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EVENING REPORT EVENING REPORT Friday, May 29 Sign up  PRESENTED BY © AP Bondi points finger at Blanche in House interview on Epstein files Former Attorney General Pam Bondi repeatedly pointed the finger at acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel when asked about issues with the release of the Epstein files during her interview with congressional investigators Friday, Democrats said, and she refused to answer any questions about President Trump’s involvement. Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee fumed over Bondi’s closed-door appearance before the panel. Though initially subpoenaed to answer questions about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) handling of files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, she appeared under voluntary terms, was not video recorded, and refused to answer many questions posed by lawmakers under the direction of Justice Department lawyers who accompanied her.   Read more. CATCH UP QUICK Criminal probe of E. Jean Carroll creates major headache for Senate GOP   Judge blocks Kennedy Center closure, Trump renaming Putin adviser warns EU after drone hits Romania: ‘The peaceful sleep is over’ NEWS THIS AFTERNOON © AP Bulgaria to end US military aircraft stay after visa program dispute   Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said ​Friday that his country will cut the stay of the U.S. military aircraft in Sofia at the end of June after the Trump administration did not greenlight a visa-free pass for Bulgarian visitors to the U.S.    Read more. Live updates: Judge tells Kennedy Center to stay open, removes Trump’s name; Bondi casts blame on Epstein files missteps  A federal judge on Friday afternoon paused the Kennedy Center’s July closure and said President Trump’s renaming of the cultural institution was not legal.   Read more. Cornyn shares fable of frog and scorpion after Trump sinks reelection  Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) cryptically shared the fable of the frog and the scorpion on social media after President Trump torpedoed his reelection campaign by endorsing state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who cruised to victory in the Texas Senate GOP primary Tuesday.   Read more. Most artists announced for ‘Great American State Fair’ have backed out. Who is still playing?  More than half of the musical acts that were announced to perform during the “Great American State Fair” have already pulled out of the concert series, with some citing concerns over what they believe to be a partisan or politically charged event.   Read more. CONTENT FROM OUR SPONSOR Claude, the AI for teachers who want to teach MagicSchool uses Anthropic’s Claude for lesson planning, IEPs, and curriculum across 13,000+ schools and districts, helping teachers spend less time on administration and more time on students. Learn more IN OTHER NEWS © AP Trump approval rating slips to record low of 34 percent in YouGov/Economist poll  President Trump’s job approval rating fell to a record low of 34 percent in this week’s YouGov/The Economist poll, marking the lowest level recorded in the survey across both of his terms in office.   Read more. ‘No Kings’ movement planning nationwide event on Trump 80th birthday  The “No Kings” movement announced a nationwide event set for June 14, which is President Trump’s 80th birthday.   Read more. 5 things to know about tentative US-Iran ceasefire deal  A tentative agreement has been reached between the U.S. and Iran to extend a fragile ceasefire in the three-month conflict by 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and establish a framework for broader talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, according to U.S. sources.   Read more. Florida Democrat Frederica Wilson to retire from the House  Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), a 16-year veteran of Congress, announced Friday that she will not seek reelection, becoming the 30th House Democrat from the 119th Congress who won’t be joining the 120th.    Read more. 📧 Stay up to date with top stories from The Hill in our weekend Tipsheet, sent Saturdays & Sundays. Click here to sign up & get it in your inbox.   📧 Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, who is handling Surgeon General roles, will appear on NewsNation's "The Hill" at 6 p.m. EDT tonight to discuss the tick season and combatting Lyme disease. Stay Engaged Someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up to get your own copy: TheHill.com/Evening. See you next time! Privacy Policy   |   View in Browser   |   Manage Subscriptions Sign Up for Other Newsletters   |   Unsubscribe   400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2026 Nexstar Media Inc.   |   All Rights Reserved

All the ‘Hacks’ Finale Details You May Have Missed

Plus: When Calvin Klein Bid $1.18M on Wallis Simpson’s Pearl Earrings

View in browser | Update preferences SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS Not too long ago, there were two prestige TV series vaguely inspired by the life of Joan Rivers. Now we have none. The first, Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, wrapped in the spring of 2023; the second, HBO Max/Just Plain Max/HBO Max Again’s Hacks, aired its series finale last night. In this Joan enthusiast’s eyes, the latter’s conclusion was a lot more successful than the former’s—even if I also think Hacks would have gone out on a stronger note if it hadn’t pulled its final punch. But as series creators Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky tell VF’s Joy Press, they’ve always been working toward this exact ending. Read on to learn about all the sly easter eggs they’ve been sneaking into the show since the very beginning. Isn’t it nice when TV creators are given an opportunity to think ahead? Elsewhere, Chris Murphy chats with Jamie Bell about the end of another HBO Max series, Half Man, which is as queer-coded as Hacks but a hell of a lot darker; Kenneal Patterson runs through everything we know about the second season of another current hit, Off Campus; and Keke Palmer plays the hits—including her instant classic of an answer when confronted with a photo of Dick Cheney. HILLARY BUSIS, SENIOR EDITOR Why this ad? Hacks Creators Explain the Series Finale Details You May Have Missed BY JOY PRESS Cocreators Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky break down the beloved comedy’s last episode, from why Deborah didn’t go through with her plan to the sneaky way they foreshadowed the ending. READ MORE Get more as a Vanity Fair subscriber Exclusive offer: Subscribe to get one month of Vanity Fair free START YOUR FREE TRIAL On the Small Screen TELEVISION Jamie Bell Knew There Was “Only One Way” for Half Man to End BY CHRIS MURPHY After that shocking series finale, the actor chats with Vanity Fair about Richard Gadd, the manosphere, and straight actors playing queer characters. READ MORE TELEVISION Everything We Know About Off Campus Season 2 BY KENNEAL PATTERSON The hit hockey drama has been renewed for a second season—and they’re bringing more heat. READ MORE Video Keke Palmer’s Greatest Hits BY VANITY FAIR The Emmy-winning actor reflects on major moments from her decades-long career, including Akeelah and the Bee, True Jackson, VP, Hustlers, Nope, One of Them Days, and her unforgettable, meme-immortalized appearance on Vanity Fair’s Lie Detector: “Sorry to this man!” Baby, this is Keke Palmer—roll the tape! WATCH NOW Why this ad? In Other News When Calvin Klein Bid $1.18M on Wallis Simpson’s Pearl Earrings Here’s the story of how the jewelry once worn by the Duchess of Windsor at Edward VIII’s funeral ended up on Kelly Klein at the 1989 CFDA Awards. MORE FROM VANITY FAIR POLITICS BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD STYLE ROYALS CELEBRITY 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 2026. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.