The Hound | Aug. 18

Hi there,

It’s Tuesday. Court documents have revealed that ICE ran undercover operations, codenamed "Operation Puppet Master," targeted the Sunrise Movement and dozens of labor unions and protest groups — none of whose members were ultimately charged. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which receives conservative funding, said it plainly: this kind of surveillance "will likely make many Americans think twice before joining a protest, attending a meeting, donating to an advocacy organization, or speaking out at all."

🖊️ Sign the petition to call on the media to cover ICE's undercover operations against the Sunrise Movement not as a law enforcement story, but as a civil liberties crisis — one that asks who authorized these tactics, what legal authority ICE had to surveil peaceful protesters, and whether a federal agency is deliberately trying to incite the violence it needs to justify its crackdown.

When the government infiltrates nonviolent groups, offers to build protest weapons, and then charges activists with conspiracy, it is manufacturing the threat it claims to be investigating. The public deserves reporting that names what "Operation Puppet Master" actually was: a government program designed to silence dissent.

In addition, Trump cut military drills with South Korea for refusing to join the war on Iran, adding strain to the US-South Korea alliance. And, how the backlash against data centers may cost Republicans control of several cities and counties in Florida.

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

Secret ICE Agent Tried to “Entice” Minneapolis Activists Into Confrontational Tactics (The Intercept)

Could the GOP Lose Florida Over Data Centers? (Mother Jones)

Drills cut by Trump are central to the US-South Korea alliance (AP News)

Disney Sues Trump’s FCC for Retaliation Over Jimmy Kimmel Joke (The New Republic)

Former federal prosecutor is suing DOJ for 'unlawful and retaliatory' firing (NPR)

Five Years Later, Biden Was Proven Right in Withdrawing From Afghanistan (The American Prospect)

NOAA’s New Priorities Put Profits Ahead of Marine Protections (Inside Climate News)

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

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