Firewall with Bradley Tusk

As Silicon Valley goes to war against the AI safety bill just passed by the California legislature, Governor Gavin Newsom should have no reservations about signing it, says Bradley. And what's good for California is good for America. Plus, why France's crackdown on Telegram is justified; how Lina Khan and the FTC have sucked the air out of venture capital; and what you should know about the living legend of competitive eating.Discussed on today's episode:The Arguments Against California AI’s Bill Are Classic Diversionary Tactics — and Nothing More, by Bradley Tusk, Substack (09/03/24)This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

New arrivals to the United States often find themselves trapped in a Catch 22  — they can’t obtain a tax ID without first getting paid and they can’t get paid without first obtaining a tax ID. Bradley talks to Luciano Arango, CEO and co-founder of Maza, who came up with an easy solution that points toward a promising new approach to the toxic stalemate over immigration.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone.

Americans bet as much as a trillion dollars a year, fueling an industry that knows just how to press our buttons, like the social media platforms do. But is gambling itself really the problem, asks Bradley, or is there a deeper malaise we're failing to confront? Plus, Bradley analyzes whether Kamala Harris is really going to end Biden's "feudal" style of governing, what he got out of Nate Silver's new book on risk, and how the MTA can finally be tamed.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

The last thing your average political consultant will ever do is run for office. Micah Lasher, however, is anything but average . He talks to Bradley about why he decided to run for State Assembly from the Upper West Side, how he won and what he brings to Albany. Plus, he reflects on the Olympics and how New York can learn from Paris. Discussed on today's episode:New York needs an Olympic goal: Paris shows how a city can improve its permanent infrastructure, by Micah Lasher, New York Daily News (08/18/24)This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Could Artificial Intelligence have prevented New York’s cannabis debacle? Bradley lays out his vision; Bob Greenlee begs to differ. Plus, Bob offers on-the-ground reporting from Chicago on the build-up to the Democratic Convention while Bradley shares five discoveries from a week in California, including an exotic new hobby.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone.

The alternative currency has settled into an awkward adolescence — full of potential but still quite unsure of itself. Bradley talks to Andrew R. Chow, TIME correspondent and author of Cryptomania: Hype, Hope, and the Fall of FTX’s Billion-Dollar Fintech Empire about whether crypto will ever find a purpose in life.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Quick hit from Bradley on how Minnesota Governor Tim Walz earned his spot on the Democratic ticket. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone.

Bradley has an idea for turning the Democrats' most potent issue — reproductive rights — into a catalyst for winning swing states. Plus, he reviews where Harris stands on tech policy, analyzes the entry of Brad Lander into the New York City mayor's race and compares notes with Cory Epstein on what they loved about being in Paris for the Olympics.Discussed on today's episode:How Kamala Harris Can Use Tele-Abortion to Change the Electoral Map, by Bradley Tusk, 07/29/24, SubstackThis episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Bradley checks in from his vacation in Paris, where swimming events gave him PTSD from summer camp but the boxing, BMX racing and beach volleyball more than made up for it. Plus, he rejects Hugo's brilliant idea that the Bronx should make its own independent bid for the summer games.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

With Bradley away in Paris for the Olympics, Bob Greenlee steps up to the mic to discuss a potential problem for the surging Kamala Harris campaign — that actual swing voters are too busy barbecuing to follow what’s going on. Plus, when the race heats up in the fall, will Harris’ close association with big-city liberalism spell trouble for her with undecideds?This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Last summer, Bradley stopped using cannabis. In this special mini episode — which was previously released as part of the 'Democrats Get Their Wish, Now What?' episode from July 23 — he reflects on how he reached the decision to quit and what it has taken to stick with it.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

What does the mysterious death of a judge reveal about the future of the world’s largest democracy? The multi-talented Ravi Gupta of The Branch media returns to Firewall to talk about his podcast “Killing Justice” and how his investigation of a crime turned into a deeply personal journey.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

After Biden's withdrawal and his endorsement of Harris, Trump is beatable but remains the prohibitive favorite. Bradley assesses what the Democrats can do to make a serious race out of it. Plus, he reflects on his one-year anniversary of quitting marijuana and why "life is a little less fun" but ultimately more rewarding.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone.

Is it crazy to believe Biden won't step down and/or that he's not certain to lose to Donald Trump? Or that if he does step down, Kamala Harris is the best (and only plausible) replacement? Chris Coffey, CEO of Tusk Strategies, joins Bradley to offer reasons why the Democrats aren't necessarily facing an historic trainwreck in the fall. Plus, Chris and Bradley preview what promises to be a riveting, unpredictable race for New York City mayor in 2025.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone.

More than nothing, but not a whole lot more. Bradley analyzes the aftermath of the shooting in Butler, Pa. Plus, riffing from the Times' 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, he compiles his own top ten.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Live from P&T Knitwear, Bradley sits down with a tech founder and tech reporter to discuss the complex web of political challenges facing the industry today. How do founders navigate these turbulent waters to foster innovation? And how do reporters cover the ever-complex interplay between technology and politics without getting lost in the noise? This episode, recorded as part of #NYTechWeek on June 4, offers an inside look into strategies and realities of operating within and reporting on the politics of innovation.Panelists:-Joe Connor, Founder of Tusk Venture Partners portfolio company, Odyssey-Alexandra Sternlicht, Tech Reporter at Fortune.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone.

When Matt Bowman left the military after 10 years of service, he found a new calling in Silicon Valley. He talks to Bradley about his start-up Autobiographer, an AI enhanced tool that helps people write their life stories. “I'm here today, in this role at Autobiographer,” he says, “because I want to memorialize the stories of my friends who didn't survive those experiences.”This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

On the Biden age question, voters were far ahead of the White House, the Democratic establishment and the media well before the debate. Regardless of how Democrats resolve this particular problem (Bradley puts the chance of Biden soldiering on at 30 percent), both parties should face blowback over the election for years to come. Plus, Bradley reflects his own flurry of activity during the pandemic in an essay called 'When To Go Big.'

The best way to clean up social media, says Ethan Zuckerman, director of the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts, is not necessarily a big government clampdown. What if instead the platforms allowed for new tools and filters that clean up and give us discretion over the torrent of content into our lives? That's exactly what Zuckerman wants to see — but first he has to sue Meta to make it happen. Discussed on today's episode:I Love Facebook. That’s Why I’m Suing Meta. by Ethan Zuckerman, The New York Times, May 5, 2024.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

While the Democratic establishment circles the wagons and the media howls impotently for the President to step down, there is a way out. All we need, says Bradley, is one big-name Democrat brave enough to stick their head above the foxhole. Plus, the first review of Vote on Your Phone is in — and it’s a rave. 

When the pandemic brought the nation’s childcare crisis out into the open, Reshma Saujani realized that mothers needed to push their concerns to the front. Bradley talks to the founder of Moms First about affordable childcare, paid leave and equal pay. These are “not just the right things to do,” says Saujani, “they’re the smart things to do. You’re just losing out on talent.”This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

In Louisiana, schools are now required by law to post the Ten Commandments. An obvious church-state problem, but maybe there's a better way to provide guidance for kids? Bradley proposes his version. Plus, he handicaps the Supreme Court's slew of major rulings, gives an update on New York's war against illegal weed shops and makes the pitch for why LeBron James could and should wind up in a Knicks uniform.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone.

"Your obscene profits are not a good enough reason to let one more child die," says Marci Hamilton, the CEO and founder of Child USA. If there's one person harder on social-media moguls than Bradley, it's Hamilton. She and Bradley talk about when and how lawmakers will finally clamp down on this "toxic universe."This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

What do the Surgeon General's proposed warning on social media, the Pope's guidance on artificial intelligence and North Dakota's congressional age limit all have in common? To Bradley, they are policy ideas that look great on first glance but become a lot less appealing as you carefully think them through. Plus, Bradley throws down a challenge to Major League Eating and Quinn Sean of Tusk Ventures joins to discuss the implications of a new criminal case on the world of digital health.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Completing the troika of family-themed episodes, Gabe Tusk (Bradley's dad) joins Firewall to mark Father's Day. 'What gets better as you get older?' asks Bradley. Reflecting on his 79 years on this earth, Gabe remarks that right now happens to be the most content he's ever been, with just the right balance of family, work and leisure in his life.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

The caveat here is that, just as William Goldman famously said about Hollywood, nobody knows anything. But Bradley reflects on 18 years of giving it his best shot. Plus, a lightning round on Albany’s clampdown on social media, the City Council’s bid to end brokers’ fees on rentals, and congestion pricing’s crash and burn (featuring our resident transportation expert Cory Epstein).This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams drops by the studio at P&T Knitwear to talk to Bradley about the crackdown on illegal weed shops, ways to rid the streets of scaffolding, how to get work permits for migrants and what he would say to people who may have fallen out of love with the Big Apple.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

On the week of her graduation from high school, Bradley's daughter Abby Tusk returns to the podcast to be interviewed on what she's learned about herself, her generation, and the world. "The Internet is not terrible," Abby says, "but it is kind of rotting our brains." Are you optimistic or pessimistic about your future, he asks her. "Optimistic, for sure."This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

What unites a borough that has such sharp juxtapositions of abundance and deprivation? Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso joins Bradley to talk about a better way to crack down on illegal weed shops, why the migrant crisis didn’t need to be a crisis, how to break the affordable housing logjam and what he’s doing to lift maternal health from a state of emergency.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Bob Greenlee, Bradley's longtime friend and COO at Tusk Holdings, joins the podcast to discuss the latest convergences of tech, politics and the law. Plus, Bradley realizes he no longer hates the Yankees and tries to sort out why.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

If the United States had a true safety net — a basic standard of living below which nobody would be allowed to fall —people would be more creative and take greater risks, argues Natalie Foster, author of "The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America's Next Economy." She joins Bradley to explain how we get from here to there.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

In response to Noah Smith's 'Seven Reasons America is Headed for a More Conservative Decade', Bradley offers five countervailing reasons of his own. Plus, is the anti-China narrative good for America; why the success of the Neurolink brain implant suggests a future union of man and machine; and what new books Bradley recommends for the beach (not that he personally ever reads on the beach, but you get the point).Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone. 

Jordan Nof, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Tusk Venture Partners, returns to Firewall to discuss the challenging climate for VCs. Given that the economy is strong, inflation is down, the stock market is booming and crypto has rebounded, what's holding venture back and how does politics factor into its recovery?This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, and be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Vote With Your Phone.