December 20, 2025 – US Headlines

Story gist: The U.S. Justice Department began releasing files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. A congressman criticized the release for failing to comply with the law.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like The Guardian emphasize a congressman’s criticism that the release ‘grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and letter of the law,’ adopting a critical tone focused on shortcomings. Center outlets like PBS frame it neutrally as the Justice Department beginning long-awaited releases. Right-leaning outlets offer no coverage, omitting any conservative perspective on the matter.

Story gist: The University of Virginia named Scott C. Beardsley as its 10th president.

Bias summary: Left-leaning Washington Post frames the appointment as sparking ‘outcry from some who sought delay,’ emphasizing controversy and opposition. Center UVA Today uses a neutral, factual announcement matching the official title without reference to dissent. Right-leaning coverage is absent, omitting any conservative perspective on the leadership change.

Story gist: Ella Cook, a suspect linked to Brown University and MIT, possessed 200 rounds of ammunition and laser sights amid authorities’ fears of a hit list, per a US attorney. An autopsy showed she likely died days before her body was found in Homewood, Alabama.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like CNN emphasize classmates’ descriptions of the suspect as ‘brilliant’ but arrogant and difficult, focusing on her personality. Center outlets offer neutral obituaries without context. Right-leaning outlets like Fox News highlight the autopsy revealing death days before body discovery, emphasizing timeline over threat details. No strong omissions across lanes.

Story gist: An atmospheric river storm approaches the Bay Area. Forecasts predict heaviest rain late Saturday in Northern California, including San Francisco.

Bias summary: Left-leaning SFGATE emphasizes dramatic intensity with ‘dump month’s worth of rain in SF,’ highlighting potential impacts. Center KCRA offers neutral timing-focused forecast: ‘rain arrives late Saturday & hangs around.’ Right-leaning coverage absent, omitting any conservative angles on weather resilience or skepticism toward alarmist predictions.

Story gist: At an EU summit, leaders agreed to loan Ukraine $105 billion after a bid to use frozen Russian assets failed. Divisions among member states were evident.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like The Washington Post emphasize EU’s large-scale financial support ($105B loan) to Ukraine, noting asset failure factually. Center sources such as BBC highlight summit’s tensions (‘fraught’) and clear internal divisions despite backing Ukraine. Right-leaning coverage absent, missing perspectives potentially stressing aid costs to Europe or critiquing Ukraine support.