Here's the Scoop

For decades, Texas has been the deep-red heart of the Republican Party. For Democrats, it’s the white whale.

But this midterm cycle, political observers think they may have a chance. In the Senate contest, most polls show Democratic State Rep. James Talarico ahead of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton by a few points. And in the race for governor, Democratic State Rep. Gina Hinojosa is in surprisingly close competition with the incumbent, Republican Greg Abbott, despite being outspent by a mile.

For this episode of Here’s the Scoop, Election Edition, NBC News chief White House correspondent Garrett Haake headed to Austin to sit down with Hinojosa and Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Matthew Watkins to ask: Could this finally be Democrats’ year in Texas?

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President Trump is on a major campaign blitz to help Republicans hold on to their narrow majority in Congress. One of the first stops on his tour: Texas, where Attorney General Ken Paxton is locked in an unexpectedly close Senate race with Democrat James Talarico. Now, top Democrats are funding ads in support of Talarico. NBC News chief White House correspondent Garrett Haake explains why Democrats think they may be able to finally flip Texas.

Next, a Dateline investigation looks into how a 30-year-old sexual-assault cold case was solved - and still didn’t yield justice for the victim. Authorities were able to identify Dana Beatty’s attacker, but state statute of limitations kept them from prosecuting him. Dateline NBC correspondent Blayne Alexander explains the legal roadblocks for those seeking accountability for sexual violence and how they differ across the country.

Lastly, the price you’re being charged for concert tickets might depend on how much the ticket vendor knows about you. NBC News anchor and chief consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Nguyen explains how “price experiments” work and what consumers can do to protect themselves.

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Tennessee’s governor called off executions for the rest of the year after Christa Pike, the only woman on death row in the state, survived a lethal injection execution attempt Wednesday. It’s the second time this year that an execution in Tennessee has gone awry. NBC News senior reporter Erik Ortiz explains what happened inside the death chamber and what this means for future executions in the state.

Then, the family of Renee Good is suing the U.S. government, top Trump administration officials and the ICE officer who fatally shot her during the administration's immigration operations in Minnesota in January. With criminal investigations in limbo, her family is seeking accountability from the government, alleging wrongful death and excessive force. NBC News legal analyst Misty Marris explains the crux of the two federal civil suits and how steep that legal battle could be.

Finally, Big Tech companies like Meta, Anthropic and OpenAI are pitching AI assistants to help users do things like book flights and shop for groceries. But some of the largest online retailers are shutting them out. NBC News reporter David Ingram takes us inside the battle for your online shopping cart.

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A FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a pilot was attacked by his co-pilot in the cockpit, sending the plane plummeting more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds. NBC international correspondent Matt Bradley takes us onboard Flight FZ1073 as the incident unfolded and explains why investigators are not ruling out terrorism.

Next, the Trump administration faces bipartisan criticism for new “public service announcements” that were funded by Customs and Border Protection and bear a striking resemblance to President Trump’s 2024 campaign ads. NBC News senior homeland security correspondent Julia Ainsley breaks down how the ads got made – and whether this use of taxpayer money is even legal.

Finally, exclusive NBC reporting revealed that incarcerated music producer Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been living a life of luxury with alcohol, special meals and even a masseuse while serving a sentence for sex crimes. NBC News entertainment correspondent Chloe Melas delves into how Diddy has been able to get around prison restrictions and how this reporting could impact the remainder of his prison sentence.

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The Trump administration is pitching its new website, America.gov, as an AI-powered one-stop shop for tasks like renewing your passport and signing up for Medicare. White House correspondent Monica Alba walks us through how the new site works — and how it fits into the AI summit President Donald Trump held at the White House.

Then, former special counsel Jack Smith went head-on with Republican senators on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, defending the federal indictments against Trump in the 2020 election interference case and the classified documents case. NBC News White House and Capitol Hill correspondent Julie Tsirkin explains why Smith was in the hot seat and what could happen with these cases if Democrats retake control of Congress in the midterm elections.

Plus, Major League Baseball’s Wild Card Series kicks off Tuesday, with some big rivals going head-to-head, including the Phillies vs. the Braves and the Yankees vs. the Red Sox. But can any team beat the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers? NBC Sports analyst and former Chicago Cubs star Anthony Rizzo gives his take on what to watch out for this postseason.

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A New York district attorney is reopening an investigation into an alleged “gang-rape” at Cornell University in 2024 after a former student, identified as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit against the university and others earlier this month. NBC News legal analyst Misty Marris explains how the initial Title IX investigation differed from a criminal investigation and what role new evidence, including social media messages written that night, may play. Then, some Republicans in competitive midterm races have started distancing themselves from President Trump on issues including the war in Iran, AI and data centers. NBC News National Politics Reporter Allan Smith explains their motivation and why the president has mostly refrained from turning his supporters against them. And finally, global temperatures have been rising faster than scientists’ projections for years. NBC News science reporter Evan Bush tells us about a new study that points the finger at an unlikely culprit: missing dust.

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As Democrats grapple with what their party stands for, one issue continues to divide them: Israel. The first signs of a fissure came after Israel began its invasion of Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 attacks. Some progressive Democrats demanded a more forceful U.S. response to what they saw as war crimes being committed with the help of American weapons and military aid. By the fall of 2024, a larger movement against the war had grown: More than 100,000 Democrats cast uncommitted ballots in the Michigan primary — a harbinger of Kamala Harris’ ultimate loss to Donald Trump. Since then, polls show that voter support for Israel has continued to decline in both parties. But among Democrats, that erosion has been far more dramatic.

So how should the party position itself on Israel policy in 2026 — and eventually, 2028? In this episode of "Here’s the Scoop, Election Edition," we ask two Democrats on opposite sides of this debate: Tariq Habash, a co-founder of A New Policy, a political group that advises candidates like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, and Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who says he lost his primary because of his position on Israel.

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Homebuyers, beware! Mortgage rates topped 7.45% this week, a new high that is throwing a curveball in an already fragile real estate market. NBC News chief business correspondent Christine Romans explains what’s driving the spike and how it fits into the broader economic picture.

Then, an NBC News report found that thousands of Ukrainian prisoners have been forced to denounce the war effort in Russian propaganda videos. NBC News senior technology reporter Jane Lytvynenko spoke with former prisoners of war about how these videos have torn their families and communities apart.

Finally, Taylor Swift dropped four new songs, plus a 13-second teaser for a music video that will debut at the VMAs this weekend. NBC News correspondent Emilie Ikeda breaks down how fans are responding and helps us decipher the Easter eggs.

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Despite growing calls for regulation, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told NBC News chief tech analyst Joanna Stern that he thinks AI companies should police themselves. Joanna shares where Zuckerberg sees the company’s AI future going and why Meta’s history of privacy concerns may make it harder for users to trust its AI agents.

Plus, a federal judge ruled to temporarily reinstate White House press access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, after they were banned by the Trump administration. NBC News legal affairs reporter Gary Grumbach explains why the legal battle over freedom of the press isn’t over.

Finally, gym bros are increasingly adding Pilates to their workout routines. Wall Street Journal columnist Jamie Waters tells us about his own trial run.

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At the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to President Donald Trump’s verbal threats, sending a message of strength, while also casting Iran as a victim of the U.S. and Israel’s aggression. Bilal Saab, senior managing director of TRENDS US, an organization that analyzes global issues, explains how the verbal barbs factor into the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Plus, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington on Wednesday for the first visit by a Chinese head of state in over a decade. NBC News Asia correspondent Janis Mackey Frayer explains what Trump and Xi are each hoping to get out of this bilateral meeting and how AI will factor into their conversations. Finally, there’s a feud brewing over Dolly Parton’s estate, with her longtime manager filing a restraining order against her nephew, alleging that he engaged in threats, extortion and intimidation in an effort to get more money. Billboard senior writer Rachel Scharf explains why this sort of infighting is common with a celebrity death — despite Parton’s rigorous estate planning.

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