The Distraction Index
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Feb 22 – Feb 28, 2026
Week 61🔒 FROZEN
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100
-90
Events
26
-11
List A
25
-54
List B
49
-25
Noise
15.5
+0.8
Avg A
20.8
-4.3
Avg B
LOOK AT THIS
Trump Targets Law Firm Jenner & Block with Executive Order · Trump Escalates Iran Military Tensions
THEY WANT YOU TO LOOK AT
Americans View Trump as Growing Erratic with Age · Trump Considers Limited Strikes on Iran
This Week's Key Stories
Top Damage
Trump Targets Law Firm Jenner & Block with Executive Order

Trump issued an executive order specifically targeting the law firm Jenner & Block, likely in retaliation for legal challenges to his administration.

0 sources
A
55.3
Constitutional Damage
B
38.3
Media Hype
Top Distraction
Americans View Trump as Growing Erratic with Age

A Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that most Americans say Trump is growing erratic with age, reflecting public concerns about his mental fitness and stability.

1 source
A
1.6
Constitutional Damage
B
47.5
Media Hype
Full Index
Real Damage
Constitutional Threats · 26 events
#1
Trump Targets Law Firm Jenner & Block with Executive Order
2025-03-25-17 BALANCED
A
55.3
B
38.3
#2
Trump Escalates Iran Military TensionsMIXED
2026-02-21· 3 sources-22 BALANCED
A
47.8
B
25.5
#3
Trump Executive Order Gives Politicians Control Over Federal Grants
2025-08-08· 1 source-26 BALANCED
A
44.8
B
18.4
#4
FBI Fires Agents Who Worked on Trump Classified Documents InvestigationMIXED
2026-02-26-14 BALANCED
A
43.9
B
29.8
#5
Trump Tests Constitutional Order with Sweeping Actions
2025-03-21· 1 source-23 BALANCED
A
41.9
B
18.5
#6
DOJ Sues Multiple States for Voter Roll Access
2026-02-26· 11 sources-25 BALANCED
A
41.8
B
16.6
#7
Trump Iranian Missile Claims Unsupported by IntelligenceMIXED
2026-02-27· 1 source-17 BALANCED
A
41.7
B
24.8
#8
Trump Escalates Immigration Crackdown on Inauguration EveMIXED
2025-01-19· 1 source-9 BALANCED
A
41.0
B
32.1
#9
Trump Executive Order Targets State Climate and ESG PoliciesMIXED
2025-04-09· 1 source-13 BALANCED
A
39.6
B
26.5
#10
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Oil Industry Challenge to Climate Lawsuits
2026-02-23-20 BALANCED
A
38.7
B
18.7
#11
Trump Wants to End Affirmative Action
2026-02-26· 1 source-13 BALANCED
A
35.7
B
22.5
#12
DHS Agent Killed US Citizen in March 2025
2026-02-21· 1 source-19 BALANCED
A
33.8
B
14.8
#13
Trump Administration Curbs Funding for Migrants
2025-02-20· 1 source-9 BALANCED
A
33.0
B
24.3
#14
Trump's Pick to Lead New DOJ Unit Scrutinized
2026-02-25· 1 source-7 BALANCED
A
32.2
B
24.9
#15
Court Upholds Trump's Ending of Union Bargaining for Federal Workers
2026-02-26· 1 source-26 BALANCED
A
32.2
B
6.4
#16
States Sue Trump Administration Over Vaccine Schedule ChangesMIXED
2026-02-24· 1 source-5 BALANCED
A
32.1
B
27.5
#17
Lawsuits Against Trump Executive Actions
2025-02-22· 2 sources-14 BALANCED
A
32.1
B
18.6
#18
Supreme Court Rules Postal Service Cannot Be Sued
2026-02-24· 1 source-25 BALANCED
A
30.9
B
6.3
#19
Judge Blocks Trump Sanctuary Cities Executive Order
2025-05-09· 1 source-9 BALANCED
A
30.2
B
20.9
#20
Supreme Court Tariff Ruling Creates $175 Billion Refund Liability
2026-02-20· 2 sources-13 BALANCED
A
29.9
B
17.0
#21
Supreme Court Rules Against Trump Tariffs
2026-02-21· 3 sources-7 BALANCED
A
29.9
B
23.0
#22
Kansas Invalidates Driver's Licenses and Birth Certificates of Transgender Residents
2026-02-26· 1 source-8 BALANCED
A
28.6
B
20.6
#23
15 States Sue HHS Over Vaccine Schedule Revisions
2026-02-24· 1 source-8 BALANCED
A
28.1
B
20.5
#24
Defense Secretary Hegseth Pressures Anthropic on AI Military Use
2026-02-24· 2 sources-6 BALANCED
A
27.2
B
21.5
#25
Trump's DOJ Losing Court Fights Over DOGE and Musk Secrecy
2026-02-24· 1 source-6 BALANCED
A
26.5
B
20.1
#26
Trump Administration Calls for Additional Deregulatory Action
2025-04-14· 1 source-13 BALANCED
A
26.0
B
13.1
Distractions
Manufactured Outrage · 25 events
#1
Americans View Trump as Growing Erratic with Age
2026-02-24· 1 source+46 DISTRACTION
A
1.6
B
47.5
#2
Trump Considers Limited Strikes on Iran
2026-02-20· 1 source+25 BALANCED
A
22.6
Noise Floor
Low Impact · 49 events
#1
IRS Permitted to Share Immigrant Taxpayer Data with ICE
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#2
Trump Signs Executive Order Easing Weapons Exports
2025-04-09· 1 source
—
#3
Trump Seeks Compensation from Federal Government for DOJ Investigations
2025-10-22
—
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B
47.4
#3
Trump's Economic Claims Out of Sync with Public Perception
2026-02-25· 1 source+35 DISTRACTION
A
4.0
B
38.9
#4
Trump Denounces Supreme Court Justices
2026-02-21· 1 source+29 BALANCED
A
8.6
B
37.4
#5
Trump Delivers State of the Union Address
2026-02-24· 8 sources+34 DISTRACTION
A
1.7
B
36.1
#6
Bill Clinton Questioned About Epstein
2026-02-28· 1 source+32 DISTRACTION
A
3.3
B
35.1
#7
Trump Executive Order Ends DEI Programs
2025-01-22· 2 sources+20 BALANCED
A
13.8
B
34.1
#8
California Protects Polling Sites from Immigration Enforcement
2026-02-24· 1 source+31 DISTRACTION
A
2.4
B
33.2
#9
House Democrats Investigate DOJ Handling of Missing Epstein Files
2026-02-24· 1 source+23 BALANCED
A
9.2
B
31.9
#10
House Democrats Invite Epstein Survivors to State of the Union
2026-02-24· 3 sources+32 DISTRACTION
A
0.0
B
31.7
#11
FBI Obtained Phone Records of Kash Patel and Susie Wiles During Biden Administration
2026-02-25· 1 source+10 BALANCED
A
21.6
B
31.4
#12
British Far-Right Activist Tommy Robinson Visits US State Department
2026-02-25· 1 source+25 BALANCED
A
5.5
B
30.3
#13
Judge Rejects Request to Block Trump White House Ballroom Project
2026-02-26· 1 source+16 BALANCED
A
13.4
B
29.8
#14
Canada Prepares Aid Package for Cuba Amid US Oil Embargo
2026-02-23· 1 source+25 BALANCED
A
4.4
B
29.3
#15
US Warns Ukraine Against Hitting US Interests in Russia Strikes
2026-02-24· 1 source+11 BALANCED
A
18.5
B
29.2
#16
Trump Administration Relaxes China Tech RestrictionsMIXED
2026-02-26· 1 source+2 BALANCED
A
27.3
B
29.1
#17
RFK Jr. Backs Pesticide Production Despite Prior Opposition
2026-02-23· 1 source+7 BALANCED
A
21.9
B
28.5
#18
State of the Union as Political Confrontation
2026-02-21· 3 sources+26 BALANCED
A
1.8
B
27.8
#19
New York AG Directs Hospitals to Continue Transgender Care
2025-02-03· 1 source+18 BALANCED
A
9.2
B
27.3
#20
DOJ Sues UCLA Over Failure to Protect Jewish Employees
2026-02-25· 2 sources+24 BALANCED
A
3.7
B
27.3
#21
Trump Administration Scrutinizes Foreign Funding of Universities
2026-02-23· 1 source+15 BALANCED
A
11.9
B
27.2
#22
Trump Administration Considers Requiring Banks to Collect Citizenship Information
2026-02-24· 2 sources+10 BALANCED
A
17.3
B
27.1
#23
California Expands Services for Immigrants Amid Trump Deportation Push
2026-02-23· 1 source+14 BALANCED
A
11.2
B
25.4
#24
Rubio Defends Venezuela Ouster to Skeptical Caribbean Leaders
2026-02-26· 1 source+17 BALANCED
A
8.8
B
25.4
#25
DOJ Sues New Jersey Over ICE Enforcement RestrictionsMIXED
2026-02-24· 5 sources+0 BALANCED
A
24.9
B
25.1
#4
Democratic State AGs Announce Lawsuit Against Trump Over Vaccine Policy
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#5
Kansas Law Denies Trans Identities on Official DocumentsMIXED
2026-02-22· 1 source
—
#6
Federal Reserve Challenges DOJ Subpoenas
2026-02-27· 1 source
—
#7
US Military Builds Up Largest Middle East Force in Decades
2026-02-26· 1 source
—
#8
Judge Rules Trump Third-Country Deportation Policy Unlawful
2026-02-25· 3 sources
—
#9
US Threatens Swiss Bank MBaer Over Iran and Russia Ties
2026-02-26· 1 source
—
#10
Trump Administration Imposes New Sanctions on Iran
2026-02-25· 1 source
—
#11
Appeals Court Questions EPA Clean Energy Contract Terminations
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#12
Trump Administration Ordered to Restore George Washington Slavery Exhibit
2026-02-16· 1 source
—
#13
DOJ Sues UC System Over Antisemitism at UCLA
2026-02-24· 7 sources
—
#14
Trump Executive Order on Antisemitism
2025-04-25· 1 source
—
#15
DOJ Joins LA School Discrimination Lawsuit
2026-02-23· 1 source
—
#16
Trump Seeks to Close Education Department
2025-02-04· 1 source
—
#17
CREW Sues DOJ for Voter Data Collection Records
2025-12-19· 1 source
—
#18
California Protects Immigrant Truck Drivers' Licenses
2026-02-26· 1 source
—
#19
Trump Administration Increases Tariff Rate to 15%
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#20
FCC Approves Charter Communications' $34.5 Billion Cox Acquisition
2026-02-27· 1 source
—
#21
FBI Searches LA School District Superintendent's Home
2026-02-27· 1 source
—
#22
House Rejects Aircraft Safety Locator System Bill
2026-02-24· 2 sources
—
#23
FedEx Sues for Tariff Refund After Supreme Court Ruling
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#24
Witness in Immigration Agent Shooting Dies in Car Accident
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#25
Carney Knew of Keystone XL Plans Before White House Meeting
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#26
FBI Serves Search Warrants at Los Angeles School District
2026-02-25· 3 sources
—
#27
US Judiciary Requests Congressional Authority Over Courthouses
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#28
Eleven States Urge DOJ to Probe Netflix-Warner Bros Deal
2026-02-25· 1 source
—
#29
Trump Warns Countries on Trade Deal Compliance
2026-02-23· 1 source
—
#30
Crypto.com Receives Conditional OCC Trust Charter Approval
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#31
FBI Director Scrutinized for Travel and Appearances
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#32
Trump Administration Pressures Mexico on Cartel Crackdown
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#33
Senate Democrats Criticize Trump on Russia Sanctions
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#34
Bondi DOJ Struggles with Basic Competence in Lawsuit
2026-02-25· 1 source
—
#35
Protests Against US Aircraft Carrier Deployment in Greece
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#36
Trump Plans Deep-Sea Metals Stockpile to Counter China
2025-04-12· 1 source
—
#37
US Military Shoots Down Government Drone in Texas
2026-02-27· 1 source
—
#38
Cindy McCain Departs as Head of UN World Food Programme
2026-02-26· 1 source
—
#39
US and Uzbekistan Sign Critical Minerals Pact
2026-02-18· 1 source
—
#40
State Department Orders Diplomat Evacuation from Lebanon
2026-02-23· 1 source
—
#41
Rubio Visits Caribbean to Reassert US Interests
2026-02-23· 1 source
—
#42
Democratic Response to State of the Union
2026-02-24· 2 sources
—
#43
Novo Nordisk Cuts Ozempic and Wegovy Prices
2026-02-24· 2 sources
—
#44
Trump Administration Expands Quantum Strategy
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#45
Iran Expresses Willingness for Nuclear Deal as US Deploys Warplanes
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#46
Nuclear Startups Pursue US Pilot Program Deadline
2026-02-24· 1 source
—
#47
US Pulls Non-Essential Staff from Beirut Embassy
2026-02-23· 1 source
—
#48
DHS Official Promises No Immigration Agents at Polling Places During Midterms
2026-02-26· 1 source
—
#49
Scouting America Reaches Accord with Pentagon on Military Support
2026-02-28· 1 source
—