Know what
they are thinking.

• Brookings Foreign Policy Fellow Valerie Wirtschafter examines the growing influence of Russian state-affiliated accounts on TikTok and compares it with their presence on other social media platforms like Telegram and X (formerly Twitter).
• Russian state-affiliated accounts are leveraging TikTok's reach to disseminate state-backed narratives.
• Despite lower overall activity compared to other platforms, the engagement per post on TikTok is significantly higher.

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• Brookings expert William A. Galston reviews four recent polls of U.S. voters on the economy, comparing Biden and Trump on their economic records.
• Sixty-five percent of voters rate the economy as good during Trump’s presidency, compared to 38% under Biden.

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• President Biden's public statements on the drone attack that killed 3 U.S. soldiers in Jordan shows the U.S. is keen to avoid war with Iran while focusing on Hezbollah's activities.
• The drone attack represents a significant escalation, marking the first US military casualty by enemy air power since 1953 and prompting a strategic withdrawal of Hezbollah from aggressive engagements with US forces in Iraq and Syria.

• The Biden administration's appeasement of authoritarian regimes in South America have not stopped the outflow of refugees and migrants trying to enter the U.S.
• Lifting previous oil & gas sanctions on the Maduro regime in exchange for free elections have not worked, with Venezuelans now the fastest-growing immigrant group in the U.S.

• Recent developments, particularly Russia's involvement in Ukraine and its reliance on Iran, have strained its relations with Israel, marking a departure from the previously improving ties under Putin's leadership.
• Russia's strategic positioning in the Middle East, balancing relationships with Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, aiming to be a central player capable of engaging with all sides.