The Hound | Jan. 14

Hi there,

It’s Wednesday. Today, we’re seeing more radical moves at the Pentagon by Pete Hegseth. New reports allege military aircraft targeting suspected drug boats were disguised as civilian planes, which is a war crime and the Department of Defense is embracing Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot. In addition, Jack Smith will testify publicly about his Trump investigations, and more.

On top of all the news this week, CBS News continues to melt down under Bari Weiss’s leadership. There is widespread concern that CBS News risks normalizing misinformation, blurring the line between opinion and reporting, and undermining the newsroom’s credibility at a moment when public trust in media is already dangerously low.

🖊️ Add your name to call on CBS leadership to protect the integrity of its journalism by demanding Bari Weiss step down as editor-in-chief. The public deserves a news organization led by someone committed to rigorous, independent reporting—not ideological branding or culture-war commentary

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

US aircraft that attacked suspected drug boat reportedly disguised as civilian plane (The Guardian)

Pentagon is embracing Musk’s Grok AI chatbot as it draws global outcry (AP News)

DHS Agents Really Don’t Want to Be Sent to Minneapolis Anymore (The New Republic)

Jack Smith will testify publicly about his Trump investigations (PBS News)

Cracks in Iran’s brutal regime are now visible (The New Statesman)

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

P.S. We’re always looking for new independent and progressive media sources to spotlight in our roundups. If there’s an outlet you think would be a great addition, reply to this email with your recommendation. We’d love to hear from you!