Current Affairs

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 emphatically does not ensue. Instead, the team talks about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, abolishing the court, and what makes a 'good' Supreme Court Justice. This was recorded before Trump got Covid, which is obvious because we aren't constantly talking about it. Trotsky is Lyta's cat, seen here hard at his legal work: https://twitter.com/lyta_gold/status/1311830326939922432?s=20 The panel this week was legal editor Oren Nimni, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your temporary host is Nick Slater. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

"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 and justice for children. We had a little audio trouble with some of this episode, but we're changing our systems so we can improve the listening experience for all of you! Book here: https://enchantedlion.com/all-books/okapi-tale This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

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 because variations on the specific events they describe occur over and over again, on a weekly basis, forever. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

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 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

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 the ballot box come November 2020. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXbj2fE2mMI https://mooncrew.substack.com/p/the-story-of-a-tree-falling-in-houston This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

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 them if you can! Nathan and Allegra speak to Maria Bustillos and Jason Adam Katzenstein about their plans for this fantastic new project and what YOU can do to help! Page here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1478924964/the-brick-house-cooperative

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 subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

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 Bush v Gore, Guantanamo, whether what's happening in Portland is 'colonialism brought home', and more. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

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 solace in community and solidarity. Full episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41427919/ This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

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 editor Sparky Abraham, lieutenant editor Brianna Rennix, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host this week was Nick Slater. Nick's article on the UCSC strike: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/02/why-should-you-care-about-the-ucsc-strike Current Affairs Patreon: www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

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-have-fun Fetishism as social creativity: https://www.sduk.us/money/graeber_fetishism_as_social_creativity_or.pdf

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 diaper baby, becoming involved with radical anti-war politics, and being put on mass-televised trial for conspiracy and inciting to riot outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention. This episode was originally aired on our Patreon bonus feed, but we're making it available to everyone now! Lee's memoir Conspiracy to Riot: The Life and Times of One of the Chicago 7 https://beltpublishing.com/products/conspiracy-to-riot This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

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 subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs! Full episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41065491

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 damage they cause, and their role in the violent fantasies that bubble under the surface of the culture wars. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

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. Subscribe at https://www.currentaffairs.org/subscribe or, if you're already a Patreon subscriber, you can upgrade to the $10 tier for access to the print magazine, the digital magazine AND the podcast bonus episodes. "The Tyranny of Structurelessness" can be read here: https://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/tyranny.htm This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Music: Acid Trumpet by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3340-acid-trumpet License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Wind Of The Rainforest by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5729-wind-of-the-rainforest-preview License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 diaper baby, becoming involved with radical anti-war politics, and being put on mass-televised trial for conspiracy and inciting to riot outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention. This is a preview of an episode now available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

"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 most iconic sitcom of all time, why it's lodged so powerfully in our minds, and how it portrays bosses, government, schools and everything else. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

The team answers your questions! Topics include crowdfunding, teachers' strikes, Trump removal, cats versus dogs, positivity versus negativity, and the FBI. No-one asked a question about stamps, but the team talks about stamps anyway. The panel this week was finance editor Sparky "Spiky" Abraham, poet-at-large Cate Root, associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, and business manager Allegra Silcox. Your host this week was Nathan J. Robinson. New Orleans story where the guy says "neighborhoods are businessses": https://thelensnola.org/2020/07/28/a-major-paradigm-shift-new-orleans-hires-former-short-term-rental-executive-to-lead-land-use-regulation-with-new-business-minded-approach/ Prologue to Jane McAlevey's book with "Florida 2000" story: https://janemcalevey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Florida-Recount.pdf Lev Menand on the Federal Reserve: https://www.patreon.com/posts/36068735 This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Brianna Rennix, Lyta Gold and Allegra Silcox discuss the online culture of writing erotic stories about fictional characters, the portrayal of romance and sexuality in media, and what it means to remake a story according to our own desires. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!