The Decoded Podcast

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives hasn’t had a permanent director since 2015. POLITICO’s Anita Kumar breaks down why the post has become virtually unfillable amid fierce debate over gun laws. Plus, the House advances Democrats’ $3.5T budget. And new CDC studies point to waning immunity from vaccines.

Anita Kumar is a White House correspondent and associate editor 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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greece is reeling from a brutal heat wave and devastating wildfires that couldn’t have come at a worse moment. POLITICO Europe’s Nektaria Stamouli reports. Plus, Biden presses businesses to mandate vaccines. And the Capitol Police has cleared the officer who fatally shot someone during the Jan. 6 insurrection of wrongdoing.

Nektaria Stamouli covers Greece for POLITICO Europe.
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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Read more: Greeks fret as crises mount: Will this time be different?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colleges are reopening their gates this fall. But experts worry the most vulnerable students are still turning their back to higher education. POLITICO’s Bianca Quilantan reports. Plus, polls show Biden’s approval slipping to new lows. And Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says states can’t block federal funds for districts that mandate masks.

Bianca Quilantan is an education reporter for POLITICO and author of the Weekly Education newsletter.
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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Read more: College advisers scramble to catch the most vulnerable students

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration says we need them. The WHO says we should wait for the rest of the world. POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn breaks down everything you need to know about vaccine boosters. Plus, the FTC files a new antitrust suit against Facebook. And the Biden administration plans to cancel the federal student loans of Americans who have severe disabilities.

Adam Cancryn is a health reporter for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO Pulse.
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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Read more:
Troubling CDC vaccine data convinced Biden team to back booster shots
The U.S. plans to offer booster shots next month. Some health experts are wary.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crashing computers, three-week delays tracking infections, lab results delivered by snail mail. Health officials couldn’t keep up with Covid’s spread. Americans paid the price. POLITICO’s Erin Banco reports. Plus, Israeli PM Naftali Bennett will visit the White House later this month. And the Treasury moves to prevent the Taliban from receiving IMF aid.

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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Read more: Inside America’s Covid-reporting breakdown

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Haiti was already on the brink of political collapse following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Then a catastrophic earthquake hit. POLITICO’s John Yearwood reports. Plus, the nation’s top election officials are calling for more stringent guidelines for post-election audits. And Twitter tests a new feature allowing users to report misinformation directly to the company.

John Yearwood is a global news editor 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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Read more: U.S. sends aid to Haiti after quake but much more needed

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden campaigned on his foreign policy expertise. But the crisis in Afghanistan is destroying that image. POLITICO’s Natasha Korecki reports. Plus, American newspapers call on the White House to evacuate journalists from Kabul. And the Biden administration makes a record increase to food stamp benefits.

Natasha Korecki 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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Read more: 'I stand squarely behind my decision': Biden holds firm on Afghanistan drawdown

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Taliban offensive was expected. But nobody knew it would be like this. POLITICO’s Alex Ward explains how the Taliban was able to overtake Afghanistan’s capital as the U.S. evacuated its embassy. Plus, opponents of the White House’s eviction ban ask a federal court to block the policy. And the director of the NIH says undocumented immigrants are not causing the surge in Covid cases.

Alex Ward is a national security 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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Subscribe to the National Security Daily newsletter.

Read more:
Taliban seize power amid chaos in Kabul
‘I Believed in the U.S. But That Turned Out to Be Such a Big Mistake’

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Senate passed Biden’s long-awaited bipartisan infrastructure bill earlier this week. But it’s fate is tied to a massive Democratic spending plan — and things are looking a little shaky. POLITICO’s Caitlin Emma reports. Plus, the nation’s largest teachers union backs vaccine mandates. And top Biden advisor Anita Dunn leaves the White House.

Caitlin Emma is a budget and appropriations 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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Read more: Senate adopts budget that paves way for $3.5T spending plan

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A record number of children are being hospitalized with Covid — and experts expect it to get worse. POLITICO’s Dan Goldberg reports. Plus, Sen. Elizabeth Warren drops her opposition to Biden’s pick for the No. 3 spot at the Education Department. And a bipartisan group of senators introduces legislation targeting Apple and Google’s app stores.

Dan Goldberg 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.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Read more: Children's hospitals are swamped with Covid patients — and it may only get worse

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices