On today's episode, Ari shares a ghost story, Isaac and Ari talk about Project 2025, the latest inflation report and the partisan views around it, and as always, the Airing of Grievances. You can catch our latest YouTube video, an interview with Alyssa Cass and Pat Rosenstiel, and their efforts to make the popular vote the official decision in electing the US President, here . We were previously publishing these episodes on our Tangle podcast page, but we just re-launched the series — and releas...
Jun 16, 2024•1 hr 3 min
The latest economic indicators. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for May, which showed an increase of 3.3% from a year earlier , slightly slower than April’s 3.4% rate. On a month-to-month basis, prices remained the same for the first time since July 2022. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.2%, its slowest pace since October 2023. You can read our coverage of past inflation reports here . You can...
Jun 13, 2024•28 min
Israel's hostage rescue. On Saturday, Israel rescued four living hostages from inside the Nuseirat refugee camp in Central Gaza. The hostages were freed eight months after they were kidnapped by Hamas militants who had crossed the border into Israel. All four — Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv — were abducted from the Nova music festival in Southern Israel on October 7. An estimated 116 of the 250 hostages taken remain in Gaza, at least 40 of whom have been declared de...
Jun 13, 2024•29 min
New York’s congestion pricing pause. On Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) paused a plan to implement a “congestion” toll on motorists entering Manhattan below 60th Street. The toll, scheduled to go into effect on June 30, was intended to relieve gridlock, improve air quality, and provide roughly $1 billion a year to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to modernize the city’s century-old transit infrastructure. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” s...
Jun 11, 2024•30 min
Hunter Biden's trial. On Friday, federal prosecutors rested their case against Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, who is facing three felony charges related to a 2018 firearm purchase he allegedly made while using drugs. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can catch our latest YouTube video, an interview with Alyssa Cass and Pat Rosenstiel, and their efforts to make the popular vote the official decis...
Jun 10, 2024•30 min
On today's episode, Isaac and Ari hold the inaugural Tangle Congressional Draft. Each of them take turns selecting sitting members of Congress to make their own dream team Congress. discussing their reasoning behind each pick. And as always, they finish strong with the Airing of Grievances. YouTube comments are usually a place to find complaints, anger, and division. But on our latest video — my interview with Haviv Gur — I’ve been humbled to find overwhelmingly positive feedback. If you haven’t...
Jun 09, 2024•1 hr 57 min
Biden’s new border policy. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden issued an executive order to temporarily shut down all asylum requests at the southern U.S. border when the seven-day average of daily encounters at official ports of entry tops 2,500 per day. The measure grants authorities the power to quickly deport migrants caught crossing illegally or turn them back to Mexico, with exceptions for unaccompanied children, people who face serious medical or safety threats and victims of trafficking, the...
Jun 06, 2024•31 min
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s congressional testimony. On Monday, Dr. Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and former chief White House medical advisor, sat for a three-and-a-half hour hearing before the special House subcommittee investigating the origins of Covid-19. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can find the internship application page for writing and re...
Jun 05, 2024•39 min
Mexico's new president. Over the weekend, Claudia Sheinbaum became Mexico's first female president in a landslide victory . Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and longtime activist for the political left, will take the helm from her mentor and outgoing president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (also known as AMLO). She is not just Mexico’s first female president, but the first woman to win a national election in the U.S., Mexico or Canada, as well as Mexico’s first president of Jewish descent. Her victo...
Jun 04, 2024•28 min
Biden’s new rules for Ukraine. On Thursday, Politico reported that the Biden administration had permitted Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to carry out strikes inside Russia, though only near the area of Kharkiv. The significant shift in U.S. policy on the Ukraine-Russia war comes after the start of Russia’s surprise offensive in the Kharkiv province in early May. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is 19 miles from the Russian border. The decision also marks the first time an American president ...
Jun 03, 2024•27 min
On today's episode, Ari returns from his travels and Isaac couldn't be more thrilled, especially with Ari's mic choice. They talk about their predictions on the Trump verdict (this was recorded about 2 hours before the verdict and aged really well...), 2024 election predictions, a listener question about our podcast series, The Undecideds, and as always, the Airing of Grievances. YouTube comments are usually a place to find complaints, anger, and division. But on our latest video — my interview ...
Jun 02, 2024•1 hr 23 min
The Trump verdict. On Thursday, former President Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a “hush money” payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The jury deliberated for two days to find Trump guilty, making him the first former president in U.S. history to be convicted of a crime. You can read our previous coverage of the trial here . You can read me expounding on previous My Take ideas in past Tangle editions here , here , and here . You can rea...
May 31, 2024•27 min
Louisiana’s abortion pill law. Last Friday, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) signed a bill classifying two abortion-inducing medications as controlled substances whose possession without a prescription will be punishable by 1-5 years in prison . The measure applies to mifepristone and misoprostol , the drugs used in medication abortions, and will take effect on October 1. You can find our previous coverage of the Supreme Court arguments over the FDA’s approval and regulation of mifepristone he...
May 30, 2024•29 min
South Carolina's congressional map. On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that South Carolina could use a congressional map that a lower court had deemed unconstitutional. The court’s conservative majority found that the federal district court had erred when it determined the map unconstitutionally sorted voters primarily based on their race (also known as racial gerrymandering). The majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, supports the state’s map as drawn, secures Re...
May 29, 2024•35 min
The latest in the Israel-Hamas war. On Monday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged a "tragic mistake" after a strike in Rafah killed at least 45 Palestinians sheltering in a tent camp, according to local officials. Israel initially claimed the strike hit a Hamas installation and killed two senior militants, though it announced an investigation into the incident shortly after news broke about the civilian death toll. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Ra...
May 28, 2024•28 min
I spoke with Haviv Gur, an Israeli analyst who — in my humble opinion — is one of the deepest thinkers covering Israel, Palestine, and the conflict between the two. Gur disagrees strongly with my call for a ceasefire , and his arguments are the best I’ve heard. He spoke at length about how a ceasefire would harm Palestinians more than Israelis, the issues motivating Hamas, the state of Islam in the region, the current dynamics of the war, what the Palestinians are owed, and how we might get to a...
May 26, 2024•1 hr 31 min
The Daniel Perry pardon. Last Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) pardoned Daniel Perry, a former U.S. Army sergeant who was convicted of murdering Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster in Austin, Texas, in 2020. Abbott’s decision came shortly after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended a full pardon for Perry. Perry’s firearm rights will be fully restored as part of the pardon, though he still faces a misdemeanor deadly conduct charge for the shooting. You can read today's p...
May 23, 2024•38 min
The helicopter crash in Iran. On Sunday, a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and six others crashed near Jolfa, Iran. After an extensive search and rescue effort, the crash site was located on Monday morning and Raisi, Abdollahian, and all other occupants of the helicopter were pronounced dead. Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will serve as acting president until a new election is held on June 28. You can read today's podcast here...
May 22, 2024•28 min
The CFPB ruling. On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected a conservative-led challenge to the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In a 7-2 ruling, the justices concluded that the CFPB's funding did not violate the Constitution, reversing a lower court decision. Justice Clarence Thomas broke with Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, whom he typically aligns with, to write the majority opinion. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here ...
May 21, 2024•38 min
The Samuel Alito controversy. On Thursday, The New York Times reported that an American flag was hanging upside-down outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for several days shortly after former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . In our latest YouTube video, Isaac went to the University of Pennsylvania to witness and report on the protests. 12 hours...
May 20, 2024•24 min
Ari is on the road coaching the University of Vermont’s frisbee team in college nationals (Go Ari!). So this week, Isaac is going to do some mini coverage on ten topics that have been on his mind. Buckle up. You can watch our latest video, Isaac's interview with former Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) here . Check the next episode of our new podcast series, The Undecideds . In episode 3, our focus shifts from Donald Trump toward President Joe Biden. Much has been made in the media about his age an...
May 19, 2024•48 min
Biden's China tariffs. On Tuesday, President Biden announced major new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment, covering $18 billion worth of Chinese imports. The largest tariffs are on imports of electric vehicles, quadrupling the proportion of the tax from 25% to 100%. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can watch our latest video, Isaac...
May 16, 2024•37 min
The latest in Donald Trump’s New York trial. This week, Trump's one-time personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified in the former president’s trial for allegedly falsifying business records, commonly referred to as the "hush money" case. Cohen’s testimony comes a week after adult film star Stephanie Clifford, known as Stormy Daniels, took the stand to describe her alleged relationship with Trump. Cohen and Daniels are key witnesses for the prosecution, which is claiming that Trump falsified records...
May 15, 2024•24 min
The bird flu. On Friday, the federal government unveiled a package of financial incentives to dairy farm owners that encourages broader testing of cattle for bird flu (also known as the avian flu or H5N1) and expands security measures to control a potential outbreak of the virus in cows. The package, which totals $98 million, includes up to $28,000 per farm over the next four months. The Department of Agriculture has made the money available to farms where infected cows have been identified. You...
May 14, 2024•25 min
Trump's trial delay in Florida. Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over former President Donald Trump's classified documents case, indefinitely postponed his trial last week. The announcement all but assures the trial — once set to begin this month — will not be completed before election day in November. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here . You can watch our latest video, Isaac's interview with former Congres...
May 13, 2024•27 min
On today's Sunday podcast, Isaac shares some arguments about why Israel might be wise to pursue this invasion in Rafah. Then Isaac and Ari talk about lab grown meat, Kristi Noem shooting her dog, a little bit of a wealth tax convo, and and how much Philadelphia sports fans suck. You can watch our latest video, Isaac's interview with former Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) here . Check the next episode of our new podcast series, The Undecideds . In episode 3, our focus shifts from Donald Trump towa...
May 12, 2024•1 hr 2 min
For episode 3 , our focus shifts from Donald Trump toward President Joe Biden. Much has been made in the media about his age and memory and whether he’s cognitively capable of handling another term. But an unanticipated performance at the State of the Union reignited his base and left many questioning that narrative. And while Donald Trump faces a jury of his peers in court, the court of public opinion continues to weigh in on the effectiveness of Biden’s foreign policies, with an eye to the con...
May 10, 2024•1 hr 5 min
The Rafah invasion. On Monday, Israeli forces began striking targets in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. During the course of the war, over a million Gazan refugees fled to the Rafah region to shelter from Israel's incursion in the north. Several Hamas battalions have also fled south to Rafah and maintained a stronghold there, which Israel says it is aiming to dismantle with its latest push. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day”...
May 09, 2024•29 min
Trump’s pick for vice president. Over the weekend, former President Donald Trump headlined the Republican National Committee’s spring donor retreat in Florida, an event that doubled as a showcase of Trump’s potential running mates . These attendees — dubbed “special guests” — included Republicans like Sen. Marco Rubio (FL), Sen. Tim Scott (SC), Sen. J.D. Vance (OH), Gov. Doug Burgum (ND), Gov. Kristi Noem (SD), Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY) and Rep. Byron Donalds (FL), among others. You can read toda...
May 08, 2024•27 min
A global wealth tax. Late last month, G20 ministers from Brazil, Germany, Spain, and South Africa signed a motion and published an opinion piece in The Guardian calling for a global tax of 2% on the world's 3,000 billionaires. The proposal is to raise roughly €250 billion (or $270 billion) a year to fight against global poverty, and has also been backed by the head of the International Monetary Fund. You can read today's podcast here , our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a...
May 07, 2024•25 min
