Welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon medley of Puck’s best new reporting.

First up today, Eriq Gardner digs into the surreal $150 million legal battle pitting professional gambler R.J. Cipriani against embattled Paramount president Jeff Shell, who is being accused of leaking information about the Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Cipriani is framing himself as a whistleblower—and demanding compensation for the emotional distress and “substantial medical expenses” caused by the regulatory scrutiny he triggered. Seems frivolous, but the episode also reveals other vulnerabilities for Shell… and suggests his time at Paramount may be running out.

Plus, below the fold: Peter Hamby uncovers the one Iran war justification that’s resonating with voters. Ian Krietzberg considers whether the Strait of Hormuz crisis could trigger a black swan event for the A.I. industry. Malique Morris scrutinizes Lululemon founder Chip Wilson’s $10 billion proxy war to re-exert control over his athleisure empire. Marion Maneker offers an exclusive preview of Wall Street banker Glenn Fuhrman’s new art exhibition in the Hamptons. And for Inner Circle members, Julia Alexander runs the numbers on YouTube TV’s new sports-centric skinny bundle.

Meanwhile, on the pods: John Ourand is joined by ESPN exec Mike Foss on The Varsity to spill the secrets on running the network’s studio shows. And on The Powers That Be, Peter and Julia Ioffe chew over Trump’s largely unsuccessful attempt to drag NATO into his war with Iran.

HOLLYWOOD

Strip away the theatrics, and R.J. Cipriani’s headline-making battle against Paramount president Jeff Shell may be the silliest Hollywood lawsuit filed this year. But that doesn’t mean the story is going away—or that Shell doesn’t have a bigger problem on his hands.

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WASHINGTON

Trump’s war in Iran is unpopular with the public, but exclusive new polling, produced in partnership with Echelon Insights, reveals that Americans find some rationales more convincing than others—and that MAGA remains mostly behind Trump, even if almost nobody likes Pete Hegseth.

A.I.

The Strait of Hormuz isn’t just a chokepoint for oil—it’s also a major artery for elements essential to semiconductor manufacturing. And there’s growing fear that the market gloom could leech into A.I. valuations, too.

FASHION

Chip Wilson has become Lululemon’s chief gadfly as the company faces rising competition and waning influence. His criticisms are on the mark, but is the inflammatory founder helping or hurting the athleisure empire he founded?

ART

Glenn Fuhrman, the Wall Street banker turned art macher, hosted a late-winter opening of the Ellsworth Kelly show at the Parrish Art Museum in the Hamptons—along with a pregame lunch at his art-filled Sagaponack home, which could double as a museum itself.

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SPORTS

The world’s biggest streaming company just unleashed a sports-centric skinny bundle that will air every game for about the same price as a combined ESPN/HBO Max/Par+ subscription. Is the appeal limited to superfans, or is this just the beginning of YouTube TV’s master plan?

SPORTS

ESPN senior vice president Mike Foss joins John to spill the secrets on running the network’s studio shows, from SportsCenter to First Take to Get Up. He explains why The Pat McAfee Show is in a league of its own, how ESPN balances talent across different shows and platforms, their biggest digital headaches and opportunities, and much more. Plus, his take on why collaboration beats top-down management.

WASHINGTON

Julia Ioffe joins Peter to scrutinize Trump’s attempt to drag NATO into his war with Iran and explain why America’s allies, after years of insults and zero consultation, aren’t exactly rushing to oblige. She also discusses the unlikely rise of Elbridge Colby, the longtime critic of Middle East entanglements who now finds himself as the face of Trump’s misadventure.

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