The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Cryptocurrencies have boomed in recent years, but are they here to stay? Amy Castor, an independent journalist whose work focuses on cryptocurrency and financial fraud, talks to Justin Quirk to explain some of the myths around crypto, if e-currencies really can work as an alternative to the normal financial system, and the strange world of NFTs. “Crypto was designed as an e-currency, but it’s mainly used for speculation.” “There is mind-boggling amounts of money going into this space, in the hope more will come in.” “Bitcoin is a cult, there are those who believe it will save people in Argentina.” “The people that will lose in this are the unsophisticated investors who join the game too late.” “Those who invested in Bitcoin in November have already lost half of their investment.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s the situation like on the ground in Ukraine? Nearly a week after Russia invaded, veteran war correspondent John Sweeney dials in from Kyiv to give Arthur Snell the lowdown on Europe’s first ground war since 1945, and why Putin’s gamble might have backfired. “From day one I thought Putin had made a mistake, and this invasion is not going well.”  “This feels to me like Twilight of the Gods, Putin has made a miscalculation.” “Putin is pulling the military levers and they’re not working.” “Putin is a rational actor, blundering around in a dark bunker of his own making.” “It feels like this war is very 20th century. Putin is a Tsar, entirely out of touch with his people.” “I think Putin is finished. His regime has reached the beginning of the end.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is a humiliated Putin even more dangerous than a victorious Putin? Can the incredible bravery of the Ukraine and President Zelensky win out? And how many fronts can Putin fight on, at home, globally and in the economic sphere?In a week where Russia tried to pin a potential nuclear war on Liz Truss, ex-diplomat and security expert Arthur Snell, The Atlantic’s Yasmeen Serhan and former Labour spin doctor Ayesha Hazarika join Alex Andreou to get the latest on the most serious crisis in Europe since the Second World War. Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/ “It’s being widely said that Putin can’t win this war without committing atrocities.” – Arthur Snell “Putin is acting on emotion and that’s really worrying.” – Yasmeen Serhan “Ironically for someone who funded the Brexit movement, Putin has done wonders for EU integration.” – Arthur Snell “Liz Truss looking like she’s got under the Russia’s skin will be a huge help for her leadership campaign.” – Ayesha Hazarika https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Alex Andreou with Ayesha Hazarika, Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Setting up the week ahead: Putin threatens nuclear war, EU sanctions bite Russia, French presidential elections.Would Putin really use a nuclear weapon to salvage his collapsing war on Ukraine? Will EU sanctions and plans to supply weapons to Kyiv damage the Russian regime’s plans? Plus the French presidential elections, the Policing Bill and more. Arthur Snell and Ros Taylor set up a worrying week. “Putin has deeply underestimated Zelensky… He has proven to be a formidable wartime leader.” “If Putin can’t take Kyiv on a small scale, will he simply pulverise the city?” “Putin is smart enough to know that using nuclear weapons could mean the end of Russia within days” www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey and Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eugenics might be considered a horrific relic of the past, but the concept still has its advocates today. Dr Adam Rutherford, science writer and author of Control, talks to Dorian Lynskey about efforts by the powerful to dictate reproduction throughout history, the legacy of eugenics in our language and literature, and present day conversations about tinkering with the DNA of unborn children. “Winston Churchill drafted numerous bills which included mass sterilisation.” “If you only engage in science to the point where your political views are reinforced, then you’re not doing science right.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercasthttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Faster-Stronger-Smarter-Troubling-Eugenics/dp/1474622380 Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s pop culture review: Untold tales of British metal, the star of the National Theatre’s astonishing Wuthering Heights, new Johnny Marr and more.Journalist and author of Denim And Leather: The Rise And Fall Of The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal Michael Hann tells untold tales of rock’s most unfairly despised genre. Actor and cabaret phenomenon Lucy McCormick on her stunning role as Emily Brontë’s original riot grrrl of the moors Cathy in Wuthering Heights. And what’s Johnny Marr’s new album like?Hear all the music on our rolling playlists.Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunkTidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b"All extreme metal comes from Venom." - Michael Hann"I love haunting the stage. It feels so goth." - Lucy McCormick"These metal bands did it all for themselves right up until the record labels signed them." - Michael Hann"Death and comedy is basically my thing." - Lucy McCormickWritten and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We live in a world of chaos, with Western democracies facing overlapping geopolitical, economic, and political crises. How did we get here? Professor Helen Thompson is co-host of the Talking Politics podcast – and she was Ahir Shah’s Director of Studies at University. They unpack her new book Disorder, how the fault lines in the Sino-American relationship, NATO, and the EU have all been decades in the making, and the “crisi-tunities” for years to come. “Most of the commentary on Brexit and Trump was far too superficial.” “So long as oil has a place in our energy supply, then the geopolitics of oil come with it.” “There's a genuine political fear in Washington that the geopolitical winner of green energy will be China.” “We're living in a world where supply and demand is much more complicated.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Ahir Shah. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Beijing 2022 was the first Winter Olympics to rely almost exclusively on fake snow – at great cost to the environment. But is it possible to make sports more sustainable, and will we even be able to have the Winter Olympics in the future? Dr. Madeleine Orr is a sports ecologist at Loughborough University London, and the founder of The Sport Ecology Group. She tells Jelena Sofronijevic about why pollution impacts competition, how international organisations exercise total control over local laws and taxes…and whether 2022 was really the “greenest and cleanest” Games yet.  “When we think about sports, we’re not thinking about the environments where they take place.” “The more we use artificial spaces, the more original biodiversity loss.”  Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This edition recorded before Putin’s speech and the Russian incursion into Ukraine. “Levelling up” is a mantra for Boris Johnson, but what is his government actually doing about it? Our special guest Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire and former MP, joins us to discuss tackling inequalities between regions. Plus, we discuss moves to tackle “legal but harmful” content online. What does that mean? And what career best prepares you for politics? Spoiler alert: it isn’t being a Telegraph columnist. “The government must stop putting metro mayors into beauty competitions to bid for small pots of money.” – Tracy Brabin “Michael Gove is a bit of a disruptor who wants to deliver. But his levelling up plan has no new money and the same old story.” – Tracy Brabin “MPs are completely in the thick of online abuse on every form of social media… they get the worst of the internet every day in their inbox.” – Marie Le Conte https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Andrew Harrison with Justin Quirk and Marie Le Conte. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Recorded by Jade Bailey, audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still looming. Can further diplomacy prevent war? There are reports of a summit between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden. What could it achieve? Plus, COVID restrictions are due to be ditched in England, and MPs return to Parliament after a recess. Where will their focus be? Alex Andreou is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to discuss the week ahead. “It feels like we’re waiting for someone to blink. There’s a lot of mixed narratives.” – Yasmeen Serhan “Any diplomacy is better than the alternative.” – Yasmeen Serhan “If you are serious about living with COVID, the monitoring aspect of it is key.” – Alex Andreou "Johnson has squashed the scandal sombrero by stretching out these inquiries." – Alex Andreou "The government has to focus on crises closer to home – like the weather." – Yasmeen Serhan www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices