| MATTHEW LYNCH,
EXECUTIVE EDITOR |
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After two months of testimony and two days of deliberations, a federal jury in Manhattan today acquitted Sean “Diddy” Combs of the two most serious charges in his sex-trafficking and racketeering trial. He was found guilty of two lesser charges, making the whole ordeal, as former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani put it on X, “the most expensive prostitution trial in American history.” Below, VF’s Dan Adler has more on the major legal victory for the disgraced star.
Elsewhere today, there’s an open Senate seat in North Carolina all of a sudden, and a Fox News host with a very familiar last name might seek to occupy it, as Eric Lutz reports; Hillary Busis talks to the big stars of the first production at the newly renovated Delacorte; and a guide to your much deserved royal vacation. |
This summer, the beloved Delacorte Theater in Central Park reopens after an expansive $80 million makeover that includes more than 1,800 new seats, a façade reinforced with reclaimed wood, and an animal-proof barrier that will hopefully keep enterprising varmints in check. The Public Theater, which operates Shakespeare in the Park, will celebrate the occasion with a star-stuffed production of Twelfth Night that runs from August 7 through September 14, featuring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sandra Oh, Peter Dinklage, and, in the roles of separated twins Viola and Sebastian, Lupita Nyong’o and her real-life younger brother, Junior Nyong’o. |
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Before rehearsals even began, senior Hollywood editor Hillary Busis linked up with the powerhouse cast at their Vanity Fair photo shoot—and already, there was chemistry. |
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Regarding the president’s daughter-in-law, North Carolina Republican strategist Andy Yates tells VF, “Republicans in the state love her.” |
The jury’s decision, while split, is a major victory for Combs. According to reporters in the courthouse, he pumped his fist as it was read. |
Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and a burglary charge. |
THE “BIG, BEAUTIFUL” BILL |
The vice president would like people to see the bigger picture. |
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