FBI Opens Probe Into News Corp Hacking Scandal

The World

The repercussions from the News of the World  hacking scandal are slowly spreading across the Atlantic to American shores. Yesterday, the FBI opened an investigation into whether News Corp. employees tried to hack into phones belonging to 9/11 victims and their family members. They began the investigation after Republican Rep. Peter King, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, made a call for the probe. In related news, Rebekah Brooks, the embattled chief executive of News International, News Corporation’s British newspaper subsidiary, has agreed to step down following weeks of political and public pressure. Bob Hennelly, reporter for The Takeaway’s flagship station WNYC Radio, gives us the latest developments in the investigations.  Also joing us is Joyce Purnick, former editor and columnist for our partner,  The  New York Times, and political analyst for WNYC Radio, a co-producer of The Takeaway. Purnick also worked for The  New York Post as their chief political reporter during the time when the paper was sold to Rupert Murdoch.

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