Notice anything missing?

There's certainly a lot of information packed into this display, No. 6 or so on the Fox News homepage Sunday evening. We learn, for example, that the suspect's car has been found, that there are bullet holes in a victim's windows (and, if you didn't know already, that a lawmaker had been assassinated), and that Fox still has no earthly idea how to use the subordinator "as" without sounding like a moron.

The meta-clues help signal how important the story is: Three writers share the byline, and three more are credited in a shirttail. Fox sticks closely to standard dateline rules, so the Minneapolis dateline means somebody's on the scene. And there's information there as well -- after a fashion. But aside from Fox's usual fascination with death porn (EWW BULLETS COOL), it seems largely procedural:

MINNEAPOLIS – New photos show gaping holes in the windows of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark's home in Brooklyn Park following a Saturday morning shooting that left them both dead.

Federal and local authorities continue to search tirelessly for suspect Vance Luther Boelter, who is accused of killing Hortman and her husband. He is also accused of shooting State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their nearby Champlin home.

Photos show massive holes in several of the Hortmans' windows on the back side of the house while other windows and their garage door have been boarded up.

Plenty of signals that the search is important: it already has its own adverb, and it's being ramped up. (By Monday, it should be time for a "desperate search"). The holes aren't just gaping, they're massive. But check out what we aren't learning. If the "also" in the second graf looks a bit out of sorts there, let's flash back to how the top story looked late Saturday morning.

At its first appearance, around 11:15 a.m. Eastern,* it looks pretty standard. The UK-style claim quotes on "shot by gunman posing as police officer" are cool but not that extraordinary (whoever writes the "cheeky snap" heds on pictures of celebrities proving that Age Is Just A Number might have drawn a bad shift this week). All in all, as promised, a "breaking news" story.

Half an hour later, it's the same event, but somehow not the same story. In agenda-setting terms, we're still learning, but we're learning different stuff with different salience values. Similarly, after he welter of procedural details on Sunday -- sheriff's office confirms car found! Residents urged to use caution! Tow truck arrives empty, leaves with vehicle! Senator shares text! -- an update (search described as "fluid"!) gets around to suggesting some cause-and-effect, a little, in the last graf:

Officials said Boelter had signs in his vehicle that read "No Kings." Cities across the United States had "No Kings" protests — expressing disapproval of the Trump administration's ICE raids — scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

Seems a bit late and more than a few bucks short, given what professional news organizations have been able to report (he's an evangelical and a Trump fan, and the vehicle also had a notebook with "the names of abortion rights advocates and health care officials") and given Fox's usual obsession with ... what's that headline from 2023?

Jan. 1
Suspect in machete attack on NYPD reportedly wrote manifesto to family

March 27
Christian school massacre suspect identified as transgender, police found maps, manifesto

April 6
Suspect with manifesto, school layout had plans to commit multiple school shootings

April 20
Why one Nashville official calls school shooter's manifesto 'astronomically dangerous'

May 4
Police group sues for release of Nashville shooting suspect's manifesto

May 17
Police group sides with school in lawsuit over Nashville school shooter manifesto release

May 19
Expert reveals twisted reasons why mass murderers leave behind manifestos

Dec. 9
Nashville police hit wall in hunt for leaker of trans school shooter's manifesto

OK, a few from 2024 too:

June 6
Suspected serial killer's meticulous manifesto revealed as body count climbs

Dec. 12
What the suspected CEO killer's manifesto reportedly said about the health insurance company

If the Mike Lees and Bernie Morenos of the world seem to have a clear field for -- what's that, The Independent? -- "feverish conspiracy theories," Fox certainly doesn't seem interested in opening the window for some fresh air, manifesto-wise. 


* Yes Fox was a bit tardy getting to the story

'Elephant in the room'

 Wonder what the top news from the colonies looks like over at The Independent:

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both stumbled as they boarded Air Force One on Sunday on their way to Camp David.

The stumble came after Trump gaggled with reporters in Hagerstown, Maryland, when he was asked if he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to the protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles.

Sounds like we need to hurry over to Fox News and see if it's true! But our top Trump headline this Sunday evening is ... a second day of coverage the great man's visit to a UFC match on Saturday. Seems odd, given that presidential near-stumbles on Air Force One are usually bigger news -- for example, in February 2024:

A new video of President Biden almost stumbling up the Air Force One steps on Tuesday had social media users questioning the world leader’s stamina and fitness.

Conservatives mocked the president, with many noting how another near-stumble ­ – on the plane’s new, shorter stairs – shows how Biden is "falling apart in real time."

One person joked that Biden would eventually have to be carried up the stairs in a "stretcher."

After Biden saluted the U.S. military personnel at the bottom of the new, shorter stairs to Air Force One, he proceeded to climb the steps and stumble, catching himself with the handrail.

Indeed, such (ahem) "stamina and fitness" was a persistent story throughout 2023. Here's a collection of that year's headlines on presidential stability from the top stories* at the Fox homepage:

Feb. 22 (#4 on the page)
Trouble on the tarmac
President trips, falls up stairs while boarding Air Force One

March 6 (#3)
Tripping troubles
Biden stumbles up the steps of Air Force One yet again after viral fall in Poland

June 2 (#4)
This isn't fair'
Biden's fall at Air Force commencement draws concern, mockery

(#8 on a later capture)
Shock and 'aww'
WATCH: Air Force cadets react after Biden falls right in front of them during commencement

June 4 (#9)
Big misstep
NY Times article on Biden's age ripped as 'slobbering,' 'embarrassing' after latest fall

June 5 (#2)
'Elephant in the room'
Biden's 'watch me moment' will haunt him in 2024 after recent fall, Republican strategists say

June 6 (#2)
'Things happen'
White House gives head-scratching answer citing MAGA when grilled on Biden falls

July 20 (#3)
Step by step
Biden reportedly changing his boarding process for AF1 to avoid tripping and falling

Sept. 26 (#4)
Step by step
Biden team takes preventative measures to stop president from falling

(#2, later capture)
Close call
Biden nearly stumbles exiting Air Force One, hours after team's efforts exposed

Oct. 13 (#4)
What a trip
80-year-old Biden stumbles, struggles to climb short staircase

If you're wondering about the correctness conditions for active vs. passive mocking (roasting, blasting, scorching, slamming, etc.), or how much dressing it takes for a political figure to produce "word salad," stay tuned.

* The top 5 through mid-March; after that, owing to some design changes, the top 10. Earlier dates have 6 to 8 screen captures a day; later ones have 4 a day, which you have to admit is more manageable

Would you like a drink before the war?

If you've been wondering how Europe looked this week through Fox-colored glasses, well, just don't mention the war:

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told President Donald Trump he is in a "strong position" to stop Russia’s war in Ukraine, to which the president suggested maybe the world needs to "let them fight for a little while."

"America is again in a very strong position to do something on this war and ending this war," Merz said, while also referencing the U.S.’s role in ending World War II on the eve of the anniversary of D-Day, which marked the turn of events that led to the defeat of Nazi Germany. "So let's talk about what we can do jointly, and we are ready to do what we can."

Other news organizations were somewhat more direct -- even USA Today:

"We are having June 6th tomorrow, this is D-Day anniversary, when the Americans once ended a war in Europe," Merz said.

"That was not a pleasant day for you," Trump responded. "This was not a great day.”

Hence your occasional reminder that Fox has not always been so coy about presidents and European wars. Enjoy, for example, the lead story (in its entirely) from July 12, 2023:

President Biden committed multiple speaking gaffes during his trip to Lithuania this week to shore up support for Ukraine amid its war with Russia, including confusing the two nations, as well as their leaders.

While speaking to the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on Wednesday Biden referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "Vladmir," seemingly confusing Zelenskyy with Russian President Vladmir Putin.

Appearing to not realize his mistake, Biden went on to say he "shouldn't be so familiar," and referred to Zelenskyy as "Mr. Zelenskyy."

Putin and Zelenskyy each hold a different version of the same name, with "Volodymyr" being the most commonly used version in Ukraine.

At a later speaking event following the summit, Biden confused the two nations, referring to Ukraine as Russia.

"Russia could end this war tomorrow by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and recognizing its international borders and ceasing its attacks – its inhumane attacks – on Russia – I mean by Russia on Ukraine," Biden said, correcting himself.

The gaffes are just the latest in a string of near-constant fumbles by Biden, including last month when he told reporters Putin was "clearly losing the war in Iraq."

They've also led to frequent questioning of Biden's cognitive abilities as president. Should the 80-year-old win a second term as president, he will be 86 when he leaves the White House.

Especially given what outfits like the AP have endured at the hands of the Trump administration, one sort of regrets that Fox never got the John D'Donnell treatment when the adults were in charge.

Left hand, right hand

When you take from the poor, it probably helps to let thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, lest thy framing choices lead thee to a berth on the unheated cattle train to Siberia amen.

It's unusual to get this much framing dissonance at the top of the Fox homepage in a mere seven hours, particularly when your main customer has made his wishes clear (it was only Tuesday that an announcement of the website that lets YOU figure out how much you'd gain was the No. 2 story on the homepage). And indeed, here we were Wednesday with the CBO estimate of the "major money" we'd all be saving in taxes (story from the business side posted at 10:45 a.m. EDT; screen grab from 12:48 p.m.):

President Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" would cut taxes by $3.7 trillion while raising deficits by $2.4 trillion over a decade, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says.

The CBO released its report on Trump's bill on Wednesday. The report also estimates that it would create an additional 10.9 million people without health insurance under the bill, including 1.4 million who are in the country without legal status in state-funded programs.

CBO's analysis of the House-passed version of the bill shows a larger deficit impact than the version that House Republicans initially brought to the floor, which was estimated to raise deficits by a net $2.3 trillion over a decade.

By evening (different writer, story posted at 6:37 p.m., screen capture a bit before 8), the CBO report looks different:

President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" is projected to increase the debt by $3 trillion, with interest, or $5 trillion if made permanent, according to estimates.

An estimate of the House-passed bill by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects it would add more than $2.4 trillion to primary deficits before interest over 10 years, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a nonprofit public policy organization.

What does it all mean? Probably not that the revolution is at hand. Some of the discord at the top could be trickling down into the ranks. Fox might even just be doing journalism. (It's rare but not entirely unknown.) But it might be worth keeping an eye on the rail yards over the coming days.