

Lost Debate
The Branch
Lost Debate is a weekly podcast from The Branch that brings you news, ideas, and arguments from around the political spectrum. We engage in the good-faith discussions that too much of our society and media miss. It's hosted by Ravi Gupta, a former Obama staffer turned school principal.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 8, 2023 • 59min
Trouble at CNN, Vivek’s Campaign, Biden’s Age, Charter Results
CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht is out after just over a year on the job. The firing comes after a tumultuous tenure and a recent disastrous expose from The Atlantic.Rikki goes on the campaign trail with Vivek Ramaswamy, the youngest Republican presidential candidate ever.After President Biden tripped and fell onstage at an Air Force commencement, concerns about his age have returned to center stage. Is the president too old to lead?A bombshell new report reveals urban charter schools perform better, on average, than traditional public schools. Will this silence education reform’s critics?[02:52] - Trouble at CNN[20:16] - Vivek's Campaign / Biden's Age[42:39] - Charter Results[52:58] - VoicemailsLeave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

Jun 6, 2023 • 52min
Apple’s Big Move, Vasectomy Boom, Future of Food, Murder Mystery
Apple announced its first major product since 2014: the Vision Pro headset. The company has officially entered the augmented and virtual reality race, and time will tell if customers follow.More men are getting vasectomies post-Dobbs. Is this an evolution of how Americans view birth control?Ravi and Rikki then turn to two contradictory trends: the rise of both meat consumption and vegetarianism.Finally, more people are getting away with murder than ever before. Why are so many recent killings unsolved, and what should we do about it?[00:44] - Apple’s Big Move[14:28] - Vasectomy Boom[25:05] - Future of Food[36:08] - Murder Mystery[47:10] - VoicemailsLeave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

Jun 1, 2023 • 55min
End of No-Fault Divorce?, Debt Ceiling Deal, Jordan Neely’s Death
The House passed the debt ceiling deal. Now that they’ve broken the gridlock, the deal will head to the Senate and then Biden’s desk. Ravi and Rikki break down the winners and the losers, and what this says about our fraught political process.A growing number of conservatives want to revisit no-fault divorce laws in this country. How serious is this effort and could it change marriage as we know it?Daniel Penny choked Jordan Neely to death on a New York City subway train on May 1. The heated debate over what happened continues to flame the culture wars. What actually happened and what meaning can we make from it all?[00:44] - Debt Ceiling Deal[09:37] - End of No-Fault Divorce?[28:06] - Jordan Neely's DeathLeave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

May 30, 2023 • 51min
What's Our Problem? (with Tim Urban)
In this special episode, Ravi talks to Tim Urban, the creator of the wildly popular blog “Wait But Why” about his new book "What's Our Problem?" – a fun and fascinating deep dive into what the hell is going on in our strange, unprecedented modern times. The two discuss why we’re polarized, the trouble with contemporary media and politics, and how we can build a better, more humane civil society. Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

May 25, 2023 • 55min
DeSantis’ Glitchy Launch, Nonprofit Industrial Complex, First-Gen Internet Kids v. Oversharing Parents
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ highly anticipated presidential campaign got off to a glitchy start in his Twitter spaces conversation with Elon Musk. Will DeSantis be able to put it behind him and make a surge against Trump? The relationship between the government and nonprofits has been an issue for a long time, from overuse and misuse to corruption. But, has the progressive movement made it worse?And finally, we speak to Kate Lindsay from The Atlantic about her new piece on the first-gen social media kids now becoming adults and the repercussions of parental oversharing.[00:58] - DeSantis’ Glitchy Launch[21:21] - Nonprofit Industrial Complex[33:48] - First-Gen Internet Kids v. Oversharing Parents Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

May 23, 2023 • 50min
Bud Light vs. Everybody, Debt Ceiling Updates, IRS’ Busy Offseason, Teen Peer-Reviewed Research?
Boycotts usually fizzle quickly, but the great Bud Light Boycott of 2023 continues to get heat from every side. Sales are down dramatically, and everyone has an issue with the company’s response. The IRS has been busy this offseason doing some things you'll like and some you probably won't. And finally, just when you thought college admissions could not get any worse, you can now pay to make your teen a “peer-reviewed” author.[00:00] - Debt Ceiling Updates[02:19] - Bud Light vs. Everybody[29:48] - IRS’ Busy Offseason[37:07] - Teen Peer-Reviewed Research?[47:03] - VoicemailsLeave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

May 21, 2023 • 42min
Andrew Yang on AI, the Two-Party System, Alternative Media, and Cancel Culture
Andrew Yang sits down with Rikki and Ravi to talk about why our democratic system is broken and how to fix it. He also discusses the 2024 presidential field, the dangers and opportunities of artificial intelligence, how he thinks about alternative media, and why we need more tolerance for people with different beliefs.Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

May 18, 2023 • 54min
Epstein’s Friends, ChatGPT Goes to Washington, Durham Report Spin, School Funding Cliff?
ChatGPT’s CEO calls for government regulation of his company and the broader AI industry. Ravi and Rikki discuss Sam Altman’s Congressional testimony and debate what government should do to regulate (but not stifle) AI’s future.Special Counsel John Durham’s findings on the FBI's Trump-Russia probe were released Monday. The hosts unpack the long-awaited report, whether it exonerates Trump, and how the FBI should handle investigations into political figures moving forward.Lastly, does more money equal better schools? Ravi and Rikki examine a timely study that sheds new light on the correlation between school funding and academic performance.[03:18] - Epstein's Friends[06:45] - ChatGPT Goes to Washington[23:40] - Durham Report Spin[40:21] - School Funding Cliff?Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

May 16, 2023 • 54min
New Twitter Boss, Musk Under Fire, Debt Ceiling Drama, CNN-Trump Tangle
Did Twitter side with Turkey’s authoritarian leader and suppress free speech ahead of the country’s presidential election? Ravi and Rikki dive into Elon Musk’s latest controversy, question his dedication to free speech, and predict how (or if) new CEO Linda Yaccarino will impact Twitter’s bottom line.The hosts then turn to the latest on the debt ceiling negotiations. Will Speaker McCarthy break from the more extreme wing of his party to make a deal, or is there a world where the Supreme Court has to step in to manage a potential constitutional crisis?Next, CNN faces a wave of scrutiny after hosting Trump for a town hall last week. Ravi and Rikki debate the network’s decision and the arguments for and against platforming the former president.Finally, Google has unveiled Bard, their new AI feature aimed at competing with ChatGPT, and the hosts explore what they know so far about its potential uses.[01:01] - New Twitter Boss / Musk Under Fire[18:42] - Debt Ceiling Drama[32:48] - CNN-Trump Tangle[49:31] - VoicemailsLeave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

May 11, 2023 • 60min
Ep 134 | Title 42 Ends, Khan Academy’s New AI Tool, House Prices Falling
Ravi and Rikki kick off today’s episode by talking about Rep. George Santos facing federal fraud charges on the same day that Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Then they take a deep dive into the end of Title 42, the controversial pandemic-era immigration measure. Will this lead to a massive influx of migrants, and what, if anything, can the Biden administration do? The hosts then turn to the debate surrounding Khanmigo, Khan Academy’s new AI technology that some believe could disrupt the traditional teaching model and change how students will learn in the future. Finally, housing prices are dropping in more places in America than at any time in recent memory, but it’s confined to a few key geographies. Ravi and Rikki discuss the reasons behind it, the winners and losers of this new housing market, and what the government can do to support current and aspiring homeowners. [01:00] - Breaking News[06:20] - Title 42 Ends[30:01] - Khan Academy’s New AI Tool[49:22] - House Prices FallingLeave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Show notes: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/lost-debate/Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9KSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Follow The Branch on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/Follow The Branch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebranchmediaFollow The Branch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebranchmediaThe Branch website: http://thebranchmedia.org/The Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate


