The Powers That Be: Daily

John Heilemann joins Peter Hamby to assess how Democrats in blue states and cities are countering Trump’s false claims about violent crime, and his threats to deploy the National Guard in places like Chicago, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. They also discuss what these clashes reveal about the positioning of potential 2028 presidential candidates like Gavin Newsom, J.B. Pritzker, and Wes Moore—and whe...

John Ourand joins Peter to discuss the booming business of college football as the season kicks off this weekend. They dig into the broadcast bonanza surrounding the legendary Lee Corso’s final College GameDay, how the attention economy is reshaping sports media, Fox’s controversial Dave Portnoy hire and so-called “ban” from the Ohio State opener, Bill Belichick’s arrival at UNC, the professionali...

Eriq Gardner joins guest host Leigh Ann Caldwell to game out a bizarre but plausible future in which Trump insists on a cut of individual copyrights to assert control over intellectual property, particularly in the entertainment industry—and how that gambit could, paradoxically, bolster the case for A.I.-created works. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www....

Julia Ioffe joins guest Leigh Ann Caldwell to dissect Donald Trump’s latest diplomatic maneuvers with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, and why his failure to deliver security guarantees or a trilateral meeting may embolden Russian aggression and strain U.S.-European relations. They also examine the strange role of Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff—fresh off receiving a medal from Putin—and the wid...

Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby are reunited for a rapturous dissection of MSNBC’s dreary new acronymic name and some learned hypotheses about ESPN’s new gaming-first-ish streamer and its multichannel universe. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Designer, writer, and non-profit founder Aurora James returns to Fashion People to discuss Robin Givhan’s exit from The Washington Post, the tariff nonsense, the nostalgia trap, Travis Kelce’s GQ cover, Taylor Swift’s political responsibility as a deeply influential famous person, flea markets, Alexander Wang Spring/Summer 2010, and so much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy p...

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to puzzle over the latest congressional maps, from Texas and California to Indiana, where Trump wants to lock Democrats out of power forever. Then they size up Gavin Newsom’s palpable 2028 ambition, as liberals go ga-ga for a Trumpian fighter of their own. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Lear...

Bill Cohan joins Peter Hamby to break down why tech stocks have started to cool off, and whether A.I. is overhyped or underhyped as a long-term play for investors—all while “Big Tech” players like Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg find ways to continually enrich themselves and their employees. Then they take a look at Chamath Palihapitiya getting back in the SPAC game, and whether his new venture can...

Ian Krietzberg joins guest host Julia Alexander to parse the incentives for streaming platforms like Spotify to embrace A.I.-generated content, spotlighting the precarious case of the A.I. band The Velvet Sundown, which racked up over a million plays before being exposed. They also discuss CharacterAI’s shift from chasing A.G.I. to role-playing entertainment, and the ethical questions and implicat...

Matt Belloni joins guest host Julia Alexander to break down the massive success of KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s second-most-watched original film, and why it’s keeping Sonys executives up at night. Then they debate the Duffer brothers’ jump from Netflix to Paramount—and whether their defection signals a broader shift in Hollywood. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit:...

Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite for a talmudic reading of David Ellison’s first week on the job and some obsessive theorizing about his tech fantasies. Then they delve into the convergence of cable news and podcasting. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adch...

Axios’s Sara Fischer returns to the pod to help make sense of the biggest sports media plot lines from the past few weeks: Paramount’s $7.7 billion deal with UFC, ESPN’s respective bombshell pacts with the NFL and WWE, the network’s forthcoming D.T.C. product, and much, much more. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you subscribe to The Varsity. Click here to subscribe To learn more about liste...

Lauren Sherman joins Peter to assess how much magazine covers actually move the cultural needle in today’s digital-first media landscape. While big stars are still lining up for attention-grabbing shoots, Lauren suggests these expensive productions now mostly serve industry insiders, celebrity egos, and social media feeds. Peter and Lauren also explore the shrinking footprint of legacy magazines a...

John Ourand joins Peter Hamby to break down a consequential stretch in sports media, with Paramount cutting a $7.7 billion check for UFC rights and ESPN expanding its sports empire ahead of football season with its forthcoming super app. As John explains, these moves are part of a concerted push by legacy media to fight back against the rise of tech platforms and streamers. And despite the industr...

Ian Krietzberg joins guest host Julia Ioffe to discuss Sam Altman’s latest gambit: offering ChatGPT Enterprise to U.S. government agencies for next to nothing, in hopes of building muscle memory inside the government and promoting the widespread adoption of A.I. in day-to-day operations. Yet, as adoption grows, so do the questions and concerns—about security, reliability, and the costs of running...

Abby Livingston joins guest host Julia Ioffe to break down the August recess town halls, where some members of Congress are dodging the spotlight while others face heat over the Big Beautiful Bill and the Epstein scandal. They also discuss the latest Texas redistricting battle—and what it all means for the road to the 2026 midterms. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit...

Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to discuss some of the overlooked complexifiers in David Ellison's conquest of Paramount. They also assess the challenging points of leverage between ESPN and Fox and their respective college football media heroes, Pat McAfee and Dave Portnoy   To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more ab...

Katie Drummond, global editorial director of Wired, joins the pod to reflect on her overhaul of the tech magazine—transforming it into a sharp-edged outlet covering the dystopian intersection of technology, politics, and culture. She discusses the significance of original reporting, Wired’s notable growth and ambitions growth strategy, A.I.’s threat to journalism, and much, much more. The Grill Ro...

Kim Masters joins Peter to dig into the latest buzz around Hollywood: that Paramount C.E.O. David Ellison is eyeing a slimmed-down Warner Bros. as a potential acquisition target. They consider the potential upsides of a merger, the regulatory hurdles, and the implications for the entertainment ecosystem writ large. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.auda...

John Ourand joins Peter Hamby to break down ESPN’s flurry of major announcements this week, from its big NFL broadcast deal to the addition of RedZone and premium WWE content. As ESPN prepares to launch its long-awaited D.T.C. product later this month, Jimmy Pitaro has outined a future where sports fans no longer need to toggle between cable, YouTube TV, Hulu, and Disney to watch the games and pro...

Julia Ioffe joins guest host Leigh Ann Caldwell to discuss the strange and unsettling appointment of Lew Olowski, a Trump loyalist, to lead H.R. at the State Department. They examine his history of erratic behavior—from accessing classified files to delivering bizarre speeches—and how his rise reflects a broader push to reshape U.S. diplomacy around political allegiance rather than competence. To...

Abby Livingston joins Leigh Ann Caldwell to break down the latest Texas redistricting showdown, as Democrats once again flee the state in protest of a Republican map designed to secure long-term House dominance. They examine what this tactic might actually accomplish—and the implications for Texas and national politics. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www...

Jon Kelly reunites with Peter Hamby to dissect the Wall Street Journal’s editorial renaissance under Emma Tucker—and how their current business model and Washington coverage contrasts with rival New York Times. Then the duo explore whether Apple TV+ might finally embrace ads as a way to stop the bleeding on its high-gloss, money-losing streaming service. To learn more about listener data and our p...

Lauren's guest is Amy Odell, author of Gwyneth: The Biography. They discuss actress Gwyneth Paltrow's second life as a wellness influencer, editor, fashion designer, and C.E.O. and founder of GOOP, the lifestyle business that has attracted plenty of attention but struggled to turn a profit. They also discuss GP's relationship with Anna Wintour, who was the subject of Amy's first book. Gwyneth: The...

Ian Krietzberg joins Peter Hamby to survey the global A.I. arms race, and whether other countries are taking the same regulation-free, Wild West approach to artificial intelligence as the United States. Then they dig into the merit behind Mark Zuckerberg’s brow-raising claim that Meta is close to developing something called “Super Intelligence.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy pr...