And I assume there’s some kind of mafia thing happening there. I’ve got a copy right over here, you can’t see it - this is not a visual medium, but I enjoy Current Affairs. VT: I guess I’m familiar with Current Affairs. PD: You’ve tweeted over 12 times, “May I come on the podcast.” I’m curious as to why you’ve been interested in wanting to come on the Current Affairs podcast. PD: And Virgil, you’ve been tweeting at us, saying you wanted to come on the program. That’s why news stories have the name of the place, usually, in the first paragraph. You know, many of us felt it was a little Brooklyn-centric. PD: That’s wonderful to hear that you’re happy. He did, for me, what Renoir did for the Moulin de la Galette. And what the writer did was bring this scene to life with very painterly affection. I think I came out really well in the article. How did you feel about your appearance? What did it say about you? PD: You were in that one, and one of our own, Briahna Joy Gray, was in it, and Current Affairs was mentioned, as well. VT: You did leave one thing out, and that was my appearance in the recent New York magazine cover story. PD: Yes, the longer we live, the more complicated everything becomes. And then if you’re Brendan, you have to explain that you have a tenure that was limited. And then seven if you want to add Brendan.

And then six if you add our producer, Chris, that’s a sixth name. PD: No, I don’t know if they’ll break out the names, but they’ll definitely say the name of the program, possibly, on a list of names. Yeah, I don’t get quoted as much in books as like, Matt or Amber do. VT: I like this idea of being in a book, that’s fun. It is at the crossroads of various present day trends: the rise of podcasting, the rise of Twitter-driven subcultures, the rise of the Patreon economy, and of course, the rise of the loud and proud young left. I was going to say that when the history of the millennial left is written, Chapo Trap House is assuredly going to be mentioned. I had one more thing to say in it, that’s a little more fluffy. Chapo, for those who don’t know, is perhaps one of the most talked about, and controversial cultural creations on the young left today. You co-wrote one of the bestselling books, The Chapo Guide To Revolution. We are in the low 100s, here at Current Affairs, but you are number one. Virgil, here, is the host of Chapo Trap House, the leading podcast on Patreon. Where did the hot couch go? I’m in a different podcast, now. And I am here with a very special crossover episode, in the lefty podcast world, because my guest tonight is Virgil Texas. PD: Oh no, I was going to - I have a little intro for you, but I might use some of this. VT: I thought we already began, honestly. VT: I’d be a little bit upset if they were working on my idea. The people who make Soylent are probably testing, “How can I be focused?” PD: This is probably something that the Silicon Valley guys are working on. Like, I don’t want to be drunk, but I don’t want to be up for a long time. I need a stimulant at night that isn’t alcohol. VT: My idea is that there needs to be a night time coffee. Whatever makes you feel better about this.

I’m afraid if I drink one, I’ll be up all night. I didn’t sleep very well last night, and I’ve been up for a while, so I don’t know if I should drink a coffee, when it’s 7:00 PM here. Virgil Texas: Hang on, I’ve got to get in the right headspace, here. It has been lightly edited for grammar and readability. Olson.On a recent episode of the Current Affairs podcast, Pete Davis spoke with cohost of Chapo Trap House, Virgil Texas. Join the session BY PHONE for a discussion of this current event, the response by both governments, and the meaning of El Chapo’s escape for Mexico’s international image, with Mexico security experts Duncan Wood, Alejandro Hope, Steven Dudley, and Eric L. The event will address four specific questions:ġ. How damaging is the escape for the credibility of the Mexican government’s struggle against organised crime?Ģ. What steps is the government taking to try to recapture El Chapo, and what elements are missing from that effort?ģ. How does El Chapo’s escape impact on the panorama of organised crime in Mexico? Will we see a resurgent Sinaloa Cartel now that its leader is free?Ĥ. What impact will the escape have on bilateral relations with the U.S., on trust levels between security agencies, and the ongoing debate over extradition? The Mexico Institute is hosting a dial-in event in which expert analysts will offer their take on the broader implications of this escape on the future of Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico security relationship. On Saturday, July 11, around 9 p.m., drug kingpin Joaquín Guzmán Loera, better known as “El Chapo” Guzmán, escaped, for the second time, from a maximum security prison in Mexico.

Chapo struggle session