The Battle Over the Ballroom

Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. You’re reading The Morning Dispatch, our flagship daily newsletter breaking down all the news you need to know today. Happy National TV Dinner Day! In other food-related news, the Girl Scouts are reportedly launching a new line of cookies for dogs that will go on sale in January. The next step is to get dogs to start using Apple Pay. Evan Spear is a Morning Dispatch Reporter, based in Washington D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2026, he graduated from the University of Chicago with degrees in history and political science. He has previously interned at The Dispatch and CNN. When not writing for The Morning Dispatch, he is probably playing golf, reading a book, or trying (and failing) to find a place to swim. James P. Sutton is a Morning Dispatch Reporter, based in Washington D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2024, he most recently graduated from University of Oxford with a Master’s degree in history. He has also taught high school history in suburban Philadelphia, and interned at National Review and the Foreign Policy Research Institute. When not writing for The Morning Dispatch, he is probably playing racquet sports, reading a history book, or rooting for Bay Area sports teams. Surya Gowda is a Morning Dispatch Reporter, based in New York City. Before joining the company in 2026, she worked at USA Today and the political economy publication ProMarket. When Surya isn't writing for The Morning Dispatch, she's probably experimenting with watercolor paints or trying out a creative makeup look. Newsletter selected Click sign up to start receiving your newsletters. More We Think You’d Like Newsletter selected Click sign up to start receiving your newsletters.