If You're Listening

ABC News
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  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
If You're Listening Podcast

The world is on fire. There's a coup. A former president is being indicted. 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.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    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

    20 min

  2. 11 SEPT

    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

    15 min

  3. 4 SEPT

    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

    17 min

  4. 28 AUG

    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

    18 min

  5. 21 AUG

    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-

    20 min

  6. 14 AUG

    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

    19 min

  7. 7 AUG

    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

    18 min

  8. 31 JULY

    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

    18 min
See All (157)

4.9
out of 5
92 Ratings

About

The world is on fire. There's a coup. A former president is being indicted. 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.

Information

  • Channel
    ABC News
  • Creator
    ABC listen
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    157
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
  • Show Website
    If You're Listening

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