Over the weekend, the United States carried out a series of aerial and naval strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. President Donald Trump said the strikes were retaliation for the Houthis’ attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waters, adding that the assault would continue until the attacks stopped. At least 53 people, including five children, have been killed by the strikes, according to a Houthi health ministry spokesperson. White House National Security Adviser Mike W...
Mar 18, 2025•27 min
On Saturday, President Donald Trump signed a stopgap bill to fund the government through September and avert a government shutdown. The bill — called a continuing resolution (CR) — was sent to Trump’s desk after the Senate voted 54–46 on Friday to pass it, with two Democrats voting in favor and one Republican voting against. Prior to the final vote, the Senate invoked cloture 62–38. Refresher: The Senate’s cloture rule outlines the procedure of ending debate on proposed legislation and forcing a...
Mar 17, 2025•30 min
In today's episode, Ari and Isaac discuss the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, the implications for free speech, and the legal rights of green card holders. They touch on immigration law and its intersection with free speech rights, political dynamics in Kentucky, the problem with Democrats, and the potential for a government shutdown. They also conduct an interview with River Page from the Free Press. And last but not least, the Airing of Grievances. This is a preview of today's special edition that i...
Mar 16, 2025•27 min
As part of the Tangle ethos, we solicit reader questions about politics and our work every day in our newsletter. And every few months, so many questions pile up on the back end that we decide to answer a bunch of them at once in a members-only reader mailbag. Today is one of those days. We think this is a healthy exercise that not only allows us to critically examine some of our own writing, but also provides readers with more perspectives that help us fulfill our core mission. If you want to r...
Mar 14, 2025•26 min
The budget resolution and potential government shutdown. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through September 30 in a 217–213 vote. The spending package would extend much of current federal funding until the end of the fiscal year, with a $6 billion increase in defense spending and a $13 billion decrease in nondefense spending. The bill passed mostly along party lines, with Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) joining Republicans to vote in favor a...
Mar 13, 2025•28 min
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump threatened to double his planned tariffs on all Canadian steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50%. Trump’s announcement followed Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s decision to impose a 25% surcharge on electricity the province supplies to 1.5 million American homes and businesses in response to Trump’s tariff threats. However, on Wednesday, Ford announced he would suspend the electricity surcharge after agreeing with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to disc...
Mar 12, 2025•30 min
On Friday, the Trump administration announced it will cut $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University in New York City for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students from harassment. Additionally, the administration has directed the Departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services to form a Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism and investigate participants in pro-Palestinian protests on campuses last year. On Saturday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a...
Mar 11, 2025•29 min
President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to sign an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to facilitate closing the Education Department. McMahon, who was confirmed by the Senate last Monday, said she does not know when President Trump will sign the order, but affirmed that he is "crystal clear" on the move. 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 ca...
Mar 10, 2025•29 min
In today's episode, Ari and Isaac fulfilled a promise to recap everything that happened between Thursday and Sunday last week. Then Isaac tries to make opening a six pack a thing. They talk about Bill Ackman, comedians doing politics, pancreatic cancer vaccines, Doge, duh, Gavin Newsom, and good democratic talking points for once. And last but not least, the Airing of Grievances. This is a preview of today's special edition that is available in full and ad-free for our premium podcast subscriber...
Mar 09, 2025•26 min
A little over six weeks ago, my wife gave birth to our first child. For today’s Friday edition, I decided to take a brief break from the news to share a bit about our experience, what I learned, and how having a kid has already begun to impact some of my politics. I hope you enjoy it! This is a preview of today's special edition that is available in full and ad-free for our premium podcast subscribers. If you'd like to complete this episode and receive Sunday editions, exclusive interviews, bonu...
Mar 07, 2025•25 min
Just after midnight on Tuesday, President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all Mexican and Canadian imports — with a lower 10% tariff on Canadian energy imports — and doubled the existing tariff on Chinese products to 20%. Shortly thereafter, China imposed up to 15% tariffs on some U.S. imports, and Canada issued a 25% levy. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico would issue tariffs on U.S. goods by this Sunday but did not offer specifics. BREAKING: Minutes before publication, P...
Mar 06, 2025•30 min
Tuesday night, President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time in his second term. Though not technically a State of the Union address, Trump used the platform to tout his administration’s early achievements. Additionally, President Trump outlined his legislative agenda, called attention to stories of Americans who had been victims of crime, and highlighted his administration’s cost-cutting initiatives and executive orders on social issues. The speech lasted about...
Mar 05, 2025•29 min
In January, Managing Editor talked with Meredith Sumpter. She is the CEO of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that researches and advances voting reforms including ranked choice voting and the Fair Representation Act. They discuss the significance of ranked choice voting (RCV) as a reform for improving American democracy. She addresses misconceptions about RCV, emphasizing its simplicity and effectiveness in enhancing voter representation and accountability. This is a preview of today's speci...
Mar 05, 2025•23 min
On Sunday, President Donald Trump named five digital assets — Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, and Cardano — that will make up a “Crypto Strategic Reserve” for the United States. The announcement follows Trump’s January 23 executive order establishing the Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, which is tasked with evaluating the creation of a strategic stockpile of national digital assets. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they co...
Mar 04, 2025•26 min
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met at the White House to conduct final negotiations over a mineral-rights deal. During an Oval Office discussion open to the press, Trump, Zelensky and Vice President JD Vance discussed the future of the Ukraine-Russia war. Toward the end of the meeting, however, Vance and Zelensky clashed over how the administration might navigate Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. After the meeting, Zelensky left the White House...
Mar 03, 2025•32 min
In today's episode, Isaac is officially back! Isaac and Ari talk about Elon Musk obviously, government waste, DOGE, some of the people that are flying under the radar thanks to Elon Musk, the republicans new budget bill and the Ukraine deal. Finally, Ari and and Isaac play a game and learn about a terrible D3 college that ruin them. And last but not least, the Airing of Grievances. This is a preview of today's special edition that is available in full and ad-free for our premium podcast subscrib...
Mar 02, 2025•33 min
In today's Friday edition, Executive Editor and Founder, Isaac Saul, debunks some of the myths and misconceptions about Tangle (and himself). He outlines our company's principles and gives a candid description about our mission, our work, and the goals we aim to accomplish. Thank you to all of our readers and listeners and we hope this gives clarity to everyone. As always, please feel free to write in with any thoughts your have to [email protected]. You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking he...
Feb 28, 2025•13 min
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had accepted the draft of a deal that would send partial revenues from Ukraine’s rare earth minerals to the United States. Zelensky described the agreement as a “framework” and said he and Trump would be holding further discussions. The deal could be signed as soon as Friday, when Zelensky reportedly plans to visit the White House. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listeners have been asking for an ad-fre...
Feb 27, 2025•29 min
On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Kashyap “Kash” Patel as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Patel was a former federal prosecutor who served in the White House during President Donald Trump’s first term and is viewed by many as a Trump loyalist. On Sunday, Trump announced that Patel had named Dan Bongino as deputy FBI director. Bongino is a popular conservative podcaster who served in the New York Police Department and the Secret Service. Ad-free podcasts are here! ...
Feb 26, 2025•29 min
On Saturday, Elon Musk posted on X that federal employees must respond to an email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) detailing their work in the past week, adding that “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” Shortly after, OPM emailed federal employees asking for a list of “5 bullets of what you accomplished last week” by Monday at 11:59pm ET ( screenshot ). However, many agencies have instructed their workers not to reply to the email, while unions representing federal ...
Feb 25, 2025•30 min
On Friday, President Donald Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., as part of a series of dismissals of top Pentagon officers. Shortly after Trump announced Brown’s dismissal, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that he would replace Admiral Lisa Franchetti, chief of U.S. naval operations, and General James Slife, the Air Force’s vice chief of staff, as well as the judge advocates general (the military’s top lawyers) for the Army, Navy, a...
Feb 24, 2025•29 min
In today's episode, Managing Editor Ari Weitzman and Executive Producer Jon Lall discuss various themes surrounding political dynamics, feedback on the podcast, and the implications of Elon Musk's actions with Doge. They talk about the challenges within the Democratic Party, the quest for authenticity in politics, and the complexities of government efficiency. Ari then speaks with Ray Brescia, a law professor and author, about the legal implications of Elon Musk's involvement with the government...
Feb 23, 2025•27 min
The day Donald Trump was inaugurated, my son was born. In retrospect, the timing feels inevitable ("Founder of politics newsletter has baby on inauguration day"), but it created an interesting dynamic for me. Most notably, I got to step back from the day-to-day ruckus of what it's like when Trump is flooding the zone with news and could take in each story with a bit more thoughtfulness. And as I return from paternity leave, it means that I now have the chance to share a month’s worth of distille...
Feb 21, 2025•33 min
Republicans in Congress are moving to pass a budget plan to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda. On Wednesday, the Senate voted 50-47 to take up the outline of a budget that would increase immigration and military spending but does not include an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The vote is a key step in the budget reconciliation process , which allows a party to bypass the Senate's 60-vote filibuster rule to pass eligible budget legislation with a simple majority vote. ...
Feb 20, 2025•31 min
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has gained access or attempted to gain access to numerous departments across the federal government for its cost-cutting initiatives. The actions have prompted state attorneys general to file suits blocking DOGE from accessing confidential data, and in the past week several U.S. district judges have issued temporary rulings on the ongoing challenges. We are surveying our podcast listeners to better understand our audience and impr...
Feb 19, 2025•31 min
On Tuesday, U.S. and Russian officials met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff led the American delegation, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov represented Russia. The meeting did not include Ukrainian or European representatives, though President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky w...
Feb 18, 2025•30 min
Editor's note: We are off for President's Day today, but have a special edition featuring a guest writer today. Core to our mission at Tangle is offering perspectives from influential and thoughtful voices from across the political spectrum. As we've grown, our ability to advance that mission has also grown, allowing us a broader reach and new ways to offer coverage of political news to our subscribers. Today, we are pleased to publish a thoughtful essay from Jacob Sullum , senior editor at Reas...
Feb 17, 2025•23 min
Please enjoy this preview episode of our Sunday podcast. The full editions are available exclusively for premium podcast members. To become a member, please go to tanglemedia.supercast.com and sign up. In this episode, Ari and Will talk about a significant NBA trade, a lot of Trump administration talk and propriety in government. After that Ari and Will go over some global defense budgets in a fun game. And last but not least, the Airing of Grievances. You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking her...
Feb 16, 2025•32 min
This is the 3rd Annual Valentine's Day Podcast! On this special episode, Isaac and his amazing wife, Phoebe, talk about navigating through their experiences as first time parents, how their perspectives have expanded and changed on birth, healthcare, family leave, and abortion. They also discuss their future and what each is looking forward to. And throughout the episode, they are joined by a very special guest, their newborn son, Omri. You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop someth...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 40 min
Back in 2022, we published an original essay from our outgoing editorial intern Audrey Moorehead, who wrote about the experience of transitioning from her hometown in Lynchburg, Tennessee, to Harvard University. Audrey has remained a part of the Tangle family since the end of her internship, and last year, she recommended a Harvard classmate of hers, Sophia Downs , as a candidate for our associate editor position. We brought Sophia on over the summer and since then, she’s been an invaluable memb...
Feb 14, 2025•12 min
