Sep 18, 2026 · 15 min
Russia stages elections as Kennedy rallies vaccine skeptics
How the Kremlin Gets the Election Results It Wants, and R.F.K. Jr. Rallies Vaccine Skeptics
The episode connects authoritarian legitimacy, shifting U.S. policy, and political challenges to public-health institutions.
- 1The Kremlin uses tightly controlled regional elections to project support for Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine.
- 2Robert F. Kennedy Jr. backs Children’s Health Defense while pursuing changes to federal vaccine policy.
- 3Corsican separatist attacks, an EU invitation to Canada, and an Ohio mammal round out the episode’s global news quiz.
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The episode’s sharpest argument is that Russia’s regional elections function less as contests than as a carefully managed message of support for Putin and the war.
The brief
The White House is considering business incentives to persuade Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, while Russia’s regional elections offer the Kremlin a controlled display of support.
Journalist Ivan Nechaparenko helps explain how restrictions on opposition candidates and pressure on voters turn regional contests into a message about Putin’s legitimacy and the war.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. returns to Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine organization he once led, promising continued support as he reshapes federal vaccine policy.
The episode widens its lens to Corsican separatists targeting vacation homes and the European Union inviting Canada to become its first associate member.
The closing quiz jumps from Judge Judy’s courtroom admonitions to an unusual mammal recently documented in Ohio, ending a geopolitical episode on an unexpected note.
Featuring
Vladimir Putin
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The New York Times
Judge JudyListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.