DIThe Distraction Index

#federalism

60 events across 30 weeks

23Damage
24Hype
13Noise
23.7Avg Dmg
27.4Avg Hype
WEEK 85Aug 9 – 15
NOISE2026-08-09
Wisconsin Governor Appeals Trump Administration Denial of Federal Disaster Relief
Resource Reallocationsingle state · moderate
Damage
9.6
Hype
15.3
WEEK 84Aug 2 – 8
DMG2026-08-03
States Sue to Block Federal Data Sharing of Personal Information
Policy Changemulti state · broad
Damage
30.4
Hype
20.0
NOISE2026-08-01
Illinois Court Blocks Federal Voter Roll Seizure
Election Admin Changesingle state · moderate
Damage
20.5
Hype
19.0
WEEK 82Jul 19 – 25
DMG2026-07-24
Trump Administration Terminates Grants in Harris-Voting States
Resource Reallocationmulti state · broad
Damage
60.1
Hype
42.0
NOISE2026-07-24
Minnesota Wins Dismissal of Federal Immigration Detainer Lawsuit
Judicial/Legal Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
1.9
Hype
8.5
DMG2026-07-23
Trump Administration Attempts to Tie Disaster Funding to Election Demands
Resource Reallocationsingle state · broad
Damage
31.3
Hype
21.0
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
NOISE2026-07-22
Trump Administration Defers $1B in Medicaid Payments
Resource Reallocationmulti state · broad
Damage
1.1
Hype
16.5
HYPE2026-07-20
States Experience Economic Toll from Trump's War on Federal Government
Resource Reallocationmulti state · broad
Damage
1.1
Hype
31.5
NOISE2026-07-20
Maryland Defends Voting Safeguards Against Trump Pressure
Election Admin Changesingle state · moderate
Damage
2.8
Hype
21.4
WEEK 81Jul 12 – 18
NOISE2026-07-18
Utah Lieutenant Governor Tells DOJ Not to Interfere in State Elections
Norm Erosion Onlysingle state · moderate
Damage
1.7
Hype
18.5
DMG2026-07-18
Trump Administration Demands Oversight of State Voter Rolls
Election Admin Changefederal · broad
Damage
59.7
Hype
38.8
DMG2026-07-17
Homeland Security Secretary Threatens States Over Elections
Enforcement Actionfederal · broad
Damage
39.2
Hype
33.4
WEEK 80Jul 5 – 11
NOISE2026-07-09
DOJ Threatens Prosecution of Illinois Election Officials Over Noncitizen Voting
Enforcement Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
10.9
Hype
13.5
WEEK 79Jun 28 – Jul 4
HYPE2026-06-25
DOJ threatens lawsuit against California over firearm regulations
Judicial/Legal Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
26.3
Hype
—
WEEK 77Jun 14 – 20
HYPE2026-06-14
State-Level AI Regulations Continue Despite Trump Administration Opposition
multi state · moderate
Damage
—
Hype
8.8
WEEK 75May 31 – Jun 6
HYPE2026-05-30
DOJ Lawsuit Against States Over ICE Undercover License Plates
Enforcement Actionmulti state · narrow
Damage
20.1
Hype
26.8
DMG2026-05-30
California Families Sue DOJ Over Trans Kids' Records
Enforcement Actionmulti state · narrow
Damage
52.6
Hype
45.8
WEEK 72May 10 – 16
HYPE2026-05-08
DOJ Lawsuit Against New Mexico and Albuquerque on Immigration Enforcement
Enforcement Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
25.4
Hype
40.3
WEEK 69Apr 19 – 25
DMG2026-04-19
Michigan Refuses DOJ Demand for 2024 Election Ballots
Election Admin Changesingle state · moderate
Damage
57.8
Hype
57.8
WEEK 68Apr 12 – 18
DMG2026-04-15
Trump Administration Restricts Mail-In Voting via Executive Order
Election Admin Changefederal · broad
Damage
75.1
Hype
41.5
HYPE2026-04-14
Trump Administration Conflict with New York Over Medicaid Coverage
Policy Changesingle state · broad
Damage
25.1
Hype
32.0
DMG2026-04-12
White House Directs Republican-Led States to Crack Down on Immigration
Policy Changemulti state · broad
Damage
58.7
Hype
38.8
HYPE2026-04-11
Trump Administration Lawsuit Against Washtenaw County ICE Policies
Judicial/Legal Actionsingle state · narrow
Damage
18.1
Hype
34.5
WEEK 63Mar 8 – 14
HYPE2026-03-06
Ohio Senator Urges Dismantling of Department of Education
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
2.6
Hype
59.0
WEEK 62Mar 1 – 7
HYPE2026-03-01
State Officials Challenge Trump Election Executive Order
Judicial/Legal Actionmulti state · broad
Damage
16.6
Hype
46.3
WEEK 61Feb 22 – 28
HYPE2026-02-24
DOJ Sues New Jersey Over ICE Enforcement Restrictions
Enforcement Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
24.9
Hype
25.1
DMG2026-02-24
15 States Sue HHS Over Vaccine Schedule Revisions
Judicial/Legal Actionmulti state · broad
Damage
28.1
Hype
20.5
HYPE2026-02-24
California Protects Polling Sites from Immigration Enforcement
Policy Changesingle state · moderate
Damage
2.4
Hype
33.2
HYPE2026-02-23
California Expands Services for Immigrants Amid Trump Deportation Push
Policy Changesingle state · moderate
Damage
11.2
Hype
25.4
DMG2025-04-09
Trump Executive Order Targets State Climate and ESG Policies
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
39.6
Hype
26.5
HYPE2025-02-03
New York AG Directs Hospitals to Continue Transgender Care
Policy Changesingle state · narrow
Damage
9.2
Hype
27.3
WEEK 60Feb 15 – 21
DMG2026-01-07
Trump Administration Sues to Force States to Share Voter Data
Election Admin Changemulti state · broad
Damage
38.2
Hype
23.8
NOISE2025-11-21
Trump Administration Pauses AI Preemption Executive Order
Policy Changefederal · moderate
Damage
3.0
Hype
8.0
HYPE2025-11-18
DOJ Sues California Over Law Unmasking Federal Agents
Judicial/Legal Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
18.9
Hype
27.3
HYPE2025-08-31
Chicago Mayor Defies Trump Immigration Crackdown
Norm Erosion Onlylocal · moderate
Damage
2.6
Hype
30.4
DMG2025-06-25
Trump Administration Sues Federal Judges and States Over Immigration Enforcement
Judicial/Legal Actionmulti state · moderate
Damage
46.2
Hype
28.9
HYPE2025-06-03
Trump Administration Threatens California Over Transgender Athletes Policy
Enforcement Actionsingle state · narrow
Damage
17.3
Hype
30.4
WEEK 59Feb 8 – 14
DMG2026-02-07
Trump Calls for Nationalizing Elections
Election Admin Changefederal · broad
Damage
43.8
Hype
24.9
WEEK 58Feb 1 – 7
DMG2026-02-05
Trump Suggests Federalizing Detroit Elections
Election Admin Changesingle state · moderate
Damage
63.3
Hype
58.2
HYPE2026-02-05
Hakeem Jeffries Opposes Trump Election Nationalization Call
Election Admin Changefederal · broad
Damage
0.7
Hype
27.6
DMG2026-02-05
Spanberger Orders State Agencies to End ICE Agreements
Enforcement Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
25.8
Hype
21.7
WEEK 55Jan 11 – 17
DMG2026-01-16
Legal Battle Over Trump National Guard Deployments
Judicial/Legal Actionmulti state · moderate
Damage
53.4
Hype
24.6
WEEK 47Nov 16 – 22
DMG2025-11-21
Trump Administration Moves to Dismantle Department of Education
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
52.3
Hype
24.4
WEEK 41Oct 5 – 11
NOISE2025-10-10
Oklahoma Governor Opposes Out-of-State Troop Deployments
Norm Erosion Onlymulti state · narrow
Damage
6.2
Hype
23.4
WEEK 40Sep 28 – Oct 4
HYPE2025-10-03
DOJ Defends Trump's National Guard Deployment to Portland Against State Lawsuit
Judicial/Legal Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
18.5
Hype
25.1
HYPE2025-10-03
Governor Newsom Threatens to Withhold Billions from California Colleges Over Trump Compact
Policy Changesingle state · moderate
Damage
2.1
Hype
32.1
WEEK 38Sep 14 – 20
DMG2025-09-20
Washington Election Chief Refuses DOJ Request for Voter Rolls
Enforcement Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
40.5
Hype
29.3
WEEK 36Aug 31 – Sep 6
DMG2025-09-06
Boston Mayor and Police Commissioner Face Federal Sanctuary City Lawsuit
Judicial/Legal Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
27.9
Hype
24.5
NOISE2025-09-06
New York Governor Allows Pharmacists to Prescribe COVID Vaccines
Policy Changesingle state · moderate
Damage
0.8
Hype
6.6
HYPE2025-09-06
Maryland Leaders Reject Trump's National Guard Offer for Gun Violence
Norm Erosion Onlysingle state · moderate
Damage
1.3
Hype
25.4
WEEK 25Jun 15 – 21
HYPE2025-06-14
Governor Newsom Legal Efforts Against Trump Federal Power Expansion
Judicial/Legal Actionsingle state · moderate
Damage
2.9
Hype
24.2
WEEK 24Jun 8 – 14
DMG2025-06-14
National Guard Remains in Los Angeles Despite Newsom-Trump Legal Battle
Enforcement Actionsingle state · broad
Damage
41.3
Hype
23.4
WEEK 23Jun 1 – 7
DMG2025-06-07
Governor Newsom Suggests Withholding California's Federal Tax Share Over Grant Cuts
Policy Changesingle state · broad
Damage
31.8
Hype
29.4
WEEK 21May 18 – 24
DMG2025-05-23
Senate Votes to Block California Emissions Standards
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
45.0
Hype
26.1
NOISE2025-05-23
USDA Demands Food Stamp Data from States; Lawsuit Challenges Practice
Policy Changefederal · broad
Damage
20.8
Hype
20.9
WEEK 18Apr 27 – May 3
NOISE2025-05-03
Trump Pares Back Ocean Protections While California Expands Them
Policy Changemulti state · moderate
Damage
15.7
Hype
24.9
WEEK 8Feb 16 – 22
HYPE2025-02-22
Trump Threatens Maine Governor Over Transgender Athlete Ban
Norm Erosion Onlysingle state · narrow
Damage
12.3
Hype
29.1
HYPE2025-02-22
Ric Grenell Conditions California Wildfire Aid on Political Compliance
Norm Erosion Onlysingle state · broad
Damage
15.1
Hype
30.4
WEEK 4Jan 19 – 25
HYPE2025-01-24
State Attorneys General Assert Law Enforcement Cannot Be Commandeered for Federal Immigration Enforcement
Norm Erosion Onlymulti state · moderate
Damage
7.6
Hype
31.5