In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the Supreme Court oral arguments in a pair of challenges to the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The court filing by the Department of Justice in which prosecutors argued that former President Donald Trump is not entitled to immunity from civil lawsuits stemming from January 6; and – Trump’s court battle to shield former Vice President Mike P...
Mar 08, 2023•16 min
Veteran journalist Jonathan Alter is a contributing correspondent to NBC and the author of a biography of President Jimmy Carter, “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life.” In light of the news that Carter has entered hospice care in Georgia, Preet speaks with Alter about Carter’s presidency, his life, and his legacy. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 669-247-733...
Mar 06, 2023•37 min
Jia Tolentino is a staff writer at the New Yorker and the bestselling author of 2019’s “Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self Delusion.” At age 34, she has quickly become one of the most celebrated essayists and cultural critics of her generation. Tolentino joins Preet to discuss the incentive structure behind social media companies, how becoming a mother has affirmed her belief in abortion rights, and how the current economic environment is affecting online journalism. Plus, what did Fani Willis, t...
Mar 02, 2023•1 hr 8 min
In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the public statements made by the foreperson of the Fulton County, Georgia special purpose grand jury, which conducted an investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Did the grand jury recommend that the district attorney bring charges against Trump? Did the foreperson’s statements violate the judge’s instructions or criminal statutes? And will her comments undermine th...
Mar 01, 2023•16 min
Preet speaks with Sadie Gurman, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal covering the Department of Justice, about Attorney General Merrick Garland’s approach to death penalty cases. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. References & Supplemental Materials: Sadie Gurman, “Merrick Garland Raises the Bar for Death Penalty,” Wall Street Journal, 2/17/23 B...
Feb 27, 2023•20 min
Bianna Golodryga is a senior global affairs analyst and anchor at CNN. She joins Preet on the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to discuss the state of the war, President Volodymyr Zelensky's emblematic leadership throughout the conflict, the effectiveness of economic sanctions against Russia, and more. Plus, what did we learn from the unsealed portions of the Fulton County Trump investigation Grand Jury report? And could comments made to the press by the Grand Jury foreperson...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 14 min
In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the news that the Department of Justice has reportedly decided against bringing sex-trafficking charges against Florida Representative Matt Gaetz. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – Developments from the January 6 and classified documents special counsel investigations, including former Vice President Mike Pence’s invocation of the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause to avoid testifying, and the...
Feb 21, 2023•14 min
Preet speaks with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island about a bill he has introduced that would force the Supreme Court to adopt a code of ethics. Plus, what does the Senator think of the Supreme Court’s “investigation” into the Dobbs leak. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. For analysis of recent legal news, try the CAFE Insider membershi...
Feb 20, 2023•21 min
What’s going on with the UFOs? Preet speaks with Michael Morell, the former Deputy Director of the CIA and one of the nation’s foremost experts on spying. Morell, a national security analyst at CBS News and the host of the Intelligence Matters podcast, assesses what the Pentagon knows about the UFOs shot down over North America, and whether we’re in a new Cold War with China. Plus, a new ruling in Georgia’s 2020 election case, a resolution to expel George Santos from Congress, and Preet settles ...
Feb 16, 2023•1 hr 15 min
In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the subpoena issued to former Vice President Mike Pence by special counsel Jack Smith as part of the investigation into January 6th. They also break down the forthcoming legal battle over securing Pence’s compliance with the subpoena. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The ruling by a Georgia judge to keep under seal most of the final report prepared by the Fulton County special purpose grand jury, w...
Feb 14, 2023•11 min
Preet speaks with Leigh Ann Caldwell, a political reporter at the Washington Post, about the future of the Senate’s “blue slip” policy, which gives United States Senators the power to veto the nomination of certain federal judges and prosecutors in their home states. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. References & Supplemental Materials: Leigh An...
Feb 13, 2023•21 min
David Remnick, the longtime editor of the New Yorker, has written a new profile of the novelist Salman Rushdie. In 1989, Iran’s Supreme Leader declared Rushdie’s book, “The Satanic Verses,” blasphemous and issued a “fatwa” calling for his assassination. Last August, Rushdie was attacked — and nearly killed — on stage at a conference in New York State. Preet speaks with Remnick about how Rushdie has responded to the threats on his life, the price he’s paid for his art, and the importance of free ...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 12 min
In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the involuntary manslaughter charges brought against actor Alec Baldwin for allegedly shooting and killing a cinematographer on the set of the movie Rust in 2021. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The FBI’s search of President Joe Biden’s Delaware beach house which yielded no additional classified documents; – The expected FBI search of former Vice President Mike Pence’s Indiana home; and – Fulton C...
Feb 07, 2023•11 min
President Biden has a new chief of staff: Jeff Zients. Zients replaces Biden's longtime aide Ron Klain. Preet discusses the transition with Chris Whipple, the author of The Gatekeepers: How The White House Chiefs Of Staff Define Every Presidency. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. For analysis of recent legal news, try the CAFE Insider membership...
Feb 06, 2023•23 min
Elie Honig is a former federal and state prosecutor. He’s currently a CNN senior legal analyst and a contributor and host of Up Against The Mob at CAFE. He joins Preet to discuss his new book “Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away with It.” It documents the similarities between top mafia bosses and Donald Trump, how intimidation is used in and out of the courtroom, how prosecutors choose which cases to pursue, and more. Plus, the FBI searches Biden’s vacation home again, Rep. George Santos f...
Feb 02, 2023•1 hr 15 min
In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the fatal Memphis police beating of Tyre Nichols captured on videos, and the resulting indictments of the officers involved in the horrific killing. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The reports indicating that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is starting to present evidence to a grand jury relating to former President Donald Trump’s alleged involvement in a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels; and – The n...
Jan 31, 2023•16 min
What is the debt ceiling? And how concerned should we be about the national debt? Preet speaks with Justin Wolfers, a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. References & Supplemental Materials: Justin Wolfers’ biography Justin’s podcast, Think Like An Economist “The U.S. Hit the ...
Jan 30, 2023•30 min
Longtime New York Times columnist Frank Bruni joins Preet to discuss a few of his favorite topics: food, politics, language, and culture. Bruni also talks about several of the recent changes in his life, including an unusual medical ailment that inspired him to write a book, and his recent appointment as a professor of journalism and public policy at Duke University. Plus, a hearing to unseal the Fulton County’s Trump investigation grand jury report, classified documents at Mike Pence’s house, a...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr 11 min
In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the decision by a New Mexico District Attorney to seek involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin for allegedly shooting and killing a cinematographer on the set of the movie Rust in 2021. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The search conducted by FBI investigators of President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, which led to the discovery of additional documents with classifie...
Jan 24, 2023•17 min
Preet speaks with John Carlin, a top DOJ official in both the Obama and Biden administrations, about the threat of Chinese “overseas police stations” allegedly targeting Chinese nationals living abroad. The FBI reportedly recently searched an unlisted Manhattan office being used by Chinese officials to collect information. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 66...
Jan 23, 2023•20 min
Preet speaks with Tim Heaphy, a former U.S. Attorney who served as Chief Investigative Counsel for the House January 6th Committee. Heaphy shares insights into the Committee’s process interviewing witnesses, its strategy behind the hearings, and its relationship with DOJ investigators. Plus, a special counsel has been appointed in the Biden classified documents case. And will we ever know who leaked Justice Alito’s draft opinion in the Dobbs decision? Don’t miss the Insider bonus, where Heaphy d...
Jan 19, 2023•1 hr 17 min
In this sample from the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the appointment of former U.S. Attorney Robert Hur as special counsel to investigate the classified documents that were found at President Joe Biden’s home and former office. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce discuss: – The differences and similarities between the respective classified documents investigations into President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump; and – The partially-unsealed transcript f...
Jan 17, 2023•14 min
Preet speaks with Dr. Andra Gillespie, a professor of political science at Emory University, about the political philosophy and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. References & Supplemental Materials: Letter from Birmingham Jail History of Dr. King & the FBI, Stanford The King Center Clayborne Carson’s work on ...
Jan 16, 2023•24 min
Ruth Marcus, associate editor and columnist for The Washington Post, has been covering national politics, Washington, and the Supreme Court since she began her career in journalism in the ‘80s. Preet and Ruth discuss the quality of writing at the Supreme Court, the theory of originalism, and the fate of Kevin McCarthy. Plus, how can DOJ protect itself from meddling by the new GOP Congress? And what is the likelihood that those prosecuted for January 6th will be pardoned by the next Republican pr...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr 13 min
On the CAFE Insider docket this week: – The CBS News report that classified documents were found at a D.C. office that Joe Biden used before becoming President, and the ongoing federal investigation into the matter; – The conclusion of a Georgia special grand jury’s investigation into former President Donald Trump and his allies, and their efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state; – The decision by the North Carolina Attorney General to close a voter fraud investigation ...
Jan 10, 2023•4 min
Preet speaks with Mark Leibovich, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the book “Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times”. They discuss the on-field collapse due to cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin, and the NFL’s handling of the situation. Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please let us know what you think! Email us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. References and Supplemental Materials: Leibovich book, “Bi...
Jan 09, 2023•24 min
Ian Bremmer, founder and president of Eurasia Group, has long been considered among the most trusted voices on global affairs in the 21st century. Preet and Bremmer discuss Eurasia Group’s annual “Top Risks'' report that sizes up the most urgent geopolitical challenges facing the world in the upcoming year. So, what are we up against in 2023? You’ll have to listen! Plus, some key takeaways from Trump’s tax returns, George Santos’ lies, and what exactly does the number 42 have to do with the mean...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr 11 min
On the CAFE Insider docket this week: – The January 6 Committee’s newly released final report, which focuses on former President Donald Trump’s culpability for the attack at the Capitol; – The Committee’s newly released transcripts of interviews with key witnesses, including Cassidy Hutchinson, John Eastman, and Mick Mulvaney; and – The Supreme Court’s ruling to leave in place Title 42, a public health rule that Trump and Biden used to curb immigration during the height of the Covid pandemic, wh...
Jan 03, 2023•3 min
A war in Ukraine. The end of Roe. Deadly mass shootings. A historic SCOTUS confirmation . Landmark climate legislation. International protests for women’s rights. As 2022 comes to a close, Preet looks back at the year’s news through conversations on Stay Tuned, In Brief, and CAFE Insider. All of us at CAFE wish you a Happy New Year. Thank you for supporting and engaging with our work. We’ll be back in 2023 with more analysis of news at the intersection of law and politics. The news doesn’t stop,...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Min Jin Lee, the celebrated author and National Book Award finalist, joined Preet in May for a conversation about Asian American identity and the immigrant experience. They spoke about the political value of “Asian American” as a category, the problem with the debate over affirmative action, and her famously rigorous research process. The conversation resonated with many of our listeners, and with the holidays approaching, we're re-airing it in full. (The episode originally aired on May 26th.) F...
Dec 22, 2022•59 min
