Hello and welcome to Background Briefing available 24-7 at background briefing. I'm Ian Masters,

and today we'll look into a number of stories and issues in the news. We'll begin with the Department of Justice's efforts underway to expose Americans who are colluding with Russia as spies, propagandists or useful idiots,

and speak with Natalie Maneaever Rice Research Associate at Texas A&M University and formerly at the Center for Information and Communication Studies at the

University of Tennessee, who was a copi for the research project funded by the DOD's

Minerva Initiative that studied effectiveness of Russian propaganda and disinformation in the

former Soviet countries of Ukraine, Belarus and Georgia.

Her research focuses on the use of digital and social media disinformation, propaganda,

and other information warfare techniques used by state actors targeting the U.S. and foreign audiences.

She also studies Russia's foreign policy, its influence campaigns, and the resulting impacts

on global security.

Then we'll examine the warnings by the heads of British and American intelligence

that Russia's intelligence services are using criminal elements in a, quote, reckless campaign

of sabotage across Europe, along with the cynical use of technology to spread lies and disinformation

to sow division. Joining us is Stephen Pfefer, a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings

Institution and a fellow at the Center for National Security and Corporation at Stanford University.

He served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs

as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and as a special assistant to the President and Senior Director

for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia on the National Security Council. He's the author of a number of books

including The Eagle and the Trident, U.S.-Ukraine relations in turbulent times,

and averting crisis in Ukraine. And he has an article at American diplomacy, Ukraine's long path

towards NATO. Then finally we get an update from the accurate predictor of presidential elections,

who has just released his findings for the 2024 election,

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