“I Think Lachlan’s Trying to Peter Thiel Crikey”: Inside a Scrappy Australian News Site’s War With the Murdochs

Trump Country Democrats • What Will SCOTUS Do Next? • Democrats’ Dark Turn [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( “I Think Lachlan’s Trying to Peter Thiel Crikey”: Inside a Scrappy Australian News Site’s War With the Murdochs Good morning from the Hive newsroom! In the land Down Under, a high-stakes [legal battle]( is playing out between Lachlan Murdoch and a digital left-leaning news publication called Crikey, which is known for holding the Murdochs to account. Joe Pompeo translates this Australian libel suit and what it says about defamation laws and freedom of the press. Elsewhere, Eric Lutz [takes a ride]( with some Democratic canvassers in a Trump-loving county in Wisconsin as the volunteers try to pick off voters for Governor Tony Evers and Senate candidate Mandela Barnes. Cristian Farias [writes]( that the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning federal abortion protections was “was only a warm-up act” as the justices are set to hear major cases on voting rights, race, and much more. Speaking of the Supreme Court, Bess Levin [goes through]( the many reasons Democrats’ midterms message has gotten a lot darker in tone. And lastly, Caleb Ecarma [highlights]( some of Democrat Senate nominee Val Demings’s fighting words against Marco Rubio, after the Republican senator tried to score political points around Florida’s disaster relief. Thanks for reading! [Image may contain: Rupert Murdoch, Head, Lachlan Murdoch, Face, Human, Person, Glasses, Accessories, and Accessory]( [“I Think Lachlan’s Trying to Peter Thiel Crikey”: Inside a Scrappy Australian News Site’s War With the Murdochs]( By [Joe Pompeo]( [As the Murdoch family contends with billion-dollar defamation suits tied to the 2020 election, Lachlan Murdoch is taking Crikey to court over a critical Jan. 6–related opinion column. The site, says founder Stephen Mayne, has long “been holding the Murdoch empire to account.”]( [Read more button]( [“Even the Barking Dogs Were Republican!”: Inside Democrats’ Quest to Turn Out Voters in Wisconsin Trump Country]( By [Eric Lutz]( [Democrats are attempting to reelect Governor Tony Evers and send Mandela Barnes to the Senate, in hopes of unseating far-right senator Ron Johnson. Vanity Fair spent a day with volunteers going door-to-door trying to pick off voters in the state’s Republican strongholds.]( [Read more button]( [The Counterrevolution Is Only Getting Started: On Race, Voting Rights, and More, the Conservative Justices Are on a Mission to Reshape Society]( By [Cristian Farias]( [Sinking distrust of the high court post-Dobbs isn’t slowing down Alito and company, who appear poised to keep putting their ideological stamp on America.]( [Read more button]( [Democrats Warn Republicans Will Turn US Into a Fascist Hellhole If GOP Prevails in Midterms]( By [Bess Levin]( [A quick guide to all the horrible stuff the GOP could do—abortion bans, social safety net gutting, impeachment—if it retakes both chambers.]( [Read more button]( [Val Demings Scolds Marco Rubio for Balking at Disaster Relief for His Own State]( By [Caleb Ecarma]( [The Florida senator abstained from voting on a spending bill designed to hasten the state’s recovery from Hurricane Ian.]( [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](newsletter=vf) Sent from Condé Nast, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 Copyright © 2022 Condé Nast