TGIF 🎉 

Before we get to the news, here’s a taste of what’s ahead for all of us this weekend from our weekly ‘Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend’ section:

What We’re Watching: 

• Mosh: March Madness

• Jill: Sing Sing ~ HBO

• Lauren: Live-action Snow White, but only for the controversy.

What We’re Reading:

• Mosh: Carmakers Are Reinventing the Gear Shifter and Drivers Are Lost ~ WSJ’s Ryan Felton & Christina Rogers

• Jill: Dream Girl Drama ~ Tessa Bailey

• Sari: Long Bright River ~ Liz Moore

What We’re Eating:

• Mosh: Tagalong Girl Scout cookies

• Jill: Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

• Lauren: Poppycocks in Traverse City, MI

The Mo News Team

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE WATCHING

Dems Divided On Direction As Party Faithfuls Sour On Current Path

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are on a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour of the Southwest this weekend, already drawing massive crowds at events around the country. They are taking aim at Trump’s policy moves and outlining their plans for the future of the Democratic party.

• At a Las Vegas rally Thursday night, AOC pushed back on claims that her platform is “radical,” arguing it is actually “common sense.” Among her priorities: no American should go bankrupt from illness, earn less than the cost of living, or rely on public programs to subsidize low wages.

The progressive rallies come amidst a divide on the future of the party: 45% of Democrats say they want the party to move in a more moderate direction, 29% prefer a more liberal one, and 22% say it should stay the same, according to a Gallup survey last month. A large majority of the party is dissatisfied. Much of that frustration is aimed at Congress, which has been unable to effectively push back on Trump’s policies and lost consensus on key issues (think: the federal budget last week).

COMPARING THE NUMBERS
Support from Democrats’ base for the party is at a historic low, according to Quinnipiac polling. In modern history, Democrats have historically been more approving of their party than Republicans.

• The recent GOP shift came after presidential losses by John McCain and Mitt Romney in 2008 and 2012, and internal approval at modern lows. The Tea Party emerged as a more populist, conservative movement positioning itself as a defiant and potent insurgency fighting against the party establishment and its “moderate” platform. Since then, Republicans’ approval for their party has reached its highest levels in over a decade amid the MAGA and Trump movements — born out of the Tea Party.

• Is there a Democratic version? After Hillary Clinton’s 2016 loss, the party largely united in opposition to Trump. After Biden’s 2020 win, party support surged. But after the Democrats’ devastating loss in the 2024 election, some of its members believe the party needs a major upheaval. The question is, is there a Tea Party movement on the left or does the existing establishment adapt in time?

Time for change: More than a dozen Senate Democrats are up for reelection next year. The party could see some internal primary battles over the direction of the Democratic message and agenda. We could get more moderates like Michigan’s newly-elected Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Or, the AOC left could come out in full force.

• While AOC and Bernie are out making their case to voters, Slotkin is advocating for a centrist party path: “My job is to be more than just an activist,” Slotkin said at a recent town hall. “It is to answer the call when there’s an immigration raid and we need to figure out where our people are. All of those things require me to be more than just an AOC.”

RUNNING BEYOND TRUMP
After Trump’s decisive victory in 2024, Democrats are looking for a new figure to rally against during the 2026 and 2028 campaigns. It seems they’ve found their guy in Elon Musk.

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🚨 ONE THING WE’RE TRACKING

One Of The World’s Busiest Airports Closed After Major Power Outage, Delays Could Last Days

London's Heathrow Airport shut down Friday morning and is expecting “significant disruption" for days, after a fire at an electrical substation late Thursday night caused widespread power outages.

• By Friday evening local time, a Heathrow spokesperson said, “We’re now safely able to begin some flights later today,” after initially announcing the airport would be closed all day Friday. The spokesperson clarified they only serve repatriation flights and relocating aircraft; it’s unclear when commercial flights will resume.

The spokesperson added that passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until it fully reopens. Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports, handling about 1,300 flights a day from more than 80 airlines, and its closure is expected to affect hundreds of thousands of fliers worldwide.

SHOCK WAVES
When Heathrow shut down early Friday morning, 120 flights were already headed there and had to be rerouted. Passengers will need to find hotels to stay at, crews will need to rest, and cargo and planes will need to be redirected, setting off a worldwide logistics scramble.

• The fire at the North Hyde electricity substation was reportedly under control by 6:30 a.m. local time Friday. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

• 🚨 The situation has raised concerns about why the U.K.'s largest airport depends so heavily on a single power source.

🚨 ONE THING TO LISTEN TO OVER THE WEEKEND

Biz Reporter Roben Farzad Says Recession Headlines Could Become Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Business journalist Roben Farzad, host of NPR’s Full Disclosure podcast, believes President Trump is “romancing” the idea of tariffs on Canada and Mexico, hoping they will create so much financial stress that U.S. manufacturers, like automakers, will come state-side. On the Mo News Premium podcast, Farzad says that in reality, that strategy has yet to work: “Where does a U.S. car start and a foreign car end? It’s very strange to kind of untangle that, and you can’t reinvent their supply change overnight.”

• Amid on-again/off-again tariffs, fluctuating markets, and the threat of a recession during Trump’s first two months in office, Mo News spoke with Farzad on how we got here.

  • He explains how years of free trade and offshoring have led to rising stock markets and cheap luxury goods, while millions of Americans still feel the pinch of rising inflation and housing prices.

• Recession fears: Farzad told Mosheh he believes the economy is still strong and will snap back from recent dips, but headlines warning of a possible recession could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Farzad and Mosheh also discuss the rise of China’s EVs, the state of the media, and future impacts of AI. Spoiler alert: they both think industry regulation will come after AI does something so shocking it shakes the world.

• To get early access to the conversation, join Mo News Premium for just $9/month or $99/year.

  • Premium members also get weekend coverage… since the news never stops! This weekend, we’ll be staying on top of global flight issues and any fallout from a Friday afternoon hearing over last weekend’s migrant deportations. Sign up!

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Elon Musk's Pentagon visit sparks more questions about his access to sensitive files (NPR) Trump sharply denies Musk China briefing, citing business conflicts (THE HILL)

📌 DOJ returning to court to defend deportation of Venezuelan migrants without due process (ABC)

📌 Trump asks the Supreme Court to stop judges from blocking his policies (MSNBC)

📌 Weekslong lockups of European tourists at US borders spark fears of traveling to America (AP)

📌 Three charged in arson attacks on Tesla properties (AXIOS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Russian drones strike Ukrainian city of Odesa, underlining challenges for truce (ABC)

📌 Sudan army reclaims presidential palace in major push to take back capital from rebels (CNN)

📌 Hamas claims it is still reviewing Witkoff bridge proposal to extend ceasefire’s first phase (TIMES OF ISRAEL)

📌 JoshuR (NY POST)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Boeing to build next-gen 'F-47' US fighter jet, Trump announces (FOX)

📌 Americans' job anxiety soars to highest level in 10 years (AXIOS)

📌 Air traffic controller in Orlando stops Southwest Airlines pilots mistakenly trying to take off on a taxiway (CNN)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Court rules against K-pop group NewJeans in record label dispute (BBC)

📌 Judge dismisses copyright lawsuit against Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas is You' (USA TODAY)

📌 ‘Severance’ renewed for Season 3 on Apple (DEADLINE)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… The March Madness memes have arrived. 5-seed Clemson lost 69–67 to 12-seed McNeese State on Thursday — and even Clemson’s Tiger mascot was literally SMH… another bracket busted.