The Powers That Be: Daily

The Powers That Be: Daily

Join Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Hamby, along with 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 will bring you smart conversation around the inside stories happening in these worlds. Presented in partnership with Audacy, new episodes publish daily, Monday-Friday.

Episodes

July 4, 2025 33 mins
Lauren Sherman joins guest host Julia Alexander to gab about Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s celebrity wedding, where vintage and custom fashion upstaged traditional high-end designer gowns. They connect the dots to broader luxury industry headwinds, from China’s spending slump to the rising cachet of secondhand. They also discuss Jonathan Anderson’s successful Dior debut—and why it could mark a pivotal moment for high fashion’s fu...
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John Ourand joins guest host Julia Alexander to unpack the far-reaching implications of Shari Redstone’s $16 million settlement with Donald Trump—starting with what it means for CBS Sports and its likely new steward, Jeff Shell, a media veteran known for using sports to drive growth. They also examine the rise of skinny bundles, the intensifying sports rights arms race, Amazon Channels’ strategic edge, and what it all portends for ...
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Ian Krietzberg joins guest host Leigh Ann Caldwell to break down the eleventh-hour removal of a controversial A.I. provision from the Big Beautiful Bill. Then they discuss the contradictions at the heart of the Trump administration’s A.I. strategy, from its deregulatory stance to its $500 billion bet on the Stargate Initiative—and a looming A.I. policy framework that may favor innovation over environmental protections. To learn m...
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July 1, 2025 24 mins
Eriq Gardner joins guest host Leigh Ann Caldwell to discuss the Supreme Court’s brow-raising ruling on birthright citizenship—which, in classic Supreme Court fashion, wasn’t actually about birthright citizenship and instead limited the power of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions. Eriq and Leigh Ann weigh into the various policy implications, including immigration, foreign aid, and the next wave of federal litigation. To...
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Jon Kelly joins guest host Julia Alexander to unpack Anna Wintour’s long-anticipated but still seismic decision to scale back her day-to-day role at American ‘Vogue.’ The duo handicap the succession race and dissect Condé’s broader pivot to leaner, more profitable operations. Then they dig into Netflix’s new partnership with French broadcaster TF1—and what it signals for the world’s top streamer, and modern media companies writ lar...
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June 27, 2025 27 mins
Puck’s newest author and resident A.I. expert, Ian Krietzberg, makes his podcast debut with guest host Julia Alexander for a rollicking conversation about the disruptive promise—and misconceptions—of artificial intelligence. Ian unpacks what we’re getting right and wrong about A.I. panic, then turns to break down the major implications of a recent court ruling in a landmark case against Anthropic, one of the biggest A.I. companies ...
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Kim Masters joins guest host extraordinaire Julia Alexander to unravel the latest twists in the ever-expanding CBS–Trump legal saga: a new mediator proposal, the Paramount-Skydance merger hanging in the balance, and the uncertain fate of ‘60 Minutes’ on the other side of a potential settlement. Then, they weigh whether Apple’s long-awaited ‘F1’ movie could be a defining moment—or a costly misfire—for the streamer’s film ambitions. ...
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June 25, 2025 22 mins
Eriq Gardner joins guest host Julia Ioffe to break down the ripple effects of Olivia Trusty’s confirmation to the F.C.C., cementing a new Republican majority that could dramatically loosen media ownership rules—paving the way for more conservative local media consolidation. Then Eriq unpacks NPR’s intensifying legal battle with the Trump administration over its federal funding lifeline. To learn more about listener data and our p...
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June 24, 2025 26 mins
Julia Ioffe and Leigh Ann Caldwell unpack the political fallout from the U.S. strikes on Iran, charting the MAGA coalition’s reflexive support for Trump and the Democrats’ more fragmented response. While Republicans are largely unified, Democrats remain split—more focused on Trump’s sidestepping of Congress than taking a clear stance on the strikes themselves. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: htt...
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June 23, 2025 26 mins
Jon Kelly joins guest host Dylan Byers for a deep dive into Substack’s increasingly precarious business model—marked by a high cash burn rate, flat valuation, and potential dilution. They debate whether the company is truly a tech platform or a media business in disguise, and unpack the growing pains writers face when leaving legacy outlets for the Substack promise. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visi...
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The legendary Kim Masters joins Julia Alexander to examine the MAGA turn of mega producer Brian Grazer, a longtime Democrat, and what his conversion portends for the industry. Plus, whether Trump is coming around on the Ellison-Paramount deal and the latest Disney succession chatter following the Dana Walden-Kamala Harris summit. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-...
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The inimitable Bill Cohan joins guest host Julia Alexander to chew over two of the great mysteries before Wall Street: the financial engineering of the Warner Bros. Discovery breakup, and whether Trump’s F.C.C. will bless Shari Redstone and David Ellison’s Paramount deal. 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://...
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June 18, 2025 37 mins
In this special episode of The Powers That Be, Leigh Ann Caldwell sits down with Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz for a wide-ranging chat about Trump’s controversial decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles, the perils of his “invasion” rhetoric, the ongoing dysfunction surrounding the Big Beautiful Bill, and how Democrats can un-DOGE America. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com...
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June 17, 2025 26 mins
In a timely crossover episode, guest hosts Julia Ioffe and Leigh Ann Caldwell discuss the intensifying conflict between Iran and Israel, and the ripple effects in Washington: the decisions now confronting Donald Trump, the fate of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, and whether there’s any opening for diplomacy. Plus, Julia explains why Trump still can’t stop talking about Vladimir Putin at the G7. To learn more about listener data a...
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Jon Kelly joins guest host Dylan Byers for a postmortem of Zaz’s WBD spinoff, and what it portends for HBO, CNN, TNT, and other networks. They also discuss the long-term viability of his newly formed Streaming & Studios, before weighing into the ongoing challenges plaguing The Washington Post—and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more a...
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June 13, 2025 30 mins
John Ourand and guest host extraordinaire Julia Alexander debate what the WBD divorce means for TNT and TBS, the next wave of rights negotiations, and whether Zaslav is lying to himself about not needing sports. Then they dig into the slumping NBA Finals ratings—and whether this is indicative of broader league fatigue. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy ...
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June 12, 2025 30 mins
Eriq Gardner joins guest host Julia Alexander to discuss the latest twist in the Baldoni-Lively saga, after a judge tossed most of Baldoni’s claims. Eriq breaks down what the ruling really means, whether Lively’s partial legal win might embolden other stars to take a stand, and how this case could be a harbinger for the next wave of Hollywood lawsuits. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www...
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June 11, 2025 19 mins
Abby Livingston joins guest host Leigh Ann Caldwell to dig into the G.O.P.’s internal conflict over the Big Beautiful Bill—which Abby deems the thorniest legislation since Obamacare in 2010. Then they discuss the Musk-Trump breakup and highlight which Republicans could actually stand to gain from the feud. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more ab...
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June 9, 2025 27 mins
In a special early recording of The Powers That Be, Dylan and Bill jump on the mic to discuss the breaking news that Warner Bros. Discovery will split into two companies—a film and streaming division led by David Zaslav, and a cable business run by Gunnar Wiedenfels… loaded up with most of WBD’s debt. They discuss what the separation means for HBO Max, the fear inside CNN, how Wall Street is responding, and why a divorce was inevit...
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Jon Kelly and guest host Dylan Byers unpack the fallout from former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's announcement of her new book, ‘Independent’—and her brow-raising defection from the Democratic Party. Then they chew over the latest developments on Shari Redstone’s fragile Paramount-Skydance deal, which is looking shakier by the day. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.a...
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