Trump-Scott Fantasies, A.I. vs Hollywood, D.C. Shutdown Fears

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

Today, we lead off with Tara Palmeri’s inaugural episode of Somebody’s Gotta Win, a new 2024 election podcast produced by Puck with Bill Simmons’ The Ringer. First up, an essential G.O.P. debate primer with NBC’s Jon Allen and Republican operative Matthew Bartlett, covering DeSantis’s messaging trouble, the Ramaswamy surge, and the donors on the sidelines.

Plus, below the fold: Peter Hamby offers an incisive on-the-ground dispatch from the Iowa State Fair. Eriq Gardner and Matt Belloni trade notes on Hollywood’s A.I. legal fears, the Blind Side imbroglio, and Iger’s Avatar profit sharing dilemma. Then on the latest episode of The Powers That Be, Abby Livingston joins Peter to discuss the looming shutdown chaos on Capitol Hill.

TARA PLAMERI

Tara is joined by NBC’s Jon Allen to preview the first Republican presidential debate, namely who has the most to gain—and lose—in Milwaukee. Then, Tara asks G.O.P. consultant Matthew Bartlett which candidates Republican donors are highest and lowest on.

PETER HAMBY

Scenes from the State Fair, where Vivek is the new Buttigieg, DeSantis keeps getting friend-zoned, the Trump-Scott ticket is a veritable conservative fantasy, and voters are decidedly undecided ahead of this week’s G.O.P. debate.

ERIQ GARDNER & MATTHEW BELLONI

Thoughts on a looming tech reckoning, Iger’s “Avatar” profit-sharing dilemma, and the “Blind Side” legal imbroglio.

PETER HAMBY & ABBY LIVINGSTON

Abby Livingston joins Peter to dig into all the anxieties and chaos of the next Congressional season of discontent. Then they game plan out the first G.O.P. debate.