Lost Debate

In this special episode, Ravi reacts to yesterday's groundbreaking decision by the Supreme Court to end affirmative action as we know it. Listen to our previous episodes on this case: A Funeral for Affirmative Action (Regressives, 10/30/22): https://thebranchmedia.org/show/regressives/a-funeral-for-affirmative-action/ The Problem With College Admissions (Regressives, 12/22/22): https://thebranchme...

Ravi is joined by guest co-host Isaac Saul, founder and author of the popular newsletter Tangle. Presidential hopeful RFK Jr. went on Joe Rogan’s podcast to talk through his candidacy and his years of anti-vaccine advocacy. Rogan then offered vaccine scientist Peter Hotez $100,000 to debate RFK. Should scientists debate conspiracy theorists? After the House Freedom Caucus demanded concessions from...

What should parents and educators do to curb the growing issue of phones in schools? We talk to education expert Doug Lemov about sensible choices for this complex issue. The service industry’s staffing shortages continue, and Americans are getting fed up with the lousy service. Rikki and Ravi discuss how we got here and how restaurants can use technology to deal with this challenge. Corporate Ame...

Justice Alito is the recent focus of SCOTUS ethics scandals. Is it finally time for reform? India's Prime Minister Modi is in America for a much-hyped state visit with President Biden. We dive into who Narendra Modi is, how he came to power, and American misconceptions about the leader of the world's largest democracy. Alarming new national data shows math and reading scores for 13-year-olds are t...

In breaking news, Hunter Biden pleads guilty to federal tax charges, and strikes deal on a gun charge. Ravi and Rikki, debate what happens now to the public conversation on investigations into the Biden family. A new study by the Wall Street Journal on homelessness across the country shows a sharper increase in recent years, especially in urban areas. What caused this spike? And, is “Housing First...

Former President Donald Trump was arraigned in federal court on documents and obstruction charges this week. Ravi and Rikki talk through the details of the case and predict what's likely to happen in the trial of the century. Helicopter parents are now buzzing around the workplace. From job applications and interviews to work conflicts, how should employers react when mom and dad try to take over?...

Ravi is joined by guest co-host Isaac Saul, the author of the popular newsletter Tangle. Former President Trump has been indicted on charges linked to the mishandling of classified documents after leaving office. What happens next, and will he be arrested? Ravi and Isaac dive into the details of these historic charges. On Thursday, SCOTUS upheld a decision overturning Alabama's congressional map,...

CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht is out after just over a year on the job. The firing comes after a tumultuous tenure and a recent disastrous expose from The Atlantic. Rikki goes on the campaign trail with Vivek Ramaswamy, the youngest Republican presidential candidate ever. After President Biden tripped and fell onstage at an Air Force commencement, concerns about his age have returned to center...

Apple announced its first major product since 2014: the Vision Pro headset. The company has officially entered the augmented and virtual reality race, and time will tell if customers follow. More men are getting vasectomies post-Dobbs. Is this an evolution of how Americans view birth control? Ravi and Rikki then turn to two contradictory trends: the rise of both meat consumption and vegetarianism....

The House passed the debt ceiling deal. Now that they’ve broken the gridlock, the deal will head to the Senate and then Biden’s desk. Ravi and Rikki break down the winners and the losers, and what this says about our fraught political process. A growing number of conservatives want to revisit no-fault divorce laws in this country. How serious is this effort and could it change marriage as we know...

In this special episode, Ravi talks to Tim Urban, the creator of the wildly popular blog “Wait But Why” about his new book "What's Our Problem?" – a fun and fascinating deep dive into what the hell is going on in our strange, unprecedented modern times. The two discuss why we’re polarized, the trouble with contemporary media and politics, and how we can build a better, more humane civil society. ...

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ highly anticipated presidential campaign got off to a glitchy start in his Twitter spaces conversation with Elon Musk. Will DeSantis be able to put it behind him and make a surge against Trump?  The relationship between the government and nonprofits has been an issue for a long time, from overuse and misuse to corruption. But, has the progressive movement made it wor...

Boycotts usually fizzle quickly, but the great Bud Light Boycott of 2023 continues to get heat from every side. Sales are down dramatically, and everyone has an issue with the company’s response. The IRS has been busy this offseason doing some things you'll like and some you probably won't. And finally, just when you thought college admissions could not get any worse, you can now pay to make your...

Andrew Yang sits down with Rikki and Ravi to talk about why our democratic system is broken and how to fix it. He also discusses the 2024 presidential field, the dangers and opportunities of artificial intelligence, how he thinks about alternative media, and why we need more tolerance for people with different beliefs. Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570 Show notes: h...

ChatGPT’s CEO calls for government regulation of his company and the broader AI industry. Ravi and Rikki discuss Sam Altman’s Congressional testimony and debate what government should do to regulate (but not stifle) AI’s future. Special Counsel John Durham’s findings on the FBI's Trump-Russia probe were released Monday. The hosts unpack the long-awaited report, whether it exonerates Trump, and how...

Did Twitter side with Turkey’s authoritarian leader and suppress free speech ahead of the country’s presidential election? Ravi and Rikki dive into Elon Musk’s latest controversy, question his dedication to free speech, and predict how (or if) new CEO Linda Yaccarino will impact Twitter’s bottom line. The hosts then turn to the latest on the debt ceiling negotiations. Will Speaker McCarthy break f...

Ravi and Rikki kick off today’s episode by talking about Rep. George Santos facing federal fraud charges on the same day that Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Then they take a deep dive into the end of Title 42, the controversial pandemic-era immigration measure. Will this lead to a massive influx of migrants, and what, if anything, can the Biden administration do? The hosts...

Ravi is joined by Tangle’s Isaac Saul and Ground News’ Harleen Kaur for a conversation about media bias and polarization. From coverage of the Kyle Rittenhouse case to the Pizzagate conspiracy, they discuss how different wings of mainstream and alternative media radicalize each other – and how each of their organizations has worked to stay as objective as possible while keeping their audiences eng...

Ravi and Rikki start today’s episode by talking about the writers strike. Picketing for better wages, AI regulation, fully-staffed writers’ rooms, and more. How long will the walkout last? We talk through all the possible outcomes. Then we turn to another story about unions causing a ruckus. Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, pushed back against conservative cr...

Ravi and Rikki start today’s episode with a healthy debate on participation trophies. Are these pointless plastic keepsakes ruining our childrens’ hopes of ever knowing what it truly means to be a winner? Three Republican state senators from North Carolina seem to think so, introducing a bill in the legislature to ban participation trophies in youth sports. Then, the duo sits down with Harvard phi...

Ravi and Rikki dive into the deep end of the programs that are meant to care for the country’s most vulnerable children: the child-welfare system. First, Ravi interviews journalist and author Dr. Christine Kenneally. Her new book "Ghosts of the Orphanage: A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence, and a Search for Justice” tells survivors’ traumatic stories of abuse from inside a Catho...

Ravi, Rikki, and newcomer Micky jump into #TrendyTuesday, looking at four trends shaping our world. First, the trio talk about community college enrollment, which has been plummeting over the past decade. What’s behind the drop? And should we invest in reversing it? Then the group pivots to our podcast’s most talked about generation: GenZ. Zoomers are traveling in record numbers compared to their...

Ravi, Rikki, and Joe look at new reporting from the New York Times, which found that a small number of repeat offenders accounted for almost one third of all shoplifting arrests in New York City last year. How did we get here? And is this part of a larger, national issue? We talk with local bodega owners to see what they’re experiencing. Then we pivot to a discussion about the unluckiest generatio...

Ravi, Rikki, and Joe talk through their updated takes on the chaos that is Twitter. From classifying National Public Radio as “state-affiliated media,” to getting into a feisty exchange with a BBC reporter during an interview last week, the trio ask the question on everyone’s mind: what’s up with this Elon guy? Then the gang jumps into a conversation about recovery High Schools, specialized educat...

Ravi, Rikki, and Joe talk about the latest scandal to hit the United States Supreme Court: Associate Justice Clarence Thomas accepting lavish travel itineraries from a wealthy Republican donor (and friend) without including it on his public financial disclosures. Unethical? Or illegal? We try to get to the bottom of it. Then, just for the hell of it, the trio talk about the ACLU’s newest legal fig...