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PREVIEW: The Friday Edition - 10 cabinet secretaries you haven't heard of.
The first eight months of the second Trump administration have been headlined by several prominent cabinet members: Marco Rubio, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, Scott Bessent and Pam Bondi, among others. These agency leaders have undertaken wide-ranging initiatives to carry out the president’s agenda, drawing regular coverage and analysis of their actions. But other department heads have also been shaping policies, implementing programs, and making consequential decisions — often without the same degree of media attention.
Today, we're going to devote a two-part edition to ten Trump administration leaders whose work does not always grab headlines but touches on key issues like agriculture, housing policy, labor, international aid, the environment, and more. In Tangle fashion, we’ll give an overview of their core initiatives, what supporters and critics are saying, and the issues we think will define the remainder of their time in office.
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Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.
This podcast was written by: Will Kaback, Ari Weitzman, Lindsey Knuth, Audrey Moorehead, Russell Nystrom and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75 and Jon Lall.
Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.
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Trump's 2020 election pardons.
28:48|On Monday, U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin announced that President Donald Trump had pardoned several top aides and advisers from his first administration, as well as dozens of people involved in his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election. Those receiving pardons include President Trump’s former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, adviser Boris Epshteyn, and attorneys Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, and Sidney Powell. None of the recipients has been charged with a federal crime, but the pardon will protect them from future prosecution related to the 2020 election (though they can still be prosecuted at the state level). 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 read today's podcast here, our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Take the survey: What reform to presidential clemency would you support? Let us know.Disagree? That's okay. My opinion is just one of many. Write in and let us know why, and we'll consider publishing your feedback.Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was written by: Will Kaback 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, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.
The Senate votes to end the shutdown.
29:25|On Sunday, the Senate voted60–40 to advance legislation to end the federal government shutdown after Republicans reached a deal with several Democratic senators. The package includes the continuing resolution passed by the House of Representatives with amendments to include three bills (known as a “minibus”) that will collectively fund the operations of Congress, the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, and programs and benefits for veterans in fiscal year 2026. As part of the deal, Congress will also fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through fiscal year 2026. However, the deal will not include an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act credits, which Democrats had been demanding as part of a deal. Instead, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) promised a vote in December on extending the credits. 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 read today's podcast here, our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Take the survey: Which party do you think “won” the government shutdown? Let us know.Disagree? That's okay. My opinion is just one of many. Write in and let us know why, and we'll consider publishing your feedback.Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was 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, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.
PREVIEW - The Friday Edition: How Nick Fuentes became Nick Fuentes.
15:25|Last week, Tucker Carlson released an interview with the far-right commentator Nick Fuentes. The interview has caused a firestorm on the right, dividing the MAGA base over how Carlson handled the interview — and bringing up questions about who should be platformed. But when I listened to the interview, I heard something much more interesting that nobody seems to be talking about: the origin story of one of the country’s most notorious bigots. I thought that story actually offered some important insights. I’m going to share what I learned.By the way: If you are not yet a podcast member, and you want to upgrade your newsletter subscription plan to include a podcast membership (which gets you ad-free podcasts, Friday editions, The Sunday podcast, bonus content), you can do that here. That page is a good resource for managing your Tangle subscription (just make sure you are logged in on the website!)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 Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was hosted by Will Kaback and edited and engineered by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Jon Lall.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.
Suspension of the rules. - Isaac, Ari, and Kmele discuss the 2025 elections, anti wokeness and tariffs.
01:23:14|Today on Suspension of the rules, Isaac, Ari, and Kmele talk a lot about the 2025 election this week. They then discuss whether or not anti wokeness is dead or not as well as some chatter about tariffs and their effectiveness. And, as always. the airing of grievances.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 Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was hosted by: Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Jon Lall.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.
Trump's tariffs before the Supreme Court.
31:46|On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the consolidated cases of Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, Inc., both of which challenged some of the president’s authority to unilaterally issue foreign duties. Trump has justified his broad “reciprocal tariffs” on U.S trading partners by declaring a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which prompted the legal challenges. The court’s decision could set the precedent for presidential authority over trade and the use of emergency powers.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 read today's podcast here, our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Take the survey: How do you think the Supreme Court will rule? Let us know.Disagree? That's okay. My opinion is just one of many. Write in and let us know why, and we'll consider publishing your feedback.Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was 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, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.
Democrats sweep the 2025 elections.
29:47|On Tuesday, voters cast ballots in the first election cycle since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. Democrats won the most closely watched races decisively, including Virginia’s and New Jersey’s gubernatorial elections, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court retention vote, and the New York City mayoral election. Furthermore, several ballot measures passed decisively. Californians passed Proposition 50 to approve mid-decade redistricting, Mainers voted down a voter ID ballot measure and approved the creation of a “red flag” law, and Texans amended their state constitution to ban noncitizen voting and codify parental rights.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 read today's podcast here, our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Take the survey: What do you think this year’s election results portend for next year’s elections? Let us know.Disagree? That's okay. My opinion is just one of many. Write in and let us know why, and we'll consider publishing your feedback.Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was 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, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.
SPECIAL EDITION: Everything to know about today's elections.
38:29|The key 2025 races. Today is election day in the United States, with voters in cities and states across the country deciding on a host of key elections and ballot measures. Some races, like the New York City mayoral election, have been in the national spotlight for months; others, like the Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention elections, have flown under the radar but could be nationally impactful for years to come. Today, we’re publishing a special edition exploring these critical elections. We’ll break from our normal format to give each one proper attention — sharing a brief overview of each race, two divergent perspectives on it, and a bit of our own analysis as voters head to the polls. At the end, we’ll also share several important ballot initiatives. Then, tomorrow, we’ll follow up with a breakdown of what happened in each race and the implications of those results. 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 read today's podcast here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here.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 Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was Written by: Isaac Saul, Will Kaback, Ari Weitzman, Lindsey Knuth, Audrey Moorehead, Russell Nystrom 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, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.
PREVIEW: Will Kaback talks with John Ketcham
20:24|On this special Election Day episode, we delve into the complexities of New York City's mayoral race and its broader implications for the Democratic Party and election reform nationwide. Senior Editor Will Kaback interviews John Ketcham, Senior Fellow and Director of Cities at the Manhattan Institute, exploring the challenges of closed primary systems and the disconnect between public support for reform and political action. This conversation aims to shed light on the national debate over election systems and primary reform and how these issues could shape the future of American politics.By the way: If you are not yet a podcast member, and you want to upgrade your newsletter subscription plan to include a podcast membership (which gets you ad-free podcasts, Friday editions, The Sunday podcast, bonus content), you can do that here. That page is a good resource for managing your Tangle subscription (just make sure you are logged in on the website!)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 Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was hosted by Will Kaback and edited and engineered by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Jon Lall.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.
SNAP funding expires.
31:58|On Saturday, the ongoing government shutdown caused federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to lapse. The funding gap will delay scheduled payments to many program beneficiaries who use the money to help cover food costs, putting the roughly 42 million people receiving benefits at risk of food insecurity. On Friday, two federal judges ruledthat the government must keep the program at least partially operational using contingency funding and gave the Trump administration until Monday to respond to the order. 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 read today's podcast here, our “Under the Radar” story here and today’s “Have a nice day” story here.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Take the survey: What is your opinion on SNAP? Let us know.Disagree? That's okay. My opinion is just one of many. Write in and let us know why, and we'll consider publishing your feedback.Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was written by: Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75.