Welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon digest of Puck’s best new reporting.

First up today, Eriq Gardner previews the most grueling legal battles coming for Hollywood and A.I. in 2026: the Musk–Altman war, looming labor showdowns, the bizarre dispute between the Johnny Cash estate and Coca-Cola, and whatever emerges from Disney’s landmark licensing deal with OpenAI, which will allow Sora users to simulate Mickey and Minnie—a billion-dollar gamble from Bob Iger that’s raising more questions than answers.

Plus, below the fold: Ian Krietzberg examines Trump’s threat to sue states to smithereens if they try to regulate A.I. Leigh Ann Caldwell grills the top Democratic and Republican House campaign chairs about their plans to win the midterms. Sarah Shapiro grades Nike C.E.O. Elliott Hill’s first year back on the job. Marion Maneker tours three fresh New York gallery shows featuring surprising historical works. And exclusively for Inner Circle members, Julia Alexander explains how sports-centric skinny bundles have emerged as a lifeline for the cable business.

Meanwhile, on the pods: John Ourand is joined by ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst on The Varsity to discuss the NBA Cup, the new 10-year Amazon deal. And on The Powers That Be, Peter Hamby rings up Abby Livingston to break down Jasmine Crockett’s ambitious jump into the Texas Senate race—and whether her brand of politics can actually win statewide.

HOLLYWOOD

A field guide to the A.I. cases and deals that will shape 2026, including Disney’s recent peace treaty, the Elon-Altman feud, the next round of labor negotiations, the whole ScarJo voice issue, and many more…

A.I.

The president’s new executive order is filled with directives aiming to curb states’ ability to pass A.I. regulations. But there’s little consensus on how much impact the E.O. will actually have.

WASHINGTON

With an election cycle looming, immense power has been invested in the congressional campaign committee chairs responsible for delivering the House: Suzan DelBene and Richard Hudson. I sat down with both of them to hear their dueling plans for ’26 and why they’re more bullish than ever.

FASHION

A year and change into his second act at Nike, C.E.O. Elliott Hill is trying to maintain the $100 billion sportswear company’s market dominance in the face of some failed stunts, a mid Kardashian collab, and smaller, more agile, high-performance competitors. But Nike is still Nike.

ART

Three striking new gallery shows—Faith Ringgold, Richard Diebenkorn, and Julian Schnabel—show how gallerists work hard to steer perceptions and provide context to decades old works. It’s harder than it looks.

SPORTS

Amazingly, cable just posted its first quarterly sub growth since 2017, thanks to YouTube TV and Hulu+Live TV and the rise of sports-centric skinny bundles. Is it too much to call it a comeback?

SPORTS

ESPN NBA reporter Brian Windhorst joins John for a state of the union on the league and where it’s headed. They dig into the NBA Cup and its new 10-year Amazon deal, the league’s push into Europe, the enduring All-Star Weekend dilemma, and why, for all the hand-wringing, the on-court product has never been better. Plus, the rise of superstars in small markets, like O.K.C.’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokić—and whether John has any reason to be hopeful about his hometown Washington Wizards.

WASHINGTON

Abby Livingston joins Peter to assess how the redistricting wars may fizzle into a draw, as Democrats float countermoves, Indiana Republicans reject Trump’s push to redraw the state's map, and weary G.O.P. lawmakers admit the whole exercise is chaotic and exhausting. Abby also breaks down Jasmine Crockett’s ambitious jump into the Texas Senate race—her clash-of-styles matchup against James Talarico, and whether her brand of politics can actually win statewide.

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