CAFE Insider

In this bonus clip from Stay Tuned, Hany Farid discusses how he became involved in the burgeoning field of computer science.

Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.

In this episode of CAFE Insider, “COVID-19 & Other Contagions” Preet and Anne break down the latest high-profile legal and political news making the headlines, including: 

— The Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus, and the dangers associated with the politicization of a public health crisis. 

— President Trump’s announcement that he is once again nominating Rep. John Ratcliffe for Director of National Intelligence — the same staunch loyalist who he had previously nominated in July before quickly withdrawing his name amid concerns around Ratcliffe’s lack of experience and partisanship. 

— The Trump campaign’s libel suit against the New York Times over an March 2019 op-ed about the 2016 campaign’s alleged quid pro quo with Russia — and the signal that the claim sends about the campaign’s willingness to use meritless lawsuits as a political cudgel heading into the election. 

— The ruling by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals preventing the House Judiciary Committee from compelling testimony from former White House Counsel Don McGahn, and the implications of that decision on the House’s ability to conduct oversight.

We hope you’re enjoying CAFE Insider. Email us at [email protected] with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Anne.

REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

SUPER TUESDAY

• “What is Super Tuesday and why is it important?” Washington Post, 3/3/20
• “Buttigieg and Klobuchar endorse Biden, aiming to slow down Sanders,” New York Times, 3/3/20

CORONAVIRUS 

• Clip: Trump Coronavirus Press Conference, 2/29/20
• World Health Organization’s Rolling Updates on COVID-19
• “Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities,” CDC, 3/3/20
• “US supply chains and ports under strain from coronavirus,” Financial Times, 3/2/20
• “Coronavirus fears fuel shortage of hand sanitizer, face masks,” Chicago Tribune, 3/3/20
• “Trump holds press conference a day after ‘hoax’ comments,” USA Today, 2/29/20
• “Trump accuses media and Democrats of exaggerating coronavirus threat,” New York Times, 2/28/20
• “Trump puts Pence in charge of coronavirus response,” Politico, 2/26/20

DNI 

• Acting Officer Statute in Federal Vacancy Reform Act of 1998
• Steve Vladeck tweet on strategy behind nominating Ratcliffe, 2/28/20
• “Trump again nominates Rep. John Ratcliffe to be DNI,” Washington Post, 2/28/20
• “Looks Like DNI Nominee John Ratfliffe May Have Told a Fib (or Five) about his Resume,” Above the Law, 8/1/19
• “Key Republican Senator says he’ll back Trump’s controversial pick for intel chief,” CNN, 3/2/20
• “Trump Nominates Richard Grenell as Acting Head of Intelligence,” New York Times, 2/19/20

TRUMP LIBEL SUIT

• Trump campaign libel lawsuit filing, 2/26/20
• The “malice test” in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964)
• A case distinguishing defamatory opinions from defamatory facts: Davis v. Boeheim (NY Court of Appeals, 2013) 
• “Trump Campaign Sues New York Times for Libel,” New York Times, 2/26/20
• “The Real Trump-Russia Quid Pro Quo,” New York Times, 3/27/19
• “Trump’s curious lawsuit against the New York Times,” National Review, 2/28/20
• “Why the Trump campaign’s frivolous lawsuit against the New York Times is dangerous,” Washington Post, 2/29/20

MCGAHN DECISION

• The decision in House Committee on the Judiciary v. Donald F. McGahn, 2/28/20
• “Court of Appeals Decision Amounts to a Constitutional Earthquake,” CNN, 3/2/20
• “Dems tread cautiously on investigations after impeachment,” Politico, 3/1/20

STONE SENTENCING

• “Why President Trump Can’t Pardon Roger Stone,” Politico, 2/27/20
• “Roger Stone jury forewoman question in court,” Fox News, 2/25/20

ANNE LAUGHING CHALLENGE 

• Nicole Najafi Twitter thread on hypothetical dates with Democratic presidential candidates, 2/22/20

In this bonus clip from Stay Tuned, Cynthia Deitle discusses the global response to hate crimes and how her love of storytelling connects her to her work.

Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.

In this episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, “Time’s Up for Weinstein & Jail for Stone” Preet and Anne break down the latest high-profile legal and political news making the headlines, including:

— Harvey Weinstein’s conviction on two of the five charges he faced in New York — and what his guilty verdict means for sex crimes prosecutions in the #MeToo era.  

— Roger Stone’s sentence of 40 months in prison, a fine of $20,000, and two years probation — and Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s stirring remarks at the sentencing. 

— The concerns around Trump’s appointment of Richard Grenell, a loyalist with no intelligence experience, as the Acting Director of National Intelligence. 

We hope you’re enjoying CAFE Insider. Email us at [email protected] with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Anne.

REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

WEINSTEIN VERDICT

• People v. Molineux, 168 N.Y. 264 (N.Y. 1901)
• Molineaux evidence jury instructions
• Nicolas Cage film Con Air, IMDB
• “Harvey Weinstein is Found Guilty of Rape,” New York Times, 2/24/20
• “Here’s what we’ve learned at the Weinstein trial so far,” NPR, 2/6/20 
• “Weinstein Case Could Influence Other Sex Crimes Prosecutions,” New York Times, 2/25/20
• “The Reporting That Led to Weinstein’s Trial and Conviction,” The New Yorker, 2/24/20
• “Why Didn’t Manhattan DA Cy Vance Prosecute the Trumps or Harvey Weinstein?” The New Yorker, 10/13/17
• Weinstein Los Angeles unsealed indictment, 1/6/20
• “Weinstein Faces Charges in Los Angeles, New York Times, 2/25/20

BLOOMBERG NDA’S 

• Bloomberg statement on releasing 3 women from their NDA’s, 2/21/20
• “Bloomberg says 3 women can be released from their NDA’s,” NPR, 2/21/20
• “Warren’s takedown of Bloomberg goes viral,” Washington Post, 2/20/20

STONE SENTENCING 

• Initial sentencing memo, 2/20/20
• “Roger Stone sentenced to 40 months in prison,” Washington Post, 2/20/20
• “Judge in Roger Stone case rebukes Trump-backed conspiracies,” CNN, 2/20/20
• “Trump says Roger Stone has a ‘very good chance’ of exoneration but will ‘let the process play out,’” Politico, 2/20/20

RECUSAL 

• The Court’s opinions, including Justice Sotomayor’s dissent, in Wolf v. Cook County, 2/21/20
• “Trump calls for Sotomayor, Ginsburg to recuse themselves from ‘Trump-related’ cases,” CNN, 2/25/20

DNI PICK

• “Trump names Richard Grenell as Acting Director of National Intelligence,” New York Times, 2/19/20
• “Senior intelligence official told lawmakers that Russia wants to see Trump re-elected,” Washington Post, 2/21/20
• “US intelligence briefer appears to have overstated assessment of 2020 Russian interference,” CNN, 2/23/20

ANNE LAUGHING CHALLENGE 

• Nicole Najafi Twitter thread on hypothetical dates with Democratic presidential candidates, 2/22/20

In this bonus clip from Stay Tuned, Ronan Farrow discusses the private intelligence agency Black Cube, his reputation, and how he approaches criticism.

Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.

REFERENCES:

• Ricky Gervais’ Golden Globes Monologue, NBC, 1/5/2020
• Samuel Gibbs, “Miley Cyrus: Social Media is Worse Than Drugs,” Guardian, 9/1/2014