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 right is doodling.Steve Kelley | Creators SyndicateWhat the left is doodling.
Mike Luckovich | Creators Syndicate
Monday, September 29.
James Comey’s indictment. On Thursday, September 25, the Justice Department indicted former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey for allegedly false statements he gave during congressional testimony related to the Trump–Russia probe. The indictment includes two counts, which together carry a potential five-year prison sentence. Prosecutors initially considered bringing a third count related to a separate alleged false statement, but that count was rejected by the grand jury. The indictment was filed in Alexandria, Virginia, just before the five-year statute of limitations for Comey’s September 2020 testimony was set to expire. Comey is due to be arraigned on October 9.
Our take: “The prosecution of Comey is clearly personal and political. Grand jury indictments are easy to obtain, but the evidence isn’t likely to result in a conviction. Trump’s usage of the Justice Department is undermining its legitimacy.”
Reader Survey:
Tuesday, September 30.
The shootings in Michigan and Texas. On Sunday, an attacker drove a pickup truck into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Grand Blanc, Michigan, subsequently opening fire on churchgoers and setting the building on fire. At least four people were killed and eight others wounded, and the suspect was killed by law enforcement responding to the scene. Grand Blanc police confirmed Monday afternoon that all churchgoers had been accounted for, and it does not expect to find more victims. Officials have not identified a possible motive for the attack, but local reports and interviews have suggested that the suspect — a 40-year-old former Marine — harbored ill will toward the Church. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the event as an act of targeted violence.
Our take: “Two acts of targeted violence in the space of a week fill me with despair. While early evidence suggests anti-religious motivations for the Michigan shooter, the Dallas shooting proves that we should wait for more information. I fear that we’re entering a new era of quasi-religious politics that will fuel more violence.”
Reader Survey:
Wednesday, October 1.
The government shutdown. At 12:01 AM ET on Wednesday, October 1, federal funding lapsed, shutting down non-essential government services. The shutdown follows weeks of protracted negotiations between Republicans and Democratic leaders — and President Donald Trump — to pass a bill to extend funding; the sides were unable to reach a deal before the midnight deadline. Democrats conditioned their support on extending healthcare subsidies and reversing cuts to Medicaid and other health programs, while Republicans have so far declined to support these changes. When the government shuts down, some services stop, paychecks for many federal employees are suspended, and federal employees deemed “non-essential” may be furloughed. However, other programs — such as Medicare and Social Security benefits — continue to operate, as do “essential services” like air traffic control and law enforcement.
Our take: “The shutdown blame game is tiresome — this is an all-of-Congress problem. In Congress, Schumer misplayed his hand in earlier funding fights and Johnson is perpetuating an existing issue. Meanwhile, President Trump’s callous treatment of the legislative process has also contributed to the breakdown.”
Reader Survey:
Thursday, October 2.
Trump’s new proposal for Gaza. On Monday, September 29, President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a new plan to end the war in Gaza. The president’s 20-point proposal outlines a series of actions to end the war between Israel and Hamas — including Hamas’s release of 48 hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners imprisoned by Israel — as well as a demilitarization plan, rebuilding framework, and governance structure for Gaza after the war. Prime Minister Netanyahu has endorsed the plan (though Israel has not officially accepted it), while Hamas has asked for more time to review its provisions. On Friday, October 3, Trump announced via Truth Social that Hamas has a deadline of 6 p.m. Sunday, October 5, to accept the deal.
Our take: “This is a good proposal, and Hamas should take it. The plan includes some carrots and sticks for both sides and could actually lead to peace. I’ve been critical of Netanyahu’s actions and Trump’s past proposals, but Hamas needs to accept reality and this deal.”
Reader Survey:
Friday, October 3.
The first eight months of the second Trump administration have been headlined by several prominent cabinet members: Marco Rubio, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, Scott Bessent and Pam Bondi, among others. But other department heads have also been shaping policies, implementing programs, and making consequential decisions — often without the same degree of media attention. This Friday, we released a two-part edition diving into ten Cabinet members whose work doesn’t always grab headlines. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
What just happened.
Here are a few stories that have broken since our last newsletter on Thursday.
On Friday, the Senate failed to agree on a funding measure, continuing the government shutdown. Congress is scheduled to convene again on Monday. (The shutdown)On Friday, secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. had struck another gunboat off the coast of Venezuela, killing four. (The strike)On Friday, the scheduled monthly jobs report for September was delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown. (The delay)On Friday, federal agents raided an apartment building in Chicago to arrest alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Hundreds of people, including citizens and children, were detained for hours, and the operation netted 37 arrests. (The operation)On Friday, Hamas released a statement signaling willingness to proceed with most of President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. On Saturday, Trump appeared to welcome Hamas’s response and called on Israel to stop bombing immediately; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would begin preparations for a hostage exchange. (The response) On Saturday, Israel continued airstrikes in Gaza, reportedly killing 36 people in operations it says were targeting Hamas operatives. (The strikes)On Saturday, a federal judge blocked President Trump’s attempted deployment of 200 National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, in response to anti-ICE protests in the city. The judge ruled the order was a violation of Oregon’s 10th Amendment right to state sovereignty (The ruling)Reader essay.
Photo by David McLenachan / Unsplash
When Tangle reader Joe Szwaja saw the news of Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, he despaired over both Hamas’s actions and Israel’s response. Eventually, Joe found the organization Standing Together, which is committed to condemning the atrocities from both sides and working to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.