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PREVIEW - The Friday Edition: Ari Weitzman talks with Jill Escher
In today's episode, Managing Editor Ari Wietzman talks with Jill Escher, an autism research philanthropist (Escher Fund for Autism), real estate investor who provides low-income housing for adults with developmental disabilities, former lawyer, and mother of two children with nonverbal autism. In this discussion, she highlights the increasing prevalence of autism, the frustrations with current research methodologies, and the need for more innovative approaches to understanding causation. Escher emphasizes the importance of exploring non-genetic factors, such as environmental exposures, advocates for increased funding and attention to these areas, and touches on the societal perceptions of autism and the balance between acceptance and the urgency to find answers.
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, 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!
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 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.
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Legal challenges to the Department of Government Efficiency.
30:53|On Saturday, a federal judge blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment systems. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer ruled that only “civil servants with a need for access to perform their job duties” may use the system, while special government employees are explicitly barred. The ruling will remain in place until at least this Friday, when another judge will hear arguments in a case brought by 19 Democratic state attorneys general challenging DOGE’s access to the Treasury’s system. 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: Do you think DOGE’s actions so far have been legal? 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.PREVIEW - The Sunday Podcast: Ari and Will talk about Trump's foreign policy, DEI, and Ari interviews Emma Varvaloucas.
28:14|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 the complex relationship between the federal government and private companies, particularly in the context of Trump's governance style. They discuss Trump's approach to foreign policy, Israel and Gaza, the implications of his proposed policies, and examine the current political discourse over DEI. Then, Ari interviews Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director at The Progress Network, and they discuss the role of USAID in global humanitarian efforts and debate the effectiveness of government-led initiatives versus civilian-led efforts. Next, Ari and Will play a trivia game about Tangle. And last but not least, 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.PREVIEW - The Friday Edition: Making sense of the Washington, D.C., plane crash.
23:09|On Wednesday, January 29, an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers collided with an American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members over the Potomac River. The plane had been approaching Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., and was preparing to land when the helicopter intersected its path, killing all 67 people. The crash was the deadliest air accident in the U.S. since November 11, 2001. The crash prompted immediate questions about why modern aviation safety systems failed to prevent the disaster. Furthermore, the visceral nature of the accident — a mid-air explosion followed by a freefall into the water — adds a layer of unease to these questions as Americans try to make sense of the tragedy. Today, we’ll explore five aspects of the crash: what we know so far, the leading theories about what caused it, what reforms might be needed, whether DEI initiatives or changes to aviation safety standards were involved, and the implications for public safety. In Tangle fashion, we consulted a wide range of opinions during our research, and we’ll feature analysis from four aviation experts throughout the edition.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, 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! 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 subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. This podcast is written and researched 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, Hunter Casperson, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead. Our logo was created by Magdalena Bokowa, Head of Partnerships and Socials.PREVIEW - INTERVIEW: Will Kaback talks with Stephen Hawkins
21:01|Today, we’re publishing Editor Will Kaback’s conversation with Stephen Hawkins, director of research at More in Common, a nonprofit that researches political polarization and strategies to build more cohesive communities. The group recently published a report that found Republicans and Democrats have vastly different perceptions of what the other side believes, and we talked with Hawkins about what those findings mean for the future of American politics.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, 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! 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 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.President Trump’s comments on Gaza.
29:42|On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the United States will take over the Gaza Strip to facilitate its reconstruction after it was largely destroyed during the 15-month war between Israel and Hamas. Speaking at a press conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said that Palestinians living in Gaza should be permanently resettled in surrounding Arab countries and implied that the U.S. could take a “long-term ownership position” over the enclave. The president did not rule out the use of military force to carry out the plan.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 Trump’s plan? 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.SPECIAL EDITION: Catching up on under-the-radar stories
40:19|The Trump administration has started with a whirlwind, and we’ve been working overtime to keep up with everything. Between the Senate nominations, executive orders, government leaks and sudden emergencies, we haven’t had enough time to get into it all. We even dedicated last Friday’s editionto covering three confirmation hearings just to stay up to date. Every once in a while, we break our standard format to better cover the news, and we decided that today is a good time to do that.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, 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 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.The future of USAID.
30:15|On Monday, following a week of upheaval at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he had taken over as acting administrator of the agency and told lawmakers that he intends to work with Congress to reorganize it. Rubio’s statement ran counter to comments made earlier in the day by Elon Musk, who said that he and President Donald Trump had decided to shut down USAID. These conflicting remarks and efforts by representatives of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to curtail the agency’s operations have created uncertainty about the agency’s future. 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 Trump should do with USAID? 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.Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China.
32:04|On Saturday, the White House announced that the United States will be imposing a 10% tariff on all imports from China and 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, with energy imports from Canada taxed at 10%. President Donald Trump used emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) to authorize the taxes, citing the “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs” and saying they would remain in place until the crisis is alleviated. The tariffs were scheduled to effect at 12:01am ET on Tuesday; however, on Monday, President Trump said he would pause the tariffs on Mexico for one month after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would send 10,000 soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border to target drug trafficking.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 recent tariffs? 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.PREVIEW - The Sunday Podcast: Ari and Will talk tackling Tangle takes, reader feedback, and immigration with Mags and Jon.
31:28|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 tackling Tangle takes while Isaac is on paternity leave, reader feedback, the tragic accident involving an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter, and the importance of maintaining perspective in reporting. Then, Mags and Jon join to talk about the price of eggs, immigration and their personal stories, and play a trivia game about Tangle headlines. And last but not least, 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.