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Supreme Court blocks Missouri's GOP-backed congressional map for third time

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 25 outlets across the spectrum.

29 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 on Friday issued an unsigned order blocking Missouri Republicans from using a 2025 congressional map that would have given the GOP a seventh House seat, reinstating the 2022 map instead. The order reversed a ruling earlier in the week by a three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit that had sought to revive the GOP-favored map. There were no noted dissents. The opinion warned that "ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos." Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe said he was disappointed but would comply. Two days later, President Trump criticized the ruling on Truth Social, saying the court had "three times now" overruled judges who "came to the correct decisions."

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 blocked Missouri's 2025 GOP-backed congressional map for the third time, in an unsigned order with no noted dissents.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. The ruling reinstates the 2022 congressional map (6 Republican-2 Democrat districts) instead of the 2025 map (7 Republican-1 Democrat districts).

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. The opinion said reverting to the 2025 map this late in the election cycle would "usher in electoral chaos."

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  4. The ruling reversed a decision from a three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals that had revived the 2025 map days earlier.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  5. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe said he was disappointed in the ruling but that the state would comply and use the 2022 map.

    Reported byLeftCenter

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. President Trump criticized the ruling on Truth Social two days later, calling it a lost "Election Victory" and saying the court had overruled judges three times.

    Reported byLeftCenter

  2. The Missouri Supreme Court had earlier ruled that a citizen referendum petition prevented use of the 2025 map without voter approval.

    Reported byRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Whether the ruling represents a definitive end to the Missouri map dispute.

    Several outlets across sides describe the order as a final resolution ("final order," "third and final rebuff"), while the Western Journal notes the fight "appears to be all but dead" but stops short of calling it fully resolved.

  • Characterization of the ruling's political impact.

    Left-leaning outlets frame it clearly as a defeat and rebuke of Republicans and Trump; center outlets describe it neutrally as blocking the GOP-favored map; right-leaning outlets acknowledge it as a setback for GOP House hopes without editorializing further, except for opinionated framing in the Western Journal and Daily Signal.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    12 outlets · 1 opinion

    Mainstream left outlets state plainly that the court blocked the Trump-backed map, while the farthest-left outlet frames the ruling as a "blistering rebuke" of the GOP and later covers Trump's furious reaction in vivid terms.

    Supreme Court Shuts Down Missouri’s Loaded modifier“Gerrymandered”States a contested characterization of the map's partisan intent as established fact in the outlet's voice.More neutral: Republican-drawnDisagree with this highlight? Congressional Map
    TruthoutFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    4 outlets

    Center outlets describe the ruling procedurally as the third rejection of the Missouri map, emphasizing the court's reasoning and the absence of dissents.

    Trump Loaded verb“slams”Adds dramatic emphasis to Trump's criticism rather than describing it neutrally.More neutral: criticizesDisagree with this highlight? Supreme Court for blocking Missouri's GOP-favored map for third time
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    9 outlets

    Right-leaning outlets similarly report the ruling as a setback for the GOP's redistricting effort, with the farthest-right outlets adding editorial commentary and noting a separate Trump win the same day.

    Trump rips Supreme Court over Missouri redistricting 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.

  • Left18

    shut down effortsBlisteringRebukeRepublican-friendly map

  • Center1

    slams

  • Right4

    gerrymandering warsBlow to GOP House Hopesput a kibosh on itall but certainly flipped a blue seat red

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    shut down effortsMore neutral: blocked efforts

    The phrase frames the Republicans' legal effort in more forceful, dismissive terms than a neutral description of a court ruling.

    WASHINGTON — For the third time, the Supreme Court on Friday shut down efforts by Missouri Republicans to use a new congressional map in the midterm elections…

    Used byNBC News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    BlisteringMore neutral: strong

    Adds dramatic emphasis to the court's action beyond a neutral description of a legal ruling.

    Supreme Court Blocks GOP Missouri Map Again in Blistering Appeals Court Rebuke

    Used byMeidasTouch (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    RebukeMore neutral: ruling

    Characterizes the ruling as a scolding rather than a neutral legal decision.

    Supreme Court Blocks GOP Missouri Map Again in Blistering Appeals Court Rebuke

    Used byMeidasTouch (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    Republican-friendly mapMore neutral: map drawn by the Republican-led legislature

    Characterizes the map's partisan effect rather than describing who drew it, which readers may contest.

    …justices halted a federal appeals court ruling that would have revived the Republican-friendly map for the November elections, which will determine control of Congress.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

Show 19 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    ultra-gerrymanderedMore neutral: redrawn to favor Republicans

    An intensified characterization of the map's partisan design presented in the outlet's own voice.

    …a final opinion—with no noted dissents—that disallows Missouri Republicans’ ultra-gerrymandered congressional map ahead of November’s midterm elections.

    Used byMother Jones (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    slicing upMore neutral: dividing

    Dramatizes the division of an area into districts.

    …redrew its congressional map in an effort to give Republicans an additional seat by slicing up the heavily Democratic Kansas City area into several districts.

    Used byMother Jones (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    Smacks DownMore neutral: blocks

    Adds combative drama to a court decision that could be described as blocking or rejecting the map.

    SCOTUS Smacks Down MAGA Map of Missouri

    Used byMother Jones (Far Left)

  • Partisan shorthand

    MAGA MapMore neutral: Republican-drawn map

    Labels the map with a political movement's name rather than describing who drew it.

    SCOTUS Smacks Down MAGA Map of Missouri

    Used byMother Jones (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    shuts downMore neutral: ends

    Implies forceful termination rather than a neutral judicial decision.

    Supreme Court shuts down Missouri redistricting saga in final rebuff to GOP

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    final rebuffMore neutral: final ruling

    Frames the ruling as a pointed rejection rather than a neutral legal outcome.

    Supreme Court shuts down Missouri redistricting saga in final rebuff to GOP

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    gerrymandering warsMore neutral: redistricting disputes

    Uses combative language to describe an ongoing legal and political dispute over redistricting.

    …a mid-decade congressional redistricting map in Missouri amid the continuing gerrymandering wars in the lead-up to the 2026 midterms.

    Used byThe Daily Signal (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Blow to GOP House HopesMore neutral: setback for GOP House hopes

    Uses dramatic sports-style language to characterize a legal ruling's political impact.

    High Court Rejects Missouri Congressional Map in Blow to GOP House Hopes

    Used byThe Daily Signal (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    put a kibosh on itMore neutral: blocked it

    Informal, dismissive phrasing substitutes for a neutral description of the court blocking the map.

    …be used ahead of November’s forthcoming midterms, the Supreme Court has already put a kibosh on it.

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    all but certainly flipped a blue seat redMore neutral: could have helped flip a Democratic-held seat

    States a contested political prediction as a near-certain fact.

    …Court has — again — rejected the redistricted map that would’ve all but certainly flipped a blue seat red.

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    drove a stake through the heart of Missouri’s undead congressional mapMore neutral: blocked the use of Missouri's 2025 congressional map

    Uses horror imagery to dramatize a court ruling.

    Supreme Court on Friday drove a stake through the heart of Missouri’s undead congressional map, ordering it be buried for the year and for voters to…

    Used byTruthout (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    GerrymanderedMore neutral: Republican-drawn

    States a contested characterization of the map's partisan intent as established fact in the outlet's voice.

    Supreme Court Shuts Down Missouri’s Gerrymandered Congressional Map

    Used byTruthout (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    lashed outMore neutral: responded or criticized

    Implies loss of control.

    Donald Trump, 80, has lashed out at his hand-picked Supreme Court justices after they handed him another defeat.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    rantMore neutral: said or spoke

    Dismisses the content by characterizing the delivery.

    In a rant on Truth Social Sunday morning, Trump raged about how the court had again refused to…

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    hand-pickedMore neutral: appointed

    Implies improper influence over the justices rather than neutrally describing their appointment.

    Donald Trump, 80, has lashed out at his hand-picked Supreme Court justices after they handed him another defeat.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    rantMore neutral: post

    Characterizes Trump's post as an emotional outburst rather than neutrally describing a statement.

    In a rant on Truth Social Sunday morning, Trump raged about how the court had again refused to…

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    RagesMore neutral: criticizes

    Characterizes Trump's statement with an emotionally charged verb rather than a neutral description.

    Trump Rages at Supreme Court for Ruining His Latest ‘Victory’

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    RuiningMore neutral: blocking

    Frames the court's action as destructive rather than describing the legal outcome neutrally.

    Trump Rages at Supreme Court for Ruining His Latest ‘Victory’

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    slamsMore neutral: criticizes

    Adds dramatic emphasis to Trump's criticism rather than describing it neutrally.

    Trump slams Supreme Court for blocking Missouri's GOP-favored map for third time

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

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

12 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Republicans' loss in the midterm redistricting fight
  • Trump's personal stake in the map
  • Trump's Truth Social reaction
  • the court's repeated rejections of the GOP map

Leaves out

  • the Missouri Supreme Court's referendum ruling underlying the case
  • Gov. Kehoe's response

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

See the 13 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • TruthoutFar Left

    Supreme Court Shuts Down Missouri’s Loaded modifier“Gerrymandered”States a contested characterization of the map's partisan intent as established fact in the outlet's voice.More neutral: Republican-drawnDisagree with this highlight? Congressional Map

    After weeks of legal battles, Missouri voters will cast November ballots in the districts used in the past two elections.

    Read at Truthout (opens in a new tab)
  • NPRLeft

    Supreme Court rejects GOP-backed Missouri map, preserving key seat for Democrats

    The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Republican attempt at redistricting congressional seats in Missouri - possibly giving Democrats a boost in their effort to win the House in the midterm elections.

    Read at NPR (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from NPR
  • CBS NewsLeft

    Supreme Court again blocks Missouri's new House map that favored GOP

    The Supreme Court said in an unsigned decision that ordering Missouri to restore its 2025 map "would usher in electoral chaos."

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)
  • The New York TimesLeft

    Supreme Court Once Again Blocks Republican-Backed Voting Map in Missouri

    A federal appeals court had sided with Republicans seeking to use redrawn congressional district boundaries to give their party an advantage in the midterms elections.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  • ABC NewsLeft

    Supreme Court Loaded verb“shuts down”Implies forceful termination rather than a neutral judicial decision.More neutral: endsDisagree with this highlight? Missouri redistricting saga in Loaded modifier“final rebuff”Frames the ruling as a pointed rejection rather than a neutral legal outcome.More neutral: final rulingDisagree with this highlight? to GOP

    The opinion said reverting to the GOP-friendly map risked "electoral chaos."

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)
  • Mother JonesFar Left

    SCOTUS Loaded verb“Smacks Down”Adds combative drama to a court decision that could be described as blocking or rejecting the map.More neutral: blocksDisagree with this highlight? Partisan shorthand“MAGA Map”Labels the map with a political movement's name rather than describing who drew it.More neutral: Republican-drawn mapDisagree with this highlight? of Missouri

    The long and strange saga of Missouri’s redistricting battle is over. On Friday evening, the Supreme Court released a final opinion—with no noted dissents—that disallows Missouri Republicans’ Loaded modifier“ultra-gerrymandered”An intensified characterization of the map's partisan design presented in the outlet's own voice.More neutral: redrawn to favor RepublicansDisagree with this highlight? congressional map ahead of November’s midterm elections. …

    Read at Mother Jones (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeftAssociated Press report

    Supreme court blocks Trump-backed Missouri congressional map from use in midterms

    Court puts end to long-running legal dispute as it rules Republican-friendly map cannot be used in November The supreme court on Friday turned away an attempt to use a new Missouri congressional map backed by Donald Trump, putting an end to a long-running legal dispute as …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
  • Los Angeles TimesLeft

    For third time, Supreme Court rejects Missouri's bid for another GOP-leaning House district

    The GOP wanted to redraw a district in Kansas City that had elected a Black Democrat. Six of the state's eight congressional districts favor Republicans.

    Read at Los Angeles Times (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington PostLeft

    Supreme Court blocks Missouri congressional map favoring GOP for third time

    The ruling ends a complicated legal fight that has injected uncertainty into November’s midterm elections in the state.

    Read at The Washington Post (opens in a new tab)
  • MeidasTouchFar Left

    Supreme Court Blocks GOP Missouri Map Again in Sensational language“Blistering”Adds dramatic emphasis to the court's action beyond a neutral description of a legal ruling.More neutral: strongDisagree with this highlight? Appeals Court Loaded modifier“Rebuke”Characterizes the ruling as a scolding rather than a neutral legal decision.More neutral: rulingDisagree with this highlight?

    The justices said the Eighth Circuit should have seen this coming after it tried to revive Missouri’s 2025 congressional map in the middle of an election.

    Read at MeidasTouch (opens in a new tab)
  • HuffPostFar LeftAssociated Press report

    Supreme Court Rejects A Trump-Backed Missouri Congressional Map For The Third Time

    The Supreme Court has rejected a new Missouri congressional map backed by President Donald Trump for the third time.

    Read at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by New York Post, PBS NewsHour and The Washington Times. It counts once.

  • NBC NewsLeft

    Supreme Court rejects Republicans’ Missouri redistricting push for third time

    WASHINGTON — For the third time, the Supreme Court on Friday shut down efforts by Missouri Republicans to use a new congressional map in the midterm elections that are already underway.

    Read at NBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily BeastFar LeftOpinion

    Trump Loaded verb“Rages”Characterizes Trump's statement with an emotionally charged verb rather than a neutral description.More neutral: criticizesDisagree with this highlight? at Supreme Court for Loaded verb“Ruining”Frames the court's action as destructive rather than describing the legal outcome neutrally.More neutral: blockingDisagree with this highlight? His Latest ‘Victory’

    Donald Trump, 80, has Loaded verb“lashed out”Implies loss of control.More neutral: responded, criticizedDisagree with this highlight? at his hand-picked Supreme Court justices after they handed him another defeat. In a Loaded verb“rant”Dismisses the content by characterizing the delivery.More neutral: said, spoke, postedDisagree with this highlight? on Truth Social Sunday morning, Trump raged about how the court had again refused to allow a new voting map in Missouri. …

    Read at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)

From the center

4 outlets

Leads with

  • the legal history of repeated court rulings
  • the "electoral chaos" quote from the opinion
  • procedural details of the case
  • Trump's later reaction as a separate follow-up story
See the 4 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

9 outlets

Leads with

  • the setback to Republican House hopes
  • the ongoing multistate redistricting fight
  • legal specifics of the referendum and district court rulings
  • other same-day Supreme Court rulings favorable to Trump

Leaves out

  • Gov. Kehoe's statement
  • Trump's Truth Social response (in initial coverage)

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

See the 10 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Just the NewsFar Right

    Trump rips Supreme Court over Missouri redistricting case

    Trump: ‘The Supreme Court of the United States will just not let Missouri have an Election Victory’

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

    Supreme Court -- for third time -- denies GOP's bid to use Republican-friendly maps in Missouri

    The Supreme Court rejected Republicans' latest attempt to revive a GOP-tilted map for November's congressional elections, ruling for a third time that even though the state held primaries under the new map, the old one must be used.

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

    Breaking: SCOTUS Strikes Down GOP-Favored Map Revived Just 4 Days Ago

    Well, that was a short-lived burst of joy from the GOP. Just mere days after after a federal appeals court in Missouri had approved a GOP-friendly congressional map to be

    Read at The Western Journal (opens in a new tab)
  • The FederalistFar Right

    SCOTUS Issues Final Order Blocking Missouri’s GOP-Backed Map For Midterms

    'Given this Court’s two prior orders in this litigation, our conclusion that this was error should come as no surprise,' the high court ruled.

    Read at The Federalist (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily SignalFar Right

    High Court Rejects Missouri Congressional Map in Sensational language“Blow to GOP House Hopes”Uses dramatic sports-style language to characterize a legal ruling's political impact.More neutral: setback for GOP House hopesDisagree with this highlight?

    The Supreme Court rejected a mid-decade congressional redistricting map in Missouri amid the continuing Sensational language“gerrymandering wars”Uses combative language to describe an ongoing legal and political dispute over redistricting.More neutral: redistricting disputesDisagree with this highlight? in the lead-up to the 2026 midterms. In a setback for Republicans, Missouri will have to use the map drawn in 2022 and used in the 2022 and 2024 elections. …

    Read at The Daily Signal (opens in a new tab)
  • The Center SquareRight

    U.S. Supreme Court again blocks Missouri congressional map

    (The Center Square) — The U.S Supreme Court blocked a Missouri congressional map favoring Republicans from going into effect for a third time.

    Read at The Center Square (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Supreme Court blocks Missouri from using new congressional map in 2026 election

    The Supreme Court ordered Missouri Friday to use its 2022 congressional map for the 2026 election, blocking use of the state's newer 2025 map.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Epoch TimesFar Right

    Supreme Court Again Rejects Missouri Congressional Map Backed by Republicans

    The Supreme Court previously blocked the state from using the 2025 congressional map in two separate rulings.

    Read at The Epoch Times (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRightAssociated Press report

    Supreme Court denies Trump-backed Missouri congressional map for the third time

    New York Post published a report that is shown in full at HuffPost. The headline is the one New York Post gave it.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRightAssociated Press report

    Supreme Court rejects a Trump-backed Missouri congressional map for the third time

    The Washington Times published a report that is shown in full at HuffPost.

    Read at The Washington Times (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

    2 hr 17 min later

    Its first report, Sep 25, 6:04 PM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    Roll Call, Sep 25, 3:47 PM EDT

  • Right

    2 hr 22 min later

    Its first report, Sep 25, 6:09 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Roll CallCenterSep 25, 3:47 PM EDT
  2. NBC NewsLeftSep 25, 6:04 PM EDT
  3. NPRLeftSep 25, 6:06 PM EDT
  4. HuffPostFar LeftSep 25, 6:08 PM EDT
  5. The Epoch TimesFar RightSep 25, 6:09 PM EDT
  6. The Washington TimesRightSep 25, 6:12 PM EDT
  7. MeidasTouchFar LeftSep 25, 6:13 PM EDT
  8. The Washington PostLeftSep 25, 6:20 PM EDT
  9. Fox NewsFar RightSep 25, 6:27 PM EDT
  10. Los Angeles TimesLeftSep 25, 6:30 PM EDT
  11. The GuardianLeftSep 25, 6:33 PM EDT
  12. PBS NewsHourCenterSep 25, 6:34 PM EDT
  13. The Center SquareRightSep 25, 6:44 PM EDT
  14. Straight Arrow NewsCenterSep 25, 6:51 PM EDT
  15. Mother JonesFar LeftSep 25, 7:06 PM EDT
  16. ABC NewsLeftSep 25, 7:32 PM EDT
  17. The Daily SignalFar RightSep 25, 7:40 PM EDT
  18. The FederalistFar RightSep 25, 7:43 PM EDT
  19. New York PostRightSep 25, 7:48 PM EDT
  20. The Western JournalFar RightSep 25, 7:56 PM EDT
  21. The New York TimesLeftSep 25, 8:29 PM EDT
  22. CBS NewsLeftSep 25, 9:23 PM EDT
  23. The HillCenterSep 26, 12:11 PM EDT
  24. TruthoutFar LeftSep 26, 3:08 PM 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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