Sam and Emma host Patrick Radden Keefe, staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, on how the family behind Perdue Pharma and Oxycontin built their fortune on opioid addiction and pharmaceutical marketing. Beginning with the origin of the Sackler dynasty, Keefe walks us through how Arthur Sackler’s combination of Draper-esque marketing spirit with pharmaceutical knowledge established the blueprint that the family would take forwards into the development of Oxycontin. They also cover the in-depth manipulation of the perception of the drug, particularly among medical experts, as the Sackler family capitalized on professional misconceptions regarding the potency of oxycodone, allowing them to push non-scientific addiction statistics. Beyond discussions of the Succession-type family dynamics and lack of empathy prevalent with the Sacklers, Patrick, Emma, and Sam also explore the failures of the system at every possible check, from the DOJ, DEA, and FDA to the entirety of Congress, and how many of these instances can be traced back to the Sackler fortune. They conclude the interview touching on the copious legal battles, in every state and at almost every level of court, that the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma are currently facing, and try to tackle how big their blood fortune actually is. Emma and Sam round out the free half with a discussion on NY primaries, including India Walton’s big win in Buffalo, looking to become the city’s first woman or socialist mayor, and a smaller chat on how NYC progressives’ chances are shaping up in the mayoral race and a few city council races.

And in the Fun Half: Sam gets vulnerable and flexes his performance art muscles as the crew walks through some lingering talking points from Crowder’s great debate escape, before Tim Pool reminds us how the entire event was really about Sam and him. Then, Matt from PA calls in to explore the violent grip that figures on the online alt-right have on much of the public, obscuring any economic alignment they might have with the left through an emphasis on culture war, and John from San Antonio looks into socialist progress in NY and SA City Council, and reflects on how Bernie could’ve better managed to represent his socialist identity to the public. The fun half is wrapped up by admiring Dave Rubin’s claim to the political tutelage of one Glenn Greenwald, and Meghan McCain’s insistence on US fealty to the Catholic Church, plus, your calls and IMs!

Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

Join the Majority Report Discord!
http://majoritydiscord.com/

Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/

(Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: majorityreportstore@mirrorimage.com)

The AM Quickie is now on YouTube

Subscribe to the AM Quickie at https://fans.fm/amquickie

Make the AMQ part of your Alexa Flash Briefing too!

You can now watch the livestream on Twitch

Check out today’s sponsors:

quip: quip mouthwash kills bad breath germs, helps prevent cavities, and leaves you feeling fresh thanks to a formula that gives your mouth everything it needs. Their 4X concentrate has fluoride, xylitol, and CPC, but they left out the artificial colors and stinging alcohol you’ll find in a lot of other rinses.That’s $5 off a Mouthwash Starter Kit, which includes a Refillable Dispenser and a 90-dose supply of quip’s 4x concentrated formula, at getquip.com/majority5.

Hunt a Killer reinvents the way we interact with murder mysteries. Right now, just for our listeners, you can go to huntakiller.com/majority and use promo code MAJORITY at check out for 20% off your first box.

Tushy: Hello Tushy 3.0 doesn’t just clean your butt with a precise stream of fresh water. It cleans itself, with the Smart Spray automatic nozzle. It attaches to your existing toilet – No electricity or extra plumbing needed – cutting toilet paper use by 80% paying for itself in a few months. Defeat swamp ass. Go to hellotushy.com/majority to get 10% off plus free shipping.

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Matt’s podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover, or on iTunes.

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@EmmaVigeland

@MattBinder

@MattLech

@BF1nn