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The Political Junkie On Impeachment Hearings And The Latest Democratic Debate

WUNC News | By Frank Stasio,
Amanda Magnus
Published November 22, 2019 at 12:27 PM EST
U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing.
U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing.

This week’s impeachment hearings featured bombshell testimony, but is it reliable? Gordon Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, testified Wednesday and confirmed a quid pro quo with Ukrainian leaders —  a meeting with President Donald Trump in exchange for investigations into the president’s political rivals.Host Frank Stasio is joined by the political junkie Ken Rudin for the latest on Capitol Hill.

However, Sondland has changed his testimony since the U.S. House Intelligence Committee first deposed him in October. Host Frank Stasio talks to Political Junkie Ken Rudin about the hearings and how they may impact the 2020 elections, including the campaign of U.S. Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina. Rudin also highlights the representatives who have stood out during the hearings, including Republicans Rep. Elise Stefanik from New York and Rep. Jim Jordan from Ohio.

And this week 10 Democratic presidential candidates met on the debate stage in Atlanta. Who stood out and who is leading the pack in the polls? The Political Junkie shares his analysis.

Copyright 2019 North Carolina Public Radio
Frank Stasio
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.
See stories by Frank Stasio
Amanda Magnus
Amanda Magnus grew up in Maryland and went to high school in Baltimore. She became interested in radio after an elective course in the NYU journalism department. She got her start at Sirius XM Satellite Radio, but she knew public radio was for her when she interned at WNYC. She later moved to Madison, where she worked at Wisconsin Public Radio for six years. In her time there, she helped create an afternoon drive news magazine show, called Central Time. She also produced several series, including one on Native American life in Wisconsin. She spends her free time running, hiking, and roller skating. She also loves scary movies.
See stories by Amanda Magnus