The NYTimes has its problems but Bouie always has a good take.

This is a news piece not an editorial. “Editorial line” means they have a publicly shared opinion on what’s happening, not that they’re not doing hard news.

“Low-key” as in he’s found a relatively low-key way to defy a judge’s order. Any kind of defying a judge’s order is of course a very dramatic action.

How so? They obviously have an editorial line but they never make any factual claims that aren’t true.