Why the Afghanistan War Was Always Doomed; a Fatal Accident Upends South Dakota Politics; the OnlyFans Hustle

Plus: The Conspiracies of Spike Lee's 9/11 Doc View in your browser | Update your preferences A SPECIAL EDITION OF COCKTAIL HOUR August 26, 2021 REPEATING HISTORY Four U.S. Presidents and the Afghan Quagmire By Chris Whipple As diplomat Richard Holbrooke once said about Afghanistan—and Vietnam: "How can we lose when we're so sincere?" Read More If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for "Cocktail Hour" here. AMERICAN GOTHIC A Republican Rising Star's Deadly Scandal As South Dakota attorney general Jason Ravnsborg goes to trial, he has refused calls to step down over a fatal car accident that has confounded residents, split his party, and left a grieving family divided in its pursuit of justice. By Tom Kludt Read More TRUTHINESS The Conspiratorial First Cut of Spike Lee's 9/11 Doc By Jordan Hoffman A rundown of what exactly NYC Epicenters 9/11 → 2021 ½ contained before Lee decided to reedit it. Read More THE BUYLINE Meet the After-Sun Essentials That Will Help Skin Recover Fast By Deanna Pai From next-gen aloe to antioxidant-boosted serums, here are the skin-soothing formulas for the home stretch of summer. Read More DISCONTENTS OnlyFans and the Myth of Owning Your Hustle By Delia Cai The platform's betrayal of sex workers reveals hard truths about the greater creator economy at large. Read More HOLLYWOOD Candyman Comes for the Privileged By Anthony Breznican Once, he killed indiscriminately. In Nia DaCosta's new film, the horror legend born from Black trauma seeks messy justice. Read More FROM THE MAGAZINE Gawker Stalker: Charting the Site's Media Takeover By Michael Calderone From the New York Times newsroom to the Succession writers room, the kids once shooting spitballs at the establishment now have seats at the table. As a new Gawker gets going, here's how the spirit of the site—and siblings like Jezebel and Deadspin—has spread. 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 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.