The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast - The Pell Center at Salve Regina University

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Special Edition: 'Exploit Existing Issues' Sep 27, 2025

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One of the foundational concepts of political warfare--whoever is waging it--is to exploit existing issues. In this special edition of the Active Measures Newsletter Podcast, host Jim Ludes shares episodes from the Cold War and America's long struggle with racism to see how adversaries use original sins against their targets. The full podcast will return next week.

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Kimmel Pulled; Kirk's Killing Exploited; and Liam Karr on Russian Influence in Africa Sep 20, 2025

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This week, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson discuss the impact to American soft-power of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel's suspension by ABC after Trump administration threats; the continued exploitation of Charlie Kirk's murder by hostile foreign powers; and the activities in Ukraine of an American neo-Nazi group with apparent Russian ties. Then, they welcome Liam Karr, Africa Team Lead for the Critical Threats Project at AEI, for an in depth discussion of his recent work tracking Russian influence campaigns and military activities in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Charlie Edwards: Russian Sabotage Targets Europe Sep 13, 2025

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Guest Charlie Edwards, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, tells hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson that Russia is engaged in the most sustained campaign of sabotage targeting Europe since the Second World War--and he's brought the receipts. Aimed primarily at undermining Western confidence in governments and, thus, support for Ukraine's defense, Russian sabotage is taking a toll across Europe. The hosts also discuss foreign exploitation of political violence in the United States and Russia's targeting of Moldova's upcoming parliamentary elections.

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Political Warfare 101: Get the Policy Right, First Sep 06, 2025

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This week, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson review reports of a U.S. influence campaign targeting the residents of Greenland; Texas stands up an effort to counter-Chinese influence; the Trump administration embraces the Department of War; while the prevalence of disinformation in AI chatbots grows.

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AI for DOD Influence Campaigns with Jonathan Welch Aug 23, 2025

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This week, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson welcome RAND's Jonathan Welch for a discussion of DOD requirements to get the most out of generative AI for U.S. influence operations. Also, fallout from the Trump-Putin meeting comes in many forms: from waltzing polar bears to Putin whispering about election fraud all while Russian malign influence campaigns targeting the west continue.

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Saturday Pods Begin with a lot of AI Aug 09, 2025

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This week, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson discuss China's use of Artificial Intelligence to create a so-called "propaganda engine," leveraging AI to monitor content and respond with narratives designed to either diminish or amplify messages. They then turn to reporting on the soft power of international assistance and the binding power of international trade--two things the United States did tremendously well, until recently. Finally, they return to the use of generative AI to produce inauthentic videos.
With this episode, the Active Measures Newsletter Podcast shifts production so that when new episodes are produced, they are released alongside that week's newsletter.

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Malinformation in the India-Pakistan Clash with Sid Venkataramakrishnan Aug 04, 2025

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This week, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson discuss the use of mis- and disinformation in the recent clash between India and Pakistan with Sid Venkataramakrishnan of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. They also highlight recent RAND recommendations to the Department of Defense on the use of generative AI in influence operations; social media platforms cracking down on accounts spreading disinformation; and President Trump's dismissal of the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and what that means for the integrity of U.S. government data.

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Swipe Left Jul 28, 2025

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This week, Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson discuss the Director of National Intelligence's efforts to pass-off disinformation about the 2016 Russian disinformation campaign, a fact that only served the purpose of those who want to undermine public-confidence in American elections and institutions. Then, they turn to pro-Russian TikTok accounts that are telling a fairy-tale about Russian occupation and reconstruction in the Donbas—on their own, they tell a story about the creation of a false, local information space to advance Russian narratives. From the “Nothing is Sacred” file: dating apps are being used as a vehicle for hybrid warfare and disinformation. That’s right: dating apps. Finally, the migrant warfare playbook—whether in England or Spain—exploits the same xenophobia and hate.

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From Online Incitement to Real World Violence with Aoife Gallagher Jul 14, 2025

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This week, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson are joined by Aoife Gallagher, a senior analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, for a conversation about recent online incitement against migrants in Ireland manifesting in real-world violence and intriguing cross-border coordination between unlikely Irish partners.

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Overloaded Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

This week on the Active Measures Newsletter Podcast, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson discuss the re-writing of Russian history textbooks; the convergence of Russian and Chinese information operations; the latest on a Russia-aligned, AI-fueled campaign known as "Operation Overload"; the use of AI for fact-checking; how to address misinformation without defaulting to censorship; and the age of the American "scientific refugees."

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