In our last Regressives episode, we went over affirmative action and why it might soon be a thing of the past. Today, we'll go through a less-discussed practice in college admissions: legacy admissions. For a century, it's allowed elite schools to cater to elite families, giving blatantly preferential treatment to the nation's wealthiest sons and daughters. It's created a hyper-exclusive pipeline, designed to keep donations flowing to universities while ensuring the most qualified students aren'...
Dec 22, 2022•34 min
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 [16:00] Asian-American College Applicants [25:40] 2022 Faves [33:25] Assisted Suicide Voicemails Vo...
Dec 20, 2022•37 min
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] The Fed [18:30] Social Media [32:57] Assisted Suicide Vote for us for a Signal Award! https://vote.s...
Dec 15, 2022•49 min
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 [4:50] The Twitter Files [31:06] ChatGPT Vote for us for a Signal Award! https://vote.signalaward.c...
Dec 13, 2022•50 min
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] RIP BuzzFeed [38:07] Religion in Schools Vote for us for a Signal Award! https://vote.signalaward.co...
Dec 08, 2022•53 min
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] Student Loan Relief Setbacks [20:34] Involuntary Hospitalizations [40:36] Rat Czar Subscribe to our cha...
Dec 06, 2022•50 min
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 channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTF Subscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ Leav...
Dec 01, 2022•55 min
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] Voicemails Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTF Subscribe to our Substack: https://thelos...
Nov 29, 2022•56 min
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: dating. We wrap up with an interview on where things stand in the Russia-Ukraine war with Anatol Liev...
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 9 min
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 a new pay transparency law in New York City and what it means for employees and employers. [2:55] M...
Nov 16, 2022•58 min
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. [0:55] Intro [5:34] Midterm Analysis [39:00] Carlos Curbelo [52:05] Tara McGowan Subscribe to our channe...
Nov 10, 2022•1 hr 8 min
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-lost-debate iheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/ Amazon Music: https...
Nov 09, 2022•17 min
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-stakes midterm races in the Silver State. [3:02] Senate Forecast [21:10] Student Homelessness [42:33] Ne...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 7 min
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 Republic on the hugely consequential midterm races there. [0:38] Intro [6:31] Elon’s Twitter, [27:12] T...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 9 min
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 the history of affirmative action, how it was borne out of a desire to redress inequality, and why pr...
Oct 30, 2022•1 hr
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. Finally, we wrap up with an interview on all the dynamics at play in the Georgia midterms with the...
Oct 27, 2022•59 min
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-hosted by Ravi Gupta, former Obama staffer and superintendent of a network of charter schools in th...
Oct 26, 2022•52 min
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 Street Journal on the accidental drug overdose deaths of three New Yorkers to unpack the legacies of A...
Oct 25, 2022•54 min
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 candidates up and down the ballot try to dodge the debate stage. [2:32] Just Stop Oil Protests [14:56] Is th...
Oct 20, 2022•49 min
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 recent move to reclassify gig workers and debate whether the rationale adds up. [2:40] Obama on Pod...
Oct 18, 2022•53 min
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 interact with one another. [1:29] Crime Rates & Midterms [16:22] PayPal Misinfo [29:45] SCOTUS ...
Oct 13, 2022•49 min
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] Pickleball [11:28] Elon Musk & Twitter [26:48] Ethics of True Crime [44:11] NYU Professor Chec...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr
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 Microtargeting [12:22] Snowden Debate [34:00] Redshirting Boys [45:47] Generation COVID Check out our show notes:...
Oct 06, 2022•58 min
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 [45:56] Tipping Culture Fatigue Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/10/05/ep-83/ Subsc...
Oct 04, 2022•55 min
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 them on a path that many thought inconceivable just a few years before. On this special episode, Ra...
Oct 02, 2022•59 min
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 Rehab Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/09/30/ep-82/ Subscribe to our channel: h...
Sep 29, 2022•56 min
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 Pay Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/09/28/ep-81/ Subscribe to our channel: ht...
Sep 27, 2022•59 min
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://lostdebate.com/2022/09/23/ep-80/ Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTF Subscribe to our Substack:...
Sep 22, 2022•51 min
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] Congress Members Shady Stock Options [41:15] Boarder Data Privacy Check out our show notes: https://lostdeb...
Sep 20, 2022•53 min
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 [25:12] Defund the TSA? [36:45] Lindsey Graham’s Abortion Bill Check out our show notes: https://lostd...
Sep 15, 2022•46 min
