The Bunker – Your daily news Deep Dive

The backlash against Elon Musk is growing – and Tesla is paying the price. Sales have plunged, showrooms have become hotbeds for protest, and owners are finding their cars defaced with swastikas. Yet the CEO continues to entangle himself in populist politics worldwide and seems more focused on working for the US government than running his own companies.

Today on The Bunker, Adam Shaw is joined by journalist Edward Luce, US national editor and columnist for the Financial Times, to explore whether the revolutionary electric vehicle company can withstand the weight of its CEO’s reputation.

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Written and presented by Adam Shaw. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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The government’s benefit plans have caused turmoil within the Labour party and backlash more broadly – what might they change? Plus, what can we expect from a Trump-Putin call this week, and why is Cummings back in the news? Ros Taylor joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the news to look out for in the week ahead. 

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  

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When earning a little extra money leaves you worse off, women end up spending all their additional earnings on childcare, and the benefits system actively encourages low wages, it’s no wonder many people make a rational decision not to work. But our nine million “economically inactive” people are a drag on growth as well as an affront to human potential. As Keir Starmer goes to battle with his own party over cutting benefits in a bid to get people back into work, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak joins us to ask: can we make working work for everyone? 

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Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Almost no major event in America goes by without conspiracy theorists making up bizarre narratives to explain what’s “really” going on. Why has this mindset taken hold – and why has Trump embraced it?

In January, catastrophic wildfires devastated Los Angeles, destroying communities and claiming 29 lives. Before the fires were even extinguished, conspiracy theories thrived online – and further amplified by President Trump's misinformation about the disaster response.

Chris Jones is joined by journalist Mike Rothschild, author of Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories and himself a victim of the fires, who warns of America’s shift toward conspiracy theories under Trump's administration and explores effective ways to combat them.

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Written and presented by Chris Jones. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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Gen Z's reported pivot to the right has come as a shock for many – but should we have seen it coming? Trend forecaster Sean Monahan joins Zing Tsjeng in The Bunker to unpack what's behind this generational shift. What sparked Gen Z's political awakening – and what impact will their political evolution have on our future?

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Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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Democracy is in decline across the globe – with authoritarians alarmingly on the rise. Constance Hunter, chief economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, joins Ros Taylor to discuss the Economist’s latest Democracy Index – and to ask which nations have fallen away from democracy and why. 

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Written and presented by Ros Tayor. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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There’s turmoil on the right of British politics – what’s going on and is it all Donald Trump’s fault? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to unpack the Reform in-fighting and Starmer’s polling boost. Plus, they discuss civil service reforms, the latest US economic turmoil and what’s going on in Canadian politics. 

We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. 

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  

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Elon Musk is one of many space nerds and sci-fi dreamers fascinated by living on Mars. But, is this just a terrible idea? And how bad would earth need to get for it to make any sense? Kelly Weinersmith, co-author of A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the cons of going to the red planet. 

Buy A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? 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 https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  

https://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.

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What do you do when the planet’s most evil man is in the White House? Ask Superman! “Bad guy wins power” is a comics mainstay, and now it’s happening for real everywhere. Lifelong comics readers Ian Dunt of Origin Story (DC) and Andrew Harrison (Marvel) team up to see what classic stories can tell us about the tyrant-vs-hero dynamic. Featuring President Lex Luthor from Superman, Mayor Kingpin from Daredevil, Chief Judge Cal from Judge Dredd, and the USA’s Ambassador to Iran… The Joker?

• Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more.

• We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.  

Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor and Charlie Duffield. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Eighty years ago, the world witnessed an unprecedented act of devastation: the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the Second World War reached its conclusion, American bombers dropped two nuclear weapons in a final effort to force Japan’s surrender and bring the conflict to an end.

Today in The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by Richard Overy, author of Rain of Ruin: Tokyo, Hiroshima and the Surrender of Japan, to discuss the final days of World War II, the ethics of destroying entire cities, and how it reshaped the nature of warfare.

Buy Rain of Ruin: Tokyo, Hiroshima and the Surrender of Japan 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.

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Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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