Podcasts about Bunker

The West's naivete towards Putin in the 2000s cost us dearly. Now Russia's tyrant – a creature of the KGB/FSB who has returned his country to its roots as a repressive intelligence state – is attacking us with unprecedented ferocity and deviousness. Sean Wiswesser, ex-CIA station chief in the former Soviet Union, says the “reckless” activity of FSB and GRU agents has reached new heights. But can they be stopped – and can we win the intelligence war? He tells Andrew Harrison how intelligence and dirty tricks are inextricable from Putin's power; how the old skills of “tradecraft” persist alongside new digital tactics; and what really makes Russian intelligence tick.  • Buy Sean's book Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin's Secret War from our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian affairs reporter Pjotr Sauer on Vladimir Putin's increasing isolation – and seeming paranoia – as ordinary Russians become more restive over the toll of the war in Ukraine and a struggling economy at home

Incredibly, we're already nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st Century. Who are the big figures who've shaped and transformed, or more often, terrorised and devastated, our political and physical worlds? And how did 20th century dreams of a stable consensus tomorrow fall apart? A panel of Bunker regulars – BBC veteran Gavin Esler, historian and author Alex Von Tunzelmann and Guardian columnist Rafael Behr – assemble to choose the first five of our Century Shapers.Part Two out tomorrow or available now on Patreon. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Gavin Esler. Audio production by Simon Williams and Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy Carter, who has died aged 100, suffered derision in his one-term presidency, becoming a scapegoat for recession, the Iran hostage crisis and America's diminution in the world. But his reputation as a humanitarian only grew after he left office. What is the true meaning of Jimmy Carter's life? Andrew Harrison talks to writer and filmmaker Jonathan Alter – author of His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life – about the 39th President and his legacy. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Researched by Eliza Davis Beard. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Completing our countdown of the events of 2024 that we can barely believe happened. From Rishi Sunak dooming his own election campaign by launching it in a downpour to Robert F Kennedy Jr's shenanigans with a dead bear (blame the brainworms) to America deciding that its new folk hero is an actual murderer, we examine the moments that made 2024 incomprehensible. Miranda Sawyer and Jonn Elledge of Paper Cuts join Andrew Harrison to complete an ignominious countdown. (Part One available now) • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's that time of year when we look back over the last twelve months and ask… did that really happen? From Oasis giving the nation a brutal lesson in demand economics to the near-assassination of Donald Trump to the baffling rise of “Huak Tuah Girl”, 2024 has been a year of signs, wonders and bewilderment. In the first of a two-part Bunker special Miranda Sawyer and Jonn Elledge of Paper Cuts join Andrew Harrison to choose the first ten of the twenty most bizarre moments of the year – and work out what they mean. Part Two is out on Monday 23 December, or sign up to Patreon to hear it right now – and support independent podcasting too. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!From enormous Tudor banquets to Fortnum & Mason's luxury hampers, Christmas food has always been about showing off. But how did we leap from turducken and spiced pies to our roast potatoes and a turkey that barely fits in the oven? Join Alex von Tunzelmann and Thomas Ntinas, host of The Delicious Legacy podcast, as they unravel how centuries of festive indulgence, and a brief detour through Cromwell's joyless Puritanism, shaped the Christmas dinner we know today.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Our Cyber Monday sale is just about still on! Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker. Yes, Die Hard IS a Christmas movie… but what about its politics? Is the Bruce Willis blockbuster a howl of anger from Reagan's rustbelt, an attack on '80s yuppie finance bros, an America First broadside against Japanese corporate raiders, or a diatribe against capitalism that Bernie Sanders would be proud of? And who's the real villain? Conservative economist John Phelan joins wet liberal centrist Andrew Harrison to debate the politics that play out in Nakatomi Tower. Welcome to the podcast, pal!  Read John's excellent analysis Die Hard here. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!Last week, a high-profile murder in broad daylight shocked the world, but it's the reaction that has everyone talking. Why is the victim, United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, met with scorn while the accused, Luigi Mangione, is hailed as a cult hero across the internet? Join Alex von Tunzelmann and Jessica Glenza, health reporter for The Guardian US, as they delve into the complexities of US healthcare, uncovering the confusion and fury behind the headlines and memes.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! The Chinese spy scandal lifts the lid on Prince Andrew's murky world. What do the Chinese think the Prince can give him? Has the affair sealed Andrew's fate as a Royal? And will we find out the identity of the mysterious “H6”? Plus: Why is Starmer cosying up to Italy's far-right leader Giorgia Meloni? The US healthcare debate grows bitterer still after the arrest of Luigi Mangione. And are YOU ready for the Christmas Guinness Drought? Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler set out the major stories of the week ahead. • This episode is sponsored by Proton Pass, to find out more visit https://proton.me/pass/thebunker• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Art: Jim Parrett. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Our Black Friday sale is still on! Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker.Beige against the machine – Mocked by left and right in the 2010s, Centrist Dad had the last laugh. Now he bestrides our politics like gilet-clad colossus – he's even Prime Minister. But what makes him tick? How is he adjusting to power? What is Centrist Mum like? Authors of The Centrist Dad Handbook, friend of the pod Jason Hazeley and pal Nico Tatarowicz, talk to Andrew Harrison about the man at the centre of it all. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more - www.patreon.com/bunkercast• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Simon Williams and Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!It's been a busy time in the USA – so you'd be forgiven for having missed the latest UFO hearings. To help you catch up, Jacob Jarvis spoke to Tom Phillips, co-author of Conspiracy: A History of B*llocks Theories, and How Not to Fall For Them, to discuss what was said and if any of it actually hinted at Alien life…  www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionhttps://www.podmasters.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• A special crossover with The Bunker's geopolitics partner podcast This Is Not A Drill.Assad's stunning fall ends a tyrannical 53-year rule in Syria, leaving monstrous crimes against human rights exposed, rocking both Iran and Russia on their heels, and handing the country's future back to its people. Where next for Syria? Will the rebel fighters coalesce into a working government and avoid the factionalism which would jeopardise the Syrian people's hopes? And what does it mean for an international community which had turned its back on the Syrian war?This Is Not A Drill regular Emma Beals explores an awe-inspiring week in the Middle East with Syria expert and open-source investigator Suhail al-Ghazi. • No longer on Twitter? Follow TINAD and Emma Beals on BlueSky. • Support This Is Not Drill on Patreon to continue by backing us on Patreon. You'll get early, ad-free editions, merchandise and more. Written and presented by Emma Beals. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters productionpodmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!French politics is in turmoil at the moment with President Macron facing pressure over who he names as the nation's next Prime Minister. Can the different factions in France be brought together? And can Macron fend off his enemies – or might someone else be better suited? Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief of The Economist, joins Ros Taylor to discuss the chaos and what might come of it. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!The fall of the Assad regime in Syria is dominating headlines – what does it mean for the future of the country and the region more broadly? Ros Taylor discusses with Jacob Jarvis. Plus, they discuss domestic news including the fallout of Starmer's reset and a war on NIMBYs. And – France, what's going on and can Macron weather the political storm?We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!If you're under 45 the only way you'll buy a home is with help from the Bank of Mum and Dad. What is the increasing power of family wealth doing to Britain? Far from intergenerational inequality, is inTRAgenerational inequality creating a Britain of haves and never-will-haves? Are we entering a Jane Austen world where money marries money? And is it all the Boomers' fault? Eliza Filby, author of Inheritocracy: It's Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad, joins regulars Hannah Fearn and Andrew Harrison to talk about Britain's new Parent Trap.• Buy Inheritocracy through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionhttps://www.podmasters.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!How much impact would Musk giving $100 million to Farage and Reform UK have on British politics? And how would such a move be legal – and could it be blocked in any way? Ros Taylor is joined by Peter Geoghegan, author of the Democracy for Sale substack, to discuss how this sort of funding is regulated – and how analogue rules struggle to keep up in a digital world. • “It's both the money and the might of Musk behind Farage, we've never seen a tech oligarch involved in British politics like this.”• “We have very few rules on what you'd call third party campaigning. You can really run and do whatever you want.”• “There are no caps when it comes to donations to a political party – you can give them your house, you can give them everything if you like.”Read Peter's recent piece on his Democracy for Sale Substack.We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!Kamala Harris faced an uphill battle in her bid for the White House ending in a shock defeat which has left her party reeling. But, she's suggested she wants to stay in the fight, and early polling hints that she could muster support to run in 2028. Would that be wise for her or the Democratic Party? Today on The Bunker, Jacob Jarvis is joined by David Smith, Washington DC bureau chief for The Guardian, to dissect the fallout from this historic loss and what Harris might do moving forward. Together, they explore what the campaign's failure reveals about the Democratic Party's strategy – and whether Harris could run again in 2028.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! From inheritance tax to winter fuel to the early mini-scandal over ministerial freebies, it seems Labour just can't take control of the news agenda. Is it down to a lack of killer journalistic instinct, Starmer's own personality, or something deeper? Patrick Diamond was policy and strategy adviser to New Labour, and he's now Professor of Public Policy at Queen Mary University London. He tells Andrew Harrison how Blair and Campbell took the media by the scruff of the neck… and what Labour can to do “roll the pitch” so the next four years aren't as defensive as the last four months. (This episode recorded before the forced resignation of Transport Minister Louise Haigh)  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   Support us on Patreon.Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Jade Bailey Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!  Keir Starmer definitely isn't doing a relaunch or a reset no matter what the papers say. But, he is doing something that looks a bit like one, so Gavin Esler and Jacob Jarvis unpack what the Labour leader is up to. And, Trump's making everyone go see him at Mar a Lago, what can we make of his initial interactions on the world stage? Plus, the latest from Russia and conflict in the Middle East.  • This episode is sponsored by Proton Pass, to find out more visit https://proton.me/pass/thebunker• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!Britain's high streets are shadows of their former selves. Over the last decade, 40,000 shops have closed. But in the past high streets were more than places to shop – they were the heart of communities, hubs for activism, and even spots for a bit of drama to unfold. Today on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann sits down with Annie Gray, author of The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street, to delve into the rich past of these spaces – and why we shouldn't rush to mourn them just yet.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  Support us on Patreon.Buy The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too.Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!Back by popular demand: The Bunker panel edition where we talk about multiple topics with regulars and guests. This time: The Telegraph thinks Jeremy Clarkson could lead a new populist party. Stranger things have happened… haven't they? The intense debate on assisted dying reaches its climax. And the big future news stories we should watch out for. ITV News's UK Editor Paul Brand and Paper Cuts/Pod Save The UK regular Coco Khan talk all it over with Andrew Harrison. The Bunker Panel will return at the end of every month.• This episode is sponsored by Proton Pass, to find out morevisit https://proton.me/pass/thebunker• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!  Young men turned out in huge numbers for Trump, thanks in part to his ability to tap into the “manosphere”. So what is this online phenomenon? And how has it shaped political views the world over? And what will it mean going forward? Zing Tsjeng speaks to the authors of Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate's Manosphere, Jamie Tahsin and Matt Shea to discuss that and more.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!It's known for leather trenchcoats, shades and cool fight sequences in “bullet time”. But The Matrix's concept of “taking the Red Pill” – rejecting consensus reality and all who believe in it – has spread to become a malignant force in politics, providing a rationale for conspiracy theorists, misogynists, antisemites and fascists. How did a sci-fi blockbuster do so much damage?Derek Robertson, who writes on the politics/pop culture intersection for Politico, talks to Andrew Harrison about the Redpilling of American politics, how creators the Wachowskis feel about their vision being commandeered, The Matrix as a transgender allegory … and how deep the right-wing rabbit hole goes. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!MPs will debate assisted dying ahead of a significant vote on the matter this week – who is arguing for and against? What questions are there over the bill? Ros Taylor is joined by Hannah Fearn to discuss the split in the Cabinet over this legislation and more broadly. Plus, the latest from an apparent benefits “crackdown”, news from COP29 and more to look out for in the coming days. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Hannah Fearn. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!Donald Trump has secured a “trifecta” as he heads to the White House, while the House and Senate are due to be controlled by Republicans. So, can the checks and balances of the US system work at all? Can he circumvent everything – or will anyone push back? Dr. Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, joined Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones on our sibling podcast American Friction to give them an idiot's guide to Congress. Want to learn more about US politics? Head here for more from American Friction.Find out more about Casey's upcoming book here.We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump seems like a hardline ally of Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli right. But could his unpredictable nature and need to make big news end the nightmare in Gaza on terms that don't suit Netanyahu's hard-right coalition? The Economist's Israel correspondent Anshel Pfeffer talks to Andrew Harrison about the true nature of the war, its wider effects, and the ending that Trump might impose upon the region. • This edition recorded before the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif.• Get 20% off a year's Patreon support for The Bunker with our Black Friday sale. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off a year's Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!Elon Musk is the new head of DOGE – the Department of Government Efficiency – alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, because two people doing one job is very efficient. But despite its fancy name, which bolsters its status immensely, is this idea actually anything new? And will this pitch to run the US government like a business work this time out? Zing Tsjeng speaks to Andrew Rudalevige, professor of government at Bowdoin College, about the Tesla boss's big ideas and whether they will work whatsoever. • “There are a couple of different aims. One is to give Musk something to do and keep him out of trouble – without having to give him a real job in government.” • “I think he wants a bigger state in the things he can control and a smaller state on things that don't affect him. Everyone thinks government spending that isn't on them is wasteful.” • “You have things that are done in government because private companies will not do them.”We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Get 20% off a year's Patreon support for The Bunker. The perfect gift to ask for!Carbon capture is a highly controversial technology – but that hasn't stopped governments ploughing huge sums of money into it. How does it work – and how effective is it? Does it do little more than let major polluters carry on as normal, by saying this will offset their emissions? And, even if it isn't a cure, can we hit Net Zero targets without it? Ros Taylor is joined by Steve Smith, executive director of Oxford Net Zero, to discuss.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer has vowed to make London the AI capital of the world. But is that truly possible? Silicon Valley continues to dominate the rapidly growing industry and with Trump promising to repeal Biden's AI regulations, the UK could struggle to keep up. In today's episode of The Bunker, Dr. Kate Devlin speaks with Sana Khareghani, former Chair of the UK's Office for AI, to explore whether London will rise as the next global AI hub – or if it is destined to fall behind in the race.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  • This episode is sponsored by Proton Pass, to find out more visit http://proton.me/pass/thebunkerwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Kate Devlin. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As people flee X, or Twitter for the rest of us, what is Musk up to – and how's his bromance (sorry) with Trump going? Then in world news – what will be happening at the G20, and how is the incoming US president already warping discussions? Gavin Esler joins Jacob Jarvis to talk through the stories to watch out for this week. We're on BlueSky! – follow us here.We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump feels like a TV character – and if you're a Sopranos fan, you might have noticed a similarity with Tony Soprano. Both are imposing egomaniacs, desperate to control their families, get more power and indulge themselves along the way. Jacob Jarvis is joined by former Obama speechwriter and fellow Sopranos superfan David Litt to discuss the comparisons and what the HBO show can teach us about the world of MAGA. Read David's piece: The Sopranos Is the Perfect Show to Help Us Understand the Trump Era. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  This episode is sponsored by Proton Pass, to find out more visit http://proton.me/pass/thebunkerwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freeports! They were going to be a huge Brexit benefit (they weren't). Boris Johnson said we couldn't have them while we were in the EU (he was lying). Labour was going to announce more in the latest Budget and then… didn't (“cock up in the comms,” it says here). But what are they? Do tax-free zones really benefit deprived areas? Or are they havens for money-laundering and tax avoidance?  Trade expert Dmitry Grozoubinski explains the long history and cloudy future of special economic zones to Andrew Harrison.  • Order Dmitry's Why Politicians Lie About Trade. You'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees also help support independent bookshops. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did the food we eat get so political? Are men really refusing to eat strawberries because they're too ‘girly'? From avocados to artisan coffee – our taste in food can reveal more than we might realise. Today on The Bunker, Emma Kennedy sits down with Pen Vogler, author of Stuffed: A Political History of What We Eat and Why It Matters, to explore how class, innovation, and tradition have linked politics to the food we eat.Don't miss the latest season of Why? with Emma Kennedy. Out now, wherever you get your podcasts. Buy Stuffed: A Political History of What We Eat and Why It Matters [link - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780691230337] through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too.We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: Liam Tait and Chris Jones. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a jury cleared a firearms officer of murdering Black Londoner Chris Kaba, it triggered protests and intense scrutiny of the Met. Should charges ever have been brought? Was the killing a product of racist policing? Did Kaba's gangland connections – concealed during the trial – change the picture of the case? And will officers stop volunteering for firearms duty if they could face prosecution? Bernard Hogan-Howe, former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, talks to Andrew Harrison about a moment of maximum controversy for policing in London and the whole UK. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump starts building his cabinet, only sycophants need apply and score-settling is on the agenda. Will Britain need to choose between the EU and Trump's Orange Empire in the trade wars that are coming? Plus, antisemitic football violence in Amsterdam, the slow-motion collapse of Germany's government, and Manchester United's new manager is the latest victim of the end of Freedom of Movement. A shellshocked Ros Taylor sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded before we knew the election result would come so quickly – we wondered: what is it actually like to move into the White House?   Moving is always a nightmare. In January, a new president – we now know will be Trump – will head into the White House – what will the big move be like? Alex von Tunzelmann speaks to Matthew Costello, chief education officer at the White House Historical Association and director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, about the history of the White House, what the new first family might find – and what moving day will look like.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.  Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Donald Trump prepares for his return to the White House, the world is gearing up for another term full of big promises and unconventional moves. Trump's plans could shake things up at home and abroad – so what will they mean for the economy in America and beyond?Today in The Bunker, Coco Khan is joined by Dr. Kara Reynolds, professor of economics at American University in Washington, D.C., to discuss his fiscal plans.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Coco Khan. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Graphics by James Parrett. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojitos. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Out early for everyone! Americans face the reality of four more years under Donald Trump. But how did we get here? What went right for Trump and what went so wrong for Kamala Harris? Gavin Esler is joined by political experts Michael Cullinane, U.S. History Professor at Dickinson State University, and Clodagh Harrington, American politics lecturer at the University of Cork, to unpack why Harris lost and explore what these results mean for the future of democracy. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Falling circulations, trivial stories, shrinking budgets, squandered trust? It's worse than that, says US media analyst and academic Jeff Jarvis. A combination of self-seeking billionaire owners and complacent, outdated reporting meant that papers and TV failed to alert Americans to Trump's real threat: the advent of actual fascism in the USA. He tells Andrew Harrison how the US press “sanewashes” Trump's demented edicts, how the Republicans hack the news to their advantage, and what needs to happen to save real journalism.  • Order Jeff Jarvis's The Gutenberg Parenthesis and pre-order The Web We Weave. You'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too.• Follow American Friction for the best analysis of the US Presidential Election up to and beyond the vote. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Obama's effortless cool aura to Zelenskyy's stoic defiance, charm and charisma have shown themselves to be game-changers in politics. Often dismissed as superficial, these qualities can shift public opinion, steer policy, and even swing elections. Today on The Bunker, Zing Tsjeng speaks with Julia Sonnevend, author of Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics, to explore the power of charm global politics.   Buy Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio producer: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's only one story this week: the US Presidential Election, with Harris and Trump neck-and-neck and democracy itself at stake. Special guest Nikki McCann Ramírez of our partner pod American Friction sets out what will decide the final confrontation in the key swing states – how Trump is already preparing the ground for another big lie about a stolen election – and why the fight for America's future is a battle of the sexes.  • Follow American Friction for the best analysis of the US Presidential Election up to and beyond the vote. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionwww.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Reeves' first budget has caused quite the stir. But what aspects were really surprising – and important? What was risky? And what issues didn't it address? Ros Taylor discusses all this and more with Giles Wilkes, senior fellow at the Institute for Government. • “It was very much an old Labour budget.”• “It was the first honest attempt at saying, ‘If you want this, it's got to be paid for,' since Gordon Brown.”• “They missed any opportunity to make the tax system less bonkers.”We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As science answers more and more questions, you'd imagine our obsession with the paranormal would diminish. Yet we're still obsessed with the apparently “unexplained”. Andrew Harrison speaks to Chris French, author of The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal, to discuss why we want to believe – or trick ourselves into believing – in the supernatural, even if it terrifies us. Buy The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too.We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a new president due to be elected in America, what impact would each candidate have on the war in Ukraine? Rafael Behr speaks to Simon Shuster, reporter for Time and author of The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky, about what the outcome in the US might mean – and to discuss the state of the conflict more broadly, as well as how Ukraine's leader is continuing to handle the war.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week's BRICS Summit was Vladimir Putin latest ploy to strengthen an anti-western alliance. But despite the united front, behind the scenes, cracks are forming in Russia's alliances. Today on The Bunker, Chris Jones is joined by Dr. Ian Garner to explore what this mega-summit means for Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a week of big decisions: Labour's first budget, the Tories choose their leader, and the last desperate week of campaigning in the Presidential Election. Can Rachel Reeves reset the new government's course? What will shift the dial in Harris vs Trump? And how about that Runcorn MP allegedly thumping someone in the street? Ros Taylor sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The future is here—or is it? Last week, Tesla's “We, Robot” event introduced us to Optimus, Elon Musk's AI-powered humanoid helpers. These futuristic machines grabbed the spotlight but also raised urgent questions about the true cost of our fascination with automation. Today on The Bunker, Chris Jones is joined by Dr. Julie Carpenter, author of the upcoming book The Naked Android, to discuss whether humans and robots can coexist.• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The race between Trump and Harris is so tight that nobody wants to call it. But from afar, it can be hard to understand how the polls are possibly so tight. What's made them so close, can anything change them, and are any of them helpful in understanding the election race? Jacob Jarvis asks Andrew Rudalevige, professor of government at Bowdoin College, why it's all so close. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A bonus excerpt from the new series of our science and psychology podcast, Why? In Episode One: Most of us think we're too smart, stable and strong-willed to join a cult – but clearly somebody's joining them. So why do people willingly give up their free will and independence to join secretive communities with charismatic leaders – and how do they get out? Emma Kennedy talks to world-leading cult deprogrammer Rick Alan Ross and NXIVM cult survivor Sarah Edmondson to discover the strange allure of the cult mindset.Go here to hear the complete episode.Why? with Emma Kennedy is the podcast for curious minds, from the makers of The Bunker. Every Thursday, Emma delves into the science and psychology of why we are the way we are. She talks leading experts and some of science's brightest minds to answer the big questions you never knew how to ask. Follow on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode.WHY? is presented by Emma Kennedy. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production and theme music by Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Artwork by James Parrett. Additional music is from Artlist.io. WHY? is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.