Please enjoy this fully unlocked preview episode of our Sunday podcast. These editions are normally available exclusively for premium podcast members. To become a member, please go to tanglemedia.supercast.com and sign up. On today's episode, Managing Editor Ari Weitzman takes on lead hosting duties while Isaac is away and invites on the Tangle team. Will Kaback, Magdalena Bowoka, and Jon Lall join for a game of which political figure they would choose to sit next to on a 10-hour flight, Will an...
Nov 24, 2024•1 hr 14 min
This week, editor Will Kaback sat down with Dave O’Brien , the policy director for RepresentUs, to ask him some of the questions our readers always ask us about money in politics — how it works, how it’s changed, and what can be done to stop it. The conversation touched on how wealthy individuals like Elon Musk impacted the election, the ballot initiatives on campaign finance reform that RepresentUs supported in 2024, whether there’s anything good about super PACs, and some of the innovative way...
Nov 22, 2024•20 min
On Wednesday, a bipartisan House ethics panel investigating sexual misconduct claims against former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) voted not to release its report. The panel was scheduled to meet last week to discuss making the report public but changed course after Gaetz resigned from Congress following President-elect Trump announcing him as his pick for attorney general. The Ethics Committee customarily does not release a report if a member leaves office (with some exceptions ). Gaetz has denied all ...
Nov 21, 2024•28 min
On Monday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that undated or misdated mail ballots should not be counted in the 2024 election, reaffirming a prior decision and hampering Sen. Bob Casey’s (D) efforts to challenge the results of his race with Dave McCormick (R). The Associated Press and other outlets have called the race for McCormick, and he attended the Senate’s orientation for new members last week. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this...
Nov 20, 2024•28 min
On Sunday, President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range weaponry — called Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS — to strike within Russian territory. Then on Tuesday morning, Ukraine used the ATACMS for the first time, reportedly striking a Russian arsenal in the Bryansk region 70 miles from the Ukrainian border. Additionally, the Pentagon confirmed that the White House intends to issue $7.1 billion in military aid to Ukraine through Presidential Drawdown Authority b...
Nov 19, 2024•29 min
On Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kennedy, who ended his independent bid for president in August and endorsed Trump , is a longtime environmental and public health activist whose views on vaccines and other healthcare issues have run counter to the medical establishment. If confirmed by the Senate, he would lead the largest health agency in the U.S., made up of organizations like ...
Nov 18, 2024•28 min
On today's episode, Isaac and Ari discuss the recent political appointments made by President Trump, particularly on the controversial nomination of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. They explore the implications of these nominations, the political strategies behind them, and the reactions from various political commentators. They also talk about military spending and the potential consequences of reforming the Department of Defense and the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight. And, as always, the Airi...
Nov 17, 2024•32 min
More than a week has now passed since Election Day, and before we fully pivot to focusing on the end of Biden's presidency, the current Supreme Court term, the new Congress, Trump’s appointees and the incoming administration, I think it's important to give one (potentially final) breakdown of the election we just had. I will discuss this in four parts: How should we accurately describe the results of this election? What was the deciding factor in this election? What other issues made a differenc...
Nov 15, 2024•18 min
On Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that any Republican senator hoping to obtain the position of majority leader would have to approve of recess appointments for his cabinet nominees. Typically, nominees for Cabinet positions, executive offices, or high-level ambassadorships undergo a hearing where they are asked questions by members of the Senate who then vote on whether to confirm an appointee. Only a simple majority is needed for confirmation. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many liste...
Nov 14, 2024•31 min
In the week after the election, President-elect Donald Trump reaffirmed his campaign promise to deport millions of immigrants living in the United States illegally. He has also started identifying high-ranking immigration officials to carry out the policy. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go to tanglemedia.supercast.com to sign up! You can read today's podcast h...
Nov 13, 2024•27 min
In the week since his electoral victory, President-elect Trump has begun announcing his picks for his cabinet and key White House staff. These selections offer the first glimpse of the president-elect’s governing priorities and the leaders who will work to enact his agenda. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go to tanglemedia.supercast.com to sign up! You can read tod...
Nov 12, 2024•31 min
In the madness of election week, we forgot to note that we are off for Veteran's Day today. As longtime readers and listeners know, the Tangle team observes all federal bank holidays, and also takes a couple "recesses" throughout the year around major holidays and congressional breaks (if Congress can take recesses, why can’t we as news reporters and consumers?). While we are off today, we still wanted to provide you with a little bit of content. So, below, we've compiled a list of some of recen...
Nov 11, 2024•8 min
Isaac conducts an intriguing interview with Ken Block, who was hired by the Trump campaign shortly after the 2020 election to investigate the allegations of voter fraud. Ad-free podcasts and the full episode of today's podcast are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go to tanglemedia.supercast.com to sign up! Check out our latest YouTube video on voter fraud misinformation in Bucks County,...
Nov 08, 2024•6 min
At 4:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed a crowd of supporters at her alma mater of Howard University in Washington, D.C., to concede the election to President-elect Donald Trump. Harris said that she called to congratulate Trump on the victory and would help aid his administration’s transition but urged attendees to keep fighting for the issues that motivated her campaign. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast...
Nov 07, 2024•27 min
Former President Donald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States, with all major news outlets calling the race in his favor as of Wednesday morning. Trump is poised for a sweep of all seven swing states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — and holds a 51%–47.5% lead in the popular vote with a large percentage of the vote in West Coast states still to be reported. Trump appears likely to surpass his performance in the 2016 election ,...
Nov 06, 2024•33 min
First, and most importantly, we want to let you all know that we'll be covering the election live from Tangle HQ in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We're hosting an election watch party (a handful of tickets are still available ) and I'll be doing live interviews with guests all night. In order to tune in, you can go to our YouTube channel right now, subscribe, and turn on notifications. You can also plan to tune in to the channel at 7:00pm ET. Newsletters Our neutral, side-by-side breakdown of Trum...
Nov 05, 2024•44 min
Over the weekend, several respected pollsters released their final surveys of the 2024 election, offering a snapshot of the presidential race in its last days. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have been locked in a close contest since Harris replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee, and the latest polls show the candidates remain neck and neck on the eve of Election Day. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version ...
Nov 04, 2024•29 min
Isaac and Ari share their thoughts about potential election night results, the potential we are in a red bubble, play some game, and talk with editor Will Kaback and executive producer Jon Lall. And as always, the Airing of Grievances. Ad-free podcasts are here! For the last few years, our daily podcast has been ad-supported. In that time, we’ve gotten complaints from our listeners saying they find these ads annoying and would happily pay a subscription to get ad-free podcasts — and we finally l...
Nov 03, 2024•1 hr 21 min
With the election just days away, we questioned our undecideds about some of the comments they have individually made throughout the series, probed further into those statements, and ultimately discovered if they have made a decision on how they are voting. You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. The Undecideds is a Tangle Media Production This episode was written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Jon Lall Interviews ...
Nov 03, 2024•1 hr 48 min•Season 1Ep. 8
A couple weeks ago, I made my final predictions about the 2024 election. In that post, one of my headline predictions was that Vice President Kamala Harris would win Pennsylvania but lose the election. I also argued that Trump had a path to winning in Michigan, that Democrats would win the House, and that Republicans would come away with 53 seats in the Senate. Since then, the race hasn’t fundamentally changed, but it has developed in a lot of interesting ways. I’ve been jotting down notes over ...
Nov 01, 2024•6 min
On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a speech at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., that was billed as the closing argument of her campaign. Harris delivered the speech at the same site as former President Donald Trump’s address to his supporters on January 6, 2021, which preceded their march to the U.S. Capitol. Harris’s campaign chair, Jen O'Malley Dillon, said the location of the address was meant to “crystallize the choice in this election” for voters. Ad-free podcasts are here! ...
Oct 31, 2024•27 min
On Sunday, October 27, former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump held a rally at a sold-out Madison Square Garden in New York City. Although Trump will be holding a series of rallies — mostly in swing states — for the next week, the event at Madison Square Garden was his last major event with a full complement of guest speakers before Election Day. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we fi...
Oct 30, 2024•25 min
On Friday, The Washington Post announced it would not endorse a presidential candidate in this year's election and would continue to forgo presidential endorsements in the future. Will Lewis, the paper's publisher, announced the decision in a column that described the non-endorsement as a return to the paper's pre-1970s tradition. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go...
Oct 29, 2024•30 min
A week out from Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck and neck in the critical battleground state. Harris held a moderate polling lead over Trump in Michigan after she replaced President Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket, but FiveThirtyEight’s polling average now has her leading by just 0.4 points . Harris’s struggles are due in part to declining support among Arab American voters in Michigan, who have been critical of the Biden administration’s h...
Oct 28, 2024•26 min
Since Isaac is off coaching his frisbee team to a national championship, Ari and he couldn't record a Sunday podcast for you all. So to make up for that, we are releasing last week's special Friday edition interview for you all to enjoy. To listen to this and all our other podcasts ad-free, please go to tanglemedia.supercast.com and sign up for a membership. On today's Friday edition, Isaac talks with Dr. Noam Weissman, Executive Vice President of OpenDor Media. Noam is a recognized thought lead...
Oct 27, 2024•1 hr 3 min
In the past two weeks, former President Donald Trump has made repeated references to “the enemy within” the United States, suggesting he would use the military to put down unrest caused by the left, sparking controversy as the presidential race nears its conclusion. Those remarks, in turn, have prompted former high-level members of his administration to speak out against his candidacy and question his fitness for office. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free v...
Oct 24, 2024•29 min
23 million Americans have already voted, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab . On September 20, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Virginia became the first three states to allow voters to return mail-in ballots for the 2024 election . As of Wednesday, October 23, 39 states have started in-person early voting, with four states — Delaware, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey— opening up voting later this week. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free ve...
Oct 23, 2024•28 min
On Sunday, former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump manned the fry station and handed out drive-through orders at a McDonald's in Feasterville-Trevose, a Philadelphia suburb in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania. Afterward, he held an informal press conference with reporters. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go to tanglemedia.supercast...
Oct 22, 2024•28 min
On Thursday, the Israeli military announced it had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in an operation in southern Gaza the day prior. Sinwar was one of the primary architects of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and was believed to have been hiding in Gaza’s tunnel system since the attack. Despite Sinwar’s death, both sides have resisted engaging in renewed ceasefire talks. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to ...
Oct 21, 2024•29 min
Isaac and Ari share their predictions about the presidential, house and senate races as well as events surrounding the election. Also, the truth is finally spoken about the robots. And as always, the Airing of Grievances. Ad-free podcasts are here! For the last few years, our daily podcast has been ad-supported. In that time, we’ve gotten complaints from our listeners saying they find these ads annoying and would happily pay a subscription to get ad-free podcasts — and we finally launched it. Yo...
Oct 21, 2024•1 hr 32 min
