RUSSIA | S01 10 - The Troll Factory: Lies, stolen secrets and chaos

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Putin or the EU? Georgia's big fight: The people of Georgia are in the streets of Tbilisi, protesting the ruling party’s recent election win. At the heart of the fight is whether the country should appease Vladimir Putin, or oppose him. For years Georgia was moving closer to the European Union, but the war in Ukraine changed everything. Now, billionaire oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili and his Georgia Dream party are betting on a relationship with Putin, hoping to save the country from a fate similar to Ukraine’s. Today on If You’re Listening, the story of a democracy at the crossroads of the West and the East, fighting over whether to be afraid of Vladimir Putin or not. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/q9zRfSut8TU?si=0KJ4A49zvSz35Th6 by If You're Listening

21 min listen

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The serious ramifications of Hunter Biden’s pardon: Hunter Biden has been a main character in far-right conspiracy theories for years, and Donald Trump’s associates have spent significant effort searching for proof that could lead to his prosecution. In the end, Hunter reportedly provided the only evidence that has mattered: a laptop full of terribly embarrassing and potentially incriminating material. The story of how that laptop found its way to Trump’s favourite lawyer Rudy Giuliani is almost too bizarre to believe. But the Biden family story has been improbably tragic for decades, and it was those tragedies that have seemingly steered the outgoing president to pardon his son despite the very real cost to his own reputation, and the country. by If You're Listening

24 min listen

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Will Netanyahu ever face court for alleged war crimes?: We want to know what you think of the show so we can make it better in 2025! Give us your feedback here: https://forms.office.com/r/w0hT5fzuxg The International Criminal Court in The Hague wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested for alleged war crimes in Gaza. But international justice works differently to other forms of justice — it relies on everyone opting in. More than 20 years into its existence the court is yet to convict any world leaders of anything. As the first fugitive from the ICC who is also an ally to Western countries like Australia and France, this case is one that could make or break the court itself. So what does that mean for Netanyahu and his allies? And what does it mean for the idea that there are some crimes that go beyond borders, committed against humanity itself. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LAUiawjoKKs?si=fSx by If You're Listening

23 min listen

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Could Russia turn off the whole internet?: A Chinese-owned cargo ship called the Yi Peng 3 is sitting idle in Danish waters, after undersea internet cables were cut in the Baltic Sea. European officials have cried sabotage. It’s not the first time something like this has happened; similar events have seen cables cut in other parts of the ocean. There’s serious concern that China and Russia are planning more of these attacks, and the way the internet is set up, it wouldn’t take many of them to cause serious problems. So how vulnerable is the internet to undersea sabotage? And if a big global conflict were to break out, would the cables be the first casualty? Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=QgMQOudReqZkahlU by If You're Listening

22 min listen

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America's Last Election 6: How Trump’s banishment led to his comeback: After January 6, many who had stuck by Donald Trump through his presidency condemned his denial of the election, and his failure to stop the attack on the Capitol. Banished to Mar-a-Lago the former president was banned from major social media platforms, driving his messages and MAGA community underground, into a parallel online world. That response by big tech to the violence of January 6 was designed to stop it happening again. Instead, it found Donald Trump powerful allies, and fostered his comeback, one that would send him all the way back to the White House. This is the final episode of America's Last Election. We'll be back next week with an episode about something completely different. If you liked the series, please share it around. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

24 min listen

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America’s Last Election 5: Trump demands loyalty: Over the last four episodes we’ve told the story of Donald Trump’s denial of the 2020 election result. It’s a period of time many thought would disqualify him from another run for US president. Now, exactly four years later Trump is preparing to head back to the White House after a significant election win against Kamala Harris, and the way his last presidency ended has shaped his campaign. January 6th and the events that led up to it alienated many moderate actors in Trump’s orbit, and unless they’re brought back into the fold, this presidency is set to look very different to his last. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

23 min listen

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Hello America: Chess at the White House: It’s Matt Bevan’s last 24 hours in Washington DC, and he’s leaving a very different place to the one he arrived in. Donald Trump is going to be president again, and in the United States, people from across the political spectrum are figuring out exactly what that looks like. Matt sits down with ABC Global Affairs Reporter John Lyons in sunny Lafayette Park to chat about the potential geopolitical impacts of a second Trump term and how world leaders are already scrambling to get Trump on the phone to strike a deal. This episode was produced by Kara Jensen-Mackinnon and Jess O'Callaghan. This is the final Hello America bonus episode of If You’re Listening, thanks for coming along for the ride. The next episode of America’s Last Election will drop next Thursday morning. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

26 min listen

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US Results: Coffee with extra Trump: In this update from Washington DC, Matt Bevan is filling in as host for ABC News Daily to bring you an early morning update on all the events from overnight Australian time. In a spectacular victory, Donald Trump has secured the US election to become the 47th President of the United States. Matt is joined on the ground by Emma Shortis from The Australia Institute to explain where the Democrats went wrong and the Republicans went right - and what a more emboldened Trump with the support of the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court means for America. by If You're Listening

15 min listen

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Hello America: Queuing for Kamala Harris: It's election day in America! But in the dying hours of Monday night (and the campaigns), Matt Bevan took a train to Pennsylvania to stand in queue for a massive Lady Gaga concert — Kamala Harris's final event before election day. Luckily, you can get the speeches online. What you can't get is the vibe, which was apparent speaking to supporters in this kilometres-long queue. On the train ride home Matt and Dr Emma Shortis from The Australia Institute decide the Democrats' election-eve vibe was: things seem good for Kamala Harris ... nobody jinx it. We'll be back on Wednesday evening with an election-night update. Read Matt on ABC News: When do polls close and when will we know the result of the US election? Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

26 min listen

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Hello America: Trump’s path back to the presidency: As the night goes on, and key states in the US presidential election are called for Donald Trump, it's becoming harder to see a way that Kamala Harris wins the White House. Matt Bevan shares his view from a Washington rooftop on election night, where ABC News is covering the results. He reflects on the Harris and Trump campaigns, and what a second Trump presidency could look like. Matt will be back in this podcast feed on Thursday morning hosting a special episode of ABC News Daily, speaking with Dr Emma Shortis from the Australia Institute. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

19 min listen

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America’s Last Election 4: Pardon the riot: Eight months before January 6, a very similar mob stormed a different government building. Armed men, furious about an extension of COVID lockdowns, stormed the state Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan. It was a precursor to the march on the Capitol in Washington DC, with chants, signs and even protesters in common. But among some of the men in Michigan that day, a plot was brewing that was more sinister. It shows just how insidious and dangerous the lies spreading among Donald Trump’s supporters can be. If he wins, Trump has vowed to pardon those people convicted of crimes on January 6—what signal could such immunity send? We've released this episode of America's Last Election early, so you can listen before election day. The video of this podcast episode will be released on Saturday morning as usual. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

23 min listen

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Hello America: Two trains and seven swing states: It's election eve in America, and Matt Bevan is in Washington DC. How did he get there? By train, from Detroit, where he took in the fall foliage from the comfort of his tiny bunk bed, and talked politics over breakfast with a fellow train-devotee named Bill. But neither Kamala Harris or Donald Trump is taking the slow train to election day -- both campaigns have whirlwind 24 hours planned, hitting the swing states key to winning the White House. Donald Trump is ending years of campaigning with a late-night rally that looks to soothe his superstitious mind, and Kamala Harris is throwing a massive garden party in Philadelphia. Speaking of which, Matt has another train to catch ... This episode was produced by Kara Jensen Mackinnon and Jess O'Callaghan. Catch Matt across the ABC's election coverage on ABC TV, ABC NewsRadio and digital platforms, including this one; we'll drop a bonus episode when results start to shape up on Wednesday by If You're Listening

16 min listen

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Hello America: Watching Trump from the bleachers: With only days until the election both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are zigzagging across the United States holding rallies to shore up support. At a Trump rally in the suburbs of Detroit, Matt Bevan chatted to a whole lot of fans waiting in line about why they're voting for Trump and what happens if the election doesn't go his way. He and Insiders host David Speers debriefed in the car ride back to the city. If You're Listening's Hello America bonus episodes are produced by Kara Jensen Mackinnon and Jess O'Callaghan. Episode 4 of America's Last Election will drop early on Tuesday morning AEDT. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

19 min listen

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Hello America: Trump or Treat: It’s Halloween in America, and with the countdown on to election day, things are getting spooky. In downtown Detroit, Matt Bevan meets early voters, trick-or-treaters, and samples local delicacies — thanks to everyone who emailed with tips. Keep them coming, Washington DC is next: [email protected] And as mentioned in the episode, if you have a question about the US election or our series America’s Last Election, email it through in the next few days. Matt will be kicking off election week by answering your questions in a live blog on ABC News Monday November 4, from 7AM AEDT. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

18 min listen

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America’s Last Election 3: Trump's plan to reject results: In the United States, presidential elections rely on thousands of actual people coming together to scrutinise and then certify the results. That’s what will happen next week, when polls close on the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. So what would happen if they just refused to certify a result, for political reasons? In 2020, exactly this scenario played out, in an extraordinarily tense meeting room in Detroit, Michigan. In the four years since, Trump’s supporters have worked hard to try and replicate this roadblock around the country. In this third episode of America’s Last Election, If You’re Listening looks at what that could mean for election day 2024, and the weeks that follow. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UOu943VhPUM?si=tYbye3Z1esOay8n- by If You're Listening

21 min listen

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Hello America: Lost in Lansing: On the road in Michigan, Matt Bevan heads to the state's political capital of Lansing. There, he meets a swing voter named David who is all in on Trump, navigates the labyrinth that is the state Capitol building, and samples local delicacies on the I-96. Former top Trump advisor Steve Bannon is out of prison, and vowing to do what he can to help the Trump campaign win days out from the election, but the car radio is abuzz with a different story — the impact of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's jokes on Puerto Rican voters in key swing states. Episode 3 of America's Last Election will drop on Thursday morning. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

18 min listen

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Hello America: Motorcade in Michigan: Matt Bevan is on the ground in Michigan, Detroit, a key swing state in next week’s US presidential election. There are some things you just don’t get when you’re telling a story from your basement in Newcastle: candid chats with Republican voters on the plane, for one. Vice presidential motorcades screaming past you on the highway for another. Follow Matt as he travels through America in the lead up to election day, and hear from the people he meets along the way. Episode 3 of America's Last Election will drop on Thursday morning. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=8U9OnBgsFBIjqRlA by If You're Listening

17 min listen

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America’s Last Election 2: The fake elector plot: After the 2020 election, Donald Trump searched desperately for any theory that would allow him to retain control of the White House. On Christmas Eve, his team called a constitutional lawyer named John Eastman, who gave them something to work with. Eastman’s theory relied on Vice President Mike Pence playing along. In this second episode of America’s Last Election, If You’re Listening looks at the theory the riot on January 6 was based on, and why Trump’s supporters thought it might work. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GOA7NxYvYKg?si=3aBNwguMgMxDDmSl by If You're Listening

20 min listen

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America’s Last Election 1: The big lie: Donald Trump did not win the 2020 presidential election. But if you watched his speech on election night, you wouldn’t come away with that understanding. ‘Frankly,’ he said ‘We did win this election.’ In the months that followed, the story backing up that claim warped and changed, but at its core was a big lie about a supercomputer called ‘The Hammer’, an imaginary software called ‘Scorecard’, and a man with a long history of fooling the US government. And now Donald Trump is on the ballot again. Over five episodes, If You’re Listening looks at the transition period after the 2020 election, and what it tells us about the plan in 2024. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J2021J90VM8?si=rfkto42PZEG4PTPT by If You're Listening

21 min listen

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How close did President Trump get to nuclear war?: Within months of becoming US president in 2017, Donald Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury”. Soon afterwards, he would tear up a nuclear deal with Iran and bring the US to the brink of war. And yet that war never came. This is the story of how Donald Trump resisted temptation and kept the peace. This is a repeat episode, it was first broadcast on September 21, 2020. You can hear the rest of that series on our website or in our podcast feed: America, If You’re Listening. News audio used in this episode comes from: Arirang News, Inside Edition, CNN, ABC America, Democracy Now, Fox News, CBS, ABC News, and France 24. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J2021J90VM8?si=Tzw4B2i3Zp_qzPaK by If You're Listening

36 min listen

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Is AI a threat to humans?: The world's most famous artificial intelligence company, OpenAI — the creator of ChatGPT — was set up to create a superintelligent AI, while at the same time safeguarding humanity from an omnipotent robot overlord which could enslave us all. So is an AI apocalypse possible, and with wunderkind CEO Sam Altman in charge, will OpenAI be able to protect us from its own robots? This is a repeat episode. It was first broadcast on November 30, 2023. You can watch this episode now on YouTube. We'll be back with new episodes from October 17. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-vew1rfrG6k?si=GFuWe7-uTaZiq_Gb by If You're Listening

17 min listen

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Can India and China bury the hatchet?: After years of tension, diplomatic cold shoulders, and mountain skirmishes, both India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping appear to be looking for ways their nations can be friends again. So what’s changed between the world’s two most populous countries? And what would a closer relationship between India and China mean for the rest of us? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J2021J90VM8?si=WIqBJ1vtlZ2et0lB by If You're Listening

16 min listen

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How US YouTubers were paid to spread Putin’s propaganda: This month, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment of two Russian state media employees. It alleges that they were funnelling millions of dollars into the pockets of American YouTubers, known for their contrarian viewpoints and controversial takes on the war in Ukraine. The YouTubers say they are victims of a criminal scheme and did not know they were being paid by Russia. But it’s not the first time that something like this has happened. There’s a long history of foreign adversaries covertly paying Americans to spread fake news to other Americans—it’s a move right out of Nazi Germany’s propaganda playbook. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6XNK55tc3x8?si=LfMKtmTckpSzSGHO by If You're Listening

20 min listen

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The sci-fi Saudi city that might be a scam: The massive infrastructure project NEOM sits in the Saudi Arabian desert, and the jewel in its crown is The Line, a futuristic city which looks insane. The AI-generated ads depict a car-free city, for 9 million people, housed between two mirrors. Despite promises of millions of residents by 2030, the project has been scaled back by 98 per cent. The Line will be more like a dot. So what the hell happened? And was it all just a scam? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SQdCl-cX-cU?si=AEQhcHtoBQXz2tSn by If You're Listening

15 min listen

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How Ukraine called Putin’s nuclear bluff: Russia defends its enormous borders with the threat of nuclear war. It’s this threat that has long stopped Ukraine and its allies from attacking Russia on its home turf—there are ‘red lines’ that can’t be crossed without nuclear retaliation. Yet Ukraine just invaded Russian sovereign territory and still, no nukes. Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears to be calling Vladimir Putin’s bluff. It seems the ‘red lines’ were done in red pencil, not red pen. So how does this reshape the war, and what does it mean for Putin? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j08l1rGSdK4?si=6fW29sO97EPL991u by If You're Listening

17 min listen

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Why Hezbollah is attacking Israel in the Golan Heights: It’s a dangerous moment for the Middle East. Israel and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire over the weekend, including attacks on a pretty unique pocket of farmland — an Israeli-annexed area called the Golan Heights. In 2019 then-President Donald Trump broke with the rest of the international community and recognised it as part of Israel. There’s even an Israeli settlement named after him. Now, the world is watching the Golan Heights closely, fearful that fighting there could escalate and become a massive regional conflict. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ChypAR3VoTs?si=xqd83_k1xcRgCRFd by If You're Listening

18 min listen

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Could calling Trump 'weird' lead the Democrats to victory?: A shift is on display at the Democratic National Convention—from fear of Donald Trump to mocking him. After years of arguing Trump is dangerous, the Democratic pick for Vice President Tim Walz is changing the party’s attack strategy, calling their opponents 'weird'. This potential path to victory is not seen as very presidential. But could it work? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GnsBdPelMus?si=5x6EbHdto2MTIbo- by If You're Listening

20 min listen

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How Israel changed the way it assassinates enemies: In the early hours of July 31 this year, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran. It's presumed Israel was behind the killing, with reports detailing a complex operation by its spy agency Mossad. So if it was Israel that did this, why did they do it in such an extraordinary manner, and in Iran of all places? The answer tells us a lot about the complex political situation Israel finds itself in, where it feels the need for revenge, but only in a way that doesn’t alienate its allies. Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GnsBdPelMus?si=8o31L61GJ54rqwMS by If You're Listening

19 min listen

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The truth about Kamala Harris’s time as ‘border czar’: Since Kamala Harris became his opponent in the race for US president, Donald Trump has argued that she is responsible for a migrant crisis. He says President Joe Biden named her the ‘border czar’, in charge of dealing with the unprecedented number of people attempting to cross the US-Mexico border. It’s a policy area that the Trump campaign hopes will win him the election in November. So what’s real, and what’s fake, when it comes to Kamala Harris and the US border? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/stoydTTN4Ko?si=Odsb3GqhrMLxaJs4 by If You're Listening

18 min listen

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How Kamala went from unelectable to unopposed: Kamala Harris is the Democratic party’s presumptive nominee for President of the United States. But four years ago, she didn’t even make it to the first primary vote. They needed to pick someone who would beat Donald Trump, and Harris just wasn’t ‘electable’ enough. Whatever that means. So if she wasn’t electable then, is she electable now? Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zaDnCZHrE_g?si=Gb5TMhlaP5VNSnw2 by If You're Listening

18 min listen

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RUSSIA | S01 10 - The Troll Factory: Lies, stolen secrets and chaos

RUSSIA | S01 10 - The Troll Factory: Lies, stolen secrets and chaos

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