Why is changing pronouns so controversial? That’s the question at the heart of Pronoun Trouble, the latest book from linguist and author John McWhorter. In this week’s episode, McWhorter joins Preet to unpack the surprisingly fraught world of English grammar—from the history of words like “thou” and “y’all” to the modern debate over the singular “they.” Later in the episode, constitutional law scholar Max Stearns joins the show to explore what the American system might learn from parliamentary d...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Could Donald Trump serve a third term as president? In an excerpt from the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down President Trump’s suggestion of an extra four years, which would violate the 22nd Amendment. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – Trump’s latest executive order targeting a prestigious law firm; – The Trump administration’s admission that a Maryland resident was erroneously deported to El Salvador; – The fallout after senior Trump officials accidentally ...
Apr 01, 2025•10 min
Scott Galloway is an entrepreneur, author, professor of marketing at NYU, and host of the Vox Media podcasts “The Prof G Pod” and “Pivot” with Kara Swisher. Scott joins Preet to discuss gutting the government, undermining alliances with Europe, masculinity and togetherness, and why Democrats need to be the party of ideas. You can now watch portions of our episodes on YouTube! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network....
Mar 31, 2025•38 min
What is a journalist to do when senior White House officials accidentally send them imminent war plans? That’s just one of the surreal current events Ruth Marcus unpacks in this week’s episode. The former Washington Post columnist and editor recently stepped down after nearly four decades at the paper, making headlines with her high-profile resignation. She joins Preet to discuss the chaos unfolding inside the Trump administration—from the mood inside DOJ to the president’s escalating assault on...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 15 min
The Atlantic has entered the chat. Jeffrey Goldberg, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, was mistakenly included in a Signal group chat featuring senior members of the Trump administration discussing highly sensitive information about imminent war plans. In an excerpt from the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the hypocrisy and incompetence on display this week from Trump’s White House. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The naming of Trump’s former personal atto...
Mar 26, 2025•14 min
Everyone’s asking the question: How can Democrats win again? Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow has a few ideas. She joins Preet to discuss how to beat Trump’s culture war politics, her strategy for connecting to Republican voters, and her new book Hate Won't Win. You can now watch portions of our episodes on YouTube! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions a...
Mar 24, 2025•32 min
Kate Shaw is a constitutional law professor at University of Pennsylvania Penn Carey Law School. Shaw joins Preet to discuss legal challenges to President Trump’s executive orders and the constitutionality of Elon Musk’s role in DOGE. They also discuss whether Justice Amy Coney Barrett is shifting away from the conservative majority and upcoming Supreme Court cases on birthright citizenship and transgender care. Plus, in a special excerpt from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet and Joyce Vance spea...
Mar 20, 2025•1 hr 22 min
How is Trump’s approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine war working out? Preet’s joined by Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Julia Ioffe, a journalist and co-founder of Puck News, to discuss Putin, Trump, Zelensky, and the future of Ukraine. You can now watch portions of our episodes on YouTube! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and q...
Mar 17, 2025•34 min
What are the real prospects for rebuilding Gaza? And what would it take to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East? Preet is joined by Dennis Ross, the former US Ambassador and peace negotiator; Karim Sadjadpour, an expert on Iran and the Arab world; and Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Gazan-American writer and analyst who grew up in Gaza City, and moved to the US as a teenager. Plus, Preet addresses President Trump’s controversial executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie. You can now watch this...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 25 min
Has interim D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin violated lawyer ethics rules? And could the allegations against Martin impact his chances of Senate confirmation for the permanent role? In an excerpt from the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the allegations against Martin in Senate Democrats’ misconduct complaint submitted to the D.C. Bar. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – How President Trump’s comments about Elon Musk’s role at DOGE might impact lawsuits challengi...
Mar 11, 2025•11 min
American democracy has never been a given—it has been tested, strained, and at times, nearly broken. Some of the greatest threats have come not from foreign adversaries but from within—from presidents who sought to expand their power beyond constitutional limits. In his new book, The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It, political theorist and constitutional scholar Corey Brettschneider explores these moments of crisis and resi...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr
President Trump just delivered the longest address to Congress in recent history. What did we learn? Preet is joined by Yale history professor Joanne Freeman, columnist Frank Bruni, and political commentator Jonah Goldberg to discuss the actual state of our union. Plus, what exactly is the “unitary executive theory”? You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website. Have a question for Preet? Ask...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 18 min
In an excerpt from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the legal challenges to DOGE’s controversial initiatives. Should DOGE’s actions be suspended while litigation continues? And how have federal judges questioned Elon Musk’s official role in DOGE? In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The resignation of New York’s top FBI official after he resisted President Trump’s effort to purge his office; – DOJ’s pushback against the interim D.C. U.S. Attorney’s re...
Mar 05, 2025•8 min
Did the Supreme Court lay the legal foundation for mass incarceration? CAFE Contributor & NYU criminal law professor Rachel Barkow joins Preet to discuss this very question which she explores in her new book, Justice Abandoned: How the Supreme Court Ignored the Constitution and Enabled Mass Incarceration. You can now watch portions of our episodes on YouTube! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to ...
Mar 03, 2025•39 min
Mimi Rocah is the former District Attorney for Westchester County, and Preet’s former colleague at the Southern District of New York. She made national news when she announced her run for DA in 2019, and sent shockwaves through the legal community when she decided not to seek re-election last year. She joins Preet to discuss her remarkable choice to step away, the political circumstances surrounding her decision, and why DA-ships across the country may be structurally unsound. Then, Preet discus...
Feb 27, 2025•1 hr 2 min
In an excerpt from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down President Donald Trump’s controversial appointment of conservative podcaster and former Fox News host Dan Bongino as Deputy Director of the FBI. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – Trump’s nomination of Ed Martin, a former defense lawyer for January 6 defendants, as D.C. U.S. Attorney; and – DOGE initiatives causing uncertainty and confusion among federal employees, including an email requesting inf...
Feb 25, 2025•14 min
Three years after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war and one month into Donald Trump’s presidency, tensions between the two countries are escalating once again. President Trump recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the state of the war, notably excluding Ukraine from the conversation. Host of MSNBC’s “The Saturday/Sunday Show” Jonathan Capehart and The New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser join Preet to discuss. You can now watch portions of our episodes! Head to CAFE’s You...
Feb 24, 2025•38 min
Michael Sandel is a professor of political philosophy at Harvard University. He’s also the author of several publications, including his latest, Equality: What It Means and Why It Matters. Sandel joins Preet to discuss what human nature can tell us about our government, how higher education can foster free expression, and dealing with moral disagreements in our politics. You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are a...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Is the Trump Justice Department establishing a precedent that those who promote the administration’s agenda can evade criminal accountability? In an excerpt from the CAFE Insider podcast, Joyce Vance and CAFE Contributor Elie Honig, former SDNY Assistant U.S. Attorney, break down the alleged quid pro quo between the Trump administration and NYC Mayor Eric Adams. In a recent letter, former interim SDNY U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon accused acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove of seeking dism...
Feb 18, 2025•10 min
Does human nature push us towards democracy or autocracy? Renowned political scientist Francis Fukuyama, author of The End of History and The Last Man, joins Preet to discuss attacks on the civil service, the crisis of trust in America, and where history is now headed. Then, Preet answers questions about the iconic “Princess Bride,” his transition from the U.S. Attorneys Office to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and whether we’re in the midst of a constitutional crisis. You can now watch this ep...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 7 min
How are federal judges reining in President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency? In an excerpt from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the legal challenges to DOGE’s initiatives. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The Trump White House policy loosening guidelines that limited communications with DOJ prosecutors about specific cases; and – The memos issued by Attorney General Pam Bondi outlining DOJ’s priorities, as set by President Donald Trum...
Feb 11, 2025•14 min
Being online seems worse than it used to. Can we solve that? Preet speaks with The Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel, who writes about technology, media, and politics. They discuss legacy media, MAGA-era disinformation, and how the internet helps us justify our own beliefs. You can now watch portions of this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at letters@cafe...
Feb 10, 2025•32 min
Reid Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn and a leading voice in AI innovation. He’s out with a new book, Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future? Hoffman joins Preet to discuss how he thinks AI can help us be more human, why DeepSeek had Silicon Valley in a frenzy, and Hoffman’s latest venture: using AI to cure cancer. Plus, Preet breaks down why over a dozen FBI agents are suing the Trump administration, how to be a public servant in the Trump era, and why going to law sc...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Is President Donald Trump asking FBI staff to prove their loyalty to him and not the Constitution? In an excerpt from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down Trump’s retaliation tactics against federal law enforcement officials for investigating and prosecuting crimes related to January 6. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss Trump’s purge of DOJ prosecutors and FBI leadership. They also break down: – Trump’s attempt to downsize the federal workforce by offerin...
Feb 04, 2025•14 min
DEI, Colombia, deportations, Greenland, inflation — it doesn’t end. The Washington Post’s Catherine Rampell and The Atlantic’s Mark Leibovich join Preet to break down what’s actually happening two weeks into Trump’s second presidency. You can now watch portions of this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at letters@cafe.com, or leave a voicemail at 66...
Feb 03, 2025•41 min
Has academia lost its way? Professor and historian Niall Ferguson joins Preet to talk about the danger of ideological orthodoxy in universities, the state of free speech in America, and the rise of illiberalism. Plus, why he started his own school. Then, Preet answers questions about president Trump’s mental acuity, the staying power of Trump’s EOs, and how to battle hopelessness. You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Show notes and a transcript of the epi...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Could DOJ bring criminal charges against state and local officials who refuse to enforce President Trump’s immigration policies? In an excerpt from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down a memo written by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove directing DOJ attorneys to investigate, and potentially prosecute, officials in sanctuary cities. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – President Donald Trump’s decision to fire more than a dozen inspectors general; ...
Jan 29, 2025•13 min
President Trump’s first week in office has come and gone. And what does he have to show for it? ABC News chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Karl, and senior writer at The New York Times, David Leonhardt, join me to discuss immigration, the radical center, and the enduring power of public opinion. You can now watch portions of this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your t...
Jan 27, 2025•38 min
Donald Trump is back in the White House — and it’s off to a hot start. For a special inauguration week panel, Preet is joined by historian Heather Cox Richardson, NYT politics reporter Astead Herndon, and tech journalist Kara Swisher. They discuss fractures within the MAGA party, opportunities for Democratic revival, the return of oligarchy, and the possibility of a class revolution. You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Show notes and a transcript of the ...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 8 min
How is President Trump already using executive orders to advance his policy goals in his brief time in office? Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss in an excerpt from the CAFE Insider podcast. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – Trump’s executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship; – Trump’s pardons for all January 6 defendants and commutations for members of extremists groups convicted of seditious conspiracy; and – President Biden’s preemptive pardons granted to his fa...
Jan 22, 2025•12 min
