Brian Mann
Brian Mann is NPR's first national addiction correspondent. He also covers breaking news in the U.S. and around the world.
Mann began covering drug policy and the opioid crisis as part of a partnership between NPR and North Country Public Radio in New York. After joining NPR full time in 2020, Mann was one of the first national journalists to track the deadly spread of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, reporting from California and Washington state to West Virginia.
After losing his father and stepbrother to substance abuse, Mann's reporting breaks down the stigma surrounding addiction and creates a factual basis for the ongoing national discussion.
Mann has also served on NPR teams covering the Beijing Winter Olympics and the war in Ukraine.
During a career in public radio that began in the 1980s, Mann has won numerous regional and national Edward R. Murrow awards. He is author of a 2006 book about small town politics called Welcome to the Homeland, described by The Atlantic as "one of the best books to date on the putative-red-blue divide."
Mann grew up in Alaska and is now based in New York's Adirondack Mountains. His audio postcards, broadcast on NPR, describe his backcountry trips into wild places around the world.
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Families in the U.S. and much of the world are having so few babies, national populations are set to shrink and age. The trend is changing American politics and fueling the rise of global populism.
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Far more families are choosing to have fewer — or no — children. Many countries, including the U.S., now face a rapidly aging population that could begin to shrink. -
The latest 12-month report from the CDC showed 1,400 more deaths in January of this year compared with the year prior. This comes after more than a year of dramatic progress. Experts say they're not sure if this is a "blip" or something more troubling. -
A new $7.4 billion opioid settlement for Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family has been approved by all U.S. states and territories -
Vance Boelter, the subject of a nationwide manhunt, described himself as an experienced security professional who worked in conflict zones. A friend said at least part of that account is "fantasy." -
GOP lawmakers on Thursday blasted Democratic immigration policies as coddling violent criminals. Democrats portrayed Trump's escalating migrant sweeps as a dangerous assault on civil liberties. -
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with addiction correspondent Brian Mann about the drop in overdose deaths among teens and young adults in the U.S.
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U.S. drug deaths dropped by roughly 40% last year among people under the age of 35. It's a welcome pivot for families and communities devastated by fentanyl. -
As the Trump-Musk feud escalated, JD Vance signaled loyalty to Trump during a recent podcast appearance. At the same time, the vice president said he understands Musk's frustration. -
President Trump has promised to attack drug gangs and called for the death penalty for street dealers. But he has also pardoned more than 20 people serving time for serious drug crimes, some involving violence.
