Hollywood’s Harsh Data, The Gospel of Marc, Milano Fashion Murmurs

Happy Friday, and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon roundup of Puck’s latest reporting.

First up today, Teddy Schleifer masterfully chronicles Marc Andreessen’s Covid-era political “spirit walk,” and how it led Silicon Valley’s most famous V.C. on a singular quest for power and influence in Washington.

Plus, below the fold: John Ourand reveals the simmering beef between the NFL and the newly expanded College Football Playoff. Lauren Sherman offers her elevated impressions on Milano’s fashion week. Matt Belloni scrutinizes Hollywood’s regressive new rules for TV talent compensation. Tara Palmeri digs into the plot twist bringing never-Trump donors over the line. On The Town, Matt huddles up with Dr. Stacy Smith to dissect the nebulous state of female representation in entertainment. And on The Powers That Be, Dylan Byers and Peter Hamby sketch out the Ackman-Döpfner détente at Daniel, while Ben Landy and Tina Nguyen explain how the G.O.P.’s Biden impeachment inquiry imploded.

TEDDY SCHLEIFER

After a long political “spirit walk,” Silicon Valley’s most famous V.C. is starting PACs, hiring elite political consultants, messaging with his favorite right-wingers and once again spreading capital across D.C.—all to pump up his investments and spread the gospel of Marc.

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JOHN OURAND

A morality tale about the time that the newly expanded College Football Playoff thought it could program its games during a Saturday slot that the NFL has dominated for years. Nice try, kids!

LAUREN SHERMAN

Thoughts, observations, gossip, and news on the Milano shows and rumor mill.

MATTHEW BELLONI

Few moves better exemplify Hollywood’s modern—yet undeniably regressive—take-it-or-leave-it TV talent compensation deals than Disney’s latest changes on shows like Only Murders in the Building.