The Bunker

Podmasters

Your daily need to know on news and politics. Every weekday morning The Bunker cuts through the noise to make sense of what’s really going on, with smart explainers, interviews, fresh perspectives and under-reported stories to rescue you from everyday Punch and Judy news coverage. It’s the only way to start the day. From the producers of Oh God, What Now? Our regulars include: Gavin Esler • Ros Taylor.• Hannah Fearn • Andrew Harrison • Jacob Jarvis • Emma Kennedy • Rafael Behr • Seth Thévoz. • Sign up to support the podcast and get episodes ad-free and early: patreon.com/bunkercast • Apple users: Get all of our core shows ad-free and early with the Podmasters Originals super-subscription. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. read less

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American Friction teaser: The NYT's chief White House correspondent on Biden, Trump and Harris

American Friction teaser: The NYT's chief White House correspondent on Biden, Trump and Harris

What’s the feeling been like in the White House since Biden dropped out of the race? And how is Harris juggling both distancing herself from Biden and running on his record? In a teaser for our sibling podcast American Friction, The Bunker’s very own Jacob Jarvis and Rolling Stone’s Nikki McCann Ramirez, speak to the New York Times’ chief White House correspondent Peter Baker to discuss the feeling around the race, where it’s headed and much more. Want to know more about the race for the White House? On American Friction, you’ll find out everything you need to know, in plain English. Listen here. • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EBQbDcgPFEf9Bx5AJvvrX?si=a572a2d92dd24231 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 Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. AMERICAN FRICTION and the Bunker are Podmasters productions. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Why Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ plan is doomed to fail

Why Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ plan is doomed to fail

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

Emission control: Does carbon capture really work?

Emission control: Does carbon capture really work?

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

Can London become the AI capital of the world?

Can London become the AI capital of the world?

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/thebunker www.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

Shout out to my X – Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Jacob Jarvis

Shout out to my X – Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Jacob Jarvis

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

MAGA Bing! How The Sopranos explains Donald Trump

MAGA Bing! How The Sopranos explains Donald Trump

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/thebunker www.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

Freeports: saviours of trade or political smoke and mirrors? – with Dmitry Grozoubinski

Freeports: saviours of trade or political smoke and mirrors? – with Dmitry Grozoubinski

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/bunkercast Presented 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

Why don't men eat fruit? – The strange politics of food

Why don't men eat fruit? – The strange politics of food

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

Will the Chris Kaba verdict change armed policing? – Ex-Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe on a crisis in the Met

Will the Chris Kaba verdict change armed policing? – Ex-Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe on a crisis in the Met

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/bunkercast Presented 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 Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Revengers Assemble – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison

Revengers Assemble – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison

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/bunkercast Written 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

What’s it like to move into the White House?

What’s it like to move into the White House?

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

Boom or bust? What Trump means for the world economy

Boom or bust? What Trump means for the world economy

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

Trump won. So, what went wrong for Harris?

Trump won. So, what went wrong for Harris?

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

Election ’24: The US media failed. Here’s why

Election ’24: The US media failed. Here’s why

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/bunkercast Presented 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 Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charm offensive: How does charisma shape global politics?

Charm offensive: How does charisma shape global politics?

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

America on a knife edge – Start Your Week with American Friction’s Nikki McCann Ramírez

America on a knife edge – Start Your Week with American Friction’s Nikki McCann Ramírez

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/bunkercast Presented 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 Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Big Budget Breakdown: What it really means – with Ros Taylor and the IFG's Giles Wilkes

The Big Budget Breakdown: What it really means – with Ros Taylor and the IFG's Giles Wilkes

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

Halloween special – Why are we still obsessed with the paranormal?

Halloween special – Why are we still obsessed with the paranormal?

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

What will the US election result mean for Ukraine?

What will the US election result mean for Ukraine?

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

What we learnt from Putin’s latest global power play

What we learnt from Putin’s latest global power play

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

The Moments of Truth – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison

The Moments of Truth – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison

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/bunkercast Written 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