DIThe Distraction Index

#budget

41 events across 30 weeks

1Damage
13Hype
27Noise
5.1Avg Dmg
21.4Avg Hype
WEEK 90Sep 13 – 19
NOISE2026-09-08
Trump Rescissions and Budget Authority Policy
Resource Reallocationfederal · broad
Damage
16.3
Hype
9.3
WEEK 88Aug 30 – Sep 5
NOISE2026-08-28
Trump Proposes Federal Employee Pay Freeze and Law Enforcement Increase
Resource Reallocationfederal · moderate
Damage
2.2
Hype
18.5
WEEK 87Aug 23 – 29
NOISE2026-08-22
Washington Faces Budget Constraints After Decades of Spending
Damage
0.0
Hype
3.3
WEEK 83Jul 26 – Aug 1
HYPE2026-07-28
Congressional Budget and Policy Actions
federal · broad
Damage
—
Hype
3.3
WEEK 82Jul 19 – 25
NOISE2026-07-24
Trump Urges Senate GOP to Pass $95B Budget Bill Before August Break
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
0.0
Hype
6.0
NOISE2026-07-23
House Adopts $95 Billion Spending Package for Trump Priorities
Resource Reallocationfederal · broad
Damage
0.2
Hype
6.5
NOISE2026-07-22
Trump Administration Defers $1 Billion in Medicaid Payments to California and Minnesota
Resource Reallocationmulti state · broad
Damage
1.5
Hype
16.0
HYPE2026-07-22
GOP Races to Pass Stopgap Funding and Budget Reconciliation
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
1.3
Hype
32.9
NOISE2026-07-22
Republican Budget Package Debate on Tax and Spending
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
0.0
Hype
6.0
WEEK 81Jul 12 – 18
NOISE2026-07-15
House Republicans Unveil $95 Billion Plan for Iran War, Farm Aid, and Elections
Resource Reallocationfederal · broad
Damage
5.0
Hype
15.0
WEEK 80Jul 5 – 11
NOISE2026-07-07
Trump Calls for $350 Billion Defense Spending Legislation
Resource Reallocationfederal · broad
Damage
0.6
Hype
18.5
WEEK 75May 31 – Jun 6
HYPE2026-06-03
Senate GOP Drops White House Ballroom Funding
Resource Reallocationfederal · narrow
Damage
4.2
Hype
55.8
WEEK 73May 17 – 23
HYPE2026-05-17
Senate Parliamentarian Blocks $1 Billion White House Security Proposal
federal · narrow
Damage
—
Hype
24.0
HYPE2026-05-17
Federal Funding for Trump Ballroom Blocked by Senate Ruling
federal · narrow
Damage
—
Hype
49.0
HYPE2026-05-16
Pentagon Defends Trump's Golden Dome Project Cost Estimate
Resource Reallocationfederal · broad
Damage
9.4
Hype
77.8
WEEK 71May 3 – 9
NOISE2026-05-03
Pentagon Seeks $21B for Barracks Repair Backlog
Resource Reallocationfederal · moderate
Damage
1.7
Hype
16.0
WEEK 67Apr 5 – 11
HYPE2026-04-05
DHS Funding Deal Advances as Government Shutdown Approaches 50 Days
Resource Reallocationfederal · broad
Damage
8.4
Hype
46.5
HYPE2026-04-05
Pete Buttigieg Criticizes Trump Budget Priorities
Damage
0.0
Hype
63.0
WEEK 65Mar 22 – 28
HYPE2026-03-22
Ted Cruz Suggests Splitting ICE and CBP Funding From DHS
Policy Changefederal · moderate
Damage
5.0
Hype
49.0
WEEK 63Mar 8 – 14
NOISE2026-03-09
Noise: State Legislative Coverage
Damage
0.0
Hype
2.8
WEEK 60Feb 15 – 21
HYPE2026-02-15
Homeland Security Shutdown and TSA Unpaid Work
Resource Reallocationfederal · moderate
Damage
13.9
Hype
35.0
WEEK 58Feb 1 – 7
NOISE2026-02-05
LA County Budget Faces $200 Million Deficit and Hiring Freeze
Resource Reallocationsingle state · broad
Damage
0.0
Hype
1.6
WEEK 57Jan 25 – 31
NOISE2026-01-30
Democrats and White House Reach Deal on ICE Funding to Avert Government Shutdown
Resource Reallocationfederal · broad
Damage
0.6
Hype
3.5
NOISE2026-01-30
Senate Democrats Block Government Funding Package as Shutdown Negotiations Continue
Resource Reallocationfederal · broad
Damage
4.9
Hype
13.2
WEEK 56Jan 18 – 24
NOISE2026-01-23
House Passes $1.2 Trillion Spending Bills with ICE Funding Despite Democratic Opposition
Resource Reallocationfederal · broad
Damage
6.7
Hype
13.7
WEEK 49Nov 30 – Dec 6
NOISE2025-12-05
Libraries and Museums Receive Federal Funding Restoration
Resource Reallocationfederal · moderate
Damage
0.3
Hype
3.1
WEEK 41Oct 5 – 11
DMG2025-10-10
Congressional Shutdown Negotiations Stalled Over Impoundments and Rescissions
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
34.4
Hype
21.5
WEEK 37Sep 7 – 13
NOISE2025-09-13
National Guard and Marines Deployment to Los Angeles Costs Millions
Resource Reallocationsingle state · moderate
Damage
7.5
Hype
22.1
NOISE2025-09-13
Federal Watchdog Questions Millions Spent on Shuttered U.S. Embassy in Venezuela
Resource Reallocationfederal · narrow
Damage
0.2
Hype
6.3
HYPE2025-09-13
Democrats Initiate Health Care Fight as Shutdown Deadline Looms
Norm Erosion Onlyfederal · broad
Damage
1.5
Hype
36.0
WEEK 33Aug 10 – 16
NOISE2025-08-16
Idaho Governor Signs Order for 3% Budget Cuts
Resource Reallocationsingle state · moderate
Damage
0.1
Hype
1.1
WEEK 30Jul 20 – 26
NOISE2025-07-26
Michigan Committee Power Stripped Amid Budget Gridlock
Norm Erosion Onlysingle state · moderate
Damage
3.1
Hype
10.5
WEEK 21May 18 – 24
NOISE2025-05-23
Nebraska Governor Pillen Misses Line-Item Veto Deadline
Policy Changesingle state · moderate
Damage
2.6
Hype
17.1
HYPE2025-05-23
House Passes Major Budget/Legislative Bill Under Speaker Johnson
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
21.3
Hype
30.6
WEEK 20May 11 – 17
NOISE2025-05-17
Republicans Reject Trump Tax Cut and Budget Bills Despite Presidential Calls for Unity
Policy Changefederal · moderate
Damage
2.2
Hype
23.8
WEEK 19May 4 – 10
HYPE2025-05-10
US Debt Limit Projected for August 2025
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
18.5
Hype
36.8
WEEK 18Apr 27 – May 3
NOISE2025-05-03
Trump Budget Proposal Slashes NASA Funding
Resource Reallocationfederal · moderate
Damage
5.8
Hype
17.1
WEEK 15Apr 6 – 12
NOISE2025-04-05
Bernie Sanders Warns Trump Budget Threatens Social Security
Information Operationfederal · broad
Damage
0.0
Hype
24.2
WEEK 14Mar 30 – Apr 5
NOISE2025-04-05
Senate Vote-a-Rama on Trump Budget Resolution
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
11.6
Hype
17.3
WEEK 8Feb 16 – 22
NOISE2025-02-22
Trump Signals Openness to Multiple Budget Bills Instead of Single Bill
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
9.6
Hype
14.9
WEEK 3Jan 12 – 18
NOISE2025-01-18
House GOP Mulls 200+ Budget Cuts, Breaks, and Tariffs
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
8.2
Hype
10.2