President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to sign an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to facilitate closing the Education Department. McMahon, who was confirmed by the Senate last Monday, said she does not know when President Trump will sign the order, but affirmed that he is "crystal clear" on the move. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to ...
Mar 10, 2025•29 min
In today's episode, Ari and Isaac fulfilled a promise to recap everything that happened between Thursday and Sunday last week. Then Isaac tries to make opening a six pack a thing. They talk about Bill Ackman, comedians doing politics, pancreatic cancer vaccines, Doge, duh, Gavin Newsom, and good democratic talking points for once. And last but not least, the Airing of Grievances. This is a preview of today's special edition that is available in full and ad-free for our premium podcast subscriber...
Mar 09, 2025•26 min
A little over six weeks ago, my wife gave birth to our first child. For today’s Friday edition, I decided to take a brief break from the news to share a bit about our experience, what I learned, and how having a kid has already begun to impact some of my politics. I hope you enjoy it! This is a preview of today's special edition that is available in full and ad-free for our premium podcast subscribers. If you'd like to complete this episode and receive Sunday editions, exclusive interviews, bonu...
Mar 07, 2025•25 min
Just after midnight on Tuesday, President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all Mexican and Canadian imports — with a lower 10% tariff on Canadian energy imports — and doubled the existing tariff on Chinese products to 20%. Shortly thereafter, China imposed up to 15% tariffs on some U.S. imports, and Canada issued a 25% levy. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico would issue tariffs on U.S. goods by this Sunday but did not offer sp...
Mar 06, 2025•30 min
Tuesday night, President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time in his second term. Though not technically a State of the Union address, Trump used the platform to tout his administration’s early achievements. Additionally, President Trump outlined his legislative agenda, called attention to stories of Americans who had been victims of crime, and highlighted his administration’s cost-cutting initiatives and executive orders on social issues. The speech ...
Mar 05, 2025•29 min
In January, Managing Editor talked with Meredith Sumpter. She is the CEO of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that researches and advances voting reforms including ranked choice voting and the Fair Representation Act. They discuss the significance of ranked choice voting (RCV) as a reform for improving American democracy. She addresses misconceptions about RCV, emphasizing its simplicity and effectiveness in enhancing voter representation and accountability. This is a preview of today's speci...
Mar 05, 2025•23 min
On Sunday, President Donald Trump named five digital assets — Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, and Cardano — that will make up a “Crypto Strategic Reserve” for the United States. The announcement follows Trump’s January 23 executive order establishing the Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, which is tasked with evaluating the creation of a strategic stockpile of national digital assets. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this po...
Mar 04, 2025•26 min
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met at the White House to conduct final negotiations over a mineral-rights deal. During an Oval Office discussion open to the press, Trump, Zelensky and Vice President JD Vance discussed the future of the Ukraine-Russia war. Toward the end of the meeting, however, Vance and Zelensky clashed over how the administration might navigate Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. After the meeting, Zelensky left the...
Mar 03, 2025•32 min
In today's episode, Isaac is officially back! Isaac and Ari talk about Elon Musk obviously, government waste, DOGE, some of the people that are flying under the radar thanks to Elon Musk, the republicans new budget bill and the Ukraine deal. Finally, Ari and and Isaac play a game and learn about a terrible D3 college that ruin them. And last but not least, the Airing of Grievances. This is a preview of today's special edition that is available in full and ad-free for our premium podcast subscrib...
Mar 02, 2025•33 min
In today's Friday edition, Executive Editor and Founder, Isaac Saul, debunks some of the myths and misconceptions about Tangle (and himself). He outlines our company's principles and gives a candid description about our mission, our work, and the goals we aim to accomplish. Thank you to all of our readers and listeners and we hope this gives clarity to everyone. As always, please feel free to write in with any thoughts your have to [email protected]. You can subscribe to Tangle by...
Feb 28, 2025•13 min
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had accepted the draft of a deal that would send partial revenues from Ukraine’s rare earth minerals to the United States. Zelensky described the agreement as a “framework” and said he and Trump would be holding further discussions. The deal could be signed as soon as Friday, when Zelensky reportedly plans to visit the White House. Ad-free podcasts are here! Man...
Feb 27, 2025•29 min
On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Kashyap “Kash” Patel as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Patel was a former federal prosecutor who served in the White House during President Donald Trump’s first term and is viewed by many as a Trump loyalist. On Sunday, Trump announced that Patel had named Dan Bongino as deputy FBI director. Bongino is a popular conservative podcaster who served in the New York Police Department and the Secret ...
Feb 26, 2025•29 min
On Saturday, Elon Musk posted on X that federal employees must respond to an email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) detailing their work in the past week, adding that “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” Shortly after, OPM emailed federal employees asking for a list of “5 bullets of what you accomplished last week” by Monday at 11:59pm ET ( screenshot ). However, many agencies have instructed their workers not to reply to the email, while unio...
Feb 25, 2025•30 min
On Friday, President Donald Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., as part of a series of dismissals of top Pentagon officers. Shortly after Trump announced Brown’s dismissal, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that he would replace Admiral Lisa Franchetti, chief of U.S. naval operations, and General James Slife, the Air Force’s vice chief of staff, as well as the judge advocates general (the military’s top lawyers) for...
Feb 24, 2025•29 min
In today's episode, Managing Editor Ari Weitzman and Executive Producer Jon Lall discuss various themes surrounding political dynamics, feedback on the podcast, and the implications of Elon Musk's actions with Doge. They talk about the challenges within the Democratic Party, the quest for authenticity in politics, and the complexities of government efficiency. Ari then speaks with Ray Brescia, a law professor and author, about the legal implications of Elon Musk's involvement with the government...
Feb 23, 2025•27 min
The day Donald Trump was inaugurated, my son was born. In retrospect, the timing feels inevitable ("Founder of politics newsletter has baby on inauguration day"), but it created an interesting dynamic for me. Most notably, I got to step back from the day-to-day ruckus of what it's like when Trump is flooding the zone with news and could take in each story with a bit more thoughtfulness. And as I return from paternity leave, it means that I now have the chance to share a month’s worth of distille...
Feb 21, 2025•33 min
Republicans in Congress are moving to pass a budget plan to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda. On Wednesday, the Senate voted 50-47 to take up the outline of a budget that would increase immigration and military spending but does not include an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The vote is a key step in the budget reconciliation process , which allows a party to bypass the Senate's 60-vote filibuster rule to pass eligible budget legislation...
Feb 20, 2025•31 min
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has gained access or attempted to gain access to numerous departments across the federal government for its cost-cutting initiatives. The actions have prompted state attorneys general to file suits blocking DOGE from accessing confidential data, and in the past week several U.S. district judges have issued temporary rulings on the ongoing challenges. We are surveying our podcast listeners to better understand ou...
Feb 19, 2025•31 min
On Tuesday, U.S. and Russian officials met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff led the American delegation, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov represented Russia. The meeting did not include Ukrainian or European representatives, though President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian Presid...
Feb 18, 2025•30 min
Editor's note: We are off for President's Day today, but have a special edition featuring a guest writer today. Core to our mission at Tangle is offering perspectives from influential and thoughtful voices from across the political spectrum. As we've grown, our ability to advance that mission has also grown, allowing us a broader reach and new ways to offer coverage of political news to our subscribers. Today, we are pleased to publish a thoughtful essay from Jacob Sullum , senior editor a...
Feb 17, 2025•23 min
Please enjoy this preview episode of our Sunday podcast. The full editions are available exclusively for premium podcast members. To become a member, please go to tanglemedia.supercast.com and sign up. In this episode, Ari and Will talk about a significant NBA trade, a lot of Trump administration talk and propriety in government. After that Ari and Will go over some global defense budgets in a fun game. And last but not least, the Airing of Grievances. You can subscribe to Tangle by clicki...
Feb 16, 2025•32 min
This is the 3rd Annual Valentine's Day Podcast! On this special episode, Isaac and his amazing wife, Phoebe, talk about navigating through their experiences as first time parents, how their perspectives have expanded and changed on birth, healthcare, family leave, and abortion. They also discuss their future and what each is looking forward to. And throughout the episode, they are joined by a very special guest, their newborn son, Omri. You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or...
Feb 14, 2025•2 hr 40 min
Back in 2022, we published an original essay from our outgoing editorial intern Audrey Moorehead, who wrote about the experience of transitioning from her hometown in Lynchburg, Tennessee, to Harvard University. Audrey has remained a part of the Tangle family since the end of her internship, and last year, she recommended a Harvard classmate of hers, Sophia Downs , as a candidate for our associate editor position. We brought Sophia on over the summer and since then, she’s been an&nbs...
Feb 14, 2025•12 min
On Monday, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove directed the Southern District of New York to dismiss without prejudice all charges in its corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. In its dismissal, the Department of Justice reasoned that the case was politically motivated by the Biden administration and interfered with the mayor’s ability to combat the city’s migrant crisis. Adams, 64, is currently serving a four-year term as mayor and is running for reelect...
Feb 13, 2025•28 min
On Friday, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought took over as acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and ordered the agency to grant officials from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to its non-classified systems. Over the weekend, Vought directed CFPB employees to “stand down from performing any work task,” then announced the CFPB’s Washington, D.C., office would be closed through February 14. Ad-free pod...
Feb 12, 2025•30 min
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order called “ Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports ” prohibiting all participants who do not meet the government’s definition of biological females from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. The order directs the federal government to withhold funding from K-12 schools and colleges that do not comply, drawing authority from Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. Furthermore, it requires representatives of the governing bodies of...
Feb 11, 2025•31 min
Ari Weitzman interviews Senator Andy Kim, the first Korean American Senator from New Jersey. They discuss Kim's political journey, his motivations for serving, and his reflections on the roles of the House and Senate. The conversation also touches on voter engagement strategies for Democrats and concludes with rapid-fire questions that reveal Kim's personal insights. This is a preview of today's special edition that is available in full and ad-free for our premium podcast subscribers. If you'd l...
Feb 11, 2025•27 min
On Saturday, a federal judge blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment systems. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer ruled that only “civil servants with a need for access to perform their job duties” may use the system, while special government employees are explicitly barred. The ruling will remain in place until at least this Friday, when another judge will hear arguments in a case brought by 19 Democra...
Feb 10, 2025•31 min
Please enjoy this preview episode of our Sunday podcast. The full editions are available exclusively for premium podcast members. To become a member, please go to tanglemedia.supercast.com and sign up. In this episode, Ari and Will talk about the complex relationship between the federal government and private companies, particularly in the context of Trump's governance style. They discuss Trump's approach to foreign policy, Israel and Gaza, the implications of his proposed policies, and examine ...
Feb 09, 2025•28 min
On Wednesday, January 29, an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers collided with an American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members over the Potomac River. The plane had been approaching Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., and was preparing to land when the helicopter intersected its path, killing all 67 people . The crash was the deadliest air accident in the U.S. since November 11, 2001 . The crash prompted immediate questions about ...
Feb 08, 2025•23 min
