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Former owner of Peanut the squirrel is detained by ICE and may be deported

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 7 outlets across the spectrum.

9 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Smiling woman with tattooed arm feeds a pet squirrel in a home.
Image via New York PostHow images are chosenReport this image

Daniela Bittner, the former owner of Peanut, the pet squirrel that New York wildlife officials seized and euthanized in 2024, has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the Associated Press and other outlets. The Department of Homeland Security said she was detained because she had overstayed. Her husband, Mark Longo, disputes that account and says a paperwork error is to blame. Longo says she has been held for nearly a month in conditions he has described as appalling, at detention centers in several states. Reports say she may be deported.

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

What happened

Key points

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

  1. Daniela Bittner, the former owner of Peanut, has been detained by ICE and may be deported.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left1Center2Right2Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    ABC News
    Center
    The Hill, NewsNation
    Right
    New York Post, The Washington Times
    Far Right
    Fox News
  2. New York wildlife officials seized and euthanized Peanut the squirrel in 2024.

    Reported byFar Left1Left1Right2Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    ABC News
    Right
    Reason, The Washington Times
    Far Right
    Fox News
  3. The Department of Homeland Security said Bittner was detained because she had overstayed.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

  4. Her husband, Mark Longo, says a paperwork error is to blame and that the arrest is a mistake.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Fox News
  5. Longo says Bittner has been held for nearly a month in conditions he has described as appalling, at detention centers across the country.

    Reported byFar Left1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Right
    New York Post

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Questions the coverage answers differently, and who says what.

  • Was Bittner detained because she had overstayed?

    The Department of Homeland Security said she was detained because she had overstayed, while her husband Mark Longo says a paperwork error on an immigration form is to blame and that the government is wrong about which paper was filed.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report that Daniela Bittner, former owner of Peanut the squirrel, is detained by ICE and may be deported. The left stresses the squirrel’s killing and detention conditions, the center sticks to the arrest, and the right stresses overreach and DHS’s claim she overstayed.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Left headlines pair the state’s killing of the squirrel with the owner’s detention; the Far Left Daily Beast’s “ICE Grabs” is sharper than ABC’s plain AP-based headline.

    ICE Loaded verb“Grabs”The verb implies a forceful seizure, while the story reports a detention carried out under immigration procedures.More neutral: detainsDisagree with this highlight? Owner of Viral Squirrel Killed by State Officials
    The Daily BeastFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines
  • the center

    2 outlets

    Center headlines state the ICE detention and possible deportation plainly; NewsNation hedges its claim as a report, and The Hill’s headline is an AP report.

    Internet squirrel’s owner in ICE custody, facing deportation: Report
    NewsNationCenterAll center headlines
  • the right

    3 outlets · 1 opinion

    Right headlines lead with New York officials euthanizing Peanut and with the Vance overreach angle, while the NY Post uses charged words such as busted and decapitated.

    Former owner of Peanut the squirrel, viral pet euthanized by NY officials, detained by ICE
    Fox NewsFar RightAll 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.

  • Left3

    meddling DemocratsGrabsslammed

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right6

    meddling Democratsseized onbustedbusybody spirit

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    meddling DemocratsMore neutral: Democrats

    ‘Meddling’ attaches a pejorative judgement to Democrats that the facts described do not establish.

    …on the critter's killing as just another example of government overreach from meddling Democrats.

    Used byThe Washington Times (Right)ABC News (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    GrabsMore neutral: detains

    The verb implies a forceful seizure, while the story reports a detention carried out under immigration procedures.

    ICE Grabs Owner of Viral Squirrel Killed by State Officials

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    seized onMore neutral: criticized

    ‘Seized on’ suggests opportunistic exploitation of the killing rather than simply reporting that Republicans criticized it.

    …a couple's pet squirrel, Peanut, two years ago, Republicans including JD Vance seized on the critter's killing as just another example of government overreach from meddling…

    Used byThe Washington Times (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    slammedMore neutral: criticized

    “Slammed” adds hostility to a description of Republicans’ position, where “criticized” reports the same act without judgement.

    …a couple’s pet squirrel, Peanut, two years ago, Republicans including JD Vance slammed the critter’s killing as another example of government overreach from meddling…

    Used byABC News (Left)

Show 4 more phrasesShow fewer
  • Loaded verb

    bustedMore neutral: arrested

    ‘Busted’ is a colloquial word for arrest that adds a tone of triumph or mockery beyond the fact of the arrest.

    Feds reveal why OnlyFans model who became famous for P’nut the squirrel saga was busted by ICE

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    busybody spiritMore neutral: a determination to regulate private wildlife ownership

    The phrase dismisses government policy as meddling by characterizing its spirit with a contemptuous label, without evidence.

    …became a symbol of what happens when government policy is controlled by a busybody spirit.

    Used byReason (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Used Peanut the Squirrel To AttackMore neutral: J.D. Vance Cited Peanut the Squirrel in Criticizing Government Overreach

    The verb presents Vance’s criticism as a deliberate exploitation of the squirrel’s death, which is a judgement of his motive.

    Vance Used Peanut the Squirrel To Attack Government Overreach.

    Used byReason (Right)

  • Sensational language

    face another ordealMore neutral: are facing new immigration custody

    The phrase adds drama to the owners’ situation in the outlet’s own voice without reporting a new fact.

    …after New York officials euthanized Peanut the squirrel, his former owners face another ordeal as Daniela Bittner remains in ICE custody.

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (3)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.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    deplorable conditionsMore neutral: poor conditions

    The adjective carries the husband’s judgement of the conditions and is presented as his words.

    Daniela Bittler has been in federal custody in “deplorable conditions” for nearly a month at various detention centers across the country, her…

    Quoted byNew York Post (Right)

    These are Mark Longo’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    appalling conditionsMore neutral: poor conditions

    The adjective carries the husband’s judgement of the conditions and is presented as his words.

    German native Daniela Bittner, 30, has been kept in “appalling conditions” for almost a month, according to her husband of four years, 36-year-old Mark…

    Quoted byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

    These are Mark Longo’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Dehumanizing label

    Quoted

    illegal immigrant criminalsMore neutral: immigrants who have entered the country illegally

    Vance’s words reduce a group of immigrants to a criminal label rather than describing the individuals concerned.

    “The same government that doesn't care about hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals coming into our country doesn't want us to have pets.

    Quoted byABC News (Left)

    These are JD Vance’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

2 outlets

Leads with

  • the state’s killing of the squirrel
  • conditions in detention
  • the owner’s ordeal

Leaves out

  • the Department of Homeland Security’s stated reason for the arrest
  • the husband’s account of a paperwork error

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • ABC NewsLeftAssociated Press report

    Peanut the squirrel's former owner has been detained by ICE and could be deported

    When New York wildlife officers euthanized a couple’s pet squirrel, Peanut, two years ago, Republicans including JD Vance Loaded verb“slammed”“Slammed” adds hostility to a description of Republicans’ position, where “criticized” reports the same act without judgement.More neutral: criticizedDisagree with this highlight? the critter’s killing as another example of government overreach from Loaded modifier“meddling Democrats”“Meddling” pre-judges Democrats as interfering before the facts are weighed.More neutral: DemocratsDisagree with this highlight?

  • ICE Loaded verb“Grabs”The verb implies a forceful seizure, while the story reports a detention carried out under immigration procedures.More neutral: detainsDisagree with this highlight? Owner of Viral Squirrel Killed by State Officials

    The former owner of a viral pet squirrel, P’Nut—who was seized, euthanized, and decapitated by state officials—has been detained by ICE. German native Daniela Bittner, 30, has been kept in “Sensational language“appalling conditions”The adjective carries the husband’s judgement of the conditions and is presented as his words.More neutral: poor conditionsThese are Mark Longo’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?” for almost a month, according to her husband of four years, …

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • ICE custody
  • possible deportation
  • the squirrel’s internet fame

Leaves out

  • the Department of Homeland Security’s stated reason for the arrest
  • the husband’s claim that the arrest was a mistake

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

3 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • New York officials euthanizing Peanut
  • government overreach and Vance
  • the Department of Homeland Security’s overstay explanation
  • the husband’s paperwork-mistake account
See the 4 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Former owner of Peanut the squirrel, viral pet euthanized by NY officials, detained by ICE

    Nearly two years after New York officials euthanized Peanut the squirrel, his former owners Sensational language“face another ordeal”The phrase adds drama to the owners’ situation in the outlet’s own voice without reporting a new fact.More neutral: are facing new immigration custodyDisagree with this highlight? as Daniela Bittner remains in ICE custody.

  • Feds reveal why OnlyFans model who became famous for P’nut the squirrel saga was Loaded verb“busted”‘Busted’ is a colloquial word for arrest that adds a tone of triumph or mockery beyond the fact of the arrest.More neutral: arrestedDisagree with this highlight? by ICE

    The former owner of P’Nut — the internet-famous squirrel who was seized and decapitated by state officials — was nabbed by ICE because she’s a German national who “overstayed her welcome,” the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.

    1 more from New York Post
  • The Washington TimesRightAssociated Press report

    Former owner of Peanut the squirrel detained by ICE

    When New York wildlife officers euthanized a couple's pet squirrel, Peanut, two years ago, Republicans including JD Vance Loaded verb“seized on”‘Seized on’ suggests opportunistic exploitation of the killing rather than simply reporting that Republicans criticized it.More neutral: criticizedDisagree with this highlight? the critter's killing as just another example of government overreach from Loaded modifier“meddling Democrats”‘Meddling’ attaches a pejorative judgement to Democrats that the facts described do not establish.More neutral: DemocratsDisagree with this highlight?.

  • ReasonRightOpinion

    J.D. Vance Loaded verb“Used Peanut the Squirrel To Attack”The verb presents Vance’s criticism as a deliberate exploitation of the squirrel’s death, which is a judgement of his motive.More neutral: J.D. Vance Cited Peanut the Squirrel in Criticizing Government OverreachDisagree with this highlight? Government Overreach. So Why Has ICE Detained Peanut's Owner?

    Peanut's killing became a symbol of what happens when government policy is controlled by a Delegitimizing label“busybody spirit”The phrase dismisses government policy as meddling by characterizing its spirit with a contemptuous label, without evidence.More neutral: a determination to regulate private wildlife ownershipDisagree with this highlight?. His owner's detention offers a rather different illustration.

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, 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

    4 hr 9 min later

    Its first report, Nov 11, 2:51 PM EST

  • Center

    3 hr later

    Its first report, Nov 11, 1:43 PM EST

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Nov 11, 10:42 AM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightNov 11, 10:42 AM EST
  2. NewsNationCenterNov 11, 1:43 PM EST
  3. The Daily BeastFar LeftNov 11, 2:51 PM EST
  4. The Washington TimesRightNov 11, 5:06 PM EST
  5. ABC NewsLeftNov 11, 5:33 PM EST
  6. The HillCenterNov 12, 11:31 AM EST
  7. Fox NewsFar RightNov 12, 6:10 PM EST

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

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