The Powers That Be: Daily

Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to size up Anthropic’s mysterious new model—one the company claims is too powerful to release—and whether that’s genuine caution or savvy marketing. Ian also recaps the HumanX conference in San Francisco, where thousands of A.I. insiders gathered amid a noticeably more anxious mood about what comes next.

Julia Ioffe joins Peter with fresh intel on Pete Hegseth’s simmering vendetta against Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, a well-liked Washington figure with close ties to Vice President J.D. Vance. Julia explains why Hegseth views Driscoll as a professional threat and how he's been quietly making his life difficult inside the Pentagon. Julia also critiques J.D. Vance’s diplomacy skills—or lack thereof—coming off two fruitless trips in Hungary and Pakistan.

Peter Hamby phones in from the Puck Coachella satellite office for a scintillating conversation with Jon Kelly about the big idea behind Politico’s major executive reshuffling: Has the pivot to video finally descended in Rosslyn? Then the duo turn their attention to the Democrats’ attempt to belatedly dominate YouTube during the midterms.

NBC Sports’s Mike Florio joins John to tackle the most pressing questions facing the NFL as it stares down a highly consequential offseason—from looming media rights negotiations and the potential loss of its antitrust exemption to referee labor talks, the continued push for an 18-game schedule, the league’s expanding appetite for marquee midweek games, and much more.

This show is brought to you by the Sports Betting Alliance, advocating for
regulated, responsible, and legal online sports betting. Learn more at
sportsbettingalliance.org.

Malique Morris joins Peter to discuss Lululemon’s slide from category king to just another player in an increasingly crowded activewear market—and whether the brand can actually engineer a sustainable comeback. Malique also explores the rise of A.I. stylists, as a well-funded startup bets it can fundamentally reshape how consumers shop for clothes.

John Ourand joins Peter to break down ESPN’s looming layoffs amid the lingering financial fallout from Disney’s carriage dispute with YouTube TV last fall—and whether new C.E.O. Josh D’Amaro would actually consider spinning the network off. Then John explains why the Masters is still TV’s gold-standard rights deal, and why CBS doesn’t appear to be letting go anytime soon.

Dylan Byers joins Peter to discuss OpenAI’s head-scratching decision to buy TBPN—and the very real possibility that it proves to be more headache than masterstroke for Sam Altman. Then he examines what Politico’s future might look like under new global editor-in-chief Jonathan Greenberger, considering his experience as a TV news executive and deep Washington ties.

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to break down Trump’s maximalist threat to bomb Iranian civilian infrastructure “back to the Stone Age” unless they agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—an ultimatum that, for now, Tehran seems content to ignore, betting instead on Trump’s eroding political support. Julia also discusses her exclusive scoop on the Trump administration’s unprecedented effort to label antifa as a foreign terrorist threat.

Besties Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite during the Final Four to trade hypotheses on why OpenAI acquired TBPN, the vodcast-maximalist media company, and what the trade could ordain for the media M&A market. The duo also discuss how Roger Goodell's media partner shakedown will impact Hollywood studios.

Former F.C.C. chairJessica Rosenworcel and former NPR chief Gary Knell join Dylan at the Common Sense Media Summit to discuss the precarious state of the agency under Brendan Carr. They scrutinize his aggressive posture toward broadcasters, the potential implications for the First Amendment, and the broader risks to democracy—while also exploring solutions to support local news, combat consolidation, and protect kids in an age of infinite slop.