Tangle

The streamer is an increasingly incendiary political figure.

It’s hard to say how much your average American knows (or cares) about Hasan Piker.

To political reporters like me, Piker looms large. He has a massive audience of young people who follow his livestreams on the platform Twitch. During the videos, he reacts to the news in real time and gives running commentary while responding to people who join his chat room; it’s like a digital hangout with a friend — you might do your dishes while listening, occasionally chime in with a question, and chop it up with an internet-famous political pundit. This style of punditry creates a strong parasocial connection with his audience, and tens of thousands of people watch him every day.

Until recently, I would have said that Piker was still unknown or irrelevant for most Americans, especially older news consumers, despite his niche stardom. Yet over the last couple of years, Piker’s name recognition has skyrocketed. As both the Democratic Party and traditional journalists began reckoning with their inability to reach younger audiences, Piker became one of the most sought-after and recognizable leftists in politics. He campaigned with Abdul El-Sayed during Michigan’s Senate primary, boosted democratic socialist candidates in other primaries, and has sat down for lengthy interviews with The New York Times and Axios. Fox News runs standalone articles about him several times a week — he’s a new boogeyman of the left, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Zohran Mamdani.

In my own commentary, I’ve sometimes derided Piker or dismissed him and his worldviews offhandedly. Quite a few Tangle readers and listeners have challenged these comments: What’s so wrong with Hasan Piker? Why do you use him as a punching bag for the ascendant left?

It’s a fair question that I’ve never really answered. So, today, I’m going to try to do that in two parts.

The latest Suspension of the Rules.

This week's Suspension of the Rules spans several topics. First, as the midterms draw near, Isaac, Ari, and Kmele get ready with their election hot takes. Then, which former Tangle guests are getting themselves in hot water? And does the left have an anti-semitism problem? All this and more on today’s episode! Listen here or watch it here.

Our latest YouTube video.

A year after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., Assistant Producer Aidan Gorman visits the capital to ask: Have these troops made our capital safer? The answer isn’t straightforward. You can check out our latest YouTube video here.

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Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.

This podcast written by: Isaac Saul and audio engineered and edited 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, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

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On Monday, the new Supreme Court term began with oral arguments in a case over whether cities can sue energy companies for contributing to climate change. The arguments center on two major issues: whether federal law should block local governments from suing energy companies under state law, and whether the U.S. Supreme Court has jurisdiction to rule on the matter. Justice Samuel Alito, who is not involved with the companies named in the case but owns stocks in the energy industry, recused himself from the case.

The latest Suspension of the Rules.

This week's Suspension of the Rules spans several topics. First, as the midterms draw near, Isaac, Ari, and Kmele get ready with their election hot takes. Then, which former Tangle guests are getting themselves in hot water? And does the left have an anti-semitism problem? All this and more on today’s episode! Listen here or watch it here.

Our latest YouTube video.

A year after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., Assistant Producer Aidan Gorman visits the capital to ask: Have these troops made our capital safer? The answer isn’t straightforward. You can check out our latest YouTube video here.

Ad-free podcasts are here!

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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.

Take the survey: Should states be able to sue energy companies for damages related to climate change? Let us know.

Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.

This podcast written by: Will Kaback and audio engineered and edited 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, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode of Suspension of the rules, Isaac, Ari and Kmele share their election hot takes that are happening in the next few of weeks. We talk about some friends of the show that have been making some questionable statements that maybe need to be reeled in a bit. Then a discussion about a very curious Abdul El-Sayed focus group. Last, but not least, a short and sweet grievance section. A good one!

Our latest YouTube video.

A year after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., Assistant Producer Aidan Gorman visits the capital to ask: Have these troops made our capital safer? The answer isn’t straightforward. You can check out our latest YouTube video here.

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Get 20% off your first year of ad-free episodes, exclusive interviews, and deep dives with Tangle’s podcast membership!

Election season is here.

As we gear up for election season, we need your support. Our team is now 13 people strong, and we’re preparing for the biggest few months of the year.

You’re already supporting us as a Tangle member (thank you), but you can still drop a donation, follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel, or simply forward this email to friends and family and tell them 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 hosted by: Isaac Saul and audio engineered and edited by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Jon Lall and Diet 75.

Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 28, New York prosecutors said they had reopened an investigation into an alleged sexual assault and gang rape by seven Cornell University students in October 2024. The woman who filed the suit, anonymously identified as Jane Doe, alleges that she was coerced into taking ketamine, encouraged to take alcohol and cannabis, and forced into sexual actions she did not consent to. Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) appointed state Attorney General Letitia James (D) as special prosecutor in the case. Separately, Cornell tapped former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent investigation into the school’s handling of the allegations.

Our latest YouTube video.

A year after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., Assistant Producer Aidan Gorman visits the capital to ask: Have these troops made our capital safer? The answer isn’t straightforward. You can check out our latest YouTube video here.

Ad-free podcasts are here!

Get 20% off your first year of ad-free episodes, exclusive interviews, and deep dives with Tangle’s podcast membership!

Election season is here.

As we gear up for election season, we need your support. Our team is now 13 people strong, and we’re preparing for the biggest few months of the year.

You’re already supporting us as a Tangle member (thank you), but you can still drop a donation, follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel, or simply forward this email to friends and family and tell them to sign up.

You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ and today’s “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 issues do you think are contributing to sexual assault on college campuses? Let us know.

Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.

This podcast written by: Carina Pacheco and audio engineered and edited 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, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday, the copilot of a FlyDubai commercial flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv allegedly attacked the plane’s captain and attempted to crash the aircraft in what Israeli officials have deemed an attempted terrorist attack. The captain, Smit Machchhar of India, was stabbed multiple times and seriously wounded but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing crew and passengers to detain the copilot. Two pilots on board as passengers then took control of the aircraft and landed it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The attacker has been identified as an Omani national and is currently in custody in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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Get 20% off your first year of ad-free episodes, exclusive interviews, and deep dives with Tangle’s podcast membership!

Election season is here.

As we gear up for election season, we need your support. Our team is now 13 people strong, and we’re preparing for the biggest few months of the year.

You’re already supporting us as a Tangle member (thank you), but you can still drop a donation, follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel, or simply forward this email to friends and family and tell them 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.

Take the survey: What’s your view on the incident? Let us know.

Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.

This podcast written by: Isaac Saul and audio engineered and edited 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, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday, Tennessee failed to execute Christa Pike after administering two doses of a lethal drug. Pike had been sentenced to death for her role in the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, and she is now hospitalized in critical condition. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) canceled the state’s final scheduled execution of 2026 and accepted the resignation of Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada.

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Is it a crisis?

In Friday’s piece on the global fertility decline, Editor Audrey Moorehead wrote:

The numbers vary from country to country, but consistent across the data is a simple fact: The fertility rate is in decline, both in the United States and around the world. To calibrate a response… three questions immediately arise: What does it actually mean that fertility is declining? Why is it in decline? And can — or should — we try to reverse it?You can read Audrey’s exploration of these questions — and what’s at stake if the decline continues — here.

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.

Take the survey: What do you think of the death penalty? Let us know.

Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.

This podcast written by: Isaac Saul and audio engineered and edited 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, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What an aging population and fewer young people could mean.

A wide-ranging conversation.

In this week’s Suspension of the Rules episode, we start by having some fun with Jack Smith’s congressional testimony. Then, we discuss the government-funded Trump commercials before turning to a much more serious subject: the Cornell sexual assault case. It was a heavy but important segment, and we wrapped up with some gratitude (instead of our usual grievances) to lighten the mood. You can listen here or watch here.

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Get 20% off your first year of ad-free episodes, exclusive interviews, and deep dives with Tangle’s podcast membership!

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 written by: Audrey Moorehead and audio engineered and edited 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, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, the Senate voted 77–22 to pass the Protect College Sports Act with support from 50 Republicans, 26 Democrats, and one independent. The bill would create a national regulatory framework for collegiate athletics and give the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) antitrust protection, allowing it to establish standards for student-athlete compensation, eligibility, transferring, and other activities. The House is expected to take up the bill after the November midterms.

A wide-ranging conversation.

In this week’s Suspension of the Rules episode, we start by having some fun with Jack Smith’s congressional testimony. Then, we discuss the government-funded Trump commercials before turning to a much more serious subject: the Cornell sexual assault case. It was a heavy but important segment, and we wrapped up with some gratitude (instead of our usual grievances) to lighten the mood. You can listen here or watch here.

Ad-free podcasts are here!

Get 20% off your first year of ad-free episodes, exclusive interviews, and deep dives with Tangle’s podcast membership!

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.

Take the survey: What do you think of the bill? Let us know.

Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.

This podcast written by: Ari Weitzman and audio engineered and edited 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, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On todays episode of Suspension of the rules, Isaac, Ari and Kmele get into the Jack Smith testimony, a few embarrassing moments for a certain Republican Senator, the Trump ads that were paid with tax dollars and then they get into the details of the Cornell sexual assault case. Last but not least an uplifting grievance section to wrap up a bit of a heavy episode.

We're launching something new.

In this week’s edition of Press Pass, I wrote about going back to my roots (more writing, more brevity, more personality). As part of that goal, I’m thrilled to announce that we’re launching a dedicated YouTube channel for some video essays about the current happenings in politics. This will be a place for me to get into some stuff we don’t cover in Tangle, and deliver “My take” essays in video form. The channel launched today with a deep dive on the plans for a border wall in the Big Bend region of West Texas, with some personal stories about my connections to the area and why I think it’s a historically bad policy idea. You can watch it here.

Ad-free podcasts are here!

Get 20% off your first year of ad-free episodes, exclusive interviews, and deep dives with Tangle’s podcast membership!

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 audio engineered and edited 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, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Tuesday, September 22, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it had canceled healthcare enrollments for roughly 760,000 people under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) due to alleged fraud or improper documentation. In a press briefing announcing the cancelations, Vice President JD Vance and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said that Covid-era subsidies and relaxed verification under President Joe Biden led to rampant abuse of the federally regulated ACA marketplace. The vice president’s White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud estimates the enforcement action will save $2.2 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies.

Weapons in space?

Earlier this month, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made waves when he disclosed that the United States military currently has “space control weapons” in Earth’s orbit. Meink’s announcement instantly prompted questions about the nature of these space weapons — not to mention how they might be deployed. To learn more, Senior Editor Will Kaback sat down with aerospace defense expert Clayton Swope. You can listen to the interview here.

Ad-free podcasts are here!

Get 20% off your first year of ad-free episodes, exclusive interviews, and deep dives with Tangle’s podcast membership!

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.

Take the survey: Do you support this action? Let us know.

Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.

This podcast written by: Will Kaback and audio engineered and edited 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, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.