Vanity Fair

Many cities have aspired to be the next Silicon Valley. But in El Segundo, founders are defining themselves in opposition to it. For over two years, in the small, unassuming beach town, dozens of young men have gathered with a singular mission: to save America. They will do this, they say, by building the next generation of great tech companies. They spend their workdays toiling in labs and manufacturing lines, their nights sleeping on couches and bunk beds. Some are making drones to try to control the weather. Others are building nuclear reactors and military weaponry designed to fight China. These founders have settled on a place where they can act as faithful foot soldiers of American industry as well as bold incubators upending Silicon Valley’s status quo. “This is not ‘San Francisco lite’ or ‘San Francisco plus a little bit of hardware,’” says one. “It’s a different world from San Francisco and it has a completely different mindset.” Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eD67f7Af

As the threat of another Trump presidency looms, America turns its eyes to Barack and Michelle Obama, who remain two of the most important politicians in the world—whether they like it or not. As President Joe Biden’s stock crashes, voters wonder where the Obamas—who maintain tremendous influence—stand. “The silence is deafening,” says Representative Mike Quigley, who knows former president Barack Obama and who has called on President Biden to bow out of the race. “If President Obama was all in, he would be all in.” The Obamas could be the closers of this election. They “can expedite a reset,” says one Democratic consultant, “but they can’t win this for Biden.” For VF, Kate Andersen Brower reports on Barack Obama’s influence with the party and the public, how he is advising Biden, and how the outcome of this election could shape his own legacy. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eYZaPuix Photo: Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS

The 2024 #Emmy nominations have arrived—and there are plenty of star-studded races to get invested in. From first-time contenders to a few dark horses, see the full list of nominees: https://lnkd.in/dYcMqYks

For Glen Powell, the box office hits just keep coming. The Texas native’s rise was meteoric thanks to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Anyone but You.’ And with roles in ‘Hit Man,’ and ‘Twisters’—not to mention rumors of ‘Top Gun 3’—Powell seems poised to become Hollywood’s next great leading man. Navigating the baggage that comes with ascending to the top, however, has taken time. “At the end of the day, I don’t give a f–k anymore,” Powell says of the media attention. Reflecting on the tabloid frenzy that followed him and costar Sydney Sweeney, he adds, “At the time, I did give a fuck. I gave a lot of fucks. And it felt shitty and personal. I don’t think people realize that I am very sensitive because I am a guy that jokes about stuff.” For VF’s June issue, the movie star discusses how he and Sweeney “leaned into the chemistry,” his hopes for the future (“I want kids”), and how throwing a house party in Los Angeles nearly changed everything. Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/d86JdAfs

Sabrina Carpenter is enjoying the moment. A handful of years ago, Carpenter was the classic Disney performer, starring in shows like ‘Girl Meets World’ and releasing albums through the studio’s label, Hollywood Records. Since then, she’s been reintroduced to the world— thanks to her 2022 album ‘emails i can’t send’—as both an introspective, sex-positive singer-songwriter and a “short pop bop queen,” to quote Quinta Brunson. Recently, she has found time for a romance with ‘Saltburn’ star Barry Keoghan, headlined an international tour, and opened for Taylor Swift’s blockbuster Eras extravaganza. “It is magnificent to grow up idolizing someone, and then meet them, and they are all the things that you hoped that they would be,” she says of Swift. “On a personal level, she’s really been there for me, and I’m so grateful.” For VF’s July/August issue, the ‘Espresso’ singer teases her forthcoming album, reveals Swift’s advice about navigating life in the public eye, and contemplates the longevity of her signature ‘Nonsense’ outros. Read Savannah Walsh's full interview with the pop star: https://lnkd.in/e59QrqTR

What is CrimeCon? For VF, Kathleen Hale reports from the floor of the annual event, where the convention’s overwhelmingly female attendees connect through their collective rage—and sorrow. Read the story here: https://lnkd.in/gT9mQ4nA

CrimeCon is an annual destination for true-crime enthusiasts—and it’s exactly as unnerving as it sounds. Launched in 2017, the convention brings together consumers and content creators within the true-crime genre for presentations by criminology experts, law enforcement, victims, and niche celebrities within the community. The convention’s attendance is overwhelmingly female; founder Kevin Balfe estimates that 80% of his attendees are women. “I don’t know that any woman has made it to being an adult without having some sort of traumatic experience,” one guest tells VF. True-crime enthusiasts may be attracted to such stories for the gore or some kind of thrill—but the attendees of CrimeCon suggest something a little deeper, and scarier, than any of that. For VF, Kathleen Hale reports from the convention floor, where true-crime devotees connect through their collective rage—and sorrow. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gT9mQ4nA

“At no other time in hip-hop's history have we heard rappers defending women and girls in any meaningful way.” For VF, Jamilah Lemieux breaks down how women and girls have found themselves at the center of the feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/dbMiTrfF

Women are at the center of the war of words between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, but something unprecedented is happening as a result: Women and girls, and specifically Black women, are being defended by mainstream male rappers for the first time. Women have often been treated as pawns in feuds between influential rappers, but Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” one of the most popular songs of the moment, calls out the abuse of girls and women. Lamar is talking openly, not just about Drake’s alleged predatory behavior, but about his unchecked misogyny. “I’ve long understood that to be a feminist hip-hop fan is to be somewhat of a hypocrite,” writes Jamilah Lemieux, “considering how much of the music is dedicated to bashing women.” For VF, Lemieux examines hip-hop’s relationship to the demographic that makes up nearly half the genre’s listeners—and the complexities of the allegations that Drake and Lamar have leveled against each other. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/dbMiTrfF

Silicon Valley hasn’t been this upset since Elon Musk bought Twitter. And Hollywood hasn’t been this verbose since Quibi’s disastrous debut. Over the past week, following Joe Biden’s ruinous debate with Donald Trump, discontent has surged through both industries, with influential figures and everyday workers alike expressing their frustration and disbelief at Biden’s refusal to step down. The widespread sentiment is that Biden’s defiant decision is not only jeopardizing the political landscape but also threatening the future of the country, with blame pointed in every direction. “Every Democrat outside the Beltway knows he’ll lose,” one major Silicon Valley founder tells VF. Read the full story from VF's Nick Bilton: https://lnkd.in/egUxT-hM