MSNBC host Alicia Menendez was put in a difficult situation last week, as her father, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was indicted alongside his wife on federal bribery charges.

During American Voices, the MSNBC weekend program she hosts, Menendez shared that she will not be covering the case on her own show, but shared her support of colleagues who will continue to report on the case.

“I have been watching along with all of you as a citizen and also as his daughter. I will not be reporting on the legal case,” Menendez revealed. “That said, my colleagues across MSNBC and NBC News, they have aggressively covered this story and will continue to do so as they should.”

The 39-page indictment against Sen. Menendez includes details that allege he received bribes from two men, including cash and gold bars. It is the second time he has been indicted on bribery charges. In 2015, he faced similar accusations of corruption before a mistrial was declared in 2017, and all charges were dropped in 2018.

The 40-year-old Menendez joined MSNBC in 2019 after stints at PBS, CNN, Fox News, SiriusXM, and HuffPost Live. She began hosting American Voices at 6:00 PM ET on Saturdays and Sundays in 2020.

Bill Maher returned to host HBO’s Real Time after facing recent controversy during the writers’ strike. Although he did not directly address the criticism, he did express gratitude towards his writers, team, and the Writers Guild of America. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Maher’s comments were made around 20 minutes into Friday’s episode of his political talk show, just before he began a panel discussion with Sam Harris, the host of the Making Sense podcast, and Mary Katharine Ham, an author and co-host of the Getting Hammered podcast. 

Bill Maher expressed regret for having to work without the writers or their writing. He said he understands the gravity of the issues the writers face and hopes that they will be resolved satisfactorily.

However, Maher also acknowledges that the crew members are experiencing their own issues, problems, and concerns. He believes it’s time to get everyone back to work and that an entire year should not pass by while many crew members suffer greatly.

“First of all, I want to express my gratitude to all those who played a crucial role in making this return possible,” Maher stated. “I’m referring to my exceptional staff, both the writers and non-writers, who worked tirelessly to get us back on air within two days. I also want to thank the union members who streamlined the paperwork, allowing us to return so swiftly. So, a heartfelt thank you to all.”

Real Time is currently airing its 21st season, which began in January but took a hiatus when the Writers Guild of America strike began in May. Normally, the show broadcasts 35 weekly episodes and runs until the end of November.

The writer’s strike ended last week. 

After the second 2024 Republican Presidential debate Wednesday, many questioned the inclusion of Univision’s Ilia Calderón as a moderator. Greg Gutfeld of Fox News — who produced the debate — is in that camp. 

“My problem with the debate wasn’t really the candidates at all, because the outcomes you get are created by the design. And Fox joining Univision, perhaps, was the worst partnership I’ve ever seen since Bud Light hired Dylan Mulvaney,” Gutfeld joked during The Five Thursday.

“I mean, you have a host unload a litany of clichés, whose premise is, we challenge successfully every day, and yet they were treated as approved truths. She had no follow-up to each one, which was weird, so it was like a deliberate list prepared by the DNC to tweak the candidates and to tweak the audience. It didn’t feel like a journalism debate to me. It felt like The View without pastries.”

Gutfeld’s comments came after he commended Fox News anchor Dana Perino for her performance during the debate.

“I did not envy you,” Gutfeld said. “I was watching it. You were pretty much shouldering the load for two hours, and you didn’t break a sweat. It was amazing.”