Amid the snow and the football, Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite for a spirited conversation about the most riveting questions in the media firmament. Can Bari Weiss outflank her proliferating player haters inside CBS following the ‘60 Minutes’ scandalette? And will Amazon Prime’s Melania movie reach its audience of one? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/a...
Jan 26, 2026•22 min
NCAA president Charlie Baker joins John to confront the growing sense that college sports are in troubled waters. Baker breaks down the chaos of the transfer portal, the accelerated professionalization of college athletics, and why Congress may need to step in to impose uniform eligibility rules. He also discusses the NCAA’s media rights deal with ESPN, makes the case for expanding March Madness, and much more. For more great episodes of The Varsity, click here To learn more about listener data ...
Jan 24, 2026•47 min
Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to discuss the mounting controversies surrounding X’s A.I. assistant Grok, which has been accused of generating non-consensual sexualized images of women—and why lawsuits against Elon Musk’s A.I. ventures are all but inevitable at this point. Ian also charts the soaring popularity of Anthropic’s new coding tool, Claude Code, and whether software engineers should begin planning to make a career pivot as the user-friendly tool is sure to spark fresh fears about A.I.’s im...
Jan 23, 2026•25 min
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to break down a rare moment of Republican relief, as Trump signals a diplomatic exit from the Greenland standoff after weeks of saber-rattling toward NATO allies. They also discuss the growing talk of impeaching DHS secretary Kristi Noem over her management of ICE—and why the threat carries more weight than it might appear. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Jan 22, 2026•22 min
Dylan Byers joins Peter for a clear-eyed look at the scrutiny facing Bari Weiss’s leadership at CBS News—what her critics are getting right, what they’re missing, and whether she can recover from an increasingly rocky start. Then they game out the Politico succession, and why Axel Springer might favor an external hire to revitalize the business. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit http...
Jan 21, 2026•21 min
Abby Livingston joins Peter for a close look at Minnesota’s political landscape as the state once again lands at the center of the national drama—this time as ground zero for Trump’s immigration crackdown. They examine Tim Walz’s exit, Amy Klobuchar’s ambitions, and a suddenly fierce Democratic Senate primary now being reshaped by immigration politics. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Jan 20, 2026•22 min
Jon Kelly returns for a special episode to unpack the meaningful, if unsurprising, leadership change at Politico and contemplate what it suggests about parentco Axel Springer’s ambitions. Then he and Peter weigh in on the latest Bari Weiss discourse. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 19, 2026•19 min
New York Times reporters Jessica Testa and Michael Grynbaum join Lauren for a very special episode about the current state of legacy publisher Condé Nast. (Remember, Michael wrote a book about Condé Nast. called The Empire of the Elite .) They discuss Will Welch’s exit from GQ (and potential replacements), if Mark Guiducci is doing a good job at Vanity Fair, and whether every Condé Nast editor is contractually obligated to thank H.R. lord Stan Duncan in their departure (or arrival). To learn mor...
Jan 17, 2026•1 hr 11 min
Matt Belloni joins Peter, fresh off the Golden Globes last weekend, to game out the Oscar race ahead of next week’s Academy Award nominations. Matt identifies a handful of locks, flags a few surprises, and explains why Leo DiCaprio might have the edge over Timothée Chalamet for Best Actor. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 16, 2026•20 min
Eriq Gardner joins Peter to break down the F.B.I.’s stunning raid on the home of a Washington Post journalist, a move tied to an alleged government leaker and one that’s almost without precedent. Eriq explains what the feds seized, what they may still be looking for, and what the raid says about the Trump administration’s escalating hostility toward the press—and what the Post could possibly do to fight back. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyin...
Jan 15, 2026•19 min
Julia Alexander joins Peter to explain why Facebook’s most viral content is now dominated by A.I.-generated slop—and what that means for advertisers weighing brand safety against reach. Then they dig into Google’s ballooning market cap and its new deal with Apple, as Google’s Gemini will power Siri’s long-overdue upgrade and Google’s monopolistic grip on smartphone software becomes even tighter. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-...
Jan 14, 2026•22 min
Julia Ioffe joins Peter for a close examination of mass demonstrations and state killings in Iran—and whether Donald Trump, newly emboldened on the world stage after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, might press for regime change in the Islamic Republic. Then they turn to the latest Washington intrigue, and discuss the meme-worthy meltdown of Trump-appointed H.R. director Lew Olowski at his farewell party after learning he’d been passed over for a coveted assignment. To learn more about listener dat...
Jan 13, 2026•22 min
Jon Kelly returns to debate Peter about the value of WBD’s stub of linear networks, and then the two evaluate the math behind Semafor’s recent fundraise. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 12, 2026•22 min
Matt Belloni joins Dylan and Julia to chart the latest updates surrounding the Warner Bros. Discovery bidding war between Netflix and Paramount—and what each side stands to gain or lose. Then they dive into Hollywood’s accelerating A.I. anxiety in light of Disney’s pact with Sora 2, the upcoming film slate for 2026, YouTube's rights deal with the Oscars, and more. Plus: Matt explains his choices for Hollywood’s heroes and villain of the year. For more great episodes of The Grill Room, subscribe ...
Jan 10, 2026•54 min
Lauren Sherman joins Peter to explain why Saks Global is now staring down bankruptcy—and what, if anything, could save its historic department store business. Then they turn to Will Welch’s sudden exit as GQ’s top editor and the short list of candidates who could replace him. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 09, 2026•28 min
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to make sense of a frenetic week in Washington, from the ICE shooting in Minneapolis to classified national security briefings on Venezuela. They also dig into growing anxiety over Trump’s interest in seizing Greenland, a bloc of Republicans breaking ranks to join Democrats in extending Obamacare health subsidies, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Jan 08, 2026•21 min
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss Trump’s turn from isolationism to interventionism in the wake of the Venezuela raid. Drawing on Trump’s first term, Ioffe explains how earlier risk-free strikes taught him that he could attack foreign targets without escalation, retaliation, or U.S. boots on the ground—potentially emboldening him to stay in attack mode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Jan 07, 2026•24 min
Abby Livingston joins Peter with fresh reporting from Capitol Hill on how Republicans and Democrats are responding to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Then they turn to Tim Walz’s decision to abandon his reelection bid for Minnesota governor amid a mounting social services scandal, and what the episode reveals about the increasingly brutal realities of modern political life. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-pol...
Jan 06, 2026•23 min
Jon Kelly and Peter are reunited to discuss CBS’s fascinating new set of principles and then delve into Netflix’s decision to plow into broadcasting podcasts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 05, 2026•27 min
In the second part of a special crossover episode, John Heilemann welcomes New York Times columnist, podcasting dynamo, and de facto Democratic strategist Ezra Klein to discuss the state of the nation: Trump, tariffs, the looming Newsom–Vance showdown, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 02, 2026•1 hr 34 min
In a special crossover event, John Heilemann welcomes two of the Pod Save America dudes to the show for the first installment of a two-part, year-end review of the national political scene in 2025. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 01, 2026•1 hr 19 min
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss the peace negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S., and whether Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent tête-à-tête with Trump at Mar-a-Lago actually moved the needle. They dig into Zelensky’s strategic concessions, Russia’s ostensible military advantages, Europe’s reluctance to offer meaningful security guarantees, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choice...
Dec 31, 2025•22 min
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to chart the headwinds facing Republican members in next year’s midterm elections. As Leigh Ann notes, the G.O.P. has struggled with economic messaging, Trump has said he’s “done” working with Congress for the rest of his term, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will be more than a year old when members start campaigning next fall. Is a blue wave inevitable? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy ...
Dec 30, 2025•24 min
Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to project the biggest media storylines of 2026: who will win the Warner Bros. Discovery auction; who will ascend the greasy pole at The New York Times Company; the future of TikTok; the NBA's next great frontier and more... To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 29, 2025•26 min
As we wind down the year, revisit this special Grill Room episode with controversial Wall Street Journal top editor Emma Tucker, who joins Dylan Byers for a candid discussion about evolving the historic business, change management, tough choices, and the future of news media. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 26, 2025•46 min
In this special episode from The Varsity archive, Sally Jenkins, perhaps the best sports columnist in the business, joins John for a candid conversation about her decision to leave The Washington Post after 25 years and join The Atlantic. She reflects on her rise through the ranks, Bezos’s generous buyout offer, the uncertain future of The Post, what she hopes to tackle in her next chapter—and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyi...
Dec 25, 2025•52 min
From the Fashion People archives: Lauren is joined by Gene Pressman, grandson of the founder of Barneys New York and author of They All Came to Barneys: A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Store. Gene was co-C.E.O. of Barneys in the 1990s—a golden age for fashion—and he has a lot of opinions on what makes a good store, how fashion moves in and out of popular culture, why Hermès is best in class, and plenty more. To start, Lauren is joined by New York Times reporter Jessica Testa to discus...
Dec 24, 2025•1 hr 21 min
In this special episode from The Grill Room archive, Julia and Dylan dive into the launch of OpenAI’s new video-generation app, Sora 2, and Mark Zuckerberg’s A.I. social media platform, Vibes. They explain why these releases have sent Hollywood into a state of not-so-mild panic, and how these A.I. platforms might reshape the media industry writ large. Then, they turn to the YouTube TV–NBCU carriage dispute, and what it portends for similar industry battles going forward. To learn more about list...
Dec 23, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby share some yuletide warmth and share their impressions of Bari Weiss’s evolving plans at CBS News, which are starting to become clear. Then the duo pivot to Semafor’s surprising manifest destiny in the Middle East. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 22, 2025•28 min
Orchestra C.E.O. Jonathan Rosen and Jon Kelly join Dylan live from New York to walk through new survey data capturing the media industry’s state of mind. They dig into the rise of subscription-based models, the FAST explosion, the creeping influence of A.I., and much more. Plus, cameo insights from Semafor’s Ben Smith and Feed Me’s Emily Sundberg who offer their own read on where the business is bending—and breaking. Learn more about Starbucks industry-leading benefits at starbucks.com/partners...
Dec 21, 2025•40 min
