The Hound | Oct. 5

Hi there,

It’s Monday. The New York Times has achieved something close to a monopoly on liberal political discourse. Other outlets take their cues from it. Democratic politicians quote it. Activists are shaped by it. And that influence is being wielded in service of a centrist, status-quo politics that consistently softens the reality of what the Republican Party has become. The paper treats the MAGA right as a normal political actor, frames progressive ideas as impractical, and has pushed Democrats toward catastrophic miscalculations — from believing Trump's 2016 victory was about economic anxiety, to endorsing Biden's conciliatory approach, to casting doubt on candidates like Mamdani while platforming figures like Christopher Rufo.

🖊️ Sign the petition to call on liberals, activists, and engaged citizens to diversify where they get their news — and on the media broadly to challenge the Times' agenda-setting power rather than simply amplify it. The Guardian, independent newsletters, and progressive outlets are covering this moment with more clarity and urgency.

This isn't a question of whether the Times does good journalism — it often does. The problem is its outsized influence on a left that needs to be bolder, not more cautious. A democracy under threat needs a press ecosystem that matches the stakes — not one paper setting the terms for everyone else.

In addition, the long, urgent to-do list if Democrats retake the House in the midterm elections. And, how Chicago alderpeople held up a contract involving an ICE airline — protecting thousands from deportation.

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

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

Medicare for All remains key pressure point for Democrats ahead of midterms (The Guardian)

The Long and Extremely Urgent To-Do List if Democrats Take the House (The New Republic)

The City That Brought Down an ICE Airline (The American Prospect)

Christa Pike was set to be Tennessee’s first woman executed in 200 years. She survived. (The 19th News)

We’re Reporters, Not Teachers. We Were Able to Start Private Schools Anyway. (ProPublica)

Until next time,

Harry from The Hound

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