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CAFE Insider

News

Co-hosts Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance help you to make sense of law and politics each week, plus weekly notes and bonus content exclusive to CAFE Insider members.

Location:

United States

Genres:

News

Description:

Co-hosts Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance help you to make sense of law and politics each week, plus weekly notes and bonus content exclusive to CAFE Insider members.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Bonus: Press Controversy at DOD (with Jim Sciutto)

4/9/2026
In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet and Jim Sciutto discuss the controversy surrounding press coverage at the Defense Department. 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 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:04:49

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Bondi, Birthright & Conversion Therapy (with Dahlia Lithwick)

4/7/2026
On a new episode of the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance are joined by Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor at Slate and host of the Amicus podcast. They discuss: – President Trump’s firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi; – Supreme Court oral arguments in a case challenging President Trump’s effort to restrict birthright citizenship; and – The Court’s 8–1 decision in favor of a therapist who challenged a Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

Duration:00:49:18

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Bonus: Death, Taxes, and Consciousness (with Michael Pollan)

4/2/2026
Does life truly have meaning without death? In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, author Michael Pollan and Preet discuss what differentiates humans from machines. Plus, is it possible to control our own thoughts? For more content at the intersection of law, politics, and policy, subscribe to the Stay Tuned with Preet Substack: staytuned.substack.com Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at letters@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:04:20

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Trump’s Criminal Profit Motive

3/31/2026
On the Insider docket: – New reporting alleging that President Trump took classified documents to Mar-a-Lago to aid his business interests; – The $1.2 million settlement in Michael Flynn’s malicious prosecution lawsuit against the Department of Justice; and – Attorney General Pam Bondi’s proposed rule deferring state bar ethics investigations into federal prosecutors to the Department’s own ethics committee. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

Duration:00:47:01

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Bonus: The FCC Attempts to Censor Broadcasters

3/26/2026
In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet answers listener questions. He explains whether the FCC can legally strip TV broadcasters of their licenses for coverage it doesn’t like. Plus, what’s the deal with Trump’s Florsheim shoe pressure campaign? 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 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:06:30

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Voting Rights & Wrongs, According to SCOTUS (with Steve Vladeck)

3/24/2026
Constitutional law professor and Supreme Court expert Steve Vladeck joins Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance to break down oral arguments in an election case (Watson v. RNC), which has the potential to reshape the way ballots are counted. Then, they preview next week’s oral arguments in the birthright citizenship case. Plus, Preet and Joyce pay tribute to former FBI Director and special counsel Robert Mueller, who passed last week at age 81. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

Duration:00:52:15

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Bonus: Is David French Too Polite?

3/19/2026
What is David French-ism and is it a bad thing? In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, New York Times columnist and co-host of the Advisory Opinions podcast David French joins Preet to discuss politeness and whether it’s French’s Achilles heel or his biggest strength. 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 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:05:45

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Court to Trump: Drop Fed

3/17/2026
On the Insider docket: – A federal judge’s decision to quash subpoenas in the criminal probe of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell; – Republican efforts to pass the SAVE Act, which would require an ID to vote; and – A proposal from President Trump’s orbit urging him to declare a national emergency to federalize elections. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

Duration:00:48:31

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Bonus: Bullish On AI (with Lloyd Blankfein)

3/12/2026
Should we fear AI or embrace it? In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, former Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein joins Preet to discuss why he’s optimistic about the changes artificial intelligence will bring, and what the history of technological transformations tells us about what might be coming. 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 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:12:12

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Kristi Noem, Law Firms & No-Knock Warrants

3/10/2026
On the Insider docket: – The Justice Department’s decision to continue its defense of Trump’s Executive Orders targeting law firms after abandoning the case one day earlier; – President Trump’s firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem; – The Justice Department’s reversal of a Biden-era policy restricting “no-knock” warrants; and – The Justice Department’s reported failure to build a criminal case against President Biden over his use of an autopen to sign official documents. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

Duration:00:48:18

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Bonus: Iran’s Impact on the Elections (with Mark Leibovich)

3/5/2026
How is the war in Iran going to play politically for Democrats and Republicans? In the bonus for Insiders, The Atlantic staff writer Mark Leibovich shares his thoughts on how the war in Iran could shape U.S. politics. Plus, whether Democrats will flip the Senate in the upcoming midterm elections. Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at letters@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:01:06:31

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Clintons Testify About Epstein — Will Trump?

3/3/2026
On the Insider docket: – Former President Bill Clinton's and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s congressional testimony about Jeffrey Epstein; – New reporting that DOJ excluded allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor from its released Epstein files; – Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to permanently block the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on his investigation into President Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents; and – FBI Director Kash Patel’s firings of ten FBI employees over their involvement in the Trump classified documents investigation. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

Duration:00:29:39

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Bonus: Is Trump Lying to Himself? (with Astead Herndon and Joanne Freeman)

2/26/2026
Does Trump really believe his own messaging, or is he just a master bullsh*tter? In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Yale history professor Joanne Freeman and Vox editorial director Astead Herndon delve into the psychology behind Trump’s repeated lies. Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at letters@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:07:12

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Trump Tariff Takedown (with Don Verrilli)

2/24/2026
On a new episode of the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance are joined by former Solicitor General of the United States Don Verrilli to break down the Supreme Court’s decision striking down President Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway. ‎

Duration:00:46:48

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Bonus: Can the Rule of Law Be Restored? (with Susan Rice)

2/19/2026
What will restore the rule of law? In this bonus from the Stay Tuned podcast, Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice turns the tables on Preet, asking how to respond to what she calls the “rapid evaporation” of democratic guardrails. Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at letters@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:03:13

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Oversight v. Overreach at DOJ

2/17/2026
On the Insider podcast docket: – The Justice Department’s failure to secure an indictment of a group of Democratic members of Congress over a video reminding military service members of their duty to refuse illegal orders; – Attorney General Pam Bondi’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee about DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files; – The Trump administration’s announcement that it is ending stepped-up ICE operations in Minnesota; and – The unsealing of an affidavit used to justify the FBI’s search of an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, as part of the Trump administration’s investigation into debunked allegations of election fraud in the county. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:40:52

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Bonus: After the Pendulum Swings (with Douglas Brinkley)

2/12/2026
It’s been said that American politics moves not like time's arrow or history's arc, but like a pendulum, swinging from left to right and back again. In the bonus for Insiders, historian Douglas Brinkley joins Preet to discuss why we may be on the verge of another swing, whether it will be enough to dislodge the unlikely coalition Trump cobbled together to win the White House, why the next Democrat president will need to pass an 'authenticity test,' and whether former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene may shake out better in history than anyone expected. Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at letters@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:05:13

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DOJ in Crisis

2/10/2026
On the Insider docket: – Ghislaine Maxwell’s request that President Trump grant her clemency in exchange for testimony that could clear him and Bill Clinton from any wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network; – Recent judicial opinions on ICE actions in Minnesota and Oregon; – The mounting strain inside DOJ as the Department struggles to retain and recruit prosecutors, while the Trump administration aggressively focuses on immigration enforcement; and – The Supreme Court’s ruling allowing California’s new congressional map to stand. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

Duration:00:52:18

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Bonus: Ukraine, Greenland, and Venezuela (with Anne Applebaum)

2/5/2026
What would it actually take to end the war in Ukraine? What does Trump really want with Greenland? And what comes next for Venezuela after Maduro? In the bonus for Insiders, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, The Atlantic staff writer, and Autocracy in America podcast host Anne Applebaum joins Preet to survey the global landscape—and explains why she believes Trump has prolonged the war in Ukraine by giving Putin hope to keep fighting. Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #AskPreet, email us at letters@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Duration:00:06:45

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Political Retribution: From Minnesota to Georgia

2/3/2026
On the Insider docket: – DOJ’s investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minnesota; – Federal criminal charges brought against journalist Don Lemon related to his appearance at an anti-ICE protest inside a Minnesota church; – The FBI’s search of an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, at the center of President Trump’s debunked election fraud claims; and – The latest release of Epstein files, which included over three million pages of information and revealed sensitive victim information. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Watch livestreams on YouTube or Substack. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

Duration:00:43:33