The Powers That Be: Daily

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...

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...

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. 

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...

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.

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.

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. 

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...

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to exchange notes on this year’s Silicon Valley catwalk and the event’s new position in the firmament. The duo also discuss the media’s role in the Graham Platner fiasco.

The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan join Dylan for an inside look at their new book, ‘Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,’ which moved an extraordinary 300,000 copies in its first week. They shed light on their reporting process, why the book has cut through despite widespread Trump fatigue in media, where their reporting partnership goes from here, and...

Bill Cohan joins Peter to make sense of an I.P.O. market that may be in way over its head. He discusses Bending Spoons, whose portfolio of old internet companies just went public at 35 times EBITDA, and Jersey Mike’s, the popular sandwich chain gunning for a $12 billion valuation. Bill explains why both are probably overvalued and evidence that Wall Street banks are willing to sell anything f...

John Ourand joins Peter to debrief on a blockbuster World Cup that’s delivering massive TV ratings and renewing optimism among soccer officials about the sport’s future in the U.S. Then they turn to MLB, where an otherwise terrific season is heading into the All-Star break under the familiar cloud of player–owner labor tensions. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: ht...

Dylan Byers joins Peter to make the case that Versant is more than its declining linear assets—pointing to the acquisition of Full Swing, the popular golf simulator, as a sign of broader ambitions beyond cable. Dylan also weighs into Sky’s acquisition of ITV, which will make the combined company an attractive acquisition target—assuming they can clear the regulatory hurdles ahead. To learn more ab...

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to break down the Democrats’ Senate fiasco in Maine, where progressive nominee Graham Platner is reconsidering his campaign after an ex-girlfriend publicly accused him of sexual assault. Then Leigh Ann walks through a fascinating research project that’s been tracking a core group of voters since 2024—and what their evolving feelings about Donald Trump reveal about th...

After a restful fourth, true patriots Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to dig into the second-order effects of the Comcast split news. Who will buy NBCU? What will happen to the news division? Was this cleavage foreshadowed when Brian Roberts overpaid for NBA rights? Then they segue into Axel Springer’s likely vision for The Telegraph in the U.S. market. To learn more about listener data and our...

There’s a lot of dopey financial advice out there. Jill Schlesinger is here to call it out, answer your questions, break down the financial news that actually matters, and help you manage your money without losing your mind. No jargon. No judgment. Just clear, actionable financial guidance about saving, investing, buying a home, managing your career, and deciding how to spend your hard-earned doll...

C.E.O. Eric Shanks joins John to gush about the World Cup and Fox’s decade-long investment in soccer. He discusses his biggest surprises, Fox’s always-on approach to coverage, Zlatan Ibrahimović’s unlikely TV career, the controversial hydration breaks, the looming 2030 rights war, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy...

Matt Belloni joins Peter with the scoop on where Luca Guadagnino’s big OpenAI movie is landing after Amazon dropped it. Matt also digs into the surprisingly strong box office numbers in 2026, and why Hollywood is on pace to have its most profitable year since the pandemic. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about y...

Julia Ioffe joins Peter with fresh reporting on J.D. Vance’s increasingly pointed criticism of Israel as the U.S. works through its ceasefire deal with Iran, explaining how Vance is playing to a nationalist populist base that’s grown deeply skeptical of American involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/pri...

Julia Alexander joins Peter to explain why A24—cinephiles’ favorite studio—just struck a $75 million partnership with Google’s DeepMind. The studio's fanbase is alarmed, but Julia makes the case for why fears of a sellout are premature, at least for now. Then she turns to Comcast’s decision to spin off NBCUniversal and breaks down which NBC properties are most likely to catch Netflix’s eye. To lea...