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Ravi is joined by Jeremiah, host of the New Liberal podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with the seemingly endless things people blame on capitalism. Then they take on Nikole Hannah-Jones’s account of choosing a school that reflected her beliefs about integration—and realizing her daughter wasn’t getting the education that was best for her. They also discuss the White House’s restrictions on press access, the Trump administration’s ties to right-wing influencers, and the Ed Sheeran–Macklemore controversy: what happens when trying to silence a message only makes it louder? _____ Show notes - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ Get Ravi’s new book, The Invisible List: https://readinvisiblelist.com/⁠ _____ Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

To celebrate the launch of his new book, The Invisible List, Ravi shares an audiobook excerpt about his “skill sabbatical” learning to surf—an exhilarating, difficult, and at times terrifying pursuit. Along the way, he explains how he transformed his life by treating each year like a school year—and himself as his only student. But the chapter isn’t really about surfing; it’s about facing fear, embracing discomfort, and finally tackling the big thing on your invisible list—the one you’ve dreamed of doing since you were a kid. Get your copy of  The Invisible List – available now! Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

As AI becomes capable of doing more of the work once reserved for highly educated people, could it push society toward socialism? Labor lawyer and policy thinker Matt Bruenig joins Ravi to imagine a future in which human intelligence no longer carries the same economic value, traditional careers disappear, and education must be reinvented. They examine how people might earn a living and find purpose in a world with far less human labor—and whether AI will reduce inequality or concentrate even more wealth among today’s billionaires. Ultimately, they debate who should benefit from the prosperity AI creates and whether the government can be trusted to distribute it fairly. –––––––– Matt Bruenig’s Work ◾Blog: https://mattbruenig.com/ ◾Think Tank: https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/ ◾Labor Law Newsletter: https://www.nlrbedge.com/ Pre-order Ravi’s new book, The Invisible List - https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Join the Invisible Posse - https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾See upcoming book events - https://readinvisiblelist.com/events ◾Interested in hosting Ravi for an Invisible List event in your city? Email [email protected] Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

Who was Osama bin Laden—and what did he believe attacking America would accomplish? Journalist Graeme Wood explores how the son of a wealthy Saudi construction magnate became the world’s most notorious terrorist, the fatal miscalculations behind 9/11, and how Al-Qaeda evolved into a powerful global network. He explains where Al-Qaeda remains strongest, whether it still threatens the United States, and how modern surveillance has transformed the fight against terrorism. Graeme Wood’s The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State ––––––––– Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Pre-order Ravi’s new book, The Invisible List:https://readinvisiblelist.com/◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

Ravi examines the economic consequences of Trump’s immigration crackdown as net migration turns negative and labor shortages ripple across the country. He also unpacks Trump’s full-throated support for data centers—even as opposition grows among Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike. Then, educator Dan Meyer joins the show to scrutinize Alpha School, the buzzy AI-powered model promising students twice the learning in just two hours a day. Is Alpha reinventing education—or making bold claims its results can’t yet support? –––––––––– For show notes: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ Pre-order Ravi’s new book, The Invisible List:https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾ Join the Invisible Posse:https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾ Find upcoming book events:https://readinvisiblelist.com/events ◾ Interested in hosting Ravi for an Invisible List event in your city? Email [email protected]. Find Lost Debate and Ravi Gupta ◾ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾ Follow the show- https://www.instagram.com/thebranchmedia/ ◾ Read Ravi’s Substack: https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾ Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

Who can best help children learn—AI or humans? In this special episode shared on behalf of Bellwether, a nonprofit transforming education for young people, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings argues that AI could move education beyond the one-size-fits-all classroom toward individualized learning. Education entrepreneur Mike Goldstein pushes back, asking whether technology can overcome students’ lack of motivation—or replace the human relationships and social connection that help them learn. First, Ravi Gupta empties his notebook on the political stories shaping the midterms, from Trump’s economic troubles to the Senate races that could shift the balance of power. Special thanks to Bellwether for sharing this conversation, featuring Reed Hastings and Michael Goldstein and moderated by Andrew Rotherham. -Pre-order Ravi’s new book, The Invisible List:https://readinvisiblelist.com/ -Join the Invisible Posse:https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse -See upcoming book events:https://readinvisiblelist.com/events -Interested in hosting Ravi for an Invisible List event in your city? Email [email protected]. Find Lost Debate and Ravi Gupta -Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate -Get show notes and email updates: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ -Read Ravi’s Substack: https://realravigupta.substack.com

Ravi Gupta unpacks a volatile primary season, where ideological insurgents are gaining ground, independents are being sidelined, and both parties’ youngest voters appear increasingly drawn to political extremes. He also examines Alaska’s surprising electoral possibilities and a radically reshaped Democratic presidential calendar designed to test candidates across a broader coalition. Then, acclaimed novelist and former PEN America president Dinaw Mengestu explains why he resigned over the organization’s approach to Israel, Gaza, and the boycott movement. Their probing conversation confronts a defining free-speech question: When does a boycott constitute legitimate political expression—and when does it become discrimination? –––––––– Show Notes - ⁠https://thelostdebate.substack.com/⁠ Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Pre-Order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

Nightlife gave us jazz, disco, techno, and entire cultural revolutions. From the courtesan districts of 17th-century Japan to the ruins of postwar Berlin, historian Imogen Willetts takes us through the history of nightlife, uncovering how outsiders transformed forgotten spaces into engines of art and rebellion. She explains why the best scenes thrive in moments of upheaval, why popularity often destroys them, and how smartphones have shattered the anonymity that once made the night feel free. Where will the next great youth movement take shape—or have modern culture and technology made one impossible? Imogen Willetts ◾ Buy Up All Night: A World History of Night Life ◾ Follow Imogen ◾ Learn more about Imogen Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia More on Ravi Gupta ◾Pre-Order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Join the Invisible Posse -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

One ruptured bicep, two heartbreaking losses, and a week of political madness leave Ravi reflecting on health, grief, and what it really means to help people. He channels that grief into a new community project, "The Book of Ordinary Lives,” honoring everyday people with the kind of thoughtful obituaries usually reserved for the famous. Then he digs into the “Democratic establishment” that calls itself insurgent while promoting candidates wildly out of step with working-class voters—and dodging accountability when they fail. Republicans don’t get a pass either, especially when their leaders preach about protecting women and children while standing by members facing terrible allegations of abuse. ––––––––––– Find show notes - ⁠https://thelostdebate.substack.com/⁠ Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Pre-Order Ravi’s new book, The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Join the Invisible Posse -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

The robot you imagined as a kid is now something you can actually own. On today’s episode, New Yorker writer Stephen Witt reveals that the humanoid robots of childhood cartoons and science fiction are real—and already for sale. He takes Ravi inside the race to build machines that can walk, learn, fold laundry, and potentially transform the global workforce. But their bodies are advancing faster than their brains, and teaching them basic human skills requires staggering amounts of data. Could putting more robots into the world make them all smarter—and are we ready to welcome them into our homes? ––––––– Stephen Witt’s book The Thinking Machine Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Pre-Order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Join the Invisible Posse -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

Ravi Gupta sits down with The Argument's Kobe Yank-Jacobs for a conversation that begins with Elon Musk, USAID, and the politics of accountability before expanding into a bigger question: what kind of global leadership should America stand for? They separate political rhetoric from the evidence, then turn to artificial intelligence—exploring how AI is reshaping politics, jobs, and elections, and why neither party seems ready for what's coming. A thoughtful conversation about two of the biggest debates shaping America's future. The Argument⁠ –––––––– FInd Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Pre-Order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Join the Invisible Posse -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi - https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

The fallout from the Graham Platner scandal is exposing deeper problems inside the Democratic Party. Ravi examines how influential podcasts, political insiders, and media figures elevated flawed candidates while sidestepping accountability when they got it wrong. He introduces what he calls "slopulism"—a style of politics driven by viral messaging, impossible promises, and moral certainty—and asks why a movement that claims to represent the working class is largely led and powered by highly educated professionals rather than working-class Americans. The question is: what kind of party are Democrats becoming, and can they still build a coalition that wins elections? –––––––– Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Pre-Order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Join the Invisible Posse -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

Breaking news has upended one of the Democratic Party's highest-profile Senate campaigns. After reports of rape allegations against Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, Ravi Gupta explains why he publicly questioned Platner's credibility weeks ago—and why he believes this story is about much more than one candidate. Who elevated Platner? Why were the warning signs dismissed? And what responsibility do the media figures, podcasters, and Democratic insiders who championed him bear now that his campaign is unraveling? Ravi's The Wall Street Journal piece: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/meet-the-political-bosses-who-brought-you-graham-platner-4413bfb0 -------- Find Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Find Ravi Gupta ◾Pre-Order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Join the Invisible Posse -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

Who really runs the Democratic Party today? Ravi sits down with Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, to discuss the rise of online influencers, ideological purity tests, and the fight over who the party's true "establishment" is. They explore whether the Democratic Party has drifted away from Barack Obama's vision of broad coalitions and respectful disagreement—and toward a more Trump-like style of politics driven by loyalty tests, online personalities, and ideological conformity. Are Democrats building a movement that can win elections—or repeating the very mistakes they once criticized? Lost Debate ◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ◾Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ◾Follow us - @thebranchmedia Ravi Gupta ◾Pre-Order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Join the Invisible Posse -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

Why is it so hard to fire bad teachers and bad cops? Ravi sits down with Robert Gordon and Nick Bagley to discuss the problems with public sector unions—how they use political influence, protect ineffective workers, and make it difficult to reward excellence. They explore how a small number of poor performers can have an outsized impact on schools, policing, and public trust, and examine what states that have successfully reformed these systems are doing differently.  –––––––– Nick and Robert's recent piece in The Argument:  https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/democrats-should-fire-bad-teachers Lost Debate ▪️Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate ▪️Get show notes and email updates - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ ▪️Follow us - @thebranchmedia Ravi Gupta ◾ Pre-Order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/ ◾Join the Invisible Posse -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/posse ◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com  ◾Follow Ravi - https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/ Host: Ravi Gupta Guests: Nicholas Bagley and Robert Gordon