The Bunker – News without the nonsense

We hear a lot about the personalities of infamous figures like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un – but relatively little about one of the most powerful people in the world: Xi Jinping. Who is Xi, how did he get to where he is today, and what does he want? To find out, Ros Taylor talks to Michael Sheridan, whose new book The Red Emperor: Xi Jinping and His New China charts the leader’s incredible rise to power. Buy The Red Emperor: Xi Jinping and His New China 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. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

US presidential debates are part spectacle, part showdown, and sometimes total sh*tshow. What is it about American politics that lends itself to these televised debates, and how have they evolved over time? Ahead of the Harris-Trump debate, Seth Alexander Thévoz spoke to Alan Schroeder, emeritus professor in the School of Journalism at Northeastern University and author of Presidential Debates: Risky Business on the Campaign Trail, about the weird history of US presidential debates. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth Alexander Thévoz. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a busy political landscape, key discussions unfold around the NHS's urgent need for reform and the upcoming contentious vote on winter fuel payments. Labour faces challenges with potential dissent among its MPs. Tensions are brewing ahead of the Conservative Party conference, while Labour also navigates a prisoner release plan amid serious allegations against public figures. Meanwhile, an intriguing exploration of technology's role in agriculture reveals its dual impact—balancing efficiency with ethical concerns.

Something is going terribly wrong with Hollywood. The movie industry is shrinking, its revenue is down and its employees are being forced out. Fewer major studios are making fewer movies. But why? What is leading this mass creative exodus, and can the engine of America’s movie industry be saved? Pop culture historian Daniel Bessner answers this in his exhaustive Harper's Bazaar piece entitled ‘The Life and Death of Hollywood’, which he discusses with Andrew Harrison in The Bunker.  The Life and Death of Hollywood, Harper’s Bazaar, by Daniel Bessner: https://harpers.org/archive/2024/05/the-life-and-death-of-hollywood-daniel-bessner/ We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse Dodge, a senior research scientist at the Allen Institute for AI, discusses the overlooked environmental impact of artificial intelligence. He reveals how AI contributes significantly to the climate crisis through high energy consumption and carbon emissions. The conversation emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability in AI developments, calling for a push towards renewable energy solutions. Dodge also touches on regulatory necessities in the tech industry and explores the potential positive influence AI can have on sustainability, if managed properly.

The US Republican Party used to be known as the party of law and order. Now it’s headed by a convicted felon, Donald Trump. Peter Wehner, has served in three Republican administrations and was speechwriter for George W. Bush during his presidency. He now writes for The Atlantic and The New York Times and says what has happened to his party “haunts” him. He joins Chris Jones in The Bunker to explain why.  Peter Wehner’s essay for The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/opinion/trump-vance-republican-party.html   Support us on Patreon.We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  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

Keir Starmer has promised change – but what form will it take? And could it mean the return to the concept of the so-called ‘Big State’? Will Labour’s proposed plans for increased public ownership and workers’ rights be the transformation Britain so desperately needs – or could an interventionist approach do more harm than good? To find out, Gavin Esler talks to New Statesman senior politics editor George Eaton. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summer is coming to a close, kids are returning to school, Parliament is back and there’s no shortage of problems facing Keir Starmer. What will the Commons be focused on? And how quickly can Starmer clean up the Tories’ mess? In Germany, the far-right AfD triumphed in state elections on Sunday. How worried should we be? And in the Middle-East, why are we no closer to seeing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas? The week ahead with Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler.We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this intriguing discussion, Allison Pugh, author of *The Last Human Job*, explores how AI is reshaping the workforce. She tackles the idea that machines might soon outperform human connections in various jobs. The conversation highlights the ethical dilemmas posed by AI in professions like teaching and therapy. Pugh also emphasizes the importance of in-person relationships in our digital age and discusses the potential of universal basic income as a buffer against job displacement. Will work become a privilege for a few? Tune in to find out!

Jesselyn Cook, a journalist and author, sheds light on the devastating impact of the QAnon conspiracy in her new book. She discusses how this theory has fractured families and altered relationships, often pulling loved ones into a 'mirror world'. Jesselyn shares personal stories that reveal the emotional needs driving belief in QAnon and explores the difficulties of deprogramming those ensnared by these conspiracies. The podcast highlights the necessity of empathy, open communication, and media literacy to heal the wounds inflicted by such toxic ideologies.