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, Childless Women = Higher Earners [27:10] Newsom vs. Biden Drama [36:35] China’s Slowing Economy Check...
Sep 13, 2022•49 min
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 their conclusions. And finally, we’ll check back in on an Arizona mom who’s become a cause célèbre for ...
Sep 08, 2022•49 min
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] Turmoil at CNN [21:00] PA Midterms [29:30] Veganism =/= Green? Check out our show notes: https://lost...
Sep 01, 2022•39 min
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 on Rogan [32:40] Equity in Admissions [41:45] Mar-a-Lago Affidavit [46:04] No Djokovic Check out our...
Aug 30, 2022•51 min
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 bunch of updates from a busy news week, including two convictions in the plot to kidnap Michigan Governo...
Aug 25, 2022•49 min
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 Training [24:47] Ohio Opioids Suits [32:36] Teachers in Turmoil [47:57} Updates Check out our show notes...
Aug 23, 2022•51 min
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 [27:55] Liz Cheney’s loss [35:20] Student Progress Data [48:30} Ravi’s Radical Idea Check out our sh...
Aug 18, 2022•52 min
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 with a debate getting a lot of play among conservative media and lawmakers right now: “defund the F...
Aug 16, 2022•56 min
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, and of course, one of Ravi’s Radical Ideas. [00:00] Intro/Garland Update [04:20] “More-a-Lago” [15...
Aug 11, 2022•48 min
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://lostdebate.com/2022/08/10/ep-68/ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTF Subscribe to our ...
Aug 09, 2022•37 min
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 cellphones inside classrooms. Finally, they cover the Miami Dolphins scandal, a vote to protect abor...
Aug 04, 2022•50 min
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 [10:35] DeShaun Watson Fallout [16:15] Will Smith Apology [21:04] Inflation Reduction Act [35:44] Mon...
Aug 02, 2022•48 min
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 with a debate on the value of homework and tick through a few rapid fire updates from a busy news wee...
Jul 28, 2022•47 min
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 wraps up with a response to a comment from a listener. [1:08] Amazon & One Medical [11:22] BA.5 [1...
Jul 26, 2022•50 min
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 update on the University of Austin, and senators’ deal to reform an archaic election law. Finally: the ...
Jul 21, 2022•49 min
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 up with a rapid fire round of updates on Elon Musk and Twitter, Biden in Saudi Arabia, and Texas la...
Jul 19, 2022•45 min
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 2020 election. [1:20] Recording Cops [11:50] Bodega Murder vs. Self-Defense [23:30] PGA-LIV Feud [33:55...
Jul 14, 2022•43 min
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 handling of user data. [1:35] Elon Musk vs. Twitter [13:35] Biden's Age [17:04] Brittney Griner [23:4...
Jul 12, 2022•40 min
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 three hosts also weigh in on a recent ruling by the Supreme Court that some claim is more significa...
Jul 07, 2022•1 hr 3 min
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 data on Gen Z’s political leanings, as well as their attitudes towards sex, careers and marriages. ...
Jun 29, 2022•1 hr 1 min
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 to diagnose the sticker shock and regulatory hurdles standing in the way of infrastructure progress i...
Jun 27, 2022•28 min
Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start by explaining the chaotic state of air travel these days, before turning to yet more damning updates on the police response in Uvalde and a breakthrough in the Senate on gun reform. The hosts then review what we’ve seen from the January 6 committee’s hearings so far and discuss what their case will ultimately amount to. Rikki walks us by the trunk through the fascinating legal case of Happy the Elephant as the hosts debate the concept of legal personhood and where it ...
Jun 23, 2022•50 min
Ravi, Cory, and Rikki jump into #TechTuesday (patent pending) with a big question: what constitutes sentience, and does Google’s AI chatbot LaMDA pass the test? Then we turn to the push to regulate the booming business of location data, and check in on the state of self-driving car safety. Finally, we wrap up with a discussion on the lagging effort to bring workable WiFi access to rural America, and the core demographic that dominates political Twitter. [1:45] Google/Sentient AI [12:20] Health D...
Jun 21, 2022•40 min
Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start with America’s inflation crisis, the Fed’s efforts to combat it, and the resulting bear market. Then the hosts turn to the recent discourse around the alleged societal harms of marijuana use, the attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s life, the showdown between the Biden administration and charter schools, and the potentially shifting tide of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Finally, we wrap up with a Eurotrip edition of Ravi’s wild ideas. [1:45] Inflation/Economy...
Jun 17, 2022•45 min
Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start with the recall vote that ousted San Francisco’s progressive DA, Chesa Boudin before turning to NYC’s plans to throw a couple casinos in the concrete jungle and Ilya Shapiro resigning from Georgetown. Then we turn to a lengthy debate on California’s reparations task force, debating whether America can redress the legacies of slavery and the best proposals to try. Finally, we wrap up with an update on bipartisan gun reform talks in the Senate and our weekly check-in wi...
Jun 09, 2022•47 min
Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start with all the fallout from the double-edged defamation trial that captured a nation: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Then the hosts tour the campus of a Facebook-funded “Metaversity” before talking about real classrooms and how many students should be in each one, new charges for the Proud Boys over their role on January 6, the Biden administration’s reversal on Saudi Arabia, New York’s moratorium on PoW crypto mining, and most importantly of all: rescue rats. [2:04] Depp...
Jun 07, 2022•48 min
Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start by checking in on the slowing work-from-home trend before turning to a growing one: the rise of Buy Now, Pay Later. We then turn to the Biden administration’s approach to inflation and one of the thorniest longstanding debates all around the world: whether sex work should be legalized. Finally, we take a look at some sobering testimonials from school counselors and hear from Ravi on his weekly out-there idea. [1:00] Work from Home Trends [8:30] Buy Now, Pay Later [15:...
Jun 02, 2022•48 min
Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start with the outrage over the police response to the Uvalde school shooting, as new details emerge about the timeline of that tragedy. They then turn to the latest revelations from the Durham probe and whether it’s yet produced the smoking gun some outlets have asserted in the last week. Rikki walks us through the Supreme Court’s intensifying investigation into who leaked the draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, and Ravi explains what the hell is going on with t...
May 31, 2022•40 min
"School choice" is among the most politicized phrases in America, mainly because it means different things to different people. Charter schools are at the heart of that divisive debate, pitting progressives and conservatives against one another in a shouting match over what "choice" truly means and who deserves to have it. Ravi sits down with Shavar Jeffries, the president of Democrats for Education Reform, to talk about fighting for charter schools, the many progressives who resist school choic...
May 29, 2022•44 min
Ravi, Cory, and Rikki start with the horrific school shooting in Texas, leaving 21 people dead: 19 of them, only 4th graders. The hosts address the resulting gun reform debate playing out across America before turning to another heated reform discussion: police accountability. We go through Biden’s new executive order and whether it’s a template worth applying on a wider scale. Then we jump into Florida’s soundly rejected social media free speech law, drawing the ire of Gov. DeSantis. Finally, w...
May 26, 2022•51 min
