On the week of her graduation from high school, Bradley's daughter Abby Tusk returns to the podcast to be interviewed on what she's learned about herself, her generation, and the world. "The Internet is not terrible," Abby says, "but it is kind of rotting our brains." Are you optimistic or pessimistic about your future, he asks her. "Optimistic, for sure." 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 ...
Jun 04, 2024•40 min
What unites a borough that has such sharp juxtapositions of abundance and deprivation? Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso joins Bradley to talk about a better way to crack down on illegal weed shops, why the migrant crisis didn’t need to be a crisis, how to break the affordable housing logjam and what he’s doing to lift maternal health from a state of emergency. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio. Send us ...
May 30, 2024•46 min
Bob Greenlee, Bradley's longtime friend and COO at Tusk Holdings, joins the podcast to discuss the latest convergences of tech, politics and the law. Plus, Bradley realizes he no longer hates the Yankees and tries to sort out why. 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 + ...
May 28, 2024•56 min
If the United States had a true safety net — a basic standard of living below which nobody would be allowed to fall —people would be more creative and take greater risks, argues Natalie Foster, author of "The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America's Next Economy." She joins Bradley to explain how we get from here to there. 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:...
May 23, 2024•36 min
In response to Noah Smith's ' Seven Reasons America is Headed for a More Conservative Decade ', Bradley offers five countervailing reasons of his own. Plus, is the anti-China narrative good for America; why the success of the Neurolink brain implant suggests a future union of man and machine; and what new books Bradley recommends for the beach (not that he personally ever reads on the beach, but you get the point). Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media . Sub...
May 21, 2024•45 min
Jordan Nof, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Tusk Venture Partners , returns to Firewall to discuss the challenging climate for VCs. Given that the economy is strong, inflation is down, the stock market is booming and crypto has rebounded, what's holding venture back and how does politics factor into its recovery? 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@fi...
May 16, 2024•46 min
Why are young educated Americans rooting for Hamas? Bradley sketches out his thoughts for how to rebuild a sense of meaning and purpose. Plus, two things he agrees with — the ban of betting on political races and Mayor Adams’ Operation Padlock — and one he doesn’t: the rabid outrage over Apple’s iPad ad. If that company was afraid of making mistakes, it would never be what it is today. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording ...
May 14, 2024•47 min
Kim Scott, author of the blockbuster management book " Radical Candor " joins Bradley to discuss her follow-up " Radical Respect " as well as her new campaign, the Coalition of Concerned Creators , to give creators a fighting chance against the all-powerful tech platforms. 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...
May 09, 2024•52 min
What single factor will have the biggest effect in an election where both candidates have already been president and have essentially 100% name ID? Bradley makes a list of the top 16 factors, sets them off against each other in a tournament bracket and picks the winners with pollster extraordinaire Jefrey Pollock of Global Strategy Group. And the champion is ... sorry, we're not giving it away. You'll just have to listen. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New Yor...
May 07, 2024•49 min
What do you call a hedge fund that reports and publishes its own stories? Bradley talks to Sam Koppelman, co-founder and publisher of HunterBrook , an innovative hybrid that seeks to break news and generate alpha. "There's this myth that journalism is a terrible business," says Koppelman. "It's actually only a really terrible business for journalists." 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...
May 02, 2024•39 min
Whatever people's instincts are on Israel's predicament, says Bradley, they should question the strident voices that dominate the news coverage. Only when we don't feel compelled to mimic the talking points, views or narratives of others just to fit in can progress towards peace be made. Discussed on today's episode: Thinking Independently About Israel, by Bradley Tusk, Substack (April 30, 2024) This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast ...
Apr 30, 2024•52 min
What are the rules of financial success in today's economy? What small steps can you take now for big returns later? Scott Galloway answers these questions and a whole lot more as Bradley interviews him about his new book, The Algebra Of Wealth , in front of a sold out crowd at P&T Knitwear. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media . Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter , follow Bradley o...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Bradley is joined by guest cohosts Cory Epstein and Meaghan Collins and continues his how-to series with his tips for making social change. But before that, he discusses why Speaker Mike Johnson supported the foreign aid packages in Congress even if they're going to hurt his re-election and speakership. Plus, a debate on whether we should permit people to get paid for donating kidneys and Bradley's Passover food guilty pleasures. Discussed on today's episode: How To Think About Creating Societal...
Apr 23, 2024•54 min
New York City, baby, New York City! Kevin Baker, author of the excellent new book " The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City " joins Bradley for a wide-ranging discussion on urban history and big-league folklore. 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 + Subs...
Apr 18, 2024•46 min
A glowing magazine profile of Jessica Tisch had some over-the-top moments, but there's no denying that New York City's sanitation commissioner is worth keeping an eye on. Plus, the 11 contenders for the 2024 Gotham Book Prize nominees, conjuring TV shows that make the world a better place, how to write a column and life lessons from a line-cutter at Hamburger America. Discussed on today's episode: The Ex-N.Y.P.D. Official Trying to Tame New York’s Trash , by Eric Lach, The New Yorker , (April 8,...
Apr 16, 2024•50 min
Is there hope for Eric Adams' embattled administration? Bradley is joined by Nicole Gelinas , columnist for the New York Post and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, to talk about what a comeback could look like. Plus, she previews her forthcoming book about New York City's struggle to tame the automobile. Discussed on today's episode: The Disappearance of Mayor Adams, by Nicole Gelinas, The New York Times (March 7, 2024) Pre-order Nicole's upcoming book, Movement: New York's Long War to T...
Apr 11, 2024•46 min
Will giddy retail investors fall for late-stage start-ups with wildly inflated valuations? For the good of the venture-capital industry, let's hope not, says Bradley. Plus, he shares his advice on how immigration could regain the popular support it should have, what it takes to be a good adjunct professor, and the secrets to eating well in New York City. 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 yo...
Apr 09, 2024•49 min
The lefty weekly newspaper was once such a great business that Rupert Murdoch happily owned it and left it alone to thrive. Bradley talks to Tricia Romano, the author of " The Freaks Came Out to Write ", a riveting oral history of the Voice, about the fruitful but highly fraught alliance of visionaries, provocateurs, aesthetes, outliers and cranks. 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 tho...
Apr 04, 2024•39 min
If RFK Jr.'s goal is to tip the election to Donald Trump, he could hardly have picked a better running mate than Nicole Shanahan. Bradley sketches out a nightmare for Democrats that could just come true. Plus, why Trump could be a Biblical allegory; what issue Mayor Adams is getting right; and how to make the most out of two-and-a-half days in Atlanta. Discussed on today's episode: What an RFK Jr-Trump Conspiracy Would Look Like , Bradley Tusk, Substack (April 2, 2024) Is Trump a Biblical Allego...
Apr 02, 2024•55 min
Would our big cities be better off today if mayors had the guts to beg for forgiveness rather than always asking for permission? Bradley talks to New York City Council Member Justin Brannan of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn about how assertiveness fueled his unlikely rise from hard-core bands to Wall Street to politics. 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....
Mar 28, 2024•35 min
The World Happiness Report is a bummer for Americans, says Bradley, but there are practical things we can do about it. Such as, why not score legislation for happiness the way we do for budgetary impact? Plus, how the DOJ's antitrust case against Apple is perceived differently than cases against Google, Meta and Amazon and what's important about the betting scandal involving Shohei Ohtani's translator. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free p...
Mar 26, 2024•1 hr
Franklin Foer joins Bradley and regular guest Howard Wolfson to discuss Foer's recent cover story for The Atlantic called "The Golden Age of American Jews is Ending." They talk about the resurgence of anti-Semitism in America, how to separate it from legitimate criticism of Israel and where it all goes from here. 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@firew...
Mar 21, 2024•50 min
Yes, there is a plausible scenario for the war stopping, Chinese control of social media ending and the Democrats holding off the Republicans in the fall. Plus, Bradley gives his 13-point scouting report on Aaron Rodgers as running mate, explains how to get the best results from talking to the media and analyzes two new trends on the work-life balance. 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...
Mar 19, 2024•56 min
Bringing sky-high housing costs back down to earth is becoming a popular rallying cry in New York. Bradley talks to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine about how to ignite the right kind of building boom. 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 , and be sure...
Mar 14, 2024•44 min
Why did the attempt by the social media giant to mimic the 'Uber Play' — ie, politicize its user base — fail to work on Congress? Bradley parses the limits of the tactic he made famous and explains why Trump's flip-flop is not going to hurt him. Plus, he offers his thoughts on 'The Golden Age of American Jews is Ending', Frank Foer's excellent cover story for The Atlantic, Governor Hochul's deployment of the National Guard in the subway and the dazzling future home (fingers crossed) of the belea...
Mar 12, 2024•49 min
Compared to big American cities, post-pandemic New York looks pretty good. On the other hand, the mayor has a 28 percent approval rating, toothpaste is still kept under lock and key and we can't get a handle on mental illness or illicit drugs. Bradley talks it all out with Ross Barkan , who writes a great Substack on city politics, media and culture. Plus, Barkan explains his theory of the all-important *mesoculture* — what it was, how we lost it and why we need it to come back. This episode was...
Mar 07, 2024•43 min
How can we restore a sense of balance and fairness to capitalism? Bradley ruminates on where our heedless pursuit of money and status is taking us. Plus, he proposes a remedy for immigration that is so simple it couldn't possibly work, except why the heck not; explains why we get so freaked out by "surge pricing"; and offers a hopeful take on the Supreme Court doing the right thing and rescuing democracy, if it comes down to that. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street ...
Mar 05, 2024•50 min
Well, it can’t *end* that way, obviously, but if the Electoral College is deadlocked at 269 — a remote but not implausible outcome — it will set off a process that could set a new peak of Trump era mayhem. Bradley plays out the thought exercise with Tom Bonier of TargetSmart, a leading Democratic poll and data shop. They also review the rest of the ‘24 political landscape and come to the conclusion that our darkest fears may not be realized after all. But it’ll be nail biter alright. This episod...
Feb 29, 2024•41 min
When you do everything imaginable to improve your mental and physical health, Bradley says, you run the risk of ruining your mental and physical health. Well, not quite. But you get the point. Bradley comes clean about his obsessive regimen and asks the question, How can you tell if you're doing enough? When he's 83, will he wish he'd spent more time, say, improving his grip? For more, check out Bradley's new Substack on this very topic. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard ...
Feb 27, 2024•27 min
The shooting near the Super Bowl parade was just another day in America. Fixing our culture of violence, says Bradley, will only come from a hard, grinding program of systemic change that addresses not just easy access to guns but the mental health crisis, income inequality and how we regulate the forces of technology that are running roughshod over society. 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 wit...
Feb 20, 2024•54 min
