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- [00:01]
Isaac Saul
Prime delivery is fast. How fast are we talking? We're talking puzzle toys and lick pad delivered so fast you can get this puppy under control fast. We're talking chew toys at your door without really waiting. Fast pads, cooling mat, peg hammer Fast and fast. And there's training T R E A T s faster than you can say sit fast. And now we can all relax and order these matching hoodies to get cozy and cute. Fast fast Free delivery. It's on prime out here we feel things.
- [00:35]
Ari Weitzman
The sore calves that lead to epic.
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Isaac Saul
Views, the cool waterfall mist during a hot hike, and the breeze that hits.
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Ari Weitzman
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Isaac Saul
Experience it for yourself.
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Ari Weitzman
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Isaac Saul
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Ari Weitzman
For always on navigation. Download the free app today and find.
- [00:59]
Isaac Saul
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- [01:01]
Ari Weitzman
Up your everyday Quints makes Premium Essentials without the premium price tag from quality.
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Camille Foster
Clothing and stylish accessories to travel staples.
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Ari Weitzman
And high end home goods, Quint's has it all. And by partnering directly with top artisans.
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Camille Foster
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Howie Mandel
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Isaac Saul
Shop elevated essentials without the markup at quints.
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Camille Foster
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Ari Weitzman
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- [01:36]
Isaac Saul
From executive producer Isaac Saul, this is Tangle.
- [01:51]
John Law
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening and welcome to the Tangle Podcast, a place we get views from across the political spectrum, some independent thinking, and a little bit of my take. I'm your host Isaac Saul and today. You're not getting much of me today actually. Ari Weitzman, our managing editor, wrote Today's My Take, which I'm super excited about. I was actually on the Breaking Points podcast this morning, which took up a good bit of my time, so I called in a sub on the take. If you're a fan of Breaking Points, you'll hear me over there and if not, you should go check it out. It's a great independent podcast with diversity of perspectives, so you know I respect what they're doing and it was really fun to go on. We talked about the Tulsi Gabbard releases and some of what we learned and I think it was a pretty fun segment. So I highly recommend checking it out before I jump in to the podcast today and pass it over to John and Ari. I have a big announcement. A couple of years ago we launched our Tangle live event series which has taken Tangle on the road to discuss hot button issues with commentators from across the political spectrum. We have hosted live events in New York and Philadelphia and today we are excited to announce that our third installment of Tangle Live is going to be held on October 24, 2025 at the Irvine Barclay Theater in Irvine, California. So we're coming to Southern California. We're coming to the west coast by popular demand. If you are in the area or want to make the trip, I would love to have you join me and the team for a night of spirited discussion, live Q and A opportunities to meet the team in person. We have information about the event and a link to purchase tickets. This is a 700 person room. It's a big theater. We want to sell it out. So please go to the episode description go to our website buy those tickets. This year I am thrilled to announce our most star studded lineup of guests yet. First of all, I'm going to be joined on stage by Camille Foster, our new Editor at large. You guys have all gotten to know super excited about that. Also Alex Thompson, Axios's national political correspondent and the co author of the New York Times number one bestseller Original Sin about Joe Biden and the 2024 presidential election, and Anna Kasparian, the executive producer and host of the Young Turks and a reporter for Real Clear Investigations. We are in the process of booking a fifth pilot panelists including me, your host, and we'll be announcing them in the near future. The ink isn't quite dry on that contract, but I'm very excited for that as well. So please consider joining us October 24, 2025 at the Irvine Barclay Theater in Irvine, California. It is going to be awesome and we'll see you guys there. All right, with that, I'm going to send it over to John for today's main topic and I'll be back for a brief celebrity appearance in the reader question.
- [04:43]
Camille Foster
Thanks Isaac and welcome everybody. Here are your quick hits for today. First up, the Justice Department reportedly informed President Donald Trump earlier this year that his name appeared several times in documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. At the time, Attorney General Pam Bondi also informed the President that they would not publicly release additional documents because some contain child pornography and victims personal information. Separately, a federal judge denied a Justice Department request to unseal grand jury records regarding federal investigations into Epstein, finding that the government had failed to justify the need for the release. 2 President Trump announced a $221 million settlement with Columbia University to resolve ongoing federal civil rights investigations into the school for alleged discriminatory practices. The agreement restores the school's federal research funding and imposes oversight through an independent monitor. Number three Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released new documents related to investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which she claims showed that intelligence agencies relied on faulty information to conclude that Russia sought to boost then candidate Trump's candidacy. The Justice Department also announced the formation of a strike force to assess the documents Gabbard publicized. Four Protests continued in Ukraine over a new law that heightens government oversight of two anti corruption agencies. Critics say the law undermines those agencies independence. And Number five the Supreme Court ruled in an unsigned order that President Trump can remove three Democratic members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission while a legal challenge to their removal plays out in court. Separately, the 9th U.S. circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 that President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship cannot go into effect in any states, finding that four Democratic led states challenging the order were entitled to a nationwide injunction. The House will soon take up the package of spending cuts that the Senate approved overnight. In the cuts it funding for funding, I should say, for foreign aid and PBS as well as NPR.
- [07:02]
Ari Weitzman
The bill is amended as passed overnight, senators voted 51 to 48 to slash around $9 billion worth of previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting.
- [07:13]
Camille Foster
Republicans Le Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
- [07:15]
Ari Weitzman
Joined with Democrats to oppose the measure.
- [07:18]
Camille Foster
Sounding the alarm over the impact to.
- [07:20]
Isaac Saul
Local public radio and TV stations.
- [07:24]
Camille Foster
On Thursday, The Senate voted 5148 to pass a rescissions package clawing back $9 billion in federal funding that had previously been approved for international aid and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. The next day, the House approved the package 216, 213, sending it to President Donald Trump, who has yet to sign the bill. For context, Rescissions cancel funds already appropriated by Congress In May, President Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vaught requested 22 rescissions of budget authority totaling $9.4 billion under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control act of 1974. This law allows the president to propose rescissions, which Congress has 45 days to approve before the money must spent as originally allocated. The final version of the package clawed back roughly $7.9 billion from foreign aid and $1.1 billion for public broadcasting. But the Senate struck a $400 million requested cut to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a global AIDS program after Republican senators raised concerns. However, the final package codified many of the key cuts to foreign assistance programs recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency early in Trump's term, particularly to the U.S. agency or U.S. aid. OMB Director Vought said the White House would likely send additional rescissions packages to Congress after their August recess. The package passed both chambers largely along party lines, with most Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the measure a small but important step toward fiscal sanity that we should all be able to agree is long overdue. Democrats strongly criticized the cuts. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested that they imperiled future bipartisan lawmaking, accusing Republicans of retreating to a back room to rubber stamp President Trump's purely partisan scheme that only needs a simple majority to pass to tear up previous arguments. A small number of Republicans also objected to the cuts. Senator Susan Collins, who voted against the package, suggested the White House had not provided sufficient detail to support its recommendations. NPR and PBS leaders warned that the cuts would immediately impact their stations, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement. Many of our stations, which provide access to free, unique local programs and emergency alerts, will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead. Today, we'll share arguments from the right and the left about the rescissions package and then ari's take.
- [10:08]
John Law
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- [11:14]
Howie Mandel
There'S the part of me that everyone sees. I'm Howie Mandel, the comedian. Apparently I know what funny is. Funny. He bought me a house. But I also know what isn't funny. Ocd. I've lived with OCD my entire life and people throw the term around like it's no big deal. But OCD is severe, often debilitating. It's a mental health condition that involves unrelented unwanted thoughts that can make you question your character, your beliefs, even your safety. General therapy can help with some things, but for ocd, it can actually make things worse. That's why I want to tell you about nocd. NOCD is the world's largest treatment provider for OCD and is covered by Insurance for over 155 million Americans. Their licensed therapists specialize in ERP, the most effective treatment for OCD. If you think you might be struggling with OCD, go to nocd.com to book a free 15 minute call. They are here to help.
- [12:19]
Camille Foster
Alright, first up, let's start with what the right is saying. The right supports the cuts, particularly to NPR and pbs. Some say the rescissions package is a first step to bringing down the national debt. Others refute the claim that public broadcasting cuts harm free speech. In USA Today, Nicole Russell wrote, PBS NPR Push liberal Propaganda Trump is right to cut their funding NPR and PBS were once one stop shops for news and wholesome programs for families. The kids could watch Sesame street while the parents listened to All Things Considered. But now NPR and to a lesser extent, PBS have become a cesspool of liberal bias that taxpayers have been forced to fund, Russell said. NPR often frames its news coverage in ways that make Trump's conservative policies seem harmful rather than simply reporting the facts. A progressive point of view is fine when presented as commentary, but NPR purports to be a neutral news source that serves all Americans. Don't believe me? Allsides, a media literacy organization that rates news organizations biases, has repeatedly found that NPR's online content leans left, Russell wrote. The calls about NPR's leftist bias have come from inside the House. Longtime business editor Yuri Berliner famously resigned last year after being suspended for publicly detailing his employer's history of newsroom bias. Taxpayers shouldn't be forced to financially support a news source that's so blatantly partisan. In Newsweek, Eric Erickson said the rescissions package will help Republicans prove they're serious about the national debt. The national debt is an existential threat. The CBO estimates that net interest payments are projected to hit $1 trillion next year, crowding out investments in defense, infrastructure and taxpayer relief, Erickson wrote. Every dollar spent on questionable programs, say for example, the $10 million set aside for gender programs in Pakistan that somehow into the domestic Covid relief bill is a dollar stolen from future generations. The Rescissions act, through its modest 0.5% of discretionary spending, is a critical signal to voters and the market. It is time for Congress to reassert its role as the legislature rather than outsource its responsibilities to the executive branch. Elon, Musk and Doge did an admirable job from the White house in flagging $162 billion in improper payments in 2024 alone. Rescissions are a constitutional path to codify these savings, shielding the administration from legal challenges while reasserting Congress's fiscal responsibility, Erickson said. Republicans should make liberals justify their own spendthrift ways rather than playing defense. The Rescissions act as a test of whether the GOP can follow the mandate that voters gave them in 2024. In National Review, Dan McLaughlin argued defunding NPR is no threat to free speech. There are certainly sound reasons to be worried that the Trump administration is abusing its powers to retaliate against critics in some areas, such as targeting entire law firms just because they previously employed an enemy of Trump. But the specific case of NPR just doesn't belong in this discussion, McLaughlin wrote. National Public Radio's budget is being cut by Congress, not by executive action. Long standing precedents set a very high bar for First Amendment claims of viewpoint discrimination and retaliation when those decisions are made on a facially neutral bias by a legislature. Of course, it's true in a sense that defunding NPR isn't facially neutral because Congress didn't at the same time defund federally taxpayer funded conservative media outlets. That's because there are none to defund, McLaughlin said. Which brings us to the broader cultural point. So long as NPR is publicly funded, its speech is not free speech in the way we think of individual liberty. It is government speech. Claiming a First Amendment right or even free speech cultural value for the left to retain a permanent claim to taxpayer subsidies for one viewpoint is an argument that dissolves on close inspection. Alright, that is it for what the right is saying. Which brings us to what the left is saying. The left opposes the package, arguing that it's founded on false pretenses. Some say the cuts will cause Democrats to lose trust in Republicans during upcoming appropriations. Others note the public broadcasting cuts are part of a long standing conservative campaign against public media. In Slate, Natish Pahwa called the public broadcasting cuts ridiculous. Historically, Republicans from states with significant rural and indigenous populations have often fought to preserve and even expand public media funds, even when other GOP legislators oppose such efforts, Pow Wow said. This time, Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were the only real GOP holdouts. What changed for their colleagues then? There are two main factors here a years long culture war campaign to reduce Americans trust in NPR and PBS and the far right Heritage Foundation's successful effort to install the architects of its Project 2025 agenda in the White House for pundits and members of Congress to decry CPB as some leftist indoctrination factory is laughable. The corporation has multiple Republican board members, including current president and CEO Patricia Harrison, a George W. Bush. A George W. Bush appointee, Pow Wow wrote, this is not the end of public media. To be clear, at least three dozen states also provide direct monetary support for local public broadcasting stations, and there are other nonprofit groups not backed by the federal government. Still, the local and national media ecosystems will suffer a steep injury, and there will be a far narrower range of programming and opportunities than before for the center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Devin o', Connor, Sam Berger and Jacob Liebenluft suggested the Rescissions Package Undermines Future Funding Deals Congressional approval of the administration proposal would mark the first successful presidential proposed rescissions under the ICA authority since fiscal year 1999 and the largest such rescissions enacted over four decades. Under normal circumstances, weighing the potential harm from the proposed cuts against the cost savings might be the only consideration, the authors wrote. But this rescission package did not come to Congress under normal circumstances. The administration illegally impounded the funds at issue for months before proposing the package. Enacting appropriations for fiscal year 2026, which starts Oct. 1, will require Democratic senators to join with Republicans to reach the needed 60 vote threshold. This Democratic support may not materialize if Democrats are concerned that any argument could later be undone. If the administration proposes a rescission package under the ICA that at least 50 Republican senators agree to, the author said. As a result, it would be far more difficult to reach the bipartisan agreements necessary to fund the government on time. In the New York Times, Jim Rutenberg wrote, conservatives get the PBS and NPR cuts they've wanted for decades. For five decades, Republicans failed time and again to choke off federal funding for public broadcasting. Some were afraid of being accused of avocide for killing Big Bird of Sesame street, while others appreciated their local public station stations and the airtime they personally received, always stopping the party short of turning their threats against PBS and NPR into law Rutenberg said that they have finally been able to do it now, on one level, speaks to the power of President Trump. His threat to support primary challenges against any Republicans who might try to block the cuts all but guaranteed this would go through this time. The ascendant ideology of the Trump era is the opposite of the one that spawned the modern public broadcast system. Its creation was spurred along by the declaration of Newton N. Minow, chairman of the FCC during the Kennedy administration that the competition for ratings and ad dollars has turned television into a vast wasteland. Rutenberg wrote. Those commercial forces still exist in an era of social media program algorithms that reward content that attracts the most likes and shares. That's rarely the hyper local issues or deep policy discussions that are the bread and butter of local public broadcast television and radio stations. All right, let's head over to Ari for his take.
- [20:46]
Ari Weitzman
Hey, managing editor Ari Weitzman here with a take for today saying that is it for what the left and the right are saying, and I'm going to give you my take now. So earlier this year, when I stepped in for Isaac when he was out on paternity leave, the legality of the executive branch underspending the federal budget, I think, was the default defining subject of the takes that I authored at the time. I never expected this issue would disappear when Isaac came back. In fact, I was certain that President Trump's attempt to cut the existing federal budget had only just begun. In our January 30th edition on the federal funding freeze, I wrote keep an eye out for a new debate over the constitutional limits of executive power with the keywords deferral and recision. I also wrote that Trump was not being a king, but probing the limits of his executive power in ways that other presidents have done in ways they haven't. I also wrote the courts would not approve of the executive branch cutting spending unilaterally and that the Republican controlled Congress was likely to pursue rescission. And that's exactly what's happening now. For all the grief I've given this Congress since Trump's inauguration for ceding its power to the executive branch, I have to credit them here for actually exercising their power of the purse and doing something to address the deficit. They're not relying on Elon Musk to try to do their job for them. They're cutting $9 billion of federal spending. Nine billion is a significant amount of money and a legal step towards addressing our federal deficit. Yes, it's an unusual step. So unusual that a legal expert I talked to about Doge wasn't even familiar with what rescission was at the time, and Congress hasn't approved rescission request since 1999. But it is a legal step forward nonetheless. And while I am happy about that, I still think Congress's baby step forward is just a big stumble for a couple reasons. First, the cuts themselves. I'm open to the idea of USAID being directed by the State Department for diplomatic purposes, and I'm also personally innately uncomfortable with the idea of the government sponsoring any media which does invite politicization by its very structure. So I'm not ideologically opposed to rolling back federal funding there either. But the specific items this package is cutting the Africa Corps, International Development Assistance, disaster relief. These aren't woke nonsense. And the much touted quote, transition initiatives in the package make up 0.6% of all the rescinded spending. Instead, in turning away from these programs, the government is abdicating US Leadership on the global developmental stage, creating a vacuum for other countries to fill, like China, who is eagerly trying to fill that vacuum right now. Meanwhile, I wouldn't be surprised if the public broadcasting cuts totally backfire. Nationally syndicated programming and like this American Life or All Things Considered are funded independently by grants, direct donations, and local stations purchasing broadcasting rights. More likely than not, those shows will continue to exist. Instead, smaller and underfunded stations will be hampered by not being able to purchase the rights to those shows, or by cutting staffing or potentially by closing down entirely. It's not Terry Gross who's going to lose her job, but the reporter on the ground in the state Capitol. And I know some NPR reporters do that work. They perform a valuable function in communities all across the country. Furthermore, given that most of the threatened stations tend to be in rural states that vote Republican, canceling their funding may end up hurting constituents more than fire them up. The GOP has recognized this in the past and actually done a lot to support public broadcasting. Past recipients of the Champion of Public Broadcasting Award include reliable conservatives such as Senator Shelley Morcapito in West Virginia, Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho, and Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma. So doing this could drive more listeners to conservative talk radio in the short term, but it may not be a wise political move in the long term. Second are the legal and organizational issues before requesting that Congress rescind funding for public broadcasting and international aid, Trump and the Office of Management and Budget impounded funds for foreign aid unilaterally in January without Congress Congress, a process that federal courts ruled unconstitutional at the time and affirmed as such in March. Not only that, but the process was incredibly disorganized. OMB released a memo that called on agencies to freeze about $3 trillion in federal spending, including Medicare payments, then rescinded the memo, but not the funding freeze, which the press secretary told us should clear up the confusion. It did not. And now, even though Trump is taking the legal route through Congress, I still found myself pretty confused. According to the Impoundment control Act of 1974, Congress has 45 days to improve a president's rescission request. That means that Congress had until July 18th to meet the deadline, which they did just under the wire. However, Trump still hasn't signed the rescissions package. Why? We can speculate, but we don't know. And the White House hasn't said. Lastly, these cuts aren't going to provide any meaningful reduction to the deficit. It tango has been a broken record on this point, but we'll say it again. The four biggest areas of government spending are health care, Social Security, servicing the national debt, and the military. Without cuts in those areas, we have no chance to actually close the federal deficit and shrink the national debt. Of course, we could always consider raising revenue through taxes, but that path is a non starter under this administration. Not only that, but Congress just passed a bill that will simultaneously lower revenue and increase cost costs, adding a projected $3 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years. So Congress just has to make similar clawbacks to this one 332 more times just to fix the damage they've already inflicted. So this is technically progress, and I suppose that's worthy of some recognition. But these savings are totally eclipsed by the deficit increase Congress has already approved. They're cutting the wrong things, and they still haven't gotten their bill signed by the same president who requested it. Plenty of Republican members have kicked and screamed along the way, but at some point they're going to have to do the brave thing and address our fiscal situation with some lasting austerity.
- [27:18]
John Law
We'll be right back after this quick break.
- [27:26]
Howie Mandel
I can't tell you how often I hear, oh, I'm a little ocd. I like things neat. That's not ocd. I'm Howie Mandel and I know this because I have ocd. Actual OCD causes relentless unwanted thoughts. What if I did something terrible and forgot? What if I'm a bad person? Why am I thinking this terrible thing? It makes you question absolutely everything and you'll do anything to feel better. OCD is debilitating, but it's also highly treatable with the right kind of therapy. Regular talk therapy doesn't cut it. OCD needs specialized therapy. That's why I want to tell you about NO cd. NOCD is the world's largest virtual therapy provider for ocd. Their licensed therapist provides specialized therapy virtually and it's covered by insurance for over 155 million Americans. If you think you might be struggling with OCD, visit nocd.com to schedule a free 15 minute call and learn more. That's nocd.com Every idea starts with a problem.
- [28:27]
Isaac Saul
Warby Parker's was simple. Glasses are too expensive. So they set out to change that. By designing glasses in house and selling directly to customers, they're able to offer prescription eyewear that's expertly crafted and unexpectedly affordable. Warby Parker glasses are made from premium materials like impact resistant polycarbonate and custom acetate, and they start at just $95, including prescription lenses. Get glasses made from the good stuff. Stop by a Warby Parker store near you.
- [29:03]
Ari Weitzman
All right, that's it for my take. Which brings us to your questions answered. Today's question comes from Jasmine from San Bruno, California, who asks, what's the deal with the CBS protest happening? Did CBS do anything questionable? The protests at CBS right now are in reaction to the network's decision to cancel the Late show with Stephen Colbert. Critics of the move say it was political and that CBS's parent company, Paramount, is folding to pressure from the Trump administration, either real or implied, to silence criticisms. Our editorial staff responded to the basic question, did CBS do anything questionable here? Is the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show in any way political? So we're going to go through each staff member but me. Ari Weitzman, managing editor, I'm going to start. CBS is certainly within their rights to cancel one of their programs, especially one that was reportedly cash flow negative to the tune of several million dollars. And there is some smoke here since CBS parent company Paramount Global recently settled with Trump for $16 million. However, I don't think there is any real fire. Remember, Paramount owns Comedy Central, which airs the Daily show, as well as south park, which was pretty brutal in their opening season premiere towards Trump. So I don't think they're silencing dissent here. Instead, I think CBS is just asking what the point of these late shows is in a world where celebrities are easily accessible.
- [30:33]
Camille Foster
I'm Audrey Moorhead, associate editor for Tango. I think CBS just needed to tighten up the budget. The Late show was losing money and even if it led in its time slot, late night talk shows are a dying format.
- [30:44]
Ari Weitzman
So Colbert went to the chopping block.
- [30:46]
Camille Foster
That Colbert's cancellation would also please the president with the power to sink their merger probably made the executive's decision easier.
- [30:54]
Ari Weitzman
But I don't think it was the.
- [30:55]
Camille Foster
Sole or even a primary factor.
- [30:57]
Ari Weitzman
Hi, this is senior editor Will Kaback. And here's my response. This decision was likely political, but not exclusively so. Now, it's no secret that Paramount, which owns cbs, is courting President Trump's favor as it pursues a high stakes merger with Skydance Media. In fact, canceling Colbert is arguably the least shameless of the company's recent parade of panders to the White House. But regardless of your politics, such a brazen pursuit of a quid pro quo deal should feel a little bit grimy. At the same time, I think canceling Colbert is also a straightforward financial decision, in the sense that the show was reportedly losing $40 million a year, and canceling it would also boost the odds of reaching a lucrative deal. It feels craven, but I do think Paramount is ultimately just making a financial decision.
- [31:49]
Camille Foster
Hi, I'm Lindsay.
- [31:50]
Isaac Saul
I'm an associate editor at Tangle, and.
- [31:53]
Camille Foster
Like most of the country, I don't actually watch Late Night, but I've always thought of it as an untouchable thing.
- [31:58]
Isaac Saul
Firmly ensconced species in America's media ecosystem.
- [32:02]
Camille Foster
This CBS saga did show me how imperiled it really is. But I still don't buy that the motives are purely financial. CBS's parent company, Paramount, it rakes in almost $30 billion per year, and it has just signed on to two deals.
- [32:16]
Ari Weitzman
That personally benefit the President.
- [32:19]
Camille Foster
So while a million factors do underlie media decisions like this, one of those factors does seem to be meeting the current political moment.
- [32:26]
Ari Weitzman
Moment.
- [32:27]
John Law
All right. This is Isaac Saul, your executive editor. Here's how I would answer this question. Imagine being in a relationship. You know it's going nowhere, but it satisfies some part of your social life. It gets a lot easier to leave the relationship when someone else you like enters the picture and they might like you back. I think that's basically what's happening here. I doubt Paramount made this decision purely in pursuit of their merger. Much more likely to me is that they saw an opportunity to make a justifiable, viable financial decision now rather than later. That could double as an investment in a good relationship with the current administration. All we can do is speculate, but I doubt the decision was purely financial or purely political. I know that's not a satisfying answer, but it is my honest answer. All right, with that, I'm going to send it back to John for the rest of the pod and I'm going to see you guys tomorrow.
- [33:21]
Camille Foster
Thanks, Isaac. Here's your under the radar story for today, folks. This week, Pew Research released new polling that shows rising support among U.S. adults for banning middle and high school students from using cell phones during class. Since Pew's survey last fall, support for phone bans in class has risen from 68% to 74%, while support for bans throughout the entire school day has risen from 36% to 44%. The increase is particularly pronounced among younger adults 57% of those age aged 18 to 29 said they support in class bans, up from 45% in 2024. The survey findings come as several states and Congress have ramped up efforts to pass cell phone bans over concerns about the device's impact on students, behaviors, social skills and academic performance. Pew Research has this story and there's a link in today's episode Description all right, next up is our numbers section. The total amount of rescissions requested by the president between Gerald Ford's administration, which started in 1974, and the first Trump administration is $91.9 billion. Of those requests, the total amount of rescissions approved by Congress is $25.1 billion. The amount of rescissions requested by President Donald Trump in his first term was $14.8 billion. The amount of those requests accepted by Congress was $0. According to a March 2025 Pew Research poll, 43% of US adults say Congress should continue to fund NPR and PBS, while 24% say they should remove federal funding. 20% of US adults say they regularly get their news from NPR, while 21% say they regularly get their news from PBS. 9% of Republicans say they regularly get their news from DPR, while 32% of Democrats say they regularly get their news from CPR. 11% of Republicans say they regularly get Their news from PBS, and 31% of Democrats say they regularly get Their news from CBS. And last but not least, our have a nice day story. Malaria kills about 597,000 people per year, and most of those deaths are concentrated among children under five years old in Africa, where the disease is endemic. In many areas, newborns are the most vulnerable population as they cannot be vaccinated against malaria until they are five months old or risk serious side effects. Now, however, help could be on the way. Swiss Medic, Switzerland's drug regulator, recently approved the world's first malaria treatment for newborn babies. The medicine modifies existing treatments to prevent side effects and can be dissolved in breast milk to make it easier to give to patients. Eight African countries are expected to quickly approve the medicine as part of a partnership with Swiss Medic. Euro News has this story and there's a link in today's episode description alright everybody, that is it for today's episode. As always, if you'd like to support our work, Please go to readtangle.com where you can sign up for a newsletter membership, podcast membership or a bundled membership that you gets you a discount on both. As Isaac mentioned at the top, tickets are now on sale for our Tangle Live event happening in Irvine, California at the Barclay Theatre on October 24th. If you're in the area or you want to take a great trip, we'd love to have you join us for a spirited discussion, live Q and A and opportunities to meet the team, including me. We're thrilled to have our very own Editor at large, Camille Foster, as well as Alex Thompson and Anna Kasparian as our current guests. We are working on a fifth panelist that we plan to announce in the near future. In the meantime, there is a link in today's episode description where you can purchase tickets. There's also a link in today's newsletter. Issac, Ari and Camille will be here with the Sunday podcast and I will return on Monday. For the rest of the crew, this is John Law signing off. Have an absolutely wonderful weekend, y'.
- [37:17]
Isaac Saul
All.
- [37:21]
Camille Foster
Peace.
- [37:24]
John Law
Our Executive Editor and founder is me, Isaac Sowell, and our Executive producer is Joe John Lowell. Today's episode was edited and engineered by John Law. Our editorial staff is led by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, with Senior Editor Will K. Back and Associate Editors Audrey Moorhead Bailey, Saul Lindsey Knuth and Kendall White. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet75 and John Law, and to learn more about Tangle and to sign up for a membership, please visit our website@readtangle.com.
- [38:09]
Isaac Saul
Got a new puppy or kitten? Congrats. But also yikes. Between crates, beds, toys, treats and those first few vet visits, you've probably already dropped a small fortune, which is where Lemonade Pet Insurance comes in. It helps you cover vet costs so that you can focus on what's best for you and your new pet. The coverage is customizable, sign up is quick and easy, and your claims are handled in as little as three seconds. Lemonade offers a package specifically for puppies and kittens. Get a'llemonade.com pet your future self will thank you. Your pet won't. They don't know what insurance is. As a parent, I obsess over the details what my baby eats, how they sleep, what touches their skin. But what about the water they bathe in? The truth is, according to ChemTech International, 98% of US household water is treated with chlorine. Data from the US Geological Survey shows that 85% of US households have hard water. Many pediatricians warn of the risks of unfiltered water, especially chlorine, which can decrease hydration in the skin's outermost layer. If your little one is dealing with skin redness, irritation or discomfort, Canopy's Bathtub filter might be the answer. Its Tri Media filter reduces chlorine and irritants for gentler, safer bath baths. It's made from FDA approved BPA free silicone and fits virtually any spout, so installation is a breeze. But wait, that's not everything. It doubles as a spout cover and temperature indicator, helping protect little ones from accidental burns, bumps and bruises. Like all Canopy products, the bathtub filter is hassle free and high impact. It installs in under five minutes. Filter changes are super simple and yes, you can even toss it in the dishwasher to clean. You heard that right?
- [39:51]
Camille Foster
Right?
- [39:51]
Isaac Saul
The dishwasher. Visit GetCanopy Co and save $10 with their hassle free filter subscription. Even better, my listeners can use my Code Canopy pod at checkout for an extra 10% off your order. Hurry. Better bath time for baby is just a couple of clicks away. Prime delivery is fast. How fast are we talking? We're talking puzzle toys and lick pad delivered so fast you can get this puppy under control fast. We're talking chew toys at your door without really waiting. Fast pads, cooling mat and peg hammer fast and fast. And there's training T R E A T s faster than you can say sit fast. And now we can all relax and order these matching hoodies to get cozy and cute. Fast, fast. Free delivery. It's on Prime.