One Easy Pro-Consumer Trick Congress Will Never Pass
The post highlights how subscription services like Netflix and Disney+ routinely raise prices with little consumer friction, citing an Italian court that forced Netflix to refund illegal hikes and the FTC’s click‑to‑cancel rule that was recently voided. It argues that Congress could step in to require active consent and easier cancellation for price changes, a move that would curb automatic renewals and protect subscribers. The author uses The Bulwark’s own price increase as a micro‑example and warns that streaming firms are shifting focus toward ad‑supported tiers for growth. The piece frames consumer‑friendly legislation as an easy political win that remains unlikely.
How Political Obsession Turned a Novelist Boring
Lionel Shriver’s latest novel, A Better Life, follows a progressive Brooklyn mother who takes in a Honduran asylum seeker under New York’s 2023 “Big Apple, Big Heart” program, only for the arrangement to spiral into violence and tragedy. The narrative...
Donald Trump’s Unfreedom of the Seas
The Bulwark essay argues that Donald Trump’s decision to negotiate Iran over navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz marks a stark departure from the United States’ long‑standing guarantee of free passage. The strait carries roughly 20% of global oil...
Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz: The Dangers Posed by Sam Altman
In this episode of the Borg podcast, host Tim Miller interviews New Yorker journalists Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz about the growing political and societal risks posed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the broader AI landscape. The guests dissect Altman's influence,...
The Iran War Is Coming for Your Social Security
The author warns that a war involving Iran could destabilize the petrodollar system, the cornerstone of U.S. Treasury financing. By threatening the dollar’s dominance in global oil markets, the conflict could undermine the fiscal foundation that supports Social Security, Medicare...
Trump Is Remaking National Security to Enforce His Agenda (W/ Tom Joscelyn)
In this episode, Bill Kristol talks with counterterrorism expert Tom Joscelyn about how President Trump is reshaping U.S. national security institutions to serve his agenda. They examine Trump's incendiary Truth Social post threatening war, the politicization of the Department of...
Trump Is Doing Structural Damage to American Intelligence
The piece argues that Donald Trump’s contempt for U.S. intelligence agencies is causing structural damage to the nation’s security apparatus. By branding the intelligence community as a “deep state” and publicly disparaging it, Trump has curtailed formal briefings, purged senior...
Trump Needs Approval for This War (W/ Michael O’Hanlon)
In this episode of Shield of the Republic, host Eric Edelman talks with Brookings senior fellow Michael O’Hanlon about his new book, *To Dare Mighty Things*, which surveys 250 years of U.S. defense strategy. O’Hanlon argues that while America lacks...
Al Gore: Trump Has Made a Historic Mistake
Former Vice President Al Gore appeared on Tim Miller’s Bulwark Podcast to condemn former President Donald Trump for dismissing two existential threats: Iran’s ability to choke the Strait of Hormuz and the escalating climate crisis. Gore highlighted that Iran now controls...
Jeffrey Goldberg and Joe Weisenthal: Pandora's Box Has Been Opened
In this Bulwark Podcast episode, host Tim Miller chats with Atlantic editor‑in‑chief Joe Weisenthal and journalist Jeffrey Goldberg about the economic fallout of the Iran‑Israel conflict and the broader implications for U.S. defense policy. They dissect the controversial Signal‑chat scandal...
Bill Kristol: End the War
In this episode, host Tim Miller and editor‑at‑large Bill Kristol discuss the escalating conflict in Iran and its broader geopolitical fallout. Kristol argues that the war has fractured U.S. alliances, especially with Europe, as Trump’s unilateral actions left allies feeling...