The Life and Times of Fergie Chambers

COVID Origins • Bibi’s Obstinance • Noem’s Self-Destruction [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( The Life and Times of Fergie Chambers Good morning. Communist, scion, outsider, dilettante: All of these labels could be used to describe Fergie Chambers, the political activist and former heir to the Cox family fortune, whom Dan Adler [spotlights]( in a sweeping profile of the 39-year-old’s wild life, from his Saint Ann’s salad days and adolescent rehab stints to his Tunisian escapades and left-wing organizing. Piecing together Chambers’s arc is “not a straightforward task,” writes Adler, “given his facility for shaping the dramatic contours of his autobiography.” Elsewhere, as the debate around COVID’s origin continues to rage, Katherine Eban [offers]( fresh insights from congressional testimony by a leading coronavirologist, who cited poor biosafety protocols in Chinese labs as one reason we still can’t rule out the lab-leak theory. Plus, Eric Lutz [asks]( whether Benjamin Netanyahu’s fixation on invading Rafah will torpedo the truce talks between Israel and Hamas. Thanks for reading. [Image may contain: Adult, Person, Teen, Face, Head, Photography, Portrait, Accessories, Formal Wear, Tie, Clothing, and Glove]( [The Life and Times of Fergie Chambers]( By [Dan Adler]( [Until very recently, Jim “Fergie” Chambers was an heir to Cox Enterprises and one of the largest family fortunes in America. With hundreds of millions of dollars on hand, a zeal for revolution, and an innate sense for confrontation, he’s becoming America’s go-to radical communist.]( [Read more button](   [Virologist Testified Lab Leak Was Possible in Wuhan: “You Can’t Rule That Out”]( By [Katherine Eban]( [Ralph Baric, the UNC scientist who worked with Wuhan’s top coronavirus researcher, told congressional investigators that he has long worried about biosafety protocols inside China.]( [Read more button](   [Netanyahu Says He’ll Invade Rafah “With or Without a Deal”]( By [Eric Lutz]( [Bibi’s promise could undermine truce talks with Hamas, which the US has urged to accept Israel’s proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release.]( [Read more button](   [Puppy Slayer Kristi Noem Is Probably Not Going to Be Donald Trump’s VP]( By [Bess Levin]( [Her recent animal issues have reportedly not gone over well in Trumpworld.]( [Read more button](   [Will Donald Trump Go to Jail for Violating the Hush Money Trial Gag Order?]( By [Bess Levin]( [The judge overseeing the hush money trial held Trump in contempt on Tuesday and threatened jail as a consequence. Trump has claimed it would be a “great honor” to be imprisoned.]( [Read more button](   Get on the list Subscribe to our Hollywood newsletter for your essential industry and awards-season news, every day. [Sign Up Now](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn](   This e-mail was sent to you by The Hive. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Sent from Condé Nast, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 Copyright © 2024 Condé Nast