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.
John Deering | Creators Syndicate
What the right is doodling.
Gary Varvel | Creators Syndicate
Suspension of the Rules
Isaac, Ari, and Kmele discuss the Indiana primaries and the relative morality of billionaires in this week’s Suspension of the Rules. Plus, Isaac tells an interesting tale about ChatGPT responding to his recent Friday edition on Trump’s corruption — and Kmele attempts a new look. You can take in the conversation here!
Monday, May 4.
The Spirit Airlines closure. On Saturday, May 2, Spirit Airlines canceled all flights and began an “orderly wind-down” of its operations. The budget airline had been struggling since the Covid-19 pandemic, and it hasn’t posted a profitable year since 2019. President Donald Trump had sought a deal to bail out the company before its shutdown but failed to reach an agreement with bondholders. About 17,000 Spirit employees and contractors are expected to lose their jobs; union representatives are negotiating with the airline to grant compensation packages to affected workers.
Our take: “This story brings a sad end to a unique company. More than anything else, the pandemic killed Spirit Airlines. The blocked merger and lack of a bailout didn’t help, but Spirit was headed for failure one way or another.”
Reader Survey:
Tuesday, May 5.
The end of the Homeland Security shutdown. On Thursday, April 30, the House of Representatives passed legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and end the department’s 76-day shutdown, the longest shutdown in U.S. government history. The House of Representatives and the Senate each had passed separate bills to end the shutdown; on Thursday, the House approved the Senate’s legislation in a voice vote under suspension of the rules, and President Donald Trump signed the bill into law the same day.
Our take: “The shutdown may have felt pointless, but the long-term ramifications could be grave. The saga weakened both agencies and constitutional norms. Republicans may have ‘won’ in the short term, but at what cost?”
Reader Survey:
Wednesday, May 6.
The Supreme Court and mifepristone. On Monday, May 4, the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay on a lower court’s order that mifepristone, a drug commonly used in early-term abortions, can only be prescribed and dispensed in person. The order pauses the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’s decision to prevent the drug from being accessed by mail. In a brief order, Justice Samuel Alito, who oversees appeals from the 5th Circuit, paused that court’s order until May 11, restoring telehealth access to the drug and giving challengers until May 7 to respond.
Our take: “I don’t think the FDA ever presented significant evidence to justify remote mifepristone prescriptions. At the same time, I doubt the Supreme Court is going to unilaterally overturn the agency’s rules. Trump won’t change those rules, either, and the pro-life movement needs to adjust to this administration.”
Reader Survey:
Thursday, May 7.
Indiana’s primary results. On Tuesday, May 5, Indiana held primary elections for the 2026 midterms. The state Senate primaries were closely watched after President Donald Trump supported challenges against incumbent Republican state senators in response to their opposition to a mid-decade redistricting plan last December. Six Trump-backed candidates defeated incumbent lawmakers, while another won an open-seat primary. Only one incumbent opposed by the president has won their election.
Our take: “This primary result isn’t actually about Trump’s dominance over the GOP; it’s about spending and messaging. Still, it’s incredibly stark that ‘opposing gerrymandering’ garners such intense primary opposition. I believe an anti-gerrymandering backlash is coming, sooner or later.”
Reader Survey:
Friday, May 8.
Our May 1 edition on Trump’s corruption garnered extensive reader feedback, positive and critical, from all sides of the spectrum. In this week’s piece, Executive Editor Isaac Saul addresses the most common criticisms head-on. You can read it here.
What just happened.
Here’s a rundown of the major stories that have broken since our newsletter on Thursday.
On Thursday, the State Department said it will begin revoking the passports of parents who owe $100,000 or more in child support, with plans to eventually revoke passports for any parents owing $2,500 or more. (The plan)
On Thursday, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled 2–1 that President Trump’s 10% global tariffs are illegal but only blocked them from taking effect for two private importers and Washington state. The tariffs were left in place for all other importers while the Trump administration appeals and are scheduled to expire in July. (The ruling)
As of Thursday, health authorities on four continents said they were tracking dozens of passengers from a cruise ship that experienced a hantavirus outbreak, which is believed to have originated in Argentina. Over two dozen people from at least 12 countries left the ship without contact tracing. (The update)
On Thursday, Tennessee’s state legislature passed a new congressional map designed to net Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House by dividing the Memphis area into three districts. (The map) Separately, on Friday, the Supreme Court of Virginia struck down a redistricting amendment passed by voters, which adopted a new congressional map designed to give Democrats a 10–1 advantage. The ruling will leave the original map — with a 6–5 Democratic advantage — in place for the 2026 midterms. (The ruling)
On Thursday, the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire near the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.S. striking two Iranian ports after Iran fired on U.S. destroyers. Despite the strikes, both the U.S. and Iran say the ceasefire remains in place as peace talks continue. (The latest)
On Friday, the Pentagon released documents on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) that it said have never been shared publicly. The department said it will continue releasing declassified UAP files over the coming weeks. (The release)
On Friday, the Labor Department announced that the U.S. economy added 115,000 jobs in April while the unemployment rate remained at 4.3%. The monthly jobs total was lower than March’s but higher than the 55,000 jobs predicted by analysts polled by The Wall Street Journal. (The report)
On Saturday, Israel struck Lebanon, killing 39, amid clashes with the militant group Hezbollah. (The strikes)
This week, Tangle reader Rebecca Durfee shares what it’s like to live a day in her life as a polio survivor, 65 years after she contracted the disease. By sharing her story, Rebecca hopes to show just how important it is to stay vigilant against these diseases, including through vaccination.
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