The Hound | Oct. 2

Hi there,

It’s Friday. Donald Trump is using taxpayer money to put his MAGA propaganda on TV — and MS NOW (previously known as MSNBC) is helping him do it. One ad reportedly repurposes Trump’s own "final battle" 2024 campaign message, attacking the "fake news media" and his political enemies while telling viewers it was paid for by the U.S. government. That should be a bright red line for any news network — especially one whose own journalists have scrutinized the ads and whose audience expects it to stand up for democracy, accountability, and a free press.

🖊️ Sign the petition to demand MS NOW stop airing Trump’s taxpayer-funded propaganda ads. MS NOW cannot credibly expose these ads as a threat to democratic norms while also profiting from airing them.

Public pressure can make MS NOW leadership act. The network can cancel the ad buy, publicly explain its standards, and refuse future taxpayer-funded spots that serve as political promotion instead of genuine public service.

In addition, why progressives need to fight The New York Times’ monopoly on news. And, how a deep dive into the Pentagon’s secret budget and its waste, excess, and bloat.

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

Critics Slam Trump Propaganda Ad Paid for by the US Government as Illegal (thruthout)

Liberals Must Fight The New York Times’ Monopoly Too (The New Republic)

The Pentagon’s Secret Budget (The Intercept)

ICE is detaining pregnant immigrants. Most Americans say they shouldn’t. (The 19th News)

‘I Know I Couldn’t Live Here’: Standing Up to a Data Center in Alabama’s Black Belt (The American Prospect)

Trump administration reverses stance on integration of people with disabilities (NPR)

Tennessee governor suspends all executions after Christa Pike’s lethal injections fail (The Guardian)

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

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