Lost Debate

Ravi and Rikki start with a week’s worth of peak mayhem at Twitter, from the @ElonJet ban, to suspended reporters, to a poll (maybe) deciding Musk’s future at the platform. Then the hosts turn to yet more light on the recent topic of a Regressives episode: discrimination against Asian-American college applicants. Finally, we share some of our favorite content to end the year. [2:43] Twitter Mayhem...

First, Ravi and Rikki chat about SBF’s insistence that he either get some vegan meals or stay out of prison. Then the hosts turn to the Fed’s latest rate hike, look back on the strange economic year that was 2022, and look forward to what’s coming in 2023. Finally, the hosts grapple with a heated debate playing out in Canada and here in the U.S. on the ethics of medically assisted suicide. [3:25]...

First, Ravi and Rikki react to the breaking news on Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud indictment. Then the hosts turn to the wide-ranging “Twitter Files” reporting, discussing why it’s such a political litmus test and which aspects they consider the most significant. Finally, Rikki and Ravi read us their college application essays as crafted by the revolutionary new AI program ChatGPT. [2:44] SBF Indicted...

Ravi and Rikki start with a rundown of Moore v. Harper, the major Supreme Court case poised to shift election laws. Then the hosts turn to the meteoric rise and precipitous fall of a one-time titan of the internet: BuzzFeed. Finally, we head to Oklahoma, where religiously affiliated charter schools could soon be a major facet of the education landscape. [0:26] Intro [4:45] Moore v. Harper [20:23]...

Ravi and Rikki start with the the fierce legal challenges halting President Biden’s student loan relief plan, before turning to New York’s controversial solution to a hard problem to solve: involuntary hospitalizations for the mentally ill. Finally, we stay here in New York – sorry – to talk about an exciting new opportunity in the city’s government: the Rat Czar. [0:40] Intro/Voicemail [4:09] Stu...

Ravi and Rikki start with the latest fallout from the spectacular downfall of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried. The hosts then turn to the historic anti-lockdown protests in China with Pulitzer-winning journalist Ian Johnson and some startling inequities in New York City’s special education system. [3:37] SBF [15:08] China Protests [36:36] Inequity in Special Education [49:430 Voicemails Subscribe to our...

Ravi and Rikki start with all the moral relativism coloring this year’s controversial World Cup in Qatar, before opening their hearts to the many Swifties burned by Ticketmaster’s latest monopolistic debacle. The hosts then turn to the isolation epidemic facing America and what can be done to stem social disconnection. [0:27] Intro [3:58] World Cup [27:28] Ticketmaster [36:15] Loneliness [50:18] V...

Ransomware attacks are on the rise. Rikki and Ravi share where the attacks are coming from, laws put in place to combat them, and how to protect yourself from one. The hosts then take a look at which party – if either – won the education culture war based on midterm election results. That’s followed by a conversation about an inconspicuous activity driving more young people into debt these days: d...

Ravi and Rikki analyze the final results of the 2022 midterm and how both parties are assessing their performance. They then delve into the remarkable rise and fall of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and its enigmatic founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. That’s topped off by a discussion about struggling tech companies, and whether we’re on the cusp of the next dot-com bubble. Finally, the hosts take a look at...

Ravi and Rikki dive deep on their reactions to the 2022 midterms, setting out what we know vs. what’s still up in the air, which issues drove voters, which states surprised us, the importance of split-ticket voters this year, and what comes next for both political parties, including the stage now set for a big Republican showdown between FL Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump. [0:5...

Ravi stayed up on election night to put together a quick midnight recap of all the big takeaways from the 2022 midterms. Not everything will hold by tomorrow, but here are the top 10 things you should know about the surprising early returns from a strange cycle, including who's winning the key races for Senate, House, and Governor around the country. Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-...

Ravi and Rikki start with an overview of where things seem to be heading in Tuesday’s midterm elections, forecasting some key Senate races all over the country. Then the hosts turn to a pressing education crisis hidden in plain sight – rising student homelessness – and discuss its causes and possible solutions. Finally, we sit down with the Nevada Independent’s Jon Ralston to preview the high-stak...

Ravi and Rikki start by briefly discussing the oral arguments before the Supreme Court that could decide the fate of affirmative action: the topic of our latest episode of the Regressives. Then the hosts turn to Elon Musk’s first week at the helm of Twitter, why Meta’s full-throttle investments in the Metaverse have investors in crisis mode, and an interview with two reporters from the Arizona Rep...

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...