America’s tradition of public debate is under attack. Nothing exemplifies this better than the assassination of Charlie Kirk at a college campus event in September. In this first episode of a six-part series—“The Death of Debate”—I’m digging into what may be the most insidious symptom of this trend—the corruption of high school debate. Debate programs have long been the stepping stones for future politicians, judges, lawyers, and journalists, molding the next generation of civic leaders. So when I read James Fishback’s 2023 exposé on the NSDA—the leading high school debate association—I knew I needed to dig deeper into this issue. Over the next few weeks, I’ll uncover what I’ve discovered. Tune in next Friday for episode two of “The Death of Debate.”