AllSides analyzed under-reported and omitted stories across the political spectrum this week. Here’s what you may have missed:
What The Right Missed
Investigation Finds Trump’s ‘Narco-Terrorist’ Boat Strikes Ineffective at Deterring Drug Smuggling
What’s The Story? “The Trump administration’s deadly military strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats have not reduced the amount of cocaine entering the United States,” stated a Washington Post (Lean Left bias) exclusive. “They’re prompting criminal organizations to develop new strategies and tactics.” The article, based on a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assessment and private investigation, furthered similar reports from May.
It gave voice to an anonymous DEA official who said, “When you squeeze the balloon on one side, it always expands on the other side.” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, on the other hand, argued, “That does not indicate the pressure is ineffective. It demonstrates that we are imposing systemic friction on their operations.”
Why The Miss? The Washington Posts’ leadership of the investigation decreases the likelihood for outlets on the right to adopt its findings.
Additionally, the outlet said the findings “contradict public claims” by President Donald Trump that strikes, which began in September 2025, have reduced maritime drug trafficking into the US by 97 or 98 percent – another deterrent to outlets on the right that often avoid highlighting negative narratives about Republican lawmakers.
Outlets on the left and in the center, such as Common Dreams (Left), Raw Story (Left), The Independent (Lean Left), and NewsNation (Center) covered the narrative prominently.
RELATED: Tracking Trump’s Campaign Promises on the Opioid Crisis | AllSides
What The Left Missed
Canada’s MAID Program Allegedly Euthanizes Patient Without Consent
What’s The Story? Canada’s “Medical Assistance in Dying” (MAID) program allegedly ended the life of Brigitte “GG” Stegemann last month without her lawful consent. Stegemann’s family that the 83-year-old, who was battling Stage IV stomach cancer, opposed euthanasia and was coerced by medical personnel while they were out of town. The clinic claimed Stegemann privately consented to euthanasia, but, according to the family, she did not provide the final verbal consent required by Canadian law and the clinic “completely ignored her silence and carried the procedure forward regardless.”
Why The Miss? The political right is generally against both euthanasia and publicly-funded healthcare, making this story a soft-toss for conservative media. “Critics of MAID argue about its ethics and the financial incentives for Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system,” noted The Daily Wire (Right), “which can save money when patients are euthanized rather than receive long-term care.”
RELATED: Media Bias Alert: The Euthanasia of Noelia Castillo Ramos | AllSides
Judge Finds Biden-Era Gun Rule Unconstitutional
What’s The Story? US District Court Judge Reed O'Connor ruled on Monday that a Biden-era ghost gun regulation is unconstitutional, striking it down.
O’Connor found that the regulation used an overly broad definition of “frame or receiver” to include gun accessories, violating the Second and Fifth Amendments.
Why The Miss? Gun control, though a continual point of polarization between political parties, is not currently a top issue for Democrats, according to polling data. Instead, leftist voters are generally more focused on issues such as healthcare, democracy, and the economy ahead of the 2026 Midterm Elections. And the potential for shedding light on O’Connor’s reasoning may have further deincentivized leftist media from coverage.
Image Credit: US Polling Data on August 20th
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 Evan Wagner, Product Manager (Lean Left); and Jessica Carpenter, News and Social Media Editor (Center).
