The Ukraine counteroffensive. The war in Ukraine has dragged on for 18 months. This summer, the Ukrainian military has been attempting to push into occupied territory in the east and south and cut off Russian supply lines. In the last few months, there have been some significant updates to the progress of the war and that long-planned counteroffensive. You can read today's podcast here , today’s Under the Radar story here , and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can also check out our la...
Sep 07, 2023•27 min
Mitch McConnell. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) froze last week for more than 30 seconds while fielding questions from reporters about potentially running for re-election, the second time he’s had such an episode this summer. In July, the 81-year-old McConnell froze in front of reporters for roughly 20 seconds before being escorted away by his staff. McConnell's aides have blamed the episodes on dehydration and lightheadedness, respectively. You can read today's podcast here , tod...
Sep 06, 2023•28 min
The state of labor. Monday was Labor Day, an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The day was first recognized by labor activists and workers in the late nineteenth century, and was officially made a federal holiday in 1894. You can read today's podcast here , today’s Under the Radar story here , and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can also check out our latest YouTube video here . Today’s clickables: Quick hits (0:59), Today’s story (3:40), ...
Sep 05, 2023•28 min
Medicare drug pricing. On Tuesday, the Biden administration named 10 drugs that will be subjected to the first-ever price negotiations by Medicare, the government's health program that covers 65 million Americans. You can read today's podcast here , today’s Under the Radar story here , and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can also check out our latest YouTube video here . Today’s clickables: Quick hits (1:28), Today’s story (3:24), Left’s take (7:34), Right’s take (12:01), Isaac’s take...
Aug 31, 2023•27 min
House Republicans' investigation of Fani Willis. On Thursday, House Republicans announced an investigation into Fani Willis, the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, who is charging former President Trump and 18 co-conspirators with felony racketeering regarding their alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump specifically is being charged with unlawfully pressuring Georgia officials to reverse his 2020 defeat. The House Judiciary Committee announced its investigation into Wil...
Aug 30, 2023•23 min
Vivek Ramaswamy. The Republican nominee for president has surprised pundits and the political class by climbing up the ranks of the GOP primary, and is now tied for second place with Ron DeSantis , according to a new Emerson poll. You can read today's podcast here , today’s Under the Radar story here , and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can also check out our latest YouTube video here . Today’s clickables: Quick hits (0:52), Today’s story (2:54), Left’s take (5:39), Right’s take (10:...
Aug 29, 2023•27 min
Yevgeny Prigozhin's death. On Sunday, Russian authorities confirmed the death of Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was on the passenger list of a plane that crashed in Russia on Wednesday. Foreign news agencies had struggled to confirm that he was on the plane and that all passengers aboard it had been killed, but those questions now appear to be resolved, after the Russian Investigative Committee performed genetic testing on 10 bodies recovered from the crash to confirm the passenger li...
Aug 28, 2023•26 min
The Republican primary debate. Last night, eight candidates took the stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for a live, two-hour debate. Frontrunner and former President Donald Trump opted to skip the debate, instead sitting for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. You can read today's podcast here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can also check out our latest YouTube video here . Today’s clickables: Quick hits (1:28), Today’s story (3:08), Doug Burgum (4:42), Asa Hutchin...
Aug 24, 2023•31 min
Hunter Biden's special counsel. On August 11, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced he was naming David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who had already been leading the probe into Hunter Biden, as a special counsel. The appointment came after the surprising collapse of a plea deal between Hunter Biden and the Justice Department. You can read today's podcast here , the Blindspot report on the left here and on the right here , and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can also check...
Aug 23, 2023•28 min
The Hawaii fires. On August 8, a series of deadly wildfires erupted on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The death toll has reached 114, with 850 people still missing and 85% of impacted areas in Maui searched. The historic town of Lahaina has been completely destroyed, though several other areas of the island were also impacted. The fires are now the deadliest natural disaster in state history and the deadliest wildfires in modern U.S. history , surpassing 2018's Camp Fire in Paradise, California, w...
Aug 22, 2023•28 min
The Fulton County, Georgia, indictments. Last week, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 others over allegations of a sprawling conspiracy to overturn Joe Biden's election victory in Georgia. We were on vacation last week. Thanks for all the feedback and responses to our reposts, which, unsurprisingly, generated a lot of conversation. I'm going to try to get back to many of you this week. You can read today's podcast here , today’s Under the Radar...
Aug 21, 2023•30 min
Hi all! We are on vacation this week, but to keep things flowing, we are bringing you some past editions. We will return with new episodes beginning Monday, August 21, 2023. Have a great week! John Seago is the legislative director of Texas Right to Live, the group that recently helped shepherd Texas’s anti-abortion law into existence. We sat down for a wide-ranging, 45-minute discussion about the bill, why it was crafted the way it was, and some of his thoughts about the ethical nuances of the ...
Aug 17, 2023•48 min
Hi all! We are on vacation this week, but to keep things flowing, we are bringing you some past editions. We will return with new episodes beginning Monday, August 21, 2023. Have a great week! Clementine Morrigan is not someone you'd expect to be an outspoken critic of the left. Warning: this episode contains explicit language 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. This podcast is written by ...
Aug 16, 2023•56 min
Hi all! We are on vacation this week, but to keep things flowing, we are bringing you some past editions. We will return with new episodes beginning Monday, August 21, 2023. Have a great week! Jacob Mchangama is a Danish lawyer, human-rights advocate, and social commentator. He is the founder and director of Justitia, a Copenhagen-based think tank focusing on human rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law. He is also the author of Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media , ...
Aug 15, 2023•38 min
Hi all! We are on vacation this week, but to keep things flowing, we are bringing you some past editions. We will return with new episodes beginning Monday, August 21, 2023. Have a great week! Isaac sits down with former presidential and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang. They discuss his new third-party, what he thinks will happen in 2024, and why Democrats are in trouble. You can read a transcript of this conversation here . You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop ...
Aug 14, 2023•43 min
The Grand Canyon monument. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden designated the fifth national monument of his presidency. The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument will protect an area of roughly 917,000 acres outside the Grand Canyon from human activity, notably uranium mining. The designation will also recognize existing grazing permits, leases, and existing mining claims, and will legally allow hunting and fishing in the area. You can read today's po...
Aug 10, 2023•26 min
On Tuesday, Ohio voters rejected a ballot measure, dubbed Issue 1, that would have made it harder to amend the state constitution. Official results show the measure has been defeated by a 57% to 43% vote. Plus, a reader question about legacy admissions. You can read today's podcast here , today’s “Under the Radar” story here , and today’s “Have A Nice Day” story here . An interesting stance from Scott Alexander on legacy admissions here . Today’s clickables: Quick Hits (1:42), Today’s Story (03:...
Aug 09, 2023•26 min
Last week, the Fitch Ratings agency downgraded the U.S. government's top credit rating from AAA to AA+, a decision that drew an angry response from the White House and surprised investors. In the initial reaction to the announcement, investors moved money from stocks into government bonds and the dollar. Plus, why does Tangle have slightly more liberal readers than conservative? You can read today's podcast here , today’s “Under the Radar” story here , and today’s “Have A Nice Day” story here . ...
Aug 08, 2023•26 min
The latest Trump indictment. On Tuesday, Donald Trump was indicted in a criminal case accusing him of illegal acts during an attempt to change the outcome of the 2020 election. The indictment was filed by special counsel Jack Smith, the same prosecutor who is heading the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case . You can read today's podcast here , today’s Under the Radar story here , and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can also check out our latest YouTube video here . Today’s clickables...
Aug 07, 2023•29 min
Four years ago, we picked a fight with partisan media in the United States. Nearly every weekday since, we've published news with an eye toward elevating debate, broadening people's perspectives, and bringing balance back to the media landscape. Tonight, for the first time ever, the Tangle community will be gathering in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In an effort to bring the experience of the newsletter live to the stage, I'll be moderating a conversation between Anastasia Boden , Mark Joseph Ster...
Aug 03, 2023•12 min
Legacy admissions. This week, the United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona suggested that the Supreme's Court's decision to strike down affirmative action could lead to axing legacy admissions, the practice of giving priority to the children of alumni. Separately, a civil rights group called Lawyers for Civil Rights is challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University , saying the practice discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair advantage to mostly white alumni. ...
Aug 02, 2023•25 min
The new Trump charges. On Thursday, special counsel Jack Smith filed additional charges against former President Trump tied to his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Most significantly, the new indictment accuses Trump and his aides of attempting to delete surveillance footage from his Mar-a-Lago club so it couldn't be turned over to a grand jury. The Tangle team has assembled in Philadelphia! The first-ever live Tangle event on August 3rd is 2 days from today! Our three guests and the...
Aug 01, 2023•25 min
On Thursday, the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy grew by a 2.4% annualized rate in the second quarter, beating the 2% estimate by economists and showing the latest sign that a U.S. recession is unlikely. At the same time, the personal consumption expenditures price index increased just 2.6%, a sign that inflation is continuing to cool. Plus, a reader question about wind turbines and environmentalism. You can read today's podcast here , today’s “Under the Radar” story here , an...
Jul 31, 2023•29 min
Florida's African American studies curriculum. Last week, the Florida Board of Education approved a controversial new curriculum to teach African American history. The 216-page document is part of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act (commonly called the Stop W.O.K.E. Act ), which was passed in 2022 and regulates the way race and gender can be taught in the classroom. Among other things, the law prohibits classroom teachings that make students feel guilt over...
Jul 27, 2023•28 min
International affairs. Since we are a daily newsletter focused on U.S. issues and can't go deep on every single topic out there, we sometimes miss important things happening in the rest of the world. So today, we thought it'd be a good idea to mix it up: We're going to use this edition to do a brief round-up of a few of the biggest stories from across the globe that we haven't had a chance to cover. Protests in Israel - The Wall Street Journal (paywall) has more . Russian drones attack grain dep...
Jul 26, 2023•29 min
The Hollywood strike. Last week, Hollywood actors joined the screenwriters’ strike, marking the first dual-union strike the industry has seen in over 60 years. Many scripted late night shows have already been paralyzed, airing only reruns since the writer's strike began in May, but the addition of the actors’ union has the potential to further upend the television, film, and streaming industries. The first-ever live Tangle event in Philadelphia on August 3rd is coming up. Our three guests and th...
Jul 25, 2023•27 min
The IRS whistleblowers. On Wednesday, two whistleblowers from the Internal Revenue Service testified in front of Congress about the investigations into President Biden's son, Hunter. The whistleblowers, IRS special agent Joseph Ziegler and his supervisor Gary Shapley, alleged that the U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss and other prosecutors slow-walked the case and showed preferential treatment for the president's son. Shapley first went public with his allegations in June, but Ziegler was n...
Jul 24, 2023•26 min
Republicans’ NDAA bill. On Friday, House Republicans passed a sweeping defense bill called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). NDAAs are annual bills whose primary function is to fund national defense programs, and they typically pass with bipartisan support. However, controversy over the bill increased after it was heavily amended by conservatives in the House to include a few hot-button social issues like abortion policy; health care for transgender soldiers; and diversity, equity a...
Jul 20, 2023•27 min
Israel and Rep. Pramila Jayapal. On Sunday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, apologized for calling Israel a "racist state." Jayapal's comments came during a conference for progressive activist organization Netroots Nation over the weekend. For weeks, we've been hyping the first-ever live Tangle event in Philadelphia on August 3rd . I am thrilled to announce our three guests and the topic: We'll be joined by Mark Joseph Stern of Slate, Henry Olsen o...
Jul 19, 2023•24 min
Our podcast editor, Jon, is traveling today. So, we wanted to use this time to release an interview we’ve had for a little bit. This is a discussion between two people on different sides of the immigration issue. Alejandra Oliva is an essayist, translator, and immigrant justice advocate. Her writing has been included in Best American Travel Writing 2020, nominated for a Pushcart prize, and was honored with an Aspen Summer Words Emerging Writers Fellowship. Her book, Rivermouth , is forthcoming f...
Jul 18, 2023•1 hr 2 min
