This is the Tangle Sunday Edition, a brief roundup of our independent politics coverage plus some extra features for your Sunday morning reading.
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This week in my essay, “I’ve Been Thinking,” I write about what it means to walk away from the noise: “When you read this, God willing, I will be on the Camino de Santiago. Walking alone. Away from the news, the notifications, and the relentless pull of a world that wants every last bit of my attention.”
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On this week’s episode, Isaac reveals his big board of Senate midterm predictions to Kmele and Ari, who offer a few disagreements. Then, the three discuss the protests and riots in France. Then, are Ari, Isaac, and Kmele as knowledgeable about Europe as a European is about the United States? All that and more on this week’s episode, which you can watch below:
Monday, October 19.
The Texas Senate race. With approximately two weeks until the midterm elections, state Rep. James Talarico (D) and state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) are in a tightly contested race that could determine control of the Senate. Recent financial disclosures show that Elon Musk has given nearly $160 million to support Paxton, while Talarico announced his campaign raised $64 million in Q3 2026. Early voting in Texas began on Monday, October 19.
Executive Editor Isaac Saul’s take: “The case for Talarico winning is strong — Democrats have momentum and he’s consistently led the polls. However, Paxton has an equally strong case: Polling is unreliable and Republicans don’t lose in Texas. I expect this race to go right down to the wire.”
Reader Survey:
Tuesday, October 20.
The protests in France. For the past month, protests and riots have broken out across France, with violence and disorder significantly escalating over the weekend. In mid-September, high school students began demonstrating against a perceived lack of resources in schools; parents, college students, teachers and trade unions later joined the effort, and it has since broadened into nationwide unrest over cost-of-living concerns. French officials say that far-left groups are primarily responsible for the escalation into rioting and looting, while some French politicians and U.S. political leaders suggest the protests underscore deeper issues linked to immigration.
Managing Editor Ari Weitzman’s take: “The disorder in France is downstream of a few straightforward issues that have been building for some time. More complicated factors are at play, too, prompting uncomfortable but necessary discussions about changes to French society. Ultimately, France has a tough balance to strike between over-correction and not responding strongly enough.”
Editor Audrey Moorehead’s dissent: “Ideological opposition to the West is an ever-present problem in France, Europe at large, and even the United States, some homegrown and some from immigrants. Most agitators are blowhards, but the normalization of opposition to the West creates conditions for violence. If we admit that we must combat anti-Western radicalism, we have to think about how to do it.”
Reader Survey:
Wednesday, October 21.
The U.S.–Ukraine relationship. On Wednesday, October 14, Ukrainian officials reported that its access to the services it uses to coordinate drone missions was hampered, signaling a potential shift in U.S. policy toward the country amid its war with Russia. The disruption came on the heels of a deal to buy Russian diesel, an executive order lifting sanctions passed by Congress in September, and comments from President Donald Trump accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting to end the war.
Senior Editor Will Kaback’s take: “Supporting Ukraine has obvious short- and long-term benefits, and I’m highly alarmed that the White House doesn’t seem to appreciate that. Warming up to Putin doesn’t help us — even at the pump. I can only hope Trump will reverse course as he’s done in the past; otherwise this pivot is a huge mistake.”
Managing Editor Ari Weitzman’s concurrence: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s current stance is to deny the White House’s involvement and stress that SpaceX’s decisions are their own. But out of the gate, his stance was to castigate Zelensky. Either he’s the one who doesn’t know what he’s talking about, or Trump wanted to full-press a denial of this story and sacrificed Rubio’s credibility in the effort.”
Reader Survey:
Thursday, October 22.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack ad. On Tuesday, October 20, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s (R) campaign released an advertisement featuring his opponent Amy Acton’s (D) mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her daughter of lying about her childhood and urging Ohioans to vote against her. The ad has generated backlash after Acton’s campaign and news outlets highlighted that Acton’s stepfather, whom Arthur remained married to until his death, was charged with sexually assaulting Acton when she was 12.
Editor Audrey Moorehead’s take: “I find any attack ad using a candidate’s family in poor taste, even if such ads are common. This particular ad, however, is egregious; it’s cold and Machiavellian at best and cruel and vindictive at worst. Ramaswamy is doing more to indict his own character than Acton’s.”
Associate Editor Russell Nystrom’s concurrence: “While most Republicans were mum on the ad, preferring not to wade into potentially troubled waters, those who did speak were nearly universal in their criticism. But there was one exception: Vice President JD Vance doubled down, making Republicans look even worse and further nationalizing an issue that he and the rest of the party could have taken the high road on.”
Reader Survey:
Friday, October 23.
In May, Tangle published a piece from Executive Editor Isaac Saul exploring the breadth and depth of the corruption stories plaguing the second Trump administration. Five months later, Isaac wrote a follow-up to that piece, tracking even more accusations of corruption and self-dealing. You can read the piece here.
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Here’s a rundown of the major stories that have broken since our newsletter on Thursday.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court issued an unsigned order allowing New Hampshire to implement a law barring student identification as an acceptable form of ID to obtain a ballot. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. (The order)
The Justice Department indicted Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D) and members of her family for allegedly trafficking cannabis and money laundering, among other charges. (The indictments)
On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department is reviewing a referral from the Homeland Security inspector general that former Homeland Security adviser Corey Lewandowski profited from improperly awarded government contracts. (The probe)
On Thursday, the Labor Department reported that unemployment claims fell from 200,000 to 194,000 over the past week, the lowest since July. (The report)
On Friday, the White House said it is dropping tariffs on select Canadian imports but adding them to other Canadian products. The move comes after Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) announced the removed tariffs, which had impacted key industries in Maine. (The updates)
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to block the results of Alaska’s Senate election unless Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) wins. The suit argues that a separate candidate on the ballot also named Dan Sullivan will create voter confusion. (The suit)
On Friday, the Justice Department charged two former Federal Bureau of Investigation employees with making false statements to Congress about their involvement in an investigation into former President Joe Biden’s son Hunter. (The charges)
On Friday, the office of First Lady Melania Trump announced a temporary ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and civilians to evacuate. (The announcement)
On Saturday, tens of thousands of police officers were deployed across France in response to ongoing protests and riots. (The deployments)
Two months ago, the best friend of Tangle reader Lily Anninger’s father died unexpectedly. In the aftermath of his death, Lily reflects on what she learned from him about how to live a good life, especially as she lives in the shadow of our social-media-driven, AI-threatened world. Lily grapples with how she views the digital age, how others — including Tangle — talk about it, and explores the ways that she tries to improve the world in spite of everything.
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