Decoded by POLITICO

Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as president of the European Commission late last week. But another five years with her at the helm doesn’t necessarily mean more of the same tech policy. On POLITICO Tech, senior tech reporter Clothilde Goujard joins from Brussels to explain von der Leyen’s shifting focus from regulation to European competitiveness, and why it could put the European Union and U.S. on a collision course.

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After the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, social media platforms lit up with conspiracies. Speculation about whether it was all a political ploy. Or an inside job. But it wasn’t just happening in the U.S. Emerson Brooking has been tracking Russian propaganda all week as the director of strategy at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. On POLITICO Tech, he joins host Steven Overly to talk about how the Kremlin spun the shooting and what that could mean for Russia’s disinformation playbook between now and Election Day.

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The Republican National Convention wraps up tonight and, it turns out, tech wasn’t high up on the GOP’s agenda in Milwaukee. But POLITICO reporter Brendan Bordelon nevertheless tracked down the chatter about social media, TikTok, AI and more. He joins POLITICO Tech from Milwaukee to give us the grist on the ground.

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In just over a decade, Republican J.D. Vance has risen from law school graduate to best-selling author to U.S. senator to vice presidential nominee. And fueling the ascent has been tech billionaire Peter Thiel. On POLITICO Tech, Brookings Institution senior fellow Darrell West joins host Steven Overly to explain this fortuitous relationship, and the impact it could have on Election Day and beyond.

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Almost immediately after a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally over the weekend, leaving the former president with minor injuries, partisan misinformation and conspiracies flooded social media feeds. Chris Krebs has been tracking the attack and how the internet has responded — from U.S. lawmakers to Russian operatives — for cybersecurity firm SentinelOne. You may recognize Krebs’ name: He was the head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency until Trump fired him in 2020 for refuting claims the election was stolen. On POLITICO Tech, Krebs joins host Steven Overly to talk takeaways from the shooting’s social media aftermath.

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The 2024 Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee, and we're sure to hear about ways that the GOP plans to dismantle President Joe Biden's legacy on the tech front. On today's POLITICO Tech, Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt joins host Steven Overly to talk about the Inflation Reduction Act money he's leveraged to bring more clean tech manufacturing to his state — and why he wants incentives to continue. Plus, Stitt’s plans to replace state employees with artificial intelligence.

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From the Jetsons to Blade Runner, flying cars have long been part of our vision for the future. They’re also closer than ever to becoming a reality. On this two-part episode of POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly explores why this fascination has persisted for over a century, and whether the sky-bound vehicles being built today are all that sci-fi promised they would be. On today's episode, Steven talks with the head of the Federal Aviation Administration — Michael Whitaker — who explains the government’s plan to make these things safe. And after that, Alef Aeronautics CEO Jim Dukhovny who is in the business of convincing people his Model A isn’t just science fiction (and worth the $300,000 price tag). 

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From the Jetsons to Blade Runner, flying cars have long been part of our vision for the future. They’re also closer than ever to becoming a reality. On this two-part episode of POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly explores why this fascination has persisted for over a century, and whether the sky-bound vehicles being built today are all that sci-fi promised they would be. Today's show features Jeremy White, WIRED senior innovation editor, and Sheryl Connelly, the former futurist for Ford Motor Company. Tomorrow's episode features Michael Whitaker, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, who actually worked at a flying car company before heading up the FAA, and Jim Dukhovny, the founder and CEO of Alef Aeronatics, who is trying to bring flying cars to the mainstream…for $300,000 a pop.

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The Supreme Court dropped a major decision affecting the future of online speech last week. But the ruling was not exactly decisive. And the legal battle isn’t over yet. On POLITICO Tech, Matt Wood from the advocacy group Free Press joins host Steven Overly to break down what comes next in the fight over laws in Texas and Florida that aim to prevent social media platforms from moderating political speech.

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The next administration will play a pivotal role in shaping artificial intelligence, but how much would that differ under Joe Biden or Donald Trump? On today’s POLITICO Tech, Dr. Alondra Nelson tackles that question. Nelson served as the head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy before leaving the administration last year and played a central role in shaping Biden’s early AI policy.

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