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Supreme Court opens new term with major cases on climate change, guns, immigration and religion

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 10 outlets across the spectrum.

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

The U.S. Supreme Court began a new term on Monday with a docket covering climate change, gun rights, immigration and religious liberty. The lead case involves a lawsuit by Boulder, Colorado, against Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy seeking damages for climate-related costs; the companies argue such claims cannot be litigated under state law. The justices will also consider challenges to state bans on AR-15-style rifles and cases tied to the Trump administration's immigration policies. The term opens amid record-low public approval of the court, according to a Gallup poll, and what several outlets describe as a strained relationship between the court and President Trump. Outlets differ on how many cases are currently on the docket and on the significance of the approval numbers.

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. The Supreme Court began its new term on Monday.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. The term includes a major climate case over whether Boulder, Colorado can sue Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy for damages tied to climate change.

    Reported byLeftRight

  3. The court will hear challenges to state bans on AR-15-style rifles.

    Reported byLeftCenter

  4. Cases tied to the Trump administration's immigration policies are on the docket.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  5. The court's public approval rating has hit a record low, according to a Gallup poll.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. Religious liberty cases are also part of the term's docket.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. About a dozen states have banned semiautomatic rifles like AR-15s, which challengers argue violates the Second Amendment.

    Reported byLeft

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • What is driving the Supreme Court's record-low approval rating

    The Nation attributes the decline primarily to Republican voters angered by the court's rulings against Trump's tariff plans and in favor of birthright citizenship, while Fox News and The Hill frame the low approval more broadly as a general crisis of legitimacy and strained relations with the Trump administration without attributing it to one partisan group.

  • Whether Boulder's climate lawsuit has merit

    Boulder officials argue Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy misled the public about greenhouse gas impacts and should help cover climate-related costs; the companies argue climate change is a national and international issue that cannot be litigated under state law, and Just the News reports that Chief Justice Roberts appeared skeptical of Boulder's consumer-deception argument.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    5 outlets · 1 opinion

    Most left-leaning outlets use descriptive, list-style headlines naming the term's major case topics, except The Nation, whose headline frames the term as an adversarial clash between the public and the court.

    Supreme Court's new term kicks off with Sensational language“blockbuster climate change case”Uses a dramatic label to hype the case's importance rather than describing it neutrally.More neutral: major climate change caseDisagree with this highlight?
    NPRLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    Center outlets describe the docket in measured terms, with one outlet highlighting the smaller-than-usual case count and the other focusing on tension between the court and the Trump administration.

    Supreme Court opens new term with Loaded modifier“shaky Trump relationship”Characterizes the court-executive relationship as unstable without specifying what makes it so, inserting a judgment into a descriptive headline.More neutral: tense Trump relationshipDisagree with this highlight?
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets

    Right-leaning headlines foreground questions about the court's legitimacy and public approval alongside the term's major cases, with one outlet narrowing its headline specifically to the climate case and justices' reactions to it.

    Supreme Court kicks off new term with justices torn over Colorado climate case
    Just the 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

    trample even more of our rightspower grabblockbuster climate change case

  • Center2

    fraught relationshipshaky Trump relationship

  • Right1

    fresh questions over its legitimacy

In the outlets’ own words

  • Delegitimizing label

    fresh questions over its legitimacyMore neutral: amid renewed scrutiny of its public standing

    Presents contested doubts about the court's legitimacy as an established fact rather than attributing them to specific critics or polls.

    Supreme Court kicks off new term with fresh questions over its legitimacy and its future

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    fraught relationshipMore neutral: strained relationship

    Describes the relationship in dramatic, judgment-laden terms rather than stating specific facts about the tension.

    …the court’s public approval stands near record lows and in the shadow of a fraught relationship between Trump...

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    shaky Trump relationshipMore neutral: tense Trump relationship

    Characterizes the court-executive relationship as unstable without specifying what makes it so, inserting a judgment into a descriptive headline.

    Supreme Court opens new term with shaky Trump relationship

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    trample even more of our rightsMore neutral: could further limit rights

    Presents the court's future rulings as a certain violent assault on rights before any decisions have been made.

    Elie Mystal This term the Supreme Court has plans to trample even more of our rights.

    Used byThe Nation (Far Left)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Delegitimizing label

    power grabMore neutral: expansion of authority

    Frames the court's exercise of its constitutional authority as illegitimate seizure of power rather than describing specific rulings.

    But we, the people, are not powerless in the face of their power grab.

    Used byThe Nation (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    blockbuster climate change caseMore neutral: major climate change case

    Uses a dramatic label to hype the case's importance rather than describing it neutrally.

    Supreme Court's new term kicks off with blockbuster climate change case

    Used byNPR (Left)

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

5 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • overview of major case topics
  • the Boulder climate lawsuit's details
  • gun and immigration cases
  • court's low approval rating (Nation)

Leaves out

  • questions about the court's broader legitimacy raised by right-leaning coverage

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

See the 6 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • NPRLeft

    Supreme Court's new term kicks off with Sensational language“blockbuster climate change case”Uses a dramatic label to hype the case's importance rather than describing it neutrally.More neutral: major climate change caseDisagree with this highlight?

    The case centers on whether local governments can hold giant energy companies accountable for the local harms of climate change, but it has repercussions beyond climate.

    Read at NPR (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from NPR
  • The Washington PostLeft

    6 things to watch in the Supreme Court’s new term

    Cases on religion, elections and immigration are likely to take the spotlight. And don’t forget to watch for a potential retirement.

    Read at The Washington Post (opens in a new tab)
  • NBC NewsLeft

    New Supreme Court term begins with a climate change case seeking to hold energy companies liable

    The justices return from summer break to hear arguments in Boulder, Colorado’s lawsuit against Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy.

    Read at NBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • ABC NewsLeftAssociated Press report

    Supreme Court term begins with cases on climate change, immigration and gun rights

    The Supreme Court begins a new term Monday with significant cases on climate change, religious rights, and immigration

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)
  • CBS NewsLeft

    Supreme Court gears up for new term with major cases on climate change, guns

    The Supreme Court kicks off its term Monday with cases involving climate change, President Trump's immigration policies and the Second Amendment among the most high-profile disputes.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)
  • The NationFar LeftOpinion

    The People vs. the Supreme Court

    Elie Mystal This term the Supreme Court has plans to Loaded verb“trample even more of our rights”Presents the court's future rulings as a certain violent assault on rights before any decisions have been made.More neutral: could further limit rightsDisagree with this highlight?. But we, the people, are not powerless in the face of their Delegitimizing label“power grab”Frames the court's exercise of its constitutional authority as illegitimate seizure of power rather than describing specific rulings.More neutral: expansion of authorityDisagree with this highlight?.

    Read at The Nation (opens in a new tab)

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • docket size relative to past terms
  • the court's relationship with Trump
  • approval ratings
  • major policy areas on the docket

Leaves out

  • specific details of the Boulder v. Exxon/Suncor lawsuit

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

See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Supreme Court opens new term with Loaded modifier“shaky Trump relationship”Characterizes the court-executive relationship as unstable without specifying what makes it so, inserting a judgment into a descriptive headline.More neutral: tense Trump relationshipDisagree with this highlight?

    The Supreme Court justices return to the bench Monday for their new term, and their docket is already filling up with new confrontations on President Trump’s immigration agenda, among other major cases. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)
  • The Christian Science MonitorCenter

    Guns, immigration, climate change top the Supreme Court docket

    The Supreme Court has only 30 cases on its docket so far – about half the usual number for a term. But more high-profile cases could follow.

    Read at The Christian Science Monitor (opens in a new tab)

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

  • questions about institutional legitimacy and approval ratings
  • the climate liability case against energy companies
  • immigration and gun rights cases
  • justices' skepticism toward Boulder's legal theory
See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Just the NewsFar Right

    Supreme Court kicks off new term with justices torn over Colorado climate case

    The case centers on a lawsuit that the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, brought against Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy, with Boulder officials arguing they face increasing costs because of the impacts of climate change.

    Read at Just the News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Immigration, religion and AR-15s on Supreme Court's early docket as justices open new term

    God, guns, global warming and immigration dominate the early cases as the Supreme Court kicks off its new term Monday.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Supreme Court kicks off new term with Delegitimizing label“fresh questions over its legitimacy”Presents contested doubts about the court's legitimacy as an established fact rather than attributing them to specific critics or polls.More neutral: amid renewed scrutiny of its public standingDisagree with this highlight? and its future

    The Supreme Court opens its new term with major cases on gun rights, voter citizenship and religious liberty amid record-low public approval ratings.

    Read at Fox News (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

    First to report

    NPR, Oct 3, 5:00 AM EDT

  • Center

    1 day later

    Its first report, Oct 4, 5:00 AM EDT

  • Right

    1 day 1 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 4, 6:00 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. NPRLeftOct 3, 5:00 AM EDT
  2. The Christian Science MonitorCenterOct 4, 5:00 AM EDT
  3. Fox NewsFar RightOct 4, 6:00 AM EDT
  4. CBS NewsLeftOct 4, 7:00 AM EDT
  5. The Washington TimesRightOct 4, 7:38 AM EDT
  6. The HillCenterOct 4, 12:00 PM EDT
  7. ABC NewsLeftOct 5, 2:07 AM EDT
  8. NBC NewsLeftOct 5, 5:00 AM EDT
  9. The Washington PostLeftOct 5, 5:00 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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