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

Meanwhile, on the pods…

SPORTS

For the first time ever, the government has filed fraud charges over insider trading on a prediction market. Could athletes, coaches, and trainers be next?

FASHION

More layoffs are coming to Saks Global, and C.E.O. Geoffroy van Raemdonck is projecting confidence as he continues to streamline operations. The question he needs to answer, though, is why anyone would shop at Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus if there’s a Bottega Veneta flagship down the street.

WASHINGTON

With the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act and essentially legalizing even the most extreme gerrymandering, party leaders say they need to fight fire with fire—even if it means mutually assured destruction.

HOLLYWOOD

After years of creative chaos, executive indecision, and a streaming glut that cannibalized the franchise’s theatrical appeal, Lucasfilm is returning to theaters with something very different. Will Grogu be a Solo-sized disaster? Or has Disney just lowered the bar for success?

HOLLYWOOD

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix agreeing to release Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew in theaters worldwide with a traditional window of exclusivity for the first time ever. They examine why Netflix blinked on theaters now, and whether this is a one-off or a sign of future softening of their stance on theaters.

WASHINGTON

John welcomes acclaimed rapper, producer, composer, actor, filmmaker, and Wu-Tang Clan prime mover RZA to discuss his new movie, One Spoon of Chocolate, which opened in theaters across the country last week. In part one of this special two-part episode, RZA describes the decade-plus odyssey of the film, which he wrote and directed, from idea to premiere; how the shifting state of race relations in America affected both it and him; and the transition of his career as an artist away from music and toward film.

MEDIA

Political scientist David Sterrett joins Dylan and Julia to discuss the findings of his latest data-driven report, which suggests we’ve officially crossed the Rubicon on creators and influencers becoming a primary news source for Americans, particularly younger audiences. They dig into why trust in creators has seemingly surpassed trust in traditional news outlets, what’s driving people toward the authenticity and transparency that creators offer, and why legacy media brands are increasingly building their businesses around star talent rather than institutional identity.

FASHION

Lauren Sherman joins Peter with notes from last night’s Met Gala—the usual spectacle of celebrities and couture, with one increasingly hard-to-ignore addition: tech money. Lauren explains that while Anna Wintour may not like their outfits, she certainly likes their checkbooks. Then the duo discuss The Devil Wears Prada 2 and the litany of brands that queued up for a cameo.

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