Decoded by POLITICO

“Somebody’s gotta do it. It might as well be me.” So says Ivan Adler, the “lobbyist hunter” who plucks D.C.’s most idealistic Hill staffers and turns them into K Street top dogs. POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza pry open the revolving door between the Hill and K Street — one of the most controversial but everlasting features of Washington’s underbelly.

Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Hailey Fuchs is a reporter at POLITICO covering money & influence in D.C.
Ivan Adler is 'The Lobbyist Hunter' and an executive recruiter.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
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.

Read Hailey's full story: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/15/lobbyist-hunter-ivan-adler-516069

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On today's special episode of Dogs-patch — er, Dispatch: a brief history of presidential pets at 1600 Pennsylvania, featuring the Kennedy's dog Pushinka (who might have helped avert nuclear war), Teddy Roosevelt's badger (really more questions than answers here) and Nixon's dog Checkers (who sadly passed before he could rescue his owner from Watergate). Andrew Hager, the historian-in-residence at the Presidential Pet Museum, provides biting commentary on the furry residents of the White House.

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Consider this your 2021 healthcare year-in-review. POLITICO's Adam Cancryn breaks down the year's biggest health stories and looks ahead to 2022.

"It's been brutal." POLITICO's Juan Perez on the biggest issues schools have faced in 2021 and the fights that are yet to come.

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Consider this your politics-year-in-review, high school superlatives style. Ryan Lizza breaks it down.

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At least 65% of Italians agree on one thing: Prime Minister Mario Draghi is doing a good job. So good a job he's a good candidate for president — in addition to Prime Minister. The problem? Those jobs are mutually exclusive. Hannah Roberts reports.

Hannah Roberts is a health care reporter for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

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Robert Califf sailed through his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, despite some opposition from Democrats ranging from Bernie Sanders to Joe Manchin. A confirmation vote in January would give the agency a permanent political leader for the first time during the Biden presidency. Adam Cancryn reports.

Adam Cancryn is a health care reporter for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

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In the land of beignets and Jazz, the Democratic Governors Association had its winter meeting to discuss reversing nationwide trends at the polls after losses last month in Virginia and New Jersey. If next year’s races are going to be any different, Democratic governors say the party needs to do a better job of hearing voters’ concerns about a frustratingly persistent pandemic. Zach Montellaro reports.

Zach Montellaro is a  reporter covering state politics for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

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After a wave of blue wins in 2020 in Georgia, the GOP-led state legislature is taking steps toward dismantling the Atlanta-area engine that turned Georgia blue. Maya King reports.

Maya King  is a national politics reporter for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

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The Supreme Court’s S.B. 8 ruling on Friday was mixed. It allows for some cases brought by opponents of the restrictive law to proceed — but closed major avenues for legal challenges, including one that has been sought by the Biden administration. Josh Gerstein reports.

Josh Gerstein is a senior legal affairs reporter for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

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