diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/ArticleCard.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/ArticleCard.svelte
index 94d94ec..cb4559d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/ArticleCard.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/ArticleCard.svelte
@@ -1,18 +1,28 @@
 <script>
   let { article, onaction, hero = false } = $props();
 
+  // Drive the image/fallback from state, not imperative class mutation — so the
+  // typographic fallback shows for BOTH missing and broken images, and Svelte
+  // sees the styles as used (no unused-selector warning).
+  let imgOk = $state(!!article.image_url);
+
+  // Only ever link out to real http(s) URLs (the API is clean, but cheap defense).
+  const safeHref =
+    typeof article.url === 'string' && /^https?:\/\//.test(article.url) ? article.url : '#';
+
   function act(kind, value) {
     if (value) onaction?.(kind, value);
   }
 </script>
 
 <article class:hero>
-  <a class="media" href={article.url} target="_blank" rel="noopener">
-    {#if article.image_url}
+  <a class="media" href={safeHref} target="_blank" rel="noopener">
+    {#if article.image_url && imgOk}
       <img src={article.image_url} alt="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer"
-           onerror={(e) => e.currentTarget.parentElement.classList.add('noimg')} />
+           onerror={() => (imgOk = false)} />
+    {:else}
+      <span class="fallback">{article.topic ?? 'good news'}</span>
     {/if}
-    <span class="fallback">{article.topic ?? 'good news'}</span>
   </a>
 
   <div class="body">
@@ -22,7 +32,7 @@
       <span class="src">{article.source}</span>
     </div>
 
-    <h3><a href={article.url} target="_blank" rel="noopener">{article.title}</a></h3>
+    <h3><a href={safeHref} target="_blank" rel="noopener">{article.title}</a></h3>
 
     {#if hero && article.description}
       <p class="desc">{article.description}</p>
@@ -59,13 +69,11 @@
   }
   .media img { width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: cover; }
   .fallback {
-    position: absolute; inset: 0; display: none;
+    position: absolute; inset: 0; display: flex;
     align-items: center; justify-content: center;
-    font-family: var(--serif); font-style: italic; color: var(--sage-deep); opacity: 0.6;
-    text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: 0.02em;
+    font-family: var(--serif); font-style: italic; color: var(--sage-deep); opacity: 0.5;
+    text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: 0.02em; font-size: 1.1rem;
   }
-  .media.noimg img { display: none; }
-  .media.noimg .fallback { display: flex; }
 
   .body { padding: 16px 18px 14px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 8px; flex: 1; }
   .tags { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 8px; flex-wrap: wrap; font-size: 0.74rem; }