On todays episode of Suspension of the Rules, Isaac, Ari and Kmele talk about the Winter Olympics, Kmele's defense of President Donald Trump's racist social media post, the DHS negotiations and more. Last but not least, a very good grievance section. It's a good one! Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicki...
Feb 13, 2026•1 hr 17 min
In recent weeks, the United States has built up its military presence in the Middle East while conducting negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group arrived in the Arabian Sea on January 26, bringing an additional 5,700 U.S. troops to the region. On Wednesday, the Pentagon reportedly told a second aircraft carrier group to prepare for deployment, while President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ...
Feb 12, 2026•30 min
On todays Special Edition, Isaac interviews Sarah Isgur, co-host of the podcast Advisory Opinions and author of her new book Last Branch Standing, a deep dive into the inner workings of the Supreme Court. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Ex...
Feb 12, 2026•33 min
In January 2026, the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) released a report finding that murders and violent crimes in the United States decreased significantly in 2025. According to the report , the murder rate in 35 large U.S. cities fell 21% last year — the biggest one-year drop ever — to what could be its lowest level since 1900. Furthermore, 11 of 13 types of violent crime tracked by CCJ all decreased in 2025; drug crimes increased by 7% while the rate of sexual crimes remained unchanged. Ad-f...
Feb 11, 2026•32 min
On Thursday, the Trump administration rolled out TrumpRx, a government website offering consumers discounted prices for common prescription drugs. The platform functions as a hub for consumers, connecting them to manufacturers’ sites or offering coupons for purchases at pharmacies. President Donald Trump said TrumpRx will create millions in consumer savings, with those savings likely concentrated among the uninsured. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our ...
Feb 10, 2026•34 min
On Wednesday, The Washington Post laid off approximately one third of its staff, including hundreds of reporters in its newsroom. Executive Editor Matt Murray announced the cuts to the company, saying its approach required “a new way forward and a sounder foundation.” The layoffs have created uncertainty about the future of the outlet, which has long served as a leading U.S. news source but has recently struggled to retain readers and improve its business model. Ad-free podcasts are here! To lis...
Feb 09, 2026•29 min
Over the last couple of months, our inbox has been inundated with questions about the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Readers from across the political spectrum are trying to separate fact from fiction: Can ICE actually arrest U.S. citizens? What are my rights when a Border Patrol officer talks to me? How are all of these agents being trained amid a massive hiring push by the Trump administration? Online a...
Feb 06, 2026•11 min
On todays episode of Suspension of the Rules, Isaac, Ari and Kmele are chatting live in person about the Epstein files, opinions about Jasmine Crockett, The Washington Post lay offs and an airing of grievances section where Isaac airs it out about why his Tangle team is incompetent. It's a good one! Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop s...
Feb 06, 2026•1 hr 23 min
On Friday, the Justice Department published approximately three million pages of materials related to the government’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said this release concluded the department’s review of files related to Epstein, having released roughly 3.5 million pages in total. The release was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act , a law passed in November 2025 with near-unanimous Congressional approval. Ad-free podca...
Feb 05, 2026•29 min
On Tuesday, the House voted 217–214 to pass a full-year funding package for several federal agencies, excluding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ending a four-day partial government shutdown. The funding bill previously passed the Senate 71–29, after Democrats pushed to remove appropriations for DHS following the shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration officers in Minnesota in January. 21 Democrats voted for the measure in the House, while 21 Republicans voted against it....
Feb 04, 2026•26 min
On Friday, President Donald Trump announced his nomination of former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, choosing him to succeed current Chairman Jerome Powell when Powell’s term expires in May 2026. The nomination will now go to the Senate for confirmation, where Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has vowed to block its advancement in the Senate Banking Committee until a Justice Department probe into Powell is resolved. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to ...
Feb 03, 2026•31 min
On Thursday night, former CNN anchor and independent journalist Don Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with federal civil rights violations for his alleged actions at a protest inside a Minnesota church in January. The Department of Justice charged Lemon, activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, Minnesota-based journalist Georgia Fort, and six others with conspiracy to interfere with the civil rights of church congregants and with violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FA...
Feb 02, 2026•29 min
Kanye West says he’s sorry. And I forgive him. I first wrote about West’s antisemitic rants in 2022 , when he began engaging with the world of antisemitism. And, in some narrow ways, I defended him: I pleaded with people to accept that some of the stereotypes he was calling out were actually tied to realities we should discuss, that we can explain the overrepresentation of “The Jews” — my people — in the entertainment industry, while also calling out West when his ranting tipped into paranoia an...
Jan 31, 2026•6 min
On todays episode of Suspension of the Rules, Isaac, Ari and Kmele talk about how you should actually handle interactions about law enforcement, a little bit about Kanye West and then a heated grievance section about 5k worth of podcasting gear being stolen from Isaac's office. Isaac then wraps up the episode with a great interview with Elliot Williams, about of his new book Five Bullets, the story of Bernie Goetz and the shooting that tore New York City and the country apart. Ad-free podcasts a...
Jan 30, 2026•1 hr 33 min
On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that border czar Tom Homan would go to Minnesota to oversee immigration enforcement efforts. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who had previously spearheaded the operations, reportedly left Minnesota on Tuesday along with an unspecified number of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents; Bovino returned to his previous post in California. Separately, two Customs and Border Patrol agents who fired guns in the Saturday shooting death of 37-year...
Jan 29, 2026•26 min
Last week, South Carolina officials reported that measles is transmitting rapidly in the state, with 789 confirmed cases so far. South Carolina is the fifth state to accumulate at least 100 measles cases since January 2025, joining Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas (where the first cases in 2025 were reported). During the current outbreaks, over 150 children have been hospitalized with measles; two children and one adult (all unvaccinated) have died from measles complications, the first such ...
Jan 28, 2026•35 min
On January 14, the Trump administration announced the start of “phase two” of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said the second phase will transition from “ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.” On Thursday, President Donald Trump formally launched the Gaza “Board of Peace,” initially presented as a transitional body to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction. However, the board’s charter has since been e...
Jan 27, 2026•30 min
On Saturday, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following an altercation with federal agents. Earlier this month, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and killed Renee Good, 37, in her vehicle in a Minneapolis neighborhood, setting off large-scale protests. The latest shooting led to renewed calls from state officials for President Donald Trump to pull federal immigration enforcement agents out of the state. Ad-f...
Jan 26, 2026•31 min
12 months ago, we laid the groundwork to evaluate President Donald Trump’s second term as objectively as possible. Our goal was to take a few objective metrics to judge a president’s success: Things like economic data, promises kept, and the sentiment of American citizens. Given how much analysis and opinion we engage with every day, we thought we could refer back to these benchmarks periodically as a nearly unimpeachable way to judge the president’s performance. When I think back to this time 1...
Jan 23, 2026•25 min
On todays mega episode of Suspension of the Rules, Isaac, Ari and Kmele answer some of the biggest questions regarding the first year of Trump's presidency. What happened how you expected in year one of Trump? What surprised you? The biggest pros and the biggest cons? All these questions and more get answered by Isaac, Ari and Kmele in this episode. Last but not least, The Airing of Grievances section. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only...
Jan 23, 2026•1 hr 45 min
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump addressed a gathering of prominent global figures at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. The conference comes amid rising tensions between Europe and the United States over Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland, and several world leaders gave critical remarks about the U.S. prior to the speech. However, later on Wednesday, Trump said that he discussed a framework of a deal related to Greenland with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Se...
Jan 22, 2026•32 min
On Thursday, January 15, President Donald Trump announced several proposals to lower health insurance costs, which he called “The Great Healthcare Plan.” The healthcare-reform framework focuses on four broad initiatives: lowering drug prices, lowering insurance premiums, holding big insurance companies accountable, and maximizing price transparency. Although the White House has not announced specific legislative proposals to enact the policy, Trump specified he would seek to make more medication...
Jan 21, 2026•31 min
In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has escalated his efforts to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark that he says is vital to national interests. The president has not ruled out using military force to take control of the island, while also threatening to impose tariffs on European nations who oppose the move. Many leaders of member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have condemned Trump’s comments and expressed concern that he is jeopar...
Jan 20, 2026•27 min
One of my favorite things about Tangle is the process that happens before publication — the one our readers and listeners never get to see. I’ve been thinking a lot about this in recent months: How much debate, dialogue, and discussion goes into everything we publish. How much I learn from the conversations we have pre-publication. How desperately our country needs more of what I believe our staff models every day. I also think a lot about how trust in the media is at an all-time low, and all th...
Jan 16, 2026•14 min
On todays show Isaac, Ari and Kmele revisit the ICE shooting in Minneapolis, MN. Next they talk about whether or not Isaac/Trump have crossed the rubicon on the Jerome Powell investigation. They then have a discussion about the intra-party wars that are happening right now on the right. Last but not least, a very sweet The Airing of Grievances section. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up! ...
Jan 16, 2026•1 hr 52 min
Last week, President Donald Trump announced a pair of actions to address rising homeownership costs. On January 8, the president directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — government-sponsored mortgage-finance companies — to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds to bring down mortgage rates. On January 7, Trump said he was “taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes” and would ask Congress to codify those rules. The president said he will share more details ab...
Jan 15, 2026•29 min
During oral arguments on Tuesday, the Supreme Court appeared likely to uphold state laws banning anyone other than biological females from participating in women’s and girls’ sports. In West Virginia v. B.P.J. , the mother of a transgender girl brought a challenge to a state law in West Virginia; in Little v. Hecox , a transgender woman wishing to compete at the college level challenged an Idaho law. Together, the legal challenges claim the laws violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clau...
Jan 14, 2026•30 min
On Sunday, The New York Times reported that the U.S. attorney’s office in the District of Columbia has launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. The investigation reportedly focuses on Powell’s June 2025 congressional testimony about the central bank’s renovation of its Washington headquarters. Shortly after the first reports surfaced, Powell confirmed that he had received grand jury subpoenas from the Justice Department threatening a criminal indictment. The...
Jan 13, 2026•28 min
Since the start of his second term, President Donald Trump has prioritized the United States’s influence in the Western Hemisphere, often antagonizing nearby countries and seeking to increase control of critical resources. Last week, after the U.S. captured and arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump and his top officials threatened Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico with similar military action and renewed his focus on acquiring Greenland. Ad-free podcasts are here! To listen to this podcas...
Jan 12, 2026•32 min
The mission of Tangle is to be a big-tent media organization — and one way we do that is by exposing people to a wide range of opinions. In each edition, someone on our staff also writes “My take” as a way to share our own perspective on the day’s topic. Last year, our process began to evolve when I had my first child in January and spent a portion of the start of the year on paternity leave. Throughout 2025, we continued featuring more takes from other writers on the team, and we debuted our “s...
Jan 09, 2026•32 min
