The Government’s plans to house migrants on the Bibby Stockholm barge continues to cause controversy. Why are they going ahead with it? Does Labour have any better ideas? Plus, we have an update on Ukraine, the latest from Donald Trump’s legal scandals, and details on Niger’s military coup. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Doomsday Watch host Arthur Snell to give you the big stories for the week ahead. “The barges are a nakedly political agenda.” – Arthur Snell “It always feels like Donald Trump is pla...
Aug 07, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 1040
True crime has never been more popular. Is it uniquely harmful to society, or have we always been fascinated with the macabre? And why does there suddenly seem to be a boom in internet sleuths? Exploring the increasingly blurred lines between those seeking justice and those making internet content, Jude Rogers talks to Tanya Horeck , Professor of Film and Feminist Media Studies and author of Justice on Demand: True Crime in the Digital Streaming Era about how true crime in the digital age has tr...
Aug 06, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 1039
Are aliens real? That question was brought up again in a high-level Congressional hearing this week. Three former members of the US military brought forward their evidence to prove that extraterrestrial life IS real. But were there stories credible? Or is it all easily explainable coincidences? Dr Kate Devlin, sits down in The Bunker with Mick West , science writer, investigator and MetaBunk founder to discuss. “A lot of people believe that UFOs are aliens - and a lot of those people are in the ...
Aug 05, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 1038
Donald Trump has been indicted again. There are 4 charges this time around, including Conspiracy to Defraud the United States. The former President is facing decades in jail and still, he’s the leading GOP candidate in the next election. Sarah Isgur is a senior editor for The Dispatch and host of the Advisory Opinions podcast. She joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker from Washington DC to unpack the latest charges and exactly what they mean for US politics. “They’re going to have to prove Donald Trum...
Aug 05, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 1037
This week on Bunker Global: El Salvador’s war on gangs continues as President Bukele introduces mass trials for accused gang members . Plus, we take a closer look at China where President Xi has removed key military figures in charge of nuclear missiles, in an apparent power grab. And, what does Russia’s alleged kidnapping of Ukrainian children mean for Putin’s long term strategy? Laura Makin-Isherwood , former London bureau chief of Feature Story News, and Doug Specht , reader in cultural geogr...
Aug 04, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1036
Twitter as we know it is dead. The bird has been sent out to pasture and replaced with a stark ‘X’ symbol. Will Elon Musk’s rebrand go down in history as the most successful rebrand since ‘Snickers’ – or will it be the next ‘New Coke’? Leslie Hallam, director of the psychology of advertising masters programme at Lancaster University, joins Alex Andreou in the Bunker to discuss the world of marketing, rebranding and Musk’s fascination with the letter X. "Brands exist so people can become attached...
Aug 03, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 1035
Rishi Sunak’s decision to limit the number of students able to study what he calls “low-value degrees” has sparked backlash. Why is he doing this – and does it make sense? And is this even about education at all? Dr. Zoe Hope Bulaitis , assistant professor of liberal arts and natural sciences at University of Birmingham and author of Value and The Humanities , joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker to discuss where the PM is getting it wrong on university courses. “The fact that students are willing to...
Aug 02, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 1034
Attitudes to migration were a key cause of Brexit – but is it still such a major factor in how people vote? With research showing that the UK now has a more favourable attitude to migration, what are the arguments for it? Alex Andreou is joined by Rob Ford , professor of political science at the University of Manchester, and co-author of Brexitland , to explore the real public opinions on migration beyond the headlines. “People can’t do the maths on immigration so they always say they want less....
Aug 01, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 1033
Setting up the stories of the week ahead. Today: Rishi Sunak says he’s “on the side of motorists”. How did a sliver of a vote in the Uxbridge by-election cause a massacre of green policies? Talking of pollution, Nigel Farage’s war on banks continues. Will his hard-done-by routine rehabilitate his political career? Plus the military coup in Niger, the Ukraine war comes to Moscow, and the latest from Israel’s democracy protests. Andrew Harrison is joined by Gavin Esler to give you the low-down on ...
Jul 31, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1032
Can Artificial Intelligence replace our loved ones after death? Will Gregg Wallace’s cannibalism mockumentary change how we see the future of food? Dr. Kate Devlin, author of Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots and historian Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz join Jacob Jarvis and Andrew Harrison to chew the fat and try to answer some of the after life’s biggest questions. Yes, back by popular demand, it’s the Bunker Panel! “People are unpredictable and infuriating, I can’t imagine AI being able to replicate ...
Jul 30, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 1031
Phone hacking, false claims of election hacking and a potential high profile libel case with a maligned BBC newsreader. Those are just a few of the scandals facing Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in the last few years. Despite this, the 92-year-old media mogul’s vice-like grip on the media landscape has remained as powerful as ever. Gavin Esler is joined in The Bunker by journalist William D Cohan , to find out how Murdoch has maintained his position of influence and power. “There's a lot of power...
Jul 29, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 1030
This week on Bunker Global: The Spanish election fallout as a hung parliament leaves Spain in political limbo. Are Wagner mercenaries really preparing to invade Poland ? Also, Elon Musk is ghosting Twitter employees in Africa, why does Big Tech show such little respect to the global South? . Dipo Faloyin , senior editor of global news at Vice and author of ‘ Africa is not a Country’ , and Guy Hedgecoe, freelance journalist based in Madrid, join Andrew Harrison to get you up to speed on what you ...
Jul 28, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1029
Are we witnessing the death of Silicon Valley as big tech shifts from physical products to services? And has the time of California being the promised land for budding tech bros gone? Dr. Kate Devlin is joined in The Bunker by Joel Kotkin , fellow in urban studies at Chapman University, to find out. “One of the dirty little secrets of Silicon Valley is that it was largely created by federal spending.” “I have never met a group who are less conscious of their social impact than Silicon Valley peo...
Jul 27, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 1028
MPs have collectively earned millions of pounds from side hustles in the last few years. From the ‘cash for access’ scandal to the resignation of Owen Paterson, the public is fascinated by extra work carried out by politicians. But how much does this impact their day jobs? Marie Le Conte sits down with Dr. Simon Weschle, assistant professor in the political science department at Syracuse University, to find out if second jobs truly are the scourge of British politics. “Having a second job means ...
Jul 26, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1027
Buying a house in the UK is almost impossible for many people. But house prices could fall by 10 per cent over the next 2 years. Is that a good thing? Peter Apps is the deputy editor of Inside Housing magazine, he joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker. “There’s so much demand in the UK and there’s such a shortage of houses.” – Peter Apps. “It’s very difficult to predict where we’re going to be for the next couple of years.” – Peter Apps. “If people start losing money on Help to Buy deals, the governm...
Jul 25, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1026
Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are both on manoeuvres after the by-elections – but what are their tangible plans? As the Labour leader asks Sadiq Khan to “reflect” on ULEZ, the Tory PM is doubling down on just being horrid. Plus, we have the latest on the climate crisis in Greece, an update on elections in Spain, and news from Ukraine. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to map out the week ahead. “Rishi Sunak will fail on all of his five promises.” – Alex Andreou “Labour have relied on Sadiq Khan’s p...
Jul 24, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1025
From the Hague to Westminster, buildings shape the politics that happens within them. Does the design of the Chamber in Westminster encourage bad behaviour? How does Britain compare with the rest of Europe? Exploring the benefits of horseshoes, circles and semicircles are historian Seth Thévoz and Sophia Psarra, professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. Her forthcoming edited collection Parliament Buildings The architecture of politics in Europe comes out in October. “Buildings are ...
Jul 23, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1024
For the first time in 63 years, Hollywood has a double strike on its hands. Actors have joined writers on the picket lines – in an effort to take on the tech giants who have disrupted TV and cinemas in recent years. Alex Andreou sits down with screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick to discuss streaming platforms, the threat of AI on creativity and Chicken Run 2. “Every industry is scrambling with regulations around AI. This isn’t just a Hollywood problem.” “If you want to be a professional writer at the...
Jul 22, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 1023
The first debate in the race to be the GOP’s presidential nominee for 2024 is a month away. What should we watch out for – and how will the party split? Former President Trump is dominating the opinion polls, but a crowded field of other candidates has emerged – including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice-President Mike Pence. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Politico ’s senior campaigns and elections editor Steven Shepard , to discuss the latest clashes. “It doesn’t seem that Republican pr...
Jul 22, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1022
This week on Bunker Global: As horror heat consumes the earth – is climate chaos the new normal? Plus, we pick apart the extent of China’s spy operations . And, as Giorgia Meloni’s tenure as Italian PM looks increasingly concerning , we pick apart her actions so far. Laura Makin-Isherwood , former London bureau chief of Feature Story News, and Kai Strittmatter , former China correspondent for German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, join Jacob Jarvis to get you up to speed on what you need to know ...
Jul 21, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 1021
Social media fuels many emotions, especially anger. And if you’ve followed UK politics for any length of time, you’ll be used to that feeling. Author of Outrage Machine , Tobias Rose-Stockwell , says tech companies know this and have tailored their algorithms to maximise the amount we consume. But how does this translate to real life? Does it alter the way we vote? And does it damage democracy? He joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker . Book: https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/tobias-rose-stockwell...
Jul 20, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 1020
Libel laws have been around for centuries in England – yet the public and the papers keep falling foul of them. The witch hunt for the then-unnamed BBC presenter in early July is the latest example. The anonymity of that presenter, now revealed to be Huw Edwards, meant people began publicly accusing other BBC presenters of being involved. At least one Twitter user has now been sued over this. So what are our libel laws? And why do they catch so many people out? Journalist and media consultant Da...
Jul 19, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 1019
Labour says it will harness the sun, wind, and waves to deliver clean energy by 2030. It’s a very ambitious plan, to say the least, but one Sir Keir Starmer says can only do good. Is it achievable? Will it save the world? And is it even any different from what the other political parties are offering? Luke Murphy is the associate director for energy, climate, housing and infrastructure at Institute for Public Policy Research – he joins Chris Jones in the Bunker. “Younger people want to see us le...
Jul 18, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 1018
Rishi Sunak’s Tories face three by-elections this week — what will these results mean for the struggling PM? Meanwhile, Keir Starmer’s latest u-turn has frustrated even his most loyal supporters. What pressure does he face? Plus global weather is out of control — and actors join the fight against AI. Hannah Fearn joins Alex Andreou to map out the week ahead. “These three by-elections are a snapshot of the nation’s mood." – Hannah Fearn “If the Tories keep just one seat, they’ll be able to say La...
Jul 17, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 1017
Are work-from-home jet-setters pioneering of a new way of life or are they just the next generation of gentrifiers? After the pandemic the rise of “digital nomads” sparked envy across social media – but are they causing more problems than they solve? Kasia Tomasiewicz is joined in the Bunker by UCL anthropologist Dave Cook to find out if working from the beach is all it's cracked up to be. “They travel around the world to escape the 9-5 and end up in a coworking space. . . which is just the mill...
Jul 16, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1016
Young people living in America are more likely to be shot and killed than to die in a car accident. Does that shock you? What about this - there have been over 600 mass shootings recorded in the US every year for 3 years, not far from 2 a day. Why is it getting worse? And Are there any solutions at all? Dr. Patrick M. Carter is Co-Director at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at Michigan State University. He joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker. “It’s hard to say exactly what the reason fo...
Jul 15, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1015
This week on Bunker Global: We ask what it will take for Ukraine to achieve NATO membership following their summit in Lithuania, take a closer look at the civilians caught in the crossfire between Boko Haram and the Nigerian Army , and finally Artificial Intelligence promised not to destroy humanity in an AI press conference in Geneva, do we trust it? Dipo Faloyin , senior editor for global news at Vice , and Mark Webber , professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham, join...
Jul 14, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 1014
Mark Zuckerberg has transformed from unsuspecting nerd to an MMA fighter taking on arch tech bro Elon Musk. What has changed? Bobby Friction speaks to Wessie du Toit, a freelance writer behind the newsletter The Pathos of Things , about Zuckerberg 2.0 and if we should be concerned about his macho man transformation. “After the 2016 election, Zuckerberg became a pantomime villain so he needed a makeover.” “You don’t see CEOs of energy companies threatening to fight each other in cage matches.” “H...
Jul 13, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 1013
The basis of human life is built upon various elements. Have we forgotten how important they are? Sky News’ economics editor, Ed Conway , explores whether we’ve lost touch with them in his new book Material World – and why they could fuel our downfall or build a better future. He joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker to discuss. “We have forgotten some of the physical underpinnings of our time.” – Ed Conway “The internet is not an ethereal thing, it is a physical product.” – Ed Conway “My objective w...
Jul 12, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 1012
Thames Water recently announced £14 billion of debt. How does an essential utility haemorrhage so much money? More than three decades after they were privatised, could renationalisation be the solution? Laura Makin-Isherwood is joined by Rob Branston, associate professor in business economics, to discuss how the privatisation of water companies in England has failed and the solutions to clean up our water woes. “Privatisation is a political ideology, but we need to remember that in the 80s we di...
Jul 11, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 1011
