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 attorney general to submit to the judge unredacted copies of key Jeffrey Epstein related emails and documents along with evidence backing up the DOJ’s claims that the original redactions were legitimate and followed the law under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Senator Cory Booker, a member of the Judiciary Committee, joins “The Weekend” to discuss.

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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 voting during next month's primary. The Justice Department also warned several states, including Michigan, that they could face criminal action if they knowingly allow non-U.S. Citizens to vote or to remain on their voter rolls. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist joins The Weekend to discuss.

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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 Michigan. MS NOW political analyst Eugene Robinson and former DHS Chief of Staff Miles Taylor join “The Weekend” to discuss.

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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. Representative Ro Khanna of California joins “The Weekend” to discuss.

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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.

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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 subpoenas it issued to New York Times reporters over security concerns about the new Air Force One gifted to Trump by the Qatari royal family. Vanity Fair Washington Correspondent Aidan McLaughlin, and MS NOW Senior White House Reporter Vaughn Hillyard, who was at last night’s dinner, join “The Weekend” to discuss.

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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 make electoral rule changes. Congressman Joe Morelle of New York, who organized the meeting with House Democrats, joins “The Weekend” along with Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward.

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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 Weekend to weighs in on the path forward for Democrats as we move ever-closer to the midterm elections.

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