- 55 minutes 51 secondsThe Most Important Educator in America
Poverty doesn’t have to limit a child’s education—and Eva Moskowitz built Success Academy to prove it. Ravi sits down with the charter school network’s founder to explore how her students outperform some of New York’s wealthiest districts—and what other schools can learn from her model. They discuss high expectations, intensive teacher training, and why she believes more funding alone won’t fix a broken system. Ravi also presses Moskowitz on criticism of her schools and what it would take to give every child an excellent education.
For show notes - https://thelostdebate.substack.com/
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29 October 2026, 11:00 am - 36 minutes 28 secondsIs France Our Future?
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.
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21 October 2026, 9:29 am - 46 minutes 34 secondsThe Dark History of School Abuse
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
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14 October 2026, 9:25 pm - 1 hour 15 minutesThe Problem with Nikole Hannah-Jones
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.
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7 October 2026, 6:56 pm - 49 minutes 44 secondsNikole Hannah-Jones, WH Press Ban, Ed Sheeran
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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_____
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24 September 2026, 12:23 pm - 12 minutes 17 secondsThe Skillbatical
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.
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22 September 2026, 9:00 am - 52 minutes 41 secondsWill AI Lead to Socialism?
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/
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17 September 2026, 10:00 am - 41 minutes 10 secondsDid Al-Qaeda lose?
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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8 September 2026, 9:40 pm - 44 minutes 51 secondsNegative Immigration, Trump on Data Centers, Alpha Schools
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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2 September 2026, 12:25 am - 1 hour 18 minutesThe Future of AI and Education (with Reed Hastings)
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.
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28 August 2026, 12:52 pm - 57 minutes 45 secondsPrimary Takeaways + Free Speech & Boycotts
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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19 August 2026, 9:20 pm - More Episodes? Get the App