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Bessent says Commerce Department has not added Megaspeed to trade blacklist

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 19 outlets across the spectrum.

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

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CNBC on Friday that the Commerce Department “has the pen” on adding Singapore-based Megaspeed to the entity list, a trade blacklist that Commerce controls. He said the Treasury, War, U.S. Trade Representative and State departments had favored the move for months. Other outlets also report that Bessent blamed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s department for the delay. MS NOW reports that Megaspeed, where a suspected Chinese spy was a top executive, has been accused of helping China evade export controls, and that Lutnick has agreed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigned Thursday after reports of an affair with a suspected Chinese spy, MS NOW adds.

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. Bessent said on CNBC on Friday that the Commerce Department has the pen on adding Megaspeed to the entity list.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left3Left2Center4Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    MS NOW, The Boston Globe, Raw Story
    Left
    Business Insider, The New York Times
    Center
    PBS NewsHour, BBC News, The Hill, Financial Times
    Right
    Washington Examiner, New York Post

  2. Bessent said the Treasury, War, U.S. Trade Representative and State departments had favored listing Megaspeed for months.

    Reported byFar Left1Center2Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    Raw Story
    Center
    BBC News, The Hill
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  3. Megaspeed has been accused of helping China evade export control rules.

    One outletMS NOW· Far Left

  4. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee.

    One outletMS NOW· Far Left

  5. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigned Thursday after reports of an affair with a suspected Chinese spy.

    One outletMS NOW· Far Left

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report that Bessent said Commerce has the pen on blacklisting Megaspeed, and that Treasury and other agencies had favored it. The main difference is tone: Raw Story and the Daily Mail use the most dramatic cabinet-rift wording, while center headlines state the blame plainly.

  • the left

    10 outlets

    Left headlines name Bessent blaming Lutnick or Commerce; the far-left Raw Story adds cabinet-infighting drama with “Guilty as sin” and “Sharks circle”, wording the mainstream left outlets avoid.

    Bessent Faults Commerce Dept. for Failing to Blacklist Megaspeed
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    4 outlets

    Center headlines state the Bessent-blames-Commerce claim plainly and attribute it to him; The Hill quotes “Commerce has the pen” directly in its headline.

    Bessent blames Lutnick's Commerce Department for failing to block Megaspeed
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    5 outlets · 1 opinion

    Right headlines split: the Washington Examiner and Washington Times stress Treasury’s push and export enforcement, while the Daily Mail’s “civil war” and “under the bus” dramatize the rift.

    Bessent says Treasury wanted to put Megaspeed on entity blacklist for months, but Commerce Department ‘has the pen’
    Washington ExaminerRightAll 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.

  • Left10

    blame gamespy-sex scandalspying scandalsolely

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right7

    bashedcivil war breaks outthrows Howard Lutnick under the businability to keep it in his pants

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    blame gameMore neutral: an ongoing dispute among administration officials

    Calling the exchange a blame game casts it as petty infighting rather than reporting the accusation itself.

    …a possible national security threat, publicly airing an ongoing administration blame game following the ouster of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

    Used byCNN (Left)

  • Sensational language

    spy-sex scandalMore neutral: scandal involving former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang

    Pairing espionage with sexual language manufactures drama beyond the reported facts.

    Singapore’s Megaspeed is at the heart of former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s spy-sex scandal.

    Used byThe Washington Post (Left)

  • Sensational language

    spying scandalMore neutral: Nvidia scandal

    The word spying states an espionage conclusion that the coverage does not establish, while the rest of the coverage calls it a scandal over chip diversion.

    …inaction regarding Megaspeed, the Chinese firm at the center of the Nvidia spying scandal, solely on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

    Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

  • Absolutist framing

    solelyMore neutral: blamed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick

    Bessent also said Treasury and other agencies favored listing, so the word presents blame as settled when the coverage shows a shared process.

    …regarding Megaspeed, the Chinese firm at the center of the Nvidia spying scandal, solely on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

    Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

Show 13 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Dehumanizing label

    Trump GoonMore neutral: Treasury Secretary

    Calls a cabinet secretary a goon, a contemptuous label that adds judgement the facts do not support.

    Trump Goon Throws Lutnick Under Bus Over Sex-Mad CEO Scandal

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Sex-MadMore neutral: Nvidia CEO affair

    Adds a sensational judgement about the Nvidia CEO’s personal conduct beyond the reported facts.

    Trump Goon Throws Lutnick Under Bus Over Sex-Mad CEO Scandal

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    bashedMore neutral: criticized

    The verb conveys a harsh physical attack on a colleague where a neutral verb would describe criticism.

    Scott Bessent bashed Howard Lutnick for resisting efforts to crack down on a foreign company at the center…

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Sensational language

    civil war breaks outMore neutral: public dispute

    A civil war is armed conflict; the reported event is a public dispute between cabinet officials.

    Trump Cabinet civil war breaks out after Scott Bessent throws Howard Lutnick under the bus live on CNBC over…

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    throws Howard Lutnick under the busMore neutral: blames Howard Lutnick

    The idiom implies Bessent betrayed a colleague, which is a judgement rather than a description of his remarks.

    Trump Cabinet civil war breaks out after Scott Bessent throws Howard Lutnick under the bus live on CNBC over Nvidia scandal

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    threw him under the busMore neutral: publicly blamed him

    The idiom characterizes Bessent’s remarks as disloyal betrayal rather than describing what he said.

    …Howard Lutnick after a fellow member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet threw him under the bus on live TV.

    Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Sharks circleMore neutral: Critics respond to Lutnick after Bessent’s remarks

    The headline uses a predatory image to suggest a pile-on rather than describing the reactions neutrally.

    ‘Guilty as sin’: Sharks circle Howard Lutnick after cabinet ally’s TV betrayal

    Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    betrayalMore neutral: public criticism

    Calling the remarks a betrayal assigns a motive and emotional charge that the reported facts do not establish.

    ‘Guilty as sin’: Sharks circle Howard Lutnick after cabinet ally’s TV betrayal

    Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    inability to keep it in his pantsMore neutral: conduct of the executive at the center of the case

    The crude wording mocks a personal matter instead of describing the conduct at issue.

    …pointed out that the narrative that the scandal is just about one man's inability to keep it in his pants is false framing; it's about whether Nvidia knew its client and,…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    false framingMore neutral: a narrower framing of the scandal

    The phrase declares another account false without citing evidence in the text.

    …that the scandal is just about one man's inability to keep it in his pants is false framing; it's about whether Nvidia knew its client and, secondarily, about Commerce's…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Chip MessMore neutral: chip export case

    Calling the export situation a mess is a colloquial judgement rather than a description of the facts.

    Lutnick Can't Blame Treasury for Nvidia China Chip Mess After Bessent Sets the Record Straight

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    Sets the Record StraightMore neutral: Bessent says Treasury pushed for the listing

    The headline presents Bessent's account as settled truth while the accounts of the dispute are still contested.

    Lutnick Can't Blame Treasury for Nvidia China Chip Mess After Bessent Sets the Record Straight

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    striking commentsMore neutral: Bessent's comments

    Calling the remarks striking adds drama to an ordinary interview comment.

    …"You all will have to ask them about their internal processes." Bessent's striking comments essentially threw Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his department under the…

    Used byBusiness Insider (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

10 outlets

Leads with

  • Bessent blaming Commerce and Lutnick
  • Cabinet infighting over the Nvidia scandal
  • Lutnick’s congressional scrutiny
See the 10 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • Business InsiderLeft

    Scott Bessent blames the Commerce Department for not cracking down on Megaspeed

    "Commerce has the pen," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. "You all will have to ask them about their internal processes."

    Read at Business Insider (opens in a new tab)
  • HuffPostFar Left

    Bessent Blames Commerce For Not Imposing Megaspeed Restrictions After 'Months' Of Requests: 'Commerce Has The Pen'

    “You’ll have to ask them about their internal processes,” the Treasury secretary said amid scrutiny of Nvidia’s AI chip exports to China.

    Read at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)
  • MS NOWFar Left

    Bessent points finger at Lutnick as scrutiny over Nvidia chip sales to China intensifies

    Howard Lutnick, Trump’s commerce secretary, has agreed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee amid fallout from Nvidia’s spy scandal.

    Read at MS NOW (opens in a new tab)
  • The New York TimesLeft

    Bessent Faults Commerce Dept. for Failing to Blacklist Megaspeed

    The Treasury secretary blamed the department for not sanctioning Megaspeed and said that Nvidia employees should be held accountable if they sidestepped the law.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  • The Boston GlobeFar LeftAssociated Press report

    Bessent blames Commerce’s Lutnick for not restricting Nvidia chip exports to China

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday he was frustrated with the Commerce Department’s delay in implementing controls over the export of certain Nvidia chips to China. …

    Read at The Boston Globe (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by PBS NewsHour. It counts once.

  • Raw StoryFar Left

    ‘Guilty as sin’: Sensational language“Sharks circle”The headline uses a predatory image to suggest a pile-on rather than describing the reactions neutrally.More neutral: Critics respond to Lutnick after Bessent’s remarksDisagree with this highlight? Howard Lutnick after cabinet ally’s TV Sensational language“betrayal”Calling the remarks a betrayal assigns a motive and emotional charge that the reported facts do not establish.More neutral: public criticismDisagree with this highlight?

    Online critics piled onto Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after a fellow member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet Loaded verb“threw him under the bus”The idiom characterizes Bessent’s remarks as disloyal betrayal rather than describing what he said.More neutral: publicly blamed himDisagree with this highlight? on live TV. …

    Read at Raw Story (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily BeastFar Left

    Dehumanizing label“Trump Goon”Calls a cabinet secretary a goon, a contemptuous label that adds judgement the facts do not support.More neutral: Treasury SecretaryDisagree with this highlight? Throws Lutnick Under Bus Over Sensational language“Sex-Mad”Adds a sensational judgement about the Nvidia CEO’s personal conduct beyond the reported facts.More neutral: Nvidia CEO affairDisagree with this highlight? CEO Scandal

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has thrown fellow top Trump official Howard Lutnick under the bus over his handling of the Nvidia scandal. The intense rivalry between Bessent and the commerce secretary has been escalating behind closed doors since Trump’s return to the White …

    Read at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)
  • The New RepublicFar Left

    Bessent Publicly Throws Lutnick Under the Bus as Nvidia Scandal Grows

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent placed blame for the Trump administration’s inaction regarding Megaspeed, the Chinese firm at the center of the Nvidia Sensational language“spying scandal”The word spying states an espionage conclusion that the coverage does not establish, while the rest of the coverage calls it a scandal over chip diversion.More neutral: Nvidia scandalDisagree with this highlight?, Absolutist framing“solely”Bessent also said Treasury and other agencies favored listing, so the word presents blame as settled when the coverage shows a shared process.More neutral: blamed Commerce Secretary Howard LutnickDisagree with this highlight? on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. …

    Read at The New Republic (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington PostLeft

    Bessent blames Commerce for not restricting Nvidia customer’s chip exports

    Singapore’s Megaspeed is at the heart of former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s Sensational language“spy-sex scandal”Pairing espionage with sexual language manufactures drama beyond the reported facts.More neutral: scandal involving former Nvidia CEO Jensen HuangDisagree with this highlight?. The Commerce Department had been investigating if Megaspeed breached U.S. export restrictions.

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

    Bessent points finger at Commerce Department in Nvidia scandal as Trump advisers discuss possible Lutnick ouster

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday accused the Commerce Department of a delay in labeling Nvidia customer Megaspeed a possible national security threat, publicly airing an ongoing administration Sensational language“blame game”Calling the exchange a blame game casts it as petty infighting rather than reporting the accusation itself.More neutral: an ongoing dispute among administration officialsDisagree with this highlight? following the ouster of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. …

    Read at CNN (opens in a new tab)

From the center

4 outlets

Leads with

  • Treasury pushed for the blacklisting
  • Commerce’s failure to block Megaspeed
  • Tensions inside the Trump administration
See the 4 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

5 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Treasury pushed for the blacklisting
  • Cabinet rift over the Nvidia scandal
  • Enforcing export controls on chips
See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • TownhallFar Right

    'Commerce Has the Pen': Scott Bessent Points Finger at Howard Lutnick in Growing Nvidia Scandal

    As the scandal surrounding former NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang unfolds, others are beginning to become entangled — including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

    Read at Townhall (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Bessent says Treasury wanted to put Megaspeed on entity blacklist for months, but Commerce Department ‘has the pen’

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent directly blamed the Commerce Department for delaying the broader administration’s intent to place Nvidia customer Megaspeed on a special blacklist of companies that could pose a national security threat. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • Daily MailRight

    Trump Cabinet Sensational language“civil war breaks out”A civil war is armed conflict; the reported event is a public dispute between cabinet officials.More neutral: public disputeDisagree with this highlight? after Scott Bessent Loaded verb“throws Howard Lutnick under the bus”The idiom implies Bessent betrayed a colleague, which is a judgement rather than a description of his remarks.More neutral: blames Howard LutnickDisagree with this highlight? live on CNBC over Nvidia scandal

    Scott Bessent Loaded verb“bashed”The verb conveys a harsh physical attack on a colleague where a neutral verb would describe criticism.More neutral: criticizedDisagree with this highlight? Howard Lutnick for resisting efforts to crack down on a foreign company at the center of an alleged Chinese espionage scandal.

    Read at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Bessent to Commerce Dept.: Enforce export controls on Nvidia chips

    Treasury Scott Bessent says "any leakage" of advanced computer chips to China is frustrating, and he hopes the Commerce Department will stop it.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent points finger at Howard Lutnick, Commerce Department over Nvidia chip scandal

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blamed the Commerce Department for the Trump administration not acting sooner against a Nvidia customer accused of illegally diverting sensitive AI chips to China.

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

    Lutnick Can't Blame Treasury for Nvidia China Sensational language“Chip Mess”Calling the export situation a mess is a colloquial judgement rather than a description of the facts.More neutral: chip export caseDisagree with this highlight? After Bessent Absolutist framing“Sets the Record Straight”The headline presents Bessent's account as settled truth while the accounts of the dispute are still contested.More neutral: Bessent says Treasury pushed for the listingDisagree with this highlight?

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on CNBC's Squawk Box Friday morning to talk about the Nvidia situation and was pretty direct (by Washington standards) in his assessment of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's handling of the situation. …

    Read at RedState (opens in a new tab)

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

    9 min later

    Its first report, Nov 13, 9:00 AM EST

  • Center

    First to report

    Financial Times, Nov 13, 8:51 AM EST

  • Right

    1 hr later

    Its first report, Nov 13, 9:55 AM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Financial TimesCenterNov 13, 8:51 AM EST
  2. CNNLeftNov 13, 9:00 AM EST
  3. The Washington PostLeftNov 13, 9:06 AM EST
  4. The New RepublicFar LeftNov 13, 9:51 AM EST
  5. New York PostRightNov 13, 9:55 AM EST
  6. The Washington TimesRightNov 13, 10:12 AM EST
  7. The Daily BeastFar LeftNov 13, 10:25 AM EST
  8. The HillCenterNov 13, 10:25 AM EST
  9. BBC NewsCenterNov 13, 10:40 AM EST
  10. Daily MailRightNov 13, 10:43 AM EST
  11. Washington ExaminerRightNov 13, 11:01 AM EST
  12. Raw StoryFar LeftNov 13, 11:01 AM EST
  13. The Boston GlobeFar LeftNov 13, 11:06 AM EST
  14. The New York TimesLeftNov 13, 11:25 AM EST
  15. MS NOWFar LeftNov 13, 11:45 AM EST
  16. HuffPostFar LeftNov 13, 11:52 AM EST
  17. TownhallFar RightNov 13, 12:00 PM EST
  18. Business InsiderLeftNov 13, 12:02 PM EST
  19. PBS NewsHourCenterNov 13, 12:09 PM EST

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

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