The Weekend

7am: Maduro was taken by armored vehicle from Stewart Airport in Orange County, New York to be processed at a DEA field office in New York City. It comes less than 24 hours after a major U.S. military operation in Caracas, where more than 150 aircraft were deployed to neutralize Venezuelan air defenses and facilitate the capture of Maduro and his wife from their home. Laura Barron-Lopez and Missy Ryan join The Weekend to discuss the events of the last 24 hours in Venezuela. Former CIA Director John Brennan also joins The Weekend to discuss what comes next for the country after its president was captured by U.S. forces.

8am: Reaction to President Trump's military operation in Venezuela , which did not have congressional approval, has largely split along party lines.  But there are many questions about what comes next after President Trump's stunning claim that the U.S. will run the country. Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas, who serves on both the House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees, joins "The Weekend" to discuss. Plus, Matthew Bartlett, Republican Strategist and Former Trump appointee to the State Department, joins "The Weekend" to share his take on where things might go from here.

9am: On this hour of "The Weekend," three members of Congress talk the latest on the president's military action in Venezuela. Including, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, Washington Representative Adam Smith, who says Secretary of State Rubio, "misled the American people" by claiming U.S. activities weren't aimed at regime change. Plus, Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. And Colorado Congressman Jason Crow – one of the Democrats who last year warned the military not to carry out illegal orders.

7am: Renee Good's killing has ignited protests around the nation and friction in the Capitol. A heated exchange caught on camera shows Democratic Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig having an intense discussion with Minnesota Republican Tom Emmer. Representative Craig joins "The Weekend" to recount the exchange and share her thoughts on the ICE operations.

8am: Trump renewed his threats to take over Greenland in a White House meeting with oil executives. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with Danish officials to discuss Trump's plans next week. But those plans have been met with fierce pushback from European officials, as well as some in President Trump's own party. We have a live report from Copenhagen and then Former Ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, joins The Weekend to discuss how the president's threats are landing.

9am: Protests are expected to continue, sparked by the death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Plus, the federal government is facing growing frustration from Minnesota officials after the FBI took full control of the investigation into the shooting, cutting off the state's access to key evidence, scene materials and interviews. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joins "The Weekend" to discuss.

7am: Several cities across the United States saw major protests following the killing of Minnesota mom Renee Good. The Trump administration continues to double down on its argument that the ICE officer acted in self-defense. The Department of Homeland Security released a 3-minute video showing the moments leading up to the incident to back their claim. Minnesota officials reject that narrative. MS NOW Political Analyst Eugene Robinson and Former FBI Special Agent Christopher O'Leary join "The Weekend" to discuss.

8am: The Palisades and Eaton fires claimed 31 lives, destroyed more than 16,000 structures and obliterated almost everything across nearly 80 square miles. Senior Political and National Reporter Jacob Soboroff covered the costliest wildfire event in American history last year as his own childhood home in the Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades neighborhood was destroyed. His new book "FIRESTORM: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster" offers a deeply reported account of the catastrophe. Soboroff joins The Weekend to discuss his book and aftermath of those fires.

9am: Trump has taken his presidency to new extremes while testing the limits of executive power, forcing some of the top Republicans to stand up to the president. Republican California Congressman Kevin Kiley, who also serves on the Judiciary committee, joins "The Weekend" to discuss his party's latest moves on the War Powers Act and health care subsidies.

7am: Just days after President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, the Justice Department launched a criminal investigation against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Plus, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller falsely accused Minnesota officials of staging an "insurgency against the federal government." Michele Norris, MS NOW Senior Contributing Editor, and Ankush Khardori, Senior writer at Politico Magazine and a former federal prosecutor, join "The Weekend" to discuss.

8am: President Trump appears to understand that his unpopular agenda could cost Republicans the midterms. In a recent interview with Reuters, he stated, "we shouldn't even have an election." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt walked back those comments, telling reporters the president was "simply joking" and "speaking facetiously." Former Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff Miles Taylor and New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser join "The Weekend" to discuss.

9am: The protest comes as a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers are in Denmark this weekend, with hopes to reassure leaders of the country and Greenland of Congressional support after President Trump's threats to seize the Arctic island. Rep Sarah McBride joins The Weekend to discuss the resistance Trump's acquisition ambiton of Greenland.

7am: Tensions flared in Minneapolis with dueling protests over the weekend. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has mobilized the National Guard to support local law enforcement. And new reporting reveals the Pentagon has ordered active-duty soldiers to prepare for possible deployment in Minnesota. MS NOW White House Reporter Laura Barrón-López, former federal prosecutor Paul Butler, and MS NOW contributor David Drucker join "The Weekend" to discuss.

8am: Tuesday marks one year since President Trump returned to office. During his inaugural address, he vowed to bring costs down, end wars, and put America first. On this episode of "The Weekend", the hosts discuss the promises made and the promises broken with former Special Counsel to President Barack Obama, Norm Eisen; former White House Deputy Press Secretary, Sarah Matthews; and Reverend Al Sharpton.

9am: This past week numerous Democrats in Congress have revealed that they are under investigation by Trump's Justice Department over their protected speech in telling military members that they can refuse illegal orders. The same DOJ has launched criminal investigations into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for speaking out against the ongoing immigration crackdown in their state. Liz Oyer and Ty Cobb join The Weekend to discuss the Trump Administration's autocratic approach to governan

7am: The news comes after massive crowds took to the streets in Minneapolis yesterday to protest ICE, despite bone-chilling temperatures with a windchill as low as 40 degrees below zero. Alex Tabet, Quinta Jurecic, Kimberly Atkins Stohr, join The Weekend to discuss the latest in the ICE activities in Minneapolis.

8am: President Trump has backed off on his threat to impose tariffs on eight European nations over his demand for Greenland. But the damage from his ongoing threats and attacks has already been done, potentially causing a major rift in the world order. Plus, as Trump insists he's making progress on the "framework" of a Greenland deal with NATO, Greenland's Prime Minister claims he doesn't know what's in it, but has asked to respect his country's sovereignty. Adrienne Elrod, former Senior Advisor and Senior Spokesperson for the Harris Campaign, Elise Labott, host of "Cosmopolitics" on Substack, and Issac Stanley-Becker, Staff Writer at The Atlantic join "The Weekend" to discuss.

9am: A striking image of a five-year-old wearing a blue-knit bunny hat went viral this week after witnesses said he was used as "bait" to lure his father from their home. The Department of Homeland Security claimed the child was detained because he was abandoned by his father, who fled the scene – but school officials have disputed the administration's account of events. Those officials, School Superintendent Zena Stenvik and School Board Chair Mary Granlund, join "The Weekend" to describe the scene and share how ICE operations are impacting their community.

7am: The shooting came three weeks after Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent while in her SUV. In both cases, the Trump administration wasted no time in asserting what they claimed were the facts in the case, just hours after the incidents, before any investigation could be conducted, labeling Good and Pretti not as victims, but as assailants. David Noriega, Michele Norris, Tom Manger, join The Weekend to discuss the latest on the shooting and the victim.

8am: The Department of Homeland Security is set to investigate the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis instead of the FBI. Members of Congress are calling for action, including blocking funding to the Department of Homeland Security. Representatives Delia Ramirez and Glenn Ivey join "The Weekend" to discuss.

9am: The threat comes after federal agents shot and killed a second person in Minneapolis, three weeks after killing Rene Good. Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse and resident of the city, was shot and killed while at least five agents surrounded him on the ground. Sen. Alex Padilla joins The Weekend to discuss Democrats response to the shooting of Alex Pretti and the possible government shutdown.

7am: The Department of Homeland Security is set to investigate the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis instead of the FBI. Members of Congress are calling for action, including blocking funding to the Department of Homeland Security. Representatives Delia Ramirez and Glenn Ivey join "The Weekend" to discuss.

8am: New York Attorney General Letitia James is one of those leaders. She joins The Weekend for an exclusive interview to discuss the Department of Justice's attempts to get states' voter rolls, President Donald Trump's extreme immigration crackdown, and the attacks on the rule of law. She also discusses the administration's investigations into her.

9am: The Justice Department released more than 3 million additional pages of Jeffrey Epstein files as legally mandated by Congress. But Congressional Democrats were quick to disagree, pointing to the 6 million pages Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ had identified as "potentially responsive" to the law during its collection efforts. Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw of The House Oversight Committee joins "The Weekend" to discuss.

7am: The United States-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, set to begin today, have been delayed for unknown reasons. A new study reveals up to 325 thousand Russian soldiers are dead, and up to 140 thousand Ukrainian fighters have died since the February 2022 attack. Former U.S. Marine and Russian prisoner Trevor Reed joins "The Weekend" to discuss his new book and why he returned to Ukraine to fight on the front lines against Russia.

8am: In a Texas state senate race, Democrat Taylor Rehmet was declared the winner over Republican Leigh Wambsganss by double digits in the state's deep-red 9th district that President Trump won by 17 points in 2024. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin joins The Weekend to discuss the latest victory for Democrats and what it means for the party.

9am: Protesters are filling the streets across the country, responding to the killings of two Minneapolis residents. And instead of trying to defuse the situation, President Trump threatened protesters and instructed federal agents to be "very forceful" in their protection of federal property. Plus, the latest developments in DHS's Operation Metro Surge are now playing out in courts as a federal judge denied Minnesota's request for a preliminary injunction. In response, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison claims they will continue the legal fight to protect Minnesotans. He joins "The Weekend" to discuss.

7am: The racist video on his social media account was posted late Thursday, the fifth day of Black History Month, and depicts the Obamas as apes -- a longtime racist trope that has deep historical roots. The post sparked backlash with Democratic and Republican lawmakers quickly condemning it. Symone Sanders Townsend and Miles Taylor join The Weekend to discuss the president's post and his refusal to admit any wrongdoing.

8am: The impact of "Operation Metro Surge" will be felt for weeks to come, especially for the courts. A group of former federal prosecutors and civil-rights attorneys have signed a letter to  Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding transparency in the Minnesota investigations. One of the lawyers who wrote that letter, former Federal Prosecutor and Chief of the Criminal Division in the Southern District of New York, Perry Carbone, joins "The Weekend" to discuss.

9am: The administration first cut the funding in last october's shutdown, alleging it was to ensure it wasn't used on "unconstitutional dei principles." Now the Gateway Development Commission overseeing the project is also suing in a separate case, claiming the Department of Transportation breached several grant and loan agreements and that the suspension is politically motivated. All of this just one day after new reporting revealed the stunning quid pro quo from the president's officials to Sen. Chuck Schumer to help rename Penn Station and Dulles Airport after President Donald Tump in exchange for the federal money. Rep. Rob Menendez joins The Weekend to discuss the latest on the project.

7am: Republicans are worried about a Democratic blowout in both chambers of Congress. One race they're focusing on is GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's seat in Georgia, where 21 candidates are already on the ballot. Plus, the only Senate Democrat up for re-election this year is Jon Ossoff, who delivered a fiery speech attacking the Trump administration for being out of touch. MS Now Political Analyst Eugene Robinson and Stuart Stevens, Senior adviser at the Lincoln Project, join "The Weekend" to discuss.

8am: This week the Labor Department said job openings in December dropped to their lowest level in five years, and layoffs surged in January to their highest level since 2009 during the Great Recession. Even members of President Trump's party are raising the alarm heading into this year's midterms. Senate Repbulicans worry backlash to Trump's handling of the economy and his aggressive deportation policies could cause a Democratic wave that sweeps both the House and Senate. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) joins The Weekend to discuss the current state of the economy. Actor Lena Waithe also joins The Weekend to discuss her new play Trinity and the Trump administration's attempt to rewrite Black history in America.

9am: Congress faces a big week in the ongoing investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein case. His accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, will testify virtually before the House Oversight Committee, but her lawyer confirmed to MS Now that she will exercise her Fifth Amendment right to stay silent. Plus, beginning on Monday, Congress will gain access to the unredacted versions of the three million Epstein files. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, who serves on the House Oversight Committee, joins "The Weekend" to discuss.