Russian disinformation networks gear up for midterms

Full Episode
49:18

In this July 9, 2018, file photo, the US Capitol dome is seen in Washington. Microsoft has uncovered new hacking attempts by Russia targeting US political groups ahead of the midterm elections. The company said Tuesday, Aug. 21, that a group tied to the Russian government created fake websites that appeared to spoof two American conservative organizations: the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute. Three other fake sites were designed to look as if they belonged to the U.S. Senate.

Carolyn Kaster/AP/File

The Kremlin’s history of election meddling is entering a new era, as artificial intelligence arms Russia with sharper, more elusive tools for interference in the US midterm elections. Also, global measles cases have surged by 8% since 2019. And, the Trump administration is tightening the rules for international students, shortening the time they can stay before needing to reapply for a visa or leave the country. Plus, a Singapore university has revealed the world’s second biological data center, where living human neurons and silicon hardware join forces to process information.

In This Episode

The U.S. Capitol dome lit from within at dusk, with an American flag flying beside it
Russian disinformation networks gear up for US midterms
Special Coverage
11:11
Korean band reinterprets centuries-old performance style
1:51
A researcher in a black lab coat stands in a laboratory, surrounded by shelves stocked with supplies and equipment
Trump administration imposes time limit on international visas
Special Coverage
4:37
Frogs so small they can’t jump
3:09
A mother holds an oxygen mask to an infant's face in a hospital ward with other children on nearby beds
Measles cases continue to rise globally
Special Coverage
9:34
Berlin’s 75th anniversary Festspiele features one of the century’s strangest works
7:52
Singapore opens second data center using human neurons
7:34