Current Affairs Unfiltered

In this conversation, Paige and Sam Smeaton, a public school teacher and host of his own podcast ‘All The Things That Matter’, discuss the multifaceted challenges facing public education today, particularly in the wake of COVID-19. They explore the struggles teachers face, including workload, compensation, and the need for support staff. The discussion also touches on the political pressures affec...

Oh boy... In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige discusses a range of pressing political issues, including Donald Trump's military parade, public protests against presidential power grabs, the alarming rise in political violence, and the implications for civil liberties. She also addresses the youth unemployment crisis and Trump's controversial plans to dismantle FEMA, alongside Tuck...

In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige sits down with journalist and author Jenny Abamu to unpack the tangled mess that is truth in today’s media landscape. They dig into how journalism shapes national memory, why misinformation spreads like wildfire, and what happens when headlines chase clicks instead of facts. From the pressures of the 24-hour news cycle to the slow erosion of pub...

In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige returns from Europe with fresh perspective. She dives into the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” unpacking the backlash from Elon Musk, the chaos it’s stirred on the Hill, and Marjorie Taylor Greene’s proud refusal to read it. Paige also breaks down Senator Joni Ernst’s grim take on Medicaid cuts (“we’re all going to die”), the FEMA directors'...

In this episode, Paige is joined by professor, philosopher and writer Anthony David Vernon for a wide-ranging conversation on the quiet evolution of fascism in contemporary culture. They explore how fascist ideologies are increasingly "disguised". Co-opting everything from AI and internet aesthetics to nostalgic pop culture and traditional values. Vernon breaks down how nationalism remains the cen...

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 bom...

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 flexib...

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 (dod...

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 rec...

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-c...

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 em...

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 N...

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 le...

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 i...

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...

In this episode, Paige sits down with Jasmine Bolton to unpack the ongoing attacks on public education, from efforts to eliminate the Department of Education to the growing push for school vouchers. They break down common misconceptions about the Department’s role, the real impact of vouchers on educational equity, and how these policies disproportionately affect students with disabilities and tho...

In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige dives into the most bizarre and significant stories from the past two weeks, including Elon Musk's controversial email to government employees, the White House's manipulation of press access, and the chaotic dynamics among popular MAGA influencers. The episode also covers Trump's tumultuous meeting with Zelensky, the implications of a measles ou...

In today’s polarized world, dating across party lines can feel more impossible than ever. But has it always been this way? In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige and Abby  dive into the challenges, contradictions, and surprising dynamics of political differences in relationships. We explore how ideology shapes attraction, how people navigate major political disagreements, and whether...

**literally 2 hours after I recorded this, Gov. Kathy Hochul came out saying she would not be dismissing Eric Adams so please take that section with a grain of salt**   Everyone be quiet, Elon Musk's kid told Trump to shut his mouth. In this episode, Paige discusses the last two weeks in the news. The conversation covers a range of topics including Trump's proposal to eliminate the penny, the symb...

In this conversation, Paige and Rafael Holmberg take a philosophical lens to the complexities of the political landscape surrounding Donald Trump. They explore the evolution of Trump’s persona from a farcical figure to a serious political player, the implications of populism in contemporary politics, and the paradoxes within Trump’s support base. The discussion also examines the relationship betwe...

The kids are certainly not alright after the last two weeks.    In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Paige breaks down some of the most pressing political developments from the last two weeks. From Elon Musk’s growing influence in government to Trump’s unsettling plans for Guantanamo Bay and Oklahoma’s latest legislative moves, no topic is off-limits. The discussion also explores misconc...

In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered,  Paige is joined by Dr. Robert (Bob) Koopman, renowned economist and former Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization, to break down the basics of today’s global economy. Together, they revisit fundamental economic concepts, explore how they apply to current issues like inflation, labor market shifts, and international trade, and explain what it...

Ok so he's back... We’re diving into the whirlwind of executive actions that marked Donald Trump’s first full day back in the Oval Office. From reinstating controversial policies to introducing sweeping new measures, these decisions set the tone for the next chapter of Trump’s presidency. We’ll break down key actions like the unbanning of TikTok, the withdrawal from international agreements such a...

Alright lets get into it. This week we're were covering a variety of stories over the past few weeks: Mike Johnson retains the speakership, Deb Fischer’s Husband and Karen Pence snub their enemies, Trump’s Expansionist vision for Greenland, Panama and Canada, Amy Coney Barrett has fallen from the grace of MAGA, The Trump team explicitly asks NSC staff about loyalty and Pam Bondi & Pete Hegseth...

In this episode of Current Affairs Unfiltered, Dr. Wendy Jacobson joins Paige for a compelling discussion on cognitive dissonance in politics. Together, they delve into the psychological mechanisms that shape the beliefs and behaviors of Trump supporters, exploring the nuanced answer to the question, "Why does my family act like that?" Dr. Jacobson sheds light on the intersection of the mind and p...