The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Silicon Valley presents itself as a haven for tech start-ups wanting to change the world for the better. But, beneath the facade, it has a serious fraud problem. Why do tricksters thrive among the geniuses? Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the FTX crypto exchange is the latest high-profile example – but he’s far from being the first tech start-up founder to wind up in jail. Erin Griffith is a reporter for the New York Times specialising in tech and finance – and joins Chris Jones in The Bunker to discuss this dark phenomenon. • “When there’s a lot of free money going around, that’s going to attract a lot of people to exploit that.” – Erin Griffith • “The venture capital investors who are backing these companies are sophisticated… but there’s also an element of FOMO because there are only so many startups that might be the next Facebook.” – Erin Griffith • “I’m not sure anything is changing apart from some of these charges for fraud that are now being prosecuted in criminal court.” – Erin Griffith We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit Support us on Patreon. Written, presented and produced by Chris Jones. 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

The Conservative Party was once a unified force, able to steadily maintain power. But today’s Tories are in constant turmoil. How did they become the party of chaos? Since Brexit there’s been a revolving door of leaders, the rise of tribalism within the party and a series of humiliating byelection losses. Alex Andreou is joined by professor of politics at Queen Mary University Tim Bale to try and understand this shift in conservative politics. • “Everything that top Tories say needs to be considered as part of their future leadership contest.” – Tim Bale • “Without Brexit, we wouldn't have seen the turmoil that we've seen over the last decade.” – Tim Bale We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: 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

The prospect of a new Civil War in the United States is increasingly discussed as political turmoil rips through America. How could such a conflict actually break out? Rob Hutton is joined by The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future author Stephen Marche to discuss the terrifying new film Civil War – and how the reality could be even worse. • “Civil wars when they come are the very worst things that can happen to a country. In England, the civil war demonstrated a level of brutality that is now unthinkable to us.” – Stephen Marche • “It’s so dangerous right now, not because the people are inherently violent, but because for those people to get power, they need hatred to get them there.” – Stephen Marche Buy The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future 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 Rob Hutton. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Union Jack represents many things for many people, linked to historical pride – but also shame. And, unfortunately, it’s become somewhat synonymous with the political Right. So what is Labour’s relationship with the flag? Andrew Harrison asks The People's Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party co-author Gerry Hassan if Labour can reclaim Britishness. • “I don’t think anyone in the UK can be completely objective about the Union Jack. Flags are things we have emotional connections with. The Union Jack’s meaning has evolved over centuries.” – Gerry Hassan • “Lots of people say we have to either identify and feel pride in it, or loathe it – but it’s important we allow for a polarity of meanings.” – Gerry Hassan • “In our current age of culture wars, symbols really matter. And symbols like national flags are highly contested.” – Gerry Hassan • “Flags are part of who we are as human beings.” – Gerry Hassan Buy The People's Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party 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 Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sunak has lost another MP after Mark Menzies announced he’s leaving the Tories and won’t stand at the next election. What issues does this raise for the PM? Meanwhile, the Tory leader is set to head to Poland to discuss the Ukraine war with Donald Tusk. What will they talk about? Plus, will Israel go ahead with further strikes on Rafah? And can Donald Trump manage to stay awake during his hush money trial this week? Alex Andreou joins Ros Taylor to discuss the week ahead. • “They were happy to comment on an ongoing investigation last week, life comes at you fast.” – Alex Andreou • “The lack of any kind of compromise is part of the reason why the Lords have dug their heels in. The government has made absolutely no moves to meet them even 2% of the way, they’ve just flatly turned everything down.” – Alex Andreou • “The legislative process shouldn’t be one of trying to ram things through a House that dislikes them.” – Alex Andreou We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit Support us on Patreon Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. 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

We know what happened the last time Donald Trump lost – and Joe Biden wants to make sure he’s prepared for more shenanigans this time out. If Trump doesn’t win “he is willing to cheat and steal it,'' writes today’s guest Adam Rawnsley, reporter for Rolling Stone magazine. He joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss how President Biden is preparing for an electoral tussle with the GOP. • “The one message we keep seeing from the polls is that no one is excited for this race.” – Adam Rawnsley • “We have a uniquely dim system … the electoral college.” – Adam Rawnsley 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: 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

Vladimir Putin has a tight grip on information in Russia. How does he shape how his nation sees the rest of the world? And how does he actually perceive other countries? Chris Jones asks Dr. Ivan Grigoriev, lecturer in Russian politics at the King’s Russia Institute. • “Propaganda in Russia is like a steamroller that keeps rolling over and over the population.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev • “Russia’s election went just how we thought it would: It was an 87% landslide election for Vladimir Putin. And the primary goal of this election was to show that if Putin wants 87%, he will get 87%.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. 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

Paris is like Marmite – you either love it or you hate it. But it’s changing. Physically, through massive expansions in social housing and transport and a €40bn shot of investment, but also politically and psychologically. People are even smiling in the streets these days. Ros Taylor talks to Simon Kuper, Financial Times columnist and author of Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century, about how the French capital is transforming in the lead up to this year’s Olympics. • “One thing that globalisation does is it removes these weird localities – and in Paris, that locality was rudeness.” – Simon Kuper • “Paris is trying to become London with the bad bits left out.” - Simon Kuper Buy Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century 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 Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Political drama can be tedious but we can all enjoy watching a bitter rivalry unfold. What have been the greatest personal beefs in British politics? Before Starmer and Sunak there was Thatcher and Heath, Blair and Brown, Cameron and Johnson. Seth Thévoz talks Andrew Harrison through some of the ultimate Westminster head-to-heads. • “When the personal overrides the principle, that’s when it becomes a problem. It’s a weak spot if you’re trying to bring down a person and not forward a cause.” • “There are tales of Brown yelling at Blair, ‘You ruined my life!’” We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit . Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. 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

All eyes remain on the Middle East after Iran’s drone attacks on Israel. How will Netanyahu respond? And how are Britain and the US going to react? In the UK, Parliament returns – what is on the agenda? Plus, we look at other flashpoints across the globe – and round-up the rest of the domestic news. Alex Andreou and Hannah Fearn talk through the week ahead. • “Perhaps it is a poor choice of timing for Iran, but it feels like a febrile time for the entire region.” – Hannah Fearn • “It feels like both sides are looking for a forever war.” – Alex Andreou • “The attack crystallised the partnership between Israel, the US and the UK.” – Hannah Fearn We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Producer: Liam Tait. 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

Donald Trump needs evangelical Christian voters to back him to stand a chance in November. But can his religious rhetoric and doubling down on his supposed love of all things Jesus really help him win? Philip Bump is a national columnist for The Washington Post and says that “Trump’s appeal to Christians is more limited than he suggests”. He joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss whether Trump’s Christian pandering will help him. • “There’s definitely a subset that believes that the hand of God came down and anointed Donald Trump.” – Philip Bump • “I don’t know if there’s anyone Trump could pick as his running mate to lose his support from evangelical Christians.” – Philip Bump 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: 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

Every party promises a growing economy as a solution for everything – but can economic expansion carry on forever? On a planet with finite resources, can growth really be infinite? Ros Taylor talks to Daniel Susskind, economic professor and author of Growth: A History and a Reckoning, about the mystery of economic growth, what “degrowthers” want, and how to balance the pros and cons of an ever-expanding economy. • “Economic growth feels like it’s a permanent fixture, and yet for most of history there was no growth at all. Modern economic growth only really began about 200-250 years ago.” – Daniel Susskind • “One of the great mysteries in economics is that we actually know surprisingly little about the process of economic growth.” – Daniel Susskind • “One thing degrowthers get wrong is this idea that we cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet. I think we CAN have effectively infinite growth.” – Daniel Susskind Buy Growth: A History and a Reckoning 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 Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adolf Hitler still comes up in conversations startlingly regularly – particularly online. Why? Sir Richard J. Evans, regius professor emeritus of history at the University of Cambridge and the author of The Hitler Conspiracies: The Third Reich and the Paranoid Imagination, as well as countless other titles, tells Jacob Jarvis why we’re still so obsessed with one of the most evil people to ever live. • “Our perspectives change - you can now look at Hitler through the eyes and experience of Donald Trump, whose relationship to the truth and hostility to democracy make us look at Hitler afresh.” - Richard J. Evans • “Seeing the worst that humanity can do, we can use that as a signpost to the more trivial decisions between good and bad.” - Richard J. Evans Buy The Hitler Conspiracies: The Third Reich and the Paranoid Imagination [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780141991498] 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 Podmasters managing editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. 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

Could you watch GB News for a whole month? Gavin Esler did, in the name of research. What he experienced was a nightmare mix of confected anger, wild conspiracy and resentment designed to make its viewers feel like victims. GB News might be a joke but its growing social media presence is spreading and detoxifying the hard right views of some very powerful people. Gavin tells Andrew Harrison why we need to start taking Britain’s most absurd TV channel much more seriously. • “I am a recovering GB News watcher. I have to say, it was an ordeal - it was awful.” - Gavin Esler • “Some of the appeal is that ‘we give voice to people who aren’t heard’… But it is an attempt to normalise things that are fundamentally linked to the far right.” - Gavin Esler • “GB News plays into our social divisions, it plays into culture wars, it plays into people who wish to create problems and not solve them. - Gavin Esler Read Gavin’s highly entertaining story GB Spews – What I learned watching Britain’s most ghastly television news channel in Prospect magazine. www.patreon.com/bunkercast We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Israel/Gaza war reaches stalemate, are hopes of a ceasefire just wishful thinking? Are “peace talks” in Ukraine just a euphemism for giving Putin what he wants? Plus Thames Water circles the plughole, the William Wragg WhatsApp fallout, and a total eclipse of everyone’s sanity. Ros Taylor sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison. • “I think we’re seeing a slow creep towards giving up some Ukrainian territory to Russia” • “The more Putin can pick-off Ukrainian support, particularly in Eastern Europe, the less likely Ukraine will be able to fight” • “The William Wragg honeytrap scandal could just be someone being mischievous, but it could well be something much more serious” Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Assistant producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even if you aren’t on Tiktok, you’ll know one of its billion plus monthly users. But how many of them know how their data is being collected, by whom, and why? The US is now proposing to ban the Chinese-owned social media platform over its links to the Chinese Communist Party. Chris Jones asks leading tech journalist Will Guyatt whether this is all just a form of political warfare against China – or if we really should worry about TikTok. • “The idea that TikTok is in whole owned by the Chinese Communist Party isn’t true. It’s a complex system of ownership spread across the world, including the U.S. and the Cayman Islands.” • “There are rabid inconsistencies. Joe Biden is saying he’ll support the act to ban TikTok, and using it as a part of his campaign.” • “Is this about fears over information gathering or is this purely geopolitical? Or a bigger feeling that we shouldn’t do anything to benefit China?” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain’s Miners’ Strike conjures up strong emotions to this day – despite 40 years having passed since the confrontation. But what are the common misconceptions of this period of history? And how are its effects still being felt today? Andrew Harrison asks Robert Gildea, emeritus professor of modern history at the University of Oxford, about the enduring legacy of the Miners’ Strike. • “The slogan was ‘close a pit, kill a community’ – and there was indeed devastation across mining communities in the decade after the strikes.” – Robert Gildea • "There was a kind of ‘alternative welfare state’ that was set up largely by the miners’ wives who sustained striking miners and their families. Women came into their own.” – Robert Gildea Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Listen to the latest episode of Jam Tomorrow on the coal industry: https://listen.podmasters.uk/JT2404coal Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain’s police forces seem constantly embroiled in scandal. Where does this stem from and where is most of the corruption? Former police officer and undercover drugs operative Neil Woods, author of Good Cop, Bad War, talks to Alex Andreou about the extent of police corruption in Britain and the pressing need for drug reform to reduce the problem. • “If the public understood the extent of corruption caused by drug policy, we would have a referendum... Drug laws in this country are not ethically sound.” – Neil Woods • “Because criminals control the over £10 billion a year drug market, which is completely unregulated, the vastness of that wealth is what gives organised crime its power to corrupt.” – Neil Woods www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Tories face electoral obliteration, according to the polls – can Sunak do anything about it? We reflect on the latest damning survey and the current fallouts swirling around the PM. Plus we discuss conflict in the Middle East, and the latest strikes on Gaza and Syria. And finally we look at the latest from the war in Ukraine, then the election results in Turkey. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the week ahead. • “This is a really high-stakes local election – if the Tories do as poorly as some of the polls predict, it might be time-up for Rishi Sunak” – Alex Andreou • “Most Tory voters are now either sanguine about a Labour government, or actively want one.” – Alex Andreou • “Putin’s words often have the opposite effect to what they intended.” – Alex Andreou Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Jacob Jarvis. 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

Collapsing birthrates have inspired dramas from The Handmaid’s Tale to Children of Men, but it isn’t just science fiction any more. We might not realise it, but we’re living through an epidemic of infertility – and it’s getting worse. How did we get here? What does it mean when humans have fewer babies? And how do we turn it around? Jude Rogers finds out from world-leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Dr Shanna Swan, author of the cheerily-entitled Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development and Imperilling the Future of the Human Race. • “This is too fast to be merely evolution... This is a worldwide challenge, if not a catastrophe.” – Dr Shanna Swan • “Chemicals that affect hormones are influencing the decline in birth rates. We’re the guinea pigs… People need to exert pressure on governments to bring in legislation to stop that.” – Dr Shanna Swan Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jude Rogers. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Putin’s threats have made nuclear conflict plausible for the first time since the Cold War – but few really understand the enormity of what it would mean. New book Nuclear War: A Scenario describes such a war step-by-step, from a surprise first strike from North Korea to the destruction of Washington D.C, miles-wide firestorms, the immolation of hundreds of millions of people, and the final extinction of civilisation – all within two hours and 40 minutes. Pulitzer-nominated author Annie Jacobsen conducted dozens of new interview with military and civilian experts. She talks Andrew Harrison through her timeline of a realistic Apocalypse. • “What unfolds is a series of missteps with extraordinary consequences.” – Annie Jacobson • “This is without doubt the most terrifying book I’ve ever read.” – Andrew Harrison • “We have a launch on warning policy. If we believe a ballistic missile is going to hit the U.S., the President will launch a nuclear weapon immediately. But they are woefully unprepared and uneducated about it.” – Annie Jacobson Buy Nuclear War: A Scenario 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. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Moon is packed with precious resources – silicon for microchips, manganese for batteries, and titanium for missiles. As private companies, Japan, China, Russia, India and others rush to claim our lunar neighbour, will they look after humanity’s interests or their own? And what happens when these big, belligerent actors collide? A.C. Grayling, writer, broadcaster and philosophy professor, has just published Who Owns the Moon? In Defence of Humanity’s Common Interests in Space. He talks to Alex Andreou about exploration, exploitation and trouble on the next frontier. Buy Who Owns the Moon? 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. • “Nobody owns the Moon, which means everybody does. And if we all own it, we should all have a say in it. But in reality, very few people are having a say in it.” – A.C. Grayling • “The U.N. treaty, in declaring the Moon a no-man’s land, has provided us with nothing that would restrain any activity there. The treaty is not fit for purpose. We need a better one.” – A.C. Grayling • “Right now is the last time in history that you’d want to try and get everyone to sign an international treaty for the moon.” – A.C. Grayling www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We think our media is mostly truthful, honest and fearless, but investigative journalism is increasingly stymied by legal threats and the infamous SLAPP (“Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation”) from the powerful. In Cuckooland: Where The Rich Own The Truth, Guardian investigations correspondent Tom Burgis follows a trail of money and influence from Uzbekistan, Nepal and Putin’s Russia to the heart of the Conservative Party – and an extraordinary encounter with Tory donor Mohamed Amersi. If money, power and limitless legal resources mean the rich can redefine the truth, as Burgis claims, what can we do about it? Buy Cuckooland 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. • “People think journalists can report things honestly, but what you don’t see is that … a lot of journalists self-censor, choose not to write about people who are litigious.” - Tom Burgis • “This is the reality of journalism these days. We’re always carrying a lawyer around in our heads. - Tom Burgis • “The story of our time, from Putin to Trump and all points in between, is how these kleptocrats seize and maintain power through corruption.” - Tom Burgis www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard and Chris Jones. Audio editor: Simon Williams. 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

Britain is blaming Beijing for a major cyber attack on voter data – how will this impact relations with China? And how awkward could things get for David Cameron? Plus, Rishi Sunak isn’t doing well as Prime Minister – but are the Tories giving up on plans to replace him? And we discuss the fallout from the recent Moscow terror attack, as well as the latest calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to talk through the news to look out for this week. • “I can’t imagine how [David Cameron] must be feeling, it was only in 2015 he was trumpeting a golden era with China.” – Alex Andreou • “Whatever way you cut it – the Conservatives will lose hundreds of seats” – Alex Andreou • “There’s been a parade of people saying ’leave Kate alone!’, and those people have made living from not leaving her alone” – Alex Andreou • “You can’t punish civilians for the sins of their leader” – Alex Andreou Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. ENDS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Trump set to be the GOP’s presidential candidate, who will he pick to be his running mate? There’s a whole host of Republicans lining up to take on the role – despite Trump’s backlog of legal battles and the questionable ways he treats those around him. But who has a chance – and who’s been completely ruled out already? Jacob Jarvis is joined in the Bunker by Politico’s senior political columnist and politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin, before taking a deep dive on some of the candidates with Bunker USA producer Chris Jones. • “There are plenty of thirsty Republicans, as the kids would say, who are eager to take the risk.” – Jonathan Martin • “I think the criteria is someone he can totally control… and in short someone who is not Mike Pence.” – Jonathan Martin • “Ambition is a powerful drug and that’s obvious when it comes to US politics.” – Jonathan Martin Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. 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

Is Britain moving into a “pre-war world”, as Defence Secretary Grant Shapps warned in January? Could we fight a land war or other conflict with Russia if we had to? Are we prepared militarily, economically and psychologically? And what would we have to do to make ourselves secure? RUSI European Security Research Fellow Edward R. Arnold tells Ros Taylor some uncomfortable home truths about NATO, our European allies, and our ability to defend ourselves. • “Our forces are quite underprepared. Two years ago it was assessed the British army has enough artillery to fight for a week – the German army for only two days.” – Edward R. Arnold • “War between NATO and Russia would look very different from the war with Russia and Ukraine. Offensive operations are far more complicated than defensive operations.” – Edward R. Arnold • “The risk of Britain going to war with Russia as a part of NATO is certainly there, either deliberately or accidentally with Russia by the end of the decade.” - Edward R. Arnold Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kate Middleton conspiracy theories have run rampant since that doctored photo emerged. But, altered photos of public figures are nothing new. Today in The Bunker, Seth Thévoz speaks to Joshua Habgood-Coote, research fellow at Leeds University, about the power of manipulated images throughout history. • “Image manipulation techniques go back to the earliest days of photography.” – Joshua Habgood-Coote • “Photos are supposed to capture reality – but that has never been the case.” – Joshua Habgood-Coote www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: 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

More and more high-profile figures are falling for conspiracy theories. And here in the UK, British MPs are seemingly becoming increasingly susceptible to engaging with them. Why now? Andrew Harrison asks Tom Phillips, co-author with friend of the pod Jonn Elledge of Conspiracy: A History of Boll*cks Theories, and How Not to Fall for Them. Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: 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

This week, could a backbench rebellion see Penny Mordaunt replace Rishi Sunak before the general election? As online conspiracies run rampant, how has the Royal Family fumbled the Kate Middleton situation? In international news, we look at Putin’s ‘landslide victory’ and what his win means for war with Ukraine. Finally we have the latest on the Israel/Hamas conflict as Netenyahu comes under fire from high profile US democrats. Gavin Esler talks Ros Taylor through the biggest news stories to look out for this week. • "Changing leaders again isn’t going to change much in the eyes of the British public." – Gavin Esler • “It’s almost like the Conservative Party is braindead, but the rigour mortis hasn’t kicked in yet.” – Gavin Esler Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: 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

The history of US presidents is mixed, let’s say. Some achieved incredible things, whilst others have 91 pending criminal charges against them across multiple states. The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey pits them all against each other to find out the best and worst of all time. Professor Justin Vaughn is an associate professor of political science at Coastal Carolina University and co-authored the survey. He joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker to discuss the results. Find the results of the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey here • “The ability to face a crisis is important to whether a president can be considered great.” – Prof. Justin Vaughn • “Biden comes in very well, but I expect there to be lots of fluctuation over the coming years.” – Prof. Justin Vaughn • “Our greatest president Abraham Lincoln averaged a score of 93.9… Donald Trump scores 10.9.” – Prof. Justin Vaughn www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: 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

The internet is getting worse. Google isn’t as helpful as it used to be, all of the best content is behind a paywall and the less said about X the better. But why is the internet getting so sh*t – and why do we simply accept it? Today in The Bunker, Jacob Jarvis speaks to tech reporter and writer of the Garbage Day substack Ryan Broderick about the sorry state of the internet in 2024. • “The only way to get ourselves out of this enshittification trap is to rethink what we expect from the internet.” – Ryan Broderick • “There's an urge to create something new online, but so far Crypto, the Metaverse and AI aren’t clicking with the masses.” – Ryan Broderick www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: 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

Problems with leaseholds have ruined lives across the UK. Labour has vowed to end the system, but how? And are its plans realistic? Labour MP Barry Gardiner has been campaigning against leasehold for decades and recently fronted a documentary exploring its major issues. He joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker to discuss what his party plans to do about it? Barry Gardiner’s documentary • “We have instances where people are paying £33k in ground rent a year… on top of their mortgage, it’s absolutely wicked!” – Barry Gardiner • “I know people who have committed suicide… you see the way the stress gets to people.” – Barry Gardiner www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: 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

The world of online conspiracy theorists is daunting and bewildering. The BBC’s Marianna Spring knows that better than most. In today’s Bunker, Ros Taylor sits down with the disinformation and social media correspondent to discuss her new book Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland. • “The internet normalises aggression and abuse and that is reflected in the real world too.” – Marianna Spring • “In the absence of religion or local communities, people turn to the internet for that sense of meaning and purpose.” – Marianna Spring Buy Marianna Spring’s book Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland 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. Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: 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

Hunt’s budget hasn’t shifted the dial for the Tories like they wanted – what will they try next? Plus, we’ve got curious tales of Boris Johnson’s trip to Venezuela and of a doctored Royal family photo… Plus, the latest from Biden vs. Trump and an update on the situation in Gaza. Alex Andreou talks Jacob Jarvis through the news to look out for this week. • “We know the Tories are headed for defeat, and because Sunak is too afraid to call an election, we are forced to watch them mess up again and again.” – Alex Andreou • “The moment Biden said ‘we’re in campaign mode’, Trump was on the back-foot.” – Alex Andreou “ • It’s not clear if Trump is asking for money to fund his campaign, or his legal bills.” – Alex Andreou • “The negotiations about a ceasefire seem to be stalling.” – Alex Andreou Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Audio editor: 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

Warning: major spoilers from the beginning. In a special weekend bonus, we look at the political resonances of Denis Villeneuve’s $200m-grossing space-and-sand opera Dune. What does Frank Herbert’s saga of desert rebellion, imperialism and mystic feminist conspiracy tell us about our world? Can jihadis be heroes? Why do fascists love Dune? Is Muad’Dib a hero or a monster? And is it science fiction’s job to explain our reality to us? Novelist and Professor of Nineteenth Century Literature Adam Roberts joins fellow Dune-head Andrew Harrison to spice up your life. This edition should only be played AFTER you’ve seen Dune Part Two. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Original music and audio production by Simon Williams. Art by James Parrett. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The relationship between the United States and Israel is hugely significant – but it’s under serious strain. Is President Joe Biden going to be pushed to rethink some long-held positions regarding this connection? Stephen Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard University and author of The Hell of Good Intentions: America's Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy, tells Gavin Esler how Biden might end up revising his stance. • “The U.S. is absolutely vital to Israel. They have provided billions of dollars in aid, as well as diplomatic protection.” – Professor Stephen Walt • “What makes it a ‘special relationship’ is that the U.S. provides all of this support pretty much unconditionally, no matter what Israel does... but this is a strategic liability for the U.S. now.” – Professor Stephen Walt • “What Israel is currently doing in Gaza is completely inconsistent with American values... this war makes Biden look either clueless or heartless.” – Professor Stephen Walt www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. 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

British politics is a shambles, from the economy to the cost of living to the NHS and public standards. But is this age of disorder worse than the endgames of past governments? Steve Richards, former BBC political correspondent and host of the Rock & Roll Politics podcast, tells Andrew Harrison how this dying government ranks among key moments of fin de siècle political acrimony from recent decades. From epic scandals to strikes, corruption and shameful resignations, are we really living through the worst days ever? • “The divisions within the Tory party are much more visible… Sunak has completely failed to contain them.” – Steve Richards • “We think of politics as showbiz for ugly people but politics is also football for people who can’t play sport.” – Andrew Harrison We’re now on TikTok as well as Instagram and Twitter. Follow us to keep up with news about our latest episodes and more: www.tiktok.com/@bunkerpod Get Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards every Tuesday. Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter | TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scandal after scandal has eroded public trust in Westminster politics in recent years. Fresh research from the Institute For Government suggests that 65 percent of the public doesn’t think the current government behaves to high ethical standards. What does that mean for the next Government? And can MPs ever win back public trust? Or is it lost forever? Tim Durrant is programme director for the IFG and joins Ros Taylor to discuss this research and these issues. IFG’s research: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/rebuilding-trust-public-life • “It’s not straightforward – but I think the need for change is widely recognised.” – Tim Durrant • “If you have a PM who’s very clear that they expect their colleagues to behave in a certain way, and if they don’t there will be sanctions, that will shift the dial a bit.” – Tim Durrant • “Starmer has set himself a high bar and Labour recognises that.” – Tim Durrant www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: 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

With the NHS in constant crisis, we constantly hear it’s at risk of being privatised. How close to the truth is that? To find out, Alex Andreou speaks to Health Service Journal editor Alastair McLellan. They discuss the state of the health service, what reforms are happening, and what change is needed. • “Everywhere you look, the NHS is really struggling. It’s not that care now is worse than it was in 1970 - it’s that care now compared to what it could be is the greatest gap we’ve seen since the formation of the NHS.” – Alastair McLellan • "It’s hard to find a Tory voter working for the NHS.” – Alastair McLellan Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt has promised “sensible tax cuts” in his Budget – but will they be enough to satisfy backbenchers? Across the pond – will Super Tuesday solidify Trump as the Republican Presidential nominee? And what will Biden say in his State of the Union address? And finally, we have the latest on the Israel/Hamas conflict, as Israel lists its conditions for a ceasefire. • “Jeremy Hunt needs to give his backbenchers just enough to keep them quiet.” – Ros Taylor • "There is an argument for rebalancing the Tax burden in favour of younger people." – Ros Taylor www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: 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

Liz Truss is looking to spread her particular brand of chaos to the United States after trashing her reputation in the UK. She popped up at the latest CPAC, to give a speech to a crowd of baffled right-wingers who simply didn’t know who she was. What is CPAC, who is Truss hanging out with and what is she trying to achieve? Ben Jacobs is an American political journalist and joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to answer those questions. • “CPAC is a Trump show...this is full Trump fandom” – Ben Jacobs • “The folks who knew who Truss was were sceptical.” – Ben Jacobs. • “For hundreds of years people have been coming to the US to start afresh – she’s just following in their footsteps.” – Ben Jacobs www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. 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

Most people know who Keir Starmer is – but don’t know much about his character. Who is the Labour leader really? Tom Baldwin is a journalist, political adviser and author of the newly published Keir Starmer: The Biography. He’s spent time figuring out who the man who’s likely to become the next Prime Minister really is – and joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to discuss what he’s learned. Buy Keir Starmer: The Biography 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. • “He’s complicated like Britain is… and I think the media have largely got him wrong.” – Tom Baldwin • “A lot of politicians like to pretend they like football to make them look normal… Starmer uses football as an anchor to pull him back to normalcy.” – Tom Baldwin • “In politics everyone wants to place you on an ideological spectrum and he doesn’t like that.” – Tom Baldwin Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter | TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abbas Gallyamov wrote scripts for Vladimir Putin for 3 years from 2008. He describes Vladimir Putin in that time as ‘logical’ and ‘in control of his emotions’. Now, after Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine he says Putin is ‘erratic’ and unrecognisable. His opposition to Putin has reportedly landed him on the Kremlin’s wanted list. He joins Chris Jones from exile away from his motherland, to discuss how Putin has changed, his popularity and the upcoming March election. •”Back then he was totally different, he was absolutely logical and in full control of his emotions.” – Abbas Gallyamov. •”These polls are about the number of brave people that dare, in the current situation, to say they don’t trust Putin.” – Abbas Gallyamov. •”Who on Earth in Russia would answer ‘do you or do you not trust Putin?’ - it’s like opening the gates to hell.” – Abbas Gallyamov. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written, presented and produced by Chris Jones. 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

The death of Alexei Navalny sent shockwaves across the world. Has Russia’s hope of a brighter future, beyond the reign of Putin, died alongside him? And will we ever know the full truth around his demise – or why it has happened now? To answer these questions and more, Dr. Jan Dollbaum, head of research group ‘Mobilisation and Representation in post-Soviet Eastern Europe’ at LMU Munich and co-author of Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future? speaks to Chris Jones in The Bunker. Buy Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future? 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. • “The emotions that the Kremlin wants to create are hopelessness and despair. When people are angry with something, that anger can make them overcome their fear. But hopelessness keeps people individualised, and stops collective action.” – Dr. Jan Dollbaum • “Naming any sanctions against Russia as ’Navalny Sanctions’ sends the message that Navalny is an agent of the West, and Russian propaganda would rejoice in using that opportunity to make that clear to its population.” – Dr. Jan Dollbaum www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Chris Jones. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. 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

Lee Anderson has lost the whip – will any other horrid MPs follow this week? And there’s the by-election in Rochdale coming up, which will likely mean more bad news for Sunak. Plus, we discuss the latest from the US presidential race, conflict in the Middle East and concerns over Putin’s actions. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to tee up the stories to look out for in the coming days, • “A dog whistle is only meant to be heard by people really tuned in, this is turning into a foghorn.” – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: 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

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began two years ago. Hundreds of thousands have died and more will follow. What is the state of the conflict right now? How has Russia altered global stability, and is Western support for Ukraine wavering? Gavin Esler is joined by Michael Kimmage formerly of the US State Department, now a professor of history at the Catholic University of America and author of Collisions - The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability. Buy Collisions - The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability 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. • “Putin overestimated the capability of the Russian military.” – Michael Kimmage. • “I think NATO, while interesting and important, is a bit of a red herring.” – Michael Kimmage • “There's really no structure or set of powers that can iron this out.” – Michael Kimmage. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. 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

America’s presidents have generally been straight, white, old men. Barack Obama bucked that trend, but the United States is yet to have a woman or a queer person in the White House. In today’s Bunker, Alex Andreou asks Harvard professor, award-winning activist and author of the influential A Queer History of the United States Michael Bronski if the US is, or when it might be, ready for an LGBTQ+ president. • “While Pete Buttigieg may break glass ceilings, there may also be backlash against that, in the same way that there was a decade long backlash from the Republicans against Obama getting elected with the ultimate punishment being Trump.” - Michael Bronski • “We’re at a point in American popular culture where Ru Paul’s Drag Race is one of the most popular tv shows, and we have multiple movies about trans and non-binary people. So Americans can accept this as a part of popular culture, and simultaneously there’s a political backlash." - Michael Bronski Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. 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

It’s a massive election year, with billions voting worldwide. But will those casting votes do so logically? Has voter psychology changed in recent years? And what can be learned from it? To find out, Jacob Jarvis talks to Dr Sandra Obradovic, associate researcher at the Electoral Psychology Observatory to find out. • “Some see voting as something that upholds democracy and connects you with society at large. It is not an individual activity, it’s one that makes you a citizen.” – Dr Sandra Obradovic • “We’re moving away from this ‘rational actor’ assumption and acknowledging that reasoning and emotions interlink in the context of politics.” – Dr Sandra Obradovic • “We’re much more distrusting of politicians and political institutions, even within our own camps.” – Dr Sandra Obradovic www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Podmasters managing editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After decades of unprecedented economic growth China’s rise seems to be slowing down. Has the nation’s power reached its peak? What would this mean for the country, and for the rest of the world? Alex Andreou asks Michael Beckley, associate professor of political science at Tufts University and author of Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower, in The Bunker. • “The U.S. has the power to shape the international system in ways that China can’t match.” – Michael Beckley • “The failure of China’s zero COVID policy is emblematic of a bigger issue” – Michael Beckley • “China is at risk of a deflation debt cycle. It’s a fundamentally broken economic model.” – Michael Beckley www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. 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

The killing of Putin’s high profile rival, Alexei Navalny, has sparked outrage. Will this convince the UK and US to step up their support for Ukraine? Rishi Sunak faces the fallout of his most recent by-election losses – how is he clinging on? Across the pond – Liz Truss will be making an appearance at CPAC, as if Americans didn’t have enough to deal with already. Finally we have the latest on the Israel/Hamas conflict as Netenyahu prepares a ground offensive in Rafah. • "We have politicians in this country like Nigel Farage who say that they admire Vladimir Putin. Why?" – Gavin Esler • “What kind of person would pay money to listen to Liz Truss?” – Gavin Esler • "Appointing David Cameron as Foreign Secretary has been one of the best things that Rishi Sunak has done."– Gavin Esler Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: 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