CAFE Insider

Join Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance as they unpack the pivotal legal battles of 2025. They candidly discuss the chaotic start involving federal employees and the shift in Elon Musk's influence. The expansion of executive power raises eyebrows, while courts push back against overreach. The hosts highlight the administration's combative tactics against judges and reflect on the human costs of policy decisions. With predictions for 2026, they underscore the need for civic engagement and hope amidst the challenges.

Dan Harris, a journalist and founder of 10% Happier, engages in a thought-provoking discussion about happiness. He turns the tables and asks Preet about the small obstacles hindering his happiness. Preet shares how viewing irritations as opportunities for personal growth can transform one's mindset. The conversation delves into the power of habit change and the significance of making small, sustainable adjustments for lasting happiness. It’s a refreshing take on how we can rethink our daily challenges to improve our overall well-being.

The discussion kicks off with the surprising rejection of criminal charges against Letitia James. Preet and Joyce dissect Judge Breyer's critique of presidential powers regarding the National Guard in California. They dive deep into the legality of U.S. strikes against Venezuela and question the justification behind a controversial tanker seizure. The hosts also tackle the moral dilemma of using aggressive actions for regime change while debating the adherence to laws of war. A sharp critique of political rhetoric adds a thought-provoking layer to the conversation.

Has the No Kings movement moved the needle at all? In the bonus for Insiders, Preet Bharara and historian Jill Lepore discuss Lepore’s reporting on political rallies and whether they can still make a difference. Plus, the lines she draws as a journalist in a political moment.Thank you for being a member of the Insider community.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.

This week on the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara is joined by constitutional law expert and Dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law Erwin Chemerinsky, while Joyce is out. On the Insider docket:– Supreme Court oral arguments in a case that could give a president more power to fire government officials;– The New York Times’s lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s new press policy at the Pentagon;– Trump’s threat to sue the BBC over an edited video of him; and – Legal challenges to state laws mandating that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school classrooms.Shownotes & transcript can be found at CAFE.com.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; Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; Deputy Editor: Celine Rohr; CAFE Team: Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

What exactly makes New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani so popular? In the Stay Tuned bonus for Insiders, Preet and writer and political analyst Anand Giridharadas chat about the physical attribute that Anand thinks contributed to Mamdani’s quick rise through the political ranks. Thank you for being a member of the Insider community.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.

On the Insider docket:– The National Guard shooting in Washington, D.C., which President Trump used as the basis to pause all migration from what he is calling “third world countries”;– A federal judge’s inquiry into whether the Trump administration defied his orders when it carried out deportation flights to El Salvador; and– The legal challenges to Texas’s new gerrymandered congressional map.Shownotes & transcript can be found at CAFE.com.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; Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; Deputy Editor: Celine Rohr; CAFE Team: Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

In the Stay Tuned podcast bonus for Insiders, Preet Bharara and Jon Finer break down Trump’s recent meeting with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, revisiting the fallout from Jamal Khashoggi’s killing and what the encounter suggests about how the administration is handling its relationship with Saudi Arabia.Thank you for being a member of the Insider community.Subscribe to The Long Game podcast.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.

On the Insider docket:– President Donald Trump’s directive to his Justice Department to investigate Democrats over alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, while avoiding similar scrutiny of himself and Republican allies; – MAGA fallout over the Trump administration’s stonewalling of the release of Epstein files, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s break with Trump; and – A magistrate judge’s opinion in former FBI Director Jim Comey’s prosecution, criticizing DOJ for possible government misconduct that could lead to dismissal of the charges.Shownotes & transcript can be found at CAFE.com.Subscribe to The Long Game podcast. We hope you’re finding 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; Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, David Tatasciore, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway.

Who were the key players in the 1929 stock market crash? And who would play them in a movie? In the bonus for Insiders, Preet Bharara and New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin chat about a possible film adaption of Andrew’s new book, 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash In Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation.Thank you for being a member of the Insider community.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.