In the wake of the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. There've been a lot of questions, namely questions about the security and the Secret Service at this Butler, Pennsylvania event. How could something like this happen? How could a 20 year old kid get onto a roof just a few hundred feet away from the former president and get several clean shots, several clean attempts, at his life? Today, we're sitting down with former Secret Service agent Bill Gage to talk about what happe...
Jul 19, 2024•25 min
Bob Menendez’s bribery verdict. On Tuesday, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was convicted on all counts of bribery, acting as a foreign agent for Egypt, obstruction of justice, extortion, and conspiring to commit those crimes. The verdict makes Menendez the first sitting U.S. senator to be found guilty of being an agent of a foreign government. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . Imagine this: ...
Jul 18, 2024•28 min
On Thursday June 27th, 2024, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump took the stage in the first of two planned televised debates. The debate, which took place in Atlanta and was hosted by CNN, was unique in a few ways. The Commission on Presidential Debates, which has organized debates for nearly 40 years, was excluded after both Trump and Biden expressed their dissatisfaction over the organization’s handling of previous debates. CNN had its own debate format that both candidates ...
Jul 18, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 5
The dismissal of Trump’s classified documents case. On Monday, Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the Department of Justice’s case against former President Donald Trump for illegal retention of classified documents. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . Imagine this: There are over 100,000 people on this mailing list. If every person got one friend to sign up for Tangle, we could double our rea...
Jul 17, 2024•28 min
J.D. Vance. On Monday, former President Donald Trump announced freshman Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his running mate for the 2024 election. Before his election to the Senate, Vance was best known as the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” which describes his experience growing up in a poverty-stricken home in Ohio. Vance, 39, is the first millennial nominated to either party's major ticket. If elected, he would become one of the youngest and least experienced vice presidents in U.S. history, with less th...
Jul 16, 2024•26 min
The Trump assassination attempt. On Saturday, former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Around six minutes into his remarks, gunshots rang out and Trump grabbed his right ear, dropping to the ground as Secret Service agents swarmed him. Moments later, Trump stood up surrounded by Secret Service with blood covering his ear and running down his face, raised his fist to the crowd, and mouthed “fight” multiple times. ...
Jul 15, 2024•34 min
Isaac got to talk with Alon Gat. He recounts his harrowing experience on October 7th, what happened to him and his family, the current situation, and his hope for the future of Israelis and Palestinians. You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, ...
Jul 14, 2024•51 min
A few months ago I flew to Vancouver to give a talk at TED2024 in Vancouver. I'd call something like this a "bucket list" item, except I never actually imagined it was something I'd get to do. The invitation was more like a monster surprise, a major career achievement, and a really fun way to spread the word about what we're doing here at Tangle. Anyway, when I made the trip, we announced it in the newsletter. Predictably, thousands of readers asked about how to watch or listen to the TED talk, ...
Jul 11, 2024•7 min
The Republican Party’s platform. Over the weekend, the Republican party released its 2024 campaign platform , the first time it has released a party platform since 2016. The document — titled “2024 GOP Platform Make America Great Again!” — includes 20 promises and 10 chapters outlining the governing priorities for a Republican president. Typically, the Republican and Democrat parties release their platforms ahead of their national conventions, and this year’s release precedes t...
Jul 10, 2024•29 min
The French elections. Over the weekend, a leftist coalition called the New Popular Front (NFP) won a plurality of seats in the 2024 French legislative election in a surprise upset over a right-wing movement that was expected to dominate the election. However, the New Popular Front failed to win a majority, leaving open the possibility of a hung parliament, which would be an unprecedented outcome in French history. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the ...
Jul 09, 2024•26 min
Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. In the eleven days since President Joe Biden’s widely criticized performance in the first presidential debate, a growing number of donors, allies, and Democratic lawmakers have called on the president to drop out of the race. Several polls released in the last week show former President Donald Trump’s lead over Biden increasing , adding to Democrats’ fears that the president’s reelection effort is failing with Election Day less than four ...
Jul 08, 2024•27 min
City of Grants Pass v. Johnson . On Friday, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 along ideological lines to uphold ordinances in the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, that outlaw sleeping and camping in public places while using materials like blankets, pillows, or cardboard boxes for warmth or shelter. The decision overturns a lower court’s determination that such laws are unconstitutional and grants greater authority to local governments to address homelessness in their communities. ...
Jul 03, 2024•27 min
Trump v. United States . On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that former President Donald Trump is entitled to immunity from federal prosecution for his official actions while in office. The decision is the first Supreme Court ruling to assert that former presidents are shielded from criminal charges for actions deemed to be within their constitutional authority, though it also clarified that presidents do not have immunity for unofficial acts. The ruling, which fell alo...
Jul 02, 2024•28 min
The end of Chevron deference. On Friday, the Supreme Court overruled the court’s 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council , which deferred to the judgment of federal agencies in interpreting statutory text to create regulations based on ambiguous laws. The 6-3 ruling fell along ideological lines, with the court’s six Republican-appointed justices in the majority. The decision is expected to shift the balance of power between the execut...
Jul 01, 2024•27 min
Last night, Tangle editors Ari Weitzman and Will Kaback were tuned into the debate along with Isaac. We thought it’d be extra informative, even fun, to supplement today's newsletter with some additional commentary and thoughts from our editors. You can read today's podcast here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can catch our latest YouTube video on Juneteenth here . Check out Episode 4 of our podcast series The Undecideds . Please give us a 5-star rating and leave a comment! Y...
Jun 28, 2024•55 min
The NY-16 primary. On Tuesday, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) lost to Democratic challenger George Latimer in the primary election for New York’s 16th Congressional District. The race was one of the most closely watched primaries in the country and the most expensive House primary ever, with around $24 million spent on advertising alone. Latimer led Bowman 58%-42% with 88% of the vote counted as of this morning. Latimer will now face Republican Miriam F...
Jun 27, 2024•27 min
Julian Assange’s plea deal. On Tuesday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released from a British prison to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge with the U.S. Justice Department. After his release, Assange traveled to the island of Saipan in the U.S. territory of the Marianas Islands in the Pacific, where he stood trial at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday morning (Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eastern Time). If you’re interested, you can read what I've previously written about Assang...
Jun 26, 2024•29 min
The Ten Commandments law in Louisiana . Last week, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom in the state — from elementary school up to public colleges. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can catch our latest YouTube video on Juneteenth here . We were previously publishing these episodes on our Tangle podcast pa...
Jun 26, 2024•28 min
United States v. Rahimi . On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law barring anyone subject to a restraining order for domestic violence from possessing firearms. The ruling reversed a judgment by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the law violated the Second Amendment’s guarantee of a right to keep and bear arms. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can catch our latest YouT...
Jun 24, 2024•29 min
On today's episode, Isaac and Ari talk about recent Supreme Court rulings and the potential impact of upcoming cases, the controversial law in Louisiana that requires the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, Will Kaback's Friday piece on RFK Jr. and his potential impact in the 2024 presidential election, and one Airing of Grievances, as well as one computer dying. You can catch our latest YouTube video on Juneteenth here . We were previously publishing these episodes on o...
Jun 23, 2024•1 hr 13 min
Biden’s new immigration executive order. On Tuesday, President Biden announced a large-scale immigration program offering unauthorized immigrants married to American citizens legal status and an expedited pathway to citizenship for them and their children. The executive order will allow applicants to live and work in the United States legally under an existing policy called “Parole in Place,” which grants temporary legal status for immigrants seeking long-term residency. Immigrants w...
Jun 21, 2024•31 min
The bump-stock ban. On Friday, a divided Supreme Court struck down a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, the gun attachment used to make semi-automatic weapons fire at a rate similar to fully automatic firearms. The court broke 6-3 along ideological lines , with all three liberal justices in dissent. In the majority opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas emphasized that Congress has not enacted a law to ban weapons capable of high rates of fire, so the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosi...
Jun 18, 2024•35 min
The Supreme Court’s abortion pill ruling . On Thursday, the court unanimously rejected a lawsuit brought by pro-life medical groups and doctors that aimed to restrict access to mifepristone, a drug commonly used in medication abortions. The justices did not rule on the merits of the arguments, instead dismissing the case because the plaintiffs lacked standing, or a legal right to sue. You can read our previous coverage of this case here and here . You can read today...
Jun 17, 2024•27 min
On today's episode, Ari shares a ghost story, Isaac and Ari talk about Project 2025, the latest inflation report and the partisan views around it, and as always, the Airing of Grievances. You can catch our latest YouTube video, an interview with Alyssa Cass and Pat Rosenstiel, and their efforts to make the popular vote the official decision in electing the US President, here . We were previously publishing these episodes on our Tangle podcast page, but we just re-launched the series — and ...
Jun 16, 2024•1 hr 3 min
The latest economic indicators. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for May, which showed an increase of 3.3% from a year earlier , slightly slower than April’s 3.4% rate. On a month-to-month basis, prices remained the same for the first time since July 2022. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.2%, its slowest pace since October 2023. You can read our coverage of past inflation repo...
Jun 13, 2024•28 min
Israel's hostage rescue. On Saturday, Israel rescued four living hostages from inside the Nuseirat refugee camp in Central Gaza. The hostages were freed eight months after they were kidnapped by Hamas militants who had crossed the border into Israel. All four — Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv — were abducted from the Nova music festival in Southern Israel on October 7. An estimated 116 of the 250 hostages taken remain in Gaza, at least 40 of wh...
Jun 13, 2024•29 min
New York’s congestion pricing pause. On Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) paused a plan to implement a “congestion” toll on motorists entering Manhattan below 60th Street. The toll, scheduled to go into effect on June 30, was intended to relieve gridlock, improve air quality, and provide roughly $1 billion a year to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to modernize the city’s century-old transit infrastructure. You can read today's podcast here , our “...
Jun 11, 2024•30 min
Hunter Biden's trial. On Friday, federal prosecutors rested their case against Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, who is facing three felony charges related to a 2018 firearm purchase he allegedly made while using drugs. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can catch our latest YouTube video, an interview with Alyssa Cass and Pat Rosenstiel, and their efforts to make the popular vote the of...
Jun 10, 2024•30 min
On today's episode, Isaac and Ari hold the inaugural Tangle Congressional Draft. Each of them take turns selecting sitting members of Congress to make their own dream team Congress. discussing their reasoning behind each pick. And as always, they finish strong with the Airing of Grievances. YouTube comments are usually a place to find complaints, anger, and division. But on our latest video — my interview with Haviv Gur — I’ve been humbled to find overwhelmingly positive feedback. If...
Jun 09, 2024•2 hr 57 min
Biden’s new border policy. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden issued an executive order to temporarily shut down all asylum requests at the southern U.S. border when the seven-day average of daily encounters at official ports of entry tops 2,500 per day. The measure grants authorities the power to quickly deport migrants caught crossing illegally or turn them back to Mexico, with exceptions for unaccompanied children, people who face serious medical or safety threats and victims of trafficking, the...
Jun 06, 2024•31 min
