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The POLITICO Tech podcast is your download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy. New episodes on Thursdays.
Episodes
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Jan 29, 2021 • 12min
Biden’s plan to be boring
Every day has a theme. Every day has a briefing. Every day has some executive orders. The first full week of the Biden administration has certainly followed a pattern. POLITICO’s Sam Stein breaks down the strategy behind the blandness — and explains why boring isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Plus, Rep. Jim Jordan won’t run for Senate next year. And Novavax says early data from a U.K. trial shows its vaccine is more than 89 percent effective.Sam Stein is POLITICO's White House editor.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Read more: Inside the Biden plan to be boring
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Jan 28, 2021 • 14min
Your health data is for sale
There’s an app for everything. There’s also data on everyone. POLITICO’s Mohana Ravindranath breaks down how companies are slyly buying and selling the information we share with health apps — and explains why that data isn’t protected like medical records. Plus, spending on food stamps jumped by nearly 50 percent in 2020. And DHS warns of continued violence by domestic extremists.Mohana Ravindranath is an eHealth reporter for POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.This story was co-reported with POLITICO's Katy Murphy. Read more in the Future Pulse newsletter.
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Jan 27, 2021 • 16min
The variants and the vaccines
We’re in a race against the clock. New variants are popping up around the world, and slowing the spread is essential. POLITICO’s Sarah Owermohle breaks down what sort of progress the U.S. is making in its vaccination efforts — and whether we’ll be able to take on the new strains. Plus, Trump’s conviction is looking unlikely after nearly every GOP Senator voted against holding a trial. And a federal judge blocks President Biden’s 100-day deportation moratorium.Sarah Owermohle covers drug policy for POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Read more:New virus variants threaten Biden’s pandemic plansBiden administration to buy 200 million more doses of Covid vaccineStates taking back Covid shots unused by nursing homes
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Jan 26, 2021 • 12min
Biden’s immigration challenge
President Biden made some big immigration promises. And he’s already delivered on some of them, signing executive orders to repeal the so-called “Muslim travel ban” and halt construction of the border wall. But the centerpiece of his plan — a bill providing a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants — faces a steep uphill battle in Congress. POLITICO’s Laura Barrón-López reports. Plus, Biden set his sights on 1.5 million vaccines a day. And banks say a technical glitch is preventing small businesses from getting relief.Laura Barrón-López is a White House reporter for POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Read more: Biden open to breaking his immigration bill into pieces
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Jan 25, 2021 • 14min
A Republican push to restrict voting
If you can’t win, change the rules of the game. That appears to be the rule state Republicans are following across the country in the aftermath of Trump’s loss, as they push for new voting restriction laws. POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro reports on how Georgia is leading the effort. Plus, Biden health officials are hopeful vaccine supply problems will ease in March. And the Kremlin criticizes the U.S. for expressing support for Russian protesters.Zach Montellaro is a campaign reporter for POLITICO and author of the Morning Score newsletter.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Read more: State Republicans push new voting restrictions after Trump’s loss
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Jan 24, 2021 • 28min
Presenting ... Global Translations: Where does labor go from here?
The global economy is still fighting the pandemic and digging itself out of a recession, while jobs and training will surely change going forward. What other actions need to be taken by government, business, education and other institutions to ensure that people have access to the resources necessary for good jobs? Hosts Ryan Heath and Luiza Savage talk with leaders in job training and tech about the big, structural changes that need to happen.Ryan Heath is the host of "Global Translations". Luiza Savage is a host of "Global Translations".Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.Zoë Baird is the CEO and president of the Markle Foundation.Constantijn van Oranje is the envoy for Techleap.nl.
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Jan 22, 2021 • 13min
The most important duo in Washington
Democrats have control of the House, the Senate and the White House. But if they want to get anything done, like a massive Covid bill, they're gonna have to work across the aisle. POLITICO's Alex Thompson reports on how President Biden's decades-long relationship with Mitch McConnell could take center stage. Plus, Senate Democrats file an ethics complaint against Hawley and Cruz over their election challenge. And Sam Cornale is tapped to be DNC executive director.Alex Thompson is a White House reporter for POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Read more: Enemies, a Love Story: Inside the 36-year Biden and McConnell Relationship
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Jan 21, 2021 • 13min
And the pandemic rages on
President Joe Biden is promising a complete reversal of the problems that plagued the Trump administration. But one is sure to stick around: the coronavirus pandemic. POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein breaks down the details of Biden’s plan to beat Covid — and looks at whether he’ll be able to get vaccine rollout back on track. Plus, Democrats officially take control of the Senate. And stocks hit record highs.Alice Miranda Ollstein is a health care reporter for POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Read more: Biden pledges, once more, to lead America away from dystopiaBiden team fears rocky transition may have revealed only ‘tip of the iceberg’
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Jan 20, 2021 • 10min
A new President. A new Washington.
Streets are deserted. Stores are boarded up. Troops line the perimeter of the Capitol. This is the backdrop of President-elect Biden’s inauguration — and as POLITICO Playbook's Tara Palmeri reports, it could be the backdrop of a new Washington for weeks to come. Plus, the coronavirus death toll passes 400,000 in the U.S. And federal officials prepare to charge a woman for allegedly stealing a laptop from Speaker Pelosi’s office during the insurrection.Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Read more in the POLITICO Playbook newsletter.
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Jan 19, 2021 • 13min
America’s next vice president
When POLITICO’s Eugene Daniels thinks about how he'll cover Kamala Harris as one of the new authors of the Playbook newsletter, he remembers his grandma, who didn’t think her grandson would see a Black woman vice president in his lifetime. Eugene joins Dispatch to talk about how Harris will make history when she’s sworn in tomorrow — and what sort of challenges she’ll face as “a first.” Plus, the Pentagon deploys hundreds of active-duty troops for inauguration security. And the Census Bureau director steps down.Eugene Daniels is a White House reporter and Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Read more in the POLITICO Playbook newsletter.
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