Shows - The Branch

The Dark History of School Abuse

Lauren Bille — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:55:29 +0000

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 three-year investigation 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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The Problem with Nikole Hannah-Jones

Lauren Bille — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 19:15:25 +0000

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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Nikole Hannah-Jones, WH Press Ban, Ed Sheeran

Lauren Bille — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:42:46 +0000

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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The Skillbatical

Lauren Bille — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:12:47 +0000

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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Will AI Lead to Socialism?

Lauren Bille — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:12:08 +0000

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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Did Al-Qaeda Lose?

Lauren Bille — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 22:08:42 +0000

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.

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