Welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon assortment of Puck’s best new reporting. First up today, Eriq Gardner digs into former Real Housewife Leah McSweeney’s escalating legal battle against Bravo and NBCU—and her new accusation that Housewives impresario Andy Cohen engineered a behind-the-scenes smear campaign. As Eriq notes, the claim echoes allegations in the Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni case, which happens to share the same judge. The legal outcomes might be intertwined… Plus, below the fold: John Heilemann and Democratic mega-donor Robert Wolf chew over Elon’s long-anticipated ouster from the West Wing. Marion Maneker examines the trove of impressionist masterpieces at Alfred Pope’s Hill-Stead Museum. Sarah Shapiro checks in on the O.G. class of D.T.C. darlings. And exclusively for Inner Circle members, Julia Alexander illuminates how advertisers are actually calculating sports viewership in the post-TV era. Meanwhile, on the pods: Matt Belloni is joined by Tony Award–winning producer John Johnson on The Town to discuss streaming his Broadway show Good Night, and Good Luck live on CNN. On The Varsity, John Ourand rings up ESPN’s Don Van Natta for the scoop on the F.B.I.’s investigation into OneTeam Partners. And on The Powers That Be, Julia Ioffe and Marion marvel at Moscow “It” girl Dasha Zhukova’s second act in the world of art-centric real estate.

HOLLYWOOD

Former Real Housewives star Leah McSweeney has amended her lawsuit to accuse Bravo’s Andy Cohen of orchestrating a smear campaign against her—a claim that mirrors the allegations in the Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni saga. The same judge is overseeing both cases… and his decision in one could have major repercussions for the other. Read Now

WASHINGTON

Former Obama advisor, perennial golf buddy, and summertime Martha’s Vineyard neighbor Robert Wolf on the Trump-Musk divorce, the TACO trade, and the strange state of the MAGA economy. Read Now

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

Puck sponsors include Paramount+ MOBLAND   “A dark and gritty series. Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren are thrilling to watch” -     Variety   “Guy Ritchie brings his A-game. Sharp writing and an even sharper performance by Tom Hardy.” -     RogerEbert.com   Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren star in the explosive new series following two warring London crime families who clash in a kill-or-be-killed battle that threatens to topple empires and ruin lives. As kingdom goes up against kingdom, lines will be crossed - and the only saving grace is a bet-your-life guarantee: family above everything. Emmys eligible in all categories. EXPLORE MORE

ART

Alfred Pope’s Hill-Stead, teeming with works by Degas and Monet and Manet, is the Frick of New England: a privileged look into the vast wealth and groundbreaking taste of a 19th century robber baron. Read Now

FASHION

A decade ago, the direct-to-consumer revolt was in full bloom, with sky-high valuations and the promise that every brand could be the Warby Parker of something. So… how’s that going? Read Now

SPORTS

Yesterday’s fine-tuned sports streaming-versus-broadcast math is rapidly becoming obsolete, with Amazon poised to take in billions more in ad revenue this year, Netflix targeting more than $3 billion, and streamers leaning into younger—albeit much smaller—audiences. Read Now

HOLLYWOOD

Matt is joined by nine-time Tony Award–winning producer John Johnson to talk about his latest hit, Good Night, and Good Luck, and the decision to stream the play live on CNN, marking a first in Broadway history. They also take a broader look at the Broadway business, discussing how much a play or musical costs to produce, what kind of ticket sales constitutes a hit, which individuals get paid the most, why A-list stars are flocking to the stage, and more. Listen Now

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

Puck sponsors include Paramount+ MOBLAND   “A dark and gritty series. Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren are thrilling to watch” -     Variety   “Guy Ritchie brings his A-game. Sharp writing and an even sharper performance by Tom Hardy.” -     RogerEbert.com   Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren star in the explosive new series following two warring London crime families who clash in a kill-or-be-killed battle that threatens to topple empires and ruin lives. As kingdom goes up against kingdom, lines will be crossed - and the only saving grace is a bet-your-life guarantee: family above everything. Emmys eligible in all categories. EXPLORE MORE

SPORTS

ESPN’s Don Van Natta returns to the pod with the scoop on a new F.B.I. investigation into OneTeam Partners—the licensing company backed by the NFL and MLB players associations, along with RedBird Capital. Van Natta breaks down the opaque finances, the major players under scrutiny, and why some insiders suspect a potential Trump linkage. Then they dig into the growing threat of an MLB work stoppage next season as the owners and league’s unions clash over salary cap reforms. Listen Now

ART

Marion Maneker joins guest host Julia Ioffe to dig into Dasha Zhukova’s transition from Moscow and New York “It” girl to a leader in the world of art-centric real estate. Then they turn to the Met’s newly reopened Rockefeller Wing, which features African and Oceanic art—and what the relaunch portends for the art market. Listen Now

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