The Country

From the Left · Read · November 6, 2026

Nov 9 · The Supreme Court lets Trump resume border wall construction in Texas' Big Bend region, over Justice Jackson's dissent

NBC News: NBC sets the government's 89,000 detentions against challengers who cite the lowest apprehension rates.

Grade C (79/100). Article: NBC News on the Supreme Court's Big Bend border wall order

Lehrer score 79/100 (starts at 85; +4 named, on-record sources (2+): Solicitor General D. John Sauer and the challengers' lawyers quoted; +3 primary document linked or cited (filing, ruling, data release, statement): the court's "five-page unsigned decision" quoted; +4 other side quoted or given its response: challengers say construction would "result in the permanent alteration of an irreplaceable landscape"; +2 key numbers sourced: "the Trump administration saying that 89,000 people have been detained"; +2 context: background or what came before: "U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone on Oct. 2 invalidated Noem's waivers"; −12 factual error or claim the piece can't support (cite the correct fact) (rule 3): quotes the court as saying the administration was "extremely likely to prevail"; the per curiam order says "exceedingly likely to prevail"; −4 loaded word or phrase in the outlet's own voice (rule 2/7/13): waivers "that allowed the government to evade environmental and conservation laws" in its own voice; −5 unnamed source on a side point, or a figure with no stated source (rule 11): "Officials have warned" with no official named). Fixed scale: 90+ A, 80s B, 70s C, 60s D, under 60 F → C.

What we checked: quotes the court as saying the administration was "extremely likely to prevail"; the per curiam order says "exceedingly likely to prevail"; waivers "that allowed the government to evade environmental and conservation laws" in its own voice; "Officials have warned" with no official named

Splits: Article: NBC News on the Supreme Court's Big Bend border wall order

Read at NBC News

Same story: Newsweek, Washington Examiner

More graded coverage

How the grades work

Dispute this grade

Disagree with our approach or a rating? Have other feedback?

Tell us what you think we got wrong, or anything else. We read every message.

Become a Founding Member. Founding members get pundit scorecards free forever.

We store your email (and your name, if you give it) only to contact you about The Country. We never sell it. To be removed, unsubscribe from any email or write to [email protected].

Follow us:
About Watch Archive Join Contact Privacy Terms RSS