Current Affairs

The Current Affairs panel unpacks the accusation of liberal bias, asks whether landlords are necessary, and shares their favorite lost historical hero. The Panel: Brianna Rennix, senior editor Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Further reading on institutional bias: Pete wrote an article on "working the ref" at Harvard Law; Paul Krugman and Todd Gitlin wrote similar articles. Pacific Standard has a piece on racial bias in the news and The Washington Post has a study of news audiences by ideology. And, of course, the grandfather of "the news is biased" takes is Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent. Further reading on landlords: The original Sean Hannity story can be read about in The Guardian and The Los Angeles Times. Jacobin has two useful pieces: "The Permanent Crisis of Housing" and "Evict the Landlords." Rebecca Burns wrote a major piece on Wall Street landlords earlier this year. Further reading on alternatives to landlord domination: Here are three big solutions: (1) Alexis Zanghi on rent control; (2) Jake Blumgart and Michelle Chen on community land trusts; (3) Jeff Spross on affordable housing; and (4) Ryan Cooper and Peter Gowan on social housing. Further reading on our historical heroes: The Smithsonian has a great essay on the "Quaker Comet" Benjamin Lay. Here's the wikipedia on Manuela Sáenz. Here's an essay on the civic lessons we can gain from AA. Here's Benjamin Banneker's letter to Thomas Jefferson. And here is the wikipedia page for Vanessa's friend, Lilly Jacobson. 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 magazine — visit: Current Affairs.org

The panel dives into the Jobs Guarantee vs. Universal Basic Income debate, Nathan pitches randomized college admissions, and everyone shares their worst past belief. 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 the UBI: Matt Bruenig on a social wealth fund and why a UBI already exists for the rich; James Surowiecki's case for free money; Dylan Matthews' critique of UBI critiques. Further reading on the Jobs Guarantee: Jeff Spross' case for a federal jobs guarantee; Jacobin's case; Jefferson Cowie on the history of the jobs guarantee; Atossa Araxia Abrahamian on Modern Monetary Theory; Zach Carter's profile of Modern Monetary Theorist Stephanie Kelton. Further reading contrasting UBI and Job's Guarantee: Jeff Spross on why not both?; Jonathan Malesic case against the dignity of work; Shannon Ikebe's case against the wrong kind of UBI; Alyssa Battistoni on the false promise of basic income. Further reading on the case for randomized college admissions: Nathan's article; Freddie DeBoer's defense of the SAT; Barry Schwartz on admissions lotteries. Here's a Voxsplainer on the Joy Reid controversy. A small correction from the episode: Paul Goodman did not say the youth of Kansas should build a mountain; David Riesman said that and Paul Goodman said it was ridiculous. The correct quote is: "When in our country David Riesman urges the youth of Kansas to build a mountain so that they can have manly work and enjoy skiing, one does not know whether to cry or laugh or cheer." Learn more about Paul Goodman by watching the interesting documentary Paul Goodman Changed My Life. 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 magazine — visit: CurrentAffairs.org.

A trailer for Current Affairs: The Podcast.