Lost Debate

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...

Ravi and Rikki start with the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago before turning to the most revealing moments of CPAC, what did and didn’t make it into Democrats’ final version of their landmark spending bill, and finally, a far-ranging debate on the social and political discourse around masculinity. [0:50] Mar-A-Lago Raid [6:15] CPAC Recap [16:33] Insulin [24:21] Masculinity Check out our show notes: https:/...

Ravi, Cory, and Rikki unpack a showdown between ‘Woke CEOs’ and conservative states that say: we don’t do business with outspoken lefties. They discuss Alex Jones’ trial and the bombshell revelations that his phone records revealed. Then the hosts take a look at the push inside the Biden administration to break apart large corporations. On the education beat, a number of grade schools are banning...

Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start with the Forward Party’s push to crash America’s two-party system before turning to the underwhelming punishment the NFL is handing down to Deshaun Watson. Then we revisit Will Smith and the Oscars slap, dive deep on Sen. Joe Manchin’s new budget bill, take stock of the Monkeypox outbreak, and marvel at Trump’s double Eric endorsement in Missouri.  [1:02] Forward Party...

Ravi, Cory, and Rikki begin with the strange exchange between Glen Greenwald and Alex Jones this week before turning to a few instances of comedy meeting cancel culture. Then they turn to two stories stemming from the southern border – fingerpointing over migrants in major cities like New York and D.C., along with the multibillion dollar industry of smuggling migrants. Finally, the hosts wrap up w...

Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start with Amazon’s deal to buy One Medical before checking in on BA.5 and a few of the pandemic’s consequences: a near-halt to what was already a slow justice system in America, and nearly 30% of Gen Z living at home. The hosts also touch on the accusations that AOC is neglecting her district, as well as the latest takeaways from the Jan. 6 committee hearings, before Ravi wr...

Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start with the latest setback to President Biden’s climate agenda amid record heat waves here in the U.S. and across the Atlantic, where Americans are spending a whole bunch of $$$ as long as it’s near 1:1 parity with the Euro. The hosts also discuss what’s behind the U.S. military’s massive recruiting gaps, an aggressive move to combat the teacher shortage in Arizona, an upd...

Ravi, Cory, and Rikki begin with a far-reaching conversation about the chaos, confusion, and polarization of post-Roe America, touching on the media circus around a 10-year-old rape victim in Ohio, access to abortion pills, and President Biden’s executive order on abortion. The hosts then turn to a pair of economic stories – relentless inflation, and crypto lenders going bankrupt – before wrapping...

Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start by discussing a new law in Arizona that limits civilians’ ability to record cops, before turning to a controversial question of murder or self-defense in a fatal stabbing in a NYC bodega, the PGA Tour’s battle with their new Saudi-backed rival LIV over the future of golf, and newly leaked audio of Steve Bannon forecasting Trump’s plans to claim fraud long before the 202...

Ravi, Cory, and Rikki begin with the latest twist in the Elon Musk-Twitter romance: an ugly breakup. They discuss the legal fallout of Musk backing out of buying the company before turning to a potential prisoner swap to get WNBA star Brittney Griner out of Russia. Then the hosts debate the mandate for San Francisco’s new district attorney and renewed calls for a governmental probe into TikTok’s h...

In this special episode, Ravi is once again outnumbered by two libertarian guest co-hosts: Reason Magazine writer Liz Wolfe and political commentator Stephen Kent. They discuss the feud between the White House and Jeff Bezos over gas prices and inflation. Then they turn to a controversial teacher’s training program in Florida that, some say, is infused with Christian and conservative ideology. The...

In this special episode, Ravi and his guest co-hosts Reason Magazine writer Liz Wolfe and political commentator Stephen Kent weigh in on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that gave women the right to seek an abortion. The hosts also discuss another recent SCOTUS ruling that struck down New York’s concealed carry permit law. Later, they dive into recent...

A century ago, New York City was the infrastructural envy of the world, boasting a newly built subway system and an expansive network of bridges and tunnels. Today, the city's vital arteries lag behind modern standards as prohibitive costs and red tape hold back innovation and progress. The New York Times' Brian Rosenthal, winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, joins Ravi t...