CAFE Insider

On the CAFE Insider docket this week:– The Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson; – Steve Bannon’s court appearance in his contempt of Congress criminal case; and– The New York Times report that confirmed the authenticity of business emails that were obtained from Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020. The revelations are reportedly related to the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax affairs and international business dealings.Get tickets to Stay Tuned with Preet live show in NYC on March 31, featuring Preet in conversation with Ben Stiller and Garry Kasparov: cafe.com/eventsAsk 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 [email protected] 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.

“Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. In this installment, Heather and Joanne discuss how social media has complicated issues of governmental statecraft and secrecy.Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/backstage-now-then-3-22

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.

Note From Preet is part of the CAFE Insider newsletter. Read, listen, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

In this bonus from Stay Tuned, Missouri Rep. Cori Bush discusses why she voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the politics of compromise. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Senior Editorial Producer: Adam Waller; Technical Director: David Tatasciore; Audio Producer: Nat Weiner; Editorial Producers: Sam Ozer-Staton, Noa Azulai, David Kurlander.

"Note From Asha" is a part of the CAFE Insider subscription. 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.To access the full transcript of Asha's note, head to: https://cafe.com/notes-from-contributors/note-from-asha-i-want-you-to-do-me-a-favor-though/

On the CAFE Insider docket this week:– The completion of Merrick Garland’s first year as Attorney General;– The conviction of the first January 6th rioter to stand trial; – The indictment of the leader of the Proud Boys on multiple charges relating to January 6th, including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding;– The lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee against the January 6th Committee seeking to block a subpoena relating to RNC email campaigns; and– The launch of the Department of Justice’s “KleptoCapture Task Force” targeting Russian oligarchs who are supporting Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.Get tickets to Stay Tuned with Preet live show in NYC on March 31, featuring Preet in conversation with Ben Stiller and Garry Kasparov: cafe.com/eventsAsk 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 [email protected] 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.

“Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. In this installment, Heather and Joanne discuss their own experiences learning about legacies of women in wartime. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.

Hip hop artists are finding their rap lyrics and videos used against them in criminal court proceedings across the country. A group of celebrities and scholars led by Jay-Z signed a letter recently calling on New York lawmakers to pass the Senate Bill S7527, also known as the” Rap Music On Trial” bill, which seeks to make it more difficult for prosecutors to admit creative expressions into evidence. CAFE Executive Producer Tamara Sepper speaks with Andrea Dennis, co-author of the book, “Rap On Trial – Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America,” and Alex Spiro, Jay-Z’s attorney who drafted the letter and represents many hip hop artists and other celebrity clients as a partner at the law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. 

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.

Note From Preet is part of the CAFE Insider newsletter. Read, listen, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

In this bonus from Stay Tuned, ABC Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl talks about the time President Trump compared him to his teenage son, Barron. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Senior Editorial Producer: Adam Waller; Technical Director: David Tatasciore; Audio Producer: Nat Weiner; Editorial Producers: Sam Ozer-Staton, Noa Azulai, David Kurlander.

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. 

On the CAFE Insider docket this week:– A new court filing in which the January 6th Committee argues that former President Donald Trump and his allies may have committed crimes by seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election;– New reporting that indicates that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s criminal investigation into Trump’s business dealings is unraveling with the recent resignations of the two lead prosecutors on the matter; and– Former Attorney General Bill Barr’s new book and reputation rehabilitation tour.Get tickets to Stay Tuned with Preet live show in NYC on March 31, featuring Preet in conversation with Ben Stiller and Garry Kasparov: cafe.com/eventsAsk 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 [email protected] 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.

“Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. In this installment, Heather and Joanne discuss the imperfection of historical memory and the risks and rewards of democratic heroes. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/backstage-now-then-3-8

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.

Note From Preet is part of the CAFE Insider newsletter. Read, listen, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

In this bonus from Stay Tuned, Ira Glasser discusses the evolution of the ACLU and what happens in countries like Germany without the First Amendment.Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Senior Editorial Producer: Adam Waller; Technical Director: David Tatasciore; Audio Producer: Nat Weiner; Editorial Producers: Sam Ozer-Staton, Noa Azulai, David Kurlander.

“Note From Melissa” is the latest addition to the CAFE Insider subscription. Melissa Murray is an NYU Law Professor, the co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, and an MSNBC legal analyst.To access the full transcript of Melissa’s note, head to CAFE.com: https://cafe.com/notes-from-contributors/note-from-melissa-the-sum-of-her-parchments

"Note From Barb" is now a part of the CAFE Insider subscription. Barb McQuade is the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and an NBC News/MSNBC legal analyst.To access the full transcript of Barb’s note, head to CAFE.com: https://cafe.com/notes-from-contributors/note-from-barb-ask-the-experts/

On the CAFE Insider docket this week:– The Department of Justice’s role in combating potential cyberwarfare relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine;– The resignations of the two lead prosecutors in Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s business dealings; and– President Joe Biden’s nomination of D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.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 [email protected] 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.

“Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. In this installment, Heather and Joanne reflect on how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changes their perspective on American and global politics. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.

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.

On the CAFE Insider docket this week:– Confirmation from the National Archives that former President Donald Trump took classified documents to Mar-a-Lago instead of giving them to the Archives, as required by the Presidential Records Act;– A court order for Trump and his children, Don Jr. and Ivanka, to sit for depositions as part of New York Attorney General Letitia James’s investigation into Trump’s business dealings; and– Two new court filings from special counsel John Durham’s investigation into the origins of the FBI’s Russia probe.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 [email protected] 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.

“Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. In this installment, Heather and Joanne discuss their own experiences with bullying and the patterns that belligerent actors tend to utilize for control. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/backstage-now-then-2-22

Ian Bremmer, the president and founder of Eurasia Group, a political risk research and consulting firm, joined Preet at the Pivot Conference in Miami on Tuesday, February 15, for a conversation about the geopolitics around a Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

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.

Note From Preet is part of the CAFE Insider newsletter. Read, listen, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

"Note From Asha" is a part of the CAFE Insider subscription. 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.To access the full transcript of Asha's note, head to: https://cafe.com/notes-from-contributors/note-from-asha-trumps-shadow-army/

This week on the CAFE Insider podcast, Barb McQuade guest co-hosts with Joyce Vance while Preet is traveling. Barb served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from 2010 to 2017. She is now a CAFE contributor, a law professor at the University of Michigan law school, and a legal analyst for NBC News & MSNBC.On the CAFE Insider docket this week:– Reports that former President Donald Trump took classified documents to Mar-a-Lago instead of giving them to the National Archives, as required by the Presidential Records Act; – The latest January 6th Committee developments, including the ongoing battle to compel John Eastman, the author of a memo outlining methods for Trump to overturn the election results, to comply with a subpoena, and reports that Rudy Giuliani is in communication with the committee; and– The decision by Trump’s long-time accounting firm, Mazars USA, to cut ties with him in response to the New York Attorney General’s ongoing investigation into the Trump Organization.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 [email protected] 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.

“Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. In this installment, Heather and Joanne talk about their experiences with public education. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/backstage-now-then-2-1

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.

Note From Preet is part of the CAFE Insider newsletter. Read, listen, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

In this bonus from Stay Tuned, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger talks about the time Donald Trump called him a “moron.”Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Senior Editorial Producer: Adam Waller; Technical Director: David Tatasciore; Audio Producer: Nat Weiner; Editorial Producers: Sam Ozer-Staton, Noa Azulai, David Kurlander.

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. To access the full text of Joyce's note (and recipe), head to: https://cafe.com/notes-from-contributors/note-from-joyce-ahmaud-arberys-legacy/

In this episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet and Joyce discuss:– The latest January 6th developments, including reports that former President Donald Trump took presidential documents to Mar-a-Lago instead of giving them to the National Archives, the GOP’s classification of the 1/6 attack as “legitimate political discourse,” and the January 6th Committee’s reported meeting with former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark in which he invoked the 5th Amendment more than 100 times; – The lawsuit filed by Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (ret.), a witness in Trump’s first impeachment, against Donald Trump Jr. & Rudy Giuliani for witness intimidation; and– The conviction of lawyer Michael Avenatti for defrauding his former client, Stormy Daniels.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 [email protected] 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. Tamara Sepper – Executive Producer; Matthew Billy – Senior Audio Producer; Jake Kaplan – Editorial Producer

“Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. In this installment, Heather and Joanne talk about the role of forbidden books in their own lives.Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/backstage-now-then-2-8

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.

Note From Preet is part of the CAFE Insider newsletter. Read, listen, and let us know your thoughts at [email protected]

In this bonus from Stay Tuned, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi weighs in on whether the American dream still exists.Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Senior Editorial Producer: Adam Waller; Technical Director: David Tatasciore; Audio Producer: Nat Weiner; Editorial Producers: Noa Azulai, Sam Ozer-Staton.

"Note From Barb" is now a part of the CAFE Insider subscription. Barb McQuade is the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and an NBC News/MSNBC legal analyst.To access the full transcript of Barb’s note, head to CAFE.com: https://cafe.com/notes-from-contributors/note-from-barb-its-only-racist-if-you-think-so/

In this episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet and Joyce break down:– Justice Breyer’s retirement and President Biden’s forthcoming nomination of Breyer’s successor;– The reported scheme to subvert the Electoral College process and put forth fake, pro-Trump electors from states Trump lost in the 2020 election; – Trump saying he’d pardon January 6th rioters and his reported involvement in a scheme to seize voting machines following the 2020 election;– The January 6th Committee’s efforts to compel John Eastman, the author of a memo outlining methods for Trump to overturn the election results, to comply with a subpoena; and– A judge’s decision to reject a plea deal in the federal hate crimes case against Ahmaud Arbery’s killers, who were already convicted of murder in a Georgia state case.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 [email protected] 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. Tamara Sepper – Executive Producer; Matthew Billy – Senior Audio Producer; Jake Kaplan – Editorial Producer

“Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. In this installment, Heather and Joanne talk about their economic journeys during the 1980s. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/backstage-now-then-2-1

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.

In this special episode of CAFE Insider, Preet and Joyce discuss Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement from the Supreme Court, and reflect on his legacy. President Biden now faces the tough question of nominating Breyer’s replacement. Who will it be? What will the confirmation process look like? And what does it mean for the Court?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 [email protected] 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. Tamara Sepper – Executive Producer; Nat Weiner – Audio Producer; Jake Kaplan – Editorial Producer

In this bonus from Stay Tuned, Preet asks CNN Senior Legal Analyst Laura Coates a series of lightning round questions.Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Senior Editorial Producer: Adam Waller; Technical Director: David Tatasciore; Audio Producer: Nat Weiner; Editorial Producers: Noa Azulai, Sam Ozer-Staton, and David Kurlander.

“Note From Melissa” is the latest addition to the CAFE Insider subscription. Melissa Murray is an NYU Law Professor, the co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, and an MSNBC legal analyst.To access the full transcript of Melissa’s note, head to CAFE.com: https://cafe.com/notes-from-contributors/note-from-melissa-the-supreme-court-the-second-amendment/

In this episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet and Joyce break down:– A draft executive order to seize voting machines and appoint a special counsel to probe the 2020 election, which was reportedly included in a tranche of Trump White House documents released to the January 6th committee following a Supreme Court order; – The committee’s request to interview Ivanka Trump, conversations with Bill Barr, and subpoenas issued to Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, and Sidney Powell;– New York Attorney General Letitia James’s motion to compel Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump to testify as part of a civil investigation into whether Trump overvalued his properties; and– The forthcoming impaneling of a special grand jury in the Georgia investigation into Trump’s alleged election interference.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 [email protected] 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. Tamara Sepper – Executive Producer; Matthew Billy – Senior Audio Producer; Jake Kaplan – Editorial Producer

“Backstage” is a special segment of Now & Then exclusively for members of CAFE Insider. In this installment, Heather and Joanne talk about their own moments of political action and about the relationship between studying history and engaging in activism. Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/backstage-now-then-1-25

Office Hours is a series of conversations with experts that explore undercovered issues of law and policy. In this edition, we explore the rules, laws, and policies that underpin lethal drone strikes in the Middle East and the latest revelations by the New York Times that the military significantly undercounts civilian casualties.  CAFE Executive Producer Tamara Sepper is joined by Priyanka Motaparthy, Director of Project on Counterterrorism, Armed Conflict and Human Rights at Columbia University’s Human Rights Institute. For a transcript and video of the interview, head to: https://cafe.com/office-hours/cost-of-lethal-drone-strikes-tens-of-thousands-of-uncounted-civilian-lives/