Decoded by POLITICO

Democrats have control of the House, the Senate and the White House. But if they want to get anything done, like a massive Covid bill, they're gonna have to work across the aisle. POLITICO's Alex Thompson reports on how President Biden's decades-long relationship with Mitch McConnell could take center stage. Plus, Senate Democrats file an ethics complaint against Hawley and Cruz over their election challenge. And Sam Cornale is tapped to be DNC executive director.

Alex Thompson 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.

Read more: 
Enemies, a Love Story: Inside the 36-year Biden and McConnell Relationship

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President Joe Biden is promising a complete reversal of the problems that plagued the Trump administration. But one is sure to stick around: the coronavirus pandemic. POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein breaks down the details of Biden’s plan to beat Covid — and looks at whether he’ll be able to get vaccine rollout back on track. Plus, Democrats officially take control of the Senate. And stocks hit record highs.

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.

Read more: 
Biden pledges, once more, to lead America away from dystopia
Biden team fears rocky transition may have revealed only ‘tip of the iceberg’

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Streets are deserted. Stores are boarded up. Troops line the perimeter of the Capitol. This is the backdrop of President-elect Biden’s inauguration — and as POLITICO Playbook's Tara Palmeri reports, it could be the backdrop of a new Washington for weeks to come. Plus, the coronavirus death toll passes 400,000 in the U.S. And federal officials prepare to charge a woman for allegedly stealing a laptop from Speaker Pelosi’s office during the insurrection.

Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author 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 POLITICO Playbook newsletter.

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When POLITICO’s Eugene Daniels thinks about how he'll cover Kamala Harris as one of the new authors of the Playbook newsletter, he remembers his grandma, who didn’t think her grandson would see a Black woman vice president in his lifetime. Eugene joins Dispatch to talk about how Harris will make history when she’s sworn in tomorrow — and what sort of challenges she’ll face as “a first.” Plus, the Pentagon deploys hundreds of active-duty troops for inauguration security. And the Census Bureau director steps down.

Eugene Daniels is a White House reporter and Playbook co-author 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 POLITICO Playbook newsletter.

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The idea of a traditional career path is changing — and for the better. Technological advances and changing labor markets are spurring nontraditional job training methods like reskilling and upskilling to grow in popularity. But how are these new training programs working? Hosts Ryan Heath and Luiza Savage talk with guests in the new job training game.

Ryan Heath is the host of "Global Translations".
Luiza Savage is a host of "Global Translations".
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Alison Dempsey is a project manager at Solar Holler in West Virginia.
Joel Duran is an IBM consultant and P-TECH program consultant.
Ong Tze-Ch’in is the chief executive of SkillsFuture Singapore.

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It’s been seven days since Trump’s last tweet, after Twitter and several other tech giants banned the President amid the fallout from last week’s insurrection. POLITICO’s Nancy Scola takes us inside big tech’s decision to dump Trump — and looks at how Silicon Valley’s influence in politics could come under sharper scrutiny in the coming years. Plus, Biden calls for a vast expansion of the federal pandemic response. And McCarthy rejects calls to remove Cheney from GOP leadership.

Nancy Scola is a senior tech 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 POLITICO's Morning Tech newsletter.

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As the nation reels from a violent insurrection and a devastating pandemic, President Trump has become the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. So how did we get here? Dan Diamond — who is sadly leaving POLITICO after five years on the health beat — explains how there were warning signs in the early days of President Trump’s health policies. Plus, Biden's transition team urges quick confirmations of his national security picks. And Johnson & Johnson falls behind on vaccine production.

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.

Read Dan's coverage of the coronavirus pandemic:
Trump team failed to follow NSC’s pandemic playbook
‘We want them infected’: Trump appointee demanded ‘herd immunity’ strategy, emails reveal
‘It’s like every red flag’: Trump-ordered HHS ad blitz raises alarms
How Trump warped HHS long before Covid-19

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Impeachment. Inauguration. The transfer of power. The next seven days will be critical, and intelligence officials are already warning of possible "armed protests" across the country. Garrett Graff explains how the security failures during last week's insurrection raise questions about how prepared the country is for more threats. Plus, U.S. will require Covid testing for arriving international flights. And Trump tries to defend himself ahead of impeachment.

Garrett Graff is a journalist covering national security, including for POLITICO Magazine.
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: Behind the Strategic Failure of the Capitol Police

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100 million vaccinations in 100 days. It’s one of the main promises President-elect Biden has made for when he takes office. But with the Trump administration’s vaccination efforts hitting roadblocks and falling behind schedule, Biden’s goal is looking more out of reach by the day. POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn reports. Plus, Biden is eyeing ways to prevent impeachment from derailing Senate confirmations. And New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman tests positive for Covid after the Capitol insurrection.

Adam Cancryn 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.

Read more:
Biden dresses down his Covid team over plans to speed vaccinations
Biden to unveil vaccination plan this week

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Following last week’s deadly siege at the Capitol, Democratic leaders are once again faced with the question of whether or not to impeach President Trump. POLITICO’s Heather Caygle breaks down the arguments for and against the move. Plus, the Office of Attending Physician warns lawmakers of potential Covid exposure during the riots. And D.C.’s mayor pushes for enhanced security surrounding Inauguration Day.

Heather Caygle 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.

Read more: Pelosi to move forward with impeachment if Pence doesn't act to remove Trump

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