Tangle

On today's Sunday podcast, Isaac and Ari jump back into the Kilmar Abrego Garcia controversy. And then we talk about all the things we don't know that we think we do know including this kind of shocking story on ADHD that was published in the New York Times Magazine. Ari talks about some tariff disagreements he has with me. Then we bring on Tangle team member and Senior at Harvard University Audre...

On April 10, the House of Representatives  passed  the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a bill requiring proof of citizenship for voters to register for federal elections. The bill  passed  the House 220–208, with all Republicans and four Democrats in favor. House Republicans attempted to pass the SAVE Act in September 2024 as part of a government-funding bill,...

On Monday, President Donald Trump hosted Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House amid a protracted legal fight over Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man mistakenly sent to prison in El Salvador by the Trump administration. During an Oval Office press conference, Bukele  said  he did not have the power to return Abrego Garcia to the United States. The comments follow a Supreme Co...

On Monday, the Trump administration  announced  that it will freeze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University after the school refused to comply with a list of requirements it said were unlawful. In a  joint letter dated April 11 , the General Services Administration, Department of Education (ED) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) deman...

On Saturday, U.S. and Iranian officials  initiated discussions  in Oman over Iran’s nuclear program. The majority of the talks were indirect and mediated by Oman, with each delegation in separate rooms and exchanging messages through Oman's foreign minister. However, at the end of the roughly two-and-a-half-hour session, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed...

In the past week, U.S. courts have issued a pair of significant rulings on the deportation actions of the Trump administration. On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled without dissent to  uphold  a federal judge’s order that the government must facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Separately, on Friday, an immigration judge in Louisi...

On today's Sunday podcast, Isaac and Ari talk tariffs (duh), there's so much more to say, whether Americans really want manufacturing to come back? And then a bunch of stories that we really have not gotten a chance to talk about; Proxy voting, Doge updates, Mahmoud Khalil, a Texas ruling from a Trump appointed judge that's pretty interesting. And a question that Isaac thinks we should all be thin...

In today's Friday edition, Executive Editor Isaac Saul talks with author and political commentator Richard Hanania. They discuss his evolution from being part of the alt-right to becoming a more moderate conservative voice. He reflects on his past writings, the impact of the Trump administration, and the complexities of navigating public perception amidst his changing views. Hanania also delves in...

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump  announced  a 90-day pause on the individualized tariffs imposed on U.S. trading partners, with the exception of China. The pause came roughly 13 hours after the tariffs took effect, and the White House  said  tariff levels would return to 10% on all imports during the pause. Conversely, President Trump raised the tariff on Chinese imports f...

On Monday, the Supreme Court  issued a 5–4 decision  in  Trump v. J.G.G. , lifting a pair of temporary orders from U.S. District Judge James Boasberg blocking the administration from using  the Alien Enemies Act of 1798  to justify deporting alleged noncitizen gang members. In an unsigned majority opinion, the Supreme Court did not weigh in on President Trump’s application...

On Tuesday, April 1, the Trump administration  began  large-scale layoffs at agencies across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  said  he expected to cut 10,000 jobs in addition to the thousands of workers who have already resigned or been placed on leave. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and D...

President Donald Trump’s  decision  to implement a baseline 10% tariff on all U.S. trading partners and additional, individualized tariffs on dozens of countries has prompted a range of responses from Republicans, Democrats, heads of state, and business leaders across impacted industries. With the individualized duties set to take effect on April 9, some countries have promised  ret...

On today's Sunday podcast, Kmele Foster joins Isaac and Ari to discuss the ramifications of Trump's tariff policies, including what this means for the role of Congress. They discuss the emotion toll of consuming news and the how the media landscape shapes that, the Republican Party's stance on trade, the impact of globalization on American jobs, and what legacy DOGE may leave behind and how it has...

In today's Friday edition, Executive Editor Isaac Saul makes the case for due process for anyone on American soil — and explaining how the recent deportation stories represent a genuine threat to American citizens. 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 edition...

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump  announced  a 10% across-the-board tariff on all U.S. trading partners, as well as heightened rates on specific countries. The 10% baseline tariff is set to go into effect on April 5, while the individualized duties will begin on April 9. Additionally, a  25% levy on foreign-made automobiles went into effect at midnight on Thursday. In concert wi...

On Tuesday, voters in Florida elected two new U.S. representatives, while Wisconsin voters selected a new state Supreme Court justice. The races were the  first general elections  since President Donald Trump took office in January. In Florida, Republican candidates Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine  defeated  their Democratic opponents, preserving House Republicans’ narrow majorit...

Beginning in February, President Donald Trump issued a series of orders targeting law firms that he  claims  have engaged in “conduct detrimental to critical American interests.” The firms named in the orders — Covington & Burling, Paul Weiss, Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, and WilmerHale — have previously represented clients or hired lawyers that opposed Trump and his admini...

On Monday, March 24, The Atlantic published  a partial transcript of communications among Trump administration officials as they discussed impending  military operations  against the Houthis in Yemen over the Signal messaging app. The outlet’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, had mistakenly been added to the chat and was privy to  sensitive discussions  about the details...

A few months ago I made a decision that changed my life and the trajectory of Tangle for good. I was approached by a producer for a new podcast called “Question Everything,” hosted by Brian Reed (who you might know from the hit podcast S-Town). The producer, Zach St. Louis, told me they were doing a series about the state and future of journalism. They wanted to do an episode about Tangle, which I...

If you’ve ever read one of Vox’s famous “Explainer” articles , you’re probably familiar with Christian Paz’s work. His reporting is at the forefront of several animating issues in U.S. politics — immigration, the courts, the cultural impact of the Make America Great Again movement, and more.  One recent story of his caught our eye and prompted us to reach out for an interview. The piece —&nbs...

I lived in California for four years. In that time, I left San Francisco because of wildfire smoke twice, helped plant trees in burn scars three times, and got a taste of the constant concerns over the pressure of cataclysm that native Californians have gotten used to. I say all that not to establish myself as an expert in California and its issues, just to say that when the Los Angeles wildfires...

Today is the beginning of the Tangle team’s “spring break.” As part of fostering work-life balance and also assuring our small team can survive the nonstop stream of news, I give our staff three breaks a year: one during August recess when Congress is out, one between Christmas and New Year’s, and one in March — a “spring break.” Our March break begins today. The team is taking full advantage of i...

In today's episode, Will Kaback and Isaac Saul discuss all the craziness and numerous stories we missed this week. The fact that President Trump is complying with court orders and nobody seems to care. We give some tip of the hats to Grok, Starlink and our dear friend Elon Musk. Then we play a game where Isaac tries to remember things we did a year ago. And last but not least, the Airing of Grieva...

California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom recently launched a podcast called  This is Gavin Newsom.  The show is advertised as a way for Newsom to sit down with a wide range of political thinkers, with a special emphasis on  MAGA personalities  who see politics very differently than Democrats do. So far, it’s living up to its billing. Ad-free podcasts are here! Many listene...

On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA)  announced they had carried out a series of airstrikes against what they said were Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. The strikes targeted mid-level Hamas commanders, senior political officials and Hamas's military infrastructure,  according  to an Israeli official. The IDF  claimed  to have killed...