The Powers That Be: Daily
Join Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Hamby and the team of expert journalists at Puck as they let you in on the real conversations insiders are having across the four corners of power in America: Wall Street, Washington, Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Puck's contributors bring smart conversation around the inside stories happening in these worlds. Presented in partnership with Audacy, new episodes publish daily, Monday-Friday.
Episodes
Anthropic’s Rogue Trip & Superintelligence Fever!
Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to break down how rogue Anthropic agents accessed a State Department website and filed a fake homicide tip with the Philadelphia P.D.—and how the incident has the Trump administration pressing the big A.I. companies for more transparency. Ian also weighs in on the sudden rise of the term “superintelligence.”
Hakeem Jeffries’s D.S.A. Tsuris
Marianna Sotomayor joins Peter to answer an overlooked question about the midterms: if Democrats take back the House, the Senate, or both, what do they actually plan to do with that power? Marianna lays out the internal friction a House majority could expose between progressive socialists and centrist moderates. She also digs into how the G.O.P.’s heavy ad spending is failing to produce the result
Media Monday: Zaz’s Parachute & Skydance Looming Questions
Jon Kelly and Peter reunite to make sense of the Paramount-WBD aftermath, beginning with David Zaslav’s $606 million payday and the looming Netflix layoffs rattling the industry. Then they weigh what’s next for David Ellison—from a reality-TV boom tightening scripted budgets to the sports rights likely on the chopping block—and the awkward pairing of CNN and CBS News.
Can MAHA Keep Iowa Red?
Iowa G.O.P. chairman Jeff Kaufmann joins Peter for a candid conversation about what it takes to win Iowa, where Trump still has a chokehold on Republican voters even as his approval ratings plummet. Kaufmann makes the case that any candidate who criticizes the president will find it nearly impossible to win the nomination, let alone the state. He also explains how MAHA voters are becoming a growin
Has Speaker Johnson Given Up On The House?
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter with a fresh midterm update as Democratic optimism swells toward a possible Election Day tsunami—and even Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson sounds fatalistic about losing the House. Leigh Ann explains why some races remain a toss-up, and digs into several governors’ contests where Democrats are begging for more money to get across the finish line.
Gucci and Louis Vuitton’s Haute Mess
Lauren Sherman joins Peter fresh off four consecutive fashion weeks to deliver a runway postmortem on which brands and designers impressed on the runway. Lauren also gets into the sales slumps dogging Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and what those problems signal about parent companies Kering and LVMH as they try to right the ship.
What’s Next for Tony Romo and CBS?
John Ourand joins Peter to chew over Tony Romo’s departure from the CBS NFL booth in the wake of his D.U.I. earlier this summer, and what comes next for a broadcaster with his level of fame. John also looks back on Puck’s In the Arena sports media conference, where his guests included NCAA commissioner Charlie Baker and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey for a wide-ranging conversation on the myriad cha
Skydance’s Brain Trust & Condé After Roger
Jon Kelly rejoins Peter to size up Skydance’s new leadership team, including co-C.E.O. Ynon Kreiz, who arrives from Mattel with a mandate that likely includes cuts across the Hollywood giant. The duo also take stock of what outgoing Condé Nast C.E.O. Roger Lynch got right during his tenure, and what the media empire should prioritize as it hunts for his successor.
Media Monday: Skydance’s Sizzle Reel & Thompson’s Upper Hand
The besties Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby convene to size up the newly minted Skydance, and the splashy trailer that introduced it. They also dig into what the reported exits of Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca signal about the movies Ellison wants to make, and how his tech-bred, test-and-learn instincts could clash with Hollywood. Then the pair turn to CNN, where Mark Thompson appears to be staying put and
How to Win New Mexico in ’28, with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
With New Mexico joining the early Democratic presidential primary calendar, Peter sits down with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for a dissertation on everything candidates need to know about an often misunderstood state: how to talk about the border and gun rights, why Hispanic identity is different from in Nevada, the truth about tribal sovereignty and land acknowledgements, the trouble with “Woke 1
Sen. Alsobrooks on Crypto and Clarity
In this special episode, Leigh Ann Caldwell sits down with Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks to discuss why the Clarity Act couldn’t get across the finish line, whether a deal can still happen in the lame duck, and why the crypto industry is making a huge mistake by going to war with Democrats again. She also sheds light on her party’s enduring identity crisis and how Democrats are faring with the m
The New A.I. Helpers & Disney’s Big Bet
Julia Alexander joins Peter to dig into a new wave of A.I. agents, from Meta’s Muse to OpenAI’s Dots, and whether these tools can actually reach mass adoption or are simply products of an “optimization culture” bubble. They also get into Disney’s streaming ambitions, following the studio poaching filmmaker Shawn Levy to help lure young male viewers from Netflix to Disney+.
The Condé-WarnerMount C.E.O. Shuffle
Dylan Byers joins Peter to untangle the game of executive musical chairs at Condé Nast and Paramount–WBD as David Ellison taps outgoing Mattel chief Ynon Kreiz as his co-C.E.O., and Condé C.E.O. Roger Lynch in turn announces he’s leaving the media company to take Kreiz’s old job running Mattel.
Blue Wave Watch
Marianna Sotomayor joins Peter for a midterm vibe check as Democratic optimism runs high and some in the party are lobbying for eleventh-hour investments in Senate races like South Carolina, stretch Mississippi, and Florida. But Marianna sounds a note of caution, explaining why there’s reason to think Republicans could notch a few surprise wins too.
Can the Art World Win Over the Next Generation?
Marion Maneker joins Peter to debrief on Puck’s second annual Art of Influence conference, where he gathered the art world’s esteemed players for a wide-ranging set of conversations. They discuss museums’ evolution into civic spaces, Christie’s move into pop culture, the challenges facing younger buyers, and more.
Media Monday: Bonta’s Backtrack & The New Sports Doc Playbook
Jon Kelly and Peter break down why California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s antitrust effort against the WarnerMount deal collapsed into a series of meager concessions, and ponder whether the two studios will eventually merge. Then they pivot to Vertical Leap, film financier John Sloss’s new venture recruiting mid-tier athletes to invest in new sports documentaries.
Can We Actually Trust the Midterm Polls?
Lakshya Jain, elections analyst and co-founder of Split Ticket, joins Peter to dig into polling reliability, election models, and how voters are responding to economic conditions ahead of the midterms and 2028 primaries. While Lakshya says that Democrats have never been in a better position electorally, he explains why campaign insiders remain skeptical because of past polling misses.Progress does
Panic! At the G.O.P. Disco
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter for a close look at the rising Republican panic over the midterms, as a spate of polls points to a possible blue wave election with voters completely turning on Trump. Then she digs into the scrutiny surrounding the Democratic super PAC End Citizens United, which raised nearly $23 million but has spent only about $1 million directly on candidates.
The Trump-Xi Summit Showdown
Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to preview the high-stakes meeting between Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping, breaking down the hopes, expectations, and realities in play as industry leaders press both sides to make A.I. safety a priority. Ian explains why a true breakthrough is unlikely—and why some are quietly wondering whether Trump will use the summit as a bid for the Nobel Peace Prize
The G.O.P.’s Midterm NFL Blitz
John Ourand joins Peter to discuss the political ad money pouring into NFL and college football broadcasts this fall, and how it’s overwhelming local TV markets across the biggest battleground states. Then John assesses the Paramount–WBD merger and what it means for sports fans, as two companies loaded with major sports rights combine and some of those deals potentially face the axe under David El
ParaBros Settlement Fallout
Dylan Byers joins Peter to parse the WBD–Paramount settlement announced Monday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta—who’s now taking heat from Democrats for caving and letting David Ellison walk away with most of what he wanted. The duo dissect what’s actually in the agreement, how Bonta miscalculated politically, the mass layoffs looming on the horizon, the future of CNN, and more.
Media Monday: 60’s Bari Minimum & The Maine Ad Buy Bonanza
Jon Kelly and Peter reunite to debate 60 Minutes’ season premiere and whether Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton’s overhaul—or a weak NFL lead-in and shifting Nielsen math—explains its middling ratings. Then they dig into the record $12 billion pouring into midterm ads, and why tiny towns like Presque Isle, Maine, are getting hit with ad blitzes costing over $400 per head.
How to Break the Internet (and Win Campaigns), With Alex Bruesewitz
Trump social media guru Alex Bruesewitz joins Peter to discuss how Joe Rogan and TikTok memes helped Republicans win the White House, which Democrats actually understand the internet, and who the MAGA base is likely to support in 2028.Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at ScienceDelivers.com.
Mike Johnson’s Leap of Faith
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter for a midterms vibe check, breaking down Democrats’ creeping lead and the nearly $140 million in ad spending Republican groups are rushing into Senate and House races. Then they dig into Speaker Mike Johnson’s unshakable optimism, and why his faith may be the only thing standing between Republicans and a very difficult November.
Inside Don Jr.’s Russian Wedding
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to explain how Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin, quietly bankrolled part of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding weekend—and what he might want in return. Then they turn to the diplomatic standoff between France and the State Department…over a single tweet.
Emmys Shocks & Ari Emanuel’s Burn Book
Matt Belloni joins Peter to dig into Ari Emanuel’s blistering new memoir—a score-settling account that revisits the chair he nearly hurled at Michael Ovitz and his decades-long grudge against Jeffrey Katzenberg. Then they turn to Monday’s Emmy awards, unpacking Apple’s sweep and the politics of Stephen Colbert’s win over John Oliver.
Leon Black’s Slow Burn
Bill Cohan joins Peter to discuss his new book, Money to Burn, tracing Apollo’s founding after Drexel’s 1990 collapse, its meteoric rise built on distressed debt investments, and leadership under co-founder Leon Black. The pair also dig into Black’s close ties with Jeffrey Epstein—the $158 million in fees and the affair scandal that ended his CEO reign—and what his fall means for everyone who kept
Media Monday: McAfee, Inc. & MS NOW’s Subscription Bet
Jon Kelly joins Peter to unpack Pat McAfee’s takeover of ESPN’s marquee sports coverage, and why the network would rather license his self-owned production for $60 million per year than keep paying a salaried anchor like Stephen A. Smith. Then they digest MS NOW’s new $7.99-a-month subscription play, arguing why winning over cable-free fans of Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell could succeed whe
Are Democrats Out of Ideas? with Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel, the longtime Democratic power broker, former White House chief of staff, and perennial subject of campaign intrigue, joins Peter on the debut episode of The Making of a President to discuss the rise of democratic socialism, how wannabe 2028 aspirants can win back the middle, and why the party needs a new pitch.Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, an
NYFW Fears & GQ’s New Groove
Lauren Sherman joins Peter to report from New York Fashion Week, where insiders are fretting over a looming luxury slowdown—and the middle-class shoppers propping up the biggest brands. Then they size up new-ish GQ editor Adam Baidawi, whose bid to redefine the title’s masculinity has yet to produce a clear vision, seven months in.
Inside the G.O.P.’s Trumpapalooza
Marianna Sotomayor joins Peter from Dallas, where Republicans are gathering for a midterm convention that’s fast becoming a Trumpapalooza—even as they privately grapple with new data giving Democrats a strong shot at retaking the House. The pair also unpack her conversation with a characteristically upbeat Speaker Mike Johnson, and size up Ken Paxton’s uphill Senate bid in a Texas race Republicans
Bartiromo’s Breakup & Bari’s ‘60’ Debut
Dylan Byers joins Peter to break down Maria Bartiromo’s sudden exit from Fox News after forwarding internal guidance to Peter Navarro, which triggered an angry call from the White House. Then they preview Sunday’s high-stakes ‘60 Minutes’ debut under Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton, and why the show’s real vulnerability isn’t sloppy journalism, but the perception of editorial spin.
OpenAI’s Escape Room
Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to unpack new revelations from OpenAI’s postmortem on this summer’s Hugging Face hack, in which the company’s agents broke their sandbox to infiltrate the open-source A.I. platform—and, it turns out, OpenAI’s infrastructure too. Then the pair dig into Bernie Sanders’ bill to ban superintelligence, aimed at a phenomenon that even researchers can’t agree on how to define.
Media Monday: Ballmer’s Billion-Dollar Beef & Wintour’s Galliano Gaffe
Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to dissect the NBA’s punishing verdict against Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers, and why ESPN’s since-contradicted report clearing Ballmer has become its own cautionary tale about journalistic humility. Then the pair turn to Anna Wintour’s stunning Met Gala misfire, unpacking her push to rehabilitate the image of disgraced designer John Galliano—and what
The Information Age
Jessica Lessin, the founder, editor in chief, and C.E.O. of The Information, joins Dylan and Julia to unpack the record growth behind her 13-year-old subscription business. She explains her bet on China coverage as rivals shutter Asia bureaus, the push into finance reporting to track AI’s reshaping of Wall Street, and her expansion into video with TITV and a new AI Deep Dive show. Lessin also weig
Ballmer’s Witch Hunt & Pablo’s Vindication
John Ourand joins Peter to unpack the Clippers scandal shaking the NBA—Steve Ballmer's furious response to penalties for skirting the salary cap with Kawhi Leonard, and the ESPN scoop it undercut. Plus: Tony Romo’s future at CBS, and why the NFL sent its best Week 1 game to Melbourne.
The Man Who Tried to Save the Pentagon
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to illuminate the stunning resignation of Dan Driscoll, the Army’s top civilian leader: his friendship with JD Vance, media rivalry with Pete Hegseth, his push to modernize the military and inevitable clash with Boeing, Lockheed, and Raytheon. Then they turn to Hegseth’s political decapitation of DoD leadership and Driscoll’s final, Hail Mary attempt to alert Trump to the t
Meta’s $5 Billion Bounty
Eriq Gardner joins Peter to explain why Meta’s settlement with state attorneys general is less about the $18 billion price tag than the precedent it sets: courts writing the rules for social media. Then they dig into the deal’s wildest clause—an extra $5 billion if regulators get TikTok, Snap, and YouTube on board—and why litigation may be the only path left for policing Big Tech.
Larry Gagosian’s Trillion-Dollar Opportunity
Marion Maneker joins Peter to remember Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist who died last week at 97, and unpack her multifaceted career—from a polka-dot obsession to her LVMH collaborations and museum-conquering studio. Then they dig into a recent Bloomberg article claiming Baby Boomers’ art collections may not find younger buyers, and why megadealer Larry Gagosian spies a buying opportunity.
Media Monday: Depp’s Second Act & The Journal’s A.I. Shrug
The besties Jon Kelly and Peter dig into Hollywood’s embrace of Johnny Depp’s comeback, proving real movie stars remain rare enough to forgive almost anything—even among the audiences likeliest to hold a grudge. Then they turn to the backlash emanating from Stanley Druckenmiller’s A.I.-assisted ‘WSJ’ op-ed, and why the paper is standing by it.
Do Democrats Need a Rebrand?
Peter Hamby joins Dylan to decipher new polling on the Democratic Party’s perception problem—to wit, Trump may be historically unpopular, but voters still don’t love Democrats, either. Then they dig into the A.O.C.-Mamdani favorability gap, why Bernie’s brand of populism ages better than the “intersectional” variety, and the Gavin Newsom content-studio model for winning back young men and Latino v
The Social Reckoning
Julia Alexander joins Peter to unpack Meta’s landmark $17 billion settlement with U.S. states over claims Instagram and Facebook harmed teens—and why fixes like two-hour limits and midnight curfews might be easy to dodge. Then they get into Kalshi’s push into sports media, including a possible tie-up with The Athletic and The New York Times, and what it means for journalism’s growing embrace
60 Minutes of Fame
Dylan Byers joins Peter to break down 60 Minutes’ star-studded, controversy-shadowed relaunch under Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton: its new correspondents, the internal drama, and whether the show’s reputation—and Weiss’s—survives its September 13th debut. Then they unpack The New York Times’s quest for its own AI search tool, betting that readers want to talk to the paper the way they talk
A.O.C. on the Clock
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to break down Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s mounting 2028 presidential calculus, which is colliding with her new single life while she chronicles her egg-freezing journey in real time. The pair walk through her options, her calculated endorsement restraint this primary season, and why encouraging early-state polling numbers still can’t erase real doubts about her genera
Grassroots vs. Gigawatts
Bill Cohan joins Peter to break down the swift, bipartisan grassroots revolt against data centers and the A.I. companies racing to build them—from Josh Shapiro’s about-face in Pennsylvania to Kathy Hochul’s New York moratorium—and why Wall Street’s trillion-dollar financing spree suggests nobody’s slowing down yet. Then the pair try to wrap their heads around why Bitcoin is suddenly surging after
Media Monday: Pablo’s Paper Trail & MS NOW’s Streaming Bet
The besties Jon Kelly and Peter reunite to examine the New York Times’s uneasy relationship with creator-journalists like Pablo Torre, whose bombshell Clippers investigation—now contradicted by ESPN’s reporting—may not have survived The Gray Lady’s standards desk. Then they turn to MS NOW’s $8-a-month streaming offering, and whether a partisan network can build a subscriber business the way T
How Iger Got the Lakers
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, who broke last week’s big news about the LA Lakers, joins John to walk through how the $12.5 billion deal came together practically overnight. The two dig into the NBA’s exploding franchise valuations, what kind of owner Iger is likely to be, why LeBron James really left for Philly, and the murky, slow-moving investigation into the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard.
Prep Rally
Malique Morris joins Peter to unpack J.Crew’s preppy renaissance—buoyed by buzzy campaigns with Bad Bunny and Jasmine Tookes—and why all that reclaimed cool may not be showing up on the balance sheet. Then they dig into Vette, Condé Nast’s ambitious new affiliate-marketing venture, and debate whether shoppers will really flock to influencer-run storefronts over the retailers they already know.
The Iran–Gaza Election
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss how Trump’s cascading misadventures in the Middle East are hanging over the midterms—driving up gas prices, scrambling party politics on Iran and Gaza, and fueling more insurgent challengers than ever. Then they turn to the president’s renewed tariff threats, and how Israel could become the defining litmus test issue of 2028.
Flock and Awe
Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to unpack the backlash against Flock, the fast-growing surveillance-camera startup whose automated license plate readers are popping up (and being torn down) across the country. Then the pair examine how Democratic operatives are mining opt-in ChatGPT and Gemini transcripts to craft ads for voters who’ve tuned politics out.
DeSantis’s Silent Treatment
Marianna Sotomayor joins Peter from her home state of Florida to unpack today’s primaries, beginning with Ron DeSantis—still polling above Trump, yet oddly absent from the race to replace him. Then they survey the down-ballot field, from a Senate seat Democrats have all but conceded to House primaries crowded with carpetbaggers.
Media Monday: Ellison’s Exit Strategy & The Lakers Flip
Jon Kelly and Peter reunite for a California edition of Media Monday, starting with the standoff between AG Rob Bonta and David Ellison, who’s threatening to pull Paramount out of the state unless Bonta drops his antitrust suit against the Warner Bros. merger. Then they turn to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner’s staggering $12.5 billion deal for the Lakers, and the private equity money reshaping sports.
Politico's Power Play
Jonathan Greenberger, the unconventional editor in chief of Politico, joins Dylan to explain how a business-side executive ended up running the newsroom—and what it means for Politico's future. They discuss the relaunch of Playbook and its early scoop streak, the push to make every franchise multi-platform (podcasts, video, events), and Politico's bet that its global footprint can turn political d
How Wall Street Fell in Love With Sports
Bill Cohan joins Peter to explain why deep-pocketed investors are muscling into pro sports, from Apollo’s $2.6 billion investment in the Yankees to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger’s $12.5 billion grab for the Lakers. Then the two weigh whether even blue-chip franchises have a ceiling, and whether buyers shelling out record prices have simply gotten caught up in deal heat.
Primary Colors
Marianna Sotomayor joins Peter to unpack the stunning collapse of Francesca Hong’s gubernatorial bid in Wisconsin, where a late establishment cash dump and unflattering press erased her double-digit lead against David Crowley. Then they survey the rest of the primary wreckage, from a grassroots Senate upset in Minnesota to a generational shakeup in Connecticut, and what it all says about a Democra
The Row Less Traveled
Lauren Sherman joins Peter to unpack how the Olsen twins built The Row into a nearly $400 million luxury juggernaut, and why the brand sits at a crossroads as quiet luxury falls out of fashion. Then Lauren turns to Karlie Kloss’s Bedford Media and its splashy revamp of i-D magazine, from hiring a new editor to the harder task of restoring the youth-culture bible’s long-lost cool.
A.I.’s Great Escape
Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to unpack a cascade of security snafus at the major A.I. labs, starting with the OpenAI model that broke loose from its sandbox and hacked Hugging Face—only for Anthropic and Meta to discover their own models had quietly done the same. Then Ian breaks down Congressman Ted Lieu’s bipartisan Kill Switch Act and the Trump administration’s new, curiously classified framework
Media Monday: Ellison’s Manifesto & The B.I. New Guy
Jon Kelly chats up Dylan Byers, sitting in for Peter Hamby, about the subliminal intentions of David Ellison’s NYT op-ed and the headwinds facing new Business Insider C.E.O. Christian Baesler.
Succession Obsession
Lauren’s guest today is French journalist and L’etiquette editor-in-chief Marc Beaugé. They go in-depth on the six-part Le Monde series on Bernard Arnault; Marc even watched the standup comedy special released by Xavier Niel, the billionaire investor and husband of Delphine Arnault, so you don't have to. They also discuss the destruction of Bally with its current owner, Michael Reinstein, in the t
The Media Trial of the Century
Eriq Gardner joins guest host Dylan Byers to preview the media trial of the century between California and Paramount over the looming merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. Eriq breaks down all of the second- and third-order effects of the case, how it’s affecting the Ellisons and Zaslav, and what it all signals about the growing regulatory power of state attorneys general.
Can Abdul El-Sayed Reunite the Dems?
Marianna Sotomayor joins guest host Leigh Ann Caldwell to dig into the week’s big primaries, with a focus on how Abdul El-Sayed’s surprising win over Haley Stevens could help reunite a fractured Democratic Party. They break down El-Sayed’s appeal to younger voters and the biggest challenges awaiting him in November’s general. They also examine Speaker Mike Johnson’s hands-off approach to members w
The G.O.P.’s Life After Lindsey
Julia Ioffe joins guest host Leigh Ann Caldwell to discuss Republican foreign policy in a post–Lindsey Graham world. They dig into the outsized influence Graham held over Trump’s approach to Ukraine, Iran, and Israel—and what his absence means going forward. They also revisit Julia’s exclusive reporting on Laura Loomer, the MAGA influencer who recently turned from Putin apologist to Zelensky cheer
Zaz in Limbo
Bill Cohan joins Peter to discuss how the frozen Paramount-Warner Bros. merger has left David Zaslav in an awkward spot—hamstrung by deal terms that require the Ellisons’ sign-off on virtually everything. Bill lays out what Zaz can and can’t do while the deal sits in limbo—then considers whether the irrationally exuberant world of Wall Street I.P.O.s can ever actually be reformed.
Media Monday: WarnerMount Nightmare Scenarios & ESPN’s New Era
Jon Kelly and Peter weigh in on the potential fallout from delaying the WarnerMount merger, as Gov. Gavin Newsom raises concerns about what blocking the deal could mean for Hollywood jobs and the state economy. Then the duo chew over ESPN’s recent town hall, where new executive Mike Foss urged talent to “embrace authenticity” and adopt digital trends while keeping their combative on-air personalit
Gotta Buy ’Em All
Marion Maneker joins Peter to report back from a recent round of conversations with the leaders of the four major auction houses about the art market’s big comeback—and the buyers driving it at the top. Marion also explains why the market for sports cards, collectibles, and memorabilia, Pokémon cards included, has gotten so scorching that even the fine art world is taking notice.
South Carolina’s Other Graham
Marianna Sotomayor joins Peter for a close look at two Senate races giving both parties heartburn this midterm season: South Carolina and Michigan. In South Carolina, Darline Graham—Lindsey Graham’s sister, running with a Trump endorsement despite a thin political résumé—has scrambled the picture. Meanwhile in Michigan, Democrats worry they could squander a winnable seat in a critical battleground
OpenAI’s Runaway Model
Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to weigh the political fallout from a startling security breach at OpenAI, where one of the company’s own models broke loose and hacked into an outside company without their knowledge. The duo dig into A.I.’s emerging potential to commit crimes and why A.I. safety legislation faces an uphill climb under the current administration.
Arnault’s Bad Press & Vogue’s Anonymous Foe
Lauren Sherman joins Peter to discuss Le Monde’s six-part investigation series on LVMH boss Bernard Arnault and his family—which got under Arnault’s skin so much it prompted the elder statesman to join X to respond publicly. Lauren also gets into the anonymous Instagram account making life difficult for Vogue France, and why Vogue’s regional editions across the globe are suddenly under a microscop
Media Monday: ESPN's McAfee Makeover & Netflix Red Flags
Besties Jon Kelly and Peter reunite to discuss the power players in media, politics, and private equity who quietly helped bring LeBron to Philadelphia. Then they turn to the ESPN layoffs and make the case that the future of sports belongs to formats like the Manningcast and personalities like McAfee, not the traditional studio-reporter model. They also break down Netflix’s most recent engagement
Sen. McCormick’s Power Agenda
In this special episode, Sen. Dave McCormick joins Leigh Ann Caldwell to lay out his energy-first agenda. McCormick argues for regulatory certainty and permitting reform, addresses the enduring conflict with Iran and its impact on gas prices, gets into his surprising partnership with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, and much more.
Is ESPN’s Star System Failing?
John Ourand joins Peter to break down the latest round of layoffs at ESPN and the financial pressures behind them, from eye-watering NBA and NFL rights fees to the NFL Network acquisition and the pivot toward stars like McAfee and Stephen A. Then they turn to Tom Brady’s cringey “divorced dad” P.R. tour, including his latest publicity stunt with Logan Paul—and whether he’s quietly scuffing his onc
SpaceX’s Moonshot & An Iran War Paradox
Bill Cohan joins Peter to make sense of the A.I. and SpaceX hype cycles driving the market’s fever pitch. Then Bill breaks down how the war in Iran has sent gas prices climbing—though not as high as many initially feared—and digs into the factors quietly staving off a broader global energy crisis.
Kash Patel’s Moscow Mystery
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss the mystery of F.B.I. director Kash Patel’s voyage to Russia, which has left even Trump administration insiders stumped for answers. Then Julia turns to Lindsey Graham’s final legislative wish—a Russia sanctions bill tied to the war in Ukraine—and why it’s suddenly carrying new momentum in the wake of his death.
The People v. David Ellison
Eriq Gardner joins Peter to get into the legal weeds of the antitrust lawsuit targeting the Paramount–WBD merger. Eriq breaks down how the Democratic attorneys general are aiming to delay the process, hoping that a drawn-out fight will squeeze David Ellison and Paramount’s legal team on both political and financial fronts.
Media Monday: Brian Tyler Cohen’s Media Gospel
In this special episode, Brian Tyler Cohen, progressive content creator and author of The Day After, joins Peter to diagnose the Democratic Party’s persistent media problem. Cohen digs into why the party's reliance on traditional press has left it flat-footed against Trump’s effective use of various platforms. He also takes aim at the F.C.C. under Brendan Carr, and makes the case that broader outr
Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising, from Future Hindsight
Sharing a new series from Future Hindsight, Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising. Occupy Wall Street is the story of the improbable becoming possible. In 2008, millions of people were devastated by an economic crash caused by Wall Street greed, but it wasn’t until 2011 that there was a mass response from the Left. A call to protest went out, and thousands of people responded. They raged against a s
Can Spanx Survive the Skims Era?
Malique Morris joins Peter to examine the fall of Spanx, whose elastane stranglehold on the category loosened dramatically once the Kardashians and Skims entered the picture. Then Malique explains why so many retailers and fashion brands are looking outside the industry entirely to bring in executives from unrelated fields to overhaul their products and storytelling.
Bonta’s Trust Issues
Dylan Byers joins Peter to break down the strengths and weaknesses of the 12-state antitrust lawsuit brought by Democratic attorneys general in a bid to block the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger. Then Dylan digs into the anxieties gripping CBS News, where 60 Minutes is just about two months out from their new season amid the mass exodus of on-air talent and producers.
Apple Declares War On OpenAI
Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to break down Apple’s shocking lawsuit against OpenAI, which accuses Sam Altman’s company of running a sweeping corporate espionage campaign to steal trade secrets from Cupertino. Then Ian gets into the politics of A.I. this midterm season—and why voter anxiety about A.I. and data centers hasn’t quite caught fire at the ballot box yet.
Can the G.O.P. Survive Losing Lindsey?
Mariana Sotomayor joins Peter to examine the sudden loss of Lindsey Graham and what it means for a Republican Party that’s losing its old-school operators faster than it can replace them. Then they turn to Trump’s continued pressure campaign for the Save America Act, and whether Hill Republicans have any realistic path to passing it before the midterms.
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