Episode notes
Dylan Byers joins Peter to parse the WBD–Paramount settlement announced Monday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta—who’s now taking heat from Democrats for caving and letting David Ellison walk away with most of what he wanted. The duo dissect what’s actually in the agreement, how Bonta miscalculated politically, the mass layoffs looming on the horizon, the future of CNN, and more.
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The Powers That Be: Daily
Puck | Audacy · News · English
Join Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Hamby, along with the team of expert journalists at Puck, as they let you in on the real conversations insiders are having across the four corners of power in America: Wall Street, Washington, Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Puck's contributors will bring you s
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Jon Kelly and Peter break down why California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s antitrust effort against the WarnerMount deal collapsed into a series of meager concessions, and ponder whether the two studios will eventually merge. Then they pivot to Vertical Leap, film financier John Sloss’s new venture recruiting mid-tier athletes to invest in new sports documentaries.
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Lakshya Jain, elections analyst and co-founder of Split Ticket, joins Peter to dig into polling reliability, election models, and how voters are responding to economic conditions ahead of the midterms and 2028 primaries. While Lakshya says that Democrats have never been in a better position electorally, he explains why campaign insiders remain skeptical because of past polling misses.Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at ScienceDelivers.com.
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25 Sep 2026 · 19 min
Panic! At the G.O.P. Disco
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter for a close look at the rising Republican panic over the midterms, as a spate of polls points to a possible blue wave election with voters completely turning on Trump. Then she digs into the scrutiny surrounding the Democratic super PAC End Citizens United, which raised nearly $23 million but has spent only about $1 million directly on candidates.
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24 Sep 2026 · 26 min
The Trump-Xi Summit Showdown
Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to preview the high-stakes meeting between Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping, breaking down the hopes, expectations, and realities in play as industry leaders press both sides to make A.I. safety a priority. Ian explains why a true breakthrough is unlikely—and why some are quietly wondering whether Trump will use the summit as a bid for the Nobel Peace Prize he desperately craves.
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23 Sep 2026 · 20 min
The G.O.P.’s Midterm NFL Blitz
John Ourand joins Peter to discuss the political ad money pouring into NFL and college football broadcasts this fall, and how it’s overwhelming local TV markets across the biggest battleground states. Then John assesses the Paramount–WBD merger and what it means for sports fans, as two companies loaded with major sports rights combine and some of those deals potentially face the axe under David Ellison.
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21 Sep 2026 · 24 min
Media Monday: 60’s Bari Minimum & The Maine Ad Buy Bonanza
Jon Kelly and Peter reunite to debate 60 Minutes’ season premiere and whether Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton’s overhaul—or a weak NFL lead-in and shifting Nielsen math—explains its middling ratings. Then they dig into the record $12 billion pouring into midterm ads, and why tiny towns like Presque Isle, Maine, are getting hit with ad blitzes costing over $400 per head.
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19 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
How to Break the Internet (and Win Campaigns), With Alex Bruesewitz
Trump social media guru Alex Bruesewitz joins Peter to discuss how Joe Rogan and TikTok memes helped Republicans win the White House, which Democrats actually understand the internet, and who the MAGA base is likely to support in 2028.Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at ScienceDelivers.com.
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18 Sep 2026 · 23 min
Mike Johnson’s Leap of Faith
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter for a midterms vibe check, breaking down Democrats’ creeping lead and the nearly $140 million in ad spending Republican groups are rushing into Senate and House races. Then they dig into Speaker Mike Johnson’s unshakable optimism, and why his faith may be the only thing standing between Republicans and a very difficult November.
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17 Sep 2026 · 23 min
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Julia Ioffe joins Peter to explain how Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin, quietly bankrolled part of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding weekend—and what he might want in return. Then they turn to the diplomatic standoff between France and the State Department…over a single tweet.
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16 Sep 2026 · 19 min
Emmys Shocks & Ari Emanuel’s Burn Book
Matt Belloni joins Peter to dig into Ari Emanuel’s blistering new memoir—a score-settling account that revisits the chair he nearly hurled at Michael Ovitz and his decades-long grudge against Jeffrey Katzenberg. Then they turn to Monday’s Emmy awards, unpacking Apple’s sweep and the politics of Stephen Colbert’s win over John Oliver.
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