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Democratic candidate detained after scuffle with opponent’s mother at Yonkers forum

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, all right-leaning.

3 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

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The New York Post, The Western Journal and RedState report that Democratic candidate Kisha Skipper was detained by police after a scuffle in a bathroom at a candidates forum in Yonkers on Wednesday. Skipper, who is running against Republican incumbent James Nolan for a Westchester County Legislature seat, says she was not arrested but was detained pending an investigation. The outlets report that Nolan’s mother, Donna Nolan, was taken to hospital, and that Nolan says video shows Skipper throwing the first punch. The outlets say the dispute started over campaign donations or a $2,000 campaign bill that Skipper denies owing. Yonkers police had not responded to requests for information.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. A candidates forum in Yonkers on Wednesday ended with a scuffle in a bathroom between Democratic candidate Kisha Skipper and Donna Nolan, mother of her Republican opponent.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    The Western Journal, RedState

  2. Police detained Skipper; she says she was not arrested but was detained pending an investigation.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    The Western Journal, RedState

  3. Donna Nolan was taken to hospital.

    One side only: the rightReported byFar Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Right
    The Western Journal, RedState

  4. James Nolan said video shows Skipper throwing the first punch.

    One outletThe Western Journal· Far Right

  5. Skipper says Donna Nolan and another woman blocked her from leaving the bathroom.

    One outletRedState· Far Right

  6. The dispute was reported to have begun over a $2,000 unpaid campaign bill, which Skipper denies owing.

    One outletRedState· Far Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Skipper threw the first punch.

    James Nolan says video shows Skipper threw the first punch. Skipper says there is misinformation circulating about the video and that the other women blocked her from leaving.

  • The dispute began over a campaign payment.

    The RedState article says it began over a $2,000 unpaid campaign bill that Skipper denies owing. The Western Journal says it began with questions about campaign donations.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three outlets report that Democratic candidate Kisha Skipper was detained after a bathroom scuffle with the mother of her Republican opponent at a Yonkers forum. The coverage centers on the candidate’s conduct, and the Far Right outlets present the event as evidence she is unfit for office.

  • the left

    No coverage yet

    No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    3 outlets

    Headlines identify the candidate as a Democrat and frame the event as a brawl or breakdown; the Far Right outlets go further, with “Not Fit to Serve” and “Off the Rails.”

    NY Dem in Sensational language“wild bathroom brawl”“Wild” and “brawl” add drama beyond the reported scuffle and detention.More neutral: scuffle in a bathroomDisagree with this highlight? with GOP opponent’s mom during campaign event
    New York PostRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left

    Has not covered this story.

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right7

    took a wild turnwild bathroom brawlblack DemocratAccused of Attacking

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    took a wild turnMore neutral: ended in a scuffle

    “Wild turn” adds drama to a candidates forum that the report describes factually.

    A Wednesday night candidates forum in Yonkers took a wild turn when the Democratic contender for a county legislative seat got into a bathroom…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    wild bathroom brawlMore neutral: scuffle in a bathroom

    “Wild” and “brawl” add drama beyond the reported scuffle and detention.

    NY Dem in wild bathroom brawl with GOP opponent’s mom during campaign event

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    black DemocratMore neutral: Democrat

    The candidate’s race has no bearing on the event reported.

    A black Democrat running for a Westchester County Board of Legislators seat was detained by police…

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Accused of AttackingMore neutral: Accused of Scuffling with

    “Attacking” states a physical act in the outlet’s own voice where the report describes a scuffle.

    New York Democrat Accused of Attacking Opponent's Mother Inside Bathroom: 'Not Fit to Serve'

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    went seriously off the railsMore neutral: ended in a confrontation

    The phrase adds dramatic judgement about the event that the reported facts do not state.

    Things went seriously off the rails at a Wednesday night candidate forum in Yonkers, New York, and the evening…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Goes Completely Off the RailsMore neutral: Candidate forum ends in confrontation

    The phrase adds dramatic judgement about the forum that the reported facts do not state.

    NY Dem's Candidate Forum Goes Completely Off the Rails — Ends in Bathroom Brawl With GOP Rival's Mom

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Bathroom BrawlMore neutral: Bathroom Scuffle

    “Brawl” escalates a scuffle into a more violent-sounding event.

    NY Dem's Candidate Forum Goes Completely Off the Rails — Ends in Bathroom Brawl With GOP Rival's Mom

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Loaded modifier

    Quoted

    Not Fit to ServeMore neutral: Opponent says she should not hold office

    The phrase is a judgement on the candidate’s fitness, attributed to her opponent’s statement.

    New York Democrat Accused of Attacking Opponent's Mother Inside Bathroom: 'Not Fit to Serve'

    Quoted byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

    These are James Nolan’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

0 outlets

No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

  • candidate’s party and conduct
  • bathroom brawl
  • handcuffs and detention
  • Nolan’s mother hospitalized
See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • RedStateFar Right

    NY Dem's Candidate Forum Sensational language“Goes Completely Off the Rails”The phrase adds dramatic judgement about the forum that the reported facts do not state.More neutral: Candidate forum ends in confrontationDisagree with this highlight? — Ends in Sensational language“Bathroom Brawl”“Brawl” escalates a scuffle into a more violent-sounding event.More neutral: Bathroom ScuffleDisagree with this highlight? With GOP Rival's Mom

    Things went seriously off the rails at a Wednesday night candidate forum in Yonkers, New York, and the evening ended with the Democrat candidate in handcuffs and the mother of her Republican opponent being treated at a hospital.

    Read at RedState (opens in a new tab)
  • The Western JournalFar Right

    New York Democrat Loaded verb“Accused of Attacking”“Attacking” states a physical act in the outlet’s own voice where the report describes a scuffle.More neutral: Accused of Scuffling withDisagree with this highlight? Opponent's Mother Inside Bathroom: 'Loaded modifier“Not Fit to Serve”The phrase is a judgement on the candidate’s fitness, attributed to her opponent’s statement.More neutral: Opponent says she should not hold officeThese are James Nolan’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?'

    A black Democrat running for a Westchester County Board of Legislators seat was detained by police Wednesday after scuffling with the mother of her Republican opponent. Kisha Skipper was handcuffed

    Read at The Western Journal (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    NY Dem in Sensational language“wild bathroom brawl”“Wild” and “brawl” add drama beyond the reported scuffle and detention.More neutral: scuffle in a bathroomDisagree with this highlight? with GOP opponent’s mom during campaign event

    A Wednesday night candidates forum in Yonkers Sensational language“took a wild turn”“Wild turn” adds drama to a candidates forum that the report describes factually.More neutral: ended in a scuffleDisagree with this highlight? when the Democratic contender for a county legislative seat got into a bathroom brawl – with her opponent's mom.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 22, 11:42 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 22, 11:42 AM EDT
  2. The Western JournalFar RightOct 22, 9:07 PM EDT
  3. RedStateFar RightOct 23, 12:16 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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