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

First up today, Kim Masters gets the skinny on the bizarre, Trump-assisted resurrection of Rush Hour 4, which was seemingly willed into existence after the president personally nudged Larry Ellison to revive director Brett Ratner’s career following multiple sexual harassment allegations in 2017. But the real mystery is why Trump went to bat for Ratner at all. Is he simply a huge Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker fan—or did Ratner’s $40 million Melania doc for Amazon play a role? Naturally, Hollywood is buzzing with opinions…

Plus, below the fold: Peter Hamby examines the waning cachet of the once-coveted Trump congressional endorsement. Marion Maneker uncovers a novel art world alliance to capitalize on the frothy secondary art market. Ian Krietzberg gathers the industry chatter surrounding the president’s sweeping new A.I. pronouncement. Sarah Shapiro spotlights the SoCal mall that’s become a gold mine for the luxury sector. And for Inner Circle members, Julia Alexander considers the business logic behind the crop of “gimmicky” tournaments popping up in major sports leagues.

Meanwhile, on the pods: John Ourand, Dylan Byers, Eriq Gardner, and Julia convene on The Varsity for a rollicking debrief of the most pressing sports media storylines of 2025. And on The Powers That Be, Peter rings up Eriq to assess the White House’s laissez-faire attitude toward regulatory and antitrust enforcement.

HOLLYWOOD

The shock announcement of a fourth film in the Jackie Chan–Chris Tucker action franchise, willed to life with help from the president, has led to far more questions than answers. Chief among them: How did Brett Ratner pull this off?

A MESSAGE FROM META

Meta is investing $600 billion in American infrastructure and jobs in communities across the country.

Adam, who grew up in Altoona, has seen the impact Meta's investment can bring. 

“Welcoming Meta into our community helped us create opportunities and start a new chapter for our next generation,” he says.

Explore the impact in communities like Altoona.

WASHINGTON

In some swing states, the president’s primary endorsement could become an anchor in the midterms. So why are Republicans bear-hugging Trump as they walk out onto the plank? Any G.O.P. operative will tell you the same thing: They don’t have a choice.

ART

A gallerist, a dealer, and Sotheby’s head of private sales are joining forces to meet the moment in the secondary art market and fill the space where deals are actually happening.

A.I.

The administration’s Genesis Mission, an unprecedented attempt at public-private A.I. development, has been speciously compared to the Manhattan Project, which ended World War II, and the Apollo program, which brought us to space. But where is the money coming from—and what, exactly, is it poised to do?

FASHION

Amid roiling uncertainty in retail, SoCal’s South Coast Plaza has maintained a surprisingly resilient relevance with retailers and shoppers. It generates about $2.6 billion a year, too.

A MESSAGE FROM META

Meta's AI infrastructure is bringing jobs to local communities.

Adam, who grew up in Altoona, has seen the impact Meta's investment can bring. 

“Welcoming Meta into our community helped us create opportunities and start a new chapter for our next generation,” he says.

Explore the impact in communities like Altoona.

SPORTS

As audience attention continues to crater and traditional all-star formats wane, leagues and their broadcast partners are doubling down on new, gimmicky midseason spectacles. Is any of it working?

SPORTS

Puck superfriends Julia Alexander, Eriq Gardner, Dylan Byers, and John convene for a rollicking debrief of the most pressing sports media plot lines of 2025: YouTube’s unstoppable march toward inevitability, Netflix’s bold leap into live sports, the boom-bust mood swings of prediction markets and sports betting, and much more.

MEDIA

Eriq Gardner joins Peter to assess the White House’s laissez-faire posture toward regulatory and antitrust enforcement, as favored corporations seem to get free passes while everyone else is left guessing which rules still apply. Plus: Could a WBD–Paramount merger be derailed because the president hates CNN?

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 {{customer.email}}. 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