Lost Debate - Misunderstanding the American Dream with Todd Rose

Populace CEO Todd Rose returns to Lost Debate to discuss his think tank’s latest study on what Americans want out of life. Todd and Ravi explore the study’s findings, what constitutes a successful life, and why Americans are profoundly wrong about how their fellow Americans define success and the American Dream.

Read the full study here: Success Index: Misunderstanding the American Dream


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Lost Debate - GOP Debate, SF U-Turn, Who is Chris Rufo?

The GOP presidential candidates took to the debate stage for a second time last night. Were any of them able to escape former president Donald Trump’s shadow? Rikki and Ravi sort through the substance of the discussion and take stock of the night’s winners and losers.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a new proposal to combat the city’s fentanyl epidemic: mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients to participate in mandatory drug testing. Why is the Democratic mayor, who’s running for reelection next year, taking a step to the right?

Finally, Ravi and Rikki sit down with FIRE’s Nico Perrino to discuss the flaws of the work of Chris Rufo, one of the leading conservative voices on education.


Time Stamps:

GOP Debate - 0:43

SF U-Turn - 15:33

Who is Chris Rufo? - 29:00


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Lost Debate - WGA Deal, Kendi’s Collapse, Russell Brand Fallout, “Karen” Backlash

Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research, which is run by prominent scholar, activist, and author Ibram X. Kendi, announced it will scale back operations amid allegations of poor management. Are Kendi’s ideas to blame?

The fallout continues for Russell Brand after claims of sexual assault and rape became public earlier this month. YouTube has demonetized his videos, the BBC has removed some of his programs, and upcoming tour dates have been canceled. Rikki and Ravi discuss the claims and whether this is another example of “trial by media.”

Finally, the hosts look at the backlash to the “Victoria's Secret Karen” viral video. What actually happened, and was anything taken out of context?


Time Stamps:

WGA Deal & North Carolina ESA - 0:45

Kendi’s collapse - 6:51

Russell Brand Fallout - 23:38

“Karen” Backlash - 36:07


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Lost Debate - Rise of Vivek & RFK Jr, Romney Retires, Climate Protests

Rikki is joined by guest co-host Isaac Saul, founder and author of the popular newsletter Tangle.

The rise of candidates like Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert Kennedy Jr. has shaken both Republican and Democrat establishments’ expectations for the upcoming election cycle. Rikki and Isaac discuss how their candidacies could shape the presidential race.

Citing “It's time for a new generation of leaders”, Mitt Romney announced he would not seek re-election in 2024, retiring after one term. The hosts debate the timing of the announcement and whether other leaders should follow the 76-year-old’s lead.

There are ways to protest that encourage others to join a cause, and then there are methods that push potential supporters away. Rikki and Isaac discuss the latest tactics from climate change protesters and why many consider the approach ineffective.


Time Stamps:

Romney Retires - 0:27

Climate Protests - 14:48

Rise of Vivek & RFK Jr - 33:56


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Lost Debate - Historic Strikes, Schools + Anonymous Social Media, Monopoly Crackdown

The UAW joined the Summer of Strikes last week in an effort to push Detroit’s three major automakers to raise wages. The hosts discuss what makes this strike different from the others and how this wave of strikes could alter the labor landscape.

A school principal has taken an unconventional approach to anonymous social media accounts. Ravi and Rikki debate the move and suggest other solutions to combat the rise in anonymous social media accounts and cyberbullying.

Finally, the Biden administration has proposed sweeping changes to antitrust enforcement. Will this ambitious new push reshape our economy or backfire?


Time Stamps:

Historic Strikes - 0:24

Schools + Anonymous Social Media - 25:33

Monopoly Crackdown - 40:56


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Lost Debate - Biden Impeachment, AI Hearings, COVID censorship, PragerU Edu

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden this week. Will the GOP find evidence of wrongdoing, or is this a last-ditch effort by McCarthy to convince members of his party to pass pending spending bills and help avoid a government shutdown?

Tech titans like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates have descended on Capitol Hill for a closed-door meeting regarding future AI regulations. Ravi and Rikki discuss what they hope to see from this session, but more importantly, will we finally get the cage match we’ve been promised?

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the Biden admin, health officials, and the FBI likely violated the First Amendment when they pushed tech companies to take down or suppress posts on COVID and elections. The hosts debate the key takeaways from the ruling and how we should address the threat of misinformation in the future.

Finally, Ravi and Rikki look at the red states that have greenlit PragerU’s controversial K-12 curriculum. Is the company’s curriculum a new form of indoctrination or simply an additional resource for educators?


Time Stamps:

Biden Impeachment - 0:28

AI Hearings - 8:07

COVID censorship - 19:07

PragerU Edu - 36:47

VM - 47:03


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Lost Debate - Lessons from WeWork’s Fall (With Jamie Hodari)

Ravi interviews Jamie Hodari, the founder of Industrious, one of the world’s largest flexible workspace providers. Ravi and Jamie discuss a sustainable path for startups in the era of VC money, the future of office work, and some wild run-ins with WeWork’s Adam Neumann.

New episodes of Sweat the Technique drop every Wednesday here.


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Lost Debate - NYC’s Migrant Crisis, Virtual Reality School, Military’s Gen Z Problem

The hosts kick off today’s show with a round-up of the latest immigration updates, from August’s record-high number of border crossings and a new ruling on Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s floating border barrier in Rio Grande to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ latest proclamation that the migrant crisis will destroy his city.

Should students be able to attend virtual reality schools? Ravi and Rikki take stock of the merits, pitfalls, and politics of this new schooling option in Florida.

America’s military faces a recruitment crisis: multiple branches will fall short of their enlistment goals this year, and only 9% of 16- to 21-year-olds say they would consider service. The hosts debate the possible reasons behind this trend and what can be done about it.


Time Stamps:

NYC’s Migrant Crisis - 0:27

Virtual Reality School - 15:38

Military’s Gen Z Problem - 29:00


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Lost Debate - Sextortion, Population Collapse, Mailbag

Is there a massive spike in “sextortion” among teenagers in America? Ravi and Rikki discuss what sextortion is, why more people should be aware of the signs, and what the numbers tell us.

Many experts predict that our global population will never again be as high as it is now. The hosts take stock of the reasons behind an impending population decline and the profound economic consequences.

Finally, Ravi and Rikki respond to a listener's feedback about our recent segment on abolishing the Department of Education.


Time Stamps:

Sextortion - 0:28

Population Collapse - 19:25

Mailbag - 38:44


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Lost Debate - The Regressives | When Unions Sell Out Their Members

New York City’s guaranteed medical coverage for every active and retired city worker has served as a major selling point over the past 57 years for people who would otherwise choose jobs with higher wages and lower stress. In a city where over 70,000 retirees survive on pensions of less than $1,500 a month, retired or disabled workers have relied upon the city’s promise to cover 100% of their medical expenses through Medicare and Medicare supplemental insurance.


But in 2021, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio made a pact with public sector unions to switch retirees from their public Medicare supplemental insurance to a privatized Medicare Advantage plan. Cited as a way to save the city hundreds of millions of dollars annually, the move meant that nearly a quarter of a million retired New York City employees — people who have risked their lives for fellow New Yorkers as firefighters, police officers, nurses, and teachers — would no longer be able to access effective or essential healthcare.


City retirees have sued the city to keep their current coverage. Attorney Jake Gardener, counsel to the retirees, sat down with Ravi to discuss the case, the politics behind the city’s relationship with its unions, and why preserving access to Medicare for current and future retirees in New York is essential, not just for New York City, but people all over the country.


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