POLITICO Tech

POLITICO

The POLITICO Tech podcast is your download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy. New episodes on Thursdays.

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1,037 episodes
Updated Dec 18, 2025

Episodes1037

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Aug 6, 2020 · 15 min
The ethical questions chasing Trump's vaccine adviser
Moncef Slaoui helped design vaccines for Big Pharma, one reason why Trump picked him to help lead "Operation Warp Speed." But Slaoui's deep drug industry ties have made him a target for watchdogs, too. POLITICO's Dan Diamond on Slaoui's tricky position and how close we are (or aren't) to a vaccine. Dan Diamond is health policy reporter for POLITICO. Annie Rees is a host-producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 5, 2020 · 12 min
The brawl over back-to-school
Teachers are afraid. Parents are desperate. Child care workers are frustrated. They all want kids to succeed. POLITICO's Mackenzie Mays breaks down the fight that's escalating as schools prepare to reopen — in-person, online or some combination of the two — during a pandemic. Mackenzie Mays is a POLITICO education reporter based in California. Adrienne Hurst is a host for POLITICO Dispatch and produced this episode. Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 4, 2020 · 13 min
Tennessee: The battle for the conservative crown
An orthopedic surgeon with Indian immigrant parents. A former ambassador with ties to Trump and Mitt Romney. Both pro-life and pro-gun. Both criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement. Two Republicans vie for who is more conservative as a Tennessee Senate race heats up. POLITICO's Alex Thompson talks about why this race is a reflection on larger shifts in the party. Alex Thompson is a POLITICO reporter covering the 2020 election. Erica Morrison is a host for POLITICO Dispatch and produced this episode. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 3, 2020 · 10 min
THREE MONTHS TO GO
Time may have lost all meaning for most of us. But when it comes to the presidential election, the clock is still ticking. POLITICO's Ryan Lizza brings us inside of Trump's and Biden's campaigns as they enter the final stretch — under circumstances unlike any election in U.S. history. Ryan Lizza is POLITICO's Chief Washington Correspondent. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 31, 2020 · 11 min
The economy’s bad. When will it get better?
Short answer: We don’t really know. But there are three directions it could go. POLITICO’s chief economic correspondent Ben White breaks them down — and why the future of the largest economy in the world is virtually in the hands of Congress. Plus, Rep. John Lewis is laid to rest. And Trump calls for Covid survivors to donate blood plasma. Ben White is chief economic correspondent 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 30, 2020 · 13 min
Hydroxychloroquine: Yeah, it’s back.
A misleading video claiming hydroxychloroquine is a cure for coronavirus has gone viral. President Trump is back to touting the drug on national TV — despite mounting evidence that it’s ineffective. So why the heck is hydroxychloroquine back in the national conversation? POLITICO’s Dan Diamond and Sarah Owermohle report. Plus, the Trump Administration agrees to lower the federal law enforcement presence in Portland. And Fed Chair Jerome Powell warns that the economy is at the mercy of Covid. Sarah Owermohle covers drug policy for POLITICO. Dan Diamond is health policy 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 29, 2020 · 9 min
The Veepstakes: The Final Three
The clock is ticking on Joe Biden's decision for a running mate. In the third and final episode of Dispatch's series on the Veepstakes, Laura Barrón-López breaks down why Stacey Abrams, Susan Rice and Gretchen Whitmer are under consideration to be Biden's No. 2. Laura Barrón-López is a national political 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 28, 2020 · 11 min
The Veepstakes: 'A Tournament of Shadows'
Joe Biden hasn't given much insight into how he's choosing his running mate. As POLITICO's Marc Caputo puts it, "There's really only six or seven people in the United States who know what the hell is going on." In Part Two of Dispatch's Veepstakes series, Caputo explains what you need to know about four of the top contenders: Val Demmings, Tammy Baldwin, Karen Bass and Kamala Harris. Marc Caputo covers the 2020 presidential campaign 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: Tracking Joe Biden's VP pick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 27, 2020 · 11 min
The Veepstakes: Round One
Eleven candidates. One running mate. Dispatch is spending three days with POLITICO campaign reporters to look at Joe Biden's top choices for vice president. First up: Natasha Korecki on Keisha Lance Bottoms, Tammy Duckworth, Michelle Lujan Grisham and Elizabeth Warren. Natasha Korecki is a national correspondent 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: Tracking Joe Biden's VP pick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 24, 2020 · 14 min
How do you break the color barrier to Congress?
The makeup of Congress still doesn’t reflect the diversity of the United States. Candidates of color grapple with barriers like fundraising and electability. Sarah Ferris explains why Congress is still so white, male and privileged over 200 years after its founding -- and what it’s going to take to change that. Sarah Ferris covers the House for POLITICO's Congress team. Erica Morrison is a host for POLITICO Dispatch and produced this episode. Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch who helped produce this episode. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Read Sarah Ferris's article on how candidates of color still grapple with barriers to Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 23, 2020 · 12 min
How Covid is reshaping telehealth
Virtual health care has surged during the coronavirus pandemic. Will it last? POLITICO's Mohana Ravindranath and Dan Diamond explain how the virus could change the future of medicine. Plus, more governors announce mask mandates. And Kansas Republicans kill a plan to delay the reopening of schools. Mohana Ravindranath is a health care reporter for POLITICO. Dan Diamond is a health care policy 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 on the future of telehealth in the Future Pulse newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 22, 2020 · 10 min
Inside the CDC's effort to address racial disparities
The CDC is deploying teams across the country to address racial disparities during the coronavirus pandemic. But the effort is running into a familiar problem: a lack of coordination from the highest levels of government. POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein explains why the deep and deadly problem can't be fixed without a dramatic shift in federal policy. Plus, Congress passes a defense bill requiring the removal of Confederate names from bases. And America's daily death toll tops 1,000 for the first time in months. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 21, 2020 · 9 min
Another fight over Covid relief — with deeper divisions
Congress is back … and so is the battle over Covid relief that we've all come to know and love. POLITICO’s Marianne LeVine breaks down where lawmakers disagree — and why passing a sweeping, bi-partisan measure is going to be a lot tougher than it was at the start of the pandemic. Plus, Florida teachers sue over an emergency order to reopen their classrooms. And Democrats eye a voting rights package to honor John Lewis. Marianne LeVine covers Congress 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 20, 2020 · 10 min
How Trump is trying to weaken Biden's support from minority voters
In 2016, the Trump campaign drove down turnout from Black voters in key battleground states by focusing on Hillary Clinton's past racist comments about "superpredators" and her support for legislation that led to increased incarceration, particularly among Black and Latino people. Now, they're trying to do the exact same thing with Biden. POLITICO's Holly Otterbein explains how Trump plans to weaken the former VP's support from minority voters. Plus, global Covid deaths top 600,000. And Trump doubles down on his opposition to removing Confederate symbols. Holly Otterbein is a national political 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 17, 2020 · 10 min
How much worse will it get?
The beginning of the summer looked good ... for, like, a minute. Then, states in the South and West started seeing new coronavirus surges. Now, the virus appears to be out of control in at least 18 states. POLITICO's Renu Rayasam explains why the worst has yet to come. Plus, Trump wants a payroll tax cut in the next relief bill. And the Supreme Court deals a blow to voting rights in Florida. Renuka Rayasam is POLITICO's Texas correspondent and author of the POLITIC Nightly 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 16, 2020 · 12 min
The health department’s multi-million dollar face lift
Last year, POLITICO broke the story that a top Trump administration health official — CMS chief Seema Verma — was using tax dollars to hire GOP consultants to boost her image. Today, the health department's inspector general released a report confirming the story. POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn and Dan Diamond explain why the controversy is relevant to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Plus, Oklahoma’s governor tests positive for Covid. And American Airlines is telling 25,000 workers they could lose their jobs. Adam Cancryn is a health reporter for POLITICO. Dan Diamond is a health care policy 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: Inspector general: Medicare chief broke rules on her publicity contracts Sign up for the Future Pulse newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 15, 2020 · 11 min
The policy behind the nursing home problem
The nursing home industry has been pushing for looser regulations for years. And they got what they wanted at the start of the pandemic. But now, advocates say lax standards are fueling the virus' spread. POLITICO's Maggie Severns has the story. Plus, the CDC chief predicts late 2020 could be “one of the most difficult times we have experienced.” And the Trump administration reverses its international student policy. Maggie Severns covers politics and the coronavirus 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 14, 2020 · 13 min
The toughest job in Washington
Mark Meadows came to the West Wing with big plans, hoping his friendship with President Trump would help him avoid turbulence. Then reality — and the coronavirus pandemic — hit. POLITICO’s Nancy Cook breaks down why it’s not so easy being chief of staff in Trump’s White House right now … or, really, ever. Plus, California rolls back reopening plans. And the IRS is cancelling uncashed stimulus checks sent to the dead. Nancy Cook 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 13, 2020 · 10 min
The politics of Medicaid in a pandemic
President Trump and Republicans have pushed to roll back Medicaid for years. But now, as more people seek government-run health assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic, those plans have hit a brick wall. POLITICO's Rachel Roubein explains how the politics of Medicaid are shifting. Plus, Democrats slam Trump's commutation of Roger Stone's prison sentence. And Florida shatters the single-day coronavirus case record. Rachel Roubein 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 10, 2020 · 10 min
The fight over schools
President Trump is calling for schools to reopen this fall despite rising coronavirus cases. POLITICO’s Anita Kumar reports on how the push isn’t just about education — it’s about the economy and the election. Plus, the WHO acknowledges the potential for airborne coronavirus spread. And Dr. Fauci says states with surges should pause reopening. Anita Kumar is a White House correspondent and associate editor 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices