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
9 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 27min
What Really Happened with Stephen Colbert?
Dylan Byers, media reporter known for covering broadcast and political media, breaks down the CBS-Colbert controversy and why James Talarico’s interview landed on YouTube. He explains FCC pressure, equal time concerns, and how networks self-censor. They also unpack Anderson Cooper’s exit from 60 Minutes and the impact of Bari Weiss’s involvement on the show’s future.
15 snips
Feb 18, 2026 • 22min
Dems’ ICE Cold Shutdown
Leigh Ann Caldwell, political journalist covering Homeland Security and Senate politics, offers on-the-record analysis. She explains why Democrats are willing to let a partial DHS shutdown persist over ICE funding fights. She also traces Senator Katie Britt’s rapid rise, her ‘working mom’ brand, and how tensions with Trump could shape her future.
Feb 17, 2026 • 28min
Marco Rubio’s Munich Moment
Julia Ioffe, journalist and foreign-policy reporter who covered the Munich Security Conference, gives on-the-ground analysis of transatlantic tensions. She breaks down Marco Rubio’s reassuring yet troubling speech, the European relief after the Greenland fallout, dog-whistle themes in political remarks, and contrasting reactions between Europeans and American diplomats.
Feb 16, 2026 • 25min
Media Monday: The NFL Bidding War
Jon Kelly, co-founder and executive at Puck who breaks down media and sports business, offers insider perspective on NFL rights talks. He maps out negotiation timing and stakes. He weighs broadcasters versus streamers, existential risks for networks, production models, and how leagues bundle rights globally and across platforms.
Feb 14, 2026 • 41min
Sports People
Kyle Smith, fashion editor of the NFL and stylist to stars like Joe Burrow, shapes players’ off-field identities and league fashion education. They discuss Super Bowl week styling, the GQ Bowl and runway crossovers, Margot Robbie’s press-tour looks, Peter Mulier’s move to Versace, and how fashion builds new audiences for football.
Feb 13, 2026 • 22min
Inside the NBA’s All-Star Glow-up
John Ourand, sports media reporter and author who covers league-TV rights and industry trends. He previews All-Star Weekend and rumors of expansion to Seattle or Vegas. He assesses the NBA’s strong business and broadcast landscape. He explains leagues racing to renegotiate TV deals ahead of big NFL rights upheaval.
Feb 12, 2026 • 22min
A Super Bowl Ratings Autopsy
Julia Alexander, technology and media reporter who covers streaming and sports business, breaks down the final Super Bowl ratings and Bad Bunny’s halftime metrics. She explores the rise of low-cost halftime counter-programming on YouTube and how platforms or creators could cash in. She also discusses the NFL’s international push and why Australia looks like the next major growth market.
16 snips
Feb 11, 2026 • 23min
Can the Washington Post Be Saved?
Dylan Byers, media reporter and host of The Grill Room podcast, breaks down the turmoil at The Washington Post and its leadership shakeups. He discusses viral PR missteps, Bezos' push for data-driven growth, debates over national versus regional strategy, AI and product experiments, and the high stakes for newsroom morale and international coverage.
Feb 10, 2026 • 18min
Washington’s Shutdown Déjà Vu
Abby Livingston, a national and Capitol Hill political reporter, breaks down the risk of a DHS funding standoff and why ICE oversight has become so fraught. She also walks through Michigan’s pivotal Senate primary, the three contenders and how the contest could reshape the fall battleground. Short, sharp takes on Washington brinkmanship and a make-or-break Senate fight.
13 snips
Feb 9, 2026 • 21min
Media Monday: The Will Lewis Chernobyl Moment
Two friends dissect the Washington Post’s newsroom crisis, layoffs and management battles. They debate whether the paper’s decline was inevitable and why subscriber backlash matters. Conversation pivots to Disney’s incoming CEO and the corporate playbook for ESPN, parks and new monetization strategies. They unpack leadership signals, board pressure and big strategic choices.
