On Thursday, the Trump administration released its 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS), a document outlining the administration’s priorities for U.S. foreign policy. In the document, the administration provides overviews of its policies in the Western Hemisphere, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Key goals include refocusing on regional relationships, increasing economic power while avoiding conflict in the Pacific, protecting freedom and security in Europe, pursuing lasting peace and economic partnership in the Middle East, and maintaining U.S. dominance in the technological sector.

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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 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.

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On Friday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8–3 to eliminate a longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive a first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. The committee instead recommended that women who test negative for hepatitis B should consult with their doctors to determine whether their babies should be given the first dose of the vaccine, suggesting that the initial dose be administered after the infant is at least two months old. The committee voted on the change after it heard presentations from several vaccine critics; no Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) subject-matter experts presented to the panel. 

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Take the survey: How does the latest change affect your trust in CDC vaccine recommendations? Let us know. 

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.

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About a year ago, a Tangle staff member introduced me to a writer named A.M. Hickman. He had just published a fascinating piece on his Substack, Hickman’s Hinterlands, arguing that America wasn’t unreasonably expensive — Americans themselves were simply demanding more out of their lives: living in urban hotspots, seeking out fancy apartments or big houses, refusing to take bets on up-and-coming areas. Hickman told this story through his personal lens; he resides in upstate New York (but, as you’ll see in a moment, is also a bit of a nomad) in a rural, dilapidated town that also happens to be incredibly cheap and quite beautiful.

I loved the story; it felt like a fresh narrative, delivered in a wholly unique voice. I began devouring Hickman’s writing — on class, on the birth of his daughter, on the death of his mother, on what it’s like to travel via bus through rural America, and even on his longing (and our shared affection) for the desert. 

So, a few months ago, I got Hickman on the phone and pitched him on the idea of writing for Tangle. What stories was he turning over in his head? What piece did he want some help with from a sharp and unique editorial team? What was he working on next? 

He was brimming with ideas, but one in particular caught my attention: a story about how he missed being homeless. Hickman had spent years as a kind of nomadic “bum” (his words) hitchhiking across America, and in a flourish, he described all the ways in which he felt more alive and more intellectually stimulated during that time in his life than any other. I was intrigued, and I pushed him for a draft.

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

This podcast was written by: A.M. Hickman and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Jon Lall.

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Today on Suspension of the rules, Lydia Moynihan from the New York Post joins the show to argue with Isaac over the Venezuelan boat strikes, the Trump economy/affordability crisis, and socialism spreading amongst democrats. Ari joins us for the back half of the show to discuss more about the Somali fraud scheme issues happening in Minnesota. Last but not least an enjoyable grievance section.

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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.

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On Tuesday, Matt Van Epps (R) defeated State Rep. Aftyn Behn (D) in a special election to represent Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District (TN-07). Van Epps, a former Army officer endorsed by President Donald Trump, received roughly 54% of the vote for a nine-point victory over Behn, a former social worker and community healthcare organizer. Former Rep. Mark Green’s (R) resignation in July triggered the special election, and the race drew national attention and significant outside spending. Van Epps’s win preserves the 220–213 majority Republicans held prior to Green’s resignation. 

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In October, we hosted a live event at the Irvine Barclay Theatre in Irvine, California. The evening provided us with another opportunity to meet and mingle with Tangle readers and featured a round table discussion on issues relevant to California. Executive Editor Isaac Saul hosted a discussion with Alex Thompson, Ana Kasparian, and our own Editor-at-Large Kmele Foster on immigration, gerrymandering, the 2028 presidential election, and more. 

Today, we’re releasing the video of that full discussion. You can watch it on our YouTube channel here!

You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.

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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.

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Federal prosecutors have charged dozens of people with defrauding Minnesota social programs since 2020, and recent reporting has highlighted the links between the fraud schemes and the Somali-American community. In November, a report authored by Ryan Thorpe and Christopher Rufo and published in City Journal — a periodical funded by the conservative think tank The Manhattan Institute — highlighted the fraud’s concentration among the state’s Somali community and claimed the funds were partially directed to the Somali-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the agency would be opening an investigation into Gov. Tim Walz’s (D) oversight of the programs beset by alleged fraud; the House Oversight Committee opened its own probe into the programs on Tuesday. 

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In October, we hosted a live event at the Irvine Barclay Theatre in Irvine, California. The evening provided us with another opportunity to meet and mingle with Tangle readers and featured a round table discussion on issues relevant to California. Executive Editor Isaac Saul hosted a discussion with Alex Thompson, Ana Kasparian, and our own Editor-at-Large Kmele Foster on immigration, gerrymandering, the 2028 presidential election, and more. 

Today, we’re releasing the video of that full discussion. You can watch it on our YouTube channel here!

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. 

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.

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On Monday, the White House said that on September 2, the military carried out a follow-up strike on a suspected drug-running boat in the Caribbean after two boat occupants survived an initial strike. The statement follows a Washington Post reportpublished Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized military action to kill everyone on board the boat (though it is unclear whether he was aware of the second strike on the two survivors). If carried out as described, the second strike may have violated international law by killing incapacitated enemy combatants. 

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You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.

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Take the survey: What do you think of the strikes on alleged drug boats? 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.

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On Wednesday, a gunman opened fire on West Virginia National Guard troops stationed near the White House in Washington, D.C, striking two service members. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries, while Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition. The suspected shooter was also shot but is expected to survive. The suspect was identified as an Afghan national who worked with a Central Intelligence Agency-backed unit before coming to the United States in 2021 through a Biden administration program that resettled Afghan asylum seekers. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, in addition to potential terrorism charges. 

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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 we can learn from the recent shooting? 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.

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Today on Suspension of the rules, Isaac, Ari, and Kmele talk more about the Trump/Mamdani meeting as well as some more on the implications of Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation. The guys debate a bit about nationalism on an individual level. In lieu of the airing of grievances Isaac challenges Kmele and Ari to share some political related gratitude and they deliver.

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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.

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On Friday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) announced that she will resign from Congress on January 5, 2026, citing the Republican Party’s handling of the government shutdown and her public falling out with President Donald Trump. Greene, who was elected to Congress in 2020 as a pro-Trump candidate, recently clashed with the president over foreign policy, healthcare, and the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

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We won’t be sending our normal newsletter for the rest of the week as the team takes a short break to recharge and celebrate Thanksgiving. However, keep an eye out for an email from us tomorrow with a special episode of Suspension of the Rules, available as both a podcast and YouTube video. We hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and we’ll see you next week!

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 Marjorie Taylor Greene’s retirement demonstrates? 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.

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