Special guest David Klepper, the intelligence reporter on the national security team for the Associate Press, joins Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson to discuss his recent reporting. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently briefed reporters on the actions of Russia, China, and Iran in the run up to the 2024 elections.  Each has an interest--but each is approaching the election in their own way.  In Russia's case, that includes the use of unwitting Americans to spread divisive messages. And as the Olympic flame fades, Klepper discusses the ways Russia has sought to sew division in the shadow of the Paris Olympics.

Special guest David Klepper, the intelligence reporter on the national security team for the Associate Press, joins Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson to discuss his recent reporting. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently briefed reporters on the actions of Russia, China, and Iran in the run up to the 2024 elections.  Each has an interest--but each is approaching the election in their own way.  In Russia's case, that includes the use of unwitting Americans to spread divisive messages. And as the Olympic flame fades, Klepper discusses the ways Russia has sought to sew division in the shadow of the Paris Olympics.

From the Pell Center at Salve Regina University and the creators of the Active Measures Newsletter, a weekly dive into the latest trends in political warfare, influence, and information campaigns. 

From the Pell Center at Salve Regina University and the creators of the Active Measures Newsletter, a weekly dive into the latest trends in political warfare, influence, and information campaigns.

A weekly dive into the headlines in the Active Measures Newsletter from the Pell Center at Salve Regina University.

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast

Sour Grapes

The gap between imagined and actual threats to elections is vast.  Where the public is focused on hacking electronic voting machines, the actual threat, says Votebeat Editorial Director Jessica Huseman, is unlikely to change actual votes. Still, there are real threats, from the 100 suspicious letters sent to election offices this week to the everyday cybersecurity challenges facing local officials. To complicate things further, the second Trump administration has unwound the tremendous work done in the first Trump administration to create a federal capacity to protect elections. What remains are patriotic, local election workers committed to serving their communities and ensuring democracy works. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss the viral claims about Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centers and the British Prime Minister’s recent remarks about Brexit.

The gap between imagined and actual threats to elections is vast.&nbsp; Where the public is focused on hacking electronic voting machines, the actual threat, says Votebeat Editorial Director Jessica Huseman, is unlikely to change actual votes. Still, there are real threats, from the 100 suspicious letters sent to election offices this week to the everyday cybersecurity challenges facing local officials. To complicate things further, the second Trump administration has unwound the tremendous work done in the first Trump administration to create a federal capacity to protect elections. What remains are patriotic, local election workers committed to serving their communities and ensuring democracy works. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss the viral claims about Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centers and the British Prime Minister&rsquo;s recent remarks about Brexit.

The gap between imagined and actual threats to elections is vast.  Where the public is focused on hacking electronic voting machines, the actual threat, says Votebeat Editorial Director Jessica Huseman, is unlikely to change actual votes.  Still, the challenges and threats are real, from the 100 suspicious letters sent to election offices this week to the everyday cybersecurity challenges facing local officials. To complicate things further, the second Trump administration has unwound the tremendous work done in the first Trump administration to create a federal capacity to protect elections.  What remains are patriotic, local election workers committed to serving their communities and ensuring democracy works.  Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss the viral claims about Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centers and the British Prime Minister’s recent remarks about Brexit.

Russia vs. 'Pam' with Jessica Huseman

Election interference doesn’t have to change votes to be effective.  The long history of Russian efforts to target specific communities in the United States mirrors domestic efforts to suppress votes.  These measures don’t require AI, social media, or bot-farms—they simply require a decent understanding of one candidate’s voters.  With that, anyone can generate an effective campaign to confuse voters or suppress turn-out with the ultimate goal of undermining confidence in democratic processes and institutions.  Russia has a long history of this tactic, and Mark Jacobson reviews the last decade of Russian campaigns targeting voters in successive American elections.

Election interference doesn&rsquo;t have to change votes to be effective.&nbsp; The long history of Russian efforts to target specific communities in the United States mirrors domestic efforts to suppress votes.&nbsp; These measures don&rsquo;t require AI, social media, or bot-farms&mdash;they simply require a decent understanding of one candidate&rsquo;s voters.&nbsp; With that, anyone can generate an effective campaign to confuse voters or suppress turn-out with the ultimate goal of undermining confidence in democratic processes and institutions.&nbsp; Russia has a long history of this tactic, and Mark Jacobson reviews the last decade of Russian campaigns targeting voters in successive American elections.

This short solo episode from Mark Jacobson looks at how foreign influence operations have repeatedly targeted Black American voters, from robocalls in Maryland to Russian IRA social media accounts and AI-generated imagery in 2024. The core argument is that the goal is often not persuasion, but suppression, distrust, and disengagement from democratic participation. Jacobson connects those tactics to a broader warning for the 2026 midterms: even when the technology changes, the strategy stays the same. The real objective is to widen existing divisions and convince people that institutions and elections are not worth trusting.

Special Edition: Mark Jacobson on Effective Election Disinformation 

Hostile information activity is no longer just about false claims, but about intimidation, disruption, and shaping the conditions in which politics and policy unfold. In this week’s episode, Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson provide a wide-ranging update on current foreign malign influence efforts, from suspected break-ins at Finnish lawmakers’ homes to Russia’s growing use of cloned media outlets and AI-assisted deception. They also examine how Australia, Britain, and the United States are wrestling with the harder question of how democracies should respond without sliding into censorship.

Hostile information activity is no longer just about false claims, but about intimidation, disruption, and shaping the conditions in which politics and policy unfold. In this week&rsquo;s episode, Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson provide a wide-ranging update on current foreign malign influence efforts, from suspected break-ins at Finnish lawmakers&rsquo; homes to Russia&rsquo;s growing use of cloned media outlets and AI-assisted deception. They also examine how Australia, Britain, and the United States are wrestling with the harder question of how democracies should respond without sliding into censorship.

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