The Powers That Be: Daily
Puck | Audacy
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 smart conversation around the inside stories happening in these worlds. Presented in partnership with Audacy, new episodes publish daily, Monday-Friday.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 6, 2026 • 17min
Rooney Rule Revisited & R.I.P. R.S.N.s
John Ourand, longtime sports business reporter and newsletter/podcast host, brings on-the-ground Super Bowl week reporting. He breaks down the NFL’s media rights scramble and league reaction to Rooney Rule scrutiny. He also unpacks the collapse of regional sports networks and what that means for small-market teams and local broadcasts.
Feb 5, 2026 • 24min
The ICE Age of A.I.
Ian Kreitzberg, reporter who investigates AI and government data use. He unpacks ICE’s murky AI-assisted surveillance and the vast data sources it taps. They tackle facial-recognition bias, transparency gaps, and the limits of oversight. They also discuss a college poll showing students using chatbots for schoolwork, mental-health support, and even romantic connections.
17 snips
Feb 4, 2026 • 28min
Gavin Newsom’s Road to ’28
John Heilemann, veteran political journalist who’s covered presidential campaigns for decades. He sizes up Gavin Newsom’s 2028 prospects, weighing his youth, charisma, and strong support with non-white voters. He also explores liabilities from Newsom’s California record, media strategy, and how his image plays in Southern primaries.
7 snips
Feb 3, 2026 • 20min
Capitol Hill’s Thin ICE
Leigh Ann Caldwell, a Capitol Hill political reporter and analyst, breaks down the intense ICE fight and the procedural maneuvering to reopen the government. She discusses how Trump might be needed to corral GOP votes. She also explores Stephen Miller's outsized influence, why some Republicans worry his deportation strategy could be a midterm liability, and why he likely won’t be removed.
Feb 2, 2026 • 28min
Media Monday: Bari’s Battle Cry & Lemon Behind Bars
Discussion of a high-profile arrest and the legal grounds behind it. Debate over political threats to journalists and the chilling effect on press freedom. Examination of newsroom leadership struggles and how sudden power shifts mirror earlier missteps. Quick takeaways on risks facing independent reporters and public reactions.
Jan 31, 2026 • 43min
Food52’s Recipe for Bankruptcy
Erika Ayers Badan, a media executive who led Barstool Sports and later Food52, reflects on steering a once-highflying food brand into bankruptcy. She walks through rapid COVID-era expansion, operational missteps, costly acquisitions, heavy tech and leadership churn. The conversation spotlights cost cuts, sale timing, and what sustainable media models look like now.
Jan 30, 2026 • 26min
Better Off Fed
Bill Cohan, author and Wall Street commentator, offers an insider’s look at Jerome Powell’s final days and who might replace him. He also dives into the Paramount–Warner/Netflix takeover battle, explaining bidding strategies, Larry Ellison’s role, and how valuation and regulatory risks shape the fight. Short, sharp, and full of deal-making drama.
Jan 29, 2026 • 18min
How Trump Could MAGA-fy Late Night
Eriq Gardner, media and legal journalist who decodes FCC rules, breaks down proposed Equal Time guidance changes. He explains how narrowing exemptions could chill late-night bookings and reshape debates. The conversation explores whether regulators’ threats are real or mostly bluster and what that would mean for broadcasters and comedy programming.
13 snips
Jan 28, 2026 • 23min
Minnesota’s ICE Melt
Abby Livingston, Capitol Hill and state politics reporter, unpacks Minnesota’s ICE enforcement furor and the push by Senate Democrats to tie DHS funding to reforms. She also walks through Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger’s early maneuvers, the backlash she faces, and the high-stakes redistricting debates playing out in Richmond.
Jan 27, 2026 • 28min
ICE Under Fire
Julia Ioffe, journalist and foreign policy commentator, dissects rising backlash to ICE and shifting U.S. public opinion. She examines how viral videos changed perceptions and why even Republicans are rethinking deportation tactics. She also unpacks Trump's Greenland gambit, its diplomatic fallout, and what it meant for allies and global rivals.
