How Trump is sending the FBI back to the 1960s

Throughout Donald Trump’s campaign he declared that the Justice Department and the FBI were weaponised against him.  Now that he’s US President, he’s making huge changes to both, putting loyal supporters in charge.  Over two episodes, If You’re Listening looks at the massive transformation underway in the US federal criminal justice system, starting with the appointment of Kash Patel as Director of the FBI.  For almost 50 years, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover used the bureau as a political weapon, and successive Presidents let him.  The 50 years since his death have seen the FBI aim for independence from the President. Now, with Patel’s appointment, that work is at risk of being undone, with potentially terrifying consequences. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lG9pxvpGY-Q?si=XI4y-FicLE8mHyRe 

Om Podcasten

The world is on fire. There's a coup. Inflation is through the roof, and AI is taking our jobs. What does it all mean? Each week, Matt Bevan explains the biggest story in world news while hiding in his basement from assassins and authoritarian regimes. Recent episodes include an exploration of the relationship between India and China, a closer look at the Saudi Arabian city of NEOM, the conflict in the Middle East, the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, and Ukraine's incursions into Vladimir Putin's Russia. Matt Bevan draws connections between stories from the past and the events of the present to help listeners understand world news and international affairs. The podcast also features series about big moments in world news; previous series have focused on the United States presidential election, the United Kingdom's 14 years of Conservative Party leadership, Donald Trump's relationship with Russia, Donald Trump's presidency and promise to Make America Great Again, the Mueller Report, Vladimir Putin's scheme to destroy western democracies, how the relationship between Australia and China came to the verge of collapse, and Australia's turbulent history with climate change. There's a new episode of If You're Listening every Thursday.