| MATTHEW LYNCH,
EXECUTIVE EDITOR |
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We’re now a few years removed from that peak lockdown era when everyone was rewatching The Sopranos. And the “mob wife” aesthetic has been sleeping with the fishes for a couple of years now. Still, if you’re noticing a hearty dash of mafia vibes in the national psychic sauce at the moment, you’re not alone. As Sam Tanenhaus writes, Donald Trump’s second term has often hinged on a familiar trope: Nice country you got here, would be a shame if anything happened to it. The author and longtime Vanity Fair contributor went epic on the topic for our July/August issue, and we’re excited to share the story with you today. (Also: It’s probably time to re-rewatch The Sopranos.)
Elsewhere today, the Bezos-Sánchez wedding finds more critics, Elon and Donald are at it again, and an archival read on the man who has now agreed to plead guilty to the University of Idaho murders. More tomorrow… |
Forget the comparisons to fascists and autocrats. The most accurate model for understanding the transactional tough guy in the White House is the politically connected underbelly of 1970s and ’80s New York real estate. He is, noted one observer, “a master of the protection racket. He takes the old domestic savior scam national.”
Sam Tanenhaus reflects on Donald Trump’s ascent to his presidency—and the powers that influenced him. |
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This pointless sequel has its merits, but does little to sustain a sagging franchise. VF’s chief critic weighs in. |
The president suggests he’s open to deporting Musk, while the billionaire threatens some kind of TBD nuclear option. |
We update this list every month so you don’t have to struggle to find your next binge. |
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As a teenager, Bryan Kohberger had “something about him that seemed ‘off,’” a former friend recalled. By the time he entered graduate school, where he studied criminology, he’d earned a reputation for being arrogant and alienating. Now, at 30, Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to stabbing four University of Idaho students.
From disturbing posts on a message board to his research project on the minds of criminals, Kathleen Hale examines the life of the suspected murderer. |
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