The Powers That Be: Daily

Jon Kelly joins Peter to assess the agony of The Messenger and how things got there so quickly. Then the reunited duo weigh in on the antecedents of the 2024 campaign media torpor.

Bill Cohan joins Peter to discuss the ascent of Peter Orszag, the new C.E.O. of Lazard, who has vowed to double revenue by 2030. Can the former top Obama aide resurrect Bill’s old firm, or will the years of ennui and infighting betray his ambitions?

Matt Belloni joins Peter to discuss the winners, losers, and surprises of the Christmas corridor holiday box office season and what to expect for the theatrical industry in ‘24. Then the two chew over the return of the Golden Globes to television.

Abby Livingston joins Peter to discuss the generation divide rocking Capitol Hill while Eriq Gardner assesses The New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI with Ben Landy.

In the second installment of their year-commencing prediction special, Jon Kelly and Dylan Byers dig into the Elon debt endgame at Twitter and much, much more.

Happy New Year! In the first part of a special double-barreled media predictions show, Jon Kelly and Dylan Byers prognosticate about Washington Post leadership changes, Jeff Zucker’s billion-dollar deal, and the Shari-Zaz outcome.

Eriq Gardner joins Ben for a Talmudic reading of the Colorado court decision banning Donald Trump from the ballot, how it’s playing in Washington legal circles, and how the Supreme Court might rule. Then they turn to the M&A regulatory conundrum du jour: Would Biden block a merger of CBS and CNN?

Lauren Sherman joins Ben to break down some of the biggest fashion business storylines of the year: the death of multi-brand retail, Michael Kors M&A, more designer musical chairs, and the return of Kanye West.

Bill Cohan and Peter discuss the leadership crisis at Harvard, the billionaire backlash to DEI, and hedge fund macher Bill Ackman’s crusade to defenestrate Claudine Gay. Then they turn to Bill’s 2024 predictions for Elon, Bidenomics, and Bob Iger’s future at Disney. 

Abby Livingston joins Peter for a special Boxing Day breakdown of the town’s greatest disappointments, degenerates, phonies and villains. Plus a dutiful accounting of a few winners, too.