Current Affairs

PREVIEW: Sam Moyn on democratizing the Supreme Court

With the Supreme Court very much in the news cycle, Oren speaks to Yale professor of law and history, Samuel Moyn, about why we should not "pack the court", as many leftists call for, but instead end…

00:01:54 | Fri 16 Oct 2020

PREVIEW: Tiger Lawyer Redux

Back in April, we interviewed animal rights lawyer Asher Smith about his battles against notorious animal collector Joe Exotic. Six months later, a lot has happened. Sparky, Allegra and Nick catch up…

00:01:40 | Thu 15 Oct 2020

#49: Supreme Cat Justice

It's a Supreme Court special, and also a dudes special—for the first time in CA history, we accidentally ended up with a panel that's 100% men. Talk about cars, muscles and David Foster Wallace empha…

01:10:33 | Tue 06 Oct 2020

BONUS! Okapi Tale

"If You Give A Mouse A Cookie? Could've been written by Ayn Rand." Eli and Nathan speak to author Jacob Kramer and illustrator K-Fai Steele about their new book Okapi Tale, a book about ownership …

00:32:02 | Mon 05 Oct 2020

UNLOCKED! Yasmin Nair on publishing, feminism and more

Yasmin Nair and Lyta Gold talk publishing scandals, "authenticity", cultural appropriation, feminism and more. This episode was recorded a little while back, but it doesn't devalue the conversation b…

01:12:21 | Sat 03 Oct 2020

PREVIEW: New York Doctors on COVID-19

Lyta Gold speaks to two New York-based doctors (@DrOni Bee and @AndrewMakeTweet) about how the pandemic has been handled in the city. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patr…

00:05:54 | Tue 29 Sep 2020

PREVIEW: Should You Vote For Biden?: An Argument With Benjamin Studebaker

Current Affairs editor Nathan Robinson is in favour of voting for Biden. Current Affairs contributor Benjamin Studebaker is against voting for Biden. Together, they debate what the left should do at …

00:02:41 | Thu 24 Sep 2020

#58: Niche or Mass?

The panel attempts to understand TikTok comedy, give an update on what's going on with immigration, and explore the division of "highbrow" versus "lowbrow". Online things that were referenced: http…

01:06:22 | Tue 22 Sep 2020

Support the Brick House Cooperative!

The Brick House Cooperative is a new cooperative owned and operated by journalists and artists. Their Kickstarter ends September 24th and they're so close to reaching their goal, so please support th…

00:32:30 | Mon 21 Sep 2020

PREVIEW: Trappist Chap House

Sparky, Aisling and Brianna take some time out from raging wildfires and immigration hell to have a relaxed chat about monks. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon sub…

00:03:23 | Thu 17 Sep 2020

PREVIEW: Jack Jackson on Law Without Future

Continuing their long-running legal series, Vanessa and Oren speak to Jack Jackson, lawyer and professor of politics at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. Together they discuss the legacy of…

00:06:23 | Tue 15 Sep 2020

PREVIEW: Colette Shade on Covid and Mental Health

Nick Slater speaks to mental health writer Colette Shade (@MsShade) on the recent acceleration in the mental health crisis, why it affects some groups more than others, and how we can try to find sol…

00:04:37 | Thu 10 Sep 2020

#57: Some Sort of Bad Sword

The team shares their thoughts on "the college experience", the recent failed NBA strike, and how we feel about Covid six months in. The panel this week was associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, finance …

01:09:57 | Tue 08 Sep 2020

David Graeber.

The team pays tribute to anarchist anthropologist David Graeber, who passed away on September 2nd. "What's the Point If We Can't Have Fun?": https://thebaffler.com/salvos/whats-the-point-if-we-cant-…

01:14:09 | Fri 04 Sep 2020

UNLOCKED! Lee Weiner of the Chicago Seven on "conspiracy to riot"

In this super-special episode, Nathan and Oren speak to Lee Weiner, defendant in one of the most notorious trials of the 1960s—the trial of the Chicago Seven. Lee speaks about his childhood as a red …

00:57:15 | Wed 02 Sep 2020

PREVIEW: Localism

Sparky and Pete discuss what it means to love a place, to be from a place, and to center our organizing around smaller places. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon sub…

00:08:42 | Tue 01 Sep 2020

PREVIEW: Ryan Cooper on deadly trucks

Nathan and Sparky speak to Ryan Cooper (@ryanlcooper) of The Week and the Left Anchor podcast about 'truck bloat'—the phenomenon of increasingly big, dangerous trucks and SUVs, the environmental dama…

00:09:37 | Fri 28 Aug 2020

#56: The People's Xbox

The panel discusses "The Tyranny of Structurelessness" by Jo Freeman, taking over politicians' houses, and how political movements become appealing. The print magazine is real, and it's good. Subsc…

01:09:15 | Tue 25 Aug 2020

Lee Weiner of the Chicago Seven on "conspiracy to riot"

In this super-special episode, Nathan and Oren speak to Lee Weiner, defendant in one of the most notorious trials of the 1960s—the trial of the Chicago Seven . Lee speaks about his childhood as a red…

00:08:00 | Thu 20 Aug 2020

PREVIEW: The Simpsons episode!

"When it comes to jokes, The Simpsons uses every part of the animal." Current Affairs newsletter editor Nick Slater, amusements editor Lyta Gold and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson discuss the mos…

00:05:21 | Tue 18 Aug 2020

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