The Hound | June 8

Hi there,

It’s Monday. Two new stories that broke over the weekend show underscore the corruption happening with Donald Trump in the Oval Office:

1. The Trump administration killed a criminal investigation into coal companies owned by Republican Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia.

2. Trump pardoned former Rep. Stephen Buyer, who served years in prison for making illegal stoke trades based on insider information.

And in a major interview, the longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, took on Bari Weiss and revealed how new management, “instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias” into his reporting.

CBS’s willingness to accommodate Trump-aligned pressure, weaken independent journalism, and undermine programs like 60 Minutes is not just a corporate media story—it is a warning about what happens when owners and executives prioritize political access over public accountability.

🖊️ Add your name to thank Scott Pelley for refusing to stay silent and for standing up for journalism’s highest purpose: holding the powerful to account. His courage should be a model for every journalist, editor, and media executive facing political or corporate pressure.

Democracy depends on a press that serves the public—not Donald Trump, Bari Weiss, or billionaire owners.

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

Scott Pelley Says Bari Weiss Put a “Thumb on the Scale” For Trump (The New Republic)

“Can We Make the Protesters Look More Violent?” (Mother Jones)

Trump pardons former Republican congressman convicted of insider trading (PBS)

Trump Administration Killed Criminal Investigation of GOP Senator’s Coal Companies (ProPublica)

Here’s how the Texas secretary of state’s resignation could complicate the midterm elections (Votebeat)

A 7.8 magnitude quake in the Philippines kills at least 32 (NPR)

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

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