The US has a world-class diplomatic corps, yet increasingly its foreign policy is based around war. And while most nations still favour negotiation, Washington seems hooked on force. Today in The Bunker, Chris Jones is joined by Professor David Reynolds, author of Mirrors of Greatness, to find out if the US policy of intervention is working or making things worse? Buy Mirrors of Greatness: Churchill and the Leaders Who Shaped Him 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 https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would the world look like if children became scarcer? Birthrates are falling across the world but the main voices trying to turn them around seem to be weird traditionalist “pronatalists”. Is there a way to encourage having more kids while preserving women’s freedom – and without encouraging right-wing conspiracy ideas about “replacement”? Or should we just tax people who don’t have kids? Demographer and author of No One Left: Why the World Needs More Children Paul Morland tells Alex von Tunzelmann how culture not government shapes the way we breed, and why collapsing birthrates are not solely a white European/Western issue any more. • Buy No One Left: Why the World Needs More Children 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. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production by Dominic Delargy. 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

Is Big Tech really as unstoppable as it looks? In recent months US courts and EU regulators have handed out major reverses to tech giants including Apple, Google, Amazon and Meta. Meanwhile Google search is becoming unusable, choked by ads and its own algorithm, and the growth of A.I. means Big Tech could become the victim of Bigger Tech. But at least the tech broligarchs have Trump on their side, right? Murad Ahmed, technology news editor of the Financial Times, talks Andrew Harrison through a looming tipping point for the digital giants.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. 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

Labour starts Year Two hoping that everyone will forget Year One. Can Starmer restart his premiership, again? Plus lessons of the 7/7 bombings twenty years on, the new Jeremy Corbyn and/or Zarah Sultana party, Reform puts teenagers in charge of council services… and the Wimbledon finals. Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler discuss the stories that will shape your week. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  Support us on Patreon for ad free and early episodes. Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Tom Taylor. 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

“Organise before they rise,” is Max Brooks’ advice in his zombie survival guide. But, are world leaders prepared enough? As 28 Years Later hits cinemas, Jacob Jarvis speaks to Daniel Drezner, author of Theories of International Politics and Zombies and professor of international politics at Tufts University, to find out how the world might react and how governments would interact during such a catastrophe.  Buy Theories of International Politics and Zombies 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. Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After years of direct action and controversial tactics by Palestine Action, the Home Secretary is moving to proscribe the campaign group under anti-terror laws. But is that a crackdown on extremism or political theatre?  Today in The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by Professor Lee Jarvis, expert in international politics and terrorism at Loughborough University, to unpack what it really means to be proscribed - and what’s it means for protest in Britain.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Zuckerberg’s pivot to the right has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley. From calls for more “masculine energy” in the workplace to his rebrand as an amateur MMA aficionado. Zuck’s Trump-loving transformation has raised eyebrows across the tech world. But what does it mean for the future of Meta and the world of social media? Today in The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann sits down with Bloomberg’s social media correspondent Kurt Wagner to unpack the rebellion brewing inside Meta and why Zuckerberg’s new persona has staff looking to unfriend their CEO.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Vladimir Putin still the unshakable strongman, or is his grip on power beginning to falter? Today in The Bunker, Chris Jones is joined by Mark Galeotti, an internationally recognised expert on the inner workings of Putin’s Russia and author of the book Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine amongst many others, to explore the Kremlin’s next moves, the cracks in Putin’s armour, and what the West keeps getting wrong about the invasion of Ukraine. • Buy Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine 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 https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky. Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer seems downbeat as he marks a year in office with international crises and backbench backlash overshadowing the anniversary. Ros Taylor talks Jacob Jarvis through the benefits bill fallout. Plus, they look to latest news from the Middle East and the ever present Donald Trump.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  • Support us on Patreon for ad free and early episodes: www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. 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

On July 11, Superman flies back into cinemas in his third reboot – but this time, he’s different. Director James Gunn promises a beacon of hope, kindness, and decency, a sharp contrast to the grim hero we last saw. How will a reborn idealistic Man of Steel land in the most cynical American moment of the modern era? How has Superman changed in his 87 years in comics, movies and radio? And can he save the American Way from a real-life supervillain in the White House? Ian Gordon, author of Superman: The Persistence of an American Icon ,  joins fellow comics addict Andrew Harrison in The Bunker’s Fortress of Solitude.  IAN GORDON’S SUPERMAN STARTER LIST • Action Comics #1 (June 1938)  • “Must There Be a Superman?” Superman #247 (January 1972) – In Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told • Superman (1978) the film • “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”  (Superman #423 and Action Comics #583, September 1986) • Kingdom Come (1996) • All Star Superman #1-12 (2005) • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mass fatalities in the Air India crash and the collision of a passenger flight and a US Army helicopter over the Potomac have triggered fears that serious aviation accidents are becoming more frequent. But are they really? John Walton, editor of independent aviation journalism site TheUpFront, talks to Andrew Harrison about why panics like this start, how safe air travel really is, and how this high-emissions industry is facing up to a low-emissions future.  • Read John Walton on air travel for general readers as well as insiders at TheUpFront.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeffrey Epstein is dead, but the questions around his life, his crimes, and his powerful friends remain. In 2024, new court documents were unsealed, revealing more about Epstein’s abuse yet much of the content remains redacted, leading to conspiracy theories, speculation – and social media battles between Elon Musk and President Trump. Today in The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by investigative reporter Adam Klasfeld, editor-in-chief of All Rise News, to unpack what we know  and what remains obscured about the Epstein files. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  • Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Gavin Esler Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump once promised to keep America out of endless wars. But less than 200 days into his second term, the US military has carried out airstrikes on Iran. Following Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, the president gave orders to target Iranian nuclear facilities. His cabinet denies any ambition for regime change – but Trump’s own words suggest otherwise. So what’s really going on? Today in The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Dr Sanam Vakil, Director of the MENA Programme at Chatham House, to unpack the latest escalation in the Middle East and what the president’s endgame might be. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America’s strikes on Iran have left the world wondering what Trump’s next move will be. What do we know so far – and what could happen next? Plus, what comes now after the assisted dying bill vote? And with Reform surging in polls, Farage has another weird plan – will it work? And because the answer’s no, why not? Ros Taylor and Jacob Jarvis discuss all that and more in Start Your Week.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.        [NOT FOR PATREON]   Support us on Patreon for ad free and early episodes: www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. 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

Is the BBC shifting right to please Reform voters? Leaked minutes from a top-level BBC editorial meeting reveal plans to reshape story selection and tone – not just in news, but even in drama – to improve the Corporation’s image among Reform UK supporters. But instead of chasing Farage’s fans, should the BBC hold Reform to account more rigorously? Don of media commentators Raymond Snoddy explains the danger of letting populism set the news agenda to Andrew Harrison. • Raymond Snoddy writes on media at TheMediaLeader.com. He’s a contributor to the new book Pandering to Populism? • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bunker - news without the nonsense. Published every week day, we promise to deliver the insight that smart, modern listeners crave, beyond the headlines. Boost your knowledge, cut away the spin and get news without the nonsense on The Bunker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first time in MI6’s history, a female chief is taking the helm. Blaise Metreweli, a veteran of both old-school espionage and cutting-edge tech warfare, steps into the role as digital battlegrounds, rogue states, and AI-fuelled threats reshape global intelligence. Today on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Dan Lomas, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, to explore the role of Britain's top spymaster and what challenges she will face on the job.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Glastonbury has been the hot zone for radical ideas since its hippy infancy. But the first Labour government in 15 years is not exactly the hitting the mark for the festival’s audience of utopians and out-of-the-box thinkers. Can Labour get back to its radical roots? The Guardian’s John Harris, who comperes the Left Field at Glastonbury, and campaigner Gracie Mae Bradley who’s guesting at the Left Field this year, come together for a pre-festival summit.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain needs  be ready to fight a war in Europe or the Atlantic in as little as two years – and we look badly underprepared. That’s the message of Labour’s sobering new Strategic Defence Review. So where are we weak, how fast could we rearm and what will it cost? And do the British people have the disposition to fight the sort of war we thought was in the past? Peter Ricketts, UK National Security Adviser from 2010 to 2012 and Britain’s former representative to NATO, explains the challenge of renewing Britain’s defences against a ticking clock. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor and Sara Farolfi. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump’s birthday parade bored the few people who bothered watching – and offended those who actually care about the military, unlike the president himself. As protests rage across the US – can Trump keep ignoring them? Plus, the situation in the Middle East becomes increasingly terrifying – how might tensions between Iran and Israel escalate? Gavin Esler joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss this and more as we look to the week ahead.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  Support us on Patreon for ad free and early episodes: www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Tom Taylor. 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