We Can’t Let the Right Have Mold, Too - Home ❧ Current Affairs

What the report says

Current Affairs published a healthcare essay by Emily Carmichael on 27 July 2026 arguing that unsafe, mold-affected housing should be treated as a serious public and political problem rather than ceded to right-wing wellness influencers and “Make America Healthy Again” entrepreneurs. The piece uses Carmichael’s account of moving into an old Park Slope apartment in Brooklyn, where she says she quickly experienced burning eyes, throat irritation and stomach discomfort, as a way into a broader discussion of how mold fears circulate online.

Carmichael describes being warned by the building superintendent that the property had a history of leaks, including a past ceiling flood in her unit and an upstairs radiator problem, though she was told repairs had been made. She says that on move-in day several basic fixtures did not work properly and parts of the flooring near a radiator came loose, adding to her concern that the apartment environment might be affecting her health.

The essay also examines how people searching for information about mold can encounter both mainstream health guidance and increasingly commercialized wellness content. Carmichael notes that online sources such as Healthline and the Centers for Disease Control have recognized that mold exposure can be associated with symptoms, while social media content she encountered promoted costly remediation, supplements and other products, sometimes alongside unsupported claims about detoxing or electromagnetic fields.

The significance of the article is its political framing: Current Affairs presents mold not simply as a niche wellness anxiety, but as an issue tied to tenant safety, building maintenance and public health. The essay warns that when institutions fail to address housing hazards credibly, opportunistic figures can fill the gap with pseudoscience and consumer products.