The Weekend

August 29, 2026; 8am: ICE arrested nearly 50,000 people in July, a 15% jump from the previous month and the highest single monthly arrest total since the start of President Trump's second term. Just this week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the wife of an active-duty soldier was deported back to Honduras. She is at least the 7th spouse or parent of an active-duty service member to be deported as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown. The administration is reportedly preparing to cancel up to 200,000 immigrant visas nationwide, a move that would mark the largest revocation effort in U.S. history. Dara Lind, Senior Fellow for the American Immigration Council, and Rosa Flores, MS NOW National Reporter, join “The Weekend” to discuss.

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August 29, 2026; 7am: This week marks 6 months since the start of the war with Iran, a war Trump originally said should last only 4-5 weeks. There’s no end in sight, but Trump posted a meme on social media declaring ‘mission accomplished.’ Plus, as Trump reignites an unnecessary trade war with Canada, Americans continue to worry about affordability. MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barron-Lopez and Wall Street Journal national politics reporter Sabrina Siddqui join “The Weekend” to discuss all that and more.

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August 23, 2026; 9am: As Americans continue to grapple with the ongoing affordability crisis, Trump's policies are again threatening to drive the prices we pay even higher. Trump took to Truth Social to claim Canada wanted “the benefits of being a state, without being one.” It comes after Canada said Saturday it would match "dollar for dollar" Trump's new 50% tariffs that went into effect after trade talks fell apart on Friday. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country had been “attacked” by the new American tariffs. Congressman Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, joins “The Weekend” to discuss.

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August 23, 2026, 8 AM; This week, the Cook Political Report shifted Senate races in Texas and Iowa to the left: from "lean Republican" to "toss-up." MS NOW still rates both of these races as Lean Republican. Meanwhile, MS NOW's Political Unit is characterizing Senate races in Alaska and Ohio as toss-ups, two seats that are currently held by Republicans. Terrance Woodbury and Rachel Bitecofer join The Weekend to discuss the Democrats’ prospects.

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August 23 2026; 7am: As U.S./Canada trade talks fall apart, President Trump is holding yet another spectacle in Washington, D.C. that taxpayers are contributing to -- a massive "Freedom 250 Grand Prix" IndyCar race throughout the streets of Washington, D.C. Later today, Trump will wave the green flag and will also reportedly take a “lap of honor” in The Beast. Taxpayers are footing the bill for security, which is expected to cost at least $10 million. Will Sommer, Senior Reporter for The Bulwark and Dana Millbank, Columnist for NOTUS, join “The Weekend” to discuss.

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August 22 2026; 9am: Last night at a campaign rally in Myrtle Beach, President Trump conceded that voters may not be very enthusiastic about this year's midterm elections, but encouraged them to "pretend" he's on the ballot. This comes as three more Trump-endorsed candidates lost this week in Republican primaries in Florida and Wyoming. According to MS NOW's "Races to Watch," one of the best pickup opportunities for Senate Democrats is in Maine. Troy Jackson joins “The Weekend” to discuss his bid against Senator Susan Collins.

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August 22, 2026, 8 AM; The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration this week for violating the Freedom of Information Act by failing to turn over “records about any plans to seize ballots, voting machines or other election materials before the 2026 midterms are certified.” The concerns over Trump potentially interfering in the midterm elections are shared by election officials across the country who are at this moment “war-gaming” every move they think President Trump might make come this November. Rep. Joe Morelle and Jacquelyn Lopez join The Weekend to discuss how the party is preparing for any such nightmare scenario.

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August 22, 2026, 7 AM; The Supreme Court just gave him the green light to continue his $400M White House ballroom renovations, for now. Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary stay, freezing a lower court ruling that would have brought the project to a halt this morning. Trump has focused so much on his pet projects that the White House has now dubbed him the “Builder-in-Chief.” However, his policies are causing things to crumble. Americans across the country are struggling with the cost of living, exacerbated by his war in Iran. Additionally overnight, trade talks between the U.S. and Canada fell apart. 50% tariffs are now in effect on about $20B worth of Canadian goods, which could lead to higher prices for American consumers. Rep. Jennifer McClellan joins The Weekend to discuss the President's focus on his vanity projects over the US economy.

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August 16, 2026; 9am: ICE plans to spend up to $20 million dollars to purchase thousands of gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks intended to gain compliance from combative individuals. Civil rights advocates quickly sounded the alarm over the plan, saying ICE officers already face scrutiny over their use of excessive force with little oversight or accountability. But supporters of the gloves say they are generally only used in specific jail or transport situations to subdue violent suspects. Congressional Democrats plan to host a field hearing in Biddeford, Maine, tomorrow, on ICE's use of force after a deadly shooting, last month. Maine Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, who represents the district where the shooting happened, joins “The Weekend” to discuss. She has been an outspoken critic of ICE's use of force and will host tomorrow's hearing.

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August 16, 2026, 8 AM; New polling from Emerson shows that the race for the U.S. Senate is a near dead heat between Democratic candidate James Talarico and Republican candidate Ken Paxton. In the governor’s race, Republican incumbent Greg Abbott leads State Representative Gina Hinojosa by just four points -- only one point outside the poll’s 3-point margin of error. Hinojosa joins The Weekend to discuss her campaign to energize voters.

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