CAFE Insider

In this episode of CAFE Insider, Preet and Joyce discuss Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s involvement in a 2016 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Preet and Joyce refine their thoughts on the strength of the potential criminal charges, Trump’s possible defenses to the charges, and the prosecutorial discretion considerations that come into play when deciding whether to charge a former president. They also break down Bragg’s response to House GOP calls on him to testify before Congress.Ask your friends and family to join you in the conversation about the latest legal and political news making the headlines. For every person you refer to the CAFE Insider community, you’ll get a free month added to your subscription. Learn more at CAFE.com/referral.Follow Up Against The Mob and listen to new episodes each Wednesday.We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. Shownotes & transcript can be found at CAFE.com.This podcast is brought to you by CAFE Studios and Vox Media Podcast Network.

How does the U.S. government secure our digital infrastructure and fight cyber-criminals? Specifically, how are trade policy, export control, and prosecutions deployed to protect US national security?On March 15, John Carlin moderated a special talk that explored these questions. John recently served as the Acting Deputy Attorney General in the Biden Administration. Before he took on that position, he hosted CAFE’s “Cyberspace” podcast.John was joined by Matt Axelrod, Assistant Secretary at the Commerce Department; Paul Rosen, Assistant Secretary at the Treasury; and Cynthia Kaiser, Deputy Assistant Director at the FBI’s Cyber Division. The event was hosted by Aspen Digital, a program of the Aspen Institute. We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions

Note From Elie is part of the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter. Audio recordings of Elie’s Note are part of the CAFE Insider subscription.

Preet and Joyce are joined by Barb McQuade, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, for part two of a discussion about the expected indictment of former President Donald Trump by the Manhattan DA’s office. They discuss the House GOP’s calls on Bragg to testify before Congress, the issues that might arise when a jury is empaneled, and the potential precedent that a Trump indictment would establish.To listen to part one of the discussion, which also features Elie Honig, the former Organized Crime Chief at SDNY, head to the Stay Tuned feed or CAFE.com. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #askpreet, email us at letters@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail.Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Asha Rangappa is a lawyer, former FBI Special Agent, and current CNN analyst. She's also a Senior Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Head to CAFE.com for a full transcript of Asha's Note.

The Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, has been a critical tool for prosecuting all ranks of mafia associates—up to the bosses of the infamous crime families. But how exactly does it work? What’s the burden of proof under RICO? And is the law, perhaps, overly broad? Elie Honig digs into the complexities of RICO with Up Against the Mob senior producer Matthew Billy. This is part of a series of exclusive CAFE Insider bonus episodes of Up Against the Mob, a show that takes you inside law enforcement’s battles with the Mafia. If you haven’t listened to the main episode, head over to the Up Against the Mob feed, and then come back here to listen to the bonus. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community. Email us your questions, comments, and reactions at letters@cafe.com.Up Against the Mob is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Hosted by @eliehonig. Follow us on Twitter.Check out other CAFE podcasts: Now & Then and Stay Tuned with Preet.

During the main Now & Then episode, Heather and Joanne discussed the culture and aesthetics of American banks. In Backstage, they reflect on how they have contextualized banking throughout their lives. “Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. Thank you for being a member.

Former President Donald Trump appears to be on the verge of being indicted for his alleged involvement in a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.Preet and Joyce are committed to bringing you the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of this story. Since the news is quickly developing, we will bring you more later this week — once we know more.Ask your friends and family to join you in the conversation about the latest legal and political news making the headlines. For every person you refer to the CAFE Insider community, you’ll get a free month added to your subscription. Learn more at CAFE.com/referral.We hope you’re finding CAFE Insider informative. Email us at letters@cafe.com with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Joyce. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE Studios and Vox Media Podcast Network.

Note From Elie is part of the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter. Audio recordings of Elie’s Note are part of the CAFE Insider subscription.

Joyce Vance is a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, a professor at the University of Alabama Law School, and an MSNBC legal analyst. Notes from Joyce are exclusive to the CAFE Insider membership. For the text of this note, along with the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE's website.