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How the Kremlin Gets the Election Results It Wants, and R.F.K. Jr. Rallies Vaccine Skeptics

September 18, 2026

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5 min read

How the Kremlin Gets the Election Results It Wants, and R.F.K. Jr. Rallies Vaccine Skeptics

The White House is considering a new diplomatic approach to Russia built around business deals rather than sanctions, according to the Times. Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law who is helping lead talks with Russia, said his goal was to "come up with a creative solution." Russian officials have been floating potential economic endeavors like deals for rare earth metals, joint ventures in the Arctic, or getting American companies involved in selling Russian natural gas. This business-first strategy stands in sharp contrast to the approach Congress just took this week: passing a major new sanctions bill aimed at hurting Russia financially by targeting its energy sector.

The Kremlin's Managed Elections

Times reporter Ivan Nechepurenko has been in Moscow covering the parliamentary elections that started today. What struck him was the near-total absence of campaigning — no leaflets, no posters, no rallies. "It was a clear sign that it wasn't a free competitive fair electoral campaign, and instead it was a carefully orchestrated exercise," he said.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:43) **White House Considers Business-First Strategy with Russia** - The Trump administration is exploring offering business deals to Russia as a new diplomatic approach, contrasting with Congress's recent sanctions bill.
  • 2 (01:59) **How the Kremlin Stage-Manages Russian Elections** - Times reporter Ivan Nechepurenko details the Kremlin's multi-layered tactics to control parliamentary election outcomes.
  • 3 (03:26) **Why a Pre-Arranged Vote Matters to the Kremlin** - The staged elections serve both domestic and international propaganda purposes.
  • 4 (04:11) **RFK Jr. Pledges Support to Anti-Vaccine Group Amid Measles Crisis** - Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells a Children's Health Defense conference he is a "steadfast friend" to vaccine skeptics.
  • 5 (05:42) **COVID Shots for Low-Income Kids Held Up at Health Department** - Millions of children cannot access newly approved COVID vaccines due to a federal delay in deciding funding for the Vaccines for Children program.
  • 6 (06:25) **Corsican Separatists Escalate with Bombings to Demand Independence** - The National Liberation Front is destroying vacation homes on the French island, seeing them as a symbol of outside ownership.
  • 7 (08:36) **Dinosaur Fact: T. Rex Was Warm-Blooded** - A new study reveals T. Rexes had a body temperature of about 97°F, similar to elephants and just one degree below humans.

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