Current Affairs

Current Affairs

byCurrent Affairs

ComedyNewsGovernment

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

Episodes(40 episodes)

Current Affairs

E433 - How the Christian Right Betrays Everything Jesus Ever Said (w/ John Fugelsang)

🌹 Claim 50% OFF FOREVER to The Lever and get a free copy of the Master Plan e-book: https://the.levernews.com/current-affairs-master-plan/John Fugelsang is a political commentator and author of Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds. He joins Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss how right-wing Christian nationalism has twisted the teachings of Jesus into a tool of hate and domination.0:00-6:37 Putting Jesus Back in Christianity6:37-11:55 Debating the Right11:55-15:00 John's Religious Backg...
Published: Oct 30, 2025Duration: 41:10
Current Affairs

E432 - The Rise of Nick Fuentes Should Horrify Us All

🌹 Claim 50% OFF FOREVER to The Lever and get a free copy of the Master Plan e-book: https://the.levernews.com/current-affairs-master-plan/A neo-Nazi is trying to fill the void left by the failures of the two major parties. Unless Americans are offered a visionary alternative, Fuentes’ toxic ideology may flourish.🌹 Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/the-rise-of-nick-fuentes-should-horrify-us-all🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/
Published: Oct 26, 2025Duration: 29:47
Current Affairs

E431 - How the Rich Legalized Corruption in America (w/ David Sirota)

🌹 Claim 50% OFF FOREVER to The Lever and get a free copy of the Master Plan e-book: https://the.levernews.com/current-affairs-master-plan/ David Sirota, founder and editor-in-chief of The Lever, joins Current Affairs Editor-in-Chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss his new book Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America. They trace how corporate America seized control of U.S. politics, from the Powell Memo and Watergate to the rise of the Heritage Foundation, Roger Ailes, and the corporate capture of the courts. 0:00-13:48 Corruption Is the Water We Swim In 13:48-24:19 The Po...
Published: Oct 21, 2025Duration: 57:31
Current Affairs

E430 - Guaranteed Income and The Debt America Still Owes (w/ Nika Soon-Shiong & Alanah Odoms)

🌹 Subscribe to The Majority Report using the coupon code CURRENTAFFAIRS: https://fans.fm/majority/joinNathan J. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of Current Affairs, speaks with Nika Soon-Shiong, founder and Executive Director of the Fund for Guaranteed Income, and Alanah Odoms, Executive Director of the ACLU of Louisiana. They discuss their collaboration on The Cost of Freedom: Truth and Reconciliation Guaranteed Income Program, a pilot exploring reparations through direct cash payments.Together, they examine how economic justice underpins civil rights, the historical links between slavery and mass incarceration in Louisiana, and how guaranteed income can reshape policy aro...
Published: Oct 15, 2025Duration: 39:17
Current Affairs

E429 - Ben Shapiro's New Book Is a Total Embarrassment

🌹 Subscribe to The Majority Report using the coupon code CURRENTAFFAIRS: https://fans.fm/majority/joinSupposedly, the world is divided into good, noble ā€œlionsā€ and evil, grasping ā€œscavengers.ā€ Guess which one Ben thinks he is?Script by Matt McManus & Nathan J. Robinson🦁 Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/ben-shapiros-latest-book-adopts-a-horrifying-creators-vs.-parasites-worldview🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/
Published: Oct 9, 2025Duration: 21:49
Current Affairs

E428 - How America Got Hooked on Shady Gas Station Drugs

🌹 Subscribe to The Majority Report using the coupon code CURRENTAFFAIRS: https://fans.fm/majority/joinAs the FDA finally cracks down on kratom, decades of deregulation have already flooded shelves with questionable supplements and off-brand opioids.šŸ’Š Read Emily Topping's article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/how-america-got-hooked-on-shady-gas-station-drugs🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/
Published: Oct 2, 2025Duration: 17:24
Current Affairs

E427 - Why We Can’t Trust Comedians to Do Politics (w/ Gianmarco Soresi)

🌹 Subscribe to The Majority Report using the coupon code CURRENTAFFAIRS: https://fans.fm/majority/joinGianmarco Soresi joins Current Affairs Editor-in-Chief Nathan J. Robinson to talk about his acclaimed new special Thief of Joy, the pressures of fame, and why "the court jester was never supposed to have a chair next to the king."0:00-5:15 The Pressure of Being a Comedian5:15-7:24 Performing in America Today7:24-10:47 Israel/Palestine and Taking the Audience’s Temperature10:47-19:57 The Riyadh Comedy Festival19:57-23:21 Doing ā€œEdgyā€ Comedy23:21-26:32 Can Right...
Published: Sep 30, 2025Duration: 42:20
Current Affairs

E426 - FULL INTERVIEW: Democrats, Gaza, and the Future of the Left (w/ Hasan Piker)

🌹 Subscribe to The Majority Report using the coupon code CURRENTAFFAIRS: https://fans.fm/majority/joinĀ Hasan Piker, one of the most influential political streamers in the world, joins Current Affairs Editor-in-Chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss the failures of the Democratic Party, what they refuse to learn from the success of Zohran Mamdani, and how they are largely responsible for America's ongoing descent into fascism. They also discuss the shifting hasbara surrounding the Gaza genocide, dissect the framing of Hasan’s media profiles, and examine the compromises and contradictions of figures like AOC and Bernie while looking ahead...
Published: Sep 29, 2025Duration: 52:24
Current Affairs

E425 - ā€œPowerlessness Is an Illusionā€: Gaza, Resistance, and the Sumud Flotilla (w/ Kieran Andrieu)

Kieran Andrieu is a British-Palestinian journalist, activist, and contributor to Novara Media. He joins Current Affairs Editor-in-Chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss his decision to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, the risks involved in confronting Israel’s blockade of Gaza, and why he believes powerlessness in the face of genocide is an illusion.0:00-6:29 Kieran’s Family Story of Resistance6:29-10:33 Joining the Flotilla10:33-14:12 What Success Would Mean14:12-17:53 Powerlessness Is an Illusion17:53-20:57 The Case for Recognizing Palestine20:57-22:25 Shifts in U.S. Public Opinion<p...
Published: Sep 25, 2025Duration: 27:53
Current Affairs

E424 - EXCLUSIVE: Sumud Flotilla Responds to Israel’s Terrorism Allegations (w/ Tommy Marcus)

Tommy Marcus (@quentin.quarantino) is an activist and content creator who has raised over $30 million for charitable causes. He joins Current Affairs Editor-in-Chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss his journey aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, the mission to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, and his response to official allegations that the flotilla is a ā€œterroristā€ operation.0:00-1:39 The Mission Explained1:39-3:18 Why Launch the Flotilla?3:18-10:13 Starvation as Israel’s Strategy10:13-13:51 Facing the Risks13:51-20:10 Tommy’s Political Transformation20:10-24:58 Why Zionist Narratives Stick24:58-31...
Published: Sep 25, 2025Duration: 58:41
Current Affairs

E423 - As The Far Right Rises, Don’t Be Ezra Klein

🌹 Subscribe to The Majority Report using the coupon code CURRENTAFFAIRS: https://fans.fm/majority/join You can be committed to dialogue without pretending the right are reasonable and while aggressively challenging their views. 🌹 Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/as-the-far-right-rises-dont-be-ezra-klein 🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership 🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs 🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/ #ezraklein #currentaffairsmagazine #nathanjrobinson
Published: Sep 24, 2025Duration: 16:24
Current Affairs

E422 - Dubai Chocolate, Selling Out, and the Sad World of Republican Congressional Podcasts

Current Affairs editors Alex Skopic and Emily Topping join editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss their latest articles: the normalization of ā€œselling out,ā€ the weirdly viral ā€œDubai chocolateā€ craze, what GOP member podcasts reveal about right-wing propaganda, and why libertarian Rep. Thomas Massie outflanks most other Democrats on foreign policy.🦚 Selling Out: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/how-we-stopped-caring-about-selling-out🦚 Dubai Chocolate: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/dubai-chocolate-is-regime-propaganda🦚 Republican Podcasts: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/the-sad-world-of-republican-congressional-podcasts🦚 Thomas Massie: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/thomas-massies-anti-war-politics-put-democrats-to-shame🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/memb...
Published: Sep 18, 2025Duration: 53:29
Current Affairs

E421 - The Myth of the Marxist University

Academia is not full of radicals. There just aren’t many Republicans, perhaps because Republicans despise the academy’s values of open-mindedness and critical inquiry. 🌹 Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/the-myth-of-the-marxist-university 🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership 🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs 🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/Ā 
Published: Sep 16, 2025Duration: 18:42
Current Affairs

E420 - The Ruling Class Wants a New Cold War With China

Rahm Emanuel encourages us to fear China solely because this would unify the country. But what is the threat?šŸ‡ØšŸ‡³ Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/political-elites-just-make-up-new-enemies-whenever-they-need-them🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/
Published: Sep 11, 2025Duration: 11:18
Current Affairs

E419 - Trump Thinks He Can Kill Anyone He Wants

From North Korea to the Caribbean to Yemen, Trump claims the right to murder whoever he wants, whenever he wants. Where is the opposition to this outrageous criminality?šŸ’€ Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/who-will-stand-up-against-the-presidents-lawless-killings🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/
Published: Sep 9, 2025Duration: 14:27
Current Affairs

E418 - The Dark Money Behind ā€œProgressiveā€ Influencers (w/ Taylor Lorenz & John Ross)

Taylor Lorenz, technology journalist and author of Extremely Online, joins Current Affairs Editor-in-Chief Nathan J. Robinson and Digital Editor John Ross (who was formerly a producer for The David Pakman Show) to discuss her bombshell Wired investigation into Chorus, Good Influence, and the 1630 Fund, the dark money network secretly funding Democratic influencers.0:00-10:04 Taylor's Reporting10:04-13:50 Why is Matters13:50-18:04 How Good Influence Works18:04-24:57 Suppression of Gaza24:57-29:12 The Decline of Journalism29:12-32:31 How Good Influence Provides Value32:31-35:11 The Democratic Party's "Messaging Problem"<...
Published: Sep 6, 2025Duration: 44:36
Current Affairs

E417 - Let Them Eat Memes

The Democrats’ latest alternative to an agenda is being really sassy on social media. But without substance to back it up, they will never replicate the magic of a Bernie or Mamdani.Ā šŸ Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/let-them-eat-memes 🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership 🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs 🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/Ā 
Published: Sep 3, 2025Duration: 11:18
Current Affairs

E416 - The Clowns Aren’t Funny Anymore

When pompous pundits and politicos begin to rationalize crimes against humanity, it’s no longer possible to laugh at them. The correct reaction is horror, disgust, and a determination to end their influence.🤔 Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/the-clowns-arent-funny-anymore🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/
Published: Aug 27, 2025Duration: 12:05
Current Affairs

E415 - Gaza, Islamophobia, and the Democratic Party's Complicity (w/ Yasmine Taeb)

Yasmine Taeb, Legislative and Political Director of MPower Change Action Fund—the largest Muslim digital activist organization in the U.S.—joins Current Affairs editor Alex Skopic to discuss the bipartisan complicity in the Gaza genocide, the rise of progressive challengers like Omar Fateh and Zohran Mamdani, and the Islamophobic attacks Muslim candidates continue to face.✊ MPower Change Website: https://www.mpowerchange.org/✊ MPower Action Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpoweraction/?hl=en✊ MPower Action Twitter: https://x.com/MPowerAction0:00–4:32 Origins of MPower Action and the No Muslim Ban Ever Campaign4:32–7...
Published: Aug 26, 2025Duration: 29:56
Current Affairs

E414 - The Fight to Unionize Starbucks (w/ Jason Woods)

Jason Woods, national spokesperson for Starbucks Workers United, joins Current Affairs associate editor Alex Skopic and contributor Stephen Prager to discuss the Starbucks union drive and the fight for fair wages.ā˜• Mutual Aid for Jason Woods: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM3UFBvxNq8/ā˜• SBWU's Website: https://sbworkersunited.org/ā˜• SBWU's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbworkersunited/ā˜• SBWU's Twitter: https://x.com/SBWorkersUnited0:00-5:24 Why Starbucks Workers Unionized5:24-11:20 The Reality of Barista Pay11:20-16:11 Dress Codes as Union-Busting16:11-20:45 Sip-Ins20:45-23:50 Organizing in the S...
Published: Aug 25, 2025Duration: 32:01