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.
Suspension of the Rules.
It’s a Big Apple episode for apple season. On the most recent Suspension of the Rules, Isaac, Ari, and Kmele talk about the ongoing UN assembly in New York. Then, a discussion of a New York Times Magazine article about public schooling and race. Plus, guess who has a complaint about leaves? (Hint: Kmele. It’s Kmele.) Check it out below!
Monday, September 21.
Escalations in the Middle East. As the war in Iran nears its seventh month, new developments over the past week have prompted concerns about a widening conflict in the Middle East. On Saturday, September 19, the State Department warned Americans in the Middle East to “exercise heightened vigilance” and prepare for potential travel disruptions, and President Donald Trump returned from a weekend trip to Camp David a day early. Separately, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched significant attacks against Saudi Arabia and seized key Red Sea territory.
Our take: “It’s hard to fully grasp the state of play in Iran amid the changes on the ground and with the president’s focus. I think we’re at a critical juncture right now, and one possible path is Iran getting weaker and reaching a favorable deal with the U.S. The other path is darker and likelier: Iran and the Houthis continue to delay until the U.S. accepts an unfavorable deal.”
Reader Survey:
Tuesday, September 22.
The White House press bans. On Friday, September 18, President Donald Trump announced he is barring journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. The president accused the outlets of inaccurately reporting on his administration and suggested that additional news organizations could be banned. On Monday, the outlets sued the government for allegedly violating their First Amendment rights.
Our take: “These outlets don’t have a constitutional right to access the White House, and their reporting has been biased in the past. The president, however, doesn’t have a right to ban outlets for being critical. I’m left wondering why the president would do this now, and I’m concerned about the fights drawing Trump’s focus.”
Reader Survey:
Wednesday, September 23.
The Greenland deal. On Tuesday, September 22, President Donald Trump signed a defense agreement with Denmark and the semiautonomous territory of Greenland. The three-party compact was signed in New York City, concurrent with a United Nations General Assembly meeting, and it follows several months of statements from President Trump about the United States increasing its control over the island territory.
Our take: “The Greenland saga is a reminder to take Trump seriously but not literally. We saw this with NATO, when his threats to back out successfully pushed member nations into stronger commitments. Now Trump has strengthened our ties with Greenland and NATO, securing a deal that improves our national security.”
Reader Survey:
Thursday, September 24.
GLP-1s. In recent years, use of new weight-loss medications has risen in the United States. A 2026 Gallup poll found that a record 11% of U.S. adults are taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss, up from 3% in 2024. Furthermore, high-profile figures like Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) and decorated tennis player Serena Williams have extolled their experiences taking the drug. The rising prevalence of GLP-1 use for weight management has sparked a debate over their potential impact on health and wellness in the U.S.
Our take: “The benefits of GLP-1s are increasingly apparent: lower obesity rates, improved health outcomes, and less strain on public health. But the prevalence of the drugs also raises difficult questions about cultural norms on appearance. I considered taking GLP-1s, but opted for diet and exercise first; that choice has been effective and fulfilling.”
Reader Survey:
Friday, September 25.
In June 2021, Executive Editor Isaac Saul published a newsletter asking the question: Is President Biden okay? Now, in 2026, Isaac poses that same question about President Donald Trump. You can read his piece here.
What just happened.
Here’s a rundown of the major stories that have broken since our newsletter on Thursday.
- On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security asked the Supreme Court to lift an injunction barring it from deporting noncitizens to countries other than their country of origin, also known as “third-country removals.” (The request)
- On Thursday, reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were allowed back into the White House following a judge’s order, though some reporters from the outlets were barred from attending a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted by President Trump. (The updates) Separately, on Friday, the Trump administration blocked CNN from traveling with President Trump on Air Force One for a Saturday trip to Tennessee. (The block)
- On Friday, the Supreme Court issued an unsigned order blocking Missouri from using a new congressional map designed to net Republicans an extra House seat, ordering the state to use its 2022 congressional map for this year’s midterms. (The order) Separately, on Friday, the Court ruled that the Trump administration can use a federal database to verify voter eligibility. The Court’s three Democratic-appointed justices dissented. (The ruling)
- On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the Trump administration had “ample support for its conclusion” that AI developer Anthropic posed a national security risk, finding that the administration’s move to block Anthropic from working with the government was legal. (The decision)
- On Friday, New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell (D) resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct and ethics complaints. (The resignation)
- On Saturday, a nor’easter continued to impact the Northeast, with coastal flood alerts issued for areas of Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine. (The storm)
Reader essay.
When Tangle reader Alden Blodget was working as a school administrator and teacher, two students got caught smoking in a dorm room. The families of the two students responded very differently to their students’ discipline — prompting Alden to reflect on what it means to teach the next generation to be good citizens when people are comfortable with flouting the rules.
You can read Alden’s essay here.
Have a personal story or local issue you want to write about? Pitch us! Fill out this form or reply to this email, and we’ll get back to you if we’re hooked.
Reader comments.
In this section, we like to highlight reader comments that respond to our coverage from different perspectives. On our Friday edition about President Trump’s mental health, readers discussed their concerns over Trump and former President Biden.
Catherine highlighted differences in staff across the two administrations.
Let's assume for a minute that we can equate the Biden confusion with the Trump delirium… the BIG difference is that Biden had competent, accomplished, smart cabinet members/staff around him to still get the work done. Trump has surrounded himself with sycophants and discards who — at best — don’t know what they’re doing on a daily basis and at worst, plan for wholesale destruction of the country. I don’t see [how] we last another two years.
Diana Manning outlined a concerning pattern.
You [Isaac] brought up very good points, but what crossed my mind as I read it is that we have now had 2 presidencies in a row where we are concerned about the mental faculties of the president. Our system is broken, younger and healthier candidates with electability are suppressed by both parties and once these compromised candidates are in office the cover up begins.
Recommended reading.
“It’s hard for me to believe that all that time he was playing a double game, that he didn’t once come unstuck. If he was really collaborating all along, well, then I’d have to say that Igor Rogov is a genius.”
A spy’s subterfuge — secret cells and Sosnowiec sneaking — is sabotaged, but his sincerity is uncertain. Shaun Walker tells Igor Rogov’s story here.
Tangle’s favorites.
Post of the week.
A deep dive into the mystery of the disappearing Sandy Island:
In 2012, Australian scientists sailed to an island shown on Google Earth and numerous world maps.
— Iain Cameron (@theiaincameron) September 21, 2026
When they reached its coordinates, they found nothing. No beach. No reef. No land at all.
The ocean beneath them was about 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) deep.
Where’d it go?
1/n pic.twitter.com/cTCgQ6NB7C
Games corner.
Last week, our challenge to beat our Managing Editor Ari Weitzman at a fun browser game was a hit, so we’re running it back this week — this time, with a slightly different game.
Check out MapTap, a game that about half the Tangle team plays daily in an attempt to best Ari. So far, we’ve managed to beat him… twice. Check out his performance today in the comments to this article and see if you can help us serve him a slice of humble pie.
Ask the readers.
Last week, Mary from Cincinnati, Ohio asked readers what the worst advice they ever received was.
We got engaged just before I graduated from high school and deferred the wedding until the next year to appease her, but we refused to wait any longer. She still wasn’t happy about it, but she agreed to the wedding.
Yes, we were young, and yes, there were some rough times, but we proved her wrong. We just celebrated our 53rd anniversary in July.
After I had gotten up at 5:30 in the morning for work the next day, I saw I had messages on my cell phone and on our answering machine (this was back in 2010). It was my dad leaving messages since 2:30 AM telling me that my stepmom had had a heart attack, she was in the ICU, and would I please come pick up our son because they couldn’t get a hold of us and had to bring him with them to the ICU! My parents still gave me a hard time about that years later. And since that time, I do not turn off my phone at night, and I’m willing to have my sleep disrupted in case there’s an emergency!
This week’s reader question comes from Beth from Wilmington, NC, who asks:
You can let us know your thoughts by replying through this form.
Want even more Tangle? Follow us on our X, Reddit, or Instagram for up-to-the-minute updates.
Member comments