Host Kevin Flynn, sitting in for Scott Hennen, hosts Leon Francis for a wide-ranging discussion on a chilly Wednesday morning. The show kicks off with Flynn praising Pam Bondi for her performance in a recent hearing against political opponents. The hosts also tackle hot-button issues like gun violence, arguing that the focus on "assault weapons" is misguided and that the real problem lies in a "broken society." They highlight the high murder rates in major cities and advocate for securing schools with better technology and armed personnel instead of pushing for gun bans. Flynn and Francis also address racism, echoing comments from Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock about the importance of focusing on character over race.
Later, the discussion pivots to Flynn's former life as a country musician with a band named Kevin Kidd and the Naked Cowboys. The hosts are joined by Dean of the UND School of Aerospace, Bob Krause, who discusses the school's innovative programs, including satellite launches and drone integration into air traffic control. Krause also details upcoming aerospace events in North Dakota and touches on the counter-drone technology being developed to protect against adversarial or irresponsible use of drones.
Standout Moments:
- 8:15 AM: Leon Francis challenges listeners to call in and ask a "Southern, gruffy, honoree" black man any question they have, in an effort to promote character-based conversations over race-based ones.
- 8:30 AM: Kevin Flynn and Leon Francis discuss the high rates of "black on black" gun violence in cities like Chicago and Baltimore, asserting that this should be the primary focus of gun violence discussions rather than school shootings.
- 8:45 AM: The hosts take a call from a listener who discusses the importance of raising children with strong values, proper gun safety, and a "colorblind" perspective, prompting Flynn and Francis to agree on the need for raising "warriors" instead of "soy boys".
- 9:00 AM: Flynn shares a story from his younger days about his country band, "Kevin Kidd and the Naked Cowboys," and mentions that one of his former bandmates, C.J. Udine, now plays for country star Gary Allan.
- 9:15 AM: Dean of the UND School of Aerospace, Bob Kraus, joins the show to talk about UND's Aerospace program, mentioning its high enrollment and the school's involvement in launching two satellites that are set to rejoin in space.
- 9:30 AM: Kraus discusses counter-drone technology and the need to be able to detect, identify, and mitigate adversarial drones. He also mentions the legal and safety challenges of shooting drones out of the sky, noting that testing for this is done at Camp Grafton.
- 9:45 AM: A listener calls in to discuss the importance of securing schools with good barriers, camera systems, and armed personnel, with Flynn and Francis agreeing that this is a more effective solution to gun violence than banning firearms.