Welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon compilation of the best new work from Puck.

First up today, Kim Masters digs into the succession puzzle at NBCUniversal, which has gone without a C.E.O. since Jeff Shell’s 2023 exit and was complicated by Mike Cavanagh’s elevation to Comcast co-C.E.O. in September. The power vacuum, Kim reports, has caused friction between executives Donna Langley and Matt Strauss, the prospective heirs apparent who oversee similar turf…

Plus, below the fold: Julia Ioffe chronicles Vladimir Putin’s courtship of his former wife, Lyudmila, in an excerpt from her new, already acclaimed book, Motherland, which is out today! Lauren Sherman parses Hermès’s expansion playbook under executive chairman Axel Dumas. And John Ourand reveals how Fox Sports C.E.O. Eric Shanks is contemplating the NFL’s impending rights negotiations and private equity’s incursion into college football.

Meanwhile, on the pods: Dylan Byers sits down with The Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell on The Grill Room to assess the state of political media and Bari Weiss’s $150 million sale of The Free Press. On The Town, Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw discuss Netflix’s new podcast deal with Spotify. On Fashion People, Lauren and Leandra Medine Cohen break down her new stocking line and the latest points of intrigue in the fashion world. And on The Powers That Be, Leigh Ann Caldwell and Peter Hamby trade notes on how Democratic leadership is processing the ascension of Zohran Mamdani.

HOLLYWOOD

The ostensibly orderly elevation of Mike Cavanagh to co-C.E.O. alongside Brian Roberts obscures a slightly more complex situation one level down on the org chart, at NBCUniversal, which has been without a clear leader since 2023.

WASHINGTON

Inside the courtship of Vladimir Putin and Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, his first imperial subject—from a chance encounter in Leningrad and their K.G.B. days in Dresden to raising their family in St. Petersburg on the cusp of his sudden ascendance to unimaginable power. This piece has been adapted from Julia Ioffe’s new book, Motherland, a feminist history of modern Russia and a finalist for the National Book Award.

FASHION

Scenes from the opening of Hermès’s new Nashville store, where the ill-timed retirement announcement of its longtime menswear head only underscored the steady hand of the brand’s sixth-generation heir and executive chairman, Axel Dumas.

SPORTS

A wide-ranging conversation between Fox Sports C.E.O. Eric Shanks and MoffettNathanson analysts Michael Nathanson and Robert Fishman about the forthcoming NFL negotiations, reaching audiences outside of the bundle, the creep of private equity into college football, and much more.

MEDIA

Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, joins Dylan for a wide-ranging conversation on the media landscape and the evolution of her 7-year-old, never-Trump media company. Sarah discusses how they’re navigating this transitional moment for the industry, what Bari Weiss’s $150 million sale of The Free Press portends for their own exit options, how they’re trying to reach and resonate with new audiences, and much more.

HOLLYWOOD

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix diving into the podcast business by striking a deal to stream a group of original podcasts from Spotify and The Ringer. They break down what this signals for the future of Netflix, the likelihood that people will watch podcasts on Netflix, and what’s in it for Spotify. Later, they touch on AMC and Netflix agreeing to rerelease KPop Demon Hunters in theaters from October 31 through November 2, and whether this marks the beginning of a new era for Netflix and theatrical releases.

FASHION

Lauren welcomes Leandra Medine Cohen back to Fashion People to discuss her line with Swedish Stockings, why fashion collaborations are important, what makes Hermès so special (as the company preps for a new menswear designer to enter the business), what made that recent Chanel show so meaningful, why everyone is obsessing over Charvet right now, and who looked the best at Saturday’s Academy Museum Gala. Up top, Lauren also offers a retail report on Nashville, from Hermès to Sid Mashburn.

WASHINGTON

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter for a rollicking conversation touching on Chuck Schumer’s calculus for not endorsing Zohran Mamdani, perhaps the most electrifying and divisive candidate this cycle; how Zohran’s lefty politics could destabilize Hakeem Jeffries’ plans to retake the House; and whether Hill leadership can unify the far left and center right to forge a winning midterm coalition in 2026.

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