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Ken Rudin, the Political JunkieKen Rudin has a problem: he is hooked on politics. The political junkie regularly joins The State of Things for Friday discussions about the political world in North Carolina. Ken’s experience spans three decades of political coverage, most recently at NPR.From the latest congressional news to behind-the-scenes views on the campaign trail, Ken offers political insight, historical analysis and trivia. More information, including his weekly scuttlebutton puzzle, can be found at his website.

Political Junkie: Nation Still On High Alert After Mass Shootings. Will Legislation Follow?

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People hold signs calling for an end to gun violence during a vigil on Sunday follow a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio.
Mega Jelinger

With the nation still in shock and mourning over back-to-back mass shootings in Texas and Ohio last weekend, political leaders are being forced to address gun control. President Donald Trump spent the week speaking out against hate and visiting the impacted areas while also attacking any naysayers on Twitter.

Political Junkie Ken Rudin joins host Frank Stasio to talk about Trump’s press conference on Monday where he condemned racism and bigotry and blamed the violence on mental illness and video games. His trip to Dayton ended with rants on Twitter and protesters in El Paso greeted him with a large white sheet that read, “Racist, go home.”

Rudin looks at the shift in Republican position since the Parkland shooting. Plus, the September debates are approaching and the rules to qualify are strict. The Political Junkie gives us a history lesson in how debate qualification worked in the past.
 

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Dana is an award-winning producer who began as a personality at Rock 92. Once she started creating content for morning shows, she developed a love for producing. Dana has written and produced for local and syndicated commercial radio for over a decade. WUNC is her debut into public radio and she’s excited to tell deeper, richer stories.
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
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