This week on the Stay Tuned with Preet podcast, Anand Giridharadas, writer, political analyst, and author of the popular Substack newsletter The Ink, joins Preet to discuss his new book, Man in the Mirror: Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City, about the NYC subway chokehold case of Daniel Penny and Jordan Neely.

Preet and Giridharadas examine how this case encapsulates many of the biggest problems American society faces today: homelessness, racism, mental illness, and distrust in institutions. Then, they break down why the criminal justice system is only a small fraction of the solution to these many crises. Finally, they explain how the public both humanize and dehumanize these men, and why Penny’s dehumanization of Neely was central to the criminal trial. 

At the end of the episode, Preet answers a listener question about the legal challenge to President Trump’s White House press ban. Plus, Preet shares his thoughts about one of his favorite musical performances that took place at the Kennedy Center.

In the bonus for Insiders, Giridharadas explains how public reactions to Jordan Neely’s death evolved as the story gained national attention and became part of a broader debate over what his death represented.

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.

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Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. 

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REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:

• Anand Giridharadas, “Man in the Mirror: Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City,” Penguin Random House, 9/29/26
• Anand Giridharadas, “The Ink,” Substack
• “The System Is Rigged. The Cavalry Is Not Coming. We’re on Our Own.,” NYT, 9/14/26
• “Psychology’s tall tales,” American Psychological Association, 2012