Current Affairs Unfiltered

In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige unpacks a whirlwind of political headlines, starting with President Biden’s recent cancer diagnosis and the media frenzy that followed. She dives into Trump’s ongoing assault on regulation and accountability, the chaos surrounding the latest budget bill, and the high-stakes debate over birthright citizenship. Also on the docket: a disturbing bombing at a fertility clinic, the latest flashpoints in reproductive rights, and Jake Tapper’s new book that’s already stirring the pot on Biden’s legacy. 

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Trump says no rules!:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/05/18/trump-enforcement-halt-regulations-laws/

SCOTUS birthright citizenship arguments:

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/15/nx-s1-5398025/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship

In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige and Brittany Rastsmith, founder of Bloom Remote, unpack the politics of remote work—how it became a cultural battleground, what it says about worker autonomy, and why the debate goes far beyond productivity. From the historical roots of labor control to the modern media narratives fueling office nostalgia, they explore the tension between flexibility and surveillance, the impact on caregivers, and how “busyness” became a status symbol. It’s a conversation about rethinking work, redefining management, and refusing to let the future of labor be dictated by outdated power structures.

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Check out Brittany’s website: bloomremote.com 

Connect with Brittany on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brittanyrastsmith.

Paige dives into the latest swirl of political absurdity and serious concern. From Karoline Leavitt’s meltdown over price transparency at checkout to Trump’s partisan purge of the Holocaust Memorial Council. Paige breaks down Canada’s surprising election swing, a new U.S. - Ukraine minerals deal, and the bizarre proposal to reopen Alcatraz. She also digs into Trump’s recent interview blunders (dodging questions about due process and the Constitution) and the legal pushback on his misuse of the Alien Enemies Act. Finally, the episode examines a revealing New York Magazine piece on John Fetterman, raising tough questions about health, leadership, and the limits of political accountability.

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John Fetterman Article (paywall): https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/john-fetterman-struggle-mental-health-clinical-depression.html

No paywall!: https://archive.ph/zzQyE

Let's talk money... In this conversation, Paige chats with Dan McMillan, the founder of Save Democracy in America, and discusses the urgent need for campaign finance reform in the United States, emphasizing the failure of the current political system and the overwhelming influence of money in politics. He introduces the concept of 'voter dollars' as a potential solution to empower citizens and reclaim democracy. McMillan highlights the bipartisan support for reform and the challenges posed by dark money and campaign finance. He reflects on the historical context of political dysfunction and the need for systemic change to ensure government accountability to the people. He believes that the true enemy is not the voters but the money that corrupts the political system, and expresses optimism for a future where Americans can unite against this common adversary.

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In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige runs through the whirlwind of headlines from the past two weeks. From the latest twists in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case and the threat of more El Salvador gulags, to governors and universities pushing back on Trump’s agenda—and yes, the most absurd space flex yet: Blue Origin.

We’ll unpack the rise of anti-intellectualism and the attack on so-called “useless” degrees, and the Pentagon’s ongoing chaos (spoiler: Pete Hegseth is still doing the most). Also on deck: Pope Francis’s legacy, JuDas Vance making things so much worse, and Nancy Mace having a full-blown meltdown in the face wash aisle at Ulta.

And to top it off, a deep dive into that jaw-dropping Wall Street Journal exposé on Elon Musk’s parenting choices and the bizarre dynamics with his many baby mamas.

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Read the WSJ Elon piece: https://www.wsj.com/politics/elon-musk-children-mothers-ashley-st-clair-grimes-dc7ba05c

This week Abby (Political Psych with Abby) and Paige are talking collective narcissism. Abby delves into the concept of collective narcissism, exploring its definition, manifestations in political movements, and its implications for social identity and behavior. The discussion highlights the differences between collective narcissism and related concepts like groupthink and patriotism. They also emphasize the psychological underpinnings of collective narcissism and its societal consequences, particularly in the context of contemporary political landscapes. We also hit the dangers of collective narcissism, including aggression towards out groups.

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Check out Abby's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/politicalpsychwithabby

Check out "The Psychology of Collective Narcissism:  https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mono/10.4324/9781003296577/psychology-collective-narcissism-agnieszka-golec-de-zavala?_gl=1*et01bc*_gcl_au*NzgzOTMwNzc0LjE3NDQ3NDYxOTg.*_ga*ODIzNTY2NTM0LjE3NDQ3NDYxOTg.*_ga_0HYE8YG0M6*MTc0NDc0NjE5Ny4xLjAuMTc0NDc0NjE5Ny42MC4wLjA

Listen to the author: https://youtu.be/K99G2JAlf2M?si=vCWTMQLg9WpajiHk

It's not all bad news this week... In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige discusses a range of pressing political issues, including the ongoing Signalgate controversy which now includes G-Mail, Elon Musk's political loss and a big win in Wisconsin, Cory Booker's record breaking speech, and the implications of Trump's tariffs on the economy. The episode also covers GOP corruption in North Carolina, Marine Le Pen's legal troubles, and the Department of Justice's deportation mistakes. Additionally, Paige highlights April 5th protests against Trump and and Obama's call to action for resistance against Trump's agenda, concluding with a discussion on maternity leave and proxy voting in Congress.

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In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige is joined by Katya, the co-founder of Overlap—the app that's making civic engagement way less confusing and a lot more personal. We'll talk about how a couple of 23-year-olds decided they were done feeling politically hopeless and built a tool to fix it.

Katya shares how Overlap is helping users actually understand their political reps, track legislation, and figure out where they stand—without the usual noise. We get into everything from app specifics like memory retention and clean UX, to what it takes to stay unbiased in a chaotic political world. Plus, we talk about why political engagement doesn’t have to be boring, and what it looks like when tech meets democracy in a smart, user-friendly way.

If you’ve ever felt lost trying to “get involved,” this episode’s for you.

If you're in NYC download Overlap RIGHT NOW! in the iOS app store.

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Overlap Website

SignalGate from Start to Finish...

This week on Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige dives into THE news story of the week: when members of the Trump administration accidentally added The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to their Signal group chat discussing attack plans on Yemen and the Houthis. We’ll break down Goldberg’s reporting, go through the released messages, and unpack why this is such a colossal breach of national security. Buckle up—this one’s a wild ride.

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Jeffrey Goldberg article 1: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/

Article 2: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/signal-group-chat-attack-plans-hegseth-goldberg/682176/

In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige covers the Twitter feud between Elon Musk and Senator Mark Kelly, the U.S. landing on a human rights watch list, Trump's threats to free speech, Tim Walz's call for Democrats to take a more aggressive stance, Chuck Schumer's not so compromise with Republicans, and the controversial use of archaic laws for deportation. Rounding out with parallels between historical events in France and January 6th in the U.S. and how it directly led to their fall to fascism in the 1930's. 

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Read about the CIVICUS watch list: https://monitor.civicus.org/watchlist-march-2025/USA/

Read about "illegal" protests and media:

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-federal-funding-will-stop-colleges-schools-allowing-illegal-protests-2025-03-04/

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5195881-trump-media-illegal/

Read the article I read about Musk's China briefing: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/03/20/elon-musk-pentagon-hegseth-doge-china/