The second Republican debate. On Wednesday night, seven Republican candidates for president participated in the second Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. 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 (1:22), Today’s story (3:10), Doug Burgum (4:50), Tim Scott (6:48), Chris Christie (8:54), Mike Pence (11:04), Nikki Hal...
Sep 28, 2023•36 min
Rupert Murdoch steps down. On Thursday, 92-year-old Rupert Murdoch announced he was stepping down from his role as chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp, two of the largest and most influential media holdings in the world. He also owns several large conservative news outlets and founded the Fox broadcast network. Murdoch sold many of his media assets to Walt Disney Co. in 2019, but is still an influential force at Fox News, The New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal, three of the most influent...
Sep 27, 2023•27 min
Sen. Bob Menendez. On Friday, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine were indicted on three federal bribery charges related to corruption, including secretly aiding the government of Egypt and attempting to influence several prosecutions in exchange for cash, gold and other valuables. Menendez, a high-ranking Democrat who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has denied the charges and so far refused calls to resign, though he did step down as chair of the Foreign Relations Commi...
Sep 26, 2023•30 min
Today is Yom Kippur, the holiest holiday on the Jewish calendar, and I'll be spending most of the day in synagogue praying, fasting, and observing the day of atonement. If you’re interested in learning more about this day, you can go here . The House and Senate are also both out today for the holiday. As such, I’ve asked my team to help me publish a "skinny" newsletter — some quick hits (so you don't miss any news), a reader question, and a "Have nice a day" story. We...
Sep 25, 2023•10 min
A potential government shutdown. This week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has struggled to wrangle his caucus as they attempt to pass a new spending bill. Government funding runs out in 10 days and a government shutdown now seems inevitable. 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 and listen to my chat with New York Post columnist Rikki Schlott on the Lost De...
Sep 21, 2023•28 min
The Iran prisoner swap. On Tuesday, following two years of negotiations, five Americans freed by Iran arrived back in the United States, ending their detainment a day after they were swapped for five Iranians who were being held in the United States. The U.S. also released $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that had been frozen in overseas accounts. 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 20, 2023•26 min
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT). Last week, Romney announced he would not seek re-election in 2024, opting to retire after one term. Romney resisted pleas from colleagues like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) to stay in the Senate, citing his age and a changing party as reasons for his decision. 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...
Sep 19, 2023•25 min
The United Auto Workers strike. On Friday, nearly one in 10 unionized auto workers in the United States went on strike, deploying a new strategy to push Detroit's three major automakers into raising wages. The unions are striking simultaneously at General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis (owner of Chrysler) for the first time in history, hoping to negotiate higher wages at a profitable time in the industry. The strikes are happening at GM's assembly plant in Wentzville, MO, Ford's assemb...
Sep 18, 2023•29 min
New Mexico's gun ban. On Wednesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked a ban on carrying guns in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the state’s largest city. The order, put in place by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), has stirred up national attention and controversy across the state. 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 (2:00), T...
Sep 14, 2023•27 min
The Biden impeachment inquiry. On Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy opened a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, pushing forward GOP efforts to find evidence of wrongdoing as the 2024 presidential election season kicks into gear. 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 (1:25), Today’s story (3:29), Right’s take ...
Sep 13, 2023•27 min
The social media censorship case. On Friday, a federal appeals court said the Biden administration likely violated the First Amendment in some of its communications with social media companies, while conversely narrowing a lower court judge's order that had prohibited practically any communication between numerous federal agencies and social media companies. Last year, I had a very interesting conversation with Anna Massoglia, Investigations Manager at opensecrets.org , and for more backgrou...
Sep 12, 2023•26 min
The migrant crisis. On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) claimed that an influx of an estimated 110,000 asylum seekers from the southern border was going to “destroy” the Big Apple, saying he did not see a pathway toward fixing the issue. Adams’ comments come as New York continues to try to absorb an influx of migrants who are coming to the city and are now being housed in various shelters, hotels, office buildings, and parks across the five boroughs. Because New York is the only maj...
Sep 11, 2023•29 min
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 ou...
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 he...
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 (3:4...
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), Isaa...
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...
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 ...
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 passenge...
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 Hut...
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 al...
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, Californi...
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 Und...
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 wri...
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'...
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 ...
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...
Aug 08, 2023•26 min
