When FBI directors and presidents get too cozy

Edition: US - Today's top story: J Edgar Hoover's oversteps: Why FBI directors are forbidden from getting cozy with presidents [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 8 June 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note Yesterday, on the eve of his much awaited appearance in front of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, former FBI Director James Comey released seven pages of prepared testimony. Among other things, he describes “imploring” Attorney General Sessions to “prevent any future direct communication between the President and me.” As Penn State historian Douglas Charles writes, FBI policies since the 70s have been designed explicitly to stop directors from getting too close to the president and from following the example of [J. Edgar Hoover and his often questionable behavior]( in the service of six different presidents. U.K. citizens head to the polls today to elect a new Parliament, with Prime Minister Theresa May’s once-sizable lead significantly smaller than when she called for snap elections in April. While recent terrorist attacks have brought security to the fore, Brexit – alongside Britain’s economic future – remains the top issue on voters’ minds. Charles Hankla, a Georgia State political scientist who has followed U.K. politics since the 1990s, [explains what’s at stake for the U.S.]( On the 150th anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright’s birth today, the University of Oregon’s Kevin Nute describes the [deep influence Japanese art had on Wright’s work]( – and how it completely upended American architecture. Danielle Douez Associate Editor, Politics + Society Top story Former FBI Director James Comey testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster [J Edgar Hoover's oversteps: Why FBI directors are forbidden from getting cozy with presidents]( Douglas M. Charles, Pennsylvania State University Hoover abused his power as FBI director to serve presidents' interests. The reforms that followed were set up to prevent it from happening again. Economy + Business - [What the UK election means for Brexit and America]( Charles Hankla, Georgia State University While security concerns have punctuated the campaign's closing days, Brexit remains the most important issue on voters' minds. How the EU exit is managed will matter a great deal to US interests. Politics + Society - [Loving versus Virginia: Exploring biracial identity and reality in America 50 years after a landmark civil rights milestone]( Caty Borum Chattoo, American University School of Communication In 1958, Mildred and Richard Loving were arrested in Virginia for the crime of being married. The couple helped spark an effort to strike down laws against interracial marriage in the United States. 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Meet the teen who sparked a debate]( - [“Millions of Americans who happily doubt the scientific consensus behind climate change, then avail themselves of the fruits of science.”]( Firmin DeBrabander Maryland Institute College of Art [Read more]( [Firmin DeBrabander] [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 625 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 USA