The Hound | April 27

Hi there,

It’s Monday. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner was interrupted on Saturday night by a shooting incident, leading Donald Trump and his allies to expedite construction of the new proposed ballroom — the DOJ even claiming delays and remaining lawsuits over the ballroom are endangering Trump’s life. Meanwhile, the Justice Department continues its lawsuit targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is not just a legal dispute—it raises serious concerns about politically motivated efforts to discredit and weaken a major civil rights organization.

When the Department of Justice pursues claims tied to ideological opponents, especially around donor activity and advocacy work, it demands scrutiny beyond routine legal coverage. Yet too much media reporting treats this case as a standard fraud allegation or partisan controversy rather than examining the broader context.

🖊️ Add your name to call on major news organizations to cover this lawsuit clearly and forcefully as a potential political attack—examining the motivations behind it, the implications for civil society, and what it means for organizations that challenge those in power.

The public deserves reporting that names when the legal system may be used to silence critics, not coverage that normalizes it.

Read about this, and more, with today’s stories:

“We Knew They Were Paying Informants”: SPLC Donors Reject Trump DOJ Fraud Claims (The Intercept)

Justice Department cites Correspondents' Dinner shooting in push to drop Trump ballroom lawsuit (PBS)

Virginia court declines to block Democrats from using new voter-approved congressional map (Democracy Docket)

Trump Sued Over Alarming Memo Allowing Officials to Delete Records (The New Republic)

Justice Department to allow firing squads for executions in move to ramp up capital punishment (AP News)

Ag Front Group Shields Bayer in Controversial Roundup Liability Fights (The American Prospect)

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

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