Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

Latest Episodes:

The Fourth of July Delivers the End of Diddy’s Trial and Trump’s Big “Beautiful” Bill | Higher Learning | The Ringer Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

Let’s “celebrate” the Fourth with a two-topic episode: the Diddy trial and Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” For today’s episode we bring in Yodit Tewolde to talk about the results from the Diddy trial, and Stephen Neukam to talk about how the country will be affected by Trump’s new bill.

00:00 - Welcome!

00:24 - Reaction to the Diddy Trial Results

37:08 - Celeb Reactions

39:30 - Yodit Tewolde Joins Us!

1:40:42- Stephen Neukam Joins Us!

1:56:46 - Breakdown of the Bill

2:05:00 - It’s OK to Admit That You’re Wrong

Thanks for Watching!

Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

Guests: Stephen Neukam and Yodit Tewolde

Producers: Donnie Beacham and Ashleigh Smith

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Authentic Abs, the Big Beautiful Bill and a Constitutional Crisis Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

Van and Rachel are joined by Columbia Law School professor Jamal Greeneto help break down the recent rulings from the SCOTUS.

(0:00) Intro

(00:27) The morality of stealing

(24:47) Jury deliberates in Diddy trial

(31:34) Knicks considering Dawn Staley?

(36:11) Zohran Mamdani update

(53:21) The Big Beautiful Bill

(1:11:05) Jamal Greene joins the show

(1:33:21) Glaze of the Week

(1:39:08) Drake and the ‘abs’ debate

(1:50:59) Bachelorette fight breakdown

Host: Van Lathan Jr. and Rachel Lindsay

Guests: Professor Jamal Greene

Producer: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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Draymond’s Punch, Daddy Trump, and Dropping Loaves! Plus, a Diddy Trial Update. | Higher Learning | The Ringer Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

It’s Rachel’s last day in Paris, and Van’s dropping loaves (gross)! They talk about the closing statements from the Diddy trial with Yodit Tewolde before getting into quick hitters, Zohran Mamdani’s victory, and the use of the n-word by That Mexican OT.

00:00 - Welcome!

03:47 - Rachel’s Paris call

14:37 - Yodit Tewolde joins us!

43:06 - The NBA draft

51:22 -Chuck Schumer is Hospitalized During the Heat Wave

57:05 - Trump is called "daddy" by NATO’s secretary-general

1:11:50 - Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York primary

1:24:02 - Draymond Green and the punch

1:33:25 - That Mexican OT Saying the N-word

1:44:31 - Thanks for watching!

Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

Guest: Yodit Tewolde

Producers: Donnie Beacham and Ashleigh Smith

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All-Out War, or Deescalation? And Crowning the "Face of The Ringer" Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Rachel’s back! And the U.S. is on the brink of war! Rep. Ro Khanna joins to bring congressional perspective to our involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, before HuffPost’s Akbar Shahid Ahmed returns to help dig into Iran’s retaliation on a U.S. military base.

(0:00) Intro

(17:24) Rep. Ro Khanna joins the show

(29:54) Authorizing strikes without Congress

(34:08) Andrew Cuomo vs. Zohran Mamdani

(49:32) Akbar Shahid Ahmed

(52:25) Trump’s response

(1:23:04) NBA Finals

(1:29:17) Kevin Durant traded

(1:32:31) McGrady compares career to Kobe’s

(1:38:44) Face of the Ringer

(1:54:09) Glaze of the Week

Host: Van Lathan Jr. and Rachel Lindsay

Guests: Rep. Ro Khanna and Akbar Shahid Ahmed

Producer: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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Juneteenth: A Fundamentally American Holiday. Plus, the Tyler Perry Lawsuit Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

It’s Juneteenth, so we brought Dr. Peniel Joseph back to discuss his book, ‘Freedom Season,’ and the activist Robert F. Williams before podcaster Demetria Lucas joins to help break down the Tyler Perry lawsuit. And finally, The Ringer’s Chris Ryan joins to weigh in on the "face of The Ringer" debate.

(0:00) Intro

(08:52) Tucker Carlson & Ted Cruz

(30:34) Dr. Peniel Joseph joins the show

(32:39) ‘Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights Revolution

(36:32) The assault on history

(47:26) The life of Robert F. Williams

(58:14) Demetria Lucas joins the show

(59:29) The Tyler Perry lawsuit

(1:17:16) The Diddy trial

(1:21:17) Chris Ryan & the face of the Ringer

(1:35:35) Thoughts on Juneteenth

(1:45:38) Pusha T disses Travis Scott

Host: Van Lathan Jr.

Guests: Peniel Joseph, Demetria Lucas, and Chris Ryan

Producer: Donnie Beacham Jr.

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Is World War III Happening? And Will Smith Like Pretty Girls, So There’s That Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

With Rachel in Europe, Van’s flying solo to address the evolving conflict in the Middle East with HuffPost’s Akbar Shahid Ahmed.

(0:00) Intro

(3:14) Father’s Day

(23:35) Israel-Iran attacks

(28:48) Akbar Shahid Ahmed joins the show

(1:03:09) GOP Rep calls for ‘nuking’ Gaza

(1:08:04) Minnesota lawmaker shooting

(1:21:08) Van hates Caitlin Clark

(1:28:56) Stephen A. Smith loves solitaire

(1:40:39) Will Smith’s new song

(1:53:00) Glaze of the Week

(1:59:56) N-----ism

Host: Van Lathan Jr.

Guest: Akbar Shahid Ahmed

Producer: Donnie Beacham Jr.

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Are Americans Cool With Chaos? Plus, Kayla and Pastor Tim Johnson on ‘Fatherless No More’ Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Van and Rachel give an update on the fallout from Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, before filmmaker Kayla Johnson and Pastor Tim Johnson join to discuss their documentary, ‘Fatherless No More’.

(0:00) Intro

(:31) Age guidelines in dating

(7:00) Rachel’s skunk story

(18:35) Remembering Sly Stone

(20:53) Remembering Ananda Lewis

(29:09) BET Awards

(33:26) The Me Too Movement

(50:01) Claressa Shields snubbed?

(51:31) Update on the anti-ICE protests

(1:14:42) Reactions to Sen. Alex Padilla removal

(1:18:12) Kayla and Tim Johnson join the show

(1:44:55) A review of Tyler Perry’s ’Straw’

Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

Guests: Kayla Johnson and Pastor Tim Johnson

Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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Anti-ICE Protests and a “Should Black People Care?” Discussion Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

Van and Rachel are joined by Seema Mehta of the Los Angeles Times to address the unrest in L.A.

(0:00) Intro

(3:11) Cardi B and the Target boycott

(8:40) Why Keith Sweat is single at 63

(18:01) Swedish gospel

(24:06) Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka

(30:28) Anti-ICE protests in L.A.

(48:16) Seema Mehta joins the show

(1:01:02) Should Black people care?

(1:26:7) 'Tha Carter VI' Review

(1:34:21) Glaze of the Week

Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

Guest: Seema Mehta

Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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Metta Sandiford-Artest Wants the Knicks Job, and the White Black Panther Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

Van and Rachel are joined by NBA great Metta Sandiford-Artest, who thinks he’s the right man to lead the Knicks.

(:39) Debating the phrase "freak-off"

(12:53) Offset threatens violence

(22:09) Linda McMahon and DEI

(34:32) Metta Sandiford-Artest joins the show

(56:08) Karine Jean-Pierre leaving the Dem. Party

(1:09:47) Dez Bryant, homophobia, and the NFL

(1:18:12) The White Black Panther

(1:27:59) Transactional relationships

Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

Guest: Metta Sandiford-Artest

Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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Dawn Staley’s ‘Uncommon Favor,’ Plus Cardi B and Offset Spousal Support Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

Van and Rachel react to racists attempting to claim the sentiment “Black fatigue” (0:00), before legendary basketball player and coach Dawn Staley joins the show to talk about life lessons from her memoir, ‘Uncommon Favor’ (15:15). Then, reactions to Offset’s request for spousal support from Cardi B (46:31), an Atlanta family deals with squatters throwing pool parties (1:01:59), a debate on how many mechanical bull rides are too many for a guy on the first date (1:19:43). Then, a dating preference discussion (1:30:42) Glaze of the Week (1:36:00), and an Angel Reese-Shedeur Sanders comparison (1:42:26).

Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

Guest: Dawn Staley

Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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