“I Think You’re Reading Too Much Into That”: Ben Smith Talks the Steele Dossier, James Bennet, and—Obviously—Semafor

Trump Wanted Blake Masters to Lie • Planned Parenthood’s Newest Clinic • Jared Kushner’s Reunion in Saudi Arabia [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( “I Think You’re Reading Too Much Into That”: Ben Smith Talks the Steele Dossier, James Bennet, and—Obviously—Semafor Good morning from the Hive newsroom! On the latest episode of Inside the Hive, Joe Hagan [talks]( to Ben Smith, former BuzzFeed editor in chief and New York Times media columnist, about his buzzy new media start-up, Semafor. “I got to be this gossipy media reporter who just sounded off on stuff and threw stones at other people’s houses,” Smith says. “And now I’ve constructed this, like, tiny little glass house, and so I have to be kind of scared.” Elsewhere, Abigail Tracy [reports]( on Planned Parenthood opening a clinic in Missouri, the first state to ban abortion after the fall of Roe. Following Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito’s claims that his leaked Dobbs draft made him and his conservative colleagues “targets of assassination,” Eric Lutz [says]( “the conflation of violence with questions about the legitimacy of an increasingly extreme and unaccountable institution is dishonest.” Caleb Ecarma [reports]( on newly released Fox News documentary footage in which Donald Trump urged Blake Masters to spout more of his 2020 election lies. Plus, Bess Levin is [unamused]( by Jared Kushner’s attendance at a conference put on by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which wrote Kushner’s new private-equity firm a $2 billion check last year. Thanks for reading! [Image may contain: Human, Person, Electronics, Computer, Pc, Restaurant, and Laptop]( [“I Think You’re Reading Too Much Into That”: Ben Smith Talks the Steele Dossier, James Bennet, and—Obviously—Semafor]( By [Emily Jane Fox and Joe Hagan]( [The former BuzzFeed editor and New York Times media columnist offers pushback on critiques of his new media offering.]( [Read more button](   [Planned Parenthood Is Opening a New Clinic—In the First State to Ban Abortion After Roe Fell]( By [Abigail Tracy]( [The new rural reproductive health clinic will open in Rolla, Missouri. Without the right to perform abortions, “you must increase access to things like basic primary and preventive care,” Missouri Planned Parenthood’s chief medical officer said.]( [Read more button](   [Samuel Alito Is Trying to Make Reasonable Critics Seem Radical]( By [Eric Lutz]( [Claiming his leaked Dobbs draft made him and his conservative colleagues “targets of assassination,” the right-wing justice conflated threats of violence with fair questions about the legitimacy of an increasingly extreme and unaccountable court.]( [Read more button](   [“You’ll Lose If You Go Soft”: Donald Trump Wanted Blake Masters to Lie More About the 2020 Election]( By [Caleb Ecarma]( [“I’m not going soft,” the Arizona Republican assured the former president, who told Masters to be more like Kari Lake, per footage from a newly released Fox News documentary.]( [Read more button](   [Jared Kushner Had a Friendly Little Reunion With His Saudi Pals (the Ones Who Gave Him a $2 Billion Check)]( By [Bess Levin]( [Officials from the US Treasury, Commerce, and State departments are not attending a three-day conference in the kingdom’s capital—but the former first son-in-law was all smiles in the front row.]( [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