The Bunker – Your daily news Deep Dive

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It’s known for leather trenchcoats, shades and cool fight sequences in “bullet time”. But The Matrix’s concept of “taking the Red Pill” – rejecting consensus reality and all who believe in it – has spread to become a malignant force in politics, providing a rationale for conspiracy theorists, misogynists, antisemites and fascists. How did a sci-fi blockbuster do so much damage?

Derek Robertson, who writes on the politics/pop culture intersection for Politico, talks to Andrew Harrison about the Redpilling of American politics, how creators the Wachowskis feel about their vision being commandeered, The Matrix as a transgender allegory … and how deep the right-wing rabbit hole goes. 

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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

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MPs will debate assisted dying ahead of a significant vote on the matter this week – who is arguing for and against? What questions are there over the bill? Ros Taylor is joined by Hannah Fearn to discuss the split in the Cabinet over this legislation and more broadly. Plus, the latest from an apparent benefits “crackdown”, news from COP29 and more to look out for in the coming days. 

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

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Donald Trump has secured a “trifecta” as he heads to the White House, while the House and Senate are due to be controlled by Republicans. So, can the checks and balances of the US system work at all? Can he circumvent everything – or will anyone push back? Dr. Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, joined Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones on our sibling podcast American Friction to give them an idiot’s guide to Congress. 

Want to learn more about US politics? Head here for more from American Friction.

Find out more about Casey’s upcoming book here.

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

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Donald Trump seems like a hardline ally of Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli right. But could his unpredictable nature and need to make big news end the nightmare in Gaza on terms that don’t suit Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition? The Economist’s Israel correspondent Anshel Pfeffer talks to Andrew Harrison about the true nature of the war, its wider effects, and the ending that Trump might impose upon the region. 

• This edition recorded before the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif.

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

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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

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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.”

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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. 

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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.  

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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.

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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

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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.

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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. 

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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 Gavin Esler. 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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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 

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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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.