The Rubbish-meter
Mainstream headlines, scored for spin. Every Check reads the article, checks the primary sources, and shows its working.
The Rubbish-meter rates how far a headline’s framing sits from what the underlying facts support. R1 is the base fact, unspun. R10 is pure rubbish. Every Check shows its workings and links its sources.12345678910Close to the factsSelectiveSpin-heavyMisleadingScores are Rubbish Talk’s editorial opinion on presentation and emphasis. They are not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly.
Cut the spin. Read the facts.Suspicious of a headline? Check it.Today10 checks
R2/10Lightly altered“State pension set for 3.9% hike next year under triple lock as economists question costs”Daily Mail Money · 15 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Daily Mail’s claim that the state pension is "set for a 3.9% hike" a 2/10 because the figure, the £250.70 weekly rate and the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“UK state pension set to top £13,000 a year as wage growth slows to 3.9%”Guardian Business · 15 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s claim that the state pension is "set to top £13,000" a 4/10 because both underlying numbers are accurate but the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Your home heating oil bill is likely to jump this winter. Here’s why.”CBS MoneyWatch · September 15, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CBS MoneyWatch’s claim that "your home heating oil bill is likely to jump this winter" a 2/10 because the headline’s hedge…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Federal Reserve is expected to raise its benchmark rate, defying Trump’s demands”ABC News Business · 15 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates ABC/AP’s claim that the Fed "is expected to raise its benchmark rate, defying Trump’s demands" a 2/10 because the article backs…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“No one and done: The Fed will hike at least two times over the next year, according to CNBC survey”CNBC Top News · September 15, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that "the Fed will hike at least two times over the next year" a 2/10 because the underlying survey data (55% of…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R5/10Selective“Energy bills could surge 25% to over £2,000 in January thanks to rising wholesale costs”Daily Mail Money · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Daily Mail’s claim that energy bills "could surge 25%" in January a 5/10 because that figure comes from a single Bloomberg…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“State pension likely to top £13,000 a year as UK wage growth slows to 3.9%”BBC Business · 15 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC Business’s claim that the state pension is "likely to top £13,000 a year as UK wage growth slows to 3.9%" a 2/10, because both…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“10-year Treasury yield rises to highest since 2007 as Fed rate-hike expectations rise”CNBC Top News · September 15, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that the 10-year Treasury yield hit its highest level since 2007 on Fed rate-hike expectations a 2/10, because the 5%…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“China’s August retail sales miss forecast while investment slump deepens, piling pressure on Beijing”CNBC Finance · 15 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that China’s August data show a "retail sales miss" and "deepening investment slump" a 2/10 because both figures are…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Supreme court rejects Trump’s mail ballot restrictions for midterm elections”Guardian US · 15 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Guardian US’s headline that the Supreme Court "rejects Trump’s mail ballot restrictions for midterm elections" a 2/10 because the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
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R2/10Lightly altered“Trump calls on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian diesel fuel, citing a global shortage”ABC News Business · September 14, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates ABC News’s headline that Trump wants Ukraine to stop hitting Russian diesel infrastructure "citing a global shortage" a 2/10…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump phones Nvidia’s Huang at All-In Summit, calls data center opposition a ‘hoax’”CNBC Top News · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that Trump "phones Nvidia’s Huang at All-In Summit, calls data center opposition a hoax" a 2/10 because the phone…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“The Fed is likely to raise interest rates as inflation persists. What that means for consumers”CNBC Top News · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that the Fed is "likely" to hike rates a 2/10 because the headline tracks the actual market-implied probability and…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“UK borrowing costs hit 28-year high as investors bet on five rate hikes by the end of 2027”Daily Mail Money · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Daily Mail Money’s claim that UK borrowing costs hit a "28-year high" on bets of five rate hikes a 2/10, because both figures are…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump Blames America’s High Prices on Biden: What the Data Shows”Newsweek · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Newsweek’s headline "Trump blames America’s high prices on Biden: What the data shows" a 2/10 because the piece delivers exactly…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Petrol and diesel prices hit highest since 2022”BBC Business · 2 March 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC Business’s claim that petrol and diesel prices have "hit highest since 2022" a 2/10 because the RAC figures cited (169.68p…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R5/10Selective“Trump urges Ukraine to stop ‘knocking out’ Russian oil refineries as U.S. diesel hits record”CNBC Top News · September 14, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline linking Trump’s Ukraine complaint to the U.S. diesel record a 5/10 because the article’s own oil-price data shows…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Bank of America expects third-quarter investment banking fees to fall more than 10%; shares slide”CNBC Top News · September 14, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that Bank of America expects Q3 investment banking fees to fall "more than 10%" a 2/10 because it lifts Moynihan’s…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Government moves to nationalise Speciality Steel UK to protect 1,300 jobs”Guardian Business · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Guardian Business’s headline that the government is moving to "nationalise Speciality Steel UK to protect 1,300 jobs" a 2/10…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Government set to nationalise troubled steel firm”BBC Business · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the BBC’s headline that the government is "set to nationalise" Speciality Steel UK a 2/10, because Business Secretary Jonathan…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R7/10Spin-heavy“Jobs drought deepens as redundancies rise and vacancies fall for the 34th month in a row”Daily Mail Money · 7 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Daily Mail’s claim that Britain’s "jobs drought deepens" a 7/10 because the same REC-KPMG survey it cites was published by the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R3/10Lightly altered“House prices record first annual fall since 2023 as mortgage rates remain high”Daily Mail Money · 7 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Daily Mail’s claim that "house prices record first annual fall since 2023" a 3/10 because the figure is lifted straight from…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Goldman Sachs warns oil prices could hit $120 as U.S. fuel costs surge”CBS MoneyWatch · September 8, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CBS MoneyWatch’s headline that "Goldman Sachs warns oil prices could hit $120" a 4/10 because the $120 figure is Goldman’s upside…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Oil prices soar above $108 as Houthis strike Saudi infrastructure”Guardian Business · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s claim that Houthi attacks alone sent oil "soaring" above $108 a 4/10 because the pipeline strike that actually…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R1/10Base fact“10-year Treasury yield hits 5% for first time since 2023 as traders brace for Fed decision this week”CNBC Top News · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that the "10-year Treasury yield hits 5% for first time since 2023" a 1/10 because the figure, the timeframe, and the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Oil and gas prices climb after Saudi Arabia closes east-west pipeline”Independent Business · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Independent’s claim that oil and gas prices climbed after Saudi Arabia shut its east-west pipeline a 2/10, because Brent’s…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Oil surges to $108, threatening fresh inflation shock, will Bank of England now hike rates this year?”Daily Mail Money · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Daily Mail Money’s headline asking whether the Bank of England will "now hike rates this year" a 4/10 because the article’s own…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R3/10Lightly altered“Bank of England boss urged to pause bond sales costing UK taxpayers £100bn”Daily Mail Money · 13 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Daily Mail’s claim that BoE bond sales are "costing UK taxpayers £100bn" a 3/10 because the real figure it’s built on…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Brent crude jumps above $108 after Saudi Arabia shuts down critical pipeline that bypasses Strait of Hormuz”CNBC Top News · 13 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that Brent’s jump above $108 came "after Saudi Arabia shuts down" its East-West pipeline a 4/10 because the pipeline…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“India’s inflation rises to 4.82% in August, marginally exceeding forecasts”CNBC Top News · 14 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that India’s August CPI hit 4.82%, "marginally exceeding forecasts," a 2/10 because the print matched the Reuters…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
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R2/10Lightly altered“Xi says China will take lead to foster AI, tech cooperation among BRICS countries”CNBC Top News · 13 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that Xi Jinping pledged China would "take the lead" on BRICS AI cooperation a 2/10 because the headline is a…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Avelo CEO warns airfares may rise as fuel prices hit ‘uncomfortably high’ levels”Fox Business · September 13, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s headline that Avelo’s CEO "warns airfares may rise" a 2/10 because the quote, the IATA fuel figure, and the hedged…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump says he plans to remove a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey”ABC News Business · 13 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates ABC News’ headline that Trump "plans to remove a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey" a 2/10 because the headline accurately quotes…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump says he will remove all Irish whiskey tariffs as he ends two-day visit”BBC Business · 13 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC’s claim that "Trump says he will remove all Irish whiskey tariffs" a 2/10 because the headline correctly frames it as a spoken…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Americans’ average 401(k) balance reaches record high, Fidelity data shows”Fox Business · September 13, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s claim that "Americans’ average 401(k) balance reaches record high" a 4/10 because the $155,800 figure is a true…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R3/10Lightly altered“Wholesale prices moved higher last month in latest sign of stubborn inflation”ABC News Business · 10 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates ABC News’ claim that wholesale prices show "stubborn inflation" a 3/10 because the BLS’s own August PPI release shows the monthly…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“US diesel prices soar past $6 a gallon, deepening strain for hauling everyday goods”NPR Business · 11 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates NPR’s claim that "US diesel prices soar past $6 a gallon" a 2/10 because AAA’s own data confirms the $6.05-$6.06 national average…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R6/10Spin-heavy“Surging inflation puts interest rates back in focus as policymakers meet in Japan, US and UK”Guardian Business · 13 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s claim that "surging inflation" is driving Fed, BoE and BoJ decisions a 6/10, because the article’s own data shows…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Oil, gas and borrowing costs surge as fears over Middle East escalate”BBC Business · 10 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC Business’s claim that oil, gas and borrowing costs are surging on Middle East fears a 2/10 because every figure in the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R5/10Selective“Trump says US can ‘easily’ afford $1.2T price tag for $5K dividend to adults”Fox Business · 13 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s headline on Trump’s claim that the US can "easily" afford a $1.2 trillion dividend a 5/10 because the piece…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Consumer prices remained elevated in August ahead of Fed’s next meeting”Fox Business · 11 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s headline that consumer prices "remained elevated" in August 2026 a 2/10 because the BLS reading of 3.4% annual CPI…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Vessel struck in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says, as prospects for U.S.-Iran diplomacy appear elusive”CNBC Top News · September 13, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that a vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S.-Iran diplomacy looks stalled a 2/10 because both halves…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Up 3,600%, this freight fund has posted the biggest gains of all on Iran war oil shock”CNBC Top News · September 13, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that the Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF (BWET) is "up 3,600%" on the "Iran war oil shock" a 4/10 because the number…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Anthropic boss Dario Amodei calls for AI development to slow down”BBC Business · 12 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC Business’s claim that Anthropic’s Dario Amodei "calls for AI development to slow down" a 2/10 because Amodei’s own essay…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R3/10Lightly altered“A bond rout could blow a huge hole in the UK’s finances and repeat 1976’s IMF bailout, warns HAMISH MCRAE”Daily Mail Money · 13 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Daily Mail Money’s headline on Hamish McRae’s bond warning a 3/10 because it correctly attributes the doom-scenario to a named…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“A Fed hike next week seems certain after the latest inflation data. Here’s what’s ahead”CNBC Top News · September 11, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that a Fed hike "seems certain" a 2/10 because market pricing for the September 16 meeting sat near 90% after the hot…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Risky low deposit mortgages hit high not seen since 2008, Bank of England data shows”Daily Mail Money · 8 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Daily Mail’s claim that low-deposit mortgages hit a post-2008 high a 2/10 because the headline lifts its "highest since 2008"…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Bloody nose for Michael O’Leary as 39% of Ryanair shareholders vote against his £130m payday”Daily Mail Money · 10 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Daily Mail’s claim that "39% of Ryanair shareholders vote against" O’Leary’s pay deal a 2/10 because the 39%-against…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Larry Ellison nixes plan to offload up to $7.5 billion worth of Oracle stock”CNBC Top News · 12 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that Larry Ellison "nixes plan to offload up to $7.5 billion worth of Oracle stock" a 2/10 because Oracle’s own…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“OpenAI IPO will not happen in 2026 amid AI safety fears, Sam Altman says”Guardian US · 12 September 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s claim that OpenAI’s 2026 IPO is off "amid AI safety fears" a 2/10 because Sam Altman said almost exactly that…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail