Preet's out this week, so we're excited to share an episode of The Gray Area with Sean Illing, which we think listeners of Stay Tuned will enjoy. We'll be back next week! What do you do when you’re faced with evidence that challenges your ideology? Do you engage with that new information? Are you willing to change your mind about your most deeply held beliefs? Are you pre-disposed to be more rigid or more flexible in your thinking? That’s what political psychologist and neuroscientist Leor Zmigr...
May 29, 2025•56 min
On this week’s Insider episode, Joyce Vance is joined by ACLU National Legal Director Cecillia Wang, while Preet is out for his son’s college graduation. In an excerpt from the episode, Cecillia discusses the organization’s lawsuit challenging Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members. In the full conversation, Cecillia details other ongoing ACLU litigation against the Trump administration, including cases challenging President Trump’s birthright citiz...
May 27, 2025•14 min
Why should any of us care about monopolies? Lina Khan, the youngest-ever chair of the Federal Trade Commission, joins Preet to discuss the real-world impact of monopoly power, the surprising bipartisan support for antitrust enforcement, and her rapid rise to prominence after publishing a groundbreaking paper on Amazon's business practices during law school. Plus, Preet answers questions about the qualifications to become Surgeon General, Kid Rock's restaurant, and Bruce Springsteen. Join the Ins...
May 22, 2025•1 hr 3 min
What happens when a court that often defers to the President finally says “not so fast”? In an excerpt from this week’s Insider episode, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the Supreme Court opinion halting the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to rapidly deport alleged Venezuelan gang members. Also on the Insider docket: – The justices heard oral arguments on whether federal judges can issue nationwide injunctions blocking enforcement of President Trump’s executive order end...
May 20, 2025•14 min
What happens when a U.S. president doesn’t know his history? Historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman join Preet to discuss the history of due process, the misuse of historical events for political messaging, and how Trump misunderstood the Declaration of Independence. And check out Preet’s live conversation with Heather and Joanne on Substack. Plus, Preet answers questions about broadcasting oral arguments at SCOTUS and using AI in the courtroom. Join the Insider community to stay i...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Could the Trump administration suspend habeas corpus? On this week’s Insider episode, Preet is joined by Rachel Barkow, CAFE Contributor and professor at NYU Law School, while Joyce is out. In an excerpt from the show, Preet and Rachel discuss Trump advisor Stephen Miller’s comments about suspending the constitutional right to habeas corpus. Also on the Insider docket: – Reflections on the legacy of Supreme Court Justice David Souter, who passed away last week at age 85; and – The Justice Depart...
May 13, 2025•12 min
In this audio essay, Preet shares why Stay Tuned is expanding to Substack, a platform for writers and creators to reach and engage with audiences directly. Find us on Substack, where we’re building a community for reasoned voices in unreasonable times, at staytuned.substack.com. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 12, 2025•8 min
Is the Supreme Court turning fringe legal theories into the law of the land? Constitutional law professor and Strict Scrutiny co-host Leah Litman joins Preet to talk about the nature of the Supreme Court’s conservative agenda, the biggest cases before the Court this year, and her new book Lawless: How the Supreme Court Came to Run on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and... Bad Vibes. Plus, Preet answers questions about whether anyone without a law degree has served as a Supreme Court jus...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 20 min
What are the constitutional limits of executive power? On this week’s Insider episode, Preet is joined by CAFE Contributor and Dean Emeritus of NYU Law School Trevor Morrison, while Joyce is out. In an excerpt from the show, Preet and Trevor discuss the Trump administration’s ongoing resistance to court orders compelling the government to facilitate Kilmar Abrego García’s return to the U.S. after he was wrongly deported to El Salvador. Also on the Insider docket: – A judge struck down President ...
May 07, 2025•12 min
What is a university president’s role when the government attacks higher education? Wesleyan University President Michael Roth joins Preet to discuss academia’s leftward tilt, what the attacks on universities portend for civil society, and whether remaining “neutral” is a viable option. Plus, Preet answers questions about ICE agents wearing face masks during arrests and whether an Attorney General needs a law license. Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without hysteria, fear-monger...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Did a Wisconsin judge commit a crime by allegedly helping a man avoid ICE agents in her courthouse? In an excerpt from the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the criminal charges brought by federal prosecutors against Judge Hannah Dugan for allegedly interfering with federal immigration enforcement. Also on the Insider docket: – The first 100 days of President Trump’s second administration; – Criminal charges filed against a former New Mexico judge for allegedly interferin...
Apr 29, 2025•14 min
What happens if the Trump administration defies court orders? Dahlia Lithwick, a Supreme Court expert and host of Amicus, joins Preet to discuss the fragility of the American legal system, and, from the Abrego Garcia case to Harvard, what to do when executive power gets out of control. Plus, Preet answers questions about why the Trump administration is listing living people as deceased, whether Harvard should revoke degrees from graduates who served in Trump's White House, and, of course, gramma...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Who gets due process? Did the Trump administration deny Kilmar Abrego Garcia due process by deporting him to El Salvador despite an immigration judge’s prior order blocking his removal? Listen to an excerpt from the Insider podcast with Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further discuss the Abrego Garcia case, including a recent circuit court opinion, authored by a conservative judge, strongly rebuking the Trump administration’s resistance to court orders compell...
Apr 23, 2025•14 min
It’s been almost three months since Trump’s inauguration. Political scientist Ian Bremmer joins Preet to discuss the profound and chaotic changes to America and the world, from tariffs, to federal cuts, to deportations—and how foreign and domestic entities, like China and Harvard University, are fighting back. Plus, Preet answers questions about Trump’s alleged insider trading, and how to get money out of our politics. Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without hysteria, fear-monge...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Will the Trump administration facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States after officials admitted he was erroneously deported to El Salvador, or will it defy the Supreme Court’s order? Listen to an excerpt from the Insider podcast with Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further discuss Abrego Garcia’s case, including the uncertainty over whether the SCOTUS ruling was unanimous, and the separation-of-powers implications of a court order rel...
Apr 15, 2025•10 min
Is Trump’s tariff rollout a three-dimensional chess game or an economic house fire? Economist Justin Wolfers breaks down the stock market crashing chaos, the erosion of global trust, the 125% tariffs on China, and what it all means for your wallet and America. You can now watch portions of our episodes on YouTube! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. For a transcript of the episode, visit our website. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please wri...
Apr 11, 2025•47 min
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer joins Preet to discuss his book Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism Not Textualism. They talk about judicial integrity and political pressure, how the Court deliberates and decides cases, and Justice Breyer’s response to calls to impeach judges based on their rulings. The conversation was recorded before a live audience at The Cooper Union on April 4, 2025. Plus, president Trump’s deals with law firms and the confirmation prospects for Ed Martin ...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 16 min
What’s the correct legal path—and the proper venue—for someone facing deportation to challenge their removal in court? On this week’s Insider episode, Joyce Vance is joined by former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barb McQuade and Lawfare editor-in-chief Ben Wittes, while Preet is out. In an excerpt from the show, they break down the Supreme Court order vacating a lower court decision that froze the Trump administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged ...
Apr 09, 2025•21 min
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
