How the NFL Draft Morphed Into Coachella

Kamala’s Battle Cry • Roberts Balks at Durbin • Disney v. DeSantis

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How the NFL Draft Morphed Into Coachella

Good morning from the Hive newsroom! With the NFL draft imminent, Tom Kludt chronicles how the event has evolved into a Coachella-style media spectacle that’s set to be inundated by Hollywood celebrities and gridiron gurus alike. “It’s the perfect human soap opera,” as one former ESPN chairman tells Kludt. “It has everything that any good drama has.”

Zooming out from sports, Abigail Tracy catches Kamala Harris’s recent speech at Howard University, where she made clear that abortion rights will be front and center in Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

And in case you missed it, Bess Levin catches Disney firing off a lawsuit against Ron DeSantis, who has threatened to strip away the company’s self-governing status in Florida. Thanks for reading.

How the NFL Draft Morphed Into Coachella

ESPN is deploying an army of analysts to Kansas City as legions of football fans—and Machine Gun Kelly!—descend on the Super Bowl champs’ hometown. Draft guru Mel Kiper, anchor Chris Berman, and network execs talk to Vanity Fair about the evolution of a sports media spectacle.

“Don’t Get in Our Way”: Kamala Harris Kicks Off Biden’s Reelection Bid With a Battle Cry on Abortion

As Republican politicians struggle to sell the party’s extreme antiabortion agenda to the American public, Harris made clear that reproductive rights will be on the ballot in 2024.

Disney Sues Ron DeSantis for Being a Colossal Asshole

The company has alleged a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” as retribution for speaking out against the Florida governor’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.

John Roberts Just Gave the Middle Finger to the Senate—And the Public

The chief justice turned down a request to testify before the Senate Judiciary committee on Supreme Court ethics—despite glaring conflicts of interest around Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.

Peter Thiel Reportedly Doesn’t Want to Give Republicans Any More Money, for Very Confusing Reasons

After praising Ron DeSantis and throwing plenty of money toward antiabortion and anti-trans candidates, the tech billionaire is apparently upset that the party is focusing on conservative culture wars instead of domestic innovation.