Puck Presents: The Powers That Be

Jon Kelly and Peter reunite to work through the CNN-CBS News pro forma possibilities as the era of belt-tightening beckons at WarnerMount. Then the duo trade some final observations about Fox's acquisition of Roku. 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

Fresh off of the Knicks' historic championship victory, John sits down with ESPN's Brian Windhorst and New York's own Mike Breen to dig into James Dolan's ownership of the team, the undervalued roster Leon Rose quietly assembled, and why Jalen Brunson is essentially funding his own teammates. Breen also expands on his emotional call as the clock hit zero. 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

Malique Morris joins Peter to discuss Target's big bet on bringing Isaac Mizrahi back as creative director at large, hoping his playful, kitschy sensibility can revive the “Tarjay” magic as Amazon, Walmart, and Quince push in. Then they get into Net-a-Porter's shrink-to-grow overhaul under Mytheresa's new ownership.  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

Ian Krietzberg and Peter get to the bottom of why Trump put the kibosh on Anthropic's powerful new Fable model, how Dario Amodei screwed the pooch, whether the freakout is overblown, and what it all means for the rest of us. 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

Julia Alexander joins Peter to get into Fox's first giant move under Lachlan Murdoch: a $22 billion bet on Roku, the ubiquitous TV operating system in 100 million U.S. households. Then they get into the record-breaking World Cup and Knicks ratings, and the perennial mysteries of Nielsen numbers. 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

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to break down Graham Platner's momentum, and the public restaurant blow-up between Chuck Schumer and David Krone over the candidate Schumer reluctantly inherited. Then they discuss Trump's Iran ceasefire, which has already been downgraded from “peace deal” to a “memorandum of understanding.” 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

The besties Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby are reunited to share their deep readings on the latest reverberations of Pelleyghazi before turning their attention to the realities of Pat McAfee economics. 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

Dylan sits down with Fox One head Pete Distad to discuss why the World Cup is a make-or-break moment for Fox's streaming service. They dive into the platform's new features designed to pull in and retain fans and why sports fans are sticking around for Fox News in greater numbers than anticipated. See all the ways bp is driving American energy forward at ⁠⁠bp.com/InvestingInAmerica.⁠⁠ 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

Eriq Gardner swings by to discuss two mind-melting legal sagas: Ken Paxton's “dark patterns” lawsuit accusing Netflix of ensnaring kids with addictive algorithms, and the University of Cincinnati's lawsuit against a transfer quarterback for potentially breaching the terms of his $1 million NIL contract. 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

Abby Livingston joins Peter to break down key Democratic Senate races, from the Platner-Mills showdown in Maine to Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan wild card and James Talarico's slim lead in Texas. Then they discuss the surprisingly deep Democratic bench—and why this cycle is starting to look like 2010 in reverse. 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

Dylan Byers and Peter Hamby sit down to discuss the latest developments in the world of Bari Weiss. They set the record straight on the Axios report about Paramount bringing in back-up for Bari, why the names on the list don't make sense, and the real test for new 60 Minutes EP Nick Bilton when the show premieres this fall. 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

Marianna Sotomayor joins Peter to discuss Tuesday's primaries—and the growing evidence that Donald Trump's once-vaunted endorsement is losing its punch. Then they discuss Graham Platner's controversy-mired march through Maine, and the FISA reauthorization Democrats are holding hostage over Bill Pulte, Trump's underqualified D.N.I. pick. 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

Besties Jon and Peter weigh into the latest developments in the ‘60 Minutes' soap opera: the firing of Scott Pelley, the Nick Bilton showdown, and the newsroom murder-suicide pact. Then they dig into the media meta-narrative surrounding the New York Times oppo drop on Senate wannabe Graham Platner, and whether the lawyers watered it down. 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

The G.O.P. chairman of the House Financial Services Committee joins Leigh Ann Caldwell in Washington to walk through his ambitious legislative agenda: the stalemate over crypto, sticking points on housing reform, his complicated position on Ukraine, and more. 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

Abby Livingston joins Peter to chew over the newest damaging revelations surrounding Senate candidate Graham Platner, the Marine veteran turned progressive folk hero. Could his checkered past cost Democrats a winnable seat in Maine? And if the oppo bombs keep coming, is the Senate majority out of reach? 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

Bill Cohan joins Peter to dig into the SpaceX I.P.O. that could value the company at $1.8 trillion and make Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. Bill breaks down the three businesses inside the prospectus, and why the Anthropic and OpenAI offerings now sneaking into 401(k)s should make everyone nervous. 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

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss the Iran war's three-month stalemate, and Donald Trump's Monday night phone call where he allegedly told Netanyahu “You'd be in prison if it weren't for me.” They zero in on Iran's newly discovered Strait of Hormuz leverage, whether a so-called “skinny deal” is on the horizon, and why Iran thinks it's winning the war. 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

Dylan Byers joins Peter to discuss Monday's blow-up at CBS News, where 60 Minutes legend Scott Pelley torched new E.P. Nick Bilton and accused Bari Weiss of “murdering” the show—in an all-hands meeting that predictably leaked to every media reporter in town. Dylan discusses whether Pelley just dared David Ellison to fire him, and how long the patience at Paramount Skydance can last. 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

The besties Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby are reunited to contemplate the Free Press' new suite of products—including a community forum for exchanging views on topics from Kharg Island to romantic tips. Then the duo discuss the latest changes at The Daily Wire and what might lurk around the corner of the O.G. right wing creator company. 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

Media investor and new BuzzFeed majority stakeholder Byron Allen joins Dylan to discuss his plans for the platform—and his long-term goal of building the world's biggest media company. They discuss how the acquisition could help boost awareness for his app, Local Now, and his plan to ultimately turn BuzzFeed into a free streaming service (like YouTube) to appeal to advertisers and content creators. See all the ways bp is driving American energy forward at ⁠⁠bp.com/InvestingInAmerica.⁠⁠ 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

John Ourand joins Peter to chew over the NBA's buzzy postseason, and assess how the league's media rights holders are faring: NBC and Peacock pulling 9 million-plus per game, ESPN nursing a four-game-sweep hangover, and Amazon a distant third in ratings. Then they discuss how the NFL, MLB, and Apple are adjusting their playbook ahead of the 2028 rights cycle. 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

Marianna Sotomayor joins Peter to discuss Ken Paxton's blowout victory over John Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate runoff—and whether Trump's endorsement tipped the scales. Then they turn to the Republican backlash over the president's $1.8 billion legal slush fund, his D.C. building spree, and the possibility that the party is throwing away the midterms.   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

Julia Alexander joins Peter to discuss Google's pivot from traditional search to Gemini-powered agentic A.I.—and what happens to publishers when nearly 70 percent of queries no longer produce a single click. Then they discuss Byron Allen's $20M BuzzFeed bet, and his (slightly muddled) plan to YouTube-ify the brand. 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

Jon Kelly returns in the hot seat for a spirited conversation about the roiling drama at the DNC: the botched autopsy report, Ken Martin's tenuous hold on power, and whether it's all navel-gazing in between news cycles or a midterm asterisk. 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

On a very special Memorial Day episode, Jon Kelly rejoins the show to discuss a plethora of pressing digital media agenda items: the second- and third-order effects of James Murdoch's Vox acquisition; Barbara Peng's ouster from Business Insider; and the between-the-lines on Jeff Bezos's warning shot about The Washington Post during his CNBC sit-down. 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

Jason Stein, the sports investor and indefatigable pickleball advocate, joins John to discuss the flow of private equity into sports at all levels, the commercialization of the NCAA, the future of youth sports…. and Apollo's $225 million investment in Pickleball Inc. 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

Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to discuss a wild week for OpenAI, from the (somewhat anticlimactic) denouement of Elon Musk's “stealing a charity” lawsuit to Sam Altman signaling that a potential I.P.O. filing is on the near horizon. Then they take a microscope to Donald Trump's latest round of A.I. investments. 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

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to break down Trump's pressure campaign against Cuba, where the administration seems to be deploying parts of the Maduro playbook: a D.O.J. indictment of Raúl Castro, Marco Rubio targeting Cuba's GAESA conglomerate, and a humanitarian collapse amid negotiations between Havana and the C.I.A. But if Trump isn't after the country's oil, what's the actual goal here? 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

Dylan Byers joins Peter to discuss his report that Paramount leadership is preparing to potentially strip Bari Weiss of operational control at CBS News after seven and a half months of bad press, a handful of unforced errors, and a belated epiphany that her role should have been circumscribed to editorial decisions. Then they turn to the New York Times newsroom's quiet revolt against Nicholas Kristof's Israel op-ed. 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

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to break down Donald Trump's purge of his Republican critics—from catalyzing Bill Cassidy's wipeout in Louisiana's Senate primary to the all-out push to take down Thomas Massie—and the inevitable implications for the midterms. Then they discuss the latest beats in the southern redistricting wars. 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

The besties Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby are reunited for a readout of Matt Belloni's expert media C.E.O. comp analysis. Who has been the most overpaid top executive during the past two decade? Whose salary and options underwhelmed? The duo discuss. Meanwhile, they also dig into Byron Allen's seemingly harebrained plan for BuzzFeed. 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

In a special live episode, Republican Congressman Adrian Smith joins Leigh Ann on Capitol Hill to share his candid thoughts on Trump's soybean diplomacy, the tariff backlash, his beef with Canada, the party's “affordability” balancing act, and much more. 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

Matt Belloni joins Peter to discuss the stakes for next weekend's debut of The Mandalorian and Grogu—Disney's first Star Wars movie in seven years—which is tracking at a middling $80M for the four-day open and leaning on TV I.P. rather than starpower. Then they discuss all the chatter surrounding Cannes, and why Hollywood has largely ghosted the red carpet. Subscribe to the Powers That Be channel on YouTube https://youtube.com/@thepowersthatbepodcast  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

Malique Morris joins Peter to dig into Vinted, the $9 billion Lithuanian resale platform now spending more than $10 million to crack the U.S. market—and rattling eBay enough to trigger a $1.2 billion acquisition of Depop. Then they discuss how Vestiaire Collective's new C.E.O. and higher seller fees are reshaping the luxury resale market. 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

Marianna Sotomayor—Puck's new Capitol Hill correspondent—joins Peter to dig into the sudden Democratic panic about losing the House in November, after the Supreme Court's blow to the Voting Rights Act sent Republican-led southern states racing to redraw their maps, and the Virginia Supreme Court killed the Democrats' counter-play. Marianna explains why even the smartest prognosticators won't predict a winner now, and why some lawmakers want a truce. Subscribe to the Powers That Be channel on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/@thepowersthatbepodcast 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

John Ourand joins Peter from Upfronts Week in New York, where NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been telling everyone in earshot that the league is the only programming that still moves ad budgets. John also discusses his scoop that Netflix has muscled YouTube out of a new NFL package, before turning to the conspicuously quiet U.S. buildup to the 2026 World Cup. 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

Amid their own pivot to video, the besties Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to chew over James Murdoch's shocking but unsurprising bid for Vox Media's most valuable assets. Then the duo weigh in on a surprising wrinkle in the NFL's attempt to bid up its broadcast partners. Subscribe to the Powers That Be channel on YouTube https://youtube.com/@thepowersthatbepodcast  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

Lauren's guest is The Ringer's Amanda Dobbins. They discuss the best and worst of the Met Gala red carpet, the Bezos discourse, the tech bro discourse, why the theme of the gala and the exhibit have to be different (do they?), plus more ‘Devil Wears Prada 2' talk. 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

Marion Maneker joins Peter to discuss the art market's resurgence after years in the doldrums, driven by a wave of significant collections hitting the auction block. Marion explains why the ultra-wealthy seem remarkably unbothered by tariffs, geopolitical turmoil, and everything else rattling the broader economy—and what it all portends for the art market moving forward. 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

Julia Ioffe joins Peter with the latest from the Iran front, where Trump this week declared the war is actually over—and in the very next breath threatened to start bombing again if the regime refuses to sign a one-page memo laying out a peace process and nuclear deal. Julia tries to make sense of the mixed signals and where things really stand. 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

Eriq Gardner joins Peter to dig into the Justice Department's first-ever commodities fraud case tied to a prediction market—and how it could reshape how Kalshi, Polymarket, and sports leagues police insiders across sports, media, and politics. Then they turn to Gavin Newsom's $787 million defamation suit against Fox News, and why a Delaware judge just kept it alive. 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

Lauren Sherman joins Peter with notes from last night's Met Gala—the usual spectacle of celebrities and couture, with one increasingly hard-to-ignore addition: tech money. Lauren explains that while Anna Wintour may not like their outfits, she certainly likes their checkbooks. Then the duo discuss ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2' and the lineup of brands that queued up for a cameo. 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

Jon Kelly and Peter reunite to break the fourth wall and discuss their own pivot to video. (Yes, you can now watch The Powers That Be, thank you very much...) The besties also debate some uncomfortable topics lingering from last week's WHCA Dinner melee before assessing the Jeff D'Onofrio era at The Washington Post. 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

Family Lore is a weekly narrative podcast that celebrates and investigates ancestral mystique. Each episode begins with a guest sharing a fascinating family legend, followed by a historical deep-dive to uncover the truth and meaning behind the tale. Available now: https://link.pscrb.fm/f0281/FLFD 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

Trey Yingst, the leading war correspondent on Fox News, joins Dylan to talk about building one of the most prominent social media presences in TV news—and what his multiplatform reach means not just for his own profile but for Fox News as a whole. Yingst reflects on covering some of the world's most consequential conflicts, including the U.S.-Iran war and the Israel-Gaza conflict, and makes the case for why social media and traditional broadcasting are more complementary than competitive. He also weighs in on maintaining journalistic integrity across platforms and the urgent, often overlooked issue of protecting journalists working in dangerous regions. See all the ways bp is driving American energy forward at ⁠bp.com/InvestingInAmerica.⁠ 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

Bill Cohan joins Peter to chew over the aftershocks from last weekend's White House Correspondents' Dinner, where the chaos inside the ballroom is still reverberating through the nation's power corners. Then Bill turns to his latest reporting on Sam Bankman-Fried, who's still angling for a way out of prison—and how the staggering scale of his financial losses could factor into his legal battle. 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

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to break down the Supreme Court's recent blow to the Voting Rights Act, ruling that Louisiana must eliminate a majority-Black congressional district—which was quickly followed by Florida passing a new congressional map that could wipe out four sitting Democrats before the year is out. Then Leigh Ann weighs in on the escalating tension between John Thune and Mike Johnson, where the friction between the two chambers appears to have reached a new low.  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

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to dig into the power struggle reshaping the Pentagon, where Pete Hegseth's promotion of Christopher LaNeve to Army Chief of Staff is raising serious questions. Julia explains how LaNeve's swift ascent from obscurity—and the purge of popular generals that made room for it—has fueled growing suspicions that he's become Hegseth's instrument of choice in Hegseth's instrument of choice in his campaign to consolidate control over the military. 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

Dylan Byers joins Peter to assess the state of political media in the wake of the attempted Trump assassination at the White House Correspondents' Dinner—and the perplexing normalization of political violence in the Trump era. Then Dylan previews looming changes at 60 Minutes and weighs into Bari Weiss's ambition to franchise the most-watched news show on television. 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

After an unexpectedly off-script night at The Hilton in D.C., Jon Kelly and Peter trade their WHCA reflections and observations before turning their attention to the NFL's Capitol Hill charm offensive and the final micro-dramas of the WBD journey. 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

Leigh Ann Caldwell sits down with Indiana Sen. Jim Banks to discuss the red lines for any ceasefire agreement with Iran, before getting into whether the ongoing war is a political liability for Republicans heading into the midterms, what rising gas prices mean for Trump, and the redistricting battles reshaping the electoral map. This special episode of The Powers That Be is brought to you by Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance. 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