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Oct 3, 2025

The Daily Courant

D.C. Shutdown Whispers, Zuck’s A.I. Gamble, YouTube–NBCU Détente

Happy Friday and welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon compendium of Puck’s latest and greatest reporting.

First up today, Matt Belloni documents the shell shock in Hollywood over the release of Sora 2, OpenAI’s new video-generation model apparently trained on copyrighted material and celebrity likenesses. For more on Big Tech’s most aggressive assault on rights-holders so far, Matt sat down with SAG-AFTRA boss Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and entertainment attorney Aaron Moss. The former didn’t mince words: “It’s of real concern.”

Plus, below the fold: Ian Krietzberg offers an exclusive look at a new A.I. model vying to become the world’s first “mathematical superintelligence.” Leigh Ann Caldwell gathers the D.C. chatter and insider plotlines surrounding the early days of the government shutdown. John Ourand chronicles the aftermath of the precedent-setting YouTube TV–NBCU carriage dispute. And exclusively for Inner Circle members, Lauren Sherman reports from Paris on whether Jonathan Anderson’s debut women’s ready-to-wear collection can revive Dior.

Meanwhile, on the pods: Dylan Byers and Julia Alexander reconnect on The Grill Room to discuss Mark Zuckerberg’s new A.I. social media platform. On Impolitic, John Heilemann and former Obama White House comms director Jennifer Palmieri consider the Dems’ shutdown leverage. On Fashion People, Lauren and the great Marisa Meltzer discuss her new Jane Birkin biography. And on The Powers That Be, Peter Hamby and Kim Masters chew over the imminent Bari Weiss era at CBS News.

HOLLYWOOD

Matthew Belloni Matthew Belloni
A.I.’s ‘Lazy Sunday’ Moment

A.I.’s Lazy Sunday Moment

OpenAI’s new video generator, Sora 2, trained on copyrighted material and celebrity likenesses, has thrust Hollywood into uncharted legal territory and put Sam Altman on a collision course with studios like Netflix and Disney.

A.I.

Ian Krietzberg Ian Krietzberg
How to Train an A.I. Mathlete

How to Train an A.I. Mathlete

An exclusive look inside Harmonic’s new A.I. math model, Aristotle—a $100 million step toward what co-founders Tudor Achim and Vlad Tenev are hoping will become the world’s first “mathematical superintelligence.”

WASHINGTON

Leigh Ann Caldwell Leigh Ann Caldwell
Shutdown and Out on Capitol Hill

Shutdown and Out on Capitol Hill

News and notes from day two of the government shutdown: Russ Vought’s nuclear threat for mass firings, the latest blame-game polling, Sen. Shaheen’s bipartisan gang plan, and Rep. Thompson’s disappearing act.

SPORTS

John Ourand John Ourand
YouTube TV’s Manifest Destiny

YouTube TV’s Manifest Destiny

News and notes on the platform’s recently announced temporary deal to semi-ingest NBCU.

FASHION

Lauren Sherman Lauren Sherman
Dior Money, Mo Problems
Inner Circle Exclusive

Dior Money, Mo Problems

LVMH has a lot riding on Jonathan Anderson’s women’s Dior debut on the Paris runway—did Bernard Arnault’s face say it all?

MEDIA

Dylan Byers Dylan Byers
The Grill Room with Dylan Byers

Hollywood’s Sora 2 Panic & Zuck’s Vibes Play

Julia and Dylan dive into the launch of OpenAI’s Sora 2 and Mark Zuckerberg’s A.I. social media platform, Vibes. They explain why these releases have sent Hollywood into a state of not-so-mild panic, and how these A.I. platforms might reshape the media industry writ large. Then, they turn to the YouTube TV–NBCU carriage dispute, and what it portends for similar industry battles going forward.

WASHINGTON

John Heilemann John Heilemann
Impolitic with John Heilemann

Jennifer Palmieri: Dems Are Winning the Shutdown Showdown (So Far)

John welcomes former Obama White House comms director Jennifer Palmieri to discuss the shuttering of the federal government earlier this week. Palmieri argues that Democrats were right to deny Republicans the votes they needed to further operationalize their agenda; that focusing on healthcare is fighting both the good fight (morally) and the right fight (politically) for her party; and that Donald Trump’s embrace of Russ Vought’s plan to lay off federal workers and cancel programs in blue states is only making it more likely that the G.O.P. ends up being blamed for the shutdown.

FASHION

Lauren Sherman Lauren Sherman
Fashion People with Lauren Sherman

Jane Addiction

Lauren’s guest is ultra-popular recurring guest Marisa Meltzer, this time to discuss her new book, It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin. The conversation is a great primer: They talk about Birkin’s life, but also the French girl industrial complex, making money, style, and plenty more.

MEDIA

Peter Hamby Peter Hamby
Kim Masters Kim Masters
The Powers that Be Daily, Starring Peter Hamby

CBS News’s Bari Era & Larry’s TikTok Machinations

Kim Masters joins Peter to scrutinize the expanding Ellison empire at Paramount Skydance as David Ellison prepares to install Bari Weiss as CBS News’s editor-in-chief, raising concerns that the queen of anti-woke will upend the Cronkite-era newsroom once and for all. Kim also breaks down Larry Ellison’s involvement in TikTok, and why the new deal announced by Trump is actually way more complicated than the White House is letting on.

Puck
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