The Hound | Feb. 25

Hi there,

It’s Wednesday. It was reported the killing of Mexican cartel leader '“El Mencho” was aided by a secretive U.S. campaign led by FBI and ICE and the cartel clashes across Mexico fuels worry in lead-up to FIFA World Cup games in Jalisco later this year. Sticking to FIFA for a moment, the World Cup host cities are running out of time with $625 million in funding that’s currently held up by the DHS shutdown. And last night, Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address under the spectre of a build up of the US military near Iran.

Donald Trump’s escalating posture toward Iran carries profound consequences—raising the risk of direct military conflict, regional instability, and long-term geopolitical fallout. When a president signals openness to military action or intensifies confrontation, that is not routine foreign policy maneuvering. It is a potential turning point that could cost lives, reshape alliances, and commit the United States to another prolonged conflict in the Middle East. When coverage centers on optics instead of consequences, the public is left without a clear understanding of what is at risk.

🖊️ Add your name to call on major news organizations to cover Trump’s actions toward Iran with urgency and depth—examining the legal basis for force, the views of military and diplomatic experts, the potential human cost, and the broader strategic implications. The American public deserves clear, fact-based reporting when the prospect of war is on the table.

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

Donald Trump is sleepwalking into war with Iran (The new Statesman)

World Cup host cities are ‘running out of time’ with $625m in funding held up by DHS shutdown (The Guardian)

Mexico Got Help Killing Drug Lord From Secretive U.S. Campaign Led by FBI and ICE (The Intercept)

Mexican cartel clashes fuel worries in lead-up to FIFA World Cup (AP News)

Trump’s DHS Sued Over ICE Spying on Protesters (The New Republic)

France says ministers will no longer meet with U.S. ambassador until he responds to summons (PBS News)

Hegseth threatens to cancel Anthropic's $200 million contract over "woke AI" concerns (NPR)

ICE Took Their Papers—and Won’t Give Them Back (Mother Jones)

The Big Lie at the Heart of Republican Electoral Strategy (The American Prospect)

Beating by Guards, Not a Heart Attack, Killed Man in Mississippi Prison, Report Shows (The Marshall Project)

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

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