Inside the Vice Scandal

[View this email in your browser]( [images-hive-logo (1).jpg]( Inside the Vice Scandal Good morning, dear reader! It was another dispiriting day for poor woebegone Donald J. Trump, a bankruptcy expert who may finally [apply his business learnings]( to the presidency. David Drucker [revealed]( what G.O.P. strategists are actually saying about 2018. T.A. Frank [ruminated]( on the efficacy of Mike Pence’s latest political contortions. Abigail Tracy [explained]( why Robert Mueller’s Russia probe may have crossed a Republican red line. And Tina Nguyen [diagnosed]( another toxic relationship in the White House. Meanwhile, Travis Kalanick finally [became a billionaire]( New York’s chattering class [lost its patience]( with The New York Times; and Hungarian fugitive Sebastian Gorka went [on the lam](. But who wants to read about yesterday’s news, anyway? Today, we lead with Joe Pompeo’s gripping postmortem on the troubles at Vice, how Shane Smith’s millennial media empire dodged the #MeToo bullet, and what the scandal could mean for the company’s improbable $5.7 billion valuation. Bess Levin takes the temperature on Jamie Dimon’s 2020 chances. And Chris Smith investigates what might happen when Mueller meets Trump. We hope that you’re enjoying what you’re reading. Have a great day! [shane smith vice] “Vice Has Flown Its Freak Flag High”: Vice May Have Survived Its #MeToo Scandal, but Now Comes the Hard Part By Joe Pompeo After months of rumormongering and speculation, Shane Smith’s media empire seems to be surviving a highly anticipated Times story by reforming its culture—and publicizing it. Now, can it justify that $5.7 billion valuation? “If Trump Can Win, Anyone Can Win”: Why Jamie Dimon 2020 Isn’t So Crazy By Bess Levin “There would be nasty commercials about the mortgage crisis,” says one Wall Street veteran. “But people have short memories.” “Trump Is Going to Be a Terrible Witness”: Will Trump Take the Fifth? By Chris Smith A misstatement to Mueller’s investigators might cost him the presidency—but he may risk it anyway. How Tim Cook’s $350 Billion Windfall Explains the Universe By Maya Kosoff Apple’s announcement is an easy P.R. win for the company. But it’s also a perfect litmus test for 2018. “He Was Too Busy Counting His Money”: Inside Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury Victory Lap By H.W. Vail At a Manhattan house party, Wolff and his publisher recount the genesis of the book that rocked the White House. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( This email 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]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2018. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10038. All rights reserved.