This is the Tangle Sunday Edition, a brief roundup of our independent politics coverage plus some extra features for your Sunday morning reading.
What the left is doodling.
Mike Luckovich | Creators Syndicate
What the right is doodling.
Steve Kelley | Creators Syndicate
Monday, December 1.
The National Guard shooting in D.C. On Wednesday, November 26, 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 is still hospitalized but expected to survive. The suspected shooter was also shot but is also 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.
Our take:“The asylum program can be improved, but Afghan nationals are not some massive threat. Military leaders warned that troop deployments could provoke a response, though the Guard has been effective in D.C. You can look at this incident to prove whatever point you’re interested in making — including that Congress should do more.”
Reader Survey:
Tuesday, December 2.
The boat strikes report. On Monday, December 1, 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 report published Friday, November 28, 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.
Our take:“War with Venezuela now seems inevitable. Hegseth was a poor choice from the beginning, and now it seems obvious that he authorized a war crime. The tactics are not only immoral but impractical and deeply disturbing.”
Reader Survey:
We asked our audience the same question on October 6. You can see how the results have shifted since then by comparing the above chart to the 2,600 responses represented below.
Wednesday, December 3.
The Minnesota welfare-fraud controversy. 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, December 1, 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, December 2.
Our take:“These fraud cases are a massive scandal for both Minnesota and the state’s Somali community. However, the proper response is not to blame or exile all Somali-Americans. Instead, we should tighten up social welfare programs, aggressively prosecute fraudsters, and address barriers to Somali assimilation.”
Reader Survey:
Thursday, December 4.
The Tennessee special election results. On Tuesday, December 2, 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.
Our take:“Given all the context, this election should be a big warning sign for Republicans. The election wasn’t as close as it could have been because Behn was a vulnerable candidate, and Republicans attacked her effectively. 2026 could go well for Democrats — if they learn the right lessons.”
Reader Survey:
Friday, December 5.
As Tangle continues to grow, one of our major goals is to feature more voices from across the country who are offering unique perspectives on U.S. politics and culture. This Friday, we published an essay on homelessness from A.M. Hickman, one of our favorite up-and-coming writers. You can read Hickman’s piece here.
What just happened.
Here are a few stories that have broken since our last newsletter on Thursday.
Navy Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley reportedly told lawmakers in a private briefing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not issue an order to kill everyone on a boat allegedly trafficking drugs that was struck multiple times by the U.S. military on September 2. (The briefing) Separately, CNN reported that Bradley told lawmakers that the two survivors of the initial strike did not appear to have radio or other communications devices. Bradley reportedly said that he ordered the second strike because the survivors could have floated to safety, been rescued, and continued transporting the drugs. (The report) Later on Thursday, the U.S. Southern Command said it struck an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people on board. (The strike)
On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled in an unsigned opinion that Texas can use its redrawn congressional map in the 2026 midterm elections, reversing a lower court order that found the new map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The Supreme Court’s three liberal justices dissented. (The ruling)
On Thursday, The New York Times sued the Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Pentagon’s new press policy, which requires journalists to affirm their understanding that they could have their access revoked if they seek classified and some types of unclassified information from department employees, among other provisions. At least 30 news organizations chose to give up their press passes rather than sign the policy. (The suit)
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) vaccine advisory panel voted 8–2 to change its recommendation for when children should receive their first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. The CDC previously recommended that children receive the vaccine within 24 hours after birth, but now recommend it at two months old for children born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B. (The vote)
On Friday, Netflix announced that it will buy Warner Bros. Discovery in a $72 billion deal. Warner Bros. will spin off its cable network holdings, such as CNN and TNT, into a separate company, but Netflix will acquire its studio and HBO. (The deal)
On Friday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the Trump administration would expand its June travel ban to include 30 more countries, following the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national. The administration has not announced which new countries will be included or when the expanded policy would go into effect. (The ban)
On Friday, the Supreme Court announced that it will hear arguments on Trump v. Barbara, a case challenging the Trump administration’s executive order ending birthright citizenship in the U.S. (The announcement)
On Friday, a federal judge granted the Trump administration’s request for the release of grand jury transcripts from the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein in Florida. (The order)
Reader essay.
Photo from the author
This past Friday, we featured an essay from Tangle reader and author of Hickman’s Hinterlands, A. M. Hickman. The piece was florid and provocative, and well off the beaten path of what we typically cover. We are looking for ways to feature writing from external contributors — including Tangle readers, and possibly other reader essays — in the future, and hope you had the chance to check out the Friday edition.
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