In the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death this past September, hundreds of people were either fired, suspended, placed under investigation, or disciplined over social media comments and posts criticizing the polarizing Turning Point USA founder. Lauren Stokes, who had worked in the University of Mississippi’s development office since 2024, was one of those people. Her decision to share someone else’s post about Kirk not only cost Stokes her job, but set off a barrage of threatening calls and online harassment, forcing her and her husband to temporarily close the local restaurant they own and leave town out of concern for their safety. Six months later, while pursuing a lawsuit against the university, Stokes spoke to Vanity Fair’s Erin Vanderhoof about the lasting damage to her business, her reputation, and her personal life.
For the first edition of her new column, A Billion to One, Vanity Fair tech correspondent Julia Black reports from inside a major defense-tech conference in Washington, DC, days into the United States’ ongoing attack on Iran. And Taylor Lorenz dives deep into the world of TikTokers who are combing through the Epstein files.
On a much lighter note, the Oscars are less than two weeks away! We’re counting down to Hollywood’s big night with plenty of coverage of the awards and Vanity Fair’s legendary party, including a look back at what this year’s nominees wore to their first Academy Awards, as well as a revisiting of photos from the 2006 Oscars red carpet. Don’t forget to cast your ballot for who should win here!
