Ravi welcomes Todd Rose, co-founder and CEO of Populace, back to the podcast to discuss the current political climate, from the topics most Americans care about that no presidential campaign has addressed to the state of the Israel-Hamas war and its influence on the 2024 election. Ravi and Todd then react to Columbia President Minouche Shafik’s decision to resign and the need for universities to rethink their approach to identity politics and meritocracy. Finally, they take a closer look at emer...
Aug 15, 2024•59 min
Ravi welcomes Tyler Austin Harper, contributing writer at The Atlantic and assistant professor at Bates College, to the podcast to discuss the 2024 presidential race. They cover everything from the continuing series of identity-based fundraisers like White Dudes for Harris and the need for the Harris-Walz campaign to define their policy positions to whether there’s truth in JD Vance’s claims that Democrats are anti-family. They also discuss the need for the Trump-Vance campaign to stay on messag...
Aug 13, 2024•52 min
Ravi welcomes Bob Spitz, music journalist and the foremost rock biographer, to discuss his recent biography on Led Zeppelin. They explore the rise of Zeppelin and their impact on the music scene of the 1970s. They also dive into Bob’s experience managing Bruce Springsteen in the early '70s and writing about iconic bands such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones. Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570 Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9...
Aug 11, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Ravi kicks off the show by tackling Trump’s Mar-A-Lago press conference and Joe Rogan's endorsement of RFK Jr. Next, Ravi welcomes Isaac Saul from Tangle and Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a senior fellow at The Atlantic and a U.S. citizen from Gaza, to discuss the current state of the presidential race. They debate Kamala Harris's choice of Tim Walz as her running mate, examine the pro-Palestinian movement’s reaction, and explore why Harris did not choose Josh Shapiro. Finally, Ravi, Ahmed, and Isaac tu...
Aug 08, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. A veteran, former teacher, and seasoned lawmaker, Walz spent a decade in Congress before becoming governor. He gained national attention on “Morning Joe” after he called Donald Trump and JD Vance “weird.” Ravi dives into everything you need to know about Tim Walz, from his childhood in Nebraska to his political record. Ravi also takes a closer look at the reasons Harris picked Walz to join her on the Democratic ...
Aug 06, 2024•39 min
Ravi welcomes New York Times Op-Ed columnist Pamela Paul to the show to discuss her skepticism about Vice President Kamala Harris as a candidate and the way in which Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee. Ravi and Pamela explore what Harris needs to do to start making her case to voters, from the importance of a new vision for K-12 education to how voters crave authenticity in today's politics. They also discuss Pamela’s recent piece, 'The Republican Party’s Elite Conundrum,' which ex...
Aug 02, 2024•51 min
Why has the Trump campaign struggled to adapt to the new realities of the presidential race? Ravi breaks down how Biden’s departure has impacted the way the election is framed, why voters may be more likely to view Vice President Harris as the change candidate, and what both campaigns need to prioritize to appeal to moderate voters. Then, Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, joins the show to discuss his new book, Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good ...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Ravi runs through the state of the presidential race, from Kamala Harris' ascendancy as the presumptive Democratic nominee and the candidates who could join her on the presidential ticket to why JD Vance has quickly become a liability for the Trump campaign. Time Stamps: [2:10] Kamala-mentum [12:04] Vance's Last Dance [34:38] Trump Assassination Attempt What do you want to know about the election? Send us a text or leave us a voicemail: 321-200-0570 Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly...
Jul 30, 2024•38 min
Ravi kicks off the show by giving his immediate take on President Biden’s highly anticipated press conference at the NATO Summit. Then Ravi is joined by Matt Barnum, The Wall Street Journal’s K-12 Education Reporter, to discuss the current trends in education. Ravi and Matt discuss cell phone policies in schools, the potential impact of ESAs on traditional school districts, and the state of the charter school movement. [00:01] President Biden Press Conference [06:02] Overlooked Education Trends ...
Jul 12, 2024•48 min
Ravi kicks off the show by taking stock of the continued fallout from President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. He then welcomes Laura Meckler, national education reporter for The Washington Post, to discuss the evolution of homeschooling and the discourse surrounding it, from funding to regulation and accountability. [0:01] Biden’s Standoff [26:29] Homeschooling Revolution Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570 Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Ravi shares his latest thoughts on President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. He explains how months of obfuscation from Biden, his team, and the insiders closest to the administration could impact the 2024 election, advocates for more truth-telling, and responds to those who say it’s too late to replace the president on the ticket. Ravi then welcomes Jamie Hodari, co-founder and CEO of Industrious, back to the pod to talk about the latest trends in business, workplace culture, and real es...
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Ravi reacts to President Biden’s performance during the presidential debate, makes the case for Biden to step aside ahead of the Democratic National Convention, and calls for more accountability and honesty from left-wing media and the leadership within the Democratic Party. Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show: 321-200-0570 Subscribe to Lost Debate on Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/ Follow The...
Jun 28, 2024•13 min
In this special episode, Ravi is joined by Michael D. Shear, White House correspondent at The New York Times, to discuss what to expect from the upcoming presidential debate. They then turn to President Joe Biden’s closest advisers; who they are, why they’re largely unknown, and how they wield their power within the administration. Finally, Ravi and Michael explore the political reasoning behind and implications of Biden’s recent executive actions on immigration. Leave us a voicemail with your t...
Jun 27, 2024•43 min
President Biden and former President Trump will face off in the first 2024 presidential debate later this week. Ravi takes stock of where both candidates stand heading into the debate, from their status in the polls and different approaches to fundraising to why TikTok videos about Trump receive more positive engagement than videos that mention Biden. Then, Ravi welcomes Derrell Bradford, president of 50CAN, to discuss the future of education and what we can learn from the evolution of education...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 11 min
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured a third term in office earlier this month, but voters denied him an outright parliamentary majority after an election cycle dominated by concerns over the economy, environmental degradation, and corruption. In this special episode, Ravi speaks with Kapil Komireddi, author of the recent New Yorker piece, 'My Father’s Fate and India’s,' about the repercussions of the election, the rise of Hindu nationalism, and what the future of democracy in India coul...
Jun 23, 2024•41 min
The first presidential debate is around the corner. Ravi takes stock of the ways the Biden and Trump teams have approached debate preparation, explains how both camps have worked to shape the narrative leading up to the debate, and whether the candidates’ performance could impact the state of the election. He then turns to external forces in the election and explores a new piece from Julia Ioffe in Puck, which details Russia’s incompetent and sloppy efforts to influence this election cycle. Then...
Jun 20, 2024•49 min
President Biden and former President Trump have the highest share of “double haters” in at least three decades, with new data from Pew showing that a quarter of Americans hold unfavorable views of both men. Ravi discusses this after diving into the politics behind Biden’s latest executive action, which will offer new legal projections for undocumented immigrants who are married to or stepchildren of American citizens, and why the turmoil threatening China’s solar industry impacts the world. Fina...
Jun 18, 2024•56 min
Hunter Biden was convicted on all three counts in his federal gun trial this week. Ravi takes stock of the verdict and President Biden’s response before diving into the secret recordings of Supreme Court Justices Alito and Roberts, the new partnership between OpenAI and Apple, why to pay attention to foreign political interference in Canada, and what’s behind Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s increased unpopularity. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar says civilian casualties are “necessary sacrifices” and ...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 29 min
Ravi dives into the news of the day, from the aftermath of the Trump verdict and Biden’s asylum ban at the US-Mexico border to what Mexico’s recent elections say about the rise of authoritarianism in the country. He then gives an update on Amanda Knox’s latest legal challenge and explains why more people should care about the lack of air conditioning in U.S. prisons. Finally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will keep power for a third term after India’s election results were released this week. Rav...
Jun 06, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Ravi recently joined Tell Me About Your Father to discuss how his relationship with his parents has influenced everything from his career to how he approaches people with different opinions. To hear more, follow Tell Me About Your Father wherever you listen to podcasts. On this episode of Tell Me About Your Father, Matt Phillp talks with former Obama staffer and school principal and current co-host of both the Majority 54 podcast and the Lost Debate podcast, Ravi Gupta, about growing up with a d...
Jun 02, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Donald Trump has been found guilty on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money criminal trial. Ravi discusses what we know about the breaking news and what could happen next. Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570 Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/ Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmedia Follow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmedia Follow The Branch on Substack: https://thelostdeb...
May 30, 2024•10 min
Ravi kicks off the show with breaking news, including updates on Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial, ex-OpenAI board member Helen Toner’s tell-all interview about Sam Altman’s short-lived firing, why the Texas elections have seen a wave of pro-school voucher candidates, and the latest drama in New York City’s casino permit fight. Ravi then welcomes Adam Gopnik, legendary staff writer at The New Yorker, to talk about his book, “All That Happiness Is,” what it truly means to be happy, and th...
May 30, 2024•55 min
Amanda Knox joins Ravi to discuss her riveting piece in The Atlantic, “What If He Actually Did It?” In the article, she writes about her support of Jens Söring, a man who spent 33 years in prison for a double homicide he insists he didn’t commit, and how she began to reexamine her advocacy for his innocence. Ravi and Amanda explore her emotional journey as she reflects on the friendship she developed with Jens, how the parallels between his story and her own influenced her stance, and the proces...
May 29, 2024•45 min
Ravi breaks down what you need to know about the second controversial flag spotted outside one of Justice Alito's properties, the leaked OpenAI documents, and why a majority of Americans wrongly believe the U.S. is in a recession. Mayor Eric Adams wants to make New York City the “City of Yes.” Thesis Driven’s Brad Hargreaves joins Ravi to discuss the mayor’s rezoning proposal, which would roll back regulations that have long hindered housing development. Ravi and Brad also take a look at the cur...
May 23, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Ravi kicks off the episode with a round-up of breaking news: from the latest in Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial to OpenAI's new model of GPT and the controversy surrounding Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his wife. Then, Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation," joins the show to discuss his new documentary, "Food, Inc. 2." They dive into everything from the consolidation and corporate power in the food industry, the role of government subsidies in supporting factory farms, a...
May 21, 2024•1 hr 17 min
When a judge in India dies of a heart attack, his passing barely makes the news. But when his niece approaches a journalist two years later, she shares a different story: that the circumstances around Judge Brijgopal Loya’s death have made his family doubt the official story. From Crooked Media and The Branch, Killing Justice investigates how one man’s death has become a lodestone for increasingly polarized politics in India. Following the reporting and legal fallout that arise from this tip, ho...
May 20, 2024•4 min
Ravi welcomes Tyler Austin Harper and Brad Wilcox to the pod for a special episode on relationships. Ravi first talks with Tyler about polyamory, its portrayal in the media, and why a poly lifestyle has grown in popularity among affluent progressives. They also explore the decline of social institutions, generational attitudes toward relationships, and the impact of activism and progressivism in universities. Ravi and Brad then discuss his new book Get Married, where he explores the divide betwe...
May 16, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Ravi is joined by due process expert and lawyer Dan Schorr to discuss the history and evolution of Title IX and the potential repercussions of the Biden administration's recent proposed changes to its regulation of the federal civil rights law. They explore how the updates could impact due process rights and what this means for students and educational institutions across the country. Then, Ray Brescia joins the show to talk about his new book, Lawyer Nation: The Past, Present, and Future of the...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Ravi welcomes Tangle's Isaac Saul back to the show to update listeners on the current state of the war in Gaza, including Israel's escalating attacks in Rafah and the proposed ceasefire deal. Ravi and Isaac then turn to college campuses in the U.S. to explore the complexities and potential unintended consequences of the ongoing campus protests. They also examine why so many protests throughout history have struggled to achieve their goals and what today's protestors should take from these learni...
May 08, 2024•55 min
Kim Wehle joins the show to talk with Ravi about the latest in the Trump case in New York, including why Hope Hicks is such an integral part of the prosecution’s case and how her recent testimony could inform the eventual verdict. They then discuss the presidential pardon power, whether self-pardons are constitutional, and how Trump may attempt to pardon himself regardless of the outcome of the 2024 election. Ravi and Kim also discuss the controversial prosecution in the Crumbley case, the dynam...
May 07, 2024•45 min
