
Current Affairs
A podcast of politics and culture, from the editors of Current Affairs magazine.
Latest episodes

Jun 21, 2021 • 41min
Tiffany Cabán for New York City Council (Election is June 22nd!)
This episode was originally on our bonus feed, but as Tiffany's election is tomorrow we're putting it out today for everyone!
Pete speaks to Tiffany Cabán, public defender and organizer with the Working Families Party, whose campaign for Queens County District Attorney drew national attention last year, and who is now running for New York City Council in District 22.
https://www.cabanforqueens.com/
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Jun 15, 2021 • 1h 16min
#76: We Bite, We Vote
The panel give their NFT takes, propose a universal database of all human knowledge, and share some hard-earned life lessons.
The nest this week was inhabited by finance editor Sparky Abraham, poet-at-large Cate Root, editor-in-chief Nathan Robinson, and amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold.
"The Truth Is Paywalled But The Lies Are Free": https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/08/the-truth-is-paywalled-but-the-lies-are-free/
"As Google Fights Fake News, Voices on the Margins Raise Alarm": https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/technology/google-search-bias-claims.html
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Jun 8, 2021 • 38sec
Is MMT Real? Season 2 Available Now!
You've been asking for it, you've been waiting for it. Now, episodes 6 through 12 of Is MMT Real? are available to our Patreon subscribers. They will eventually be made free to the public, but for those who can't wait, you can pay just $5 to subscribe to our bonus feed and gain access to all the episodes now, as well as all our other bonus episodes. Go to www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs to learn more!
Episode 6: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49309389
Episode 7: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49366210
Episode 8: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49413998
Episode 9: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49433441
Episode 10: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49516234
Episode 11: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49796660
Episode 12: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51225458

Jun 7, 2021 • 1h 7min
UNLOCKED! The MOVE Bombing
This episode was originally released on our Patreon feed last year, but we've decided to release it to everyone.
Aisling McCrea and Oren Nimni discuss that time the American police firebombed Philadelphia. Along the way they discuss the stigma against communal living, death row, black liberation, the military-to-police pipeline, and the way the left deals with the more problematic aspects of its past. Please note that even though it happened in 1985, the story of the MOVE Bombing is still ongoing; in April it was revealed that the Penn Museum had kept the remains of some of the victims, and used them for research and teaching rather than return them to the grieving family.
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/penn-museum-city-of-philadelphia-to-investigate-move-bombing-remains/2792675/
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Jun 1, 2021 • 45min
Voicemailbag XV
Once again, we dig into your voicemails. (We hear you, and we see you.) Topics include personality tests, cryptids, political arguments with relatives, and rebooting the left after the pandemic.
The bird's nest this week was made up of five eggs: amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, finance editor Sparky Abraham, senior editor Brianna Rennix, editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, and business manager Allegra Silcox.
"An Oral History of Cryptid Currency": https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/08/an-oral-history-of-cryptid-currency
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

May 18, 2021 • 56min
#74: The Owl Council of Local Heterogeneity
The Current Affairs flock discuss the right to live wherever you want, the dubious value of patriotism, and the things we love to do even though we're terrible at them. (Please note this episode was recorded before the recent escalation of violence against Palestinians, hence why it doesn't come up despite being relevant to some parts of this episode.)
The flock this week are senior editor Brianna Rennix, editor-in-chief Nathan Robinson, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and baby bird Charlie Abraham. Today's head bird in charge is Allegra Silcox.
"Libertarian Lullaby", like pretty much all our original music, is by Danny Bradley and available here: https://dannybradleymusic.com/songsforcurrentaffairs/libertarianlullaby
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

May 12, 2021 • 56min
Pete Is Back...And He Has A Book!
Pete returns to talk about his new book Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing.
Book is here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Dedicated/Pete-Davis/9781982140908
How a Surprisingly Anti-Capitalist Self-Help Book Could Help Deepen Our Democracy - Progressive.org
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

May 10, 2021 • 1h 51min
Activists You Should Know (feat. Lesley Williams)
This episode was originally posted to our Patreon feed a month ago, but we've decided to make it free for everyone. If you enjoy this kind of content, please consider subscribing to our bonus feed at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Contributing editor Eli Massey begins a series of in-depth interviews with local activists. To begin with, he speaks to his friend Lesley Williams (@lesleywilliams), a librarian and activist with Jewish Voice for Peace, and based in Evanston, IL. Amongst other things, they discuss the influences of Black and Jewish culture in her life, her travails arranging pro-Palestinian programmes for the local community, and her critique of Evanston's "reparations" policy.
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

May 4, 2021 • 1h 7min
#73: The Pro-Bird/Anti-Fandom Caucus
The panel discuss the recent slate of anti-trans bills, theorize on politics as fandom, and announce their vows for post-pandemic life.
Today's flock consists of legal editor Oren Nimni, senior editor Brianna Rennix, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson.
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Apr 20, 2021 • 1h 10min
#72: Are Property Taxes Real?
The team talk through the question of "vaccine passports", reimagine taxes, and judge whether it is obligatory to stay informed.
For the vaccine passport discussion, they are joined by Magnus Jamieson, who has previously guested on the podcast to talk about risk and resilience, and who has been following the COVID situation closely in his capacity as a stats geek (not, he would like us to stress, as an epidemiologist). In some brief patches, Magnus's audio features interference due to extraterrestrial whales careening through the universe, for which we can only apologize.
"Is MMT Real?" is an ongoing in-depth series that follows Sparky and Pete as they interview a series of economists and try to puzzle out the truth of MMT. You can listen to it now (along with all our other bonus episodes) for just $5 a month at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs.
The panel this week was associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, finance editor Sparky Abraham, poet-at-large Cate Root, contributing editor Eli Massey, editor-in-chief Nathan Robinson, guest science guy Magnus Jamieson, and host Aisling McCrea.
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.