Public Radio East serves Eastern North Carolina by providing news, fine arts, and informational programming that challenges, stimulates, educates, and entertains an intellectually curious audience.

© 2026 Public Radio East

Public Radio East
800 College Court
New Bern, NC 28562

EIN 56-1802728
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
US

Opioid Crisis Takes Center Stage After Drug Czar Nominee's Industry Ties Exposed

The revelation that Republican Rep. Tom Marino of Pennsylvania — the White House nominee to head the National Office of Drug Control Policy — sponsored legislation that favored the drug industry while receiving campaign contributions from that same industry led to Marino withdrawing his name from consideration. Meanwhile, President Trump has announced that he will declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency.

Lev Facher (@levfacher), Washington correspondent for STAT, tells Here & Now‘s Robin Young about efforts to repeal that legislation and what a national emergency declaration may mean.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

US