The Powers That Be: Daily

Osad

• 
  Panic! At the G.O.P. Disco 25.09.2026 19min

  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.
• 
  The Trump-Xi Summit Showdown 24.09.2026 25min

  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.
• 
  The G.O.P.’s Midterm NFL Blitz 23.09.2026 19min

  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.
• 
  ParaBros Settlement Fallout 22.09.2026 18min

  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.
• 
  Media Monday: 60’s Bari Minimum & The Maine Ad Buy Bonanza 21.09.2026 23min

  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.
• 
  How to Break the Internet (and Win Campaigns), With Alex Bruesewitz 19.09.2026 1t 2min

  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.
• 
  Mike Johnson’s Leap of Faith 18.09.2026 23min

  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.
• 
  Inside Don Jr.’s Russian Wedding 17.09.2026 22min

  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.
• 
  Emmys Shocks & Ari Emanuel’s Burn Book 16.09.2026 19min

  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.
• 
  Leon Black’s Slow Burn 15.09.2026 25min

  Bill Cohan joins Peter to discuss his new book, Money to Burn, tracing Apollo’s founding after Drexel’s 1990 collapse, its meteoric rise built on distressed debt investments, and leadership under co-founder Leon Black. The pair also dig into Black’s close ties with Jeffrey Epstein—the $158 million in fees and the affair scandal that ended his CEO reign—and what his fall means for everyone who kept Epstein close.
• 
  Media Monday: McAfee, Inc. & MS NOW’s Subscription Bet 14.09.2026 22min

  Jon Kelly joins Peter to unpack Pat McAfee’s takeover of ESPN’s marquee sports coverage, and why the network would rather license his self-owned production for $60 million per year than keep paying a salaried anchor like Stephen A. Smith. Then they digest MS NOW’s new $7.99-a-month subscription play, arguing why winning over cable-free fans of Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell could succeed where CNN+ once failed.
• 
  Are Democrats Out of Ideas? with Rahm Emanuel 12.09.2026 51min

  Rahm Emanuel, the longtime Democratic power broker, former White House chief of staff, and perennial subject of campaign intrigue, joins Peter on the debut episode of The Making of a President to discuss the rise of democratic socialism, how wannabe 2028 aspirants can win back the middle, and why the party needs a new pitch.Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at ScienceDelivers.com.
• 
  NYFW Fears & GQ’s New Groove 11.09.2026 17min

  Lauren Sherman joins Peter to report from New York Fashion Week, where insiders are fretting over a looming luxury slowdown—and the middle-class shoppers propping up the biggest brands. Then they size up new-ish GQ editor Adam Baidawi, whose bid to redefine the title’s masculinity has yet to produce a clear vision, seven months in.
• 
  Inside the G.O.P.’s Trumpapalooza 10.09.2026 18min

  Marianna Sotomayor joins Peter from Dallas, where Republicans are gathering for a midterm convention that’s fast becoming a Trumpapalooza—even as they privately grapple with new data giving Democrats a strong shot at retaking the House. The pair also unpack her conversation with a characteristically upbeat Speaker Mike Johnson, and size up Ken Paxton’s uphill Senate bid in a Texas race Republicans no longer take for granted.
• 
  Bartiromo’s Breakup & Bari’s ‘60’ Debut 09.09.2026 26min

  Dylan Byers joins Peter to break down Maria Bartiromo’s sudden exit from Fox News after forwarding internal guidance to Peter Navarro, which triggered an angry call from the White House. Then they preview Sunday’s high-stakes ‘60 Minutes’ debut under Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton, and why the show’s real vulnerability isn’t sloppy journalism, but the perception of editorial spin.
• 
  OpenAI’s Escape Room 08.09.2026 19min

  Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to unpack new revelations from OpenAI’s postmortem on this summer’s Hugging Face hack, in which the company’s agents broke their sandbox to infiltrate the open-source A.I. platform—and, it turns out, OpenAI’s infrastructure too. Then the pair dig into Bernie Sanders’ bill to ban superintelligence, aimed at a phenomenon that even researchers can’t agree on how to define.
• 
  Media Monday: Ballmer’s Billion-Dollar Beef & Wintour’s Galliano Gaffe 07.09.2026 22min

  Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to dissect the NBA’s punishing verdict against Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers, and why ESPN’s since-contradicted report clearing Ballmer has become its own cautionary tale about journalistic humility. Then the pair turn to Anna Wintour’s stunning Met Gala misfire, unpacking her push to rehabilitate the image of disgraced designer John Galliano—and what it reveals about the twilight of her once-untouchable reign at Condé Nast.
• 
  The Information Age 05.09.2026 1t 9min

  Jessica Lessin, the founder, editor in chief, and C.E.O. of The Information, joins Dylan and Julia to unpack the record growth behind her 13-year-old subscription business. She explains her bet on China coverage as rivals shutter Asia bureaus, the push into finance reporting to track AI’s reshaping of Wall Street, and her expansion into video with TITV and a new AI Deep Dive show. Lessin also weighs in on the “information mafia” of alumni going independent and tech’s cratering public image.
• 
  Ballmer’s Witch Hunt & Pablo’s Vindication 04.09.2026 20min

  John Ourand joins Peter to unpack the Clippers scandal shaking the NBA—Steve Ballmer's furious response to penalties for skirting the salary cap with Kawhi Leonard, and the ESPN scoop it undercut. Plus: Tony Romo’s future at CBS, and why the NFL sent its best Week 1 game to Melbourne.
• 
  The Man Who Tried to Save the Pentagon 03.09.2026 19min

  Julia Ioffe joins Peter to illuminate the stunning resignation of Dan Driscoll, the Army’s top civilian leader: his friendship with JD Vance, media rivalry with Pete Hegseth, his push to modernize the military and inevitable clash with Boeing, Lockheed, and Raytheon. Then they turn to Hegseth’s political decapitation of DoD leadership and Driscoll’s final, Hail Mary attempt to alert Trump to the true extent of the chaos inside the Pentagon.