Tangle

On Sunday, ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled the country and was granted political asylum in Russia. Assad's departure marks the end of his regime, a dramatic turn of events following a ten-day offensive by rebel forces starting with the capture of Aleppo on November 30.Editor’s note: The situation in Syria is one of the most complex geopolitical issues in the world and continues to evolve by the hour. Today’s newsletter is an attempt to catch you up on the last few weeks in a concise manner, with links to additional context or information for those interested.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 also give the gift of a Tangle podcast subscription by clicking here.You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.Take the survey: Do you think the next regime in Syria will be better or worse? Let us know!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.

On Wednesday, a gunman shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in New York City. Police have yet to publicly identify the shooter or determine a motive, though they believe the attack was targeted. Despite these limited details, the incident has reignited debates about the United States’s healthcare system and incited controversy on social media, where many have expressed support for the shooter.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 ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.Take the survey: What was your reaction to news of the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting? Let us know!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.

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, Isaac, Ari, and Will discusses the recent murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, celebrating violence against perceived elites, the moral dilemmas of such reactions, and the broader context of immigration and deportation statistics. Then Isaac and Ari talk about the complexities surrounding presidential pardons, particularly focusing on the recent Hunter Biden pardon. And as always, the Airing of Grievances.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.

On today's episode, Managing Editor Ari Weitzman explores the evolution and current state of liberalism in the United States, particularly in the context of recent political events and the 2024 elections. He discusses the defining values of modern liberalism, including social protection, civil rights, foreign intervention, big government, and labor.This is a preview of today's Friday 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, bonus content, and more, head over to tanglemedia.supercast.com and sign up for a membership. If you are currently a newsletter subscriber, inquiry with us about how to receive a 33% discount on a podcast subscription! You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Today's podcast was written by Ari Weitzman and edited and engineered by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.

On Wednesday, a majority of Supreme Court justices signaled that they were willing to allow states to pass laws limiting access to treatments prescribed for transgender teens. During over two hours of oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti, a case challenging a Tennessee law banning gender transition surgeries and the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender minors, five justices in the court’s conservative majority indicated they were likely to uphold the state’s law. The decision in Skrmetti would likely set a precedent that could affect other challenges to laws regarding transgender sports participation, bathroom use, and access to transgender care for adults.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 ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.Take the survey: What do you think of the Tennessee law banning access to certain treatments for transgender minors? Let us know!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.

On Saturday, President-elect Trump announced the nomination of Kashyap "Kash" Patel as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Patel is a former federal prosecutor who served in the White House during Trump’s first term and is viewed as a strong ally of the president-elect. For Patel to take over the position, current FBI director Christopher Wray (who Trump also nominated) will either need to resign or be fired, as Wray is serving a 10-year appointment that began in 2017. Wray has not indicated whether he intends to resign. 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 ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.Take the survey: What do you think of President-elect Trump nominating Kash Patel for FBI director? Let us know!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced that he had issued a full and unconditional pardon of his son, Hunter, for any criminal acts between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024. The younger Biden was convicted earlier this year on felony gun charges and pleaded guilty to felony tax offenses; he was set to appear at sentencing hearings for those cases on December 12 and December 16. The president’s decision comes after repeatedly promising that he would not grant his son clemency or otherwise involve himself in his criminal cases. 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 ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.Take the survey: What do you think of President Biden pardoning his son Hunter? Let us know!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.

Here at Tangle, we’ve just had a year straight of one of the longest, wildest, most unpredictable, campaign seasons I've ever witnessed. From two assassination attempts on Donald Trump to the shocking first debate to Joe Biden dropping out to Kamala Harris's coronation as top Democrat and everything that happened after that and in between. If you are reading this newsletter, you are either a voracious news consumer or someone who is at least spending a few minutes a day trying to stay informed. To that end, I'm doing something very few media outlets tend to do: I'm telling you to look away. Just for a few days. It's okay. It'll all be here when you get back, and if you genuinely take a break you’ll feel refreshed and ready to return when it’s time. We're going to take a break, too, and I’m planning to recharge. We'll keep an eye on things for you while you take a break, and we'll update you on what you missed when we return (which will be Tuesday, December 3rd — I've ordered my team to take off tomorrow through Monday).In the meantime, we are running a special Black Friday deal for our premium podcast memberships. You, or someone you might want to recommend us to, can click on the following link to get 25% off the first year of a premium podcast membership! Happy Thanksgiving! - Isaac and the Tangle teamYou can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.

On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump named Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) as his nominee for Labor secretary. Chavez-DeRemer, who narrowly lost her bid for re-election to the House, is considered one of the most pro-union Republicans in Congress, and her nomination serves as another signal that the GOP’s historically adversarial stance toward unions may be changing.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 ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.We are hiring!In the last month or so, the rapid growth of our readership has accelerated a planned expansion of our team. We are hiring for:Assistant to the editor. We are also looking for a highly organized individual dedicated to Tangle's mission who has a passion for multimedia and politics. This person will be working directly with Tangle's executive editor Isaac Saul out of Tangle HQ in Philadelphia, with a start date in February-March. Job listing here.Take the survey: Which party do you think best represents the working class? Let us know!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, and produced in conjunction with Tangle’s social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo.