The panel discusses gender, "yikes" moments, and redemption. The panel this week was lieutenant editor Brianna Rennix, finance editor Sparky Abraham, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, business manager Allegra Silcox, and administrative maven Cate Root. Your host is Pete Davis. Rennix's gender article is here: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/06/the-peculiarity-of-gender "Where in the World is Peter Daniel Davis?" jingle is by semi-official Current Affairs musician Danny Bradley. Music...
Jul 14, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 53
Nathan and Aisling meet up once more with Will Sloan and Luke Savage of the Michael and Us podcast to discuss Irresistible (2020), Jon Stewart's new movie about small-town politics and big-city snobs. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Jul 09, 2020•1 min
The panel discusses how to advocate for unpopular policies, Pete enters Lefty Shark Tank to defend the concept of a wrongful incarceration tort, and everyone debates which lefties could defeat Trump in a "vibe-off". At one point Aisling says William Blake has been "dead for four hundred years" even though she knows full well it's actually more like two hundred. Zero points to Aisling. The panel this week was legal editor Oren Nimni, lieutenant editor Brianna Rennix, podmaster-general Aisling McC...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 52
We're unlocking this bonus episode because we love Jason and we love his book and you should get his beautiful book. Today we're talking to Jason Katzenstein, cartoonist for Current Affairs and The New Yorker, about his new book Everything is an Emergency: An OCD Story in Words and Pictures. Pre-order Jason's book (at your local bookstore if possible!): https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062950079/everything-is-an-emergency/ Jason's livedrawings and other works for Current Affairs: https://www.cu...
Jun 29, 2020•55 min
Nathan speaks to Adam F. Naughton (@adamfnaughton), a disabled activist in South Carolina and founder of www.notyourinspiration.org, about the differences between the medical and social models of disability, "inspiration porn", the barriers that keep disabled people marginalized, and more. This episode is available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode today, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Jun 26, 2020•1 min
Oren Nimni sits down for a friendly chat with Erika Uyterhoeven, an organizer in his hometown of Somerville who is running for State Representative. Find out more at https://www.electerika.com/ This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Jun 19, 2020•55 min
Yesterday, Current Affairs published an article on the recent failure of two Michigan dams . In conjunction with this article, we thought we would release this bonus episode, originally aired in August 2019, in which Sparky and Vanessa interview the author, Varsha Venkatasubramanian (a.k.a. @varsha_venkat_ ). This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA....
Jun 18, 2020•45 min
The panel answers your questions on democracy in education, progressive prosecutors, protest votes, righteous jobs and monuments. (This episode was recorded before the recent spate of statue topplings.) Danny Bradley: https://dannybradleymusic.com/ We Might Not Die (Maybe): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAF-YUc2_WI What Is Education For? by Sparky Abraham and Nathan J. Robinson: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/08/what-is-education-for Better Call Saul inflatable tube man: https://www.youtu...
Jun 16, 2020•58 min•Ep. 51
The panel discusses the protests, alternatives to policing, and political art. (If you want to know further thoughts on Dave Eggers' "The Captain and The Glory", don't worry—Current Affairs will reveal all soon.) The panel this week was editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, finance editor Sparky Abraham and host Lyta Gold. Transform Harm: https://transformharm.org/abolition/ Criticism of 8 Can't Wait: https://www.8toabolition.com/ Resource Guide: Prisons, Policing ...
Jun 10, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 50
Lyta Gold speaks to Samelys López, a housing justice activist who is running in the June 23rd Democratic primary in New York's 15th congressional district. (Please note that this episode was recorded before the start of the ongoing nationwide protests against racism and police brutality.) Campaign website: lopezforthepeople.com Twitter: @SamelysLopez This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Jun 04, 2020•49 min
Current Affairs interviewer-in-chief Eli Massey speaks to Ilhan Omar, Congresswoman for Minnesota's 5th district. Together, they discuss her new book, This Is What America Looks Like, as well as foreign policy, Israel, drone strikes, Margaret Thatcher, Prince, and more. The book: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062954213/this-is-what-america-looks-like/ Ilhan Omar's Twitter: https://twitter.com/IlhanMN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepIlhan/ Show notes: AIPAC-backed letter calling for an ...
May 27, 2020•34 min
As you may or may not have noticed, a *lot* of the Current Affairs editors work as lawyers for their day jobs. Current Affairs interviewer-in-chief Eli Massey has brought a panel together to ask: can you make a difference as a lawyer? Are there any good reasons to become a lawyer? Can the law ever be a force for good? And what is the point of Ivy League law schools? This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots ...
May 25, 2020•1 min
The panel discusses the viability of forming a breakaway third party, things that are secretly political, and our society's contempt for the elderly. **NEXT WEEK, WE ARE RECORDING A VOICEMAILBAG EPISODE! If you have any questions for the team, or suggestions for topics, please leave us a voicemail at 504-867-8851 and your voicemail may be played on the show! ** The panel this week consisted of a group of sentient jellies imitating the shapes of amusements & managing editor Lyta Gold, newslet...
May 20, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 49
"Immigration cases are death penalty cases in a traffic court setting." Current Affairs editors and immigration law superheroes Oren Nimni and Brianna Rennix return to the podcast, to give us an update on how immigration courts and detention facilities have changed—and the ways in which they haven't changed—in the age of the COVID pandemic. Trump Administration Plans to Extend Virus Border Restrictions Indefinitely: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-border-restrict...
May 15, 2020•54 min
Sparky Abraham speaks to Eric Levitz, writer for New York Magazine's Intelligencer, about the life and times of Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin, from his youth as a student living in a former luxury hotel to his part in the 2008 financial crisis. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our supporters at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs...
May 12, 2020•4 min
Nathan speaks to Micah Uetricht and Meagan Day, co-authors of the new book Bigger than Bernie: How We Go from the Sanders Campaign to Democratic Socialism. The book: https://www.versobooks.com/books/3167-bigger-than-bernie This is a preview of an episode available now, on early release, to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
May 08, 2020•5 min
The panel discusses the prospect of an alliance between the left and the 'populist right', exposes their complicated relationships with Twitter, and recommends their favorite books for introducing friends to the left. The panel this week was made up of a series of holograms cleverly designed to imitate administrative maven Cate Root, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Lyta Gold. Book recommendations Raising Expectations (And Raising Hell): My Deca...
May 05, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 48
Our former editor, Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy), has returned to the CA team, after a stint as Press Secretary to the Bernie Sanders campaign. Nathan speaks to Brie about the Bernie campaign, what she would and wouldn't change in retrospect, Warren, Biden and much else. We missed her. Brie's articles for CA: https://www.currentaffairs.org/author/briahna-joy-gray Hear the Bern: https://berniesanders.com/podcast/ This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA....
May 01, 2020•55 min
In the second episode of this series, Eli speaks to Current Affairs senior editor Brianna Rennix about their life. Topics include mindgames with nuns, mythology, monasticism, the immigration system, law school, authority, suffering, guilt, and rollercoasters. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our supporters at www.patreon.com/CurrentAf...
Apr 30, 2020•8 min
Sociologist Zach Wehrwein returns to talk to Pete about one of the most underrated factors powering our society—social networks. Together, Zach and Pete explore how mapping people's social connections can explain everything from political radicalization to the modern impact of slavery. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our subscribers ...
Apr 28, 2020•7 min
Our former editor, Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy), has returned to the CA team, after a stint as Press Secretary to the Bernie Sanders campaign. Nathan speaks to Brie about the Bernie campaign, what she would and wouldn't change in retrospect, Warren, Biden and much else. We missed her. This is a preview of an episode currently available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our ...
Apr 23, 2020•6 min
Rargh. In this bonus episode, Sparky, Lyta, Allegra and Nick are joined by animal rights lawyer and Current Affairs contributor Asher Smith, to discuss what the hit new docuseries Tiger King got right—and what it might have got wrong. Asher tells us what it's like to work with Carole Baskin, the truth about roadside zoos, how to tell if a sanctuary is legit, and the team discusses the power and allure of big cats. Look out for use of the term 'charismatic megafauna', which was first brought up w...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 11 min
The panel snaps on the gloves and attempts a Bernie campaign postmortem, considers voting for "the lesser of two evils", and shares what they've been cooking in quarantine (after they've taken off the postmortem gloves). Musical interludes were written and performed by the fantastic Danny Bradley—if you've found his music as lethally infectious as we have, please note you can purchase "We Might Not Die (Maybe)" from his website, and help out an artist who's had to cancel all his gigs: https://da...
Apr 21, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 47
Pete Davis speaks to prison journalist John J. Lennon (@JohnJLennon1), who writes and acts as contributing editor for Esquire magazine, all while incarcerated in Sing Sing. John J. Lennon's podcast is available here: https://www.podcastone.com/This-Is-A-Collect-Call-from-Sing-Sing Website here: johnjlennon.org This episode was made available earlier to our Patreon subscribers. To gain early access to episodes like these, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming ...
Apr 17, 2020•54 min
Sparky speaks to Lev Menand, academic fellow and lecturer at Columbia Law School, who answers all Sparky's questions about the Federal Reserve: what it is, what money is, how banking works, Modern Monetary Theory—and, of course, whether money printer go brrr. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other fantastic bonus content, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentA...
Apr 16, 2020•7 min
Rargh. In this bonus episode, Sparky, Lyta, Allegra and Nick are joined by animal rights lawyer and Current Affairs contributor Asher Smith, to discuss what the hit new docuseries Tiger King got right—and what it might have got wrong. Asher tells us what it's like to work with Carole Baskin, the truth about roadside zoos, how to tell if a sanctuary is legit, and the team discusses the power and allure of big cats. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To g...
Apr 14, 2020•7 min
The team tackle the coronacrisis—how we got here, what comes after, and how to cope in the interim. The panel this week was finance editor Sparky Abraham, newsletter editor Nick Slater, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Pete Davis. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Music: Alexander Blu
Apr 07, 2020•55 min•Ep. 46
Nathan speaks to Doug Henwood (@DougHenwood)—journalist, radio host and author of Wall Street: How it Works and for Whom amongst others—about the current health crisis, its economic impact, and where to go from here. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To listen to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our supporters at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Apr 03, 2020•6 min
In this particularly special episode, Pete Davis speaks to prison journalist John J. Lennon (@JohnJLennon1), who writes and acts as contributing editor for Esquire magazine, all while incarcerated in Sing Sing. This is a preview of an episode currently available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To listen to this episode in full, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Mar 31, 2020•2 min•Ep. 46
Nathan and Eli speak to former city health director, epidemiologist, public health doctor and commentator Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) about 2020's rudest uninvited guest. You can preorder Abdul's book here: https://abdulelsayed.com/healingpolitics We've made this episode public, given the importance of the subject. This episode was recorded on March 20. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Mar 26, 2020•45 min
