Shows / Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Politics, technology and the pursuit of happiness. Twice a week, Bradley Tusk, New York-based political strategist and venture investor, covers the collision between new ideas and the real world. His operating thesis is that you can't understand tech today without understanding politics, too. Recorded at P&T Knitwear, his bookstore / podcast studio, 180 Orchard Street, New York City.
Episodes
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
The Big Crack Up
Does American life feel like it's spiraling out of control to you? Bradley identifies the four main agents of chaos and anxiety, as well as potential remedies…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Gen Z versus Big Tech
Can social media be reformed in time to spare the next generation? Bradley sits down with Steven Rosenbaum of the Sustainable Media Center and Emma Lembke of…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Mr. Sunshine
On vacation in Los Angeles, Bradley raves about the city - from the cultural diversity and the food to the fabulous signage, the state-of-the-art sports…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
The Misfit VC
At every step of her life, Leslie Feinzaig got ahead by never fitting in. The founder and managing director of Seattle-based Graham & Walker talks to Bradley…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Leaving the White House with a Whimper
What is it about American presidents that they almost always leave office looking diminished and beaten down? Bradley offers advice on avoiding a graceless…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Doing the DC Hustle
Lobbying, once the art of golf, good cigars and calling in favors, evolved over the years into an array of slippery moves, strategies and tactics. But is Trump…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Things I Liked in 2024
The best of what Bradley read, watched, listened to and visited over the last year — including his book of the year, The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore. Plus…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Have We Given Up on Guns?
Yes, the regulatory approach to gun control has stalled. But Hudson Muñoz, of Guns Down America, offers a fresh approach: Mobilizing the vast power of…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Why Australia Can Ban Social Media for Kids and We Can't
A bill supported by a clear majority of the population ought to be easy to pass, and it was in Australia, says Bradley. But there's one big reason why Congress…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
A War Hero Rescued from Obscurity
Dan Burstein is not your typical venture capitalist. He started as a journalist and has written 14 books on everything from Japanese finance to what makes a…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Why God Sent Us Trump
Bradley considers the rise and fall and rise again of President Trump as a Biblical allegory. He -- meaning God, not Bradley — wants to show us where a Zero…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
The Swampiest of Swamps
When it comes to government corruption, nobody touches Illinois. Bradley talks to Ray Long and Rick Pearson, investigative and political reporters for the…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Superiority is Kryptonite
If you make voters feel stupid or small or bad about themselves, says Bradley, they hate you for it. And that's exactly what too many Democrats have been doing…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
The Bezos Doctrine
Why does business success often go hand in hand with cluelessness at politics? Bradley talks to Dana Mattioli, reporter for The Wall Street Journal and author…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Bonus Rerelease: Save The Kids, Ban Brokers Fees
Anyone who has paid 15% of their annual rent in brokers fees for someone to let you into an apartment for only 10 minutes knows the practice is nothing more…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Are Incumbents Doomed?
No, says Bradley, but in this environment of social-media-fueled anger and discontent, they have to be open to difficult feedback, be honest with themselves…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Pick Up the Pieces
The Democrats' hard, sobering defeat last night revealed uncomfortable truths about what a majority of Americans want from their leaders. Bradley and Chris…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
A Podcast Not About the Election
On this Election Day 2024, Bradley takes a temporary pass on politics. Instead, he offers this exercise in wellness: Which personal qualities are most likely…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Why This Is The Most Incredible Moment...
...since the creation of the Internet. Bradley talks to Adam Zeplain of Austin-based mark vc, about the reasons to be fired up about business ("A lot of this…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Where is the Courage?
Not a single vote was won or lost when the Washington Post declined to endorse a Presidential candidate, but it is a frightening portend, says Bradley, of how…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
The Billionaire’s Dilemma
How much does a great reputation cost? Bradley talks to Anupreeta Das, New York Times correspondent and author of Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
How Well Do We Know Our Own Politics?
To get a true reading of where he sits on the political spectrum, Bradley takes a 20-question quiz, covering everything from wealth disparity to whether we…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Down with the Duopoly!
Wouldn't we be better off if the Democrat and Republican parties each split in half and we had four candidates vying for the presidency instead of two? How is…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
The Next Regulatory Regime
How Harris and Trump administrations will differ on managing the economy, business and tech. Plus, Bradley talks about mysterious drones, going to movies in…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
How Low Does Mediocre Go?
Serious question: Do mediocre and average mean the same thing? Everybody Bradley asked told him no, that mediocre is worse, but he remains convinced they are…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Behind The Scenes at City Hall
While New York City Mayor Eric Adams is under indictment and more of his top aides have departed, the work of running New York City doesn't stop. On this…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Who's Watching Our Money?
As superintendent of the NY Department of Financial Services, Adrienne Harris may be the most important person you've never heard of. She talks to Bradley…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
The Serious, the Profane and, Uh, Hoops
Bradley reviews the issues that are demanding his attention this week: Mobile voting, the potential for an invasion of Lebanon, Walz v. Vance, the spectacular…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Emergency Pod: The Power Vacuum at City Hall
Bradley assesses the immediate aftermath of the indictment of Mayor Eric Adams — who’s running from the crisis, who’s hurt (in addition to Adams) and who…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Rage Against Incivility
After Bradley and Chris Coffey analyze how Mayor Adams can pull himself out of the vortex of scandal, Bradley goes on a rant about the declining decorum of New…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
"Our State is Not as Safe as We Thought"
Could abortion rights ever be rolled back in a blue state like New York? After Democrats lost a bunch of House seats in the last cycle, says Sasha Ahuja, the…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
How to Blow Up Politics as Usual
Today is the hotly awaited publication date for Vote With Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot at Saving Democracy, written (of course) by your…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Do Undecided Voters Really Exist?
Or are they all just Trump voters who don't want to admit it? Chris Coffey of Tusk Strategies joins Bradley to check on the vital signs of the American…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
A Mayor on Razor-Thin Ice
Next week, Bradley begins his book tour across America to promote "Vote With Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot at Saving Democracy" (dates and…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
The Man Who Allegedly Wrecked New York
Does Robert Moses deserve eternal condemnation? On the 50th anniversary of the publication of ‘The Power Broker’, Robert Caro’s iconic biography of Moses, Dan…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Big Tech's Bad Citizenship
As Silicon Valley goes to war against the AI safety bill just passed by the California legislature, Governor Gavin Newsom should have no reservations about…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
One Way of Fixing Immigration
New arrivals to the United States often find themselves trapped in a Catch 22 — they can’t obtain a tax ID without first getting paid and they can’t get paid…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Why Do We Like Gambling So Much?
Americans bet as much as a trillion dollars a year, fueling an industry that knows just how to press our buttons, like the social media platforms do. But is…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
The Rookie
The last thing your average political consultant will ever do is run for office. Micah Lasher, however, is anything but average . He talks to Bradley about why…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
This Is Your Government on AI
Could Artificial Intelligence have prevented New York’s cannabis debacle? Bradley lays out his vision; Bob Greenlee begs to differ. Plus, Bob offers…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
What Will Crypto Be When It Grows Up?
The alternative currency has settled into an awkward adolescence — full of potential but still quite unsure of itself. Bradley talks to Andrew R. Chow, TIME…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Harris Picks the Good Person Over the Good Politicians
Quick hit from Bradley on how Minnesota Governor Tim Walz earned his spot on the Democratic ticket. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
How Kamala Harris Can Leverage Her Edge
Bradley has an idea for turning the Democrats' most potent issue — reproductive rights — into a catalyst for winning swing states. Plus, he reviews where…
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
Firewall Goes to the Olympics
Bradley checks in from his vacation in Paris, where swimming events gave him PTSD from summer camp but the boxing, BMX racing and beach volleyball more than…