The Assignment with Antonia Hylton

Here's where we start on the premiere episode of "The Assignment with Antonia Hylton" on MS NOW: It's September 12, 2026. It's been 197 days since the start of President Trump's war in Iran and just 52 days remaining before the midterm elections. Antonia reports on the state of the economy, the latest developments in the Middle East, and the pledges and promises coming out of this week's Republican convention in Texas. Antonia also brings in-depth reporting from her travels to the Big Bend sector of Texas for the newest installment of her MS NOW series, Cities Under Siege. It's where President Trump's long-promised border wall is no longer an abstraction. It's a 30-foot reality coming to life. It's turned ranchers, a longtime conservative sheriff, and Republicans who've voted for Trump against him. And more on the growing spotlight on Vice President JD Vance, who seems eager to solidify his position as President Trump's 2028 heir apparent.

With 51 days until the midterm elections, new signs of desperation are emerging in President Trump's efforts to win at all costs, even as Americans struggle with high food and fuel prices and a seemingly intractable war. Meanwhile, reports continue to mount over GOP politicians' ties to Nazi sympathizers along with their hiring and platforming of extremists. All of this unfolds amid a fresh wave of warnings about the pace of AI development… warnings that could push Congress into action. This follows former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon accusing major AI companies of acting irresponsibly. Antonia Hylton is joined by analysts to break down these stories and more.

Today, journalists were denied entry to the White House grounds, one day after President Trump said he planned to ban MS NOW, CNN and Politico, just 45 days before the midterms. And while Pete Buttigieg isn't on the ballot this November, he's invested in Democrats winning back Congress. Antonia Hylton asks the former Transportation Secretary what Democrats would do with that power. Plus, Macklemore was dropped as Ed Sheeran's opening act after voicing support for Palestinians onstage. Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose stadium hosts Sheeran next week, threatened to cancel the shows if Macklemore stayed on the tour. Also, new updates on the Iran war, the economy, Trump's vanity projects, the Defense Department and more.