{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","slug":"earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","url":"https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","title":"Earthjustice sues US to block deep-sea mining leases off American Samoa","subtitle":"Lawsuit challenges Trump administration plan to auction 33 million acres of seabed for mineral extraction","excerpt":"Earthjustice filed a federal lawsuit on 18 August 2026 to halt the US government’s auction of 33 million acres of seabed off American Samoa for deep-sea mining. The suit argues the plan threatens endangered species and violates environmental laws, while the Trump administration seeks to expedite permits despite international calls for a moratorium.","category":"Climate","area":"United States","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T22:47:03.989Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-08-18T22:25:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-19T00:45:09.793Z","readTime":"5 min read","scores":{"trust":85,"critic":90,"hype":15,"notes":{"trust":"Two full reports with named sources and documents cited","critic":"Quotes, figures, and right of reply included in full reports","hype":"Headlines match the body content with no sensationalism"}},"tags":["#DeepSeaMining","#AmericanSamoa","#EndangeredSpecies","#EnvironmentalLawsuit","#TrumpAdministration","#USCommerceDepartment"],"entities":["Earthjustice","US National Marine Fisheries Service","Howard Lutnick","American Samoa","Donald Trump","International Seabed Authority"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["Earthjustice filed a federal lawsuit on 18 August 2026 against the US National Marine Fisheries Service and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to block an auction of 33 million acres of seabed off American Samoa for deep-sea mining.","The lawsuit argues the government’s plan violates the Endangered Species Act and threatens critical habitats for endangered species, including five sea turtle populations and four whale species.","The Trump administration is pushing to expedite mining permits, despite international calls for a moratorium on deep-sea mining due to environmental risks.","No right-rated outlet covered the story, while left and centre outlets reported it with varying emphasis on legal, environmental, and cultural impacts."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Earthjustice, a legal environmental group, filed a federal lawsuit on 18 August 2026 against the US National Marine Fisheries Service and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The lawsuit seeks to block the Trump administration’s plan to auction 33 million acres of seabed off American Samoa for deep-sea mining. The area is rich in minerals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese, which are used in batteries and electronics."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Fa‘asao Amerika Samoa and the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, argues that the National Marine Fisheries Service’s determination that the leases would not affect critical habitats or endangered species was \"arbitrary and capricious\". The area includes habitats for five endangered sea turtle populations, four whale species, and threatened coral species. It is located 57 miles from the Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Trump administration is seeking to expedite mining permits, despite international calls for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. The International Seabed Authority, a UN body, has authorised exploration licences but has not permitted commercial mining. The US has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, leaving regulation to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"No right-rated outlet ran the story. None of the digests or reports mentioned the potential economic value of the minerals in the lease area or the administration’s argument that deep-sea mining could reduce US dependence on foreign mineral sources. The Associated Press report included a statement from Matt Giacona of the Marine Minerals Administration, but none of the other reports carried the administration’s case for the leases."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Washington Times","url":"https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/18/earthjustice-sues-us-pushes-auction-massive-tracks-water-around","headline":"Nonprofit sues U.S. as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T22:35:20.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Oskaloosa Herald","url":"https://oskaloosa.com/news/national_news/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/article_70b86475-bdab-51a0-8dd3-d5fabf0c66a8.html","headline":"Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T22:35:20.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Batesville Daily 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American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T22:25:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"My Mother Lode","url":"https://mymotherlode.com/news/national/11076337/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa.html","headline":"Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T22:15:28.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Washington Post","url":"https://washingtonpost.com/world/2026/08/18/us-sued-deep-sea-mining-earthjustice-american-samoa/f8dde638-9b4e-11f1-9cc4-2dc9b46e2d5c_story.html","headline":"Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T21:54:58.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Washington Top News","url":"https://wtop.com/animals-pets/2026/08/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa","headline":"Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T21:52:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Toronto Star","url":"https://thestar.com/news/world/americas/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/article_404ea5e5-898d-5c5b-8c50-06d2385b515b.html","headline":"Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T21:51:59.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Hamilton Spectator","url":"https://thespec.com/life/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/article_2dcf361d-fc9b-5573-a8cf-280cddeef762.html","headline":"Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T21:51:59.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Independent","url":"https://independent.co.uk/news/national-marine-fisheries-service-american-samoa-donald-trump-howard-lutnick-puerto-rico-b3035287.html","headline":"Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T21:50:36.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Associated Press News","url":"https://apnews.com/article/us-sued-deep-sea-mining-earthjustice-american-samoa-ca8adde08a645e0471a017e98c645836","headline":"Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T21:50:36.000Z"},{"sourceName":"SF Gate","url":"https://sfgate.com/news/world/article/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-22393762.php","headline":"Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T21:50:36.000Z"},{"sourceName":"St Catharines 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The Associated Press and Washington Top News, whose full reports were published, quoted Earthjustice’s claim that the National Marine Fisheries Service’s determination was \"a wholly arbitrary and capricious determination\". Both reports included the lawsuit’s assertion that the US had never before opened its waters to deep-sea mining.","The left-rated reports highlighted the cultural and ecological stakes. The Associated Press quoted the lawsuit’s statement that \"the Samoan people rely upon a healthy ocean ecosystem\" for food, shoreline protection, and cultural practices. It also noted the migration of endangered species between American Samoan and Hawaiian waters, including sea turtles referred to as \"i‘a sa\" or \"sacred fish\".","The Associated Press report included a statement from Nick Katkevich of the Center for Biological Diversity, who called the administration’s plans \"disgraceful\" and warned that deep-sea mining was \"too experimental and dangerous for marine life\". It also mentioned a separate proposed lease of 69 million acres near the Northern Mariana Islands, which the report said was \"widely condemned by scientists and environmentalists\"."],"centre":["The three centre-rated digests and reports focused on the scale of the proposed auction and the legal challenge. Washington Top News, whose full report was published, led with the size of the lease area, 33 million acres, and the minerals targeted, including nickel, cobalt, and manganese. It noted the lawsuit’s argument that the US must first ensure mining would not destroy critical habitats.","The centre-rated reports included the cultural significance of the area for American Samoa, quoting the lawsuit’s assertion that the ecosystem \"has formed the basis of many cultural practices that have existed for over a millennium\". Washington Top News also mentioned the ban on harming species considered sacred, such as whales and sharks.","The reports carried the Trump administration’s push to expedite permits and the international context, including the International Seabed Authority’s role in regulating deep-sea mining. None of the centre-rated digests or reports quoted environmentalists or scientists opposing the plan."],"right":["The two right-rated outlets that carried the story reported that Earthjustice filed a lawsuit on 29 July 2026 to block the U.S. government’s plan to auction deep-sea mining leases near American Samoa. Both noted the Trump administration had announced the auction the previous month.","The Washington Times and The Batesville Daily Guard led on the scale of the auction, describing the areas as \"massive sections of water\" or \"massive tracks of water\". Neither digest mentioned the environmental concerns raised by Earthjustice or the specific legal arguments in the lawsuit.","Both digests identified Earthjustice as a \"legal environmental group\" or \"nonprofit\". Neither included statements from Earthjustice, local officials in American Samoa, or scientific experts on deep-sea mining."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"right","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"mixed":1,"high":8,"unknown":1,"veryHigh":5},"ownershipDistribution":{"privateEquity":3,"mediaConglomerate":3,"billionaire":1,"independent":2,"corporation":1},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"Winnipeg Free Press","url":"https://winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/greenpage/2026/08/18/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T16:51:59.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"Washington, District of Columbia, United States","count":2},{"country":"Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada","count":1},{"country":"Welland, Niagara Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada","count":1},{"country":"London, 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They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"citation":{"recommended":"MediaBias News, \"Earthjustice sues US to block deep-sea mining leases off American Samoa\", https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","canonicalUrl":"https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","instructions":["Cite and link the canonical article URL, not the API, markdown mirror, homepage, or an original outlet URL.","When using a Trust, Craft, or Hype score, name the score and preserve its direction; lower Hype is better.","When using the coverage split, framing comparison, or blindspot finding, attribute the analysis to Media Bias News.","Do not describe this article as a fact check unless a future API response explicitly reports factCheck.status as performed."]},"links":{"canonical":"https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","json":"https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","markdown":"https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa.md","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology"}}}