The Decoded Podcast

President Trump is visiting California today as deadly and destructive wildfires burn up and down the West Coast. POLITICO's Carla Marinucci explains why the trip is likely to become a political showdown over climate change. Plus, Trump unveils a plan to slash drug prices. And Bloomberg is dropping a big chunk of change for Biden in Florida.

Carla Marinucci is the senior writer for POLITICO’s California Playbook.
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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Joe Biden might be back on the campaign trail after months of quarantining in the basement of his Delaware home, but his team is still trying to keep him inside an impenetrable coronavirus bubble. POLITICO's Chris Cadelago breaks down the extreme lengths the Biden campaign is going to prevent him from being exposed to coronavirus. Plus, Senate Democrats block the GOP's slimmed-down Covid bill. And Microsoft says Russia, China and Iran are trying to hack the presidential race.

Chris Cadelago a national political 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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Public health is supposed to be separate from politics. But this pandemic — and this election — have turned that idea on its head. POLITICO's Dan Diamond and Sarah Owermohle discuss how politics is seeping into the vaccine race on both sides of the aisle. Plus, a whistleblower says top Trump appointees tried to censor reports on Russian influence. And Trump's fundraising total for last month falls more than $150M short of Biden.

Sarah Owermohle covers drug policy for POLITICO.
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.

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Crammed living quarters. No time off. A lack of protective gear. Advocates warned at the start of the pandemic that farms were ripe for outbreaks. POLITICO’s Ximena Bustillo explains how decades of workplace issues created the “perfect storm” for a coronavirus disaster among farmworkers. Plus, McConnell eyes a vote on a narrow coronavirus relief bill. And Trump expands a ban on offshore drilling.

Ximena Bustillo is an agriculture and trade policy intern 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: Harvest of shame: Farmworkers face coronavirus disaster

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The House of Representatives is set to vote on marijuana legalization later this month — the first time in history either body of Congress will consider removing the drug from the Controlled Substances Act. POLITICO's Natalie Fertig breaks down why Democrats are voting on the bill despite the fact that it'll be dead upon arrival in the Senate.

Natalie Fertig is a cannabis 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.

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Facebook says it will ban political ads the week before the November election. POLITICO's Steven Overly breaks down how the effort aims to prevent the spread of misinformation — and looks at whether big tech giants are going to be able to handle a chaotic election that could be ripe for misinformation. Plus, House Democrats call for an investigation into whether the Trump administration violated the Hatch Act during the RNC. And the EU urges the US reverse sanctions against staff on the International Criminal Court.

Steven Overly covers technology 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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Earlier this summer, Covid cases were dipping and states started reopening. Weeks later, there was a resurgence. POLITICO's Dan Goldberg and Dan Diamond explain how the Trump administration is looking at a repeat of that situation — just two months ahead of the election. Plus, Biden and the DNC report record fundraising numbers for August. And the German government says Putin's fiercest critic was poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent.

Dan Diamond is a health policy reporter for POLITICO.
Dan Goldberg is a health care reporter for POLITICO. 
Jeremy Siegel  is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

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Clashes between racial justice advocates and Trump supporters. Cries of "Black lives matter" met with chants of "all lives matter." POLITICO's Natasha Korecki gives an on-the-ground look at the city reeling from a police shooting and unrest in its streets. Plus, the Trump administration says it's banning evictions through December. And the Justice Department announces new restrictions on surveillance of campaigns.

Natasha Korecki is a national correspondent 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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Earlier this summer, Hawaii was a Covid success story. Now it’s one of the worst-performing states in the nation. POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein explains why the state’s swift unravelling is a cautionary tale. Plus, Kenosha is on edge ahead of a visit from President Trump. And a court deals a big blow to the House’s investigative powers.

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: Paradise lost: How Hawaii went from Covid-19 star to cautionary tale

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Are we a country that's failed disastrously to respond to a global pandemic, or a country that's overrun by protests and violence on the streets? Democrats and Republicans painted wildly different pictures of America at their party conventions this month. POLITICO's Scott Bland breaks down the biggest takeaways from the past two weeks — and what they tell us about what's next in the lead-up to the election. Plus, Trump is set to visit Kenosha. And European leaders call for another election in Belarus.

Scott Bland is a politics editor POLITICO and host of Nerdcast.
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.

Subscribe to POLITICO's Nerdcast.

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