In this episode, we dive into one of the biggest shifts happening right now across energy, technology, and the global economy. We explore the breakthrough moment for renewable energy as it surpasses coal globally and what this milestone means for future power systems, geopolitics, and everyday access to electricity. We also discuss how AI is reshaping the business landscape today — from small business adoption to massive infrastructure investments driving economic momentum. The conversation then shifts to the surprising resilience of the U.S. economy, breaking down strong growth numbers alongside the disconnect many Americans still feel in their personal finances. Finally, we look at emerging markets gaining strength, the rise of new economic power centers, and how changing global dynamics could redefine growth, investment opportunities, and the balance of power in the years ahead.

In this episode of Debatable at Best, Ray Ali and Amol Gharte cover three unfolding stories that sit at the intersection of power, economics, and public trust.

We start in Minneapolis, where a massive federal immigration operation has sparked protests, legal challenges, and a direct clash between local leaders and the federal government. We unpack what’s actually happening on the ground, why the response has been so intense, and what this moment says about federal authority, civil liberties, and the long-term impact on local communities and economic activity.

From there, we zoom out to the economy, asking why inflation still feels high even as headline numbers cool. We discuss sticky prices, rent and services costs, mixed economic signals, and why public sentiment remains frustrated despite improving data.

We close with a Venezuela update, focusing on how the U.S. oil industry is reacting to recent geopolitical shifts. We examine Trump’s claims around U.S. oil investment, pushback from major energy companies, and what rising prices for Venezuelan crude could mean for markets, policy, and America’s role as an energy power.

No clear villains. No easy fixes. Just perspective on how politics, economics, and real life collide.

In this episode of Debatable at Best, Ray Ali and Amol Gharte tackle three forces quietly reshaping everyday life: health, money, and control.

Ray opens with GLP-1 drugs — the weight-loss and diabetes medications reshaping healthcare, behavior, and expectations around obesity. We debate whether these drugs are a genuine medical breakthrough or a costly long-term dependency, touching on effectiveness, side effects, access, and what happens when people stop taking them.

Amol then shifts the conversation to privacy and stablecoins, breaking down why digital money, surveillance, and control over financial data are becoming inseparable — and why stablecoins sit at the center of future debates around trust, regulation, and personal freedom.

We close with student loans, where the restart of collections, shifting repayment rules, and long-term debt burdens raise a bigger question: has higher education quietly become a multi-decade financial tax for millions of Americans?

As always, no prescriptions — just perspective on where incentives, systems, and real life collide.