The Bunker – News without the nonsense

A shocking second assassination attempt on Donald Trump is set to dominate the election narrative, raising questions about its impact on the campaign. Meanwhile, Labour's pivotal conference looms, with tensions around Starmer's meeting with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. The intense Conservative leadership contest heats up as four candidates vie for power, and the UK's military stance on Ukraine adds another layer to the political landscape. Plus, a deep dive into the Murdoch family's complex legal drama highlights the intersection of media and familial ambition.

Hannah Fearn speaks with Pete Apps, a housing journalist and author who tackles critical issues in construction, about the recent Grenfell Tower inquiry report. They discuss the shocking systemic failures that led to the tragedy, emphasizing that the 72 deaths were preventable. The conversation reveals how political narratives misrepresented safety regulations and highlights urgent lessons for reforming building codes. They stress the need for accountability and a robust regulatory framework to prioritize public safety and prevent similar disasters in the future.

While America may be Britain’s most important ally, we are just one of many special relationships the US maintains worldwide. How has the nature of our relationship changed over the decades? And how might it differ under a Harris or Trump presidency? In the fourth episode of our Foreign Affairs mini-series, Gavin Esler discusses the past and future of UK-US relations with Financial Times chief foreign affairs columnist Gideon Rachman.  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

After Harris and Trump’s election debate clash, do you want to know what actually mattered from their showdown? In a teaser for our sibling podcast American Friction, The Bunker’s very own Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones are joined by Rolling Stone’s Nikki McCann Ramirez, to discuss the highs, lows and the facts and lies from the event.  Want to know more about the race for the White House? On American Friction, you’ll find out everything you need to know, in plain English. Listen here.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  We’re on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod Follow us on social media: TwitterInstagram TikTokWritten and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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