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Gonzo media veteran Shane Smith is angling for a comeback at Vice, the once-thriving empire he co-founded that was forced into bankruptcy last year after a slew of scandals.

The 54-year-old muckraker will become a correspondent for Vice News and will return to a role creating content for the media brand.

Earlier this year, the Brooklyn-based outlet laid off much of its staff in a major restructuring.

Smith will also host a podcast for Bill Mahers Club Random Studios Network called“Vice News: The Truth.”

The video podcast, which will occasionally feature Maher — host of Max’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” — will debut this summer and also run on Vices TV channel.

Maher had been a producer on Vices HBO series, a news magazine-style show that delved into national and international issues, and often featured Smith.

Vice said that Smith will also appear on other news networks commentating on the 2024 election, and will produce content for Vice News social channels.

Vice’s meteoric rise is equially as stunning as its precipitous downfall. Smith had built the company into a $5.7 billion digital media juggernaut using his master showmanship skills, helping him raise millions of dollars from blue chip investors.

The larger-than-life exec stepped down as CEO of Vice in 2018 but remained executive chairman of the company amid accusations of a toxic bro culture that has fostered a slew of complaints about sexual misconduct at the millennial news outlet.

The company has since been cutting hundreds of staffers and slashing costs.

Last month, Vice and Savage Ventures launched a joint-venture to relaunch and grow Vices digital businesses including Vice.com, Munchies, Motherboard, and Noisey as well as all associated social platforms, YouTube channels, and websites.

Smith’s return — which is pegged to the upcoming presidential election — is a way for Vice to regain its swagger but it remains to be seen if audiences have an appetite for the bombastic exec.

This presidential election might just be the craziest yet and thats saying something, said Smith in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

Smith continued: Working with Bill again as well as top political pundits, media personalities and social stars, we will dissect what is real, what is fake, and what narrative is being pushed as social media explodes with ever more insane memes and theories.

“We hope to uncover the truth and sheer bull-goose lunacy of the main political events of the year. Wherever the story takes us, we will follow; however nuts it seems we will investigate; whatever the truth is, it promises to be the opposite of boring.

Maher launched his podcast network in March, telling The Hollywood Reporterat the time: I am looking for people who are not talking-point people. Im looking for people who dont, before they speak, say, Whats the right answer here?.

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Oilers forward Hyman injured in 1st, exits Game 4

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Oilers forward Hyman injured in 1st, exits Game 4

EDMONTON, Alberta — Edmonton Oilers‘ top-line forward Zach Hyman was ruled out for the rest of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday against the Dallas Stars after taking a hit from forward Mason Marchment, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported on the game broadcast.

The first-period collision appeared to immediately rattle Hyman, who dropped his stick and seemed to favor his right arm or wrist. Hyman went directly to the Oilers’ dressing room and did not return.

Hyman has been a key member of the Oilers’ postseason success, registering a league-leading 119 hits in 14 playoff games and scoring five goals and 11 points. He’s a fixture on the team’s top forward unit with Connor McDavid and is part of both the Oilers’ power play and penalty kill.

Edmonton was already down a forward going into Game 4 with Connor Brown sidelined after a hit from Dallas defenseman Alexander Petrovic in Sunday’s Game 3. Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup as Brown’s replacement on the fourth line.

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Referee Rooney returns, 11 days after high stick

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Referee Rooney returns, 11 days after high stick

EDMONTON, Alberta — NHL official Chris Rooney was back on the ice Tuesday night for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars.

It was the veteran referee’s conference finals debut, and a fitting return for Rooney given the circumstances. It was Rooney’s first game since he took a high stick to the face on May 17 during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference second-round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.

Rooney was injured 13 seconds into the second period when Panthers’ defenseman Niko Mikkola caught him with the end of his stick while fighting for a puck. Rooney fell to the ice and was tended to by trainers from both teams.

While bloodied, he was able to leave under his own power. Rooney sustained a black eye and received stitches for his injury but had no lasting damage. He was replaced at the time by Garrett Rank, in the building on standby in case on injury.

It was clear even the day after his injury that Rooney, 50, hoped to resume duties at some point in the playoffs. The Boston native was finally able to step in for Game 4 with fellow referee Dan O’Rourke.

The pair was joined by linesmen Ryan Gibbons and Matt MacPherson. Referee Graham Skilliter and linesman Ryan Daisy were in the building as alternates.

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Hintz (leg) back in action, joins Stars’ top line

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Hintz (leg) back in action, joins Stars' top line

EDMONTON, Alberta — Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz is back in the lineup for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday.

The club’s top skater, sidelined since Game 2, when he took a slash to the left leg from Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, was placed on the top line, alongside Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen after taking warmups and line rushes prior to puck drop.

Hintz also took part in warmups before Game 3 on Sunday but exited early and was ruled out. He was back on the ice for Dallas’ optional practice Monday and told reporters he was “feeling good” and “trying to do everything I can” to get back in for Game 4.

It was early in the third period of Game 2 when Hintz — parked in front of the Oilers’ net — shoved Nurse from behind, and the Oilers’ blueliner responded by swinging his stick at Hintz’s leg. Hintz went down to the ice for several minutes before being helped off by Lian Bichsel and Mikael Granlund.

Nurse received a two-minute penalty for the slash but no supplementary discipline from the league. The blueliner addressed the incident publicly for the first time Tuesday, saying it didn’t come with malicious intent.

“I was backing up to net and I got shot in the back. And I think it was just a natural reaction [to respond],” Nurse said. “It’s probably a play that everyone in this room, whether you’re a net-front guy or D man, probably happens a dozen, two dozen times in a year. It’s unfortunate that I must have got [Hintz] in a bad spot. You don’t want to go out there and hurt anyone. But it was just one of those plays that happens so often.”

Having Hintz unavailable hurt the Stars in Game 3, a 6-1 drubbing by the Oilers that put Dallas in a 2-1 hole in the best-of-seven series. Hintz is the Stars’ second-leading scorer in the postseason, with 11 goals and 15 points through 15 games. He was hopeful when taking warmups Sunday that he’d feel good enough to get back in, but a quick discussion with the training staff made it clear he wasn’t ready.

Before Tuesday night, coach Peter DeBoer had since classified Hintz’s status as day-to-day.

“Of course you want to go every night, but sometimes you just can’t,” Hintz said. “I don’t know how close I [was to playing]. But I have played many years [and I] know when it’s good and when it’s not. I should be good to know that [when] it comes to that decision.”

The Oilers will have some lineup changes of their own to sort through in Game 4. Connor Brown, who is out after taking a hit from Alexander Petrovic in Game 3, will be replaced by Viktor Arvidsson. Calvin Pickard, injured in Edmonton’s second-round series against Vegas, will return to back up Stuart Skinner. And Edmonton continues to wait on defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who is getting closer to returning from a lower-body injury.

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