As the war in Gaza passes the 20-month mark, Executive Editor Isaac Saul has been reflecting on how his views on Israel — and his identity as a Zionist — have changed since Hamas’s October 7 attack. In today's Friday edition, Isaac is tackling the claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and exploring how the war has fundamentally shifted his beliefs about the conflict. It’s a deeply personal piece that Isaac has been developing over the past few months, and we’re looking forward to your...
May 30, 2025•16 min
On May 5, the federal government began collecting on its defaulted student loan portfolio for the first time since March 2020 for approximately five million borrowers in default. As part of its collection efforts, the Trump administration says it will garnish wages, tax refunds, and federal benefits of defaulted student loan borrowers. After collections resumed, approximately 2.2 million had their credit scores drop by 100 points or more, potentially impacting their ability to secure housing, in...
May 29, 2025•31 min
On Thursday, the Supreme Court blocked a religious online charter school from obtaining public funding from the state of Oklahoma. In a 4–4 decision that Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from, the court affirmed the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling that prevented St. Isidore of Seville — a Catholic online-only charter school in Oklahoma City — from receiving public funds. The court did not disclose how the justices voted in the case, only releasing a one-sentence opinion: “The judgment i...
May 28, 2025•27 min
Late Sunday night and into Monday morning, Russia launched its largest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched over 350 explosive drones and at least nine cruise missiles in the attack, which followed a similar aerial assault one day earlier that killed at least 12 people. The string of attacks marks a setback as U.S. and European leaders attempt to broker a peace agreement between the sides. Ad-free podcas...
May 27, 2025•29 min
On today's episode, Isaac talks with Emily Oster, economist, author, and CEO of ParentData, to discuss declining fertility rates globally, the impact of financial incentives on birth rates, and the various factors influencing people's decisions to have children, which not only include financial constraints, but also by changing societal attitudes towards parenthood. They talk about cultural and policy implications of family support and fertility in the United States, the need for paid parental l...
May 26, 2025•26 min
On today's Sunday podcast, Isaac talks with Sarah Isgur, Senior Editor at The Dispatch, to discuss the recent acquisition of SCOTUSblog by The Dispatch, the significance of nationwide injunctions, and the ongoing birthright citizenship case. She provides insights into the role of the Solicitor General and the current legal landscape under the Trump administration, emphasizing the importance of congressional power in legal matters. They also talk about the challenges faced by the Supreme Court in...
May 25, 2025•22 min
Every day, the Tangle team dives deep into commentary about the big, divisive story we are covering. And, I kid you not, almost every day we come across a piece from Noah Rothman. I take pride in how much I write — a daily editorial ensconced in a 4,000-word newsletter is no small feat. But Rothman makes me feel like an amateur. I’d wonder if he was some kind of robot, save the fact that his writing is so thoughtful and human that I know there’s a real person behind it. His output is equal parts...
May 23, 2025•15 min
On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the start of a new “extensive ground operation” in Gaza, which follows a week of airstrikes on the enclave. The campaign, called Operation Gideon’s Chariots, will comprise a “broad attack that includes the displacement of most of the population of the Gaza Strip,” an IDF spokesperson said . Israel has called up tens of thousands of reservists in preparation for the offensive. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad...
May 22, 2025•32 min
On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump met with House Republicans in a closed-door meeting to urge them to vote in favor of a massive spending bill to advance the president’s legislative agenda. The bill, named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was approved by the House Budget Committee 17–16 largely on party lines on Sunday, with four Republicans voting present. Now, the spending package has moved to the House Rules Committee, which House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) wants to approve the bill ...
May 21, 2025•29 min
On Thursday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on whether to lift or narrow a series of lower-court injunctions blocking the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order banning birthright citizenship. The arguments primarily focused on the constitutionality of federal judges issuing universal injunctions, which bar a specific law or policy nationwide, and did not engage the merits of the order itself. The court is expected to issue a decision in late June or early July. Ad-free podcas...
May 20, 2025•35 min
On Monday, the personal office of former President Joe Biden announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer that had metastasized to the bone. According to the statement, the cancer is “a more aggressive form of the disease,” but also “appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.” Biden is now reviewing treatment options with his doctors. The diagnosis follows last Tuesday’s announcement that doctors had found a “small nodule” in Biden's prostate during a routine ...
May 19, 2025•28 min
On today's Sunday podcast, Isaac and Ari are joined by our newest team member, Editor-at-large Kmele Foster. They delve into media criticism surrounding President Biden's presidency. They discuss revelations from a new book that highlights the challenges and perceptions of Biden's mental and physical state, the role of media in shaping public perception, and the complexities of reporting on political figures. The conversation also touches on the influence of celebrity in politics and the dynamic...
May 18, 2025•1 hr 31 min
As part of our work at Tangle, we solicit reader questions about politics and our work every day in our newsletter. And every few months, so many interesting questions we want to answer pile up that we decide to tackle a bunch of them at once in a members-only reader mailbag. Today is one of those days. We think these mailbags are a healthy exercise that not only helps us cycle through our stack of questions, but also allows us to critically examine some of our own writing and provide readers wi...
May 16, 2025•22 min
On Monday, 59 South Africans arrived in the United States as refugees, the first group to be granted the designation under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February. The refugees are Afrikaners, a South African minority group descended primarily from Dutch settlers who arrived in South Africa during the 17th century. President Trump said the group has been the victim of racially discriminatory policies that have led to disproportionate violence, which he equated to genocide...
May 15, 2025•30 min
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug prices for U.S. citizens by establishing “most-favored-nation pricing.” The order directs the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to facilitate price targets for pharmaceutical companies, tying their prices to what consumers pay in other countries. “We’ve been subsidizing other countries throughout the world,” Trump said at a White House signing ceremony on Monday, adding that “some prescript...
May 14, 2025•31 min
On Sunday, ABC News reported that the Trump administration was preparing to accept a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from Qatar’s royal family. Under the arrangement, President Donald Trump would use the plane as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which point it will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library foundation. The report comes as the president embarks on a trip to the Middle East — the first major foreign trip of his second term — though White House...
May 13, 2025•29 min
On Friday, federal officers arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) for trespassing at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in New Jersey. The mayor was protesting at the facility when, according to Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba, he “ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself.” Baraka was later formally charged and released from custody; he denies any wrongdoing. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listen...
May 12, 2025•27 min
On today's Sunday podcast, Isaac and Ari discuss the recent election of a new Pope, and find a new nickname for Ari. They also talk about the criticism surrounding their review of Trump's presidency, addressing concerns about the adequacy of their analysis in light of the current political climate. The conversation highlights the challenges of providing objective political commentary while acknowledging the emotional stakes involved for listeners. They discuss the challenges of uniting a divided...
May 11, 2025•31 min
At Tangle, we’ve recently been reflecting on our coverage from the past five years, identifying stories that we covered once or twice, thought could reshape our lives, and then… they didn’t. And we’re asking: What happened to that story? So today, we’re trying to figure out how one story in particular has panned out. The topic should be familiar to most: the 2022 baby formula shortage. As we’ll get into below, the story combined pandemic-era challenges with existing supply chain issues (and a bi...
May 09, 2025•20 min
On Wednesday, the Indian government said it conducted several airstrikes in Pakistan-controlled territory. While India called the strikes a success, at least two of its military aircraft were reportedly lost in the operation. Pakistani military officials said at least 31 people were killed in the strikes or by artillery fire. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go to R...
May 08, 2025•32 min
On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that he will authorize the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to institute a 100% tariff on movies produced in foreign countries. “Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in additi...
May 07, 2025•30 min
On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and all executive departments to end federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The order claims that the outlets fail to offer “a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens” and instructs the CPB to “cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law” and “decline to provide futur...
May 06, 2025•28 min
On Friday, the Trump administration released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2026. The White House recommends budgeting $557 billion in nondefense discretionary spending, $163 billion (22.6%) below current levels, with significant cuts to foreign aid, scientific research, and environmental programs. It also proposes $1.01 trillion for defense spending, a 13% increase. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe t...
May 05, 2025•29 min
On today's Sunday podcast, Senior Editor Will Kaback interviews Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) They discuss the organization's mission to defend free speech across the United States, the challenges posed by partisan politics, and the implications of recent cases like that of Mahmoud Khalil. He contrasts the American approach to free speech with that of Europe, emphasizing the importance of protecting offensive speech in a diverse society. ...
May 04, 2025•22 min
Yesterday, we published Part 1 of our review of the Trump administration's first 100 days. You can read that here . Today, we are going to cover some of the promises, controversies, and stories we didn’t have space for in Part 1. Then we’ll share some arguments from the left and right, and then Tangle Executive Editor Isaac Saul gives his take on Trump’s first 100 days. To access the full version of this podcast and more Friday Edition and Sunday podcasts click on the link for Ad-Free podcasts b...
May 02, 2025•12 min
Since there’s so much to cover, we’ll be reviewing President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in a two-part edition. This edition is part one, and we’re sending it to all subscribers. Today, we’ll examine Trump’s central campaign promises and the degree to which he has kept them. Consistent with past reviews of Biden and Trump, we’ll use a “promise meter,” a 1–10 scale measuring how well Trump has kept his promise (with 10 being the best score). This is not our judgment on any policy’s efficacy or ...
May 01, 2025•37 min
On Monday, Canada held a federal election for members of the House of Commons to the 45th Parliament. The Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, won a plurality of seats , securing a fourth consecutive term in power. The Conservative Party placed second, and party leader Pierre Poilievre lost his seat, casting his political future into doubt. While the Liberals did not take enough seats to win a majority, as the party that received the most votes they will now put forward their party ...
Apr 30, 2025•29 min
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has heard a range of proposals to increase the fertility rate in the United States. While taking questions in the Oval Office on Tuesday, April 22, President Donald Trump expressed support for a “baby bonus” that would pay $5,000 per delivery to the women who have children, calling it a “good idea.” Additionally, advocates and policy experts have pitched the White House on scholarship allocations for married people or parents, new government funding for ...
Apr 29, 2025•31 min
On Friday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan for allegedly helping an unauthorized migrant evade arrest. Dugan was charged with “obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States” and “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest,” as stated in a criminal complaint signed by Milwaukee FBI agents and unsealed on Friday. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listener...
Apr 28, 2025•32 min
On today's Sunday podcast, Kmele Foster joins Isaac and Ari to discuss race, identity, and racial categories. They explore personal anecdotes, societal perceptions, and the implications of race in science and genetics. They also get into the complexities of genetic diversity, the absurdities of race science, and the implications of racial disparities in society, as well as cultural stereotypes, the dangers of racial pride, and the need for a more nuanced understanding of race in policy discussio...
Apr 27, 2025•47 min
