V.F.’s Deep Dives: Facebook’s Shadow Government, Michael Jackson, and Two Truly Epic Scandals

View this email in your browser A daily digest of things to discuss over drinks March 15, 2019 Given all the Silicon Valley behemoths waging billion-dollar wars to colonize our attention spans, it's no surprise that so many of us find it difficult to carve out the time for deep reading. And yet, scrolling through feeds of bite-size updates is no substitute for losing yourself in a well-reported, expertly written piece of journalism. Here are five in-depth stories we think you'll agree are worth curling up with this weekend. How Three Brothers Fleeced an Entire Country First up: It started with black market rations and ended with “the wedding of the century.” Novelist Karan Mahajan travels to India and South Africa to understand how three small-time investors fleeced an entire country—aided by some of the world’s most respected consultants. READ MORE » Embedding Deep Inside Facebook’s Shadow Government When it comes to figuring out how Facebook actually works—how it decides what content is allowed, and what isn’t—the most important person in the company isn’t Mark Zuckerberg. It’s Monika Bickert, a former federal prosecutor who leads a team of Obama alums, researchers, and engineers. Simon Van Zuylen-Wood embeds with the company’s shadow government as it debated what you can and cannot post on Facebook. READ MORE » Beyond Lori and Felicity The A-Listers arrested in the college-admissions scam are only the beginning. V.F.’s Nicole Sperling speaks to the wealthy L.A.-area parents caught up in Rick Singer’s web of bribery, fraud, and gross deceit. READ MORE » The Truth About Michael Jackson The accusations levied at the late Michael Jackson in HBO’s Leaving Neverland have rocked American society. Maureen Orth has been reporting on Jackson’s alleged crimes for more than a decade. Here, she presents 10 undeniable facts about the sexual-abuse allegations. READ MORE » Bowe Bergdahl’s Real Story The authors of American Cipher: Bowe Bergdahl and the U.S. Tragedy in Afghanistan reconstruct the chaotic, immediate aftermath of the Army private’s disappearance as Mike Flynn and a motley crew of spies and operatives scrambled to find the 23-year-old American before the Taliban smuggled him into Pakistan. Matt Farwell and Michael Ames deliver a gripping look at a story that mystified many. READ MORE » This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. 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 Copyright © Condé Nast 2019. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.