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FBI Director Kash Patel defended a change to the bureau's hiring policy concerning past bestiality and prostitution offenses, amid heated debate in the US Senate. Critics questioned the timing of the policy shift, arguing it could undermine standards at a time when the FBI is already struggling to attract new agents. The controversy has become a flashpoint in broader scrutiny of Patel's leadership of the bureau, with lawmakers pressing for clarification on the rationale behind the change and its potential implications for recruitment standards.