CAFE Insider

On this week’s Insider podcast, Joyce Vance speaks with Leah Litman while Preet is out. Litman is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School and co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast.  They discuss the central theme of this term: how the Court’s conservative majority is reshaping the balance of power between the branches of government, away from Congress and towards the judiciary a...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and historians Danielle Allen and Mary Bilder discuss the Trump administration’s impact on civic education and what they think about public knowledge in Trump 2.0. For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sign up to receive the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, for free: cafe.com/brief Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara w...

The Supreme Court term is officially over. On this week’s Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance are joined by NYU Law professor and co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast Melissa Murray to break down the Court’s most consequential decisions: – Trump v. Barbara , where the Court struck down President Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship; – National Republican Senatori...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and historian Joanne Freeman discuss President George Washington’s remarkable and prescient decision to relinquish power.  For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sign up to receive the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, for free: cafe.com/brief . Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at...

On this week’s Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance are joined by Supreme Court expert and Georgetown Law professor Steve Vladeck to discuss: – The Supreme Court’s rulings in a gun possession case and a religious freedom case; – The Court’s decision to grant review of a case challenging the constitutionality of Florida's six-person juries for criminal trials; and – Trends emerging from t...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and New York Times Justice Department reporter Devlin Barrett discuss why so many DOJ employees are willing to risk their careers to uphold ethical standards and resist pressure from President Trump. Plus, why Barrett’s acknowledgements in the book deserve their own spotlight. For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sig...

On this week’s Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss: – President Trump’s nomination of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the role of Director of National Intelligence; – The legal challenges to Trump’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund; and – The Supreme Court decision ruling federal prosecutors can only try a defendant in the district where the alleged offense occur...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and Dr. Atul Gawande discuss affordability and the original sin of our healthcare system.   For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sign up to receive the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, for free: cafe.com/brief . Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at letters@cafe.com, or call...

On this week’s Insider podcast, Ben Wittes joins Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance. Wittes is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Lawfare and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. They discuss: – A reported plea deal between the Justice Department and President Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton; – A bipartisan House resolution halting U.S. military action against Iran; – T...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and former U.S. Attorney Barb McQuade discuss restoring public faith in the Justice Department, the most important lesson for law students, and whether RICO is a viable legal tool for holding the Trump administration accountable.  For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sign up to receive the weekly CAFE Brief news...

On this week’s Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss: – A federal judge’s order blocking President Trump’s efforts to add his own name to the Kennedy Center; – Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund, and a federal court decision that effectively reopens Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS; and – Reports that the Justice Department is investigating E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexu...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and New York Congressman Dan Goldman take on the impossible challenge of choosing DOJ’s worst offense yet.   For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sign up to receive the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, for free: cafe.com/brief Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at letters@ca...

On this week’s Insider podcast, Doug Jones, former Senator from Alabama and current candidate for the state’s governor, joins Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance to break down redistricting efforts across the country, and the major recent Supreme Court decisions on gerrymandering and the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act. Doug also served as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.&nbs...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for members of the CAFE Insider community, Preet Bharara and Evan Osnos continue their conversation with a discussion about billionaires, political power, and why Americans remain both skeptical of wealth and deeply aspirational about success. They also explore what Democrats misunderstand about economic ambition and the difference between economic inequality and po...

On this week’s Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss: – The Trump administration’s new $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate January 6 defendants and allies the administration claims were victims of DOJ “weaponization”; – Allegations that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was asked to recuse from Trump matters at the Justice Department;  – A DOJ lawsuit seeking to b...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and The Atlantic staff writer George Packer examine the prevailing personality trait among members of Congress, the public’s role in shaping our political environment, and why we’re experiencing national cognitive decline. For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sign up to receive the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, for f...

On this week’s Insider podcast, UC Davis law professor and reproductive rights expert Mary Ziegler joins Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance to break down the Supreme Court case challenging telehealth access to the abortion pill Mifepristone, and what it means for the future of abortion care in the United States. Then, Preet and Joyce discuss the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent ruling preventing I...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and Jodi Kantor discuss how to build a fulfilling career, the importance of teachers, and why a good boss can make all the difference.  For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sign up to receive the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, for free: cafe.com/brief Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet,...

Is the Voting Rights Act dead? On this week’s Insider podcast, Joyce Vance speaks with President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, Janai Nelson, while Preet is out. They break down the Supreme Court’s decision in a major voting rights case, Louisiana v. Callais , which Nelson argued before the Court, and what the ruling means for the future of the Voting Rights Act. We hope y...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and Ben Smith discuss the decline of thoughtfulness, parent-child competition, and the trouble with wanting to be liked.  For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sign up to receive the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, for free: cafe.com/brief Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at le...

On a new episode of the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss: – The federal charges filed against the Southern Poverty Law Center alleging they defrauded donors by funding white supremacist groups; – The apparent attempted assassination of President Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner and the charges filed; and – DOJ’s decision to drop the investigation into Federal Re...

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet Bharara and Rebecca Weiner discuss the personal roots of her career in counterterrorism, from a family legacy shaped by World War II to the events that led her into national security work, and why she encourages more young people to pursue careers in public service. Thank you for being a member of the Insider community. Tweet your questions to @P...

On a new episode of the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance focus on the power struggle between the three branches of government in the context of five legal issues in the news: – An appellate court’s decision ordering Judge James Boasberg to end his criminal-contempt inquiry into the Trump administration over Alien Enemies Act deportations; – The Trump administration’s efforts to overt...

Preet responds to a listener’s question about conditions in state prisons and shares his experience working to reform one of New York City’s most notorious prisons: Rikers Island. For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, sign up to receive the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, for free: cafe.com/brief Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at l...

On a new episode of the Insider podcast, Joyce Vance is joined by former Westchester County, New York, District Attorney Mimi Rocah while Preet is out. They discuss: – The Manhattan DA’s criminal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Representative Eric Swalwell prompting him to resign; – An Office of Legal Counsel opinion declaring the Presidential Records Act (PRA) unconstitut...