Today is Christmas Eve, which means the Tangle team is about to step into our annual holiday and New Year break. If you are new here — as many of you are — here's what you need to know: I believe in working hard, playing hard, and pacing ourselves. I know the media business is a difficult one, so I work myself to the bone and push my team to bring their best every day, too. But I also know that many people in the news business burn out and fail, in part because of how demanding it can be. So, we take regular breaks to position ourselves to win in the long run.

To that end, we'll be off from now through Friday, January 3rd. 

Over break, we’ll share an edition with our favorite content from the year, as well as a special New Year’s edition of the Sunday for paid subscribers. Barring any major breaking news, it's likely that you won't get a normal newsletter from us until Monday, January 6, 2025. After a long, exciting and grueling election season, I'm looking forward to the team coming back refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to go.

I'm also going to ask all of you to take our end-of-year survey. This survey is a way for us to take your feedback constructively to improve Tangle, and also a way to check in on who exactly is reading Tangle today. To show my appreciation, and to motivate submissions and feedback, anyone that takes it will be added into a drawing for a $250 gift certificate (so long as you leave your email). We’ll announce the winner on January 6.

As we head into this break, I encourage you to step back as well. The news can be frustrating, stressful, and depressing. This time of year is a great time to take a brief hiatus, spend some time with family or friends, and generally try to get outside and give yourself a break. When we come back in 2025, we’ll be sure to update you on everything you missed.

Happy holidays,

Isaac & and the Tangle team

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!

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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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On Saturday, President Joe Biden signed a stopgap funding bill into law, averting a prolonged government shutdown after last-minute negotiations in the House and Senate. The continuing resolution (CR) is a scaled-down version of a bill that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) released on Tuesday but scrapped a day later. The new CR, called the “American Relief Act, 2025,” funds the government at current levels through mid-March while providing roughly $100 billion in natural disaster aid and $10 billion for economic assistance to farmers. 

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!

A quick reminder that you can give the gift of Tangle! We have gift subscriptions on our website that are discounted to encourage buying them for your family member, friend, or colleague (especially those who you struggle to discuss politics with!). Click here to spread the love.

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 funding bill passed by Congress? 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 Thomasl. 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.

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

In the last couple weeks, I've been accused of being "out of touch" more times than I ever have in my entire life. The criticisms have mostly been for "my take" on the murder of Brian Thompson and then my response to reader feedback on that take. As frustrating as the criticisms have been, I also realized the problem was partially my fault. While I've touched on the topic a lot, I've never written explicitly about class and class politics — or my upbringing — here in Tangle. So on today's episode, I'm going to do just that.

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.

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

On Wednesday, House Republican leadership scrapped a bill to temporarily fund the government after President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and House Republicans came out against the effort. The sudden change of course comes just days before current government funding runs out on Friday night, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has not indicated whether he will pursue a new bill to avert a shutdown.

Note: This is a developing story. The information in this section is up-to-date as of 11:30 am ET on Thursday, December 19.

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!

A quick reminder that you can give the gift of Tangle! We have gift subscriptions on our website that are discounted to encourage buying them for your family member, friend, or colleague (especially those who you struggle to discuss politics with!). Click here to spread the love.

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 want the House of Representatives to do with the funding bill? 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.

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

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!

A quick reminder that you can give the gift of Tangle! We have gift subscriptions on our website that are discounted to encourage buying them for your family member, friend, or colleague (especially those who you struggle to discuss politics with!). Click here to spread the love.

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: How concerned are you by the ABC News-Trump settlement? 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.

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

On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced the largest single-day act of clemency in modern American history, commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were moved from prison to serve home-confinement sentences during the pandemic. Additionally, Biden pardoned 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. 

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!

A quick reminder that you can give the gift of Tangle! We have gift subscriptions on our website that are discounted to encourage buying them for your family member, friend, or colleague (especially those who you struggle to discuss politics with!). Click here to spread the love.

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 Biden’s mass clemency? 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.

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

For several weeks, residents of New Jersey and other East Coast states have reported seeing possible drones flying over residential neighborhoods and restricted areas. While federal officials have stated that the aircraft do not pose a public safety risk, a lack of specificity in the response has created uncertainty about their origins and nature. Overall, UAPs have been reported in at least six states: Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

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: What do you think about ending birthright citizenship? 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.

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

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 Jon talk about "Karens" and the whether we should appreciate them or not. They also discuss birthright citizenship, with Jon sharing his personal immigration story as a second-generation American. They talk about the complexities of assimilation and the immigrant experience. 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.

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

On today's episode, Isaac responds to comments and criticism on our coverage of the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Tangle Editor Will Kaback sits in to read Isaac's response. 

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.

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

On Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump gave his first network television interview since the election, speaking with NBC's Kristen Welker for Meet The Press. During the interview, Trump said he would seek to end birthright citizenship, possibly through executive action, calling the practice “ridiculous” and saying the U.S. is the only country that grants the right. Legal experts doubt that the president has the power to curtail birthright citizenship, but Trump’s transition team has indicated it will attempt to do so as one of his first executive actions when he returns to office. 

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: What do you think about ending birthright citizenship? 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.

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