Welcome back to The Daily Courant, your digital guide to Puck’s best new reporting.

First up today, Eriq Gardner digs into the eye-popping criminal case against filmmaker Carl Rinsch, who allegedly squandered $55 million of Netflix’s money for personal indulgences and investments. Was Rinsch a delusional auteur undone by psychosis? Or a calculated grifter who should have the book thrown at him? Either way, the outcome could have major implications for how prosecutors approach white-collar enforcement in Hollywood.

Plus, below the fold: Ian Krietzberg corrects the alarmist narrative that A.I. will displace the entire workforce. Peter Hamby and John Heilemann consider how Democratic ’28 hopefuls are countering Trump’s “crime wave” enforcement. Marion Maneker crunches the numbers on Sotheby’s upcoming blockbuster Lichtenstein midseason sales. Sarah Shapiro appraises Lili Chemla’s self-funded $20 million “anti-basics” basics brand. And exclusively for Inner Circle members, Julia Alexander and Octagon exec William Mao get to the bottom of YouTube’s live sports ambitions.

Meanwhile, on the pods: Leigh Ann Caldwell and Abby Livingston preview a particularly bustling September in D.C. as Congress barrels toward a potential shutdown on The Powers That Be. Dylan Byers invites former Paramount executive Andrew Rosen to The Grill Room to compare the Times’s and ESPN’s business philosophies. And on The Varsity, John Ourand and Jon Kelly ponder whether MLB’s golden age may be gone for good.

HOLLYWOOD

Is Carl Rinsch, the erratic auteur behind a big-budget unfinished Netflix series, a calculating grifter who should spend 90 years in prison? Or is he merely a cautionary tale about reckless producing, ambitious prosecution, and the pitfalls of becoming a John Carreyrou protagonist?

A.I.

Another new academic paper adds some nuance to the dystopian narrative that A.I. is coming for all of our jobs. As usual, the truth is more complex and, frankly, uncertain.

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WASHINGTON

The president’s vow to send National Guard troops into blue cities beyond D.C. has Democrats on the back foot, even as Gavin and JB (and Wes Moore, and Josh Shapiro…) are jockeying for position as the face of the resistance.

ART

The pop artist’s works are enjoying a buying renaissance as the estate works with Sotheby’s to strategically bring them to sale. Meanwhile, the strength of the market for his lower-priced works is enticing younger buyers and reinforcing the health of the broader market.

FASHION

How Lili Chemla built a self-funded, $20 million basics brand in the “grey space” between loungewear and luxury—a category that has exploded as customers seek out The Row look-alikes for one-tenth the price.

SPORTS

Nothing produces more sports media agita than YouTube, whose sports endgame remains a mystery. But former YouTuber turned Octagon executive William Mao has some ideas about what might be coming next.

WASHINGTON

Abby Livingston joins guest host Leigh Ann Caldwell to preview a frenetic month ahead in Washington as Congress barrels toward a government-funding deadline less than 30 days away. They also weigh how Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst’s retirement could scramble the G.O.P.’s future, and lay out the emerging midterm road map for both parties.

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MEDIA

Andrew Rosen, the former Paramount executive and founder of Parqor, connects with Dylan to break down the divergent digital strategies of The New York Times and ESPN. While the Times is precise and leans into product design tailored to specific consumer habits, ESPN continues to chase mass scale and broad reach. Rosen argues that ESPN’s model risks leaving engagement on the table—and makes the case for a more personalized, fan-first approach, à la the Times and The Athletic.

SPORTS

Jon Kelly joins John to map the many fault lines in today’s sports media landscape, from cable’s slow bleed to the sports-rights land grab by streamers like Netflix and Amazon. They also dig into YouTube’s NFL experiment in Brazil and why MLB’s golden age may be gone for good.

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