Tangle - podcast cover

Tangle

Isaac Saulwww.readtangle.com
Independent, non-partisan politics news where you'll hear the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day. Plus, fascinating interviews with people in the political world. Check out our newsletter: https://www.readtangle.com/

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Episodes

Daylight saving.

The great debate! Make sure you weigh in, in our poll below. The Sunshine Protection act. Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would make daylight saving time (the current time we're in) permanent beginning in 2023, ending the twice-annual changing of clocks to promote "brighter afternoons and more economic activity," as Reuters put it. The legislation still needs to pass in the House, and then get Biden's signature to become law, but its odds are looking better than ever. Tell us ...

Mar 16, 202224 min

The return of earmarks (pork).

Earmarks are back. Sometimes called member-directed spending, pork, pork-barrelling, bacon, fat, or fluff, earmarks are funding for projects that get inserted into legislation at the request of specific members of Congress, usually in an effort to win over that member's vote (think of it as politically acceptable coercion, even bribery). You can read today's podcast here . You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Is...

Mar 15, 202226 min

The Polish fighter jets.

A welcome back to the daily pod, a hello to the new members of the Tangle team, and our main story: Last week, the Pentagon rejected an offer from Poland to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, despite initially signaling it would support the plan. You can read today's podcast here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75...

Mar 14, 202225 min

RE-RUN: Alex Vitale on abolishing the police

Our last flashback of Tangle's two-week vacay. See you next Monday for a brand new daily pod! Original air date: Apr 25, 2021 Still want the news? You can read today's newsletter here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in conjunction with T...

Mar 10, 202240 min

RE-RUN: A conversation with Alex Nowrasteh

Homestretch! Our deepest dive yet; Isaac's first published audio interview for the Tangle podcast (Trevor wasn't even on the team yet). How far we've come! Original air date: Jan 29, 2021 Still want the news? You can read today's newsletter here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul...

Mar 09, 202226 min

RE-RUN: A conversation with Andrew Yang

Original air date: Jan 7, 2022 Still want the news? You can read today's newsletter here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo. --- Send in a voice m...

Mar 08, 202242 min

RE-RUN: Yousef Munayyer on the Israel-Palestine conflict

Halfway through our deep dive into the Tangle interview archives while our producer Trevor is away. Original air date: May 23, 2021 Still want the news? You can read today's newsletter here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in conjunction ...

Mar 07, 202230 min

RE-RUN: Texas Right to Life's John Seago

Mining old treasures from the Tangle archives while our producer, Trevor, is away. Back to the dailies 3/15. Original air date: Sept 27, 2021 Still want the news? You can read today's newsletter here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in co...

Mar 03, 202249 min

RE-RUN: Conservative writer Drew Holden on bias in the media

Another interview from the Tangle archives while we take a brief break from the the daily pod. Original air date: April 5, 2021. Still want the news? You can read today's newsletter here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in conjunction wit...

Mar 02, 202246 min

RE-RUN: Former CIA operative Jonna Mendez

Isaac talks with a former CIA operative. Original air date: March 21, 2021. Still want the news? You can read today's newsletter here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who...

Mar 01, 202257 min

RE-RUN: Josh Rogin on the Wuhan lab leak.

The news is still happening, but the pod is taking some time off while our producer Trevor takes a vacation. While we're gone, let's revisit some of our favorite interviews that Isaac has done since the Tangle pod's inception in 2019. Today, Josh Rogin explains his coronavirus lab leak theory. Original air date: May 30, 2021. Still want the news? You can read today's newsletter here . You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is w...

Feb 28, 202246 min

It's happening.

Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine. The Washington Post put it like this: “Russia launched a broad attack on Ukraine from multiple directions early Thursday, bombarding cities, towns and villages and advancing toward the capital, Kyiv, as Ukrainian forces tried to stem the onslaught of Russian ground forces and air power.” You can read today's podcast here . 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 pr...

Feb 24, 202219 min

Rising violent crime.

Over the last few months, a debate has been raging about the rise in violent crime across the United States. In 2020, murders in the U.S. went up 30%, the largest single year increase in sixty years. In 2021, new data are showing murders rising again, this time at a slower rate, but now reaching similar levels to the mid-1990s, when murders in the U.S. were near an all-time high. You can read today's podcast here . You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by ...

Feb 23, 202225 min

Ukraine and Russia on the brink.

Yesterday, Vladimir Putin announced that he was recognizing the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) as independent states. During his speech, Putin said "Ukraine has never had its own authentic statehood" and demanded that "those who captured and are holding on to power in Kyiv" immediately "cease military action." You can read today's podcast here . You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is writ...

Feb 22, 202226 min

An update on Ukraine-Russia.

In short, the world is watching this story because Russian President Vladimir Putin has amassed 150,000 troops along Ukraine's border. Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in a kind of trench warfare in Donbas, the eastern region of Ukraine, for years. But Russia's latest troop build-up signals to many the potential for a full-scale war or invasion. You can read today's podcast here . You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is w...

Feb 17, 202225 min

Sarah Palin vs. The New York Times

The former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate (running alongside John McCain) had sued The New York Times for libel over a 2017 editorial that erroneously linked her political rhetoric to the 2011 mass shooting where Gabby Giffords, then-Democratic congresswoman from Arizona, was shot in the head, and six others were killed. You can read today's podcast here . You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podca...

Feb 16, 202224 min

The Durham news, explained.

Late last week, something interesting happened: A news story began percolating in many conservative online spaces, but got very little attention in more "mainstream" sources like The New York Times or The Washington Post. It was, seemingly, ignored by many news outlets with more liberal writers on staff. You can read today's podcast here . 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 produced by Trevor Ei...

Feb 15, 202227 min

Biden's border problem.

In 2021, U.S. Border Patrol agents made 1.9 million arrests, a record high, according to new data. The data were revealed in just released court filings related to a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Missouri and Texas. Around 20% of the migrants arrested, approximately 402,000, were released into the U.S. while awaiting hearings, which is down from the 56% released during a surge in illegal crossings under the Trump administration just before the pandemic began. More than one million we...

Feb 14, 202226 min

INTERVIEW: Grace Lavery on today's free speech issues

On today's episode, we sat down with Grace Lavery to talk about why she left Substack, how platforms should be moderating speech in this moment, and what the state of free speech looks like in America. Grace Lavery is a writer, editor, and academic living in Brooklyn, NY. She is an Associate Professor of English, Critical Theory, and Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and her research explores the history and theory of aesthetics and interpretation, with part...

Feb 13, 20221 hr 4 min

The Ottawa trucker protest.

Two weeks ago, a so-called "Freedom Convoy" of truckers began a trip across Canada. Their goal was to demonstrate against the Covid-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions that have been put in place by the Canadian government, an effort led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The protesters’ destination was Ottawa, the nation's capital, and since arriving they have gathered throughout the city, blocking off streets, blaring their horns and demanding an end to the pandemic restrictions. You can...

Feb 10, 202224 min

The Olympics begin.

The 2022 Winter Olympics began in Beijing, China, last week with opening ceremonies on Friday. In early December, we covered Biden's announcement of a diplomatic boycott — meaning the U.S. won't be sending the president or any other official U.S. government delegation. You can read today's podcast here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was pr...

Feb 09, 202222 min

Trans swimmer Lia Thomas.

The University of Penn swimmer is a trans woman who is competing on the women's swim team. During her first three years at Penn, she swam on the men's team. Thomas was a successful swimmer in the men's division, finishing second in the men’s 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle at the Ivy League championships as a sophomore in 2019. She took two years off of swimming to undergo hormone replacement therapy as part of her gender transition, and returned to swimming this year on the women's team. You can...

Feb 08, 202227 min

The Republican censures.

On Friday, the Republican party censured Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). Cheney and Kinzinger are the only Republicans on the congressional committee tasked with investigating the events of, and leading up to, that day. The RNC has accused them of being engaged in the "persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse," which RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said had "nothing to do" with the violence at the Capitol. While the censure doesn’t formally ...

Feb 07, 202224 min

INTERVIEW: Brad Polumbo, founder of BASED Politics.

Brad Polumbo is a policy correspondent with Foundation for Economic Education (also known as FEE), a contributor at The Washington Examiner and the co-founder of a new conservative news website called BASED Politics . I’m also proud to say he is a regular reader of the Tangle newsletter and was one of our original supporters in the media space. 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 produced by Trev...

Feb 06, 202249 min

Whoopi Goldberg's suspension.

On Tuesday, Whoopi Goldberg was suspended for two weeks as co-host of ABC’s "The View" after comments she made about Jews and the Holocaust during a debate on book banning. During a conversation about a Tennessee school district removing the book Maus from its curriculum, Goldberg insisted that the Holocaust was “not about race ... it’s about man’s inhumanity to other man," arguing that the Holocaust was about two groups of white people doing horrible things to each other. Goldberg apologized ho...

Feb 03, 202224 min

Gerrymandering in New York.

On Sunday, New York Democrats proposed a new congressional map for the state that could give the party an overt advantage in 22 of the state's 26 House districts in the midterm elections. Today, Republicans hold eight seats in New York’s congressional delegation, meaning the new map would eliminate their advantage in half of the districts they have. Reminder: We published a breakdown of gerrymandering and its history on Jan. 14th that is worth reading if you missed it. You can read today's podca...

Feb 02, 202223 min

Your criticism, my response.

We re-visit yesterday's Joe Rogan piece. You can read today's podcast here . 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 produced by Trevor Eichhorn. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo. --- Send in a voice message: https:...

Feb 01, 202227 min

Joe Rogan and Spotify

Last week, podcasting mega-star Joe Rogan became the center of conversation after momentum grew on Spotify to boycott Rogan's show. It started when rockstar Neil Young demanded his music be removed by Spotify if Rogan remained on the platform, citing Covid-19 misinformation that has been spread on Rogan's show. “They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both," Young said. You can read today's podcast here . You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking h...

Jan 31, 202223 min

Stephen Breyer retires.

To subscribe and receive tomorrow's member's only post, go to https://www.readtangle.com/membership/ Stephen G. Breyer. Yesterday, news broke that the senior member of the Supreme Court's three-member liberal wing will retire. Breyer, who is 83, was appointed in 1994 by Bill Clinton and is the oldest member of the court. When Ruth Bader Ginsburg died and was replaced by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, many progressives began urging Breyer to step down to ensure President Joe Biden would be able to se...

Jan 27, 202221 min

Affirmative action goes to SCOTUS.

On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear two separate challenges to colleges who consider race during the admissions process (often called affirmative action). Both cases, one from North Carolina and the other from Harvard, allege that race-based admissions processes discriminate against Asian Americans. You can read today's podcast here . 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 produced by Trevor...

Jan 26, 202226 min
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