If You're Listening
Episodes
RUSSIA | S07 E5 - Has Putin finally pushed the Russian people too far?
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Protest is not allowed inside Russia.There was little resistance from the Russian people to the invasion of Ukraine, and those who didn’t like it s...
RUSSIA | S07 E4 - Undersea sabotage? The mysterious pipe blasts
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On 26 September, a series of underwater explosions destroyed a cluster of natural gas pipelines on the bottom of the Baltic Sea.The pipes were design...
RUSSIA | S07 E3 - Why it’s hard to fight when you don’t know why
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does war look like on the ground, for the soldiers who go off to fight? What’s it like to be sent into the muddy confusion of a battlefield, a...
RUSSIA S07 E2 | Zelensky's big call: run away or stay to fight
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Vladimir Putin's plan for a three day takeover of Ukraine relied on a quick strike to take out Volodymyr Zelenskyy - to kill him, to capture him, or ...
RUSSIA | S07 E1 - How war weakened strongman Putin
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For 20 years the Russian President Vladimir Putin was happy to lurk in the shadows, trying and occasionally succeeding to manipulate the rest of the ...
RUSSIA | 07 INTRODUCING Russia, If You're Listening series seven
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the seventh season of If You're Listening, we tell the story of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Will Putin fulfil his dream of expanding the Russ...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E8 - The 49-year-old energy prophecy that is finally coming true
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Australia is now in a race to build enough renewable energy to replace our coal fired power stations before they close. We’re in this situation be...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E7 - The countdown on coal fired power
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last five years, politicians in Australia and around the world have regularly tried to blame renewable energy whenever something goes wrong ...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E6 - Can we keep digging for energy?
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Australia has always found energy underground - digging up coal, gas and uranium. As climate change begins to change the way we get our power, our l...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E5 - What we missed while we were knifing PMs
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For more than a decade, Australian politicians have discovered - the hard way - that climate policy is a dangerous game. But as the Federal Parliame...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E4 - The decade when climate change became a culture war
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1997, the debate over climate change in Australia was relatively civil. The question was not whether climate change was happening, but what shoul...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E3 - How long will the world want our coal?
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Australia intends to keep exporting coal for as long as there are countries willing to buy it. Miners have grand dreams of establishing new coal reg...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E2 - How we became addicted to coal
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Australia’s second-oldest city, Newcastle, was built around a single resource - coal.Since then, Australia has come to rely on coal for its prosper...
AUSTRALIA | S06 E1 - The legacy of our first decisions on climate change
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1987, scientists gathered in Melbourne for a landmark conference where they discussed, for the first time, the effects climate change might have o...
INTRODUCING Season Six | Australia, If You're Listening
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The sixth season of If You’re Listening tells the story of Australia’s turbulent history with climate change, and what that means for the future....
CHINA | S05 06 - Are the 'drums of war' beating over Taiwan?
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For months commentators and politicians in Australia have been talking about one of the most frightening topics imaginable — a war between the Unit...
CHINA | S05 05 - Chinese students: Commodity or opportunity?
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused the shutdown of travel from China, it shone a harsh light on the way Australia treats Chinese students who come her...
CHINA | S05 04 - Huawei and the new technology cold war
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From humble beginnings in a tiny town whose name means "deep drainage ditch", electrical engineer Ren Zhengfei grew his company Huawei into a global ...
CHINA | S05 03 - The iron chain between Australia and China
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When China rolled out their trade sanctions regime against Australia to try and punish us for a litany of perceived insults, the trade of one commodi...
CHINA | S05 Bonus episode - The story behind Bob Hawke’s mysterious Tiananmen Cable
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 1989, five days after tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square in Beijing and brutally ended weeks of protests, the then prime minister Bob Hawke gave a...
CHINA | S05 02 - How Tiananmen is being repeated in Xinjiang
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For decades Australia has taken the approach that when it comes to China; we can criticise their human rights record without risking our trading rela...
CHINA | S05 01 - Xi Jinping: The 'Man of Destiny'
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At first glance, Chinese President Xi Jinping's life story seems simple. His father was a high-ranking Chinese government official, and opened doors ...
INTRODUCING Season Five | China, If You’re Listening
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A podcast about how the relationship between Australia and China came to the verge of collapse.Not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping was regular...
AMERICA | S04 09 - How Coronavirus destroyed Trump's MAGA promise
01 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, killing hundreds of thousands in its wake, President Donald Trump's new way of running the country sud...
AMERICA | S04 08 - How China fooled Donald Trump
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For a decade Donald Trump railed against China. But once he was elected, Chinese President Xi Jinping quickly broke down Trump's defences.In today's ...
AMERICA | S04 07 - How Donald Trump turned the Presidency into a business
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just this month, the public finally got access to Donald Trump's tax returns.They revealed that he pays little to no tax, because he makes very littl...
AMERICA | S04 06 - Trump's desperate measure to halt immigration
11 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump ran for election on some promises - building a wall between the US and Mexico, and stopping the immigration of Muslims.But instead of li...
AMERICA | S04 05 - How Trump widened racial divides for political gain
04 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When George Floyd was killed by police, protestors took to the streets in worldwide support of the Black Lives Matter protests.Donald Trump has a lon...
AMERICA | S04 04 - How Saudi Arabia found an ally in the White House
27 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a businessman and presidential candidate, Donald Trump was extremely harsh on Saudi Arabia.So when Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was ...
AMERICA | S04 03 - How close did Trump get to nuclear war?
20 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Within months of taking office, Donald Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury".Soon afterwards, he would tear up a nuclear deal with Iran a...
AMERICA | S04 02 - The surprising story of how Donald Trump took on the NRA
13 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The most powerful gun lobby group in the United States was brought to the edge of collapse.And right at that moment, Donald Trump vowed to do somethi...
AMERICA | S04 01 - What a hurricane taught Trump about being president
06 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hurricane Maria smashed through Puerto Rico in 2017, destroying everything in its wake.What did the worst American natural disaster in decades teach ...
INTRODUCING Season Four | America, If You're Listening
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 2020 US Presidential election is shaping up to be a historical moment. Voters are deciding if the America of the last four years is the one they ...
RUSSIA | S03 09 - Putin's Trump card: the CrowdStrike conspiracy theory
15 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Russian intelligence agencies and Vladimir Putin have spent three years spreading a conspiracy theory that Ukraine was the one who meddled in the 201...
RUSSIA | S03 08 - How Russia's rotten gas got Trump into trouble
08 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You might think Trump's impeachment inquiry started because of a dodgy phone call to the Ukrainian President.But the origins are actually in the Ukra...
RUSSIA | S03 07 - Putin goes nuclear to retain his popularity
01 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Like all dictators, Vladimir Putin is terrified of being overthrown by his people.Keeping his popularity high among average Russians is a priority fo...
RUSSIA | S03 06 - The spies who suck at spying
24 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 2006, Russian assassins killed a dissident in London. But they left a spectacular radioactive mess behind them and ended up in a Moscow hospital.B...
RUSSIA | S03 05 - When the Father of Brexit met Mother Russia
17 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
From almost complete obscurity, Nigel Farage rode a wave of British anger to take his idea of leaving the European Union from a fringe fantasy to a m...
RUSSIA | S03 04 - Putin's obsession with crushing the mother of Germany
10 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
German leader Angela Merkel was the most powerful woman in the world.Which is why Putin was determined to take her down.His campaign started by playi...
RUSSIA | S03 03 - How to spin a war
03 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When is an invasion not an invasion? When Putin's propaganda machine is involved, sowing false narratives, confusion and fear. From Putin's motorcyc...
RUSSIA | S03 02 - From spymaster to president
27 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power declaring he would kill his terrorist enemies, even if they were in the toilet at the time.His transit...
RUSSIA | S03 01 - A cold, wet day in Salisbury
20 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The residents of the sleepy English town of Salisbury woke up one morning to find their town in chaos. Russian agents had attempted to assassinate a...
INTRODUCING Season Three | Putin vs The World
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Russian campaign to meddle in the 2016 US Election was only part of President Vladimir Putin's big plan.Season 3 of Russia, If You're Listening l...
RUSSIA | S02 08 - The night at the wine rooms
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's the meeting at a fancy wine bar in London that sparked the Mueller investigation.Some say it was a boozy, alcohol-fuelled drinking session where...
RUSSIA | S02 07 - Oleg Deripaska: The collusion connection?
02 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Mueller has investigated the relationship between former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska.Deripaska...
RUSSIA | S02 06 - Don McGahn: Mueller's star witness
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyer Don McGahn was on the Trump train from the beginning.But the dream job of White House Counsel quickly turned into a nightmare, as he slowly fe...
RUSSIA | S02 05 - Julian Assange: Russia's favourite publisher
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Julian Assange was arrested last week, the only camera to capture it was Russian broadcaster RT.It's the latest event in a long relationship bet...
RUSSIA | S02 04 - Sergey Kislyak: The radioactive ambassador
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone who meets Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak ends up in deep trouble. But what if that was the point?Robert Mueller seems to have found no ev...
RUSSIA | S02 03 - Rob Goldstone: 'I regret all of it'
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Affable Englishman Rob Goldstone was literally in the room for the infamous Trump Tower Meeting, and he was with Donald Trump the weekend of the myth...
RUSSIA | S02 02 - Maria Butina: Russian in the NRA
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An undercover Australian journalist from Al Jazeera spent three years inside the National Rifle Association of America. He wasn't the only one trying...
RUSSIA | S02 01 - Trump's best day ever
25 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After 22 months Mueller's report has dropped. But it hasn't been made public - yet.US Attorney General Bill Barr has the report in his hot hands - an...
RUSSIA | S01 17 - Robert Mueller: 'Trump's worst nightmare'
09 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We end the season with the head of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election - Robert Mueller.He's been taking...
RUSSIA | S01 16 - Michael Cohen: The fixer with the hush money
02 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Cohen is called Donald Trump's personal lawyer, but really he's a "fixer" - a man who solves problems for the boss.It all came unstuck when i...
RUSSIA | S01 15 - Felix Sater: Criminal, informant, developer, spy
26 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Felix Sater's life is a mystery.He went to jail for stabbing a guy in the face, he was involved with the Russian Mafia, and was an informant for the ...
RUSSIA | S01 14 - Trump's Business: Secrets and deals
19 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's business flourished with the 80s real estate boom and bled money when the recession hit.These days no one really knows how much he rea...
RUSSIA | S01 13 - James Comey: Integrity at all costs
12 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Former FBI director James Comey is both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's biggest nightmare.He's the grandson of a cop with a dogged commitment to i...
RUSSIA | S01 12 - Michael Flynn: General for hire
05 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
General Michael Flynn was a high ranking defence official and a Democrat before he joined up with Donald Trump.He's now accused of planning a kidnapp...
RUSSIA | S01 11 - Jared Kushner: Trump's Crown Prince
29 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jared Kushner was in charge of getting his father-in-law Donald Trump elected president.He was a young property developer with no political experienc...
RUSSIA | S01 10 - The Troll Factory: Lies, stolen secrets and chaos
22 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
An army of professional Russian trolls tried to change the outcome of the 2016 US election from a four storey building in St Petersburg.Did the dirty...
RUSSIA | S01 09 - The Crime: Russia steps over the line
15 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Hacking, leaking, and the spreading of chaos.How Russian Government hackers timed a Democratic National Committee email leak with Hillary Clinton's b...
RUSSIA | S01 08 - Donald Trump Jr: The President's son and the 'treasonous' meeting
08 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 2016 Don Jr took an ill-fated meeting with a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower.The meeting is a pivotal moment in the entire story of Trump and Russia...
RUSSIA | S01 07 - Paul Manafort: The dictator's fixer
01 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Veteran Republican strategist Paul Manafort spent 30 years working for dictators before he struck gold in Ukraine.But when he returned to America and...
RUSSIA | S01 06 - Christopher Steele: The spy and the pee tape
17 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Christopher Steele is the author of the infamous Trump/Russia dossier.You remember - the one that contains allegations about sex workers urinating on...
RUSSIA | S01 05 - Carter Page: The useful idiot
10 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Both the Russians and the Republicans have called Donald Trump's former foreign policy advisor Carter Page "an idiot".It seems everyone has been able...
RUSSIA | S01 04 - George Papadopoulos: The coffee boy
03 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
George Papadopoulos is the first known link between the Trump campaign and Russia.Just how close was the so-called coffee boy George Papadopoulos to ...
RUSSIA | S01 03 - The Oligarchs: Money and power
27 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The oligarchs hold the power and the money in Russia.So who are they and why does your average Russian billionaire care about who sits in The White H...
RUSSIA | S01 02 - Vladimir Putin: The man with a grudge
20 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The spy from St Petersburg and the lawyer from Chicago. Why does Russia's president have such a deep and abiding hatred for Hillary Clinton?This is t...
RUSSIA | S01 01 - Donald Trump: A Russian love affair
13 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has always claimed he has "nothing to do with Russia" but is that true? What if Trump was caught in a Russian web, long before he even c...