus, Gas prices have jumped an average of nearly 60 cents since the initial attack. Senator Alex Padilla joins “The Weekend” to discuss rising costs.  For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March, 14 2026, 7 AM; The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was struck by a missile according to Iraqi security forces Saturday morning, after U.S. forces bombed targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, home to the primary terminal that handles that country’s oil exports. Meanwhile, MS NOW has learned the military plans to send 5K troops and several additional ships to the Arabian Sea, a day after the U.S. military confirmed six U.S. service members were killed when a refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth addressed the tragedy nearly 9 minutes into his press briefing yesterday after first scolding the media. Terry Moran and Toluse Olorunnipa join The Weekend to discuss the latest with the war in Iran. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 8, 2026; 9am: The first week of the U.S.-Iran war has been defined by contradictions as questions emerge over U.S. goals in the operation. For example, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially insisted this would not be a regime change war, yet President Trump is already talking about shaping Iran’s future government. MS NOW international reporter Ines De La Cuetra, MS NOW political analyst Molly Jong-Fast, and former Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, join “The Weekend” to discuss. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.

March 8, 2026; 8am: On this International Women’s Day, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o joins “The Weekend” along with Senator Angela Alsobrooks, to discuss a critical health issue affecting millions of women worldwide. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow 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.