“Boots on the Ground” Fears & Bankoff Deal Heat

FashionGPT, A $30M Art Treasure, Tech’s “Big Tobacco” Nightmare

Happy Monday and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon guide to Puck’s best new reporting. Here’s what you need to know…

In the Room: Meta and YouTube were slapped with twin, landmark jury verdicts in California and New Mexico, penalizing the platforms for hooking young users on infinite scrolls and algorithmic dopamine. Dylan Byers chats with the attorneys general from both states about the industry’s Big Tobacco moment. [Read More]
The Best & The Brightest: The Pentagon is weighing the deployment of 10,000 additional combat troops to the Middle East—on top of the already significant buildup of aircraft and warships in the Gulf. John Heilemann talks to Sen. Richard Blumenthal about the odds that Trump puts boots on the ground—and why Putin is emerging as the quiet winner of the war in Iran. [Read More]
Line Sheet: Serial entrepreneur Julie Bornstein has raised tens of millions of dollars to launch a Pinterest-style A.I. stylist with her shopping app, Daydream. Malique Morris takes a hard look at the startup growing pains facing fashion’s ostensible answer to ChatGPT. [Read More]
Wall Power: Christie’s took a surprisingly creative approach to marketing its $30 million May sale of Hank McNeil’s premier collection of minimalist artworks. Marion Maneker spotlights the top lots, and considers whether the staging trick can galvanize the genre’s somnolent buyers. [Read More]

A MESSAGE FROM UNITEDHEALTH GROUP

For many families, navigating appointments, providers and costs can feel confusing and unpredictable. UnitedHealth Group is working to make health care both easier to navigate and more affordable. By using the company’s digital tools, parents can find nearby providers and view expected costs before ever scheduling care. Having this clear information in one place empowers them to make confident decisions and often save hundreds of dollars each year.

Learn more.

Wall Power: The New Museum’s long-gestating expansion is finally complete, along with a mesmerizing opening exhibition. Contributor Dan Duray rings up Shohei Shigematsu, the architect behind the makeover, to discuss the agony and ecstasy of building in New York. [Read More]

Meanwhile, on the pods…

The Varsity: John Ourand gets on the blower with ESPN exec Susie Piotrkowski to discuss the network’s aggressive campaign to push women’s sports into the mainstream. [Listen Here]
The Powers That Be: Peter Hamby and Jon Kelly consider the true value of Jim Bankoff’s Vox podcast business and weigh in on the OpenAI–Disney divorce. [Listen Here]

MEDIA

Dylan Byers

He’s Just Not That Into YouTube

An important, and frankly disturbing, conversation from Jim Steyer’s Common Sense Media Summit with the attorneys general of New Mexico and California, where landmark cases against Meta and YouTube may presage social media’s Big Tobacco moment.

WASHINGTON

John Heilemann

The Secret Iran Intel That Terrified Dems

Sen. Richard Blumenthal sits in classified briefings on the Iran war. But he says you don’t need a security clearance to see that Trump didn’t think this through—and that all signs point to a ground invasion.

FASHION

Malique Morris

Requiem for Daydream

Serial entrepreneur Julie Bornstein is betting tens of millions that A.I. shopping is the future of e-commerce. Investors believe it could be the next big thing, but industry insiders are skeptical: Does anyone actually want a digital stylist?

A MESSAGE FROM UNITEDHEALTH GROUP

Health care can feel stressful and complicated – especially when patients lack clear information about their care or what it will cost. This uncertainty can create barriers to getting the right treatment. By offering intuitive digital tools with upfront information, UnitedHealth Group is making health care easier to navigate. This empowers patients to make confident decisions, often helping them save hundreds of dollars each year.

Learn more.

ART

Marion Maneker

Living With Minimalism for Dummies

Ahead of the $30 million Henry S. McNeil Jr. collection of exceptional minimalist art, Christie’s devised a clever method for showcasing what it might feel like to live with provocatively pared-down work. The question is whether buyers can see it in their homes, too.

ART

Dan Duray

Sho-Time

An enlightening conversation with Shohei Shigematsu, the architect behind the New Museum’s sci-fi makeover, about the challenges of building in New York and what he learned from designing the Whitney extension that wasn’t.

SPORTS

John Ourand

espnW’s Growth Engine

Top ESPN exec Susie Piotrkowski joins John to talk about the explosion of women’s sports, from the surging popularity of the WNBA and women’s college basketball to the growing reach of the NWSL. She also dives deep into ESPN’s push to mainstream the category, including the launch of “Women’s Sports Sundays” this summer—and discusses how stars like Trinity Rodman and Caitlin Clark are accelerating the shift.

MEDIA

Peter Hamby

Jon Kelly

The Powers that Be Daily, Starring Peter Hamby

Media Monday: The Vox Auction & Sora Eulogies

Besties Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to sermonize over the real value of Jim Bankoff’s podcast business and hypothesize about secondary sales opportunities for Vox. Then they discuss why Sora bombed and Bob Iger’s colleagues slow-walked its Disney partnership.

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