The Distraction Index

Weekly civic intelligence report · v2.2

DashboardUndercoveredSmokescreenTimelineTopicsSearchMethodCorrections
Mar 9 – Mar 15, 2025
Week 11🔒 FROZEN
WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED

This week reveals a systematic effort to reshape federal enforcement and educational policy through investigations targeting diversity programs across 50+ universities, while federal courts intervene to block mass terminations of tens of thousands of workers fired through the DOGE purge. Simultaneously, the administration has moved to restrict international news distribution by severing Voice of America contracts with major wire services and has pursued individual activists through federal pressure, including alleged White House involvement in arrest updates and calls from leadership to jail political opponents. The distraction pattern centers on health misinformation from administration officials regarding bird flu vaccination and ongoing negotiations over TikTok policy, which compete for public attention while the more consequential constitutional questions—regarding due process in mass firings, civil rights enforcement capacity, and political targeting of activists—advance with less scrutiny.

29
Events
9
List A
6
List B
14
Noise
17.9
Avg A
19.4
Avg B
200
Sources
0
Primary Docs
LOOK AT THIS
Trump Education Department Investigates 50+ Universities Over Diversity Policies · Two Judges Order Federal Agencies to Rehire Tens of Thousands of DOGE-Fired Workers
THEY WANT YOU TO LOOK AT
RFK Jr. Warns Against Vaccinating Chickens for Bird Flu · Trump Administration Weighs Travel Ban on Dozens of Countries
Real Damage
Constitutional Threats · 9 events
#1
Trump Education Department Investigates 50+ Universities Over Diversity PoliciesMIXED
2025-03-15-18 MIXED
A
47.7
B
29.9
#2
Two Judges Order Federal Agencies to Rehire Tens of Thousands of DOGE-Fired Workers
2025-03-15-32 UNDERCOVERED
A
47.1
B
14.9
#3
Voice of America Cuts Contracts With AP, Reuters, and AFP
2025-03-15-21 MIXED
A
43.0
B
22.5
#4
Columbia University Protester Arrests and Self-Deportations Amid Federal Pressure
2025-03-15-16 MIXED
A
39.8
B
23.4
#5
White House Requests Updates on Arrest of Activist Mahmoud Khalil
2025-03-15-13 MIXED
A
36.6
B
23.4
#6
Trump Calls for Jailing Perceived Opponents in Justice Department Speech
2025-03-15-4 MIXED
A
33.8
B
30.2
#7
Lawsuit Alleges Education Department Civil Rights Office Cannot Fulfill Duties
2025-03-15-19 MIXED
A
32.3
B
13.5
#8
Appeals Court Lifts Blocks on Trump Orders Restricting DEI Programs
2025-03-15-14 MIXED
A
29.0
B
15.0
#9
Effort to Block Non-Citizens from Voting Could Impact Married WomenMIXED
2025-03-15-2 MIXED
A
28.6
B
26.2
Distractions
Manufactured Outrage · 6 events
#1
RFK Jr. Warns Against Vaccinating Chickens for Bird Flu
2025-03-15+6 MIXED
A
27.6
B
33.4
#2
Trump Administration Weighs Travel Ban on Dozens of CountriesMIXED
2025-03-15+2 MIXED
A
27.4
B
29.2
#3
DOJ Investigates Columbia University for Allegedly Hiding Students from US Authorities
2025-03-15+10 MIXED
A
18.4
B
28.2
#4
Federal Judge Considers Blocking DOGE from Accessing Social Security Data
2025-03-15+17 MIXED
A
10.6
B
27.2
#5
Vance Expects High-Level TikTok Deal by April 5 Deadline
2025-03-15+11 MIXED
A
15.2
B
26.5
#6
UC Berkeley Faculty Condemn Calls for Student Protester Deportations
2025-03-15+24 MIXED
A
1.7
B
25.3
Noise Floor
Low Impact · 14 events
#1
Trump Adviser Claims Social Security Safe From Cuts
2025-03-15
4
#2
Tiger Woods Dating Donald Trump Jr. Ex-Wife
2025-03-15
1
#3
Senate Passes Bill Increasing Penalties for Fentanyl Traffickers
2025-03-15
1
#4
Federal Firefighters Secure Permanent Pay Raises in Spending Bill
2025-03-15
1
#5
Senate Passes Six-Month Spending Bill Averting Government Shutdown
2025-03-15
1
#6
SpaceX Crew Launch to ISS Enables Stranded Astronaut Return
2025-03-15
1
#7
Rep. Self Receives Death Threats Following McBride Controversy
2025-03-15
1
#8
Financial Surveillance Order Raises Privacy Concerns for Cartel Activity Monitoring
2025-03-15
1
#9
USDA Cuts $1 Billion in Local Food Purchases Affecting Child Care Centers
2025-03-15
1
#10
Elon Musk and SpaceX Lobby Trump Trade Representative on Tariffs
2025-03-15
1
#11
VA Job Cuts and Health Care Reductions Spark Veteran Protests
2025-03-15
1
#12
Judge Denies Temporary Relief in Guantánamo Migrant Detention Lawsuits
2025-03-15
0
#13
US Says South African Ambassador No Longer Welcome
2025-03-15
0
#14
Trump Executive Order Could Affect Federal Reserve Independence
2025-03-15
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