• Washington
  • Wall Street
  • A.I.
  • Hollywood
  • Media
  • Fashion
  • Sports
  • Art
  • Join Puck Newsletters What is puck? Authors Podcasts Gift Puck Careers Events
  • Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers
Apr 12, 2025
The Backstory
McKinsey & Company
Jon Kelly Jon Kelly
Good morning, It was another exceptional week: Matt Belloni made the case for Ted Sarandos at Disney; Eriq Gardner pondered Sam Altman’s latest legal challenge; Lauren Sherman laid out the next steps in Prada’s Versace acquisition; Rachel Strugatz broke the news of Glossier’s down round; Sarah Shapiro revealed a ’90s mall brand revival; Dylan Byers imagined some future CNBC M&A; John Ourand chatted with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman; Julia Alexander explored Major League Baseball’s media rights conundrum; Marion Maneker played art market moneyball; Julie Davich spotlighted Abe Lincoln’s distressed sale; and Bill Cohan warned of a bond market meltdown. Meanwhile, Leigh Ann Caldwell surveyed the Liberation Day fallout; Julia Ioffe got the elevator pitch on Loomered Strategies; John Heilemann profiled Trump’s economic brain trust; Peter Hamby analyzed some brutal Trump poll numbers; and Abby Livingston dug into the simmering G.O.P. civil war over spending. Check out these stories, and others, via the links below. And stick around for the backstory on how it all came together.
A MESSAGE FROM MCKINSEY & COMPANY
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company
Geopolitical forces continue to reshape global trade, investment flows, and competitive dynamics. Leading organizations respond by strengthening three core areas: growth strategy, operational efficiency, and capabilities to navigate disruption. Create value amidst turbulence
FASHION FASHION
Lauren Sherman previews a Prada succession twist. and… Rachel Strugatz reads the Glossier pitch deck. meanwhile… Sarah Shapiro explains Urban Outfitters’ staying power.
 
ART MARKET ART MARKET
Marion Maneker details the market’s democratization quandary. and… Julie Davich reviews the lots of a presidential fire sale.
 
HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD
Matt Belloni gathers the news around town and pitches the Disney board on a C.E.O. succession candidate.
 
WALL STREET WALL STREET
Bill Cohan deciphers the panic in the bond market.
 
SILICON VALLEY SILICON VALLEY
Eriq Gardner investigates an OpenAI mega-suit.
 
MEDIA MEDIA
Dylan Byers assesses CNBC’s value to SpinCo. and… John Ourand chronicles a sports rights vulture contest. meanwhile… Julia Alexander considers Major League Baseball’s streaming options.
 
WASHINGTON WASHINGTON
Leigh Ann Caldwell relays all the post–Liberation Day agita. and… Julia Ioffe checks in with Laura Loomer. meanwhile… Peter Hamby scrutinizes Trump’s deteriorating poll numbers; John Heilemann evaluates the president’s coalition of the willing; and Abby Livingston monitors the tariff terrors on the Hill.
 
PODCASTS PODCASTS
Dylan and Bill get into the trade war media games on The Grill Room. and… ESPN’s Peter Schrager discusses Roger Goodell’s future with John on The Varsity. and… Lauren and Dimepiece founder Brynn Wallner trade notes on Radhika replacements at VF on Fashion People. and… Heilemann chats with cybersecurity expert and Trump antagonist Chris Krebs on Impolitic. and… Matt explores the fan equity model with director Eli Roth on The Town. and… Julia Alexander and Peter debate Apple’s tariff vulnerabilities on The Powers That Be.
As a reminder, you can update your profile at any time to get more stories like these directly in your inbox. Click here to customize your email settings.
 

Word Is Bond

On Thursday afternoon, I met an investor friend for lunch at The Odeon, Puck’s preferred canteen in our still-newish habitat south of Canal Street. Walking to the restaurant, I slipped into a fugue state recollecting financial crises of yore. After all, Trump’s mounting, unilateral tariff escapade was giving real 2008 vibes. The sensation grew as I ambled from our headquarters on lower Greenwich Street, past the New York Fed and the once-Occupied Zuccotti Park. To my left, Goldman’s gleaming riverside headquarters; to my right, the nondescript office tower from whence former AIG C.E.O. Hank Greenberg once promiscuously deployed his legions of credit default swaps. It was a veritable market meltdown hall of fame. The effects of the turmoil were etched on the faces of nearly everyone I passed: the Alo moms, the Stone Island finance dads, the nepo middle-agers, the municipal workers, and the many other tribes that populate modern Tribeca. Even if Trump had yielded to Scott Bessent’s pleas and announced his 90-day “pause” a day earlier, no one was looking at their Fidelity account.
A MESSAGE FROM MCKINSEY & COMPANY
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company
Geopolitical forces continue to reshape global trade, investment flows, and competitive dynamics. Leading organizations respond by strengthening three core areas: growth strategy, operational efficiency, and capabilities to navigate disruption. Create value amidst turbulence
Naturally, my pal and I began by kibitzing about the markets and the tariffs. As he was sermonizing and hypothesizing about the second- and third-order effects—this was his business, after all—I walked him through a Bill Cohan piece we’d published the previous evening, laying out the shoes that the most important players on Wall Street expect to drop next. The story was titled, When the Bond Market Panics Like This… Readers of this Saturday pastoral know of my infinite fondness for Bill, whom I’ve worked with for more than a decade and am honored to call a partner at all times, but especially times like these. Bill has the unfair advantage of having spent a quarter-century in the senior rungs of premier financial institutions, including Lazard and JPMorgan, before deciding to switch careers and become the culture’s most important financial journalist. I’d woken up at dawn on Wednesday to read his first draft on the White House–induced market collapse, and was stunned by his prescient warning of how easily America’s largest foreign creditors could rattle our economic cages. Bill had foreseen the blinking red lights that prompted Trump himself to get yippy. As I told my lunch companion, Bill’s analysis had anticipated this entire chapter of Trump’s economic misadventure. You don’t need me to tell you that we’re living in strange and uncertain, if not unexciting, times. And I couldn’t more strongly recommend that you spend some quiet time this weekend with CNBC on mute as you dig into When the Bond Market Panics Like This…. It’s the most elegant, thoughtful, and cogent explanation of our manufactured semi-recession that you’ll find anywhere. And Bill will have more in Dry Powder, his private email par excellence, tomorrow. (Sign up here to make sure you don’t miss a beat.) Meanwhile, if you’re looking to unplug from the financial news this weekend, I’d turn your attention to an absolute gem of a Julia Ioffe joint. Since last Friday, when the MAGA influencer Laura Loomer touched off a firing spree at the N.S.C., the blob and bureaucracy have been wondering what really happened. Surely, there had to be something more afoot than a pot-stirring Millennial firecracker pouring poison in the ear of the president. But, as Julia explains in Fruit of the Loomer, all hopes of sanity should be dashed. Indeed, the backstory of how the N.S.C. got Loomered (her expression, not mine) is one of the stories of our time, and precisely what you should expect from Puck.
 
Have a great weekend, Jon
Puck
Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
Need help? Review our FAQ page or contact us for assistance. For brand partnerships, email ads@puck.news. You received this email because you signed up to receive emails from Puck, or as part of your Puck account associated with . To stop receiving this newsletter and/or manage all your email preferences, click here.
 
Puck is published by Heat Media LLC. 107 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10006

SEE THE ARCHIVES

SHARE
Try Puck for free

Sign up today to join the inside conversation at the nexus of Wall Street, Washington, A.I., Hollywood, and more.

Already a member? Log In


  • Daily articles and breaking news
  • Personal emails directly from our authors
  • Gift subscriber-only stories to friends & family
  • Unlimited access to archives

  • Exclusive bonus days of select newsletters
  • Exclusive access to Puck merch
  • Early bird access to new editorial and product features
  • Invitations to private conference calls with Puck authors

Exclusive to Inner Circle only



Latest Articles

MELANIA documentary
Matthew Belloni • April 12, 2025
Can ‘Melania’ Open?
On top of the $40 million Amazon ponied up for Brett Ratner’s docu-hagiography, the studio is spending another $35 million to open it in 27 countries, including a splashy Kennedy Center premiere to be attended by top executives. But for all the expense, Melania is for an audience of one.
Darian Mensah duke college football
John Ourand & Eriq Gardner • April 12, 2025
The People v. Darian Mensah
Assessing Duke’s epic lawsuit and a full slate of other football-related cases approaching their day in court with Eriq Gardner, Puck’s resident legal expert.
Rachna Shah and Renee Barletta met gala
Lauren Sherman • April 12, 2025
A Met Gala P.R. Switcheroo & LVMH’s Watch Week
News and notes on a Met Gala P.R. shake-up, Tamara Mellon’s bid to buy back Jimmy Choo, and the state of LVMH’s watch business.


Adam Baidawi
Lauren Sherman • April 12, 2025
GQ’s Man of the Year
The chatter inside Condé Nast is that Adam Baidawi is winning the horse race to helm GQ’s global operations. But is it actually sealed up?
Donald Trump
Julia Ioffe • April 12, 2025
The Greenland Mile
After claiming the “framework of a deal” to expand America’s presence on the world’s largest island, Trump has dropped his threats to invade Greenland. Thank God, because a direct assault on Greenland wasn’t going to be a cakewalk.
Sam Altman
Ian Krietzberg • April 12, 2025
Sam Altman’s Mad Men Era
It was inevitable that OpenAI, a massive consumer-facing company racking up historic losses, would enter the advertising business. Will this become the new normal for the industry? Or will ChatGPT users revolt?


Donald Trump
Leigh Ann Caldwell • April 12, 2025
Trump’s G.O.P. Greenlanditis
With his Davos speech, the president reassured jittery Republicans that invading Greenland is, for now, off the table. But conversations on the Hill have escalated, as even Trump’s G.O.P. allies warn that any move that blows up NATO could end his midterm hopes—and lead to impeachment, too.


Get access to this story

Enter your email for a free preview of Puck’s full offering, including exclusive articles, private emails from authors, and more.

Verify your email and sign in by clicking the link we just sent.

Already a member? Log In


Start 14 Day Free Trial for Unlimited Access Instead →



Latest Articles

Bari Weiss
Dylan Byers • April 12, 2025
Bari’s Prison of Her Own Design
After a month of contentious delays, 60 Minutes finally aired its piece on the notorious El Salvador prison CECOT. The “hostage standoff,” as one person put it, ended in an uneasy truce that could have been reached a month ago—and without exposing the distrust and division at Bari Weiss’s CBS News.
Jonathan Anderson dior 2026
Lauren Sherman & Rachel Strugatz • April 12, 2025
Paris Men’s FW26 Trends & Harry’s Le Labo Dupe
News and notes on the biggest trends out of Paris Menswear Fashion Week; former i-D editor Alastair McKimm’s new magazine venture; and Harry’s new TikTok-exclusive, scent-dupe body wash series.
Pat McGrath
Rachel Strugatz • April 12, 2025
Pat McGrath Going Once, Going Twice…
It wasn’t so long ago that the namesake beauty line of the fashion industry’s go-to makeup artist was a market leader, with a frothy valuation to match. Next week, it will hit the auction block. What went wrong? And can it be resurrected?


Sotheby's Klimt
Marion Maneker • April 12, 2025
The Hot 50: Our Semiannual Market Temp Check
An excavation of the art market’s robust performance in the second half of 2025, with the latest (and greatest) data from ARTDAI. As you’ll see, the market is healthier and more varied than ever.
Geoffroy van Raemdonck
William D. Cohan • April 12, 2025
The Saks Financial Colonoscopy
Amid a torrent of bankruptcy filings, a blunt declaration by Saks Global’s newly appointed chief restructuring officer lays out precisely what went wrong and when, and who got screwed hardest—plus which risk-hungry investors are likely to call the shots moving forward. As it turns out, the company’s capital structure became “unsustainable” almost immediately after its $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group in December 2024.
Melanie Ward
Lauren Sherman • April 12, 2025
Milano Menswear Reflections & A Melanie Ward Tribute
News and notes on a thoughtful tribute to the late stylist Melanie Ward, the sudden omnipresence of peptides, and a somewhat emaciated men’s fashion week in Milan.


Bartolomeo Rongone
Lauren Sherman & Sarah Shapiro • April 12, 2025
Moncler’s New Boss & Chanel’s Golden Globes Halo
News and notes on Bartolomeo Rongone’s new assignment as the C.E.O. of Moncler Group, the renewed fanfare around a beloved Valentino documentary following the great designer’s passing, and Chanel’s Golden Globes brand-awareness bump.
Get access to this story

Enter your email to get access to one article and free previews of our private emails from Puck authors and editors.

OR

Already a Member? Sign in



Latest Articles

Brian Roberts
Julia Alexander • April 12, 2025
NBC’s Golden Ratio
A partnership with Nippon TV will give NBC access to new technology meant to optimize its sports content for younger audiences. It’s a timely play—but one that also belies Peacock’s larger problem with viewer engagement.
Amber Venz Box
Sarah Shapiro • April 12, 2025
How to Win Influencers and Friend People
With a $2 billion valuation and first-mover advantage, LTK has long been the gold standard in influencer affiliate marketing. But as competition from ShopMy and others heats up, the O.G. company has had to do more to attract and retain users—like sharing some of its previously well-guarded data.
ICE protest
Peter Hamby • April 12, 2025
Inside the Democratic ICE Storm
A remarkably candid conversation with Adam Jentleson, the founder and president of the Searchlight Institute, about the rhetorical fight over abolishing ICE that’s raging inside the Democratic Party.


Dario Amodei
Ian Krietzberg • April 12, 2025
Claude Code & Theory
A new wave of A.I. coding tools are impressive and empowering enough to make one imagine a future where we’re all coding our own apps and software engineers are a thing of the past. But these days, it still takes a pro (or armies of them) to get it right.
White Cube Gallery New York
Marion Maneker • April 12, 2025
Dye Hard & Humeau’s Bat Cave
Fresh from their holiday hibernation, New York galleries are once again buzzing with crowded openings and legendary works from the likes of Humeau, Pousette-Dart, Eggleston, and Flavin.
Ted Sarandos
Matthew Belloni • April 12, 2025
Movie Theaters Want a Ted Sarandos Blood Oath
Regal’s Eduardo Acuna goes public with his pitch for Netflix to sign a 10-year binding pledge with the Trump D.O.J. (and other ideas), ensuring Sarandos won’t go back on his recent promise to give Warner Bros. movies a 45-day window. Offering Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ a wide release would help, too.


Amy Klobuchar
Abby Livingston • April 12, 2025
Klobuchar’s Minnesota Succession Mess
Two days before the killing of Renee Good, news leaked that Senator Klobuchar was weighing a bid to succeed Tim Walz as governor of Minnesota. But while the chatter about Klobuchar has receded from the headlines, Democrats are quietly discussing the political impact of a second open Senate seat in 2026.


  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Careers
© 2026 Heat Media All rights reserved.
Create an account

Already a member? Log In

CREATE AN ACCOUNT with Google
CREATE AN ACCOUNT with Google
OR YOUR EMAIL

OR

Use Email & Password Instead

USE EMAIL & PASSWORD
Password strength:

OR

Use Another Sign-Up Method

Become a member

All of the insider knowledge from our top tier authors, in your inbox.

Create an account

Already a member? Log In

Verify your email!

You should receive a link to log in at .

I DID NOT RECEIVE A LINK

Didn't get an email? Check your spam folder and confirm the spelling of your email, and try again. If you continue to have trouble, reach out to fritz@puck.news.

CREATE AN ACCOUNT with Google
CREATE AN ACCOUNT with Google
CREATE AN ACCOUNT with Apple
CREATE AN ACCOUNT with Apple
OR USE EMAIL & PASSWORD
Password strength:

OR
Log In

Not a member yet? Sign up today

Log in with Google
Log in with Google
Log in with Apple
Log in with Apple
OR USE EMAIL & PASSWORD
Don't have a password or need to reset it?

OR
Verify Account

Verify your email!

You should receive a link to log in at .

I DID NOT RECEIVE A LINK

Didn't get an email? Check your spam folder and confirm the spelling of your email, and try again. If you continue to have trouble, reach out to fritz@puck.news.

YOUR EMAIL

Use a different sign in option instead

Member Exclusive

Get access to this story

Create a free account to preview Puck’s full offering, including exclusive articles, private emails from authors, and more.

Already a member? Sign in

Free article unlocked!

You are logged into a free account as unknown@example.com

ENJOY 1 FREE ARTICLE EACH MONTH

Subscribe today to join the inside conversation at the nexus of Wall Street, Washington, A.I., Hollywood, and more.

START 14-DAY FREE TRIAL

  • Daily articles and breaking news
  • Personal emails directly from our authors
  • Gift subscriber-only stories to friends & family
  • Unlimited access to archives
  • Bookmark articles to create a Reading List
  • Quarterly calls with industry experts from the power corners we cover