Current Affairs
466 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago - ★★★★★ - 576 ratingsA podcast of politics and culture, from the editors of Current Affairs magazine.
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Episodes
#27: Folks, Fasten Your Seatbelts... (ft. Ralph Nader)
June 10, 2019 14:50 - 55 minutes - 44.7 MBCurrent Affairs host Pete Davis speaks to legendary activist, attorney and consumer advocate Ralph Nader about the potential of young people, political tactics, and the advantages of being an outsider. You can find more information about Ralph Nader and his decades of work, as well as his regularly updated columns and radio show, at nader.org. Support Current Affairs by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. For the written form of Current Affairs — and to subscribe to the beautiful print m...
UNLOCKED: In conversation: Natalie Wynn on Seizing Ground in Reactionary-Occupied Youtube
June 07, 2019 21:57 - 39 minutes - 31.6 MBCurrent Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson and contributing editor Aisling McCrea sits down with left-wing Youtube superstar Natalie Wynn (aka Contrapoints) to talk about her work making unforgettable left-wing videos in the Age of Reactionary-Occupied Youtube. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, Massachusetts.
UNLOCKED: The Gravel Gang
June 04, 2019 13:57 - 58 minutes - 46.8 MBUNLOCKED FROM THE PATREON BIRD FEED: Current Affairs editor in chief Nathan J. Robinson, legal editor Oren Nimni and man about town Eli Massey sit down with The Gravel Boys — Henry Williams and David Oks — to discuss the 2020 campaign they are running through anti-imperialist former senator and 2008 Presidential candidate Mike Gravel. Learn more about Mike Gravel at MikeGravel.org and @MikeGravel on twitter. Watch Rock here and Rock 2.0 here.
UNLOCKED: The Lyta, The Witch & The Wardrobe
June 02, 2019 14:02 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBUNLOCKED FROM THE PATREON BIRD FEED: Current Affairs amusements editor Lyta Gold, senior editor Brianna Rennix, contributing editor Aisling McCrea and friend of the pod Dan Walden continue our "problematic fave" series with a conversation on C. S. Lewis. Topics discussed include: Narnia, trauma from British boys schools, A Grief Observed, The Space Trilogy, Lewis' relationship to conservatives, uncertainty, ecosocialism, ecofascism, the human condition, brutalist architecture, cancel culture...
#26: Standardized Litmus Tests
May 29, 2019 13:44 - 1 hour - 67.7 MBThe Current Affairs panel discusses the recent addition of the "adversity score" to the SAT, determines the appropriate abortion litmus test for the left, and goes around sharing things that made them glad and mad in the past month. The Panel Oren Nimni, legal editor Lyta Gold, managing editor Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Nick Slater, newsletter editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Malaika Jabali, guest panelist Many thanks to Aisling McCrea for the bits. Many thanks to...
UNLOCKED: Tiffany Cabán on running for district attorney as a public defender
May 23, 2019 19:20 - 42 minutes - 72.2 MBUNLOCKED from the bird feed to the main feed just in time for AOC's endorsement: Current Affairs legal wonks Oren Nimni and Vanessa A. Bee sit down with Tiffany Cabán, a career public defender who is running to be Queens District Attorney on a radically justice-oriented platform. Cabán is at the forefront of an exciting new lefty strategy — most famously deployed by Philadelphia's Larry Krasner — of dismantling mass incarceration and prosecutorial overreach by taking over DA's offices oursel...
#25: Voicemailbag V
May 11, 2019 14:47 - 47 minutes - 38.3 MBThe Current Affairs panel opens up the phone lines for the fifth time, answering voicemails about: the new 2020 candidates, Medicare for All, irony, government services, and changing people's minds. The Panel: Lyta Gold, amusements editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Aisling McCrea, contributing editor Brianna Rennix, senior editor Pete Davis, host To learn more about the importance of the Post Office, read Preserving the People's Post Office by Christopher W. Shaw. This episode wa...
#24: The Department of Glass Castles
April 28, 2019 23:19 - 59 minutes - 47.3 MBThe Current Affairs panel asks “what’s the problem with technocrats?”, debates whether it’s bad that Bernie Sanders is now a millionaire, and proposes our favorite imaginary cabinet positions. The Panel Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Brianna Rennix, senior editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor in chief Pete Davis, host This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Support Current Affairs and gain access to bonus episodes by b...
UNLOCKED: Jane McAlevey on organizing vs. mobilizing
April 25, 2019 18:26 - 41 minutes - 64.8 MBUNLOCKED FROM THE BIRD FEED: Current Affairs host Pete Davis sits down with labor organizer and scholar Jane McAlevey to talk about organizing for power in the New Gilded Age. Jane is a contributing writer at The Nation and is the author of Raising Expectations (and Raising Hell) and No Shortcuts: Organizing For Power in the New Gilded Age. Watch her speech at The Harvard Law Forum here. Read her recent Nation article on the power of the strike here. Get bonus episodes immediately when the...
UNLOCKED: Virgil Texas on the Chapo Trap House phenomenon
April 15, 2019 14:26 - 50 minutes - 40.8 MBUNLOCKED FROM THE PATREON BIRD FEED: Current Affairs host Pete Davis talks with Virgil Texas about his hit podcast, Chapo Trap House: its origins, its philosophy, its style, its future. Read Virgil's old Carl Diggler dispatches here. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn at Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. To listen to Bird Feed episodes right when they come out, become a patron at our Patreon page: Patreon.com/CurrentAffairs.
#23: You Can Call Me (Weird) Al
April 12, 2019 14:29 - 51 minutes - 41.6 MBThe Current Affairs panel discuss why they fight in the first place and then share what cultural products are their favorite lefty gateway drugs. The Panel Sparky Abraham, finance editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Aisling McCrea, contributing editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Our lefty gateway drugs Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You Mr. Rosewater [Black Star](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Star_(rap_duo) Mos Def's Black on Both Sides A Bug’s Life Star...
#22: Meet the Candidates! (Part 2)
March 29, 2019 18:08 - 1 hour - 91 MBThe entire Current Affairs team comes together (again!) to finish briefing listeners on as many of the Democratic presidential candidates as they can in two hours. The Panel: Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Brianna Rennix, senior editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Nick Slater, newsletter editor Eli Massey, business manager Lyta Gold, amusements editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Candidates discussed: Pete Buttigieg Beto O...
UNLOCKED: Rhiana Gunn-Wright on insurgent left policymaking
March 22, 2019 15:20 - 1 hour - 48.3 MBUNLOCKED FROM THE PATREON BIRD FEED: Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson talks with lefty policy whiz Rhiana Gunn-Wright, the policy lead for the Green New Deal with New Consensus and former Policy Director for Michigan gubernatorial candidate Abdul El Sayed. Topics discussed: making policy accessible, the Green New Deal, intersectionality in policymaking, and more! Get bonus episodes immediately when they are released by becoming a patron at our patreon page.
#21: Meet the Candidates! (Part 1)
March 16, 2019 17:46 - 1 hour - 95.4 MBThe entire Current Affairs team comes together to brief listeners on as many of the Democratic presidential candidates as they can in two hours (spoiler alert: we only could get through half!) The Panel: Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Brianna Rennix, senior editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Nick Slater, newsletter editor Lyta Gold, amusements eidtor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Candidat...
UNLOCKED: Maximillian Alvarez on amplifying the voices of working people
March 12, 2019 13:48 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBUNLOCKED FROM THE PATREON BIRD FEED: Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson sits down with Maximillian Alvarez, the host of Working People, a podcast in which ordinary people talk about their lives, jobs, struggles, and aspirations. Read excerpts from Maximillian's podcast here — and read his piece "Can the Working Class Speak?" here. Get bonus episodes immediately when they are released by becoming a patron at our patreon page.
UNLOCKED: Astra Taylor on her radically democratic life
March 02, 2019 20:18 - 33 minutes - 27.3 MBUNLOCKED FROM THE BIRD FEED TO THE MAIN FEED: Current Affairs host Pete Davis sits down with filmmaker, writer and activist Astra Taylor. Check out Astra's three films — Zizek!, Examined Life, and What is Democracy? See her writing in The Nation and in her upcoming book, Democracy May Not Exist, But We'll Miss It When It's Gone. Learn about the debt strike project Astra co-founded here. Learn more about Agnès Varda's The Gleaners and I is here. Many thanks to Dan Thorn, at Pink Noise Stud...
#20: Voicemailbag IV
February 27, 2019 16:34 - 1 hour - 52.2 MBEvery fifth episode, we like to open up the phone lines and take callers. Join us as we answer questions about: science, Beto, doctors, reverse racism and Douglas Adams! Our panel: Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Miscellaneous items Douglas Adams's cookie story Einstein's article on socialism Chomsky's on the responsibility of i...
#19: The Chomsky Drop (ft. Noam Chomsky)
February 12, 2019 03:00 - 54 minutes - 43.6 MBYes, you read right. Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson sits down with the Patron Saint of Current Affairs, himself: Noam Chomsky! Topics discussed include: consciousness, the limits of human knowledge, Steven Pinker, Jordan Peterson, academia, artificial intelligence and more. Read Nathan's tribute to Chomsky here. Support Current Affairs by becoming a patron at our patreon page.
The Current Affairs Live Show
February 06, 2019 22:56 - 1 hour - 80.5 MBWe present the audio recording of the first-ever Current Affairs: Live! Join the entire Current Affairs team — and guests Ian Madrigal, Saikat Chakrabarti and Lee Carter — as they delight, confuse, and singalong with the Washington, DC crowd last week. Many thanks to the wonderful band, Crush Funk Brass, and band leader, Santo Buzzanca. Follow CFB on twitter and instagram. Vanessa's J20 article is here. Our Chomsky Drop video is here. The art Brianna and Lyta were referring to is here. Lea...
UNLOCKED: "The West" and Other Myths with Daniel Walden
January 28, 2019 16:40 - 1 hour - 58 MBWe were busy preparing our live show this past weekend, so we took a brief hiatus from making new main episodes. However, to ensure your Current Affairs fix was satisfied, we wanted to unlock one bonus episode each week. We will be back with regularly scheduled main episodes next week! This week, unlocked from the patreon bird feed, to the main feed: Amusements editor Lyta Gold and senior editor Brianna Rennix discuss myths with Classics scholar Daniel Walden, who recently wrote in the maga...
Come to "Current Affairs: LIVE!" — This Saturday in Washington, DC
January 20, 2019 18:23 - 2 minutes - 1.91 MBA short reminder that the "Current Affairs: Live!" is this Saturday, January 26th at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, DC. Show info here + tickets here. For the past three years, the Current Affairs crew has brought you a monthly magazine of culture, politics, and the unusual. For the past year, from the Current Affairs World Headquarters to your ear, they have brought everything you love about the magazine into audio form, cutting through the nonsense, bursting open ideological piñata...
UNLOCKED: Corey Robin on thinking differently about Trump, the Right, and Clarence Thomas
January 20, 2019 17:08 - 43 minutes - 40 MBWe are busy preparing for our first-ever live show on January 26th at the Rock & Roll Hotel in DC (tickets here), so we are taking a brief hiatus from making new main episodes. However, to ensure your Current Affairs fix is satisfied, we are unlocking one bonus episode each week. This week, unlocked from the patreon bird feed, to the main feed: Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson and host Pete Davis talk with The Reactionary Mind author Corey Robin about how Donald Trump and ...
UNLOCKED: Room 101 (or: CA Gripefest I)
January 14, 2019 19:10 - 1 hour - 67.3 MBWe are busy preparing for our first-ever live show on January 26th at the Rock & Roll Hotel in DC (tickets here), so we are taking a brief hiatus from making new main episodes. However, to ensure your Current Affairs fix is satisfied, we are unlocking one bonus episode each week. This week, unlocked from the patreon bird feed, to the main feed: BBC radio used to have a show, Room 101, in which celebrities came on and discussed their pet gripes, trying to convince the host to consign the obj...
UNLOCKED: Vaughn Stewart on transforming from a poster into a politician
January 07, 2019 13:48 - 43 minutes - 34.7 MBUNLOCKED FROM THE PATREON BIRD FEED: Maryland Delegate Vaughn Stewart was once a normal "very online" progressive poster like the rest of us. But after a health scare, he decided to move from ideas into action, running for — and, with the help of the Metro DC DSA, winning! — a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates. Current Affairs host Pete Davis sits down with him to talk about running for office with DSA's endorsement, finding policy ideas through twitter, how corporate lobbyists woo del...
#18: The Dog Days Aren't Over (ft. Glenn Greenwald)
December 31, 2018 18:13 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBCurrent Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson is joined for the whole episode by The Intercept's Glenn Greenwald to talk animal welfare, public censorship, Charles Krauthammer and how to keep track of 26 dogs. Here's the New Yorker profile discussed early in the episode. And here's the New York Magazine profile also discussed. Here's Nathan defending Noam Chomsky from hit pieces. Here's Nathan waxing poetic on Chomsky. Here's Glenn's fundraiser for his anti-homelessness and animal wel...
#17: The Green Big Deal
December 20, 2018 17:08 - 1 hour - 66 MBThe Current Affairs panel learns about the Green New Deal, discusses the American loneliness epidemic, and share what we think is the worst example of American political amnesia. The Panel: Brianna Rennix, senior editor Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Tickets for the live show on January 26th at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. are HERE. Further reading on the Green New Deal: Here...
UNLOCKED: Sam Weiss on Prison Reform and Death Penalty Abolition (GLITCH ACTUALLY FIXED)
December 14, 2018 15:30 - 1 hour - 52.9 MBUNLOCKED FROM THE PATREON BIRD FEED: Lawyer and prison reform advocate Sam Weiss joins legal editor Oren Nimni and social media editor Vanessa A. Bee to talk about the state of prison reform and death penalty abolition. To listen to interviews when they first come out — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird Feed" — consider becoming a monthly patron at our Patreon page. Call into Current Affairs anytime at (504) 867-8851.
#16: 2020 Visions
December 05, 2018 16:34 - 1 hour - 54.6 MBThe Current Affairs panel discusses how they are approaching the 2020 Presidential campaign, we decide whether money is speech, and we all share what we think is the most important lesson that the left can learn from the right. Tickets for the live show on January 26th at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. are HERE. The Panel Lyta Gold, amusements editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor in chief Pete Davis, host Tickets for the...
#15: The Voicemailbag III
November 20, 2018 21:37 - 55 minutes - 44.7 MBThe Current Affairs panel opens up the phone lines, answering listener questions on postmodernism, growth, effective altruism, New Orleans and jokes. The Panel Brianna Rennix, senior editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Miscellany Here's Nathan's original article on the problem of academic language. Here is the 80,000 hours blog referenced in the Effective Altruism segment. Here is Nathan and Brianna's podca...
#14: Fascism Schmascism
November 06, 2018 19:22 - 53 minutes - 42.7 MBThe Current Affairs panel discusses the politics of tragedy, we attempt to define fascism, and we all share something that gives us hope in the 2018 elections. The Panel: Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Further reading on the politics of tragedy Nathan's piece on politicizing tragedies is here. The Outline had an essay on politicizing tragedies here and The Gu...
UNLOCKED: Jesse Eisinger on corporate crime fighting
October 29, 2018 14:52 - 32 minutes - 25.7 MBUNLOCKED from the bird feed to the main feed: Current Affairs host Pete Davis invites Jesse Eisinger — Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist with ProPublica and author of The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives — to the Current Affairs World Headquarters to enlighten us on the topic of corporate crime, feckless white collar prosecutors, and why we should care about the underfunding of the IRS. Read Jesse's piece on the IRS dropping the ball h...
#13: Spooky Affairs
October 23, 2018 19:12 - 1 hour - 52 MBIn our unlucky 13th episode, the Current Affairs panel gets into the Halloween spirit: we investigate the murder of American democracy, Pete makes the case that Halloween is the best holiday, and we all share our favorite unsolved mysteries. The Death Panel: Brianna Rennix, senior editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Miscellaneous Reading: The books Pete referenced in segment one are Democracy's Discontent b...
Bonus excerpt: Jesse Eisinger on corporate crime fighting
October 15, 2018 14:19 - 5 minutes - 4.67 MBAn excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which Current Affairs host Pete Davis invites Jesse Eisinger — Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist with ProPublica and author of The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives — to the Current Affairs World Headquarters to enlighten us on the topic of corporate crime, feckless white collar prosecutors, and why we should care about the underfunding of the IRS. To li...
Vanessa and Oren preview their new legal Bird Feed series
October 15, 2018 13:54 - 16 minutes - 13.4 MBCurrent Affairs superlawyers Vanessa A. Bee and Oren Nimni preview their upcoming Bird Feed series focused on the law, the justice system and this year's Supreme Court term. To listen to Vanessa and Oren's legal series — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird Feed" — consider becoming a monthly patron at our Patreon page. Call into Current Affairs anytime at (504) 867-8851.
UNLOCKED: MMTers Rohan Grey & Raúl Carrillo on shaking the money tree
October 11, 2018 16:58 - 56 minutes - 45.6 MBUNLOCKED from the bird feed to the main feed: Current Affairs host Pete Davis talks with the Modern Money Network's Rohan Grey and Raúl Carrillo about Modern Monetary Theory, the big idea shaking up the Left's view of public spending. They — and their ragtag band of economists, activists and politicians — are questioning everything you thought you knew about debt, deficits, spending, and money. Read more about MMT in The Nation, Vice, and The Washington Post. Learn more about MMT's leadin...
#12: Fathers and Suns
October 09, 2018 16:47 - 1 hour - 48.3 MBLyta enters the Lefty Shark Tank to pitch a policy response to the recent Kavanaugh hearings, Malaika Jabali is interviewed about The Color of Economic Anxiety, and the Current Affairs panelists share their favorite utopian communities. The Panel: Lyta Gold, amusements editor Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Brianna Rennix, senior editor Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Further reading: Read Malaika's essay, The Color of Economic Anxiety, here. Read Lyta's essay on Star Trek, ...
Bonus excerpt: MMTers Rohan Grey & Raúl Carrillo on shaking the money tree
October 04, 2018 21:43 - 9 minutes - 8.04 MBAn excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which Current Affairs host Pete Davis talks with the Modern Money Network's Rohan Grey and Raúl Carrillo about Modern Monetary Theory, the big idea shaking up the Left's view of public spending. They — and their ragtag band of economists, activists and politicians — are questioning everything you thought you knew about debt, deficits, spending, and money. Read more about MMT in The Nation, Vice, and The Was...
Bonus excerpt: Judging the Judge
October 04, 2018 00:22 - 10 minutes - 8.42 MBAn excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which Current Affairs Editor-in-Chief Nathan J. Robinson and contributing editor Briahna Joy Gray discuss the unending stream of lies told by Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation process. Read Brie's Intercept article on the subject here and Nathan's Current Affairs article on the subject here. Read Nathan's earlier piece on Kavanaugh's judicial record here. To listen to this episode — and gain access to...
Uncovering the Unspeakable: The Case of Kavanaugh's Patriarchiitis
October 02, 2018 19:18 - 38 minutes - 30.8 MBIn an episode-long special, Current Affairs social media editor Vanessa A. Bee and amusements editor Lyta Gold launch their new investigative journalism podcast, "Uncovering the Unspeakable," on our sister network, Concurrent Affairs. Their pilot episode: uncovering the curious case of Brett Kavanaugh's patriarchiitis. The Current Affairs in-house counsel tells us we must share that this is mostly satire. However, we would like to add that all facts about Brett Kavanaugh in this episode are...
Bonus excerpt: Dispatches from Central America
September 27, 2018 12:00 - 3 minutes - 2.75 MBAn excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which legal editor Oren Nimni and senior editor Brianna Rennix talk about the Central American refugee crisis. Brianna is an attorney for asylum seekers on the southern border and Oren just traveled to Central America to see first-hand the effects of the Trump administration’s horrific anti-immigrant, anti-refugee policies. The two share what they have learned from their work and travels about the larger con...
#11: The Fault in Our Barnstars
September 25, 2018 12:28 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBThe Current Affairs panel discusses whether the political is personal, Nathan waxes poetic about Wikipedia, and we all share something that is trending in the right direction. The Panel: Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor in chief Pete Davis, host Further reading on Wikipedia: Here's more on Wikipedia's government structure. Here's The Guardian waxing poetic about Wikipedia. Here's a relatively recent...
Bonus excerpt: Room 101 (or CA Gripefest I)
September 20, 2018 14:40 - 10 minutes - 8.34 MBBBC radio used to have a show, Room 101, in which celebrities came on and discussed their pet gripes, trying to convince the host to consign the object of their gripes to the titular Room 101... the punishment room from George Orwell’s 1984. In today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, legal editor Oren Nimni and editor in chief Nathan J. Robinson recreate the show, sharing their loathing for a famous lawyer, a classic book, a gummy bear brand, a social media platform...
Bonus excerpt: The Trust Busters with Lina Khan and Sandeep Vaheesan
September 18, 2018 17:21 - 2 minutes - 2.27 MBAn excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which, continuing the conversation from Episode 9, social media editor Vanessa A. Bee talks tackling monopoly power with modern day trust busters Lina Khan and Sandeep Vaheesan. Read Vanessa's recent piece on the modern day anti-monopoly movement here. Follow Lina here and Sandeep here. Many thanks to @spaventacular for editing help on the episode. To listen to this episode — and gain access to our patrons...
#10: The Voicemailbag II
September 10, 2018 21:45 - 1 hour - 50.6 MBA Current Affairs megapanel opens up the Current Affairs voicemailbag again to answer listener questions on topics ranging from separation of powers to policy prioritization to workplace democracy to the lack of a recent Chomsky drop...and more. The Panel: Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Brianna Rennix, finance editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Miscellany: Nathan's p...
Bonus excerpt: All's Well That Endzone
September 06, 2018 21:00 - 2 minutes - 2.03 MBAn excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which, just in time for the beginning of the season, amusements editor Lyta Gold and legal editor Oren Nimni discuss all things football: its labor politics, its racial politics, and why (according to Lyta) it is the masculine version of drag. To listen to this episode — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird Feed" — consider becoming a monthly patron at our Patreon page. Call into Current Affairs anytime at ...
Bonus excerpt: Blood, shot.
September 06, 2018 20:43 - 4 minutes - 3.5 MBAn excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which Current Affairs finance editor Sparky Abraham and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson discuss John Carreyrou's recent book about the Theranos scandal, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. Discussed: why you should be skeptical of prestige (and allegedly liberal lawyers); the importance of good investigative journalism; Silicon Valley boosterism; the cult of Steve Jobs; and more. To l...
#9: Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect Your Social Wealth Dividend
August 30, 2018 21:30 - 52 minutes - 42.1 MBThe People's Policy Project's Matt Bruenig enters the Lefty Shark Tank to pitch a social wealth fund and modern day trustbusters Lina Khan and Sandeep Vaheesan stop by to explain antitrust. (Plus, in between, the debut of the official Current Affairs Ben Shapiro diss track). Read the People's Policy Projects full report on social wealth funds here. Read Matt's pitch for one in the New York Times here. Vanessa's recent article on monopoly is here. Lina's groundbreaking Yale Law Review artic...
Bonus excerpt: Ian Samuel on being Left in the law
August 20, 2018 21:05 - 3 minutes - 2.9 MBAn excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which Current Affairs legal editor Oren Nimni and social media editor Vanessa A. Bee interview Indiana Law professor, First Mondays host, and rising legal star Ian Samuel about being a lefty in the law. Discussed: the three's lefty origin stories, the consequences of a Kavanaugh nomination, why the law is a conservatizing profession, and more. To listen to this episode — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird...
Bonus excerpt: "The West" and Other Myths with Daniel Walden
August 20, 2018 20:50 - 5 minutes - 4.39 MBAn excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which Current Affairs amusements editor Lyta Gold and senior editor Brianna Rennix discuss myths with Classics scholar Daniel Walden, who recently wrote in the magazine about how the whole concept of “Western civilization" is a myth. Tune in to learn about why the myth of dragons may be a lefty one, why Jordan Peterson is confused about myths, what an anti-pope is, what myths can teach us about national origi...
#8: Dreams, Schemes & Time Machines
August 15, 2018 21:05 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBThe Current Affairs panel discusses what the end of racism and sexism might look like, legal star Ian Samuel enters the Lefty Shark Tank to pitch Supreme Court packing, and we all share our favorite historical what-ifs. (Plus, the segment breaks are haunted by disturbing 20th century ghosts!) Further reading on racial and gender utopias: Matt Bruenig and Economic Policy Institute have good data on the racial wealth gap here and here. The New York Times Magazine had a report this past sprin...