Firewall

Apr 18 2024 3.8k

Firewall Podcast artwork

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.

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Where Did Baseball Really Come from?

Apr 18 2024 45 mins

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 though

The Manhattan Project of Local Government

Apr 16 2024 49 mins

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 t

Three Ways to be a Better Mayor

Apr 11 2024 46 mins

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

Buying Sky High

Apr 09 2024 49 mins

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

All the News That Was Unfit to Print

Apr 04 2024 38 mins

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

Hot New Kennedy Conspiracy

Apr 02 2024 55 mins

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:W

The Danger of Playing It Safe

Mar 28 2024 34 mins

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 —

The Unhappy States of America

Mar 26 2024 60 mins

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 S

What Comes After a Golden Age?

Mar 21 2024 49 mins

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 St

The Gaza - Schumer - TikTok Triangle

Mar 19 2024 55 mins

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&am