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

Apr 28, 2020 • 7min
PREVIEW: Zach Wehrwein on social networks
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 at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

Apr 23, 2020 • 6min
PREVIEW: Brie's Back, Baby!
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 Patreon subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

Apr 22, 2020 • 1h 11min
UNLOCKED! Tiger Lawyer
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 way back in Episode 28!
This episode contains descriptions of animal cruelty.
This episode was originally released last week on our Patreon feed. To gain early access to episodes like this, as well as lots of other exciting bonus content, please consider becoming one of our Patreon subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
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Asher's articles for Current Affairs: https://www.currentaffairs.org/author/asher-smith
PETA v Tri-State Zoological Park: https://www.animallaw.info/case/peta-v-tri-state-zoological-park
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Apr 21, 2020 • 1h 11min
#47: This Is A Pro-Bean Broadcast
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://dannybradleymusic.com/store/wemightnotdiemaybe
The panel this week was associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, senior editor Brianna Rennix, newsletter editor Nick Slater, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your temporary host is Oren Nimni.
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Chomsky Drop music: Astro - Alphanerd

Apr 17, 2020 • 54min
John J. Lennon on doing journalism from prison
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 one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Apr 16, 2020 • 7min
PREVIEW: Lev Menand on the Federal Reserve and a public banking option
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/CurrentAffairs!

Apr 14, 2020 • 7min
PREVIEW: Tiger Lawyer
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 get 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!

Apr 7, 2020 • 55min
#46: Get Lanai'd
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 3, 2020 • 6min
PREVIEW: Doug Henwood on the financial impact of COVID
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!

Mar 31, 2020 • 2min
PREVIEW: John J. Lennon on doing journalism from prison
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!