The Conversation with Dasha Burns

After weeks of uncertainty following President Donald Trump's executive order on TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app that has stolen the hearts — if not the data — of millions of teens has found an American partner: Oracle. But will it make Americans' data any safer? POLITICO Magazine contributing editor Zachary Karabell and Scott Bland explore Trump's TikTok fight — and whether it's really a form of "national security theater."  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time, young adults born on or around September 11, 2001, will vote in a presidential election this November. America has been at war virtually every day they've been alive — and now they're coming of age politically during a world-changing pandemic. They speak up in this episode, as POLITICO Magazine contributor Garrett M. Graff and Scott Bland discuss how Gen Z voters could shake up American politics.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate, it was a historic moment — and one that made some people thousands of dollars. Traders on the website PredictIt, a stock market for politics, wager thousands of dollars on an array of political moments. Today on Nerdcast, Zach Montellaro tells Scott Bland about his conversations with political traders — one who trades semi-professionally and two who are looking to avenge their losses from the 2016 election.Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.Zach Montellaro is campaign reporter & Morning Score author for POLITICO.Jason Pipkin runs the blog Predicting PoliticsStarlee Kine is a co-host of Election Profit MakersJon Kimball is a co-host of Election Profit MakersAnnie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we a country that's failed disastrously to respond to a global pandemic, or a country that's overrun by protests and violence on the streets? Democrats and Republicans painted wildly different pictures of America at their party conventions this month. For the double conventions, we're featuring a double host special: Nerdcast's Scott Bland joins Dispatch's Jeremy Siegel to discuss the biggest takeaways from the past two weeks.Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is the host of POLITICO's Dispatch podcast.Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A question from a high schooler left POLITICO chief political correspondent Tim Alberta stumped: What does it mean to be a Republican? Alberta talks with Scott Bland about whether the Republican National Convention answered that question this week — and how Donald Trump has shaped the party's future.Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.Tim Alberta is the chief political correspondent for POLITICO.Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The postal service is older than America itself. It delivers bills, Amazon packages and even ballots straight to your house. So what happens when, in the middle of a pandemic that has skyrocketed the demand for vote-by-mail, the USPS suddenly seems like it’s falling apart? POLITICO Magazine digital editor Zack Stanton joins Scott Bland to talk about the mail-system meltdown and what USPS expert Phil Rubio, himself a former letter carrier, says about how fundamental the postal service is to the 2020 election — and to our very idea of democracy.Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.Zack Stanton is digital editor at POLITICO magazine.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In-person events have long been the bedrock of political fundraising. So what happens when a global pandemic takes away in-person fundraisers? … They go to Zoom. Sure, there's awkwardness and technical difficulties, but they are helping both campaigns raise record amounts of money. And even in a post-coronavirus world, this looks like the new normal. Democratic strategist Tim Lim and GOP donor Dan Eberhart on Zoom fundraising in 2020.Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.Tim Lim is a Democratic strategist.Dan Eberhart is CEO of Canary and a GOP donor.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump's campaign says it knocks on a million doors a week. Joe Biden's campaign says it knocks on zero. Host Scott Bland talks to Miles Baker — former door knocker, organizer and current political strategist — about the silver linings of the pandemic. Halting in-person canvassing has actually been a useful way to retool campaign strategies.Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.Miles Baker is campaigns director at The Action Factory.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The congressional map as it stands now — three months out from the election — paints a cautiously optimistic picture for Democrats, who could see their majority grow.  POLITICO reporter Ally Mutnick talks with Scott Bland about how Donald Trump's current numbers are affecting the way that Republicans in suburban districts are campaigning.Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.Ally Mutnick is a campaign reporter for POLITICO.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November's election is about to be a perfect storm — that we can all see coming. Garrett M. Graff digs into his POLITICO magazine cover story with Scott Bland about the voting issues that have tripped up primaries in 2020 so far, and why November won't look like any election we've seen before.Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.Garrett M. Graff is a contributor to POLITICO magazine. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices