Mind Over Brain Rot (with Sam Harris)

George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Packer joins Preet to discuss his latest article, The End of Democratic Delusions, and what the 2024 election reveals about the future of American democracy and the Democratic party. Plus, could Donald Trump have members of the Jan 6 Committee arrested? And, what will Kash Patel’s appointment as FBI Director mean for the role’s 10-year term?  For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/the-pendulum-always-swings-back-with-george-packer/ Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will President Joe Biden preemptively pardon people on the so-called Trump enemies list? In an excerpt from a new episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down the balance of considerations involved. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further explore potential preemptive pardons. They also discuss the arrest of and charges against Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the Supreme Court oral arguments in a case challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. To become a member of CAFE Insider head to cafe.com/insider. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network.  Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Deputy Editor: Celine Rohr; Editorial Producer II: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Audio Producer: Nat Weiner; CAFE Team: David Tatasciore, Matthew Billy, Noa Azulai, and Liana Greenway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michèle Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy under President Obama, joins Preet to explore President-elect Donald Trump's vision for reshaping the Department of Defense. From Trump's contentious nomination of Pete Hegseth to DOGE's ambitious plan to cut the Pentagon's $886 billion budget, the conversation delves into the sweeping changes that could redefine U.S. defense policy. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/nominees-budgets-and-defense-policy-under-trump-with-michele-flournoy Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sam Harris is a philosopher, neuroscientist, and the host of the Making Sense podcast. He joins Preet to discuss political debate in the Trump era, the end of identity politics, and the morality of the Hunter Biden pardon.  Plus, could Trump fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell? What does Preet think about Kash Patel? And how might Trump use the Vacancies Act?   For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/politics-brain-rot-with-sam-harris/  Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why did President Joe Biden pardon his son, Hunter, despite vowing not to? In an excerpt from a new episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance break down Biden’s pardon decision. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further analyze the Hunter Biden pardon. They also discuss President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of his ally, Kash Patel, as FBI Director. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. To become a member of CAFE Insider head to cafe.com/insider. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a special episode of Stay Tuned in Brief, national security experts John Carlin and Jeremy Bash discuss President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for national security roles, the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, and U.S. foreign policy.   John Carlin is the former Acting Deputy Attorney General of the United States. He previously was the top national security official for the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Chief of Staff of the FBI under Robert Mueller. He's now a partner at the law firm Paul Weiss. Jeremy Bash spent over a decade in government, occupying various high-level national security positions, including Chief of Staff at the CIA and Defense Department under President Barack Obama. He’s now the managing director and partner at Beacon Global Strategies. This conversation was recorded on Monday, November 25, 2024.  Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. For analysis of recent legal news, join the CAFE Insider community. Head to cafe.com/insider to join for just $1 for the first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist and author who teaches at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He joins Preet to discuss: Post-election anxiety and where we go from here Why we should (or shouldn’t) trust experts Taking a break from the news Meritocracies and measuring success To watch this interview on YouTube, click here. After the election, our work making sense of legal news continues. For the month of November, visit cafe.com/november to get 40% off your membership for the first year. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/election-news-fatigue-psychology-adam-grant/ Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brenda Wineapple joins Preet to discuss her new book about the Scopes Monkey trial, “Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial that Riveted America.” The trial, often called 'the trial of the century,' was not just a courtroom battle but a flashpoint in a broader cultural war that continues to echo in debates over science, religion, and education today. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to:  https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/the-scopes-monkey-trial-revisited-brenda-wineapple Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Garry Kasparov is a chess grandmaster and Chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to defending liberal democracies worldwide. He joins Preet to discuss: Trump’s plans to consolidate power within the Executive Branch The need for change within the Democratic Party What normalcy might look like in four years How Trump may impact Russia’s war in Ukraine Strategies for surviving political exhaustion Plus, will Matt Gaetz be the new Attorney General? Will the Department of Education be dismantled? And, can Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg convince judge Merchan not to dismiss Trump’s Manhattan criminal conviction? After the election, our work making sense of legal news continues. For the month of November, visit cafe.com/november to get 40% off your membership for the first year. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/trump-democracy-garry-kasparov-musk-gaetz/  Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Preet, Joyce, and the CAFE team are celebrating the 300th episode of the CAFE Insider podcast. Thank you for listening and for creating such an engaged community. In an excerpt from the show, Preet and Joyce discuss President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further discuss Gaetz’s nomination, including his recent resignation from Congress days before the House Ethics Committee was expected to release a report on sexual misconduct allegations against him. They also assess other Trump nominations, including his personal lawyers for DOJ leadership positions, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health Secretary, and Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence. CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. To become a member of CAFE Insider head to cafe.com/insider. You’ll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices