On Tuesday, following a marathon all-night voting session , the Republicans’ taxation and spending bill passed the Senate 51–50 on a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance. Republican Senators Rand Paul (KY), Thom Tillis (NC), and Susan Collins (ME) joined every Democratic senator in voting no; all other Republican senators voted yes. The bill — known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill (or OBBB) — originally passed the House 215–214 on May 22, but due to changes in the Senate, it now require...
Jul 02, 2025•36 min
On Friday June 27th, Tangle's newest member, Editor-at-large Kmele Foster released his first written piece. Kmele’s essay tackles America’s 2020 racial reckoning and describes his philosophy about the country’s racial movements. It's a thought provoking, vulnerable, and engaging piece that has invited a lot of comments, questions, and feedback. Many people asked us to make a podcast version of his piece and Kmele was graciously willing to record it. You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here o...
Jul 02, 2025•35 min
On Friday, the Supreme Court voted 6–3 in favor of a group of Maryland parents who had wanted to opt their elementary-aged children out of instruction that included LGBTQ+ themes. The majority agreed to grant the parents a preliminary injunction while their lawsuit proceeds in lower courts, allowing them to withhold their children from such curriculum. The court’s three liberal justices dissented. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast t...
Jul 01, 2025•31 min
On Friday, the Supreme Court voted 6–3 to partially pause rulings by federal judges blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. The decision did not weigh the constitutionality of the executive order but dealt solely with federal courts issuing universal injunctions, which prohibit the government from enforcing a law or policy anywhere in the country. The court’s majority repudiated such orders but left open the possibility that lawsuits brought by states cou...
Jun 30, 2025•31 min
Isaac, Ari, and Kmele discuss the general response and personal opinions to Zohran Mamdani's mayoral primary win and what the Democratic Party should learn from it. They also talk about the Iran strikes and then Kmele addresses some criticism we received from last week's Sunday podcast. And, as always, the Airing of Grievances and our mutual frustration with ticks! Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and...
Jun 29, 2025•1 hr 46 min
Following a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee on Sunday, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough advised that several measures in the “ Big Beautiful Bill ” fail the Byrd Rule and cannot be included in Republicans’ omnibus spending and taxation bill under budget reconciliation. Among the measures MacDonough identified are provisions barring certain noncitizens from receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), requiring the U.S. Postal Service to sell i...
Jun 26, 2025•29 min
On Tuesday, results from New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary showed state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in a commanding lead over the field, setting the stage for him to become the party’s nominee in the general election on November 4. As of 11:45am ET on Wednesday morning, Mamdani, a democratic socialist, leads former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo 43.5%–36.4% with 93% of votes in; Cuomo conceded the race on Tuesday night. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad...
Jun 25, 2025•30 min
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court voted 6–3 along ideological lines to uphold Tennessee’s ban on certain treatments for transgender minors. The ruling rejected an argument brought by three transgender teens, their parents and a Memphis doctor that the law violates the Constitution’s Equal Protection and discriminates on the basis of sex, which requires stricter scrutiny than the standard applied by a federal appeals court that previously upheld the law. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners ha...
Jun 24, 2025•32 min
On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States had carried out airstrikes on three nuclear sites in Iran: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Trump called the mission a “very successful attack” and said the aircraft involved in the strikes were all “safely on their way home.” The extent of the damage to the sites is currently unknown, though the Pentagon says its initial assessment found “extremely severe damage and destruction” at each facility. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many li...
Jun 23, 2025•32 min
Happy Juneteenth from the Tangle crew! Isaac, Ari, and Kmele talk about the MAGA fight over Iran. They also discuss the controversial interview of Ted Cruz by Tucker Carlson followed by a conversation about the potential federal land sell outs. And, as always, the Airing of Grievances, which is a particularly uplifting one today. 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 ...
Jun 22, 2025•33 min
For the last few years, one of my favorite parts of Tangle has been hiring young writers and giving them an opportunity to work with us. Over the years we’ve had a number of “interns” (nobody really does intern work here) who have made major contributions to our newsletter, gone on to work for awesome publications, or left and returned years later to work for us. Last year, our managing editor Ari Weitzman decided to formalize this experience with a six-month fellowship program. We got dozens of...
Jun 20, 2025•4 min
On Saturday morning, Minnesota House Representative Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband were shot and killed in their home in Brooklyn Park, MN. Earlier that morning, state Senator John Hoffman (D) and his wife were also shot in their home in Champlin, MN, but both survived. Authorities identified a 57-year-old male suspect and, after a two-day manhunt, apprehended him on Monday. Hortman, 55, served as Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019–2025. Ad-free podcasts are here! M...
Jun 18, 2025•32 min
On Thursday, the Trump administration began directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pause immigration investigations and enforcement actions in the agricultural, hotel, and restaurant industries. Before ICE issued the new guidance to its field agents, President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged his immigration agenda had negatively impacted these industries and promised changes. However, on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told its staff that it had reversed this...
Jun 17, 2025•30 min
The military parade and “No Kings” protests. On Saturday, the U.S. Army held a festival and parade in Washington, D.C., to commemorate its 250th anniversary, an event spearheaded by President Donald Trump. The same day, protesters gathered in over 2,000 cities across 50 states to demonstrate against the Trump administration. 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 Re...
Jun 16, 2025•29 min
After dealing with some technical difficulties, Isaac, Ari, and Kmele discuss an interview between Kmele and The Fifth Column podcasters and Senator Rand Paul, the dynamics within the Republican Party, and the challenges faced by Democrats in responding to protests and immigration issues. The conversation also touches on the role of the National Guard in civil unrest, the impact of public perception on political messaging, and the recent arrest of Senator Padilla. They talk about the potential f...
Jun 15, 2025•1 hr 37 min
Today, we originally planned to publish a piece from Tangle’s newest team member, Editor-at-Large Kmele Foster, about his view on the racial reckoning in the United States since the summer of 2020. However, late last night Israel launched a large-scale coordinated attack on Iran, so we decided to release a special edition to all Tangle subscribers covering the news. We’re still very excited to share Kmele’s piece with everyone in a future Friday edition. However, we decided that the latest news ...
Jun 13, 2025•32 min
In the past week, the latest metrics for several key economic indicators have been released amid global uncertainty over the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. In May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’s (BLS) inflation report showed prices rising at a lower rate than many economists expected, while the bureau’s jobs report showed hiring slowed slightly from the month prior but also came in higher than projections. Separately, negotiators from the Trump administration and the Chinese gover...
Jun 12, 2025•28 min
On Monday, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the independent Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The panel is responsible for developing recommendations for safe vaccine use and the U.S. adult and childhood immunization schedules, and the HHS secretary appoints its members to serve four-year terms. Kennedy says the move will allow the Trump administrati...
Jun 11, 2025•31 min
On Friday, the United States returned Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador to face charges in Tennessee for alleged trafficking of unauthorized migrants and conspiracy. In March, Abrego Garcia was mistakenly sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center, a mega-prison in El Salvador. Then in April, the Supreme Court upheld a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis requiring the government to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return. El Salvador agreed to release Abrego Garcia after the U.S. present...
Jun 10, 2025•27 min
On Friday evening, protests over immigration arrests in Los Angeles, California, sparked violent confrontations with federal and local law enforcement that led President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard. Federal immigration agents wearing riot gear swept several locations near downtown Los Angeles during the day, according to witness videos , leading to the arrest of 45 people. President Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to the city on Saturday, over the obj...
Jun 09, 2025•31 min
In todays special Friday edition, Isaac talks with Jonah Platt, host of the podcast "Being Jewish with Jonah Platt", in response to Isaac's "I think I’m leaving Zionism, or Zionism is leaving me." episode, which was published last Friday. In case you missed it, it is also available to stream in its entirety without a paid subscription. By the way: If you are not yet a podcast member, and you want to upgrade your newsletter subscription plan to include a podcast membership (which gets you ad-free...
Jun 06, 2025•1 hr 18 min
We couldn't wait until Sunday. Isaac, Ari, and Kmele talk about the fallout between Elon Musk and Donald Trump as the tweets are coming out! They discuss the predictable nature of their breakup, the implications for political alliances, and the potential impact on legislation. They talk about Elon's future and his influence in the political landscape. They also discuss the feedback to Isaac's piece on Zionism. And, last but not least, the Airing of Grievances. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many lis...
Jun 06, 2025•1 hr 38 min
On Tuesday, former White House adviser Elon Musk escalated his criticisms of the budget reconciliation “big beautiful bill” passed by House Republicans, calling it “a disgusting abomination.” Though he did not mention President Donald Trump by name, Musk’s comments underscore a growing divide between the tech CEO and the president, who aggressively lobbied for the bill and remains supportive of it. Musk delivered the criticism as he departed his official role as a “special government employee” l...
Jun 05, 2025•29 min
On Sunday, Ukraine carried out a coordinated drone attack within Russian territory hitting dozens of Russian bombers. The attack, called Operation Spider’s Web, used 117 Ukrainian drones hidden at four different air bases across Russia to strike 41 Russian aircraft, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian security services claim the strikes caused $7 billion in damage and took out over a third of Russia’s nuclear-capable airplanes. Later on Sunday night, Russia launched 472 drones and seven ...
Jun 04, 2025•28 min
In Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, a man attacked members of a Jewish community group advocating for the release of hostages in Gaza. The suspect, identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, reportedly used a makeshift flamethrower and threw incendiary devices into the crowd, injuring 12 people . Witnesses reported that the suspect shouted “Free Palestine!” during the attack, and police found over a dozen unlit Molotov cocktails in Soliman’s vicinity after his arrest. Soliman is now in custody facing hate...
Jun 03, 2025•31 min
On Wednesday, the United States Court of International Trade (CIT) blocked President Donald Trump’s global tariffs from enforcement, ruling that the president lacked the authority to impose the duties unilaterally. However, the Trump administration appealed the decision to a federal appeals court, and on Thursday that court paused the CIT decision while it considers its ruling. The CIT’s summary judgment was issued on two separate cases and is the first major legal challenge to President Trump’s...
Jun 02, 2025•30 min
On today's Sunday podcast, Isaac, Ari, and Kmele talk about Kmele's recent appearance on CNN, the nature of cable news debates, the impact of Trump's tariff policies, and recent legal rulings regarding those tariffs. They discuss the challenges of political discourse in a polarized environment, the implications of tariff policies on the economy, and the evolving landscape of media coverage surrounding these issues. They touch on the unpredictability of Trump's influence on the economy, the impli...
Jun 01, 2025•37 min
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•42 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
