The expected and unexpected of parenting. Dear readers, Before we get into today’s very personal Friday edition, I wanted to remind you that we paywall our Friday editions. We fundamentally believe reliable news and great writing should be accessible — so we’ve made a habit of giving roughly 80% of our content away for free. But we are also primarily supported by Tangle members (who provide 90% of our revenue) to keep this project running. Members get very specific benefits: Access to Friday edi...
Jun 26, 2026•13 min
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that federal law protecting prisoners’ religious exercise does not extend to a lawsuit brought by an incarcerated Rastafarian man who sought damages after prison officials forcibly shaved his head. The man, Damon Landor, sued both the Louisiana Department of Corrections and several of its officers individually under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which defines the religious rights of people held in institutions that rece...
Jun 25, 2026•28 min
Coming up on today's mega episode of Suspension of the Rules, Isaac, Ari and Kmele cover the reflecting pool controversy, the historic election in New York that has upended the Democratic establishment, Tulsi Gabbard and a very strange story about a cult leader, and a debate about whether or not Tara Palmeri should've released her recent interview. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! You ...
Jun 25, 2026•1 hr 26 min
On Tuesday, the House passed a comprehensive housing affordability bill 358–32, sending the measure to President Donald Trump to sign into law. The bill, titled the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, seeks to increase housing supply by rolling back construction regulations, expanding financing options, and restricting institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes in most circumstances. The Senate voted 85–5 to pass the bill on Monday. After originally scheduling a signing ceremony t...
Jun 24, 2026•30 min
Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have broken through in primary races for local and national seats. Headlined by figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), democratic-socialist candidates have challenged incumbents in strongly Democratic areas, seeking to pull the party toward more progressive positions on key issues. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to thi...
Jun 23, 2026•28 min
Isaac Saul interviews Tim Urban, author of the book What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies and creator of the popular blog Wait But Why. Tim does an incredible job at explaining how the big divide between the left and the right doesn't really explain whats going on in our country and what he thinks the solutions could be. You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Produ...
Jun 23, 2026•12 min
On Sunday, Vice President JD Vance and a team of U.S. negotiators met with Iranian officials in Switzerland to begin peace negotiations . The vice president took a leading role in finalizing the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that Iran and the U.S. signed last week, and on Sunday, Vance called for a broad reset of relations after nearly four months of war. He also rebuked Israeli politicians for their criticism of the recent MOU, drawing scrutiny from some conservatives and raising broader qu...
Jun 22, 2026•27 min
On Wednesday, both the United States and Iran remotely signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war between the two countries after more than 100 days of conflict. The White House also announced the details of the 14-point plan, which included calls for the U.S. and Iran to allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz and commits the United States to facilitating a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our...
Jun 18, 2026•32 min
Coming up on todays episode of Suspension of the Rules, Isaac, Ari and Kmele are joined by Executive Producer Jon Lall and Tangle editor/father of Isaac Saul, Bailey Saul for a special Father's Day edition of SOTR. It's a good one! Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Fo...
Jun 18, 2026•1 hr 19 min
On Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that in 2027, the United Kingdom will ban children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube (but not YouTube Kids). Several other countries have passed similar bans, but the UK’s measure will go further, blocking features like live-streaming and communicating with strangers while gaming. Furthermore, Starmer said the regulations will restrict access to artificial intelligence (AI) ch...
Jun 17, 2026•30 min
On Sunday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hosted a mixed martial arts fighting event on the South Lawn of the White House, billed as a celebration of the United States’s 250th anniversary this summer. The event, which coincided with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, was held in front of approximately 4,000 spectators, including top Trump administration officials, active military members, and high-profile business executives. Some lawmakers criticized the cost and aesthetics of th...
Jun 16, 2026•30 min
On Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has served as a mediator in peace discussions between the United States and Iran, announced that the two countries reached a deal to end their conflict. The Pakistani leader said that both countries would immediately cease military operations and formally sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Friday, though the text of the memorandum has not been released. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our ...
Jun 15, 2026•30 min
The things I've published in Tangle that make me groan. Friday is upon us. Mazel tov for surviving another week. I’m Isaac Saul , and before we jump into a very fun (and humbling) Friday edition, I wanted to let you know that the Tangle team has arrived in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and… well… it’s as advertised. Gorgeous, rolling hills and woods, a quaint downtown, and great restaurants and spas peppering the area — you can feel the town’s embrace of its history of relaxation and recupera...
Jun 12, 2026•11 min
On Tuesday, June 2, California held its primary elections, including closely watched races for governor and Los Angeles mayor. In the mayoral primary, Mayor Karen Bass (D) and City Councilmember Nithya Raman (D) advanced to the general election, while first-time candidate Spencer Pratt (I) finished third. Pratt had been in second place the day after the primary, but Raman overtook him as mail-in ballots came in after Election Day, leading some Republicans to claim the results were fraudulent. Th...
Jun 11, 2026•30 min
Coming up on todays episode of Suspension of the Rules, huge news from the Ari Weitzman household, screwworm has arrived, more election fraud conspiracies and Kmele and Isaac debate whether or not AI should be banned for campaign videos. It's a good one! We’re coming to the stage! In 10 days, Isaac and a panel of sharp thinkers are coming to West Virginia to discuss the societal effects of artificial intelligence. They’ll tackle questions like, What would happen if AI disappeared today vs. five ...
Jun 11, 2026•1 hr 12 min
On Monday, June 1, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) published an op-ed in The New York Times proposing the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act , a law that would transfer a 50% ownership stake in artificial intelligence (AI) companies into a federal sovereign wealth fund through a one-time tax. “The creative work of millions of people… has essentially been stolen by some of the wealthiest people in the world,” Sanders said. “It’s time for us to reclaim it.” Simultaneously, President Donald Trump has...
Jun 10, 2026•48 min
In recent weeks, federal and state law enforcement officials have clashed with protesters gathering outside Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey. At least 90 people have been arrested over the course of the protests, including 61 on the night of Sunday, May 31, on charges including assaulting federal officers, disorderly conduct, rioting and resisting arrest. The demonstrators allege poor treatment of detainees, which federal immigration officials deny. Ad-f...
Jun 09, 2026•31 min
On Tuesday, 60 Minutes executive producer, Nick Bilton, fired the show’s longtime correspondent Scott Pelley following a confrontation during a staff meeting in which Pelley criticized Bilton and CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss. Pelley’s firing is the latest shakeup at the show and network since Weiss took the head role in October 2025; Pelley and other former correspondents have accused Weiss of interfering in editorial decisions in an attempt to cover the Trump administration in a more pos...
Jun 08, 2026•29 min
At Tangle, we don’t discriminate against good ideas based on where they come from. A person on our sales team can have a fantastic pitch for an editorial change we should make, and just because it came from the sales side and not a senior editor doesn’t mean we’re going to ignore it. I’ve learned over the years that I have the great privilege of working with a lot of brilliant people, with smart ideas, who have interesting things to say, who can also write even though they aren’t on our editoria...
Jun 05, 2026•13 min
On Tuesday, California held its primary elections, headlined by the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral races. With 56% of the votes counted in the gubernatorial primary, conservative commentator Steve Hilton (R) leads former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) with 27.6% and 25.6% of the vote, respectively. Businessman Tom Steyer (D) is third with 19.8%. Separately, with 62% of the votes counted in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, Mayor Karen Bass (D) leads all candidates with 35% and will ad...
Jun 04, 2026•29 min
Coming up on todays episode of Suspension of the Rules, are Republicans maybe finally standing up to President Trump? We get into the L.A. mayoral race and Spencer Pratt as well as a literal horror story unfolding at the border followed by our grievances where we say good bye to Ari's favorite sandwich shop. It's a good one! Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! You can subscribe to Tangle ...
Jun 04, 2026•1 hr 6 min
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that he is naming housing official Bill Pulte to serve as acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) once Tulsi Gabbard steps down as director at the end of the month. Pulte is currently the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), an independent agency regulating federal mortgages, where he oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. Gabbard is resigning to support her husband during his battle with a rare for...
Jun 03, 2026•30 min
On Thursday, the Trump administration launched its app for Trump Accounts, which will seed tax-advantaged investment accounts for children born between 2025 and 2028 with $1,000 in an effort to support long-term financial stability for future U.S. adults. While the accounts won’t be funded until at least July 4, the program’s official launch date, parents of eligible children can now open accounts through the Internal Revenue Service. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free,...
Jun 02, 2026•27 min
On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal published an exposé on the behavior of Graham Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee in the Maine Senate race. According to The Journal, Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, disclosed to his campaign last August that she had discovered sexually explicit texts between Platner and multiple women on his phone last spring. Furthermore, The Journal found that Platner has an active account on Kik, a private-messaging app often used to arrange sexual encounters. Also o...
Jun 01, 2026•27 min
The Tangle staff picks our favorite reader essays. Finally, an update. If this list excluded your personal favorite reader essay, we hope you’ll share that piece in the comments. And once you’re in the comments section, you may notice some changes. After a lot of demand from our readers, and after a lot of work with (and mostly by) our publication platform, Ghost, we’re thrilled to announce several new commenting features! Comment replies now nest more easily, helping you keep track of conversat...
May 29, 2026•8 min
On Thursday, May 21, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a report examining the party’s performance in the 2024 elections. The 192-page postmortem argued that Democrats must “organize everywhere to Win Anywhere” and particularly advocated for a “renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South.” However, the organization distanced itself from the document’s findings. In a Substack post accompanying the report’s release, DNC Chair Ken Martin said , “I don’t endorse what’s ...
May 28, 2026•33 min
Coming up on todays episode of Suspension of the Rules: we go deep on the Texas Senate primary results, the Enhanced Games and the missing congressman nobody is talking about. Last but not least, a very good grievance section where Ari grosses us out a bit... It's a good one! Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar ...
May 28, 2026•1 hr 9 min
On Tuesday, Texas voters participated in a slate of primary runoff elections , including a highly publicized Republican Senate primary between state Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Paxton defeated Cornyn by a 27.6-point margin and will go on to face state Rep. James Talarico (D) in the general election. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! What are monopolies? R...
May 27, 2026•29 min
On Friday, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation, effective June 30, to support her husband as he fights a rare form of bone cancer. Gabbard will become the fourth cabinet secretary to leave the second Trump administration, following former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who were fired, and former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned in April. President Donald Trump said that Principal Deputy D...
May 26, 2026•29 min
Isaac Saul interviews American political commentator and author of the newsletter BIG, Matt Stoller. Monopoly and antitrust law is one of the most complicated topics to cover in the US right now and Matt Stoller is one of the most interesting writers on the topic. We brought Matt on to share his world view, background and the lens of which he is processing this crazy monopoly and antitrust news that seems to be becoming more and more a story thats at the center of our politics. We talk corporati...
May 26, 2026•14 min
