Topic of the Week
Advanced Topic
Note: Advanced Topic of the Week may sometimes link to content that some readers find disturbing and/or otherwise challenging.
Some groups may prefer to choose Starter Topic of the Week.
How it Works
- We select a topic each week and post links to varying reporting on it
- You can find the links here on Mondays and rate the content yourself
- Our team rates it too, and we post our scores here on Wednesdays
- Compare and discuss!
Check back on Wednesday to see our analysts’ scores and compare them with your own!
Department of Education
- Week of February 16, 2025
| Topic of the Week – Advanced | Bias | Reliability |
| Article 1: Decoy Voice (YouTube)– Elon just found something big | 20.33 | 21.00 |
| Article 2: USA Today– Close Department of Education? Former schools chief Betsy DeVos makes the case. | Opinion | 12.00 | 29.67 |
| Article 3: CNBC (website)– What dismantling the Department of Education could mean for colleges, student loans and college access | -1.33 | 45.67 |
| Article 4: Business Insider– Trump wants the Department of Education to be closed 'immediately.' Here's what shutting it down would mean. | 0.00 | 44.33 |
| Article 5: Vaush (YouTube)– Elon Musk Hires Private Security to Block Employee Access To Department of Education | -10.67 | 29.00 |
| Article 6: Mother Jones– Linda McMahon Just Showed the Senate How Little She Knows About Education | -11.33 | 37.00 |
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Women in Sports
- Week of February 9, 2025
| Topic of the Week – Advanced | Bias | Reliability |
| Article 1: Sky News Australia (YouTube)– Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies backs Trump's transgender ban | 8.33 | 35.67 |
| Article 2: The Washington Free Beacon– Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Biological Men in Women's Sports | 16.00 | 36.00 |
| Article 3: Sportico– Trump Trans Athlete Ban Gets NCAA Nod Amid Legal Uncertainty | -0.67 | 47.67 |
| Article 4: The Harvard Crimson– Harvard Removes Transgender Inclusion Policy From Athletics Site After Trump Signs Executive Order | -0.67 | 45.00 |
| Article 5: MSNBC: Katy Tur Reports– Trump signs executive order prohibiting trans women from playing in womens’ and girls’ sports | -13.33 | 33.33 |
| Article 6: PinkNews– JK Rowling celebrates Trump's trans sports ban | -7.00 | 37.33 |
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Guantanamo Bay
- Week of February 2, 2025
| Topic of the Week – Advanced | Bias | Reliability |
| Article 1: American Greatness– Trump Signs Executive Order Instructing DHS and Defense Dept. to Prepare Gitmo For High-Priority Criminal Illegals › American Greatness | 14.67 | 36.33 |
| Article 2: Benny Johnson (YouTube)– https://youtu.be/o1GcKUDXuxQ/ | 18.33 | 27.67 |
| Article 3: Reason– Obama's Failure To Close Guantanamo Meant It Was Open for Trump To Use | -8.67 | 43.67 |
| Article 4: JURISTnews– Trump signs executive order authorizing Guantanamo Bay Migrant Operations Center to reach full capacity | -0.33 | 43.33 |
| Article 5: Dollemore Daily (YouTube)– Donald Trump ORDERS IMMIGRANTS SENT TO INTERNMENT CAMPS at Guantanamo Bay!!! | -21.67 | 27.00 |
| Article 6: Human Rights Watch– US: Don’t Send Migrants to the Black Hole of Guantánamo | -11.00 | 31.67 |
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Gesture or Salute?
- Week of January 26, 2025
| Topic of the Week – Advanced | Bias | Reliability |
| Article 1: HotAir– And the New Hoaxes Begin… | 16.00 | 26.67 |
| Article 2: The Joe Rogan Experience– Joe on People Thinking Elon Musk Gave a Nazi Salute | 12.33 | 28.67 |
| Article 3: Straight Arrow News– Local meteorologist fired after accusing Elon Musk of giving ‘Nazi salute’ | 5.33 | 41.33 |
| Article 4: Reuters– Musk's hand gesture during Trump inauguration festivities draws scrutiny | -3.00 | 44.00 |
| Article 5: LBC (YouTube)– James O'Brien reacts to Elon Musk's salute | -15.33 | 31.00 |
| Article 6: Rolling Stone– The Anti-Defamation League Is Finally Sick of Elon Musk’s Nazi Jokes | -12.00 | 34.67 |
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Biden Warns of Oligarchy
- Week of January 19, 2025
| Topic of the Week – Advanced | Bias | Reliability |
| Article 1: Fox News: Jesse Watters Primetime– What is behind Biden's 'bitter' farewell? | 12.00 | 33.33 |
| Article 2: Unherd– Joe Biden's oligarchy warning also extends to Democrats | 4.00 | 36.00 |
| Article 3: The Week– Biden warns of oligarchy in farewell address | -3.00 | 41.33 |
| Article 4: San Gabriel Valley Tribune– What does oligarchy mean after Biden warned about it | -2.67 | 42.33 |
| Article 5: MSNBC Special Coverage– ‘Stark warning’: See Maddow, Chris, Joy react to Biden's farewell address | -12.67 | 34.00 |
| Article 6: World Socialist Web Site– Biden and the American oligarchy | -23.67 | 29.00 |
Want to go deeper? Get complete lessons via educator subscription.
LA on Fire
- Week of January 12, 2025
| Topic of the Week – Advanced | Bias | Reliability |
| Article 1: The Daily Signal– LA’s Disastrous Response to Wildfires Is Latest Consequence of California’s Obsession With DEI | 18.67 | 18.33 |
| Article 2: TheDC Shorts (YouTube)– FLASHBACK: Trump WARNED California Governor About Forest Fires | 15.33 | 21.33 |
| Article 3: Marketplace– As wildfires burn in Los Angeles, insurers brace for a potential financial disaster | 2.33 | 40.67 |
| Article 4: CalMatters– LA fires underscore how much California has to lose if Trump withholds disaster aid | -7.00 | 46.67 |
| Article 5: MeidasTouch (YouTube)– Fox 'News' panel MELTS DOWN after host DEBUNKS Trump FIRE LIES | -15.33 | 25.67 |
| Article 6: Jezebel– As California Burns, Elon Musk & Right-Wing Grifters Amplify Bigoted ‘DEI’ Lies | -16.33 | 23.67 |
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Cybertruck Explosion
- Week of January 5, 2025
| Topic of the Week – Advanced | Bias | Reliability |
| Article 1: The Benny Show– https://youtu.be/8U9Sa1zUJhM/ | 17.00 | 11.67 |
| Article 2: Fox Business (website)– Elon Musk says Tesla will get Cybertruck 'back on the road' after Las Vegas explosion | 3.33 | 42.33 |
| Article 3: Mashable– Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas: What we know so far | -2.67 | 43.33 |
| Article 4: The Verge– Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion: here’s what we know so far | 0.00 | 45.33 |
| Article 5: PolitiZoom– Man Who Died in Exploding Tesla was A “Trump Loving Super Soldier” | -20.00 | 11.67 |
| Article 6: Occupy Democrats (YouTube)– Family Of CYBERTRUCK Blast Suspect DROPS BOMBSHELL On TRUMP | -20.67 | 22.00 |
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Safety (with original Pneuma html)
- Week of August 29, 2022
