The Hound | June 15

Hi there,

It’s Monday. Yesterday, Trump and Iran reached a deal to extend the current ceasefire, that will—on paper, reopen the Strait of Hormuz. And the way Georgia counts votes will soon be banned, and this week lawmakers are meeting in Atlanta to figure out a fix before the 2026 midterm elections.

The recent UFC event attended by Donald Trump, billionaire donors, corporate executives, and political insiders was more than a sporting spectacle—it was a vivid display of how power, money, and political influence increasingly operate together. When wealthy allies, administration figures, and business interests gather around a president in a highly public setting, the story is not just who was ringside. It is how access and influence are being cultivated in plain sight.

Yet too much media coverage treats these events as celebrity culture, political theater, or entertainment news rather than examining the deeper corruption concerns they raise. Framing it as spectacle obscures the influence networks operating behind the scenes.

🖊️ Add your name to call on the media to cover these events as potential corruption stories—investigating who was present, what interests they represent, and what they stand to gain from their proximity to power.

The public deserves reporting that follows the money, examines the influence, and exposes how political access is bought and sold. Democracy depends on transparency, not oligarchs gathering around a cage fight.

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

The Oligarchy Attends a Cage Fight (Mother Jones)

‘Reeks of corruption’: protesters rally as Trump hosts UFC event on his birthday (The Guardian)

Georgia's vote-counting method will soon be banned. Lawmakers will try to find a fix this week (PBS)

In Georgia, Senate hopeful Mike Collins celebrates being Trump’s latest ‘MAGA’ pick in GOP primaries (AP News)

JD Vance says he will discuss 2028 presidential run after midterm elections (The Guardian)

The U.S. and Iran announce a deal to end the war (NPR)

Aftermath: The Economy Is Propped Up by Government Spending (The American Prospect)

Nara Organics recalls baby formula after multistate infant botulism outbreak (PBS)

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

P.S. Do you know someone who would appreciate The Hound? If you can, forward this email and encourage them to subscribe! Let’s stay informed, together.