Lost Debate
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
June 18, 2025 • 71 mins
Are Israel and Iran on the brink of war? Ravi takes a closer look at the rapidly escalating conflict and the unsettling possibility that the U.S. is more deeply involved than most Americans realize. He also explores the growing battle within MAGA over America’s role on the global stage, the political opportunism accompanying the recent wave of political violence, and how the Trump administration’s threats to ramp up deportation eff...
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June 10, 2025 • 60 mins
Ravi opens with a deep dive into the unfolding chaos in Los Angeles, where the Trump administration has deployed federal agents and Marines to respond to the ongoing immigration protests. He breaks down what we know so far, why the deployment of federal troops may set a dangerous precedent for civilian law enforcement, and what else is at stake from a legal and constitutional perspective.
Antón Barba-Kay, author of A Web of Our Ow...
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June 5, 2025 • 12 mins
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are on a collision course to all-out political war, and it's messier—and more consequential—than anyone expected.
In this breaking news episode, Ravi unpacks how a once-symbiotic alliance devolved into internet warfare, with accusations flying and stakes rising by the hour. He then explores how a Musk-Trump feud could have massive ripple effects on national security, tech policy, and the future of the Re...
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June 3, 2025 • 61 mins
Ravi kicks off the episode with a sharp take on the latest headlines, from FEMA’s alarming lack of hurricane preparedness and the fragility of U.S. supply chains to the growing indicators that the country is headed towards stagflation. He also reflects on new reports about Elon Musk’s drug use, the rising political influence of tech elites, and what the new film Mountainhead suggests about this current moment in time.
Jamie Hodari...
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May 22, 2025 • 56 mins
Ravi sits down with Steven Wilson, founder of Ascend Charter Schools, for a candid conversation about his new book, The Lost Decade, and the current state of education reform. They discuss Steven’s controversial exit from Ascend and then step back to take a broader look at how DEI orthodoxy and anti-racist ideology have reshaped education reform.
Steven and Ravi reflect on what’s changed in schools over the past decade, exploring ...
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May 13, 2025 • 50 mins
Journalist Bridget Read joins Ravi to explore the dark side of multi-level marketing schemes - and why they’re more dangerous and widespread than most people realize. In her new book Little Bosses Everywhere, Read breaks down how these so-called business opportunities often lure in vulnerable people, turning dreams of entrepreneurship into financial traps. Ravi and Bridget discuss why MLMs thrive despite dismal success rates, how t...
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May 8, 2025 • 61 mins
Ravi kicks off the episode with a blistering critique of the Trump administration’s trade policy chaos, highlighting the economic contradictions, recession risks, and growing corruption tied to foreign investments and crypto schemes. He also addresses the new reports on Senator John Fetterman’s health and why it’s time for leaders to respond to questions about his ability to serve.
Ravi then shifts gears to sit down with former U....
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May 1, 2025 • 58 mins
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and surfer William Finnegan joins Ravi for a wide-ranging conversation on surfing, storytelling, and the pursuit of mastery. They unpack Barbarian Days and how a lifetime of chasing waves has shaped Bill’s understanding of fear, discipline, and identity. They then turn to the tension between purity and accessibility in surfing and how innovations like wave pools can reflect broader social shifts. T...
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April 22, 2025 • 64 mins
Ravi dives into the breaking news of the day, from the Trump administration’s continued attacks on due process and the political meddling at the Fed that could tank the economy, to the latest federal funding threats facing universities.
He then sits down with Dana Goldstein of The New York Times to unpack the Trump administration’s aggressive intervention in K-12 education, from targeting DEI efforts to threatening Title I funding...
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April 17, 2025 • 1 min
The Branch is nominated for a Webby! Vote for Killing Justice for Best Partnership/Collaboration: https://bit.ly/killingjustice
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April 15, 2025 • 43 mins
What happens when the president of the United States defies a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling? Ravi is joined by The Atlantic’s Isaac Stanley-Becker to take a closer look at the case of Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man stripped of due process and deported to a Salvadoran prison, and the chilling implications the case may have for immigrants and American citizens more broadly.
They then turn to the Trump administration’s escalating campaign ...
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April 8, 2025 • 53 mins
As Trump’s sweeping tariffs continue to spark chaos and backlash nationwide, Ravi delivers a blistering breakdown of the administration’s latest moves and the economic risks they’ve created. He challenges the populist rhetoric behind the trade war, exposes the political theater driving the latest policies, and explains what Trump’s getting wrong about jobs, immigration, and manufacturing.
Then, Richard Kahlenberg returns to the po...
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April 6, 2025 • 54 mins
Ravi dives into the history and resurgence of tariffs in American politics with economic historian Phil Magness. From the Hamilton-Jefferson debates to the possible implications of Trump’s proposed tariffs, Ravi and Phil explore the complexities of tariffs as both economic tools and political weapons, how these policies have shaped America’s past, and what their resurgence means for the future.
Leave us a voicemail with your thoug...
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April 3, 2025 • 43 mins
President Trump just announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners, sending markets tumbling and economists into a frenzy. Ravi breaks down what the news means for the economy, the political implications, and what to make of the eerie silence from former GOP free traders.
Then, Ravi is joined by Sam Ashworth to talk about his debut novel The Death and Life of August Sweeney, a gripping story that blends...
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April 1, 2025 • 49 mins
Ravi sits down with Molly Roden Winter, author of More: A Memoir of Open Marriage, for a candid conversation about the emotional, messy, and deeply human side of nontraditional relationships. In More, Molly shares her journey through polyamory, jealousy, and personal growth, and what it really means to forge your own path in love.
Molly and Ravi explore how Molly’s unconventional relationship structure evolved over time and how so...
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March 27, 2025 • 48 mins
Ravi sits down with journalist and bestselling author Oliver Burkeman (Meditation for Mortals and Four Thousand Weeks) to explore what it means to live a meaningful life in a culture addicted to optimization. Together, they explore the line between healthy ambition and toxic perfectionism, the “icky middle” of mastery and why it’s important to find joy in being an intermediate, and when to embrace creative neglect. Finally, they un...
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March 25, 2025 • 62 mins
In this special episode, Ravi is joined by Emily Lilley of The Book & Cover to discuss his new novel, Garbage Town, out today. Set in 1990s Staten Island, this coming-of-age thriller follows a group of teens who stumble upon a buried secret and find themselves in a fight for their lives.
Ravi and Emily explore the real-life inspiration behind the novel’s characters and setting, the nostalgic pull of the pre-digital era, and the co...
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March 20, 2025 • 50 mins
How do you fix a system that’s stuck? Ravi sits down with New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath to unpack the lessons from his new book, Reset, a guide to help people and businesses break free from inertia, ditch old habits, and make meaningful progress. They explore case studies from the book, including a hospital that slashed delivery times from days to hours and a school that transformed discipline with a simple shift in s...
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March 18, 2025 • 49 mins
Is cognitive decline inevitable, or can we keep our minds sharp as we age? Ravi sits down with neuroscientist Dr. Tommy Wood to explore what truly drives cognitive aging, and why the science is more hopeful than most people think. They break down the differences between crystallized and fluid intelligence, the impact of physical activity, and why doing hard things could be the key to mental strength. Tommy shares research-backed st...
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March 16, 2025 • 113 mins
What happens when schools lose their way, and how do we restore faith in our institutions? In this special crossover episode from Sweat the Technique, Doug Lemov flips the script and interviews Ravi. They start with a deep dive into Ravi’s journey from aspiring doctor to political staffer to school founder before taking a step back to explore the erosion of trust in American schools and the deep tensions shaping education today. Ra...
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