Decoded by POLITICO

Sure, prices are up. But it makes sense, given all the excitement about reopening. POLITICO’s Victoria Guida breaks down why you shouldn’t worry too much about inflation — at least not yet. Plus, masks are off at the White House. And a government watchdog says HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge violated the Hatch Act earlier this year.

Victoria Guida covers economic 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.

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We’re giving more money than any nation to the global vaccination program. But doses are better than dollars — and critics say we’re not giving enough. POLITICO’s Erin Banco reports. Plus, a CDC panel endorses the use of Pfizer's vaccine in young teens. And Republicans draw a ‘red line’ on infrastructure.

Erin Banco is a health 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.

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What happens when you get Washington's four most powerful lawmakers in the same room with the President? Not much. POLITICO’s Sarah Ferris breaks down why you shouldn’t expect any major movement on infrastructure negotiations at today’s White House meeting between Biden, Schumer, Pelosi, McConnell and McCarthy. Plus, former Trump officials testify about the Jan. 6 insurrection. And federal agencies move to boost gasoline availability after the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack.

Sarah Ferris is a congressional 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.

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The Biden administration has de-emphasized the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But tensions in the region are making it hard to ignore. POLITICO's Nahal Toosi reports. Plus, the FDA authorizes Pfizer's vaccine for kids 12 to 15 years old. And California has a staggering $75.7B budget surplus.

Nahal Toosi is a foreign affairs 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: Critics urge Biden to step up as violence spreads in Israel

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Earlier this year, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stood by Rep. Liz Cheney’s side as she faced an unsuccessful attempt to strip her of her leadership position after voting to impeach Trump. Now, months later, McCarthy and his allies say she’s gotta go. What changed? POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers reports. Plus, Biden plans to appoint former union official Thea Lee to a key Labor Department post. And the White House’s Covid response chief has no regrets on the Johnson & Johnson pause.

Olivia Beavers is a Congress 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 in the Huddle newsletter.

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White House reporters have access to the highest seat in the country — and they’re a small group. An even smaller group? Reporters of color. On Dispatch, we're featuring a special episode of Playbook Deep Dive. POLITICO's Eugene Daniels gets honest with fellow Black White House correspondents April Ryan (TheGrio) and Ayesha Rascoe (NPR) about everything from microaggressions to death threats. “Covering the White House from Bill Clinton to now, race touches everything,” says Ryan. “Everything.” Plus, a look at the first Black female White House reporter Alice Dunnigan and her faceoffs with Eisenhower — who refused to take her questions for two years. 

Eugene Daniels is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Carol McCabe Booker is a former journalist and attorney who edited Alice Dunnigan's autobiography "Alone atop the Hill."
April Ryan is White House Correspondent at TheGrio.
Ayesha Rascoe is White House Correspondent for NPR and part of the NPR Politics Podcast.
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.

Subscribe to "Playbook Deep Dive" wherever you listen. Thanks!  

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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.

This episode originally aired January 28, 2021.

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.

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Catastrophic earthquakes. Solar flares that bring down the entire power grid. The global rise of white supremacy. Journalist and historian Garrett Graff breaks down the other looming threats after the coronavirus pandemic. 

This episode originally aired May 8, 2020.

Garrett Graff is a journalist, director of cyber initiatives at The Aspen Institute, and author of multiple books, including The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11.
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: Experts Knew a Pandemic Was Coming. Here’s What They’re Worried About Next.

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By making local officials the gatekeepers for million-dollar businesses, states have unintentionally created a breeding ground for bribery and favoritism. POLITICO's Mona Zhang reports. This episode is the second in a two-part series on the unintended consequences of marijuana legalization laws.

Mona  Zhang is POLITICO's states cannabis policy reporter.
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: How state marijuana legalization became a boon for corruption

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Welcome to Ontario, Oregon, home of the tater tot — and now, a massive marijuana market for customers crossing the Idaho border. POLITICO's Natalie Fertig explains how the tiny town border town of 11,000 people became one of America's cannabis capitals — and what it means for other towns as weed legalization spreads. This episode is the first in a two-part series on the unintended consequences of marijuana legalization laws.

Natalie Fertig is POLITICO's federal cannabis policy reporter.
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: Border weed: How the hometown of tater tots became a cannabis capital

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