The Hound | June 4
Hi there, It’s Thursday. Donald Trump is trying to seize control of science funding, pursuing rule changes to allow for greater political influence over federal research grants. In Iowa, Trump’s primary winning streak came to an end where his endorsed candidate, Rep. Randy Feenstra narrowly lost to Zach Lahn, a businessman. And Donald Trump’s selection of Bill Pulte to oversee the nation’s intelligence apparatus deserves far more scrutiny than it has received. Pulte is not merely a nominee for a powerful position—he is a Trump loyalist poised to oversee surveillance authorities and intelligence tools that carry enormous implications for civil liberties, political dissent, and democratic accountability. Too much media coverage treats Pulte’s nomination as a personnel change rather than examining the broader risks. Reporting has often focused on political maneuvering while overlooking questions about whether intelligence agencies could be used to target perceived enemies, reward al...