Current Affairs

To celebrate the launch of our Kickstarter, we're bringing you seven new interviews with seven mystery guests in seven days! Today's guest is Johann Hari, author of "Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions". In this episode, Johann sits down with Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss the social and political factors behind depression and anxiety. We hope you enjoy this episode. If you want to help us expand and improve Current Affairs, please consider donating to our Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/804992239/help-current-affairs-expand-in-2020 This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

To celebrate the launch of our Kickstarter, we're bringing you seven new interviews with seven mystery guests in seven days! Today's guest is Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts. In this episode, Kade tells us all about facial recognition, surveillance, and the terrifying implications of technological developments in the criminal justice system. We hope you enjoy this episode. If you want to help us expand and improve Current Affairs, please consider donating to our Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/804992239/help-current-affairs-expand-in-2020 This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Hello all! This week, we're launching a fundraiser to help our small business grow into a fearsome (yet still beautiful) media empire. If you like what we do, please consider donating to our Kickstarter page, so that we can improve the quality of our podcast, magazine and Youtube channel, as well as start new and exciting projects. To celebrate the launch of our Kickstarter, we're bringing you seven new interviews with seven mystery guests in seven days! Today's guest is legendary writer and activist Barbara Ehrenreich, interviewed by our very own managing editor Lyta Gold. In this cozy conversation, Lyta and Barbara talk about the incredible scope of Barbara's work over the past few decades, and cover everything from the politics of "wellness" to paleolithic cave paintings. We hope you enjoy this episode. If you want to help us expand and improve Current Affairs, please consider donating to our Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/804992239/help-current-affairs-expand-in-2020 This episod

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 amazing bonus content, consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

In this episode, the Current Affairs team discuss the usefulness of boycotts, encouraging news, and Pete faces down the rest of the cruel and ruthless panel in a round of Lefty Shark Tank. The panel this week is amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, senior editor Brianna Rennix, legal editor Oren Nimni, contributing editor Aisling McCrea 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.

Current Affairs finance editor Sparky Abraham and associate editor Vanessa A. Bee sit down with Varsha Venkatasubramanian to discuss the politics of water —more specifically, dams. Find out how the simple act of altering the flow of water has radical effects on everything from energy policy to health to war. It is taking all my energy right now not to just put as many 'dam' puns in here as possible. 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 exciting bonus content, please consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson and business manager Eli Massey sit down with journalist and broadcaster Mehdi Hasan to discuss the bad-faith actions of the "Intellectual Dark Web", the ubiquity of Islamophobia, and why it's important to continue fighting even when you're not guaranteed a win. This is an excerpt from an episode available in full exclusively to Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, along with lots of other brilliant bonus content, consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson sits down with founder and editor-at-large of Vox, Ezra Klein. Together, they debate (in a very friendly manner) the successes and failures of the Bernie Sanders campaign, incremental change versus radical change, and whether Nathan was justified in writing mean things about Vox in 2016. 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 exciting bonus content, consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

Relevant reading: An Example for All the Land: Emancipation and the Struggle over Equality in Washington, D.C., by Kate Masur: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9780807872666/an-example-for-all-the-land/ Home Rule or House Rule? by Michael Fauntroy: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780761827146 A Housing Crisis, a Failed Law, and a Property Conflict: The US Urban Speculation Tax, by Katie J. Wells: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/anti.12146 Carving Out the Commons: Tenant Organizing and Housing Cooperatives in Washington, D.C., by Amanda Huron: https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/carving-out-the-commons Nicholson St tenant strike coverage on WAMU : https://wamu.org/story/18/10/15/northwest-d-c-residents-go-strike-protest-decaying-buildings-rising-rent/ Irving St tenant strike coverage on Greater Greater Washington: https://ggwash.org/view/71558/a-columbia-heights-rent-strike-highlights-abuses-tenants-face-in-dc DC DSA's housing campaign: https://www.thenation.com/article/democratic-soci

Current Affairs host Pete Davis and managing editor Lyta Gold sit down with Mckayla Wilkes, a 28-year-old progressive who is challenging the House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for his seat. Mckayla tells us what motivated her to run, her experiences with the criminal justice system, and the power of a grassroots campaign. You can find out more about Mckayla's campaign at https://www.mckayla2020.com/ . We're unlocking this episode for all listeners! To gain access to more episodes like this, as well as lots of other delicious bonus content, consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

Nathan J. Robinson and Oren Nimni discuss the legacy of Malcolm X. This episode is 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 patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

Current Affairs host Pete Davis sits down with engineer, land planner and founder of the Strong Towns movement, Chuck Marohn, to discuss how to create thriving towns and cities. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. This episode was made available early for our patrons. If you'd like early access to episodes like this, as well as lots of exclusive bonus content, consider supporting us at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson sits down with photographer Chris Arnade to discuss his journey from Wall Street trader to travelling photographer, the things elites don't understand about poverty, and his book Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America. This is a preview of a bonus episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain access to episodes like this, as well as lots of other exclusive bonus content, consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs.

The Current Affairs panel sits down to discuss AOC's first year in office, proposes an innovative new way of dividing up the United States, and shares the transcendental experiences they've had with animals. The panel this week is finance editor Sparky Abraham, legal editor Oren Nimni, associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, and your host is Pete Davis. Many thanks to our newsletter editor, Nick Slater, for getting us exclusive access to the secret Beto O'Rourke tapes. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Current Affairs editors Nathan J. Robinson and Eli Massey sit down with writer and labor organizer Micah Uetricht to discuss the weird and tangled world of Chicago politics. This is an excerpt from an episode that is available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain access to this episode, as well as lots of other exclusive content, consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

Current Affairs host Pete Davis sits down with engineer, land planner and founder of the Strong Towns movement, Chuck Marohn, to discuss how to create thriving towns and cities. This is an excerpt from an exclusive Patreon episode. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other delicious bonus content, consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs.

Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, financial editor Sparky Abraham and contributing editor Aisling McCrea sit down with philosophy professor Ben Burgis to discuss his new book Give Them An Argument: Logic for the Left. Give Them An Argument: Logic for the Left is published by Zero Books. You can support and enjoy Ben Burgis' work by becoming a patron at https://www.patreon.com/benburgis, where he publishes short essays and videos, or catch him on The Michael Brooks Show on his regular segment, The Debunk. This is a bonus episode that was released early for Patreon subscribers. To gain early access to episodes like these, as well as lots of delicious exclusive content, consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs! This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

The Current Affairs team has stuck their hands into the mailbag once again, and pulled out a handful of your voicemails. Topics range from the likelihood of getting mangoes under socialism, to the frailty of velvet trousers. The panel this time is: amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, business manager Eli Massey, contributing editor and podcastrix Aisling McCrea, senior editor Brianna Rennix, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and your host is editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. The case we discuss towards the end of this episode is Adoptive Couple v Baby Girl, 570 U.S. 637 (2013). For more detailed analysis of the case, and other material relating to Indian law, consider reading Turtle Talk at https://turtletalk.blog/. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Current Affairs finance editor Sparky Abraham sits down with Vice writer Allie Conti, economics professor Marshall Steinbaum and People's Policy Project founder Matt Bruenig to discuss the question of cancelling student debt, in light of Bernie Sanders' and Elizabeth Warren's recent plans for college debt forgiveness. This episode will be unlocked in full soon, but is available now in full for Patreon subscribers. To receive early access to episodes like this, as well as exclusive bonus content, consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs.

Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, financial editor Sparky Abraham and contributing editor Aisling McCrea sit down with philosophy professor Ben Burgis to discuss his new book Give Them An Argument: Logic for the Left. This episode will be unlocked in ten days. To get early access to this episode, as well as other exclusive bonus content, consider becoming one of our patrons at Patreon.com/CurrentAffairs.