Mitch McConnell’s Heir Apparent

NYT Leak Probe • Abortion Rights Fight • LA Punk Murder [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( Mitch McConnell’s Heir Apparent Good Saturday morning! Mitch McConnell’s decision this week to step down in November as the GOP’s Senate leader offered an opportunity to look back on his decades of “thoroughly f**king over America,” as Bess Levin [put it](, and ahead to who’ll succeed him. Pablo Manríquez [profiled]( John Thune, the well-liked Senate minority whip who certainly has the experience for the job—though may not pass muster with Donald Trump. Elsewhere, this week, Charlotte Klein [revealed]( that The New York Times launched a leak investigation into a report on a yet-to-air episode of The Daily, while Brian Stelter [caught up]( with Amanda Zurawski, who is suing Texas over its abortion ban. “I can’t begin to imagine what goes on in these people’s brains,” said Zurawski, “but I can tell you that I do think it’s about control.” Plus, do not miss Joe Pompeo’s [harrowing account]( of the 1977 murder of Jane King and the explosion of LA’s punk scene. Though not to give NYC’s underground the short shrift, Pompeo also [wrote]( this week on the early days of The Village Voice and its legacy. —Michael Calderone, editor [Image may contain: John Thune]( [Mitch McConnell’s Heir Apparent]( By [Pablo Manríquez]( [John Thune, a low-key South Dakotan and Senate minority whip, is well-liked by both parties and could become the next Republican leader. Well, unless Donald Trump gets in the way.]( [Read more button](   [The Tragedy of Jane King: How a Murder Spree Collided With Hollywood’s Punk Revolution]( By [Joe Pompeo]( [In 1977, a quasi-legal basement venue called the Masque supercharged a scene that gave rise to legends like X, the Germs, and the Go-Go’s. In a pivotal episode largely lost to history, a pair of serial killers claimed one of the Masque’s own.]( [Read more button](   [New York Times Launches Leak Investigation Over Report on Its Israel-Gaza Coverage]( By [Charlotte Klein]( [Management has questioned staffers, including Daily producers, after The Intercept revealed internal debate over a yet-to-air episode on Hamas weaponizing sexual violence. Such a probe is highly unusual, say staffers, one of whom dubbed it a “witch hunt.”]( [Read more button](   [After Thoroughly F**king Over America, Mitch McConnell Decides to Treat Himself to a Break]( By [Bess Levin]( [Never forget: McConnell could have rid us of Donald Trump, but simply chose not to.]( [Read more button](   [Image may contain: Tie, Accessories, Accessory, Electrical Device, Microphone, Human, Person, Suit, Coat, and Clothing]( [“They’re Trying to Control Us”: Texas IVF Patient Brings Lawsuit Over Abortion Ban]( By [Brian Stelter]( [Amanda Zurawski recounts her harrowing, near-death experience on Inside the Hive and discusses how the GOP’s assault on reproductive rights threatens women’s lives.]( [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