Firewall with Bradley Tusk

The US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities are a proper response to an untenable threat, says Bradley on this special Monday episode, and Democratic opposition to them are weak and nonsensical. Plus, he gives his final rundown of factors at play in the New York City's mayoral race, does a comprehensive analysis of how Waymo's automated taxis will fare in the city and makes a wild prediction of who the next owner of the Yankees could be. (Hint: Get ready for hot dogs delivered to your seat via drone and Katy Perry's rendition of the National Anthem.)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: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

With mere days to go before the Democratic primary, the campaign to be New York City's next mayor has at last become a riveting horse race. Did Brad Lander's arrest boost him into contention, or merely blunt Zohran Mamdani's momentum? Could the Times' unendorsement of Mamdani give Cuomo skeptics permission to vote for him? How much might all the uncertainty help Eric Adams in the general election? Katie Honan of THE CITY and Sahalie Donaldson of City & State join Bradley and Tom Allon for this highly spirited final installment (for now) of The Race to Gracie Mansion.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: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

Though The New York Times is refraining from making an endorsement in the New York City mayoral race, it did tell its readers which candidate NOT to vote for. Bradley breaks down the implications of this unusual editorial choice. Plus, he explains his personal criteria for responding to requests for his time and advice.Discussed on today's episode:Our Advice To Voters In A Vexing Race For New York Mayor, The New York Times, June 16, 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: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

While the news dwells on everything that divides us, Spencer Greenberg went the other way — he did a study of 195 issues to discover what unites us — and came to a conclusion that, in his words, "just blew my mind." Americans actually agree on a ton of things. The social entrepreneur, mathematician and host of the podcast Clearer Thinking joined Bradley at P&T Knitwear in front of a live audience for a free-wheeling conversation that might just make you a little hopeful.Be sure to follow and subscribe to Clearer Thinking on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. 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: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

What would it look like if the richest man in the world and the most powerful man in the world really took the gloves off? Bradley details the specific attacks each could deploy — inflicting so much damage on each other that it makes sense for cooler heads to prevail. But who wants to bet on that happening? Plus, Bradley got around to reading Careless People, Sarah Wynn-Williams' memoir about working at Meta, and thinks you should tooThis 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: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

Can New York be the state that shows how to rein in AI before it’s too late? State Assemblymember Alex Bores joins Bradley to talk about the Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act, a bill he's co-sponsoring to establish safety, audit, and whistleblower guardrails for companies training advanced AI models. Without smart, tough regulation, Bores argues, even well-intentioned tech can be weaponized. From job loss to bioweapons and deepfakes, Bores warns that these problems are not theoretical, they are on our doorstep.New Yorkers: Tell your state legislators to Support the RAISE Act at bit.ly/responsibleAIemailLearn about critical AI safety legislation at the state level endorsed by Encode and Secure AI Project in CA, NY, and IL: bit.ly/supportraiseny 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: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

Hugo Lindgren, a producer and friend of the show, dives into the flawed portrayal of tech founders in HBO's 'Mountainhead,' critiquing its unrealistic depictions. He explores five potential futures for AI, highlighting its dual impact on society. Lindgren also reflects on the moral complexities of leadership during the Gaza conflict, discussing the intricate balance between national interests and humanitarian needs. The conversation weaves personal anecdotes with broader societal critiques, making for a thought-provoking listen.

How could Apple mount a counterattack against Trump and his tariffs? Bradley lays out a battle plan for the tech giant that revives the uncompromising tenacity of founder Steve Jobs — though it will almost certainly never happen. Plus, he updates his Non-Religious Ten Commandments for Kids, explains why attending the Indianapolis 500 restored his faith in America, and plugs Eric Topol's new book, Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity.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: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

The conviction of Donald Trump on 34 felony counts in a New York courtroom last year already feels like ancient history. But in his new book "Dragon on Centre Street", New York Times reporter Jonah Bromwich explains why his trial remains acutely relevant. The personal humiliation of the proceedings, Bromwich argues, helped unleash Trump’s full cynicism about the justice system: “One of the things he learned from this trial is just how much he can do, and just how little the rule of law has to offer to challenge 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: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone. 

In the latest installment of The Race to Gracie Mansion, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander lays out his "number one commitment" — moving the roughly 2,000 homeless people with serious mental illness off the streets and into housing with services. It sounds good, but how will that work in reality? Lander makes the case, as well as outlining major initiatives on affordable housing, childcare, transit reform and tech-enabled governance.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: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone.