The Powers That Be: Daily

Eriq Gardner joins guest host Julia Ioffe to unpack Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a lewd birthday card he allegedly doodled for Jeffrey Epstein, and which he vehemently denies creating. Eriq explains why this lawsuit is notably flimsy—and why Trump may be aiming for a settlement rather than a public reckoning.

Ian Krietzberg joins guest host Julia Ioffe to unpack the class-action lawsuit against the A.I. company Anthropic, and how publishers are drawing a line in the sand when it comes to A.I. models training on their content. They also dig into Trump’s supposed “anti-woke A.I.” action plan and how it ties into the mass sell-off of public lands envisioned in the Big Beautiful Bill.

Jon Kelly reunites with Peter to unpack Substack’s billion-dollar valuation and its pivot from newsletter darling to multimedia hype darling. Then they dig into the culture-war-infused intrigue surrounding David Ellison’s potential bid for The Free Press, and what it could mean if he folds Bari Weiss into CBS News.

In this special episode of The Powers That Be, Leigh Ann Caldwell is joined by Rep. Angie Craig for a Puck Power Breakfast at Ned’s Club in D.C. Craig digs into the crypto-related conflicts dogging the White House, and explains why the current administration’s rural agenda is alienating the very farmers it claims to support. She also opens up about her new political group, Majority Democrats, and her campaign to reimagine the party’s strategy, messaging, and leadership.

Julia Ioffe joins guest host Leigh Ann Caldwell to unpack the implications of the sweeping layoffs at the State Department, which have left 1300 staffers out in the cold. Then they examine Marco Rubio’s tenure as Secretary of State, illuminating his emerging role as a key architect of Trump's evolving foreign policy—while sidestepping his actual duty to manage the reorganization of the State Department.

Abby Livingston joins Leigh Ann Caldwell to cover the most pressing topics underpinning the political landscape: the latest drama with the redistricting efforts in Texas, the Dems’ and G.O.P.’s respective Q2 fundraising trends, and whether Elon Musk is actually gaining any traction with his quixotic third-party ambitions.

Lauren Sherman joins guest host Julia Alexander to cut through the noise surrounding the Anna Wintour-Vogue succession story—and why the rumors of Jeff Bezos acquiring the storied fashion mag are more fantasy than fact. Lauren also digs into the $10 million sale of a prototype Hermès Birkin bag, and highlights which other luxury bags could reach cult collectible status in the future.

Bill Cohan joins guest host extraordinaire Julia Alexander to dissect Bill Ackman’s latest headline-generating antics—this time at a tennis tournament—and the optics of his increasingly erratic behavior. Then Bill breaks down the escalating crisis at Saks Global, where a debt restructuring effort has devolved into intra-creditor warfare, and why Chapter 11 may be on the horizon.

Jon Kelly joins guest host Julia Alexander to assess Apple’s reported $150 million-a-year offer for F1's U.S. media rights—nearly twice what ESPN currently pays. With ESPN tightening its belt and prioritizing strategic clarity, Apple may have the inside lane. Then they pivot to Linda Yaccarino’s exit from X, and discuss what her retreat signals about the company’s Musk-era dysfunction and long-term viability.

Matt Belloni joins guest host Julia Alexander to discuss the high-stakes summer blockbusters that could make or break two battered superhero franchises. With ‘Superman’ poised for a $130 million debut, Warner Bros. Discovery is betting big on a comeback after a string of DC misfires. Meanwhile, Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot carries the burden of reviving a post-‘Endgame’ brand that’s lost its allure. Can either studio pull itself out of its respective funk?