Lost Debate

By all expectations, affirmative action is about to be a thing of the past. In a pair of landmark college admissions cases before the Supreme Court, a newly conservative majority is all but certain to roll back a major pillar of American life since the Civil Rights movement. Through talking to the plaintiffs in those cases, activists, legal experts, academics, and everyone in between, we revisit t...

Ravi and Rikki start with the latest fallout from Kanye West’s recent antisemitic rants, including this week’s decisions by companies like Adidas, GAP, and Balenciaga to sever their ties with the embattled rapper. Then the hosts move on to a wide-ranging discussion about trigger warnings: where they came from, where they’re appropriate and where they aren’t, and exactly how helpful they seem to be...

Introducing "The Citizen Stewart Show," which is taking over the Lost Debate feed for a special episode! “The Citizen Stewart Show” is an independent, pull-no-punches podcast about the perils and promise of education and democracy. Hosted by Chris “Citizen” Stewart, CEO of Brightbeam, a nonprofit national network of activists fighting for educational opportunity and justice for every child. And co...

Ravi and Rikki start by joining the renewed debate here in America over the value of national service as the global K-pop sensations BTS return to South Korea to serve their country. Then the hosts turn to the philosophical quandaries posed by AI art platforms like DALL-E 2 and discuss whether they’ll eventually supplant human-made art. Finally, Ravi and Rikki take a tragic report from the Wall St...

Ravi and Rikki start by asking what makes a good protest, in light of the much-derided demonstrations from groups like Just Stop Oil and Animal Rebellion recently. Then the hosts turn to a question many treat as settled: is the Supreme Court partisan? And if so, is it more partisan than it used to be? Finally, Ravi and Rikki discuss whether political debates can be saved, as more and more candidat...

Ravi and Rikki start by discussing former President Obama’s appearance on Pod Save America and why his remarks on inclusivity seem so novel in today’s Democratic landscape. Then the hosts turn to a specific kind of deregulation that both Democrats and Republicans might be able to get behind: cutting back the red tape around licensing laws. Finally, Ravi and Rikki explain the Biden administration’s...

Ravi and Rikki first welcome their guest for the day, Kmele Foster. Then the hosts briefly note today’s discouraging inflation numbers before turning to how violent crime rates are impacting midterm races around the country, PayPal’s much-criticized and quickly retracted misinformation policy, and a fascinating case before the Supreme Court with potentially sweeping implications for the way states...

Ravi and Rikki start with a quick chat on the whimsical sport that seems to be taking over the country: pickleball. Then they return to the neverending Musk-Twitter saga, now that the deal seems to finally be going through. Finally, the hosts discuss the ethical quandary of true crime as entertainment as well as the recent dismissal of an NYU professor criticized for being too hard a grader. [1:11...

Ravi and Rikki begin by discussing the proliferation of social media data in campaign ad targeting, before turning to two recently renewed debates: the legacy of Edward Snowden, and whether boys should start school a year later than girls. Finally, the hosts finish with a conversation around a recent Newsweek cover story on the growing number of “disconnected” Gen Zers. [01:57] Voter Microtargetin...

Ravi and Rikki start with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, reviewing the devastation before turning to the state of coastal development and the Biden-DeSantis politics underlying the storm response. Then the hosts move on to a business slowdown for Beyond Meat, a cooling housing market, and the advent of guilt tipping. [2:24] Hurricane Ian [22:04] Fake Meat Flop [35:19] Housing Market Cooldown [45:...

John White is an educator and public official who served as the Louisiana Superintendent of Education from 2012 to 2020. John arrived in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and was tasked with reinventing an education system that was routinely ranked at very bottom of the United States. He used the crisis to push through reforms that transformed the lives of Louisiana students, putting...

Ravi and Rikki start with the 10-year anniversary of Tinder and how dating apps have changed the way people interact, before turning to the lackluster early returns from Oregon’s move to decriminalize hard drugs and the cultural appropriation uproar over the once-celebrated and since-cancelled Meg Smaker documentary “Jihad Rehab.” [3:26] Dating Apps [28:50] Oregon Gubernatorial Race [41:43] Jihad...

Ravi and Rikki begin with the persistent national security concerns around TikTok, before turning to the riches of non-profit-in-name-only hospitals, New York’s failure to follow through on converting vacant hotels into affordable housing, and a deep dive on the conventional wisdom around underpaid teachers. [2:32] TikTok Security [14:40] “Non-Profit” Hospitals [30:45] NYC Housing, [44:10] Teacher...

Ravi and Rikki start with the two legal setbacks facing Trump’s lawyers this week, before turning to the shifting vaccine mandates in New York, the growing popularity of charter schools since the pandemic, and the ethical perils of self-checkout shopping. [2:44] Trump Updates [14:52] FDNY Vaccine Mandate [32:30] Charter Schools [43:30] Self-Checkout Theft Check out our show notes: https://lostdeba...

Ravi and Rikki start with FL Gov. Ron DeSantis transporting migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, MA, before turning to the Patagonia founder’s decision to donate the company to climate change efforts, growing calls for Congress to ban its members from trading stocks, and how the CBP is holding a secret trove of Americans’ device data. [2:15] DeSantis' Migrant Stunts [18:14] Patagonia CEO [29:54] Congres...

Ravi and Rikki start off with a bombshell report from the New York Times on underperforming Hasidic schools, before turning to Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and his role in Mississippi’s welfare fraud scandal, renewed debate around the efficacy of the TSA, and Sen. Lindsey Graham’s reversal on who should govern abortion access. [01:32] NYT Hasidic Schools Report [16:03] Brett Favre Fraud [2...

 Ravi and Rikki start with the latest legal drama from the Mar-a-Lago investigation, before turning to new data showing single women without children are making more money than their male counterparts, President Biden’s pro-labor jab at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and why more and more economists now think China may never outgrow the U.S. economy. [02:22] Mar-a-Lago Raid Updates [11:04] Single,...

Ravi and Rikki start this special Back to School episode by discussing a new series from The New York Times asking authors a simple yet expansive question: What Is School For? Then the hosts turn to the “Nation’s Report Card,” a bleak look at the extent and severity of COVID learning losses. FIRE is out with its annual college free speech rankings; Rikki and Ravi sift through the data and draw the...

Ravi and Rikki start with Ravi’s reporting from Jackson, MS, where a historic crisis has left more than a hundred thousand people without running water indefinitely. Then the hosts turn to the shake-up at CNN under the network’s new leadership, some more on-the-road reporting on the Pennsylvania midterms, and renewed debate over the sustainability of veganism.  [1:30] Jackson Water Crisis [13:10]...

Ravi and Rikki start by unpacking the internet’s hottest new buzzword: quiet quitting. Then they move on to Mark Zuckerberg’s long sitdown with Joe Rogan, a heated fight over equity in admissions at a prestigious Virginia high school, the unredacted revelations from the Mar-a-Lago affidavit, and Novak Djokovic sitting out the U.S. Open over his vaccination  [4:28] Quiet Quitting [13:30] Zuckerberg...

Ravi and Rikki start with President Biden’s decision to forgive student loan debt, discussing whether it’s the right approach to addressing the problem. Then they turn to two big changes in American public health – an overhaul at the CDC, and Dr. Anthony Fauci announcing his retirement – as well as the gaps between what Americans say aloud and what they actually think. Finally, they go over a bunc...

Ravi and Rikki lead things off with a lighthearted review for a pretty rough watch: the Netflix phenomenon Purple Hearts. Then the hosts turn to diversity standards and training in schools, companies, and broader society, as well as the turmoil in the teaching profession and a major tort case in Ohio blaming pharmacies for the opioid epidemic. [1:51] Netflix's "Purple Hearts" [9:48} Diversity Trai...

Rikki and Ravi start by discussing the return of disgraced WeWork founder Adam Neumann before turning to the growing trend of “worker productivity scores,” Liz Cheney’s resounding defeat in Wyoming, and a few fascinating sets of data on student progress and performance. Finally, Ravi hits us with another one of his radical ideas.  [03:15] Adam Neumann’s comeback? [19:06] Worker Productivity Scores...

Ravi and Rikki begin with Friday’s horrific attack on author Salman Rushdie, a champion for free expression in the face of decades-long death threats. We then turn to the shifting landscape of journalism, from the continued decline in local newsrooms to the rise of independent voices on platforms like Substack. Then we get into a particularly egregious case of NIMBYism in Silicon Valley and engage...

Ravi and Rikki start with a bit More-a-Lago on the FBI, Trump, and the reaction throughout the media over the last few days. Then they turn to Washington’s least popular bureaucrats, the IRS, as well as the country’s two most popular credit card companies: Visa and Mastercard. Each host goes over a compelling primary race this week before we wrap up with DeSantis suspending a prosecutor in Florida...