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.Today20 checks
R2/10Lightly altered“Equal-weight S&P 500 is leading the 2026 market and its flagship trade just hit $100 billion”CNBC Top News · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that the equal-weight S&P 500 is "leading" the 2026 market a 2/10 because the underlying numbers, RSP crossing $100…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump Made Big Stock Trades In SpaceX, Palantir And Tech Companies In June”Forbes Business · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Forbes’ claim that Trump made "big stock trades" in SpaceX and Palantir a 2/10 because the underlying Office of Government Ethics…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“A powerful country on the other side of the world is quietly shaping Trump’s latest trade fight”Fox Business · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s claim that China is "quietly shaping" the US-Canada trade fight a 4/10 because the headline’s mystery-thriller…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Iran Publishes Vessel Blacklist for Strait of Hormuz, Warns of Seizure”Newsweek · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Newsweek’s claim that Iran published a Hormuz vessel blacklist and warned of seizure a 2/10 because the PGSA’s own statement…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R3/10Lightly altered“Treasury Secretary to announce Iran sanctions as Tehran dismisses economic warfare threat”CNBC Top News · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that Bessent "will announce Iran sanctions as Tehran dismisses" the threat a 3/10 because the framing is accurate…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“The U.S. Now Uses Nearly 40% Of The World’s Data Center Electricity”Forbes Business · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Forbes’ claim that the U.S. uses "nearly 40%" of world data-center electricity a 2/10 because the figure, 39.7% in 2025, comes…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Jumpy bond markets make it clear: Trump risks driving US into debt crisis | Heather Stewart”Guardian US · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Guardian columnist Heather Stewart’s claim that jumpy bond markets show "Trump risks driving US into debt crisis" a 2/10 because…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Why the US economy is ringing alarm bells”BBC Business · 20 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC Business’s headline "Why the US economy is ringing alarm bells" a 4/10 because the article’s own sources explicitly describe…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“’No more!!!’: Trump lashes out after US-Canada talks devolve into trade war”Guardian Business · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s headline that Trump "lashes out" after US-Canada trade talks collapsed a 2/10, because the quoted material…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R5/10Selective“The lesson from Canada’s collapsed trade talks with the US: negotiation may be futile”Guardian US · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Guardian US’s claim that Canada’s trade breakdown proves "negotiation may be futile" a 5/10 because the article’s own primary…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Small UK power generator shut down after cyberattack linked to Iran: Telegraph”CNBC Top News · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that a "small UK power generator" was shut down by an Iran-linked cyberattack a 2/10 because every qualifier in…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Paramount, California AG to meet over possible settlement in $110B Warner Bros. Discovery merger lawsuit”Fox Business · August 23, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s headline that Paramount and California AG Rob Bonta "meet over possible settlement" in the $110B Warner Bros…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R6/10Spin-heavy“Unexpected spike in borrowing delivers further blow to Burnham as deficit topped £1.8bn last month”Daily Mail Money · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Daily Mail’s claim that a July borrowing "spike" delivers a "blow to Burnham" a 6/10 because the ONS’s own release shows…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R5/10Selective“Bank of England insiders warn AI boom could push up interest rates in Britain”Daily Mail Money · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Daily Mail’s claim that "Bank of England insiders warn" AI could push up UK interest rates a 5/10 because the piece is a staff…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Norway to give more than $9 billion to Ukraine in 2027”CNBC Top News · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that "Norway to give more than $9 billion to Ukraine in 2027" a 2/10 because the figure is accurate and sourced to…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Iran-linked hackers behind cyber attack that shut down power plant, reports say”BBC Business · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC’s headline that "Iran-linked hackers" shut down a UK power plant a 2/10 because the story is properly hedged as a Telegraph…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R5/10Selective“Iran-linked hackers blamed for cyber-attack that shut down UK power plant”Guardian Business · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Guardian Business’s headline that Iran-linked hackers "shut down" a UK power plant a 5/10 because the plant in question was, by…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Trump Hits Out After Mark Carney Rejects US-Canada Trade Deal”Newsweek · 23 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Newsweek’s claim that "Mark Carney rejects US-Canada trade deal" a 4/10 because the headline assigns Carney sole agency for the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump fires back at Canada after Carney suspends trade talks, accuses US of last-minute ‘power play’”Fox Business · August 23, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s headline on Trump firing back at Canada after Carney suspended trade talks a 2/10 because the article backs every…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump says Canada wants ‘benefits’ of being US state after trade talks collapse”BBC Business · 22 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC Business’s headline that "Trump says Canada wants ‘benefits’ of being US state after trade talks collapse" a 2/10 because it…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
Yesterday20 more checks · expand20 checks · collapse ▾
R2/10Lightly altered“US borrowing costs rise as attempts to ease rates prove short-lived”BBC Business · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC Business’s claim that US borrowing costs rose again after a Treasury intervention proved short-lived a 2/10, because the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Investors sell stocks and bonds as government efforts fail to soothe market”NPR Business · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates NPR’s headline that "investors sell stocks and bonds as government efforts fail to soothe market" a 2/10 because the Treasury’s…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R1/10Base fact“TikTok agrees to $400m settlement to resolve US children’s privacy litigation”Guardian Business · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Guardian Business’s headline that "TikTok agrees to $400m settlement to resolve US children’s privacy litigation" a 1/10 because…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Chinese robot runs 100m sprint quicker than Usain Bolt’s world record”Guardian Business · 22 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s claim that a "Chinese robot runs 100m sprint quicker than Usain Bolt’s world record" a 4/10 because the 9.32-second…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Canada’s Carney says US made last-minute ‘power play’ as trade talks collapse; retaliatory tariffs in place”Fox Business · August 22, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s headline on Carney’s "power play" comments a 4/10 because while the "Carney says" attribution is properly hedged…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump Again Claims Taxpayers Aren’t On The Hook For Ballroom-But Contractor Says Otherwise”Forbes Business · 22 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Forbes’s headline on Trump’s ballroom funding claims a 2/10 because it accurately juxtaposes Trump’s zero-taxpayer-cost claim…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“Canada Says Retaliatory Tariffs Start Next Month-After ‘Unfair’ Negotiations Fell Through”Forbes Business · 22 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Forbes’ claim that Canada’s tariffs are a response to "unfair" US negotiating a 4/10, because the article quotes only USTR…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump allows 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free beef imports in bid to cut prices, drawing rancher backlash”Fox Business · August 21, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s headline on Trump’s 300,000-metric-ton tariff-free beef import plan a 2/10 because every figure and the described…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump’s foreign beef push to cut grocery costs sparks GOP revolt from ranching country”Fox Business · 22 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s claim that Trump’s tariff-free beef import plan "sparks GOP revolt from ranching country" a 2/10 because named…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump reshuffled his portfolio in June, selling names like Meta and buying Berkshire Hathaway”CNBC Top News · Aug. 22, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that Trump "reshuffled his portfolio in June, selling names like Meta and buying Berkshire Hathaway" a 2/10…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump says he views strait of Hormuz as ‘American territory’”Guardian US · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s headline that Trump "views" the strait of Hormuz as American territory a 2/10 because it is a near-verbatim…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Full List of US Trade Tariffs Hitting Canada From Today”Newsweek · 2026-08-22T06:19:02-04:00 sourceRubbish Talk rates Newsweek’s headline that US tariffs on Canada are "hitting from today" a 2/10 because it accurately reflects that Section 338…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“’We have more work to do’, says Canada negotiator as US trade deadline looms”BBC Business · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC’s headline that a Canadian negotiator says "more work to do" remains ahead of the US tariff deadline a 2/10, because the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“U.S.-Canada trade talks collapse just before deadline for tariffs”NPR Business · August 22, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates NPR’s headline that "U.S.-Canada trade talks collapse just before deadline for tariffs" a 2/10 because the article’s own…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“U.S.-Canada trade talks collapse, ushering in wave of new tariffs”CNBC Top News · 22 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that "U.S.-Canada trade talks collapse, ushering in wave of new tariffs" a 2/10 because every element of the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump Move On Beef Tariffs Symbolic, Comes Amid Record Imports In 2026”Forbes Business · 22 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Forbes’ claim that Trump’s beef tariff cut is "symbolic" amid "record imports" a 2/10 because the article’s own trade data, frozen…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Canada vows to match Trump’s tariffs ‘dollar for dollar’ after trade talks fail”Guardian Business · 22 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s headline that Canada will match Trump’s tariffs "dollar for dollar" a 2/10 because the phrase is a direct Carney…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“US-Canada trade negotiations suspended, Carney vows dollar-for-dollar retaliation against Trump’s 50% tariffs”Fox Business · August 22, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s headline that Carney suspended talks and vowed dollar-for-dollar retaliation against Trump’s 50% tariffs a 2/10…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“U.S., Canada fail to reach a tariff deal, deepen trade war”CNBC Top News · August 22, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that the U.S. and Canada "fail to reach a tariff deal, deepen trade war" a 2/10 because the claim matches the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“U.S. set to impose 50% tariffs on Canada after failed talks; Canada to match them”CBS MoneyWatch · August 22, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CBS MoneyWatch’s claim that "U.S. set to impose 50% tariffs on Canada after failed talks" a 2/10 because the 50% figure and the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
21 August 202620 more checks · expand20 checks · collapse ▾
R2/10Lightly altered“Dutch regulator fines Uber $966m for automating driver suspensions”Guardian Business · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s claim that Dutch regulators fined Uber $966m for automating driver suspensions a 2/10 because the figure, the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Boeing engineers, technical workers reject contract offer”CNBC Top News · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline "Boeing engineers, technical workers reject contract offer" a 2/10 because it states exactly what SPEEA’s own vote…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“TikTok agrees to pay $400 million to settle Justice Department children’s privacy case”Fox Business · August 21, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Fox Business’s headline on TikTok’s $400 million COPPA settlement a 2/10 because it matches the DOJ’s own press release almost…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Anthropic IPO filing will show AI backlash as a risk factor, sources say”CNBC Top News · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s claim that Anthropic’s IPO filing will list AI backlash as a risk factor a 2/10 because the headline is properly hedged…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Pentagon fires publisher and editor of US military news outlet Stars and Stripes”Guardian US · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s claim that the Pentagon "fires publisher and editor of Stars and Stripes" a 2/10 because multiple outlets…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“China Orders Tesla’s Largest-Ever Recall For Nearly 3 Million Cars”Forbes Business · August 21, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Forbes’ claim that China ordered "Tesla’s Largest-Ever Recall For Nearly 3 Million Cars" a 4/10 because the figures check out, but…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R5/10Selective“Nearly 25% of workers are ‘functionally unemployed,’ analysis finds”CBS MoneyWatch · August 21, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CBS MoneyWatch’s headline that nearly 25% of workers are "functionally unemployed" a 5/10 because the 24.9% figure isn’t a jobless…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R1/10Base fact“Ken Griffin says Citadel unwound more than 80% of risk tied to Situational Awareness portfolio”CNBC Top News · August 21, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that "Ken Griffin says Citadel unwound more than 80% of risk tied to Situational Awareness portfolio" a 1/10…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R4/10Selective“U.S. military says it aided passage of 660 million barrels of oil through Strait of Hormuz since May”CNBC Top News · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that the U.S. military says it "aided passage of 660 million barrels" through Hormuz since May a 4/10 because the…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“DHS confirms just 185 non-citizens on Nevada voter rolls after claiming there were thousands more”Guardian US · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s headline that DHS "confirms just 185 non-citizens on Nevada voter rolls after claiming there were thousands more" a…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump says US and Canada have a trade deal, but key terms remain unclear”ABC News Business · 20 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates ABC News’s headline on the US-Canada trade deal a 2/10 because it correctly attributes the "deal" claim to Trump rather than…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R3/10Lightly altered“Trump tariff deadline looms as U.S. and Canada say final trade deal is near”CNBC Top News · August 21, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline that the U.S. and Canada "say final trade deal is near" a 3/10 because the claim is properly attributed to…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R3/10Lightly altered“Trump to allow import of 300,000 metric tons of ground beef without tariff”CNBC Top News · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CNBC’s headline on Trump’s ground beef tariff waiver a 3/10 because the core claim checks out against Trump’s own Truth Social…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R3/10Lightly altered“Trump Announces 90-Day Tariff Relief For Ground Beef Imports As Costs Soar”Forbes Business · August 21, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Forbes’ headline that Trump announced "90-Day Tariff Relief For Ground Beef Imports As Costs Soar" a 3/10 because the headline…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“Trump temporarily waives higher beef tariffs in bid to lower prices”CBS MoneyWatch · August 21, 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates CBS MoneyWatch’s headline that Trump "temporarily waives higher beef tariffs in bid to lower prices" a 2/10 because the framing…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“The U.S. debt tops a record-shattering $40 trillion. Yes, with a T”NPR Business · 19 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates NPR’s headline that "the U.S. debt tops a record-shattering $40 trillion" a 2/10 because the figure is the Treasury Department’s…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R3/10Lightly altered“UK retail sales fall as shoppers cut back on clothing and online spending”Independent Business · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates Independent Business’s claim that UK shoppers "cut back" on clothing and online spending a 3/10 because the ONS figures it cites…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“UK reports unexpected deficit of £1.8bn as John Healey prepares for first budget”Guardian Business · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Guardian’s claim that the UK ran an "unexpected deficit of £1.8bn" a 2/10 because the £1.8bn July shortfall against a City…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R2/10Lightly altered“UK borrows more than expected in July as Healey prepares for first Budget”BBC Business · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates BBC Business’s headline that the UK "borrows more than expected in July" a 2/10 because the £1.8bn July borrowing figure did…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail
R5/10Selective“UK debt nears £3 trillion as government borrowing unexpectedly climbs”Independent Business · 21 August 2026 sourceRubbish Talk rates the Independent’s claim that "UK debt nears £3 trillion as borrowing unexpectedly climbs" a 5/10 because the £1.8bn July borrowing…Read the Rubbish Check →ShareXFacebookLinkedInEmail