Current Affairs

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 Reporting

10:04-13:50 Why is Matters

13:50-18:04 How Good Influence Works

18:04-24:57 Suppression of Gaza

24:57-29:12 The Decline of Journalism

29:12-32:31 How Good Influence Provides Value

32:31-35:11 The Democratic Party's "Messaging Problem"

35:11-40:56 The Response to Taylor's Article

40:56- 44:37 What We Can Learn From This

🔥 Read Taylor's Article: https://www.wired.com/story/dark-money-group-secret-funding-democrat-influencers/

🔥 Read John's Article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/meidastouch-turns-democrats-minds-to-slop

🦩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/

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. 

🐍 Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/let-them-eat-memes 

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🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/ 

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

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🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/

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/MPowerAction

0:00–4:32 Origins of MPower Action and the No Muslim Ban Ever Campaign

4:32–7:37 Gaza Genocide and U.S. Complicity

7:37–10:49 Democratic Party Silence and Support for Israel

10:49–16:47 Progressive Challengers Taking on Pro-War Democrats

16:47–20:45 Islamophobia and Attacks on Muslim Candidates

20:45–24:24 Kamala Harris, the DNC, and Palestinian Exclusion

24:24–29:57 Iran, the JCPOA, and the Push for Diplomacy

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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.

☕ Mutual Aid for Jason Woods: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM3UFBvxNq8/

☕ SBWU's Website: https://sbworkersunited.org/

☕ SBWU's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbworkersunited/

☕ SBWU's Twitter: https://x.com/SBWorkersUnited

0:00-5:24 Why Starbucks Workers Unionized

5:24-11:20 The Reality of Barista Pay

11:20-16:11 Dress Codes as Union-Busting

16:11-20:45 Sip-Ins

20:45-23:50 Organizing in the South vs. North

23:50-28:00 Every Job Requires Skill

28:00-32:01 Steps to Unionize

🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership

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Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers and one of America’s foremost labor leaders, joins Current Affairs editor in chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss her new book Why Fascists Fear Teachers. 

Weingarten explains why Mike Pompeo once called her “the most dangerous person in the world,” how right-wing figures like Chris Rufo are manufacturing distrust in public schools, and why education remains a radical force for pluralism, empathy, and democracy. She also addresses the weaponization of anti-Semitism in the context of academic freedom, the destruction of Gaza’s schools (scholasticide), and the role of teachers’ unions as both defenders of democracy and pillars of the labor movement. 

🍎 Buy Randi's Book: https://sites.prh.com/whyfascistsfearteachers 

🍎 Randi's Twitter: https://x.com/rweingarten 

0:00-6:37 “The Most Dangerous Person in the World” 

6:37-11:50 The Truth About “School Choice” 

11:50-26:06 Why Fascists Fear Teachers 

26:06-31:03 How Anti-Semitism is Weaponized to Undermine Academic Freedom 

31:03-34:12 Gaza Scholasticide 

34:12-37:19 Supporting Teachers 

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🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/ 

From BetterHelp to bourbon, A-list celebrities are cashing in on our trust. Why is there no longer any stigma for sellouts? 

💰 Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/how-we-stopped-caring-about-selling-out 

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🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, physician, former Detroit health commissioner, and candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, joins Current Affairs editors Nathan J. Robinson and Alex Skopic to discuss the Democratic Party’s deep unpopularity, why Medicare for All remains a moral and economic imperative, the bipartisan silence surrounding the genocide in Gaza, and why all U.S. military aid—offensive and defensive—should end.

🌹Abdul's Website: https://abdulforsenate.com/

🌹Abdul's Book: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2021/02/the-definitive-case-for-medicare-for-all

🌹Abdul's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abdulelsayed/?hl=en

🌹 Abdul's Twitter: https://x.com/AbdulElSayed

0:00-5:42 Unpopularity of the Democratic Party

5:42-14:01 Medicare for All

14:01-17:19 Labor

17:19-27:23 Gaza

27:23-31:31 Islamophobia

31:31-40:28 Abdul's Senate Race

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🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/

Nathan J. Robinson delivers remarks during the Current Affairs 10th anniversary party on the evening of August 8th, 2025 in New Orleans. 

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🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/

Saikat Chakrabarti, co-founder of Justice Democrats and former chief of staff to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, joins Nathan J. Robinson to discuss his 2026 congressional campaign to unseat Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Party’s failure to respond to genocide in Gaza, and how decades of complacent leadership have left the party morally bankrupt and politically adrift.

🔥 Saikat's Website: https://www.saikat.us/en 

🔥 Saikat's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saikatforcongress/ 

🔥 Saikat's Twitter: https://x.com/saikatc 

0:00–5:30 Gaza 

5:30–19:27 The Democratic Party 

19:27–21:41 Nancy Pelosi 

24:00–29:00 Zohran Mamdani 

29:00–36:14 Saikat's Policy Agenda 

36:14–42:27 Campaigning in a Hopeless Moment 

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🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/