Republicans Rush to Trump’s Side After Indictment, Pledge to Make Alvin Bragg’s Life Hell

Big Tech Downsizing • “Dumb Money” Leaves Podcast Biz • Meet Kara Swisher [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( Republicans Rush to Trump’s Side After Indictment, Pledge to Make Alvin Bragg’s Life Hell If there was any question whether the GOP remained obsequiously loyal to Donald Trump, such doubts were dispelled following [reports]( about the former president’s [indictment]( in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. Republicans are now “threatening to use their power to shield the former president from any accountability,” [writes]( Eric Lutz, and make Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s “life hell.” Meanwhile, Caleb Ecarma [finds]( Fox News rushing to Trump’s defense. Beyond the legal and political shocker this week, Joe Pompeo [sized up]( the state of the podcast industry, finding that the “dumb money” was gone but hope remains for monetizing an expanding audience. Meanwhile, Nick Bilton [wondered]( how low the head count can go at tech giants like Meta, Google, and Twitter, as Charlotte Klein [dropped]( a rollicking profile of tech journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher. See you Monday, the start of what’s sure to be a very busy week. —Michael Calderone, editor [Republicans Rush to Trump’s Side After Indictment, Pledge to Make Alvin Bragg’s Life Hell]( By [Eric Lutz]( [Ron DeSantis has declared Florida a sanctuary state for Trump. Meanwhile, House Republicans are threatening a full-fledged investigation into the Manhattan DA who is bringing forward charges against the ex-president.]( [Read more button](   [Fox News Pundits Are on the Verge of Tears Over Trump’s Indictment]( By [Caleb Ecarma]( [The network has leapt back to the former president’s defense as the Manhattan DA prepares what’s expected to be a 30-plus-count criminal indictment, with commentators calling on Trump’s supporters to protest.]( [Read more button](   [“The Dumb Money Is Gone”: Is the Podcast Boom Going Bust?]( By [Joe Pompeo]( [Fewer acquisitions, smaller budgets, diminished dealmaking—but it’s not all bad! “There’s been no recession among listeners,” says one audio guru. “There’s still more room to grow.”]( [Read more button](   [Big Tech Companies Are Testing How Far They Can Slash Staff]( By [Nick Bilton]( [Even as Elon Musk has upended Twitter, the site, with thousands-fewer employees, is still functioning. Meta, Google, and Amazon are operating with dramatically scaled-back workforces.]( [Read more button](   [Image may contain: Tie, Accessories, Accessory, Electrical Device, Microphone, Human, Person, Suit, Coat, and Clothing]( [“I’ll Walk Away From Anything”: Kara Swisher Calls the Shots]( By [Charlotte Klein]( [Swisher opens up to Vanity Fair about her career, including leaving The New York Times, and laments journalists’ lack of business savvy. “If you don’t understand the economics of what’s happening,” she says, “you’re fucked.”]( [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 © 2023 Condé Nast