

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

Jan 18, 2023 • 52min
Ep 107 | Biden & The Border, Gas Stoves, Social Security
Ravi and Rikki kick things off with a hot top(ic): gas stoves. We’ll talk about what the debate over the beloved kitchen appliance says about American politics. The hosts then turn to Biden’s visit to the southern border and how new shifts in his immigration policies are drawing flak from both the left and right. Finally, we discuss how the typical retirement age figures into the future financial stability of Social Security.[4:21] Gas Stoves[15:11] Biden & The Border[35:45] Social SecuritySubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2023/01/18/ep-107/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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Jan 12, 2023 • 50min
Ep 106 | DNA, Crime, & Privacy, Workplace Hustle
Ravi and Rikki begin by addressing two voicemails responding to their last episode, dealing with TikTok and pornography. The hosts then turn to the push and pull between two sides of an emerging debate: the power of public DNA in criminal investigations, and the privacy concerns around its use. Finally, the hosts respond to a provocative piece in the Wall Street Journal, turning back to the nation’s ongoing work-life balance debate from another perspective: employers’.[0:34] Voicemails[10:52] DNA, Crime, & Privacy[29:49] Workplace HustleSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2023/01/13/ep-106/ 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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Jan 10, 2023 • 57min
Ep 105 | TikTok Ban, Porn & Public Health, Noncompete Clauses
Ravi and Rikki kick things off with Congress’ new TikTok ban, over escalating fears that the app amounts to a “Trojan Horse” for pro-China propaganda. We look at how the app is impacting Americans before switching gears to one of the few forms of content with an even wider reach: pornography. We don’t like to talk about it – or write about it – but how is it affecting our health? Finally, the FTC wants to ban noncompete agreements in the name of workers’ rights. We discuss whether they should, and whether they can.[2:32] TikTok Ban[17:03] Porn & Public Health[37:17] Noncompete ClausesSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2023/01/11/ep-105/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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Jan 8, 2023 • 43min
The Regressives Ep. 10 | Is The News Really “Woke?”
Long before Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, or the birth of “fake news,” Americans had already started to lose their faith in American journalism. The feeling that something had shifted in the media’s discourse had become hard to ignore because mainstream news was no longer just liberal; it was “Woke.”In this episode of Regressives, Ravi interviews Batya Unger-Sargon - the Deputy opinion editor at Newsweek and author of the book “Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy” - which examines how over the course of a century, journalists shifted their focus away from the working class and toward the concerns of their affluent, highly-educated peers. We discuss that shift, whether the media truly has a bias, and whether it can even be described as a monolith anymore.Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Stitcher: 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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Jan 5, 2023 • 1h 9min
Ep 104 | House Speaker Vote, Lawrence Lessig on Mickey Mouse, Chip Supply Chain
Ravi and Joe start with the unprecedented leadership battle transpiring on Capitol Hill and its consequences on the House Republican majority. Ravi then talks with Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig about Mickey Mouse entering the public domain, what that means for everyday consumers and heavyweights like Disney. Finally, Ravi disentangles Apple’s complex supply chain before examining how their dependency on other nations affects the United States.[4:42] House Speaker Vote[19:19] Lawrence Lessig on Mickey Mouse[46:49] Chip Supply ChainSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2023/01/06/ep-104/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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Jan 3, 2023 • 1h
Ep 103 | George Santos, The Homeownership Society, Snow Days
Ravi and Rikki kick off the new year by addressing Rep.-elect George Santos’ list of lies, deceptions, and fabrications. Ravi delves into these revelations and debates if Congress can hold him accountable for his dishonesty. They then switch gears to address a provocative piece in The Atlantic, which argues that real estate should be treated as consumption, not an investment, and Rikki questions whether homeownership should still be synonymous with the American dream. Finally, Ravi and Rikki discuss snow days – should schools still have them? Or does remote learning render them obsolete?[4:30] George Santos Scandal[25:15] Buy or Rent a Home?[44:15] Snow Days[52:36] VoicemailsSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: Ep. 103 – George Santos, The Homeownership Society, Snow Days - Lost DebateStitcher: 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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Dec 29, 2022 • 1h 8min
Best of LD Special
On this special Best Of episode, Rikki and Ravi take us back to their favorite segments of the year: a fiery debate over Edward Snowden, a lighter look at how dating apps are changing the way we interact, and a deep dive into an important question many take for granted: is the Supreme Court partisan?Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Stitcher: 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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Dec 22, 2022 • 34min
The Regressives Ep. 9 | The Problem with College Admissions
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't the only ones getting in. On this episode of Regressives, Ravi dives into the past, present, and future of a practice that the American aristocracy would rather leave undiscussed.Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Stitcher: 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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Dec 20, 2022 • 37min
Ep 102 | Mayhem @ Twitter, Asian-American College Apps, 2022 Faves
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 VoicemailsVote for us for a Signal Award! https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2022/shows/general/best-conversation-starterSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Stitcher: 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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Dec 15, 2022 • 49min
Ep 101 | End of Social Media, Fed Strikes Again, Assisted Suicide
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 SuicideVote for us for a Signal Award! https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2022/shows/general/best-conversation-starterCheck out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/12/16/ep-101/Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Stitcher: 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-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate


