Vicky Ward, the Vanity Fair contributor who profiled Jeffrey Epstein back in 2003, says even then it was obvious something was very off with the mysteriously well-connected Palm Beach sex offender.

Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter has finally renewed his contract, so not to worry, VF readers: you won't have to face any living people on the cover for at least three more years.

After the quite-good Comedy Issue of Vanity Fair (guest edited by Judd Apatow) was released this week, I was a little surprised to learn that it was only the third single-subject guest-edited issue in the magazine's history. Bono's "Africa" Issue (which focused on just...all of Africa, I suppose) seemed more in keeping with the magazine's general approach of describing lavish fundraisers and celebrity chandeliers than excellent Freaks and Geeks retrospectives and Tig Notaro interviews.

Last week Grub Street noticed that Graydon Carter, the Vanity Fair editor with a knack for reviving classic New York restaurants, was on the liquor license application for the new restaurant going into the former Beatrice Inn space. His wife Anna Carter confirmed his involvement to Eater this week, and yesterday the Beatrice's principal owner Emil Varda got on the line to share the details.

In your tropical Tuesday media column: phone hacking was nobody's fault, the NYT is selling the Declaration of Independence, Graydon Carter's expensive diet, a legendary rock critic dies, and The Weather Channel's office will kill you.

In your finally Friday media column: Malcolm X's newest media controversy, Vegan mag in meaty photo flap, Anderson Cooper has a nice room, tabloid phone-hacking scandal updates, Graydon Carter's in the movies, and Bob Woodward creeps towards old codger territory.

In lieu of drafting a letter to the editor or posting a comment, Donald Trump has responded to a Vanity Fair blog post by printing it out, writing insults on it, and mailing it to editor Graydon Carter with an embossed calling card. He's the closest thing America has to royalty.

It was only a year ago that mini blog mogul Dan Abrams and Men's Health editor and serial plagiarist Dave Zinczenko signed on as investors in The Lion, a new downtown Manhattan "hot spot" that aspired to be the next Waverly Inn: a place where media people and minor celebrities go to hang out, and brag about it the next day. How's that going?

Vanity Fair is supposed to be a "cultural catalyst," a "magazine that provokes and drives the popular dialogue." Then why does it dedicate so many covers to dead ladies? Who's buying these issues? And why is it getting worse?

Daily Profile: Graydon Carter

Who: Carter is the bon vivant editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and pal of countless celebs and moguls. He also serves up mediocre food to the same crowd as the co-owner of the Waverly Inn and Monkey Bar.

In your bold Tuesday media column: female anchors walk out at Al-Jazeera, a slew of media job changes, Newsweek's sale draws closer, Graydon Carter's newest fancy, and happy birthday CNN.

Police commissioner Ray Kelly is handling a difficult party schedule, but has managed to find some time to perform his day job this week by shaking up the command structure of the NYPD in an effort to quell rising crime.

Vanity Fair boss Graydon Carter is "hot and heavy" about opening a photography museum on Manhattan's far West Side. Geez, multiple restaurants, a magazine, a museum, and amazing fucking. Hot and heaviness pays off! [NYO]

Eight kids takes a toll. Elin Nordegren flees to Sweden and wants to stay there. Heather Locklear's hit and run, Cuban Gooding Jr.'s boozy ramble, Naomi Campbell's blood diamond. Thursday's gossip roundup is too busy to get nasty.

We were too busy watching all our favorite shows simultaneously on TV last night to attend the fancy soiree Vanity Fair threw for the opening of the Tribeca Film Festival. Luckily fictional freelancer Betsey Morgenstern was there in our stead.

Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter is reportedly considering opening a third restaurant in Fedora's former spot on West 4th Street. He better be careful; we hear he recently lost his top assistant, who got tired of booking Waverly Inn reservations.

Twice, actually. Admittedly for about seven minutes in total. But it still counts as the first intrusion in 15 years. Here's how I assumed various guises, bypassed half a dozen checkpoints, and ended up making chitchat with Rupert Murdoch.

It's because his secret stash of booze ran dry. Sandra Bullock wins worst actress, Mo'Nique and Oprah clash, Farah Fawcett is forgotten, terrorists hate Hollywood, Tom Cruise gets in a wreck. Monday's gossip has a champagne hangover.

• CBS News laid off more than 150 staffers this week. Will Katie Couric be forced to take a pay cut when her contract expires next year? Some say yes; CBS News chief Sean McManus is denying the report. [NYP, Politico]
• Avatar has dominated the box office for seven straight weeks now (and has officially bested Titanic), but that may change this weekend or next. [LAT]
• Janice Kaplan is out as editor-in-chief of Parade magazine. [NYT]
• Nikki Finke says it will take "minutes" for Comcast to dump NBC CEO Jeff Zucker after its acquisition of NBC is approved by regulators. (Meantime, maybe he could explain why the Today show is propping up Scientology?)
• An estimated 12 million people tuned in to Lost last night. [Forbes]
• Time Warner reported fourth-quarter revenues and profits were up. [AP]
• Fox and ESPN will challenge NBC for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics. [BN]
• Does Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter hate non-white women? [DF]