The Powers That Be: Daily

In this special episode, Sen. Dave McCormick joins Leigh Ann Caldwell to lay out his energy-first agenda. McCormick argues for regulatory certainty and permitting reform, addresses the enduring conflict with Iran and its impact on gas prices, gets into his surprising partnership with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, and much more. 

John Ourand joins Peter to break down the latest round of layoffs at ESPN and the financial pressures behind them, from eye-watering NBA and NFL rights fees to the NFL Network acquisition and the pivot toward stars like McAfee and Stephen A. Then they turn to Tom Brady’s cringey “divorced dad” P.R. tour, including his latest publicity stunt with Logan Paul—and whether he’s quietly scuffing his once-pristine brand inside Fox.

Bill Cohan joins Peter to make sense of the A.I. and SpaceX hype cycles driving the market’s fever pitch. Then Bill breaks down how the war in Iran has sent gas prices climbing—though not as high as many initially feared—and digs into the factors quietly staving off a broader global energy crisis.

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss the mystery of F.B.I. director Kash Patel’s voyage to Russia, which has left even Trump administration insiders stumped for answers. Then Julia turns to Lindsey Graham’s final legislative wish—a Russia sanctions bill tied to the war in Ukraine—and why it’s suddenly carrying new momentum in the wake of his death.

Eriq Gardner joins Peter to get into the legal weeds of the antitrust lawsuit targeting the Paramount–WBD merger. Eriq breaks down how the Democratic attorneys general are aiming to delay the process, hoping that a drawn-out fight will squeeze David Ellison and Paramount’s legal team on both political and financial fronts. 

In this special episode, Brian Tyler Cohen, progressive content creator and author of The Day After, joins Peter to diagnose the Democratic Party’s persistent media problem. Cohen digs into why the party's reliance on traditional press has left it flat-footed against Trump’s effective use of various platforms. He also takes aim at the F.C.C. under Brendan Carr, and makes the case that broader outreach—and far less infighting—is the only way forward for his party.

Sharing a new series from Future Hindsight, Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising. Occupy Wall Street is the story of the improbable becoming possible. In 2008, millions of people were devastated by an economic crash caused by Wall Street greed, but it wasn’t until 2011 that there was a mass response from the Left. A call to protest went out, and thousands of people responded. They raged against a system that was rigged against them and tried to create their own anti-capitalist village in a small Manhattan park. The movement quickly spread across the country, inspiring hundreds of occupations and a new generation of activists.

Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising, is told through the voices of activists who camped out in Zuccotti Park for almost two months, getting inside the drama of a movement that grew rapidly, felt both transcendent and chaotic, and then violently flamed out. Occupy changed the national conversation about capitalism, popularized the language of the 99%, and inspired a generation of activists. As we approach Occupy’s 15th anniversary this September, this series offers a reminder that collective action can reshape what seems possible. 

Listen to more episodes at http://swap.fm/l/Occupy!

Malique Morris joins Peter to examine the fall of Spanx, whose elastane stranglehold on the category loosened dramatically once the Kardashians and Skims entered the picture. Then Malique explains why so many retailers and fashion brands are looking outside the industry entirely to bring in executives from unrelated fields to overhaul their products and storytelling.

Dylan Byers joins Peter to break down the strengths and weaknesses of the 12-state antitrust lawsuit brought by Democratic attorneys general in a bid to block the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger. Then Dylan digs into the anxieties gripping CBS News, where 60 Minutes is just about two months out from their new season amid the mass exodus of on-air talent and producers.

Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to break down Apple’s shocking lawsuit against OpenAI, which accuses Sam Altman’s company of running a sweeping corporate espionage campaign to steal trade secrets from Cupertino. Then Ian gets into the politics of A.I. this midterm season—and why voter anxiety about A.I. and data centers hasn’t quite caught fire at the ballot box yet.