Press Release

Eylon Levy, Former Spokesperson for Israel in the October 7th War, argues “YES” Mehdi Hasan, Award-Winning Journalist and Al Jazeera host, argues “NO” RSVP for Debate Location - Saturday, September 21st at 8pm ET in Manhattan   In the year since the beginning of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the question of proportionality in response to October 7th has taken center stage. On Saturday, September 21st, the nonpartisan debate series and podcast Open to Debate will take on the question“Were Israel's…

Uyghur, Founder and Host of the Young Turks Network, argues “YES” Yousef, Ex-Palestinian Militant, Former Israeli Spy, Son of Hamas Co-Founder, and Author of From Hamas to America, argues “NO” Listen HERE After the October 7th attack, Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas and has been at war since beginning their counter-operation in Gaza. Now, after ten months of war, a hostage crisis, and an increasing death toll, Israel and Hamas have been in negotiation talks, which could be complicated by the death of…

Debaters include Fleur Hassan-Nahoum (fmr Jerusalem Dep. Mayor), Dennis Ross (U.S. Ambassador), Mohammed Dajani Daoudi (Palestinian peace activist), and Elliott Abrams (CFR, Bush admin. alum) On July 16, nonpartisan debate series Open to Debate (formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S.) in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations is taping a live debate in New York City on the question “Is the Two State Solution Still Viable?” Unusually for such discussions, the debaters include leaders from all sides of the current conflict.…

Live Open to Debate Taping: “Does the Effective Altruism Movement Get Giving Right?” Effective altruism is a philosophical and social movement that uses empirical data to maximize the impact of charitable efforts. Over the last decade, it has influenced billionaires such as Bill Gates, Dustin Moskovitz, and MacKenzie Scott and resulted in millions of dollars given to “high-impact charities” annually. However, after philosophical critiques and the downfall of one of effective altruism’s most visible advocates, Sam Bankman-Fried, some thought leaders…

Everyone knows the presidential debates have gotten worse. A new study quantifies exactly how—and what can be done to fix them, starting with the first 2024 debate on June 27. Find the full study at opentodebate.org   The Open to Debate Foundation, in collaboration with researchers from the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics at Princeton University, has released a data-driven study on U.S. Presidential Debates called ‘Discourse Correction: What’s Wrong with the Presidential Debates, and How to Fix Them.’…

“Young Voices Debate Tough Topics: DEI & Climate Change” airing on NPR stations and all podcast platforms this week   Nonpartisan media organization Open to Debate has led the way in civilized debates—for adults and educators—in the U.S. for over a decade. For their latest episode though, they’re going back to school, covering a recent high school debate championship of new startup organization called Incubate Debate. Just as Open to Debate does on the grownup level, making debate available to a broad national…

Washington, D.C. – In response to reporting that No Labels will announce on Monday that they are finally abandoning their efforts to run a spoiler third-party presidential ticket, MoveOn Political Action Executive Director Rahna Epting released the following statement: “Millions of Americans are relieved that No Labels finally decided to do the right thing to keep Donald Trump out of the White House. Now, it’s time for Robert Kennedy Junior to see the writing on the wall that no third-party has a path forward…

Debaters include John Mearsheimer, Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Heather Conley, Lt. Colonel (Ret) Daniel L. Davis     On March 28, nonpartisan debate series Open to Debate (formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S.) in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations is taping a live debate in New York City on the question “Should Congress Stop Funding the War in Ukraine?” Arguing YES are political scientist John Mearsheimer, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and retired Lieutenant Colonel Daniel L. Davis, awarded two…

Two political philosophers debate whether even the most beloved billionaires are a policy failure   In October 2023, Forbes declared that Taylor Swift had officially become a billionaire thanks to the earnings from her Eras tour and the value of her music catalog. No one disputes that she got where she is because of her unparalleled talent, relentless work ethic, and passionate support from millions of Swifties. But does this justify her fortune? Maybe not, say some philosophers concerned over…

Feb. 21 event will be presented in person and virtually CHICAGO --- In a high-stakes presidential election year, the nonpartisan debate series Open to Debate (formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S.) and the Newt and Jo Minow Debate Series at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law are taking a look at more than a decade of the Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court case (Citizens United v. FEC), which determined the first amendment prohibits the government from restricting corporations from spending money on political campaigns. Since the 2010…

In a high-stakes presidential election year, the nonpartisan debate series Open to Debate and the Newt and Jo Minow Debate Series at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law are taking a look at more than a decade of the Citizens United Supreme Court case. Since the 2010 landmark decision, there have been questions about whether the decision has harmed our democratic process. Those who support the decision argue it upholds free speech, allowing diverse voices in the political arena, and…

National Security Council and State Department veterans debate Biden’s diplomacy, Israel’s reaction, and whether Iran poses a threat to the global order   On January 25, nonpartisan debate series Open to Debate (formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S.) in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations is taking a closer look at Iran in a post-October 7th world. Its presence in the Middle East—and on the world stage—is growing stronger, many say, given its nuclear ambitions and its ability to…