Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay
Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay dissect the biggest topics in Black culture, politics, and sports. Two times per week, they will wade into the most important and timely conversations, frequently inviting guests on the podcast and occasionally debating each other.
Episodes
We got BEEF! Today Van and Rachel talk about Trump’s beef with American cattle ranchers. Then they get into the latest developments in the Karmelo Anthony trial, and Target is under fire for a racist costume. Plus, right-winger Jake Lang becomes Spider-Man’s latest target, and Van and Rachel talk about the not-so-secret (anymore) meeting between potential House majority leader Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner. Plus, AI...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Van and Rachel chat about the NABJ’s website and its ongoing feud with Stephen A. Smith before catching up on Indiana’s harrowing storms that have left tens of thousands without power. Then they dig into the alleged cocaine ring at one of Penn State’s fraternities and then welcome California Congressman Ro Khanna live in studio. Plus, our hosts give us their thoughts on Young Thug’s interesting comments on f...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Stephen A. Smith Receives “Thumbs Down” Award, Maya Boyd Is Your New Storm, James Talarico’s Strategic Ad Campaign, and Ray J Defeats Orlando Brown in the RingVan and Rachel pay tribute to actress Hayden Panettiere and Jason Arday. They also discuss James Talarico’s campaign ad against Ken Paxton. Plus, reactions to the Ray J vs. Orlando Brown boxing match and a discussion on Stephen A. Smith receiving the &...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
August 14, 2026 • 149 mins
Van and Rachel react to Russell Westbrook’s retirement, Tyga’s AI album ‘$tarface’, and Marcellus Wiley’s domestic violence case being dropped, before discussing Pat McAfee’s appearance with President Trump. Plus, Saucy Santana addresses a White House repost and code-switching gets defined before Van whips out the whiteboard to debate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s dating options.
(0:00) Int...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
August 11, 2026 • 117 mins
Van and Rachel debate "capitalism" before discussing accusations of an Usher body double and Drake’s content creation. Plus, Kamala Harris speaks on what’s needed from the Democrats, and Van breaks down the X-Men vs. the Avengers.
(0:00) Intro
(6:34) A capitalism conversation
(51:37) Usher using body doubles?
(1:00:51) Drake’s stream
(1:20:56) Kamala Harris and "ruthless" Democrats
(1:40:13) X-Men vs. Aven...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
August 7, 2026 • 120 mins
Van and Rachel react to results from the August primary races, Sophie Cunningham weighing in on trans athletes, A$AP Rocky opening up to Jason Lee. Then, author and political leader Stacey Abrams returns to weigh in on the ongoing fight for voting rights.
(0:00) Intro
(5:39) Primary race results
(19:26) Sophie Cunningham on trans athletes
(30:01) A$AP Rocky on his relationship with Rihanna
(42:25) Stacey Abrams joins the sho...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Van and Rachel react to Spider-Man’s big box office weekend before switching gears to talk about RFK Jr.’s on-air meltdown and Governor Wes Moore’s chummy exchange with a Trump official. Then actor, writer, and producer Diarra Kilpatrick joins to talk about Season 2 of the hit show 'Diarra From Detroit.'
(0:00) Intro
(0:15) ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ box office
(8:42) RFK Jr.’s on-air meltd...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 31, 2026 • 127 mins
Van and Rachel discuss tragedy and personas in rap, and updates in the Nolan Wells case before diving into President Trump’s attempts at voter suppression. Then Jonathan Majors speaks, the author of ’Children of Blood and Bone’ distances herself from the film, and Usher’s interaction with a fan sparks debate.
(0:00) Intro
(7:46) The Madden curse
(27:48) Gun violence and 21 Savage
(40:37) Update on the ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Van and Rachel react to the recasting of Black Panther, a cheating scandal in the WNBA, and the White House Correspondents' Dinner before welcoming actor Kerry Washington to discuss the revival of ‘The Whoopi Monologues’ and the importance of theater. Plus, Representative James Clyburn says Black voters let Kamala down, and a respectability politics discussion about Tuskegee University.
(0:00) Intro
(20:08) David Jo...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 24, 2026 • 146 mins
Van and Rachel react to both ESPN’s decision to lay off Ryan Clark and LeBron’s decision to drag out free agency. Then, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he can’t arrest Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Trump administration freezes Medicaid funding for CA and MN. And finally, a debate about the placement of a controversially titled book on a former NBA head coach's desk.
(0:00) Intro
(27:42) Ryan Clark and th...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 21, 2026 • 144 mins
Van and Rachel have a spoiler-filled discussion of the newly streaming film ‘Obsession,’ before reacting to the success of 'The Odyssey.' Then, controversy in the WNBA warrants an apology rating, the Tate brothers are arrested, the military’s testing testosterone, and Fox News is joking about sexual assault. Then, ESPN executive VP David Roberts joins to discuss his career and massive impact on the sports broadcas...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 17, 2026 • 133 mins
Van and Rachel react to a problematic Hollywood Reporter article and some Christian blacklash for KevOnStage, before discussing Boosie’s failed efforts to get a pardon and recent killings at the hands of ICE. Then Rachel gives her list of “top five finest men.”
(0:00) Intro
(24:38) New face of Hollywood
(46:08) KevOnStage upsets some fans
(1:05:27) Boosie’s pardon play
(1:17:32) Memphis Bleek and comm...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 14, 2026 • 128 mins
Van and Rachel react to the death of Senator Lindsey Graham and the speculation around the health of Senator Mitch McConnell before digging into Jay-Z’s mention of Colin Kaepernick at a recent performance.
(0:00) Intro
(27:25) Rachel’s porkless week
(29:52) World Cup updates
(33:29) Reactions to Lindsey Graham’s death
(56:21) Mitch McConnell speculation
(1:00:45) Jay-Z disses Colin Kaepernick
(1:51:31) Ra...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 10, 2026 • 137 mins
Van and Rachel react to the U.S. men's soccer team’s loss to Belgium and the list of Emmy nominees. Then they discuss the end of the plans for Harriet Tubman’s $20 bill and Graham Platner ending his Senate campaign. Plus, an update on Marcellus Wiley, and the death of a Mississippi teen sparks conversation.
(0:00) Intro
(18:53) U.S. loses to Belgium
(31:06) Emmy nominations
(42:34) Harriet Tubman $20 bill plans en...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 7, 2026 • 116 mins
Van and Rachel react to the U.S. soccer controversy before discussing Marcellus Wiley’s arrest and the "America250" celebration in D.C. Plus, will Diddy get a pardon thanks to Trump? And the song of the summer sparks a debate.
(0:00) Intro
(35:07) The U.S.-FIFA controversy
(51:15) Marcellus Wiley’s arrest
(1:03:47) "America250" celebration
(1:19:08) Will Trump pardon Diddy?
(1:28:41) India.Arie, Yung Miami, and ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 3, 2026 • 138 mins
Van and Rachel react to the biggest news of the NBA offseason before questioning whether Kamala Harris is gearing up for a presidential run and discussing Barack Obama’s opinion of George Washington. Then Maureen Edobor, an assistant professor at Washington and Lee School of Law, joins to help break down the impact of some recent Supreme Court decisions before Van asks a patriotic question.
(0:00) Intro
(10:01) The new-lo...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 30, 2026 • 120 mins
Van and Rachel react to the 2026 BET Awards before discussing the latest from a pair of former Fox News hosts, and the conflict dividing the Democratic Party.
(0:00) Intro
(16:04) BET Awards recap
(29:00) Haiti and Megyn Kelly’s racist rhetoric
(54:11) Tucker Carlson leaving the GOP
(1:06:14) Moderates vs. Democratic Socialists
(1:31:03) New segment: Rachel Hasn’t Seen This
(1:39:40) Fewer babies named Donald
...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 26, 2026 • 127 mins
Van and Rachel kick off the podcast with a follow-up discussion about Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico before digging into a pair of music industry topics. Plus, an awkward interaction during ESPN’s NBA draft coverage, and was A$AP Rocky disrespectful with the stuff he said during a performance?
(0:00) Intro
(0:17) A Crockett-Talarico recap
(59:46) XXL Freshman Class: Auntie Rach vs. Baby Jade
(1:08:55) Lizzo’s...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 23, 2026 • 152 mins
Van and Rachel react to questions about Representative Jasmine Crockett’s support of her former opponent James Talarico before Van makes a connection between geopolitics and ‘The Wire.’ They also hit a couple of sports topics and SZA’s anti-AI stance before the multi-hyphenate Estelle joins the show.
(0:00) Intro
(13:11) Jasmine Crockett, James Talarico, and party unity
(35:10) The Iran conflict and &ls...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 19, 2026 • 122 mins
Van and Rachel discuss the results of the L.A. primary race, before reacting to the death of a one-year-old at the hands of police. Then Jemele Hill joins to talk boycotts amidst a deal between Target and Jay-Z.
(0:00) Intro
(13:43) L.A. mayoral primary race results
(31:36) Mississippi police shoot and kill one-year-old
(54:41) Jemele Hill joins the show
(1:25:43) Tyra Banks sues Netflix
(1:42:26) Knicks parade reactions
(...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton—but why? That simple question leads to a deeply personal, historical, and musical rethinking of one of America’s great icons. Join us for a 9-episode journey into the Dollyverse. Hosted by Jad Abumrad. Produced and reported by Shima Oliaee. Dolly Parton’s America is a production from OSM Audio and WNYC Studios.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.