A philosophical exploration of this month’s biggest news stories.
Philosophical Currents is a monthly conversation between philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein and journalists Ashley Thornberg or craig blumenshine. It is a non-adversarial and accessible journey through the parts of the news that always seems to get left behind: the assumptions we take for granted.
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Meet Our Hosts
Jack Russell Weinstein
Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Dakota. For the last fifteen years, Jack has been the host of Prairie Public’s Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life. Originally from New York City, he is the author of three books, and is an amateur triathlete and a hobbyist baker.
Ashley Thornberg
Producer and host for Prairie Public’s Main Street. Ashley is an Edward R. Murrow regional award winner. Her interview passion and good humor comes through in all of her discussions. She started her career teaching and writing outside of Paris. Now based in North Dakota, Ashley practices and teaches yoga.
Craig Blumenshine
Producer and host of Prairie Public’s Main Street. Craig came to Prairie Public from Wyoming he served as the senior public affairs producer for WyomingPBS, interviewing scores of people from across the state for the Wyoming Chronicle series and popular Capitol Outlook show. Craig and his wife Tracy have three children.
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Most Recent Episode
No One Above the Law: A Philosophical Reckoning in a Time of Crisis
Craig and Jack engage in a searching and unsettling conversation about the rule of law and whether it is holding in today’s politically charged climate. Prompted by recent deadly enforcement actions in Minneapolis and conflicting official accounts, Jack unpacks what the rule of law truly means: predictability, accountability, and equal application, even, and especially, for those in power. Drawing on philosophy, history, and vivid real-world analogies, the discussion explores the difference between law and propaganda, the erosion of public trust, and the fragile line between order and chaos. At stake is a foundational question for democracy itself: when the law feels arbitrary, who is protected; and who is left powerless?
Episode Archive
Philosophical Currents is recorded as a segment of the Prairie Public radio news magazine Main Street.
