Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy ran an attack ad on his opponent, Democrat Amy Acton, featuring her estranged mother. Outlets across the political spectrum covered Republican criticism of the ad and Vice President JD Vance's defense of Ramaswamy.

The Details: Ramaswamy's campaign spent $4 million producing and airing a one-minute video featuring Donna Arthur, Acton's mother, calling Acton a "liar" with "a serious problem." In response to criticism of the ad, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy's campaign on Tuesday told Newsweek (Center bias), "we don't know what happened between Amy and her mother…but we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth." Ramaswamy has said he plans to move forward with running the ad.

The Video: In the video, Arthur says, "I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent, it's not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem…She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She's lied her entire life."

For Context: Acton has spoken about her experience facing sexual abuse and homelessness during childhood and said she hasn't seen her mother since 1978. According to Newsweek, Acton's brother also said the family spent time living in a tent and that their mother lost custody of her children after her husband was arrested and charged with sexually abusing Acton.

Republican Criticism: Several outlets emphasized Republican criticism of the ad. Newsweek quoted commentator Megan McCain calling the ad "dastardly," and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley saying, "He's a bad guy. It's a shame he continues to get away with it." Washington Examiner (Lean Right) chief political correspondent Byron York said the ad was unsettling. An opinion in the National Review (Right) called it a "staggering act of bad taste." Robby Soave (Lean Right) in an opinion for The Hill (Center), wrote, "It's incredibly sickening to bother one's family members and compel them to speak ill of their relations for partisan political purposes." 

Democrat Criticism: CNN (Lean Left) political commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin said, "Anyone behind [the ad] should be ashamed." AlterNet (Left) emphasized Ramaswamy's ties to the GOP. It highlighted other criticism from the left, including Jon Favreau, host of Pod Save America, saying, "What Vivek Ramaswamy has done here is despicable beyond words," and former congressman Denver Lee Riggleman III calling it a "ludicrous and scumbag ad by Vivek."

A Gamble Ahead of Midterms: The ad was described as a big "bet" and "gamble" ahead of election day by many outlets. Axios (Lean Left) wrote, "Ramaswamy is gambling that the deeply personal attack…will resonate with voters." A source close to Ramaswamy's campaign also reportedly told Axios that the ad tested well with "persuadable" voters. Many outlets on the right, including The Daily Wire (Right), New York Post (Right), Fox News (Right) and National Review, and some in the center covered Vice President JD Vance's defense of the ad, saying, "to my fellow elected Republicans is if you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days."

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The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is withholding an additional $1.2 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to California, voicing concerns over potential fraud.

The Announcement: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz made the announcement during an Oval Office address in which President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced a new $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP). Oz said that "California has been growing that program [offering nonmedical services often provided to patients at home] 24% in the last three years. That is twice the rate of every other state average in the country." He added that it is "impossible for us to understand how that could be," asserting that "many of you would carry groceries upstairs for your mom for free, but in California, they will pay you a lot of money for it."

'Just Got Uglier': Outlets on the right like The New York Post (Right bias) tended to highlight that "Washington [is] demanding answers" from a "state whose personal care spending has ballooned at a pace federal officials say they can't explain." The move, according to the article, is "putting fresh heat" on California, a state whose "federal cash crunch just got uglier."

'Without Providing Any Evidence': Outlets on the left, like The Los Angeles Times (Lean Left) and Politico (Lean Left), conversely, tended to highlight that Oz's announcement asserting that California's Medi-Cal [Official Medicaid program in California] "is marred by waste and fraudulent claims" was given "without providing any evidence." Politico also mentioned $1 billion being withheld in May for payments related to hospice care, while "at the time, Oz didn't outline the steps the state could take to address concerns over alleged fraud."

RELATED: Trump Admin Withholds $1.3 Billion From California Over Fraud Concerns

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President Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with both Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, holding "productive" talks with Zelenskyy and securing the release of an American prisoner from Russia.

Ukraine: Witkoff met Zelenskyy in Norway on Tuesday, alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, whose countries jointly facilitated the meeting. Støre told reporters the talks were "good and constructive," and Stubb said the two sides "made genuine progress." Witkoff said they were "productive." Zelenskyy said the talks were "very constructive."

Russia: On Wednesday, Witkoff met Putin for three hours in St. Petersburg, and Witkoff presented Putin with an updated peace proposal. Of the Ukraine talks, Witkoff told Putin, "I would like to say that there is progress, and I will update you on this. I hope that we have truly laid the groundwork for a successful end to hostilities in this Ukrainian-Russian conflict." Putin reportedly thanked Trump for his efforts to end the conflict and First Lady Melania for her humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. He also reportedly expressed interest in further energy and fertilizer trade between the US and Russia and offered to assist in mediating a ceasefire in Iran, calling the Islamic Republic a "special, trusting" partner. Witkoff reportedly asked Putin to consider holding a trilateral meeting with the US and Ukraine, something Zelenskyy has previously pushed for.

Prisoner Release: Most notably, the talk yielded the release of Stephen James Hubbard, a former American teacher and military veteran who was detained while living in Izium, Ukraine, when Russia invaded in 2022. In October 2024, a Moscow court sentenced him to nearly seven years in prison on mercenary charges. CNN (Lean Left bias) highlighted the "many other Americans" still imprisoned in Russia for various reasons, framing all of them as wrongfully detained.

RELATED: Marc Fogel, American Teacher Imprisoned in Russia, Back in US | AllSides

Sticking Point: Russia currently controls all of Luhansk and majority shares of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. In April 2024, Putin said Russia would accept a ceasefire if Ukraine withdrew forces from all four territories. In April 2025, The Guardian (Left) claimed – based on anonymous sourcing – that Putin said he was ready to accept a US peace plan in which the current lines of control were frozen in exchange for other concessions, including recognition of Crimea as Russia and sanctions relief.

New Development: Zelenskyy spoke with Fox News (Right) host Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday shortly after the Witkoff-Putin meeting ended. He said that because Russia hasn't had "success… on the battlefield" so far in 2026, he would accept freezing the conflict along the lines of battle as the first step towards diplomacy and developing a peace plan. He added, "I think this is a real way to end this war."

What's Next?: Putin has reportedly proposed a trilateral meeting between the leaders of the US, Russia, and China, though Zelenskyy told Kilmeade Ukraine would not accept this.

For Context: The meetings come days after Ukraine reported losing access to Starlink internet services – something SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he did not order and could have been an act by the US federal government. Zelenskyy also claimed the US briefly stopped sharing intelligence with it, though the US denied this. Before this, AllSides observed split reporting from major mainstream outlets on whether the US had threatened Ukraine with cutting off its intelligence after it defied President Trump's request to stop bombing Russian oil refineries. The strikes have come into focus as President Trump recently struck a diesel deal with Russia aimed at lowering prices globally and has lifted sanctions on the country.

RELATED: Trump-Putin Summit: Media Across Spectrum Author Vastly Different Headlines | AllSides

Bias Notes: Some outlets across the spectrum showed bits of bias in their stories about the meetings and the prisoner release. While CNN listed other Americans still imprisoned, Fox framed the move as a triumph for the Trump administration, elevating long direct quotes from Trump himself. Associated Press (Lean Left) prominently wrote: "Russia and Ukraine are still far apart in their terms for a settlement."

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In addition to France, protests, riots, and looting took place in neighboring countries, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, and Spain over the weekend, prompting authorities to take action.

France: Protests began in France a month ago, primarily themed around education, and escalated into widespread violence and vandalism over the weekend. As of early Monday, the government said about 1,000 police officers had been injured, and 2,400 people had been arrested. On Tuesday, authorities reportedly arrested a man who they believe was involved in the burning down of a historic town hall in Limoges.

Italy: The Italian government deployed 500 soldiers to Milan on Tuesday after demonstrations escalated into violence and looting over the weekend. Police reportedly detained 271 people in Milan, and 32 have been arrested so far, including 23 minors and 13 foreign nationals. According to various authorities, police have sustained 14 injuries in Milan, 56 in Bologna, and about 100 in Turin. More demonstrations are reportedly planned for Saturday.

Portugal: Police in Lisbon and Porto reportedly cleared activist encampments early Tuesday and arrested 55 who refused to leave the area voluntarily after warnings. At least 35 were reportedly injured over the weekend. According to Reuters (Center bias), Portuguese protestors "are demanding the ⁠centre-right ​government withdraw a bill making evictions easier and ending ​rent caps on new leases." The publication also said Portugal is "grappling with one of Europe's worst housing affordability crises" and noted pushback against overtourism and "so-called digital nomads." 

RELATED: Europeans Protest Against Overtourism, Spray Water Guns at Tourists | AllSides

Belgium: According to Reuters, hundreds of "mostly young people" protested in Brussels on Saturday. Some were reportedly "wearing masks and chanting anti-fascist slogans" and clashed with police. Police arrested at least 195 nationwide, and five officers were injured in Brussels.

Notes on Bias: The left and right have split on diagnosing the motives behind the protests and riots. Media and commentators on the left have routinely described them as reactions to dissatisfaction with affordability and quality of life, whereas many on the right, including President Trump and Vice President Vance, have argued the severity of the riots is the result of too much immigration. An investigation published by Fox News (Right) on Monday claimed there is a large network of left-wing organizations behind the French protests, including some financed by China-based American tech mogul Neville Roy Singham.

Albania: Notably, Associated Press (Lean Left) grouped unrest in Albania into its coverage, writing that "social unrest is setting Europe's streets ablaze." Albania has seen protests since the end of May, kickstarted by Jared Kushner's plan to put a luxury resort on an island near Vlorë that could damage to or disrupt protected coastal areas and nature reserves. Some have argued, however, that the protests have been about deeper political tensions and issues within the country, which has had the same leader since 2013. The unrest has been dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution," though tensions have escalated into violent clashes with police since last Tuesday. BBC News (Center) reported that "many" of the protesters were students "trying to oust embattled Prime Minister Edi Rama" and that 295 people, including 186 police officers, have been injured. 

RELATED: Albanians Protest Against Jared Kushner's Luxury Island Resort Plan | AllSides

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