Author: Steve Benen
Steve Benen
has 62.3% among authors.
BS Score: 3.8%.
Articles analyzed: 70.
Words analyzed: 115,689.
Analyzed articles
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 7/2/2026, 12:51 PM
Negativity Bias 50.9% - Biased Writer Voice 25.6% - Confirmation Bias 25.3%
Expectations heading into this week showed projections of about 115,000 new jobs being created in the United States in June. As it turns out, according to the new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the totals fell far short of those expectations. CNBC reported: The U.S. economy saw job creation cool sharply heading into the... more
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 6/30/2026, 7:30 PM
Biased Writer Voice 56.7% - Negativity Bias 39.1% - Unattributed Quote 35.7%
Those looking for a simple phrase to help summarize Donald Trump’s second term could do worse than “no-bid contract.” Indeed, it has been difficult to keep up on all of the assorted projects championed by the president that have bypassed the normal bidding process the federal government has relied on for many years. Reflecting Pool... more
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 6/30/2026, 4:45 PM
Biased Writer Voice 47.8% - Negativity Bias 43.5% - Indoctrination 13.2%
The language of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment seems straightforward. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” it reads. Donald Trump has nevertheless spent years condemning what’s known as “birthright... more
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 6/29/2026, 7:17 PM
Framing Effect 53.3% - Negativity Bias 27.1% - Politically Right Leaning Bias 24.8%
One of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s principal goals for the 2026 midterm elections is trying to tell voters that Democrats — or more to the point, candidates affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America — are somehow further from the American mainstream than Republicans. To that end, the Louisianan brought his pitch to the Faith... more
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 6/26/2026, 4:22 PM
Negativity Bias 55.8% - Unattributed Quote 26.7% - Biased Writer Voice 26.7%
Ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday, the White House organized something it described as the Great American State Fair, which would help kick off the festivities in the nation’s capital. Even before Wednesday’s launch, however, the event started to unravel. Not only did musical acts withdraw from the gathering, but roughly a fifth of... more
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 6/18/2026, 7:52 PM
Post Hoc (False Cause) 26.6% - Status Quo Bias 21.9% - Negativity Bias 21.6%
The latest flu season generated 340,000 hospitalizations and 21,000 deaths in the United States. Nevertheless, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, instead of focusing his energies on the ongoing war, came up with a bold idea in April: The Pentagon he leads would no longer mandate flu vaccines for service members. While service members could... more
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 6/15/2026, 12:48 PM
Biased Writer Voice 69.1% - Negativity Bias 32.3% - Ambiguity (Equivocation) 26.1%
Five months after Donald Trump and his allies tried to force his name onto the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a federal judge made the obvious call: The law says only Congress can change the name of the memorial, and that didn’t happen. Late last week, the administration made several last-ditch efforts to halt... more
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 6/12/2026, 6:32 PM
Biased Writer Voice 21.7% - Negativity Bias 16.4% - Availability Heuristic 14.6%
Exactly eight years ago this week, as Sen. Bob Corker neared the end of his congressional career, the Tennessee Republican voiced his frustrations about the direction of his party, telling reporters that the GOP had become almost “cultish” toward Donald Trump. The retiring senator added, “It’s not a good place for any party to end up... more
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 6/12/2026, 2:48 PM
Biased Writer Voice 37.9% - Negativity Bias 29.1% - Fundamental Attribution Error 14.5%
There are roughly seven months remaining in the current Congress, and the Republican majorities in the House and Senate still have an opportunity to try to govern and pass worthwhile legislation that the American public might like. As is too often the case, GOP leaders’ focus apparently lies elsewhere. The Wall Street Journal reported:... more
MS NOW
- By Steve Benen
- 6/5/2026, 12:46 PM
Framing Effect 25.2% - Representativeness Heuristic 21.9% - Confirmation Bias 19.4%
Expectations heading into this week showed projections of about 80,000 new jobs being created in the United States in May. As it turns out, according to the new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the totals far exceeded those expectations. CNBC reported: Job growth unexpectedly surged in May as the U.S. labor market continued a... more