The Powers That Be: Daily

Matt Belloni talks to Peter about some of the more head-spinning details of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard libel case. Jon Kelly discusses the major news out of Netflix and CNN. And Alex Bigler explains the feedback that we're getting here at Puck.

Yes, everyone in Hollywood is going bananas over the awful Netflix numbers but Eriq Gardner talks to Peter about a far more sinister story in Hollywood: a coming copyright apocalypse that could jeopardize some of the biggest characters and franchises in history. And Ben Landy swings by to, yes, explain those awful Netflix numbers and discuss the CNN pivot, too.

William D. Cohan talks with Peter about Elon Musk’s remaining obstacles to take over Twitter, why so much of the conventional wisdom is wrong and how he could finance the deal. Meanwhile, Teddy Schleifer explains Peter Thiel’s complex political ambitions.

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss Putin’s military plans, his moves in the east of Ukraine, and Mariupol, and how the martial games will play out. Then Tina Nguyen swings by to discuss Trump’s endorsement algorithm and what it means for 2024.

It’s Media Monday! Jon Kelly joins Peter to discuss MSNBC’s vexing inactivity to plug its Maddow-sized hole in prime time. Is Jeff Shell making a statement about linear? Or are executives out to lunch? And will Zaslav pivot CNN+ or, worse, essentially cut its cord?  

Teddy Schleifer joins Peter to discuss why the emergence of a new class of ultra-ultra wealthy Democrats, such as MacKenzie Scott and Laurene Powell Jobs and the Zuckerberg-Chans, has the G.O.P. so fired up. And William D. Cohan swings by to discuss the panic in the Twitter board room as Elon Musk readies for the kill shot.

What will Elon Musk do next in his gruesome hostage negotiation with the Twitter board? William D. Cohan tells Peter why Musk is so dangerous right now, and how he could eat Twitter alive. Also: Puck’s VP Alex Bigler swings by to share our community’s most intimate feedback.

Tina Nguyen joins Peter to discuss the head-spinning Pennsylvania Senate primary, where Trump has endorsed Dr. Oz (Dr. Oz!!) over the former C.E.O. of Bridgewater, who happens to be married to former Trump cabinet member Dina Powell, and is employing Hope Hicks, Cliff Sims, and other Trump J.V. alums. Plus: Ben Landy documents CNN’s woes and Maddow’s surprise.

Julia Alexander, the Parrot Analytics analyst and Puck contributor, joins Peter to explain HBO Max’s success and what to expect under Zaz Rule. Meanwhile, Teddy Schleifer gets into Mackenzie Scott’s business.

Jon Kelly joins Peter for a discussion about the D.C. media fascination du jour--will the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner take place this year or get Covid-cancelled? The gala, a veritable celebrity event in the Obama years, essentially went on hiatus in the Trump era. Is it back? Are D.C. reporters going to reprise their star power or revert to C-SPAN cover stars? As usual, there is an ulterior motive to this anxiety. Also: the two kibbitz about David Zaslav's first day helming the newly combined Warner Bros. Discovery. After a year of foreplay, the market is still surprisingly cool on the deal. How can Zaz change that?