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

Today, we lead with Dylan Byers’s inside look at the bloodletting at The Washington Post, where executive editor Matt Murray just announced the elimination of more than 300 newsroom jobs and more still on the business side—as well as the shuttering of entire sections, like sports, books, and the photography department. Is this an unbearably painful (if necessary) step to reverse years of hundred-million-dollar revenue losses—or, as Post legend Marty Baron put it, “a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction”?

Plus, below the fold: Bill Cohan explains why U.S. companies facing bankruptcy are fleeing to the U.K. Leigh Ann Caldwell assesses the pressure facing Majority Leader John Thune to adopt a “standing filibuster” that risks dividing the G.O.P. conference. Rachel Strugatz considers whether Sephora will sever ties with Huda Beauty after its founder’s umpteenth viral scandal. For Inner Circle members, Marion Maneker peruses exclusive art market data spotlighting the best opportunities in the middle market. And on The Powers That Be, Peter Hamby and Ian Krietzberg dissect a new poll illuminating A.I.’s influence on how college students learn (and love).

MEDIA

When Bezos bought the Post in 2013, he said, “You can’t shrink your way to relevance.” Today, however, his newspaper is attempting to do just that and then some—shuttering entire sections, laying off 300 reporters, and pulling back on crucial reporting. Is a comeback possible, or has K Street officially entered its late Ottoman era?

WALL STREET

Having had enough of “liability management” carnage, U.S. companies facing Chapter 11 have started going across the pond for a softer landing.

WASHINGTON

John Thune’s real problem isn’t Democrats or the Trump White House, but a Republican crusade to turn the filibuster into a weapon which could grind the Senate to a halt.

FASHION

Sephora stores are pulling down Huda Beauty signage after its outspoken founder’s latest ill-informed bout of political commentary (this time, endorsing the Iranian regime…). Could a full-scale separation be next?

ART

Beyond the big three houses is a varied and vibrant auction market—filled with design, prints, and artists whose valuations defy the snobbery and stasis at the top. ARTDAI’s 2025 data report on the middle market suggests where the savvy buyer can still find a deal.

A.I.

Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to cut through the fog around ICE’s use of A.I. tools to target undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens, as questions about oversight and accuracy remain unanswered. Then they dissect a new poll that reveals how college students are increasingly relying on A.I. chatbots for everything from mental health to coursework—and even romance.

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