The Weaponization of the FCC (with Jessica Rosenworcel)

This week on the Stay Tuned with Preet podcast, former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and former Homeland Security Advisor Ken Wainstein join Preet to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The pair also previously co-hosted the CAFE podcast, United Security. On today’s episode, they discuss the lessons learned from the government’s response to 9/11 and how President George W. Bush’s comments condemning Islamophobia demonstrated the importance of moral leadership in the aftermath of a national tragedy. They also delve into the prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, one of the architects of the attacks, and why maintaining strong international relationships is critical to combating terrorism. Finally, they examine why there is still no federal domestic terrorism statute. At the end of the episode, Preet shares his own reflections on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. In the bonus for Insiders, they discuss how 9/11 sparked the creation of government entities such as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Plus, how must the government adapt to confront today’s evolving threats? Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. Visit staytuned.substack.com to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Photo by Gary Hershorn via Getty Images  Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode of the Insider podcast, constitutional scholar and co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast Kate Shaw joins Joyce Vance, while Preet is out. In an excerpt from the conversation, they discuss a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s executive order directing USPS to limit transmission of mail-in ballots. Plus, how this dispute may play out at the Supreme Court. In the full episode, they break down the Supreme Court’s decision allowing construction on a new White House ballroom to continue. Plus, a recent report about the rise of threats against judges. Not an Insider? Now more than ever, it’s critical to stay tuned. To join a community of reasoned voices in unreasonable times, become an Insider today. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. Head to staytuned.substack.com. Insiders, click HERE to listen to the full analysis. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the Stay Tuned with Preet podcast, renowned mediator Ken Feinberg, known for his role as Special Master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, joins Preet to discuss the new edition of his book, What is Life Worth? Reflections 25 Years After 9/11.  Feinberg breaks down the central question in his new edition, whether the United States could deal with a catastrophe so effectively today, as he compares the country’s political climate in 2001 to today’s. Preet and Feinberg then discuss the moral dilemma that comes with deciding what someone’s life is worth and whether there are other tragedies that merit taxpayer funded victim compensation funds, like gun violence. Throughout their conversation, Feinberg shares some of the stories he heard from victims and why the emotional aspect of his job was the hardest part of it. Finally, they talk about their careers and why Feinberg believes planning ahead doesn’t always work. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Feinberg discuss Congress’s response to the 9/11 Fund and who opposed it. Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. Visit staytuned.substack.com to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Photo by Spencer Platt via Getty Images  Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the Stay Tuned with Preet podcast, renowned attorney and politician Ken Salazar joins Preet to discuss his new book, Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America. Salazar served as US ambassador to Mexico under Biden, Obama’s secretary of the interior, a U.S. senator, and Colorado’s attorney general.  They discuss the Trump administration’s relationship with Mexico, why Republicans would rather keep the border “broken,” and Salazar’s tenure as US Ambassador to Mexico, which ended with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum calling him a liar. Then, they turn to what Salazar calls President Trump’s “project of erasure” and why the opposite of diversity is not exclusion, but erasure. After the interview, Preet answers listener questions about the reflecting pool vandalism case and DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s decision to dismiss the charges. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Salazar discuss the 2028 Democratic presidential field. Plus, whether Salazar has considered running himself. Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. Visit staytuned.substack.com to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Photo by Jeannette Flores/ObturadorMX via Getty Images Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ABC is suing the Federal Communications Commission, arguing that the agency is using its regulatory power to punish the network for its journalism and programming. Former FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel joins Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance to break down the lawsuit and what it could mean for the FCC’s power over broadcasters.  In the full episode, Rosenworcel discusses the FCC’s mission and its role in elections. Not an Insider? Now more than ever, it’s critical to stay tuned. To join a community of reasoned voices in unreasonable times, become an Insider today. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. Head to staytuned.substack.com. Insiders, click HERE to listen to the full analysis. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Photo by Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Neuroscientist, philosopher, and Making Sense podcast host Sam Harris joins Preet Bharara to examine why good-faith debate has become so difficult—and what that breakdown has done to American politics. They discuss social media’s fragmentation of the information landscape and declining trust in the press and public institutions. They also consider Donald Trump’s resilience in the face of scandal, the different standards applied to the political left and right, the Democratic Party’s relationship with its activist wing, and whether Trumpism can survive Trump. Then, Preet and Sam turn to the rule of law: the growing impulse to prosecute political opponents, the limits of relying on norms, the difference between accountability and retribution, and what it would take to restore a measure of normalcy to American political life. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Sam draw on philosopher Harry Frankfurt’s essay, On Bullshit, to distinguish the liar from the bullshitter—and consider why Trump’s shamelessness can be mistaken for authenticity. Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. Visit https://staytuned.substack.com/ to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website: www.cafe.com Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: https://cafe.visitlink.me/MpB3pe Shop Stay Tuned merchandise and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Bluesky or X with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Photo credit: Samuel Corum/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luigi Mangione has pled guilty to federal stalking charges in connection with his killing of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, setting up a fight over whether New York can still prosecute him for murder. Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the double jeopardy questions raised by Mangione’s plea and the complications of bringing both federal and state charges.  In the full episode, they discuss why they are troubled by the public reaction to Thompson’s killing. Plus, they react to Attorney General Todd Blanche’s recent comments about DOJ independence and the news that DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro has impaneled a special grand jury. Not an Insider? Now more than ever, it’s critical to stay tuned. To join a community of reasoned voices in unreasonable times, become an Insider today. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. Head to staytuned.substack.com. Insiders, click HERE to listen to the full analysis. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Photo by David Dee Delgado/Reuters/Bloomberg via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the Stay Tuned with Preet podcast, Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu joins Preet to discuss his latest book, What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity. Acemoglu explains why he thinks American politics is in  crisis and why a return to the foundational principles of liberalism—with shared prosperity at the forefront—is the best solution. They also discuss the Democratic socialist movement, the reasons for its rise, and whether “socialism” is even the right term to describe it. Then, Preet and Acemoglu turn to AI and its potential to become a pro-worker tool.  After the interview, Preet answers listener questions about FEMA emergency funding and whether the attorney general should be an elected position. In the bonus for Insiders, Acemoglu defines some of the key terms from his book and explains how concepts like liberalism can have different meanings. Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. Visit staytuned.substack.com to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Photo by Costas Baltas/Anadolu via Getty Images  Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former Chief Medical Advisor to the President, could face criminal charges for refusing to testify before Congress. Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss the Senate committee hearing where Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times. Plus, the subsequent vote in which Republicans held him in contempt of Congress and referred the matter to the Justice Department.  In the full episode, they dive deeper into the proceedings against Dr. Fauci. Then, they break down the dismissal of January 6 seditious conspiracy charges against members of the Oath Keepers. Plus, an appeals court ruling that could block President Trump from building a new White House ballroom without congressional approval. Not an Insider? Now more than ever, it’s critical to stay tuned. To join a community of reasoned voices in unreasonable times, become an Insider today. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. Head to staytuned.substack.com. Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As President Trump’s popularity has declined, Democratic socialists have gained prominence. Are voters looking for significant change? And what could that mean for the midterm elections? This week, David Axelrod, a former Obama advisor, a CNN commentator, and co-host of the Hacks on Tap podcast, joins Preet to unpack Trump’s political tactics, whether we’re underestimating his ability to rebound in the polls, and how it all could play out come November.  Then, Preet answers listener questions about Dr. Anthony Fauci and D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Axelrod discuss how Trump would have handled the Watergate scandal differently from President Nixon. Plus, what was it about President Trump’s upbringing that shaped his character? Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. Visit staytuned.substack.com to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices