The Powers That Be: Daily

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss her acclaimed new book, Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy, which is a finalist for the National Book Awards. They chart the book’s origins to its publication, how Putin’s Russia has changed since the early days of Julia’s remarkable undertaking, what she discovered while reporting on her native country through a feminist lens, and much more.

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter for a rollicking conversation touching on Chuck Schumer’s calculus for not endorsing Zohran Mamdani, perhaps the most electrifying and divisive candidate this cycle; how Zohran’s lefty politics could destabilize Hakeem Jeffries’ plans to retake the House; and whether Hill leadership can unify the far left and center right to forge a winning midterm coalition in 2026.

Jon Kelly and Peter are reunited for a conversation around NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s evolving vision for integrating artificial intelligence in his league’s media strategy. The pals also weigh in on Netflix and Spotify’s fascinating new partnership.

Sharing an episode of On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti. On Point is a rare public space where you hear nuanced explorations of complex topics live and in real time. Host Meghna Chakrabarti leads provocative conversations that help make sense of the world, with urgency, timeliness and depth. In this episode, Meghna talks to Jake Sullivan, who has been working to shape policy for the United States for much of the 21st century. With President Donald Trump back in the White House, Meghna asks Sullivan about the U.S. role in major foreign policy challenges including the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza, and what’s at stake as Trump changes the direction of the U.S. and our standing in the world.

You can hear more On Point episodes at https://link.mgln.ai/powersthatbe

Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to discuss OpenAI’s eternal tug-of-war between profit and principle. As Ian explains, Sam insists he’s serving both—though his new plan to let ChatGPT generate erotica undercuts his narrative that OpenAI is making the world a better place. Ian also peels back the curtain on the company’s questionable legal maneuvers and whether they’re meant to chill its critics.

Julia Alexander joins Peter to break down the booming business of athlete-owned media—how valuable these ventures really are, and why only select athletes can spin up a hit podcast like the Kelce brothers or LeBron James. Then they dig into Sora 2 and the escalating copyright wars between OpenAI and legacy media.

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter Hamby to discuss Marjorie Taylor Greene’s whiplash-inducing pivot from QAnon-adjacent wingnut to Obamacare-curious economic populist. Is she reinventing herself for a 2028 presidential run, or just impossible to pin down? Then they turn to Stephen Miller, the Rasputin-like architect of Trump’s hardline immigration agenda, and why Republicans are privately uneasy about Miller’s metastasizing influence inside the White House. 

Abby Livingston joins Peter with the latest intel from Capitol Hill on the now two-week-old government shutdown. As Abby explains, unlike shutdowns of the past, this one is unique: neither party seems particularly worried about political blowback, and leaders aren’t anywhere close to a deal to reopen the government. As we barrel toward what could be the longest shutdown in U.S. history, Abby discusses the factors that could actually lead to a breakthrough.

In a very special episode, Jon Kelly has a candid conversation with New York Times Company C.E.O. Meredith Kopit Levien about Gray Lady’s extraordinary transformation during her tenure. The two chop it up about the Times’ M&A strategy, the company’s investment in software, the paper’s institutional advantages, the evolution of its lifestyle product strategy, and its signature investment in the newsroom.

Veteran media analyst Michael Nathanson returns to the pod for a romp through the sports media circus: David Ellison and Paramount’s sports rights binge, the NFL’s looming $110 billion rights bonanza, legacy media’s curious flirtation with niche sports, and much, much more.

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