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The Political Junkie: New Bipartisan Deal May Halt Skyrocketing Premiums

Donald Trump makes headlines regarding a supposed phone call to the widow of a Green Beret, as well as decisions regarding changes to healthcare laws.
Gage Skidmore
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Flickr - Creative Commons - https://flic.kr/p/rpL7cW
Donald Trump makes headlines regarding a supposed phone call to the widow of a Green Beret, as well as decisions regarding changes to healthcare laws.

President Donald Trump’s phone call to the widow of a Green Beret killed in Niger has prompted questions about the level of respect the President displayed for the soldier’s service.

This week's news roundup with political junkie Ken Rudin.

On top of spurring a ‘he-said she-said’ feud, the incident has also led to questions about how past presidents handled condolences of fallen American soldiers. And 24 senators have signed on to support a bipartisan deal to stabilize the Affordable Care Act market by sending subsidies to insurers. The Senate also approved a budget measure that would deliver big tax cuts to businesses and individuals, but it would also add up to $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade. Host FrankStasiospeaks withPolitical Junkie Ken Rudinabout the latest news from Washington D.C.

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio

Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
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.