In his new book, “It Takes Chutzpah,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) reflects on his 44-year career in Washington, including a pivotal law he co-authored that gave rise to the modern internet. And as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, Wyden says he’s still mustering chutzpah. On POLITICO Tech, Wyden joins host Steven Overly to discuss the incoming administration’s plans for sweeping tariffs, Elon Musk’s growing influence and Silicon Valley’s alignment with Trump.

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The devastating wildfires burning across Los Angeles have prompted plenty of finger pointing — and artificial intelligence is catching some of the blame. Data centers consume large amounts of water and electricity, and critics have been quick to pounce on the industry’s environmental footprint. Now, California lawmakers are looking for ways to make AI more sustainable. POLITICO’s California tech reporter Tyler Katzenberger joins host Steven Overly to discuss.

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Just a couple years ago, the crypto industry was a pariah among politicians. Now, it’s poised to have a big year in Washington. And how it got here is no fluke. Industry leaders shelled out massive sums of money to elect crypto-friendly candidates, and the result is a Congress and incoming administration primed to carry out their policy goals. On POLITICO Tech, Coinbase president and chief operating officer Emilie Choi joins host Steven Overly to break down crypto’s political strategy and what it now wants in return.

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered a sharp critique of the fact checkers on his social media platforms last week, saying he will no longer use them because they were too politically biased and undermined public trust. That didn’t sit well with Alexios Mantzarlis at Cornell Tech. Mantzarlis is the former founding director of the International Fact-Checking Network, where years ago he helped set up Meta’s fact-checking program. On POLITICO Tech, Mantzarlis joins host Steven Overly to offer a rebuttal to Zuckerberg.

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TikTok is set to be banned in the U.S. in just nine days. Today, the company will try to convince the Supreme Court to strike the ban down — or at least put it on ice. And President-elect Donald Trump has requested the Supreme Court punt the ban until after he’s taken office and can try to broker some sort of solution. Still, TikTok has some long odds. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly talks with Alan Rozenshtein, a law professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and former lawyer in the Justice Department, about what to watch for during today’s arguments.

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced major changes this week to how his company will moderate posts on Facebook and Instagram. Meta’s current fact-checking system resulted in political bias and censorship, Zuckerberg said, so the company is moving to a looser model — just as President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Cato Institute scholar and Meta Oversight Board member John Samples joins host Steven Overly to explain why he thinks the changes are necessary, if imperfect, and why more are likely to come.

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Tech companies have long struggled to hire enough Americans with technical expertise, and to fill that shortfall, they’ve often hired immigrants with green cards or H-1B visas. Now, Silicon Valley leaders — with Elon Musk at the helm — see an opportunity to recruit even more foreign-born workers. But that doesn’t sit well with the immigration restrictionists in Trump’s camp, which amounts to a political showdown for Republicans, especially as Congress looks to tackle immigration when Trump takes office. Steven Overly sits down with POLITICO tech reporter Brendan Bordelon to break it all down. 

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Policymakers around the world are debating how to regulate our use of technology, from addictive algorithms to harmful content. But often missing from the conversation is the control that everyday people wield over how much technology is let into our lives. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly calls up digital minimalism advocate Jose Briones to talk about breaking up with smartphones and social media, and embracing a low-tech lifestyle.

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The new year may have just begun, but policy divisions have already emerged — with tech leaders at the center. Elon Musk tanked a bipartisan spending agreement in the House, causing Congress to scramble to avoid a government shutdown. And Trump’s Silicon Valley supporters faced off against his longtime MAGA base over visas for highly skilled immigrants. On POLITICO Tech, Digital Future Daily author Derek Robertson joins host Steven Overly to discuss the personalities driving the policy and the tensions to watch in 2025.

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Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) is already an influential voice on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity on Capitol Hill. And his power will only grow in the new year with Republicans taking control of the Senate. On POLITICO Tech, Rounds tells host Steven Overly how he expects Congress to tackle both issues once President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. 

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