Lost Debate

Latest Episodes:

Is France Our Future? Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

What happens when a government promises more than it can afford—and voters reject the changes needed to sustain it? Ravi examines France’s unrest, tracing the tensions between student demands, rising debt, and pension obligations that crowd out spending on public services. He explores how political leaders respond to rioting and looting, why Marine Le Pen stands to benefit, and what the turmoil reveals about Europe’s weakening political center. He also considers the parallels facing the United States, from growing retirement costs to public systems that spend more without delivering better results.

Show Notes - ⁠https://thelostdebate.substack.com/⁠

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◾Get your copy of The Invisible List - https://readinvisiblelist.com/

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◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

The Dark History of School Abuse Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Nearly 2,000 claims of child sexual abuse reveal a devastating pattern: schools protecting adults while failing children. Ravi sits down with The 74’s investigative reporter Amanda Geduld to unpack her more than two-year investigation into sexual abuse across New York’s public and private schools. They examine how ignored warnings, quiet resignations, opaque disciplinary records, and legal gaps can allow accused educators to move between schools. The conversation exposes a broader failure in institutions entrusted with children—and what it would take to put their safety first.

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Amanda Geduld's investigation for The 74:

New York Schools Named in Nearly 2,000 Child Sex Abuse Claims

For show notes: ⁠⁠https://thelostdebate.substack.com/⁠⁠

Find Lost Debate

◾Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate

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Find Ravi Gupta

◾Get your copy of The Invisible List, available now

◾Read Ravi’s Substack - https://realravigupta.substack.com

◾Follow Ravi- https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta/

The Problem with Nikole Hannah-Jones Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

Nikole Hannah-Jones’s essay about her daughter’s education has reignited the debate over school integration and parental choice. But are we learning the right lessons? Drawing on his experience as a school principal and superintendent, Ravi examines her account and challenges the idea that integration and more funding can fix what’s failing in public education. He explores charter school results, teachers’ unions, grade inflation, and the barriers to holding educators accountable—arguing for a system built around rigorous teaching, honest assessments, and families’ ability to choose schools where their children can thrive.

--> Vote for our podcast, Where the School's Went for "Most Inspirational" in this year's Signal Awards

Get your copy of The Invisible List, available now

Find Lost Debate

◾Get show notes - ⁠https://thelostdebate.substack.com/⁠

◾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/

Nikole Hannah-Jones, WH Press Ban, Ed Sheeran Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

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?

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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/

The Skillbatical Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

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/

Will AI Lead to Socialism? Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

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.

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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 alexis@orangeboatmedia.com

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/

Did Al-Qaeda lose? Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

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

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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/

Negative Immigration, Trump on Data Centers, Alpha Schools Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

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?

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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 alexis@orangeboatmedia.com.

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/

The Future of AI and Education (with Reed Hastings) Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

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 alexis@orangeboatmedia.com.

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

Primary Takeaways + Free Speech & Boycotts Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

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?

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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/