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This week on CounterSpin: Opioids can be a lifesaver for some people with severe pain. But the overuse and abuse of powerful drugs like oxycodone is driving what the Centers for Disease Control says is an epidemic in this country, with some 16,000 overdose deaths from prescription opioids a year. But when the CDC pushed for non-binding guidelines encouraging doctors to seek alternatives where possible, the opioid industry, which made $9 billion last year, pushed back.

Who’s shaping the media story around what looks like a dispute between industry and regulators, in which the public interest —and public health—hang in the balance? Investigative journalist Lee Fang has been tracking the story; he’ll join us to talk about what’s going on behind the scenes.

Transcript: ‘Pharmaceutical Companies Have Pressured Doctors, Suppressed Evidence’

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As usual, we take a look back at recent press, including AP‘s premature call of the Democratic primaries, Larry Summer’s recession expertise and the death of Muhammad Ali.

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