The Sunday — March 22

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.

What the right is doodling.

We’ll see you next week!

Monday, March 16.

The recent attacks in the U.S. Over the past three weeks, a series of attacks has taken place across the United States, with suspects allegedly linked to Islamic terror groups or ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. On Thursday, March 12, a man drove his truck into a synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, then opened fire on the building. According to authorities, synagogue security engaged the assailant, who then shot himself inside his vehicle. Also on March 12, a gunman opened fire, killing one person and injuring two others, in a classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. According to authorities, students in the classroom subdued and killed the shooter. On Saturday, March 7, police subdued and arrested two men from Pennsylvania who allegedly attempted to detonate two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) outside Gracie Mansion, the New York City mayoral residence (the IEDs did not detonate, and no one was injured). Finally, on March 1, a gunman opened fire on patrons of a bar in Austin, Texas, killing three people and injuring over a dozen others.

Our take: “What worries me most about these attacks is the lack of obvious warning signs. Preventing these attacks isn’t as simple as reducing immigration or deploying more surveillance. Solutions for our mass violence problem are as elusive as ever.”

Reader Survey:

Tuesday, March 17.

Refunds on tariffs. Over the past week, the Trump administration has begun providing initial updates on its plan to reimburse $166 billion in tariffs collected over the past year that the Supreme Court invalidated in February. On March 4, Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that companies are entitled to repayment on the IEEPA tariffs and instructed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to immediately begin processing refunds. On March 6, CBP told the judge that it could not immediately comply with his order, and Eaton temporarily suspended it to give them time to prepare a refund system. Approximately 330,000 importers are expected to be eligible for refunds, which must be paid with interest. 

Our take: “Tariff reimbursements are going to be a mess. The government will try to delay and argue against repayments, and may be successful. Congress’s dereliction of duty created this predicament.”

Reader Survey:

Wednesday, March 18.

Cuba’s energy crisis. On Monday, March 16, Cuba’s electrical grid failed, causing a blackout that affected the island’s nearly 11 million inhabitants. Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed that it was investigating a complete disconnect of the island’s grid, which sparked both violent and non-violent protests. After 29 hours, power was restored to most of the island, although much of the country remains without service as of Wednesday morning. Cuba has been experiencing worsened power disruptions since the United States increased its economic pressure on the island. On January 11, President Donald Trump announced he would prevent Venezuelan oil from reaching Cuba, then announced heightened tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba on January 29.  

Our take: “Many commentators are mistakenly thinking of Cuba in the same terms as Iran, Venezuela, and Greenland. The cases for and against some form of U.S. intervention are compelling. I’m genuinely unsure of what we should do, even as I’m wary of more conflict.”

Reader Survey:

Thursday, March 19.

The SAVE America Act. On Tuesday, March 17, the Senate voted 51–48 to begin debate on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE America Act. The bill would require citizens to present documentation confirming their citizenship when registering to vote and require photo identification to vote in federal elections. Tuesday’s vote formally initiates discussion of the bill on the Senate floor, a precursor to a potential final vote. 

Our take: “Election security has become perhaps my biggest area of expertise over my time with Tangle. Voter fraud happens and election fraud is very rare — however, laws to address them probably don’t cause voter suppression. I wouldn’t support this bill, but I would support a bill requiring ID to vote that also makes it free and easy to get IDs.”

Reader Survey:

Friday, March 20.

In this week’s Friday edition, the Tangle staff shared new policies for our comment section, updates on our editorial guidelines, and changes to the newsletter’s structure. For each update, we explained what led to the decision, why it came now, and what we hope the effect will be.

You can read our update here.

Further reading.

We’ve covered domestic terrorism, court decisions, Cuba, and voting ID laws before. Plus, review our 2023 editorial guideline update (some things have changed, and some have stayed the same). Take a look at our past coverage below:

• In December 2021, Isaac interviewed former FBI agent Chris Watts about his counterterrorism work in a Friday edition (paywalled).
• In June 2025, we covered the Supreme Court ruling on universal injunctions.
• In July 2021, we covered protests in Cuba and the U.S. reaction.
• In April 2025, we wrote an explainer on the SAVE Act.
• In May 2023, we issued an update to our editorial policies.

What just happened.

Here’s a rundown of the major stories that have broken since our last newsletter on Thursday.

• On Thursday, the Treasury Department released a general license adding Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine to a list of territories barred from purchasing or accepting deliveries of Russian oil. The updates followed reports that at least one Russian tanker appears to be in transit to Cuba. (The list)
• On Thursday, news outlets reported that former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey was subpoenaed as part of an investigation into ex-officials who investigated and brought charges against President Donald Trump. The investigation has reportedly produced over 130 subpoenas so far. (The subpoena)
• On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission approved media company Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of rival media company Tegna. Earlier in the day, attorneys general for eight states filed a lawsuit seeking to block the merger on antitrust grounds. (The approval)
• On Thursday, news outlets reported that the Pentagon has requested $200 billion to fund the U.S. military in its operations in Iran. The request was sent to the White House, which will review it before formally requesting any funds from Congress. (The request)
• On Friday, U.S. officials said President Trump is sending three warships and 2,200–2,500 Marines to the Middle East, the second large-scale Marine deployment in the past week. (The deployment) Separately, on Friday, President Trump said he was considering “winding down” the war, saying the United States is “very close” to fulfilling its goals in the conflict. (The comments)
• On Friday, CBS News’s leadership announced the outlet is cutting 6% of its staff and shutting down CBS News Radio, which will end service on May 22. (The announcement)
• On Friday, news outlets reported that Colombian President Gustavo Petro is under multiple narcotics trafficking investigations overseen by federal prosecutors in New York. The probes are still in their early stages, and no charges have been filed. (The investigations)
• On Friday, the Treasury Department announced that for 30 days, it will lift sanctions on approximately 140 million barrels of Iranian oil that had been loaded onto vessels. The temporary waiver comes amid a surge in oil prices due to the ongoing conflict in Iran. (The waiver)
• On Friday, former FBI director and U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller died at the age of 81. (The death) 

Reader essay.

This week’s reader essay comes from Karen Hill Anton, a well traveled American who has lived in Japan for decades. Karen’s latest meditates on the mean meme-ification of her name— and the beauty of its true meaning to her.