Isabel Wilkerson is a journalist and author who in 1994 became the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism. Preet spoke with Wilkerson in August 2020 about her bestselling book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Wilkerson discussed the difference between caste and race, the ways that Nazi Germany drew inspiration from American racism, and the need for radical empathy as we deal with our own enduring caste system. *This episode initially aired in full on August 13t...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 4 min
This week on the CAFE Insider podcast, Joyce Vance is joined by guest co-host Barb McQuade while Preet is traveling. Barb served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from 2010 to 2017. She is now a CAFE contributor, a law professor at the University of Michigan law school, and a legal analyst for NBC News & MSNBC. In this sample from the episode, Joyce and Barb discuss the highlights from the January 6th Committee’s latest public hearing, including the new details about form...
Jul 19, 2022•15 min
Nita Farahany is a professor at Duke Law School and one of the nation's leading scholars on the social, ethical and legal implications of emerging technologies. Preet speaks with Farahany about how advances in brain monitoring devices will impact the workplace and courtroom, whether a “gene for violence” exists, and how A.I. is influencing bail and sentencing decisions. Plus, Preet discusses Steve Bannon’s potential criminal sentence and the latest on the January 6th Committee hearings, includin...
Jul 14, 2022•1 hr 13 min
The January 6th Committee is back in action this week. In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara breaks down the Committee’s progress with Dan Goldman, who served as lead House counsel in the first impeachment of Donald Trump and is now running for Congress in New York. Preet and Dan also react to reports that DOJ is feeling additional pressure to escalate its investigation into Trump following Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the Committee. In the full episode, Preet and ...
Jul 12, 2022•17 min
Patrick Radden Keefe is a staff writer at the New Yorker and the author of books including Say Nothing and Empire of Pain. His new essay collection, Rogues, features several of his most widely-read New Yorker articles, with a particular focus on criminals and con artists. Preet speaks with Keefe about the craft of long-form investigative journalism, what fascinates him about crime and corruption, and what motivates people to do bad things. Plus, Preet discusses the January 6th Committee hearings...
Jul 07, 2022•1 hr 19 min
In this special episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, Joyce Vance interviews Jim Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh, a prominent voice in law enforcement, has extensive experience investigating domestic terrorism and white supremacist violence — threats that the FBI has said are on the rise. He spent over 33 years working at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where he eventually led the Birmingham and Nashville offices as Special Agent in Charge. In this sample from the show, Cavanaugh br...
Jul 05, 2022•16 min
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Preet speaks with Jeannie Suk Gersen, a constitutional law professor at Harvard Law School and a contributing writer to the New Yorker. Gersen dissects the legal intricacies in the Dobbs decision, and discusses whether the Court would uphold a federal law banning abortion outright. Plus, updates on the January 6th Committee hearings and the surprise testimony of ex-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. In the bonus for CAFE Insi...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 13 min
Many questions remain following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the liberal justices’ dissent in the case and analyze the potential steps that the federal government can take to protect abortion rights. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The majority and concurring opinions in the case; – The implications for other constitutional rights, including the right to use contracepti...
Jun 28, 2022•15 min
The Supreme Court has officially overturned Roe v. Wade, the nearly 50-year-old precedent that secured the constitutional right to an abortion in the United States. On a special episode of CAFE Insider, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the Court’s opinion and the implications of the ruling for the Court and the country. Stay informed. For analysis of the most important legal and political issues of our time, try the membership for one month for $1.00: www.cafe.com/insider. You’ll get a...
Jun 24, 2022•20 min
After the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a bipartisan group of senators agreed on a narrow proposal for gun safety legislation, the first sign of congressional movement on the issue in decades. But is it enough? Shannon Watts, the gun safety activist and founder of the grassroots organization Moms Demand Action, joins Preet to talk about how to stop gun violence in America, and her theory of incremental change. Plus, Preet explains the purpose of plea bargains. In the bonus for CAFE Insiders, Watts ...
Jun 23, 2022•1 hr 6 min
The January 6th Committee recently held its third public hearing of the year. In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down Trump lawyer John Eastman’s role in January 6th and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further discuss the latest January 6th developments: – Testimony at the Committee’s third public hearing from conservative former Circuit Court Judge J. Michael Luttig and Gre...
Jun 21, 2022•11 min
Eric Holder is the third longest-serving Attorney General in American history, holding the role from 2009 to 2015 under President Barack Obama. He’s written a new book on voting rights called Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote. Holder joins Preet to discuss the likelihood that the Department of Justice will indict former President Trump, his fight against partisan gerrymandering, and what he makes of so-called “progressive prosecutors.” Plus, the latest on th...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 11 min
The January 6th Committee recently held its first two public hearings of the year. In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the evidence prosecutors could use at trial to demonstrate former President Donald Trump’s mental state for his conduct relating to the insurrection. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further discuss the January 6th hearings, including: – The Committee’s argument that former Trump is responsible for the insurrection; – The ta...
Jun 14, 2022•12 min
Soledad O’Brien is a longtime TV news anchor and talk show host, best known for a decade-long career at CNN where she anchored the network’s flagship morning program. O’Brien currently hosts the weekly public affairs program Matter of Fact and is a regular contributor to HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. Preet speaks with O’Brien about her pointed criticism of the news media, her new documentary about the civil rights icon Rosa Parks, and why she doesn’t feel the need to make new friends in ...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr 21 min
A federal grand jury recently indicted former Trump White House trade advisor Peter Navarro on two counts of contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena issued by the January 6th Committee. In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the Department of Justice’s decision to not charge Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino, two other former Trump administration officials who also refused to cooperate with the Committee’s investigation. In the full e...
Jun 07, 2022•11 min
Rep. Mondaire Jones, who represents a district just north of New York City, became one of two openly-gay Black members of Congress when he was elected in 2020. Preet speaks with Jones about his plan to expand the Supreme Court, what Congress can do about the epidemic of gun violence in America, and the surprise redistricting crisis that has thrown New York into political turmoil. Plus, the Justice Department has announced that it will investigate the police response to the massacre in Uvalde, TX...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance dedicate the entire episode of CAFE Insider to the issues stemming from last week’s horrific school shooting tragedy in Uvalde, Texas. They provide in-depth analysis of law enforcement’s delayed response to the incident and what comes next. In this sample from the show, Preet and Joyce discuss the likelihood that Congress enacts gun safety legislation in response to the massacre, and the range of potential proposals, including background checks, “red flag” laws, and...
May 31, 2022•15 min
Min Jin Lee is one of the most celebrated authors of our time. She wrote Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko, which was a National Book Award Finalist. Lee, who is Korean American, often writes about Asian American identity and the immigrant experience. Preet spoke with Lee about the political value of “Asian American” as a category, the problem with the debate over affirmative action, and her famously rigorous research process. Plus, analysis of the upcoming January 6 Committee hearings, a ...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Following the leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, there is an ongoing debate over the extent to which protestors should be permitted to organize outside of the homes of public officials. In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the First Amendment implications of a federal law that makes it a misdemeanor to protest outside of federal judges’ residences in an effort to influence the outcome of a case. In the full e...
May 24, 2022•15 min
Ian Bremmer, founder and president of Eurasia Group, has long been one of the most trusted voices on global affairs in the 21st century. Preet speaks with Bremmer about his new book, The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats — and Our Response — Will Change the World. They also discuss the intensifying competition between the U.S. and China, and why Bremmer believes that we should all pay more attention to quantum computing. Plus, updates from the January 6th committee and a potential DOJ case agai...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Over the weekend, a white gunman carried out a racist attack at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing ten people and injuring three others. The majority of the victims were Black. In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet and Joyce discuss the possibility that federal prosecutors bring hate crime charges against the shooter. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The January 6th Committee’s decision to issue subpoenas to sitting members of Congress; – The racist attack c...
May 17, 2022•14 min
Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, was arrested in April for leading a protest against JP Morgan Chase’s continued investment in fossil fuels. Preet speaks with Kalmus about whether it is possible to stop the climate crisis, the science behind global warming, and the role of climate activism within the scientific community. Plus, Preet’s thoughts on whether Chief Justice Roberts will find the leaker, and why the Southern District of New York seems to always get juris...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 14 min
In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet and Joyce break down the latest developments from the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Why did Justice Alito focus on policy arguments to rationalize his decision? And how might classifying a “fetus” as a person further restrict reproductive rights? In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further discuss issues stemming from the leaked opinion: – The extent to which overturning Roe would restrict abortion access ...
May 10, 2022•14 min
In 2015, at 25 years old, Symone Sanders was hired as the National Press Secretary for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. She went on to hold senior communications positions for President Biden’s 2020 campaign, and for Vice President Harris in the White House. Now, she’s the host of Symone, an opinion show on MSNBC. Preet speaks with Sanders about the private personalities of her famous bosses, the strength of the Biden administration’s message, and how to reach “non-political group chats.” ...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 12 min
In this special episode of CAFE Insider, Preet and Joyce discuss the leaked Supreme Court opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito, which, if adopted by the Court, would overturn Roe v. Wade. Why was the draft opinion leaked? How would the opinion restrict reproductive rights? And what are its implications for other constitutional rights? Stay informed. For continued coverage of the Supreme Court — and the other pressing legal and political issues of our time — try the membership for one month fo...
May 03, 2022•40 min
When Eric Adams was sworn in as mayor of New York City in January, he became the second Black mayor in the city’s history. A former police officer, Adams has emerged as a national voice on crime and public safety. Preet interviewed Adams live on stage at Cooper Union in New York City on Tuesday, April 26th, for the 2022 John Jay Iselin Memorial Lecture. Plus, Preet’s thoughts on Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, a background on Supreme Court chief justices, and a civics lesson on the bail syst...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 5 min
In this special episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, United States Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta joins Joyce Vance to reflect on her first year in office. They talk about the Department of Justice's investigations into January 6th, the relationship between civil rights activists and law enforcement, and the ongoing work to preserve reproductive and voting rights. Plus, how does DOJ make decisions around what kind of information to share with the public? In a segment of the interview ex...
Apr 26, 2022•39 min
Few people know more about Vladimir Putin — and his financial schemes — than Bill Browder. Browder, an investor and a political activist, is the architect of the Magnitsky Act, which allows the US government to sanction foreign nationals who have perpetrated human rights abuses. He joins Preet to discuss his new book, Freezing Order: A True Story of Russian Money Laundering, State-Sponsored Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath. Plus, the federal case against the Brooklyn subway shooter, ...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 11 min
The January 6th Capitol attack, the Brooklyn subway shooting, and the indictment of since-resigned New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin are in the headlines this week. In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet and Joyce break down the SDNY indictment of former NY Lt. Gov. Benjamin on bribery and fraud charges for allegedly taking part in an illegal campaign fundraising scheme. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The obstruction of Congress conviction of a January 6th...
Apr 19, 2022•11 min
Gas prices remain volatile in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Preet speaks with Pulitzer Prize winning author Daniel Yergin about how that conflict is impacting the global energy market, the future of electric cars, the shale revolution in the U.S., and the time Vladimir Putin raised his voice to Yergin at a conference in St. Petersburg. Plus, updates on the January 6th committee’s effectiveness, slow movement from DOJ, and a civics lesson on federal grand juries. In the Insider bonus,...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 14 min
