Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss the mystery of F.B.I. director Kash Patel’s voyage to Russia, which has left even Trump administration insiders stumped for answers. Then Julia turns to Lindsey Graham’s final legislative wish—a Russia sanctions bill tied to the war in Ukraine—and why it’s suddenly carrying new momentum in the wake of his death.

Eriq Gardner joins Peter to get into the legal weeds of the antitrust lawsuit targeting the Paramount–WBD merger. Eriq breaks down how the Democratic attorneys general are aiming to delay the process, hoping that a drawn-out fight will squeeze David Ellison and Paramount’s legal team on both political and financial fronts. 

In this special episode, Brian Tyler Cohen, progressive content creator and author of The Day After, joins Peter to diagnose the Democratic Party’s persistent media problem. Cohen digs into why the party's reliance on traditional press has left it flat-footed against Trump’s effective use of various platforms. He also takes aim at the F.C.C. under Brendan Carr, and makes the case that broader outreach—and far less infighting—is the only way forward for his party.

Sharing a new series from Future Hindsight, Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising. Occupy Wall Street is the story of the improbable becoming possible. In 2008, millions of people were devastated by an economic crash caused by Wall Street greed, but it wasn’t until 2011 that there was a mass response from the Left. A call to protest went out, and thousands of people responded. They raged against a system that was rigged against them and tried to create their own anti-capitalist village in a small Manhattan park. The movement quickly spread across the country, inspiring hundreds of occupations and a new generation of activists.

Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising, is told through the voices of activists who camped out in Zuccotti Park for almost two months, getting inside the drama of a movement that grew rapidly, felt both transcendent and chaotic, and then violently flamed out. Occupy changed the national conversation about capitalism, popularized the language of the 99%, and inspired a generation of activists. As we approach Occupy’s 15th anniversary this September, this series offers a reminder that collective action can reshape what seems possible. 

Listen to more episodes at http://swap.fm/l/Occupy!

Malique Morris joins Peter to examine the fall of Spanx, whose elastane stranglehold on the category loosened dramatically once the Kardashians and Skims entered the picture. Then Malique explains why so many retailers and fashion brands are looking outside the industry entirely to bring in executives from unrelated fields to overhaul their products and storytelling.

Dylan Byers joins Peter to break down the strengths and weaknesses of the 12-state antitrust lawsuit brought by Democratic attorneys general in a bid to block the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger. Then Dylan digs into the anxieties gripping CBS News, where 60 Minutes is just about two months out from their new season amid the mass exodus of on-air talent and producers.

Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to break down Apple’s shocking lawsuit against OpenAI, which accuses Sam Altman’s company of running a sweeping corporate espionage campaign to steal trade secrets from Cupertino. Then Ian gets into the politics of A.I. this midterm season—and why voter anxiety about A.I. and data centers hasn’t quite caught fire at the ballot box yet.

Mariana Sotomayor joins Peter to examine the sudden loss of Lindsey Graham and what it means for a Republican Party that’s losing its old-school operators faster than it can replace them. Then they turn to Trump’s continued pressure campaign for the Save America Act, and whether Hill Republicans have any realistic path to passing it before the midterms.

Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to exchange notes on this year’s Silicon Valley catwalk and the event’s new position in the firmament. The duo also discuss the media’s role in the Graham Platner fiasco.

The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan join Dylan for an inside look at their new book, ‘Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,’ which moved an extraordinary 300,000 copies in its first week. They shed light on their reporting process, why the book has cut through despite widespread Trump fatigue in media, where their reporting partnership goes from here, and more.

Bill Cohan joins Peter to make sense of an I.P.O. market that may be in way over its head. He discusses Bending Spoons, whose portfolio of old internet companies just went public at 35 times EBITDA, and Jersey Mike’s, the popular sandwich chain gunning for a $12 billion valuation. Bill explains why both are probably overvalued and evidence that Wall Street banks are willing to sell anything for a quick buck.