AllSides analyzed under-covered and omitted stories across the political spectrum this week. Here’s what you may have missed:
What the Left Missed
Crohn’s Patient Euthanized After Coffee Shop Medical Assessment
What’s The Story? A “Medical Aid in Dying” (MAID) doctor was “placed under supervision” after an investigation found multiple instances of malpractice and coercive gestures, including conducting a MAID eligibility assessment outside of a Tim Hortons. The Ontario doctor, James MacLean, administered 45-year-old Thomas Dillon’s lethal injection in Jan. 2024 after the assessment in June 2023.
Dillon had been dealing with Crohn’s disease for about 20 years, but his medical records reportedly show a history of alcohol abuse and suicidal ideations. His family argued that such additional factors mean Dillon could not legally consent to euthanasia. MacLean exchanged text messages with Dillon regarding the family’s disapproval in which he said, “Sorry you have to go through so much grief related to your decision to end your suffering with a medically assisted death… Do they think it is going to negatively impact them? It is not about them.”
Why The Miss? Forty-eight percent of Republicans view physician-assisted death as morally wrong, compared to just twenty-three percent of Democrats, according to Pew Research Center data from May 2025. The data also indicates that those furthest on the right have the highest disapproval rates at 55%, compared to those furthest on the left at 12%. If outlets on the left covered this story, it could’ve presented a conflict of interest for many readers.
Democratic Congressional Candidate Charged with Terrorist Threats
What’s The Story? Congressional candidate Kirill Basin (D-HI) is facing first-degree terrorist threat charges after he allegedly pulled a gun on two county officials in a Maui government building last week. Police arrested Basin, 40, in his home after he fled the scene. The arrest followed “increasingly erratic” behavior that led to police intervention and a restraining order. Basin was previously arrested on May 2 for disorderly conduct, after which he filed a lawsuit accusing police of “prolonged and deliberate infliction of physical, sexual and psychological abuse.”
Why The Miss? While most outlets on the left avoided coverage entirely, outlets on the right slanted coverage with an emphasis on Basin’s political affiliation. Stories that appear injurious to an opposing bias are often juxtaposed with defensive or contrasted framing by the other side of the political spectrum; however, Basin’s low political standing and reportedly erratic behavior likely led outlets on the left to avoid spotlighting the story in any capacity. Even New York Post (Lean Right bias) described Basin as a “longshot candidate” for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District.
What the Right Missed
SCOTUS Rules in Favor of Death Row Inmate Over Racism Challenge
What’s The Story? The US Supreme Court tossed a Mississippi man’s death sentence in “Pitchford v. Cain” last week, due to evidence of racial discrimination. The court ruled 5-4 that potential bias in the jury selection for Terry Pitchford’s murder trial was not properly analyzed, and sent the case back to the lower courts.
Conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts joined liberal Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor in the majority opinion; conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented.
During the 2006 trial, Pitchford pleaded guilty to his involvement in the 2004 murder of a shopkeeper, though an accomplice, 16-year-old Eric Bullins, “fired the shots that actually killed” the victim, according to SCOTUSblog (Center). Prosecuting Attorney Doug Evans (who is white) excused four potential jurors who were black, resulting in only one black jury on the case, though the county is 40% black (as is Pitchford). Gorsuch argued in his dissent that any legal error made was not enough to suggest the court made an “unreasonable” ruling.
Why The Miss? Outlets on the left often gravitate toward stories of bias and oppression against racial and religious minorities in the US, especially when enacted by racial majorities and members of authority. Outlets on the right often cover such stories against racial and religious majorities, especially when enacted by unauthorized immigrants and racial minorities.
Lawsuit Alleges ‘Flagrant Human Rights Abuses’ at Migrant Detention Facility
What’s The Story? A class action lawsuit filed last week alleges “flagrant human rights abuses” and constitutional violations against migrant detainees at Camp East Montana in Texas. The lawsuit cites Fifth Amendment and Administrative Procedure Act violations, including “[a]bhorrent medical and mental health care,” “inappropriate use of force,” “sexual harassment by guards,” and a measles outbreak in March. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson denied all accusations, though The Guardian (Left) said the conditions “have been well-documented.” The outlet described one plaintiff’s allegation that he was “severely beaten” by guards for impelling legal counsel to sign documents.
The Texas American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Human Rights Watch, law firm Farella Braun + Martel LLP and the Texas Civil Rights Project filed the federal lawsuit on behalf of four detainees and “others similarly situated,” against the DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Pentagon, and multiple agency officials.
Why The Miss? Immigration and border security are Republicans’ top priorities as of June 2026, while Democrats’ are healthcare and democracy, according to US polling data. A story about health and constitutional violations would likely pique interest for readers on the left but exhibit a conflict of interest for readers on the right.
Malayna J. Bizier is a News Analyst and Social Media Editor for AllSides. She has a Right bias.
This piece was reviewed and edited by News Editors Emily Allen (Left) and Jessica Carpenter (Center), and Henry A. Brechter, Editor-in-chief (Center).
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