Current Affairs

Nathan Robinson and Aisling McCrea speak to a very special guest: urban planning and infrastructure guru Justin Roczniak, who makes Youtube videos on planning, politics, transport and much more under the handle 'donoteat'. Together, they discuss city design, the human cost of architecture, trams, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, yakuza construction schemes, the psychology of driving, and trains. We love trains. Also, he informs us that all your furniture is made of stuff that catches fire really easily.

Today Nathan talks to RJ Eskow, host of The Zero Hour podcast and YouTube show, and former lead writer for the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign. Together, they discuss dirty secrets RJ learned during his time in the insurance industry, why critiques of single-payer healthcare fail, what separates millennials and baby boomers, why RJ didn't go to Woodstock, and what it was like to sit on the stage with Jimi Hendrix as a teenager.

The Zero Hour is on Patreon at http://patreon.com/thezerohour.

This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Precious listeners of Current Affairs, we hear you loud and clear! This week, the panel answers your queries on everything from literature, to dreams, to questionable environmentalist projects.

The panel this week was associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, legal editor Oren Nimni, finance editor Sparky Abraham, contributing editor Eli Massey, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host this week was Aisling McCrea.

'Crepuscule with Nellie' - Thelonious Monk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvXOcLi47TY

This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

In this episode, contributing editor Eli Massey speaks to Cenk Uygur, creator and host of The Young Turks, who is running as a Democrat in the 2020 primary for California's 25th congressional district. Cenk explains why he's running, his positions on everything from the Green New Deal to immigration to free speech, as well as giving his response to some criticisms of his past actions.

You can read more about Cenk's campaign at cenk2020.com.

In this episode, contributing editor Eli Massey speaks to Cenk Uygur, creator and host of The Young Turks, who is running as a Democrat in the 2020 primary for California's 25th congressional district. Cenk explains why he's running, his positions on everything from the Green New Deal to immigration to free speech, as well as giving his response to some criticisms of his past actions.

You can read more about Cenk's campaign at cenk2020.com.

In this very special episode, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold and finance editor Sparky Abraham speak to Mike Duncan, beloved history podcaster and bestselling author. Together, they discuss the importance of popular history, guillotine memes, surprise revolutions, the end of history, and surviving crises.

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 brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our supporters at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!

"You have a grandfather clock, you bastard!"

In this jam-packed episode, the panel investigates The Atlantic's hatred of democracy, shares their most recent revelations, and Aisling invites the team to participate in Ritual Shaming. In a corny postscript, everyone shares a thing that they are thankful for.

The panel this week was senior editor Brianna Rennix, editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, contributing editor Eli Massey, finance editor Sparky Abraham, podmaster-general Aisling McCrea, and your host is Pete Davis.

'Too Much Democracy Is Bad For Democracy': https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/too-much-democracy-is-bad-for-democracy/600766/

Desert Oracle: https://www.desertoracle.com/

Frogge: https://incubator.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wp/enm/Frogge

This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Music: 'The Show Must Be Go' - Kevin MacLeod

A smaller episode, to refresh our patrons after the big, bloaty extravaganza that was our Harry Potter episode. The dessert after the turkey, if you will (in other words, smaller but more important).

In this episode, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold sits down with Jamaal Bowman, the founding principal of one of New York City's most successful public middle schools, and who is now running for Congress in New York's 16th district.

You can find out more about the campaign here: https://www.bowmanforcongress.com/

Unlocked, for your listening pleasure.

Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, senior editor Brianna Rennix and newsletter editor Nick Slater sit down with Jacobin staff writer Meagan Day to discuss her article 'One Year Off, Every Seven Years'.

Meagan's article can be found here: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/05/workers-sabbatical-demand-leisure

This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.

Please send in your sabbatical ideas to 504-867-8851. You can also send us voicemails about anything else you fancy. (This is the last thing Nathan said at the end of this episode, before his voice was swallowed up by the jazz music. Our apologies - we tried to pull him out of the jaws of the jazz monster, to no avail.)