S.B.F. Bombshells, CNN’s New Era, Iger’s Agitator

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

First up today, Bill Cohan offers exclusive reporting on what Nelson Peltz is demanding from Disney after the feared activist investor reupped his stake in the company to $2.5 billion—and why Bob Iger can’t afford to ignore him a second time around.

Plus, below the fold: Tina Nguyen documents the myriad challenges preventing Steve Scalise from claiming the speaker’s gavel. Dylan Byers scoops a surprising new candidate on Jeff Bezos’s Washington Post C.E.O. shortlist, and chronicles the Mark Thompson lovefest at CNN. On Somebody’s Gotta Win, Tara Palmeri exchanges notes with Abby Livingston on Scalise’s uphill battle. And on The Powers That Be, Ben Landy gets Teddy Schleifer and Eriq Gardner on the horn to share their inside-the-room impressions of the second week of the S.B.F. trial.

WILLIAM D. COHAN

The feared activist investor is back inside Disney, rattling the cage, agitating for board seats, preparing white papers, and issuing warnings about the ABC fire sale. In my estimation, Iger has two choices: work with Peltz to restore the magic, or resign and find someone who can.

TINA NGUYEN

A small crew of Republican holdouts—McCarthy loyalists, Jordan fans, media gadflies—are threatening to tank Scalise’s speakership bid, just like they did to his predecessor. How long can the House G.O.P. chaos last?

DYLAN BYERS

Jeff Bezos is zeroing in on a new leader for The Washington Post, and it’s not one of the usual suspects. Plus, some news about the first days of the Mark Thompson era at CNN.

TARA PALMERI

House Republicans chose Steve Scalise to be the next House speaker through a secret vote, but will he pass a floor vote? Tara and Abby Livingston break down Scalise’s nomination, and examine the splintering his selection caused within the party.