MacKenzie Intrigue, Hoffman’s Fixer, Kremlin Dark Arts

Welcome back to the new and improved Daily Courant, our afternoon guide to the latest and greatest journalism being produced at Puck.

Today, Julia Alexander reveals what’s really behind David Zasalv’s startling elimination of some 36 mostly animated titles from HBO Max—a calculated decision that genuflected to Wall Street but left creators out in the cold.

Plus, below the fold: Teddy Schleifer goes one-on-one with the Democratic muscle behind billionaire Reid Hoffman’s tug-of-war with the left and delivers the goods on Marc Andreessen and MacKenzie Scott’s evolving political networks. Julia Ioffe describes how Putin’s appetite for destruction has overpowered pacifists in Moscow. And Bill Cohan stops by The Powers That Be to dissect Dan Loeb’s recent $750 million stake in Disney.

JULIA ALEXANDER

David Zaslav’s removal of some 36 shows and movies from HBO Max may make sense to Wall Street, but it’s hell for creators: There isn’t enough viewership data for them to argue their projects are valuable, and they have no control over whether they get pulled.

THEODORE SCHLEIFER

A candid conversation with Dmitri Mehlhorn, the Democratic donor insider, about Trump, Cheney, 2024, and beyond. Plus, the latest dish surrounding Silicon Valley’s most important V.C., MacKenzie Scott’s friends, and the hottest party this weekend in Los Angeles.

JULIA IOFFE

Six months into the invasion of Ukraine, it turns out that Putin kept his warlike intentions to himself—away from his ministers and presidential aides—until the very last moment. And yet now his war is more popular than ever in the motherland.

PETER HAMBY, JULIA IOFFE, & BILL COHAN

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss where Russia’s war on Ukraine stands at six months, and what to expect next from Putin. Then Bill Cohan and Ben Landy chat about what changes Disney C.E.O. Bob Chapek can deliver under pressure from Dan Loeb.