The Powers That Be: Daily

Latest Episodes:

Big Law Bends the Knee Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

Eriq Gardner joins Peter to unpack Donald Trump’s ongoing crusade against blue-chip law firms. He breaks down how left-leaning firm Paul Weiss caved to Trump, agreeing to $40 million in pro bono work and other eyebrow-raising concessions. Eriq explains the chilling effect on the legal world, as firms shy away from taking meritorious cases against the government, worried that challenging Trump could put their business, and future, on the line.

Media Monday: The Times’ A.I. Adventures & a Draftkings Dilemma Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby unite to tackle The New York Times’ complex relationship with artificial intelligence—suing OpenAI on one hand while envisioning the economic boost of the technology on the other—and hypothesize about how this posture will impact the newsroom. Then they dig into a gaming media pivot.

Where’s My Gary Cohn? Mar 21, 2025

Show notes

Bill Cohan joins Peter for a deep dive into Wall Street’s response to President Trump’s erratic and impulsive economic reset—one that’s doing little to ease consumer prices while throwing markets into disarray. Bill and Peter ask: Where have the big-money power players gone as Trump’s protectionist trade policies sow chaos on The Street? Plus, Bill considers whether Scott Bessent could actually emerge as a stabilizing force.

LVMH's $300 Billion Question Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

Lauren Sherman joins Peter for an inside look at the ongoing LVMH succession saga. With père Arnault pushing to immortality, Lauren and Peter speculate about which heir will take the reins—and whether any of them even want to. Then Lauren breaks down how Trump’s tariffs will impact the price of popular European alcohol brands in the U.S.

Is YouTube Eating Hollywood? Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Streaming guru Julia Alexander joins Peter for a rollicking conversation about the wild state of the industry war in 2025: Netflix’s enduring dominance, Apple TV’s strategic nod to the HBO playbook, and why the Peacocks of the world exist merely as consolidation bait. Then Julia dives deep into how YouTube is flying under the radar as potentially the most dominant streamer in the game… and why Hollywood ignores it at its peril.

Good Luck, Chuck Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to unpack the frustrated chatter surrounding Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who’s taking major flack from his party after sidestepping the activist base to avoid a government shutdown. Leigh Ann shares what Democrats on The Hill are saying privately about whether Schumer is actually up for the moment—and what his lack of fight back portends for the rest of his tenure as leader.

Media Monday: Pod Save Gavin Newsom Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

Jon Kelly joins Peter to weigh into Gavin Newsom’s new Rogan-esque podcast and debate whether his MAGA-friendly strategy is helping Democrats or simply repositioning Newsom, himself. Then they turn to Bill Simmons’ new role at Spotify, and explore why video is poised to dominate the future of audio.

Paramount in Purgatory & Trump’s Legal Tantrum Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

Eriq Gardner joins Peter to dissect the fate of the Paramount-Skyance merger, which remains in F.C.C. purgatory under the new Trump administration. Then Eriq scrutinizes Trump’s grudge-driven crusade against the white shoe law firm Perkins Coie—and their titanic response, landing a major blow against Trump in federal court in the process.

Schumer’s Shutdown Horror Story Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

Abby Livingston reunites with Peter to dissect the forthcoming showdown over a looming government shutdown. With House Republicans managing to push a spending bill through this week, the ball is now in the Senate’s court—where Democrats face an unusual and uncomfortable dilemma: crossing the aisle to support the G.O.P.’s budget resolution, or stand their ground against Trump’s spending cuts and risk bringing the government to a halt.

Make Europe Great Again? Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to sift through the geopolitical implications of Trump’s middle-finger diplomacy as he retreats from U.S. commitments abroad and edges closer to an alliance with Vladimir Putin. Then they discuss what’s next for Europe as France ramps up support for Ukraine, Poland seeks its own nukes, and Germany rearms: If this is the end of Pax Americana, is it a new beginning or the end for NATO, too?

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Powers That Be: Daily

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6