S'pore must be wary of synthetic drugs amid worst overdose epidemic in history: Veteran journalist
Englishman Ioan Grillo has reported on the drug scene from Mexico for more than two decades and is in Singapore to speak at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Forum Against Drugs, which takes place at Furama RiverFront Hotel from May 15 to 17.
Used as a painkiller, fentanyl – a Class A controlled drug in Singapore – is estimated to be up to 100 times more potent than morphine.
It killed 76,000 people in the US in 2023, and 48,422 in 2024.
In his opening address at the forum, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said the threat of synthetic drugs is coming closer to home, after reports emerged in March that Malaysia had found traces of fentanyl in its sewage systems.
Tapping his experiences with drug cartels in Mexico, Mr Grillo said fentanyl has killed so many people that it is actually bad business for drug sellers.
He said: 'Because you're killing off your customers. So they're trying to find ways to mix it up with other drugs or tranquillisers.'
Mr Grillo said that 20 years ago, he would be able to have a conversation with a drug user or addict.
But the effects of synthetic drugs are more pronounced, such that he can barely make sense of his conversations with drug users today.
He said: 'The addicts today are completely zombified, and an incredible number of people are dying from these drugs. This may be the worst overdose epidemic in history.'
He added that modern synthetic drugs could be manufactured so purely that the doses are exponentially higher than that of drugs in the past.
Speaking to The Straits Times on May 14, Mr Grillo said the revolution towards synthetic drugs has surfaced in Asia and will pose a bigger problem than traditional plant-based drugs, like cannabis.
He said: 'If you look at it – the biggest problem in Asia is methamphetamine, and it is a synthetic drug. (Suppliers) have found big markets in the Philippines, in Malaysia, and it's the biggest problem in Singapore.'
Annual statistics from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) show that methamphetamine was the most commonly abused drug in Singapore in 2024.
In its 2024 report, the United Nations-backed International Narcotics Control Board said a rapid expansion of synthetic drugs is becoming a global public health threat.
These drugs, which are cheaper to make, mean greater profits for producers and traffickers.
In 2021, CNB uncovered the first known attempt to traffic fentanyl in its pure form into Singapore after seizing 200 vials containing about 20mg of the opioid in a scanned package from Vietnam.
To solve the global drug problem, former White House Office of National Drug Control Policy adviser Kevin Sabet said governments should tackle drug problems on the local level first.
Mr Sabet, a drug policy scholar, will also speak at the Asia-Pacific Forum Against Drugs.
He told ST that in Singapore's case, deterrence in the form of strict drug legislation seems to be working.
But he warned that the global consensus against drug abuse has been challenged in recent years by those who lobby for legislative changes and softer attitudes towards narcotics.
Said Mr Sabet: 'One of the things I'm extremely worried about is the movement to legalise drugs. It's coming from a multibillion-dollar movement that is very smart, calculated, and running in non-governmental organisations around the world.'
He pointed out that a key goal for the movement is to break the global consensus against drug abuse and argued that countries cannot lose sight of the need to work together.
He cited Thailand's experience with decriminalising the recreational use of cannabis in 2022, but later reversed its decision after a public backlash.
Mr Sabet said the movement targeted Thailand, arguing that cannabis could be used for medicinal purposes and somehow convincing the authorities to go ahead with the move.
He said countries should not be swayed by such rhetoric.
Said Mr Sabet: 'Instead, focus on a comprehensive approach and see prevention and recovery as your North Star.
'And do not succumb to those who tell us that we can simplify our way out of the drug problem by making drugs safer to use, or encouraging even more drug use.'
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction
Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Brains Aged Faster In 2021–2022: What Did The Pandemic Do To Us?
A new study suggests that the pandemic may have had a significant impact on our brains, whether or not we contracted COVID-19. Leveraging an extensive database of brain scans, British researchers say that people's brains showed accelerated aging during 2021 and 2022, including signs of shrinkage. While people who were infected with COVID also showed cognitive decline, like slower processing speed, the study was notable because it said even the non-infected were likely to experience harm to their brain. While the study did not delve into the exact causes of the accelerated aging, the study's first author, Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad, a neuroimaging researcher at the University of Nottingham, theorizes that it may have been the result of stress and other factors. 'But it is likely that the cumulative experience of the pandemic—including psychological stress, social isolation, disruptions in daily life, reduced activity and wellness—contributed to the observed changes… In this sense, the pandemic period itself appears to have left a mark on our brains, even in the absence of infection,' said Mohammadi-Nejad, per NBC. The researchers found that males and 'those from more socioeconomically deprived backgrounds' experienced the most significant brain aging. Overall, the pandemic was thought to be linked to a 5.5-month acceleration in the aging process. This is not the first time researchers have reached similar conclusions. Last year, a previous study found that teenagers experienced dramatic brain aging during the pandemic. Notably, the study suggested that girls' brains aged 4.2 years faster and boys' brains aged 1.3 years faster, on average. The latest study does not indicate whether the structural changes identified in individuals who have never contracted COVID will result in any noticeable changes in brain function. Nor does the study confirm whether the physical changes will persist over the long term, says Adam Brickman, a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, who was not involved in the study.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Israel pauses some military action in Gaza as starvation spreads: what to know
Israel will pause military action for hours each day in parts of Gaza and increase aid drops in the enclave, as the country has faced major international criticism over reports and images of starving Palestinians. Aid groups have criticized Israeli leaders for months over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The country cut off supplies to the region at the start of March before reopening aid lines – with new restrictions – in May. "A third of the population (in Gaza) is not eating for days," the World Food Programme, led by Cindy McCain, said in a statement on X. "Some 470,000 people are enduring famine-like conditions. 90,000 women and children need urgent nutrition treatment. People are dying due to a lack of humanitarian assistance." More than 125 people have died due to malnutrition, including 85 children, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said over the weekend. A five-month-old baby, Zainab Abu Haleeb, died of malnutrition at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on July 26. In recent weeks, more than 800 people have been killed while trying to reach food, according to the United Nations, mostly in shootings by Israeli soldiers posted near controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centers. Israeli officials have said they've allowed enough food into Gaza since war broke out in October 2023 after Hamas attacked Israel, blaming the terrorist group for suffering in a region of 2.2 million people. Meanwhile, ceasefire talks have stalled, with no permanent end to the fighting in sight. Here's what to know about the growing humanitarian crisis. What's going on in Gaza? Beginning July 27, Israel will pause military action in a humanitarian area along the coast of Gaza for 10 hours at a time, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time, each day. The military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Tom Fletcher, aid chief for the United Nations, called the move a "welcome announcement" in a post on X. "In contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window," Fletcher wrote. What do human rights groups say? The U.N.'s World Food Program also welcomed the news, saying in a statement, "we hope these measures will allow for a surge in urgently needed food assistance to reach hungry people without further delays." Israel's move comes after 111 groups signed a joint statement calling for governments to take action, as mass starvation spread and restrictions on humanitarian aid prevented resources from reaching Palestinians in Gaza. "The Government of Israel's restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death," the groups, made up of mostly aid and human rights organizations, wrote. Why was aid restricted before? Hunger in Gaza escalated after Israel cut off supplies in March. Israel had said it was committed to allowing in aid – but needed to control it to prevent it from being diverted by Hamas. The country also accused the U.N. of failing to act in a timely fashion, saying 700 truckloads of aid were idling inside Gaza. "Responsibility for food distribution to the population in Gaza lies with the UN and international aid organizations," the Israeli military said in a July 26 statement. "Therefore, the UN and international organizations are expected to improve the effectiveness of aid distribution and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas." An internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies, Reuters reported last week. Where are ceasefire talks? President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on July 25 to abandon ceasefire negotiations, saying it was clear Hamas did not want a deal. "I think they want to die," Trump said of the militants. "And it's very bad. And it got to be to a point where you're going to have to finish the job." Humanitarian groups have urged Israel to reach a deal, saying the only real solution to the suffering in Gaza is a complete end to the fighting. "An agreed ceasefire is the only way for humanitarian assistance to reach the entire civilian population in Gaza with critical food supplies in a consistent, predictable, orderly and safe manner," the U.N. World Food Program said in their statement. Contributing: Reuters
Politico
6 hours ago
- Politico
Playbook: A name to remember
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco Good morning. It's Sunday. This is Zack Stanton. Get in touch. THE CONVERSATION: From restricting food dyes and ultra-processed foods to tackling what he calls the 'child vaping epidemic,' FDA Commissioner Marty Makary wants to 'go bold,' he tells Playbook's Dasha Burns on today's episode of 'The Conversation.' But it's another part of their discussion that may yet prove to be the most consequential if it comes to fruition as government policy: backing research and funding into women's health. 'It does feel like the system just doesn't think specifically about the very particular needs of women's bodies and doesn't do enough research into this,' Makary told Dasha. 'We got hormone replacement therapy [for menopausal and perimenopausal women] wrong for 22 years, scaring women, saying that, you know, 'it increases your risk of dying of breast cancer' when no clinical trial has ever supported that finding,' he said. More from POLITICO's Katherine Long … Subscribe to 'The Conversation' on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify DRIVING THE DAY A NAME YOU WILL REMEMBER: There can be a temptation in Washington-centric journalism to focus on those people with power. This morning, the most important thing you can read is about someone who had none: Zainab Abu Halib. At the time of her death on Friday in Gaza, the 5-month-old weighed less than 4.4 pounds — two pounds under her birth weight, her eyes sunken, her ankle smaller than an adult's thumb. She was the latest of 85 children in Gaza to die of malnutrition-related causes amid mass starvation, report AP's Samy Magdy and Mariam Dagga. She will not be the last. 'With my daughter's death, many will follow,' her mother, Esraa Abu Halib, told the AP. 'Their names are on a list that no one looks at. They are just names and numbers. We are just numbers. Our children, whom we carried for nine months and then gave birth to, have become just numbers.' 'The expression 'skin and bones' doesn't do it justice,' Nick Maynard, a British surgeon volunteering at the same hospital at which Zainab died, told NYT's Patrick Kingsley and colleagues. He was describing his shock at treating another infant, a skeletal 7-month-old. 'I saw the severity of malnutrition that I would not have thought possible in a civilized world. This is man-made starvation being used as a weapon of war and it will lead to many more deaths unless food and aid is let in immediately.' 'I don't know what you would call it other than mass starvation, and it's man-made, and that's very clear,' World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week at a press conference, per WaPo. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's government repudiates that narrative. 'Israel rejects the false accusations of 'starvation' propaganda initiated by Hamas which manipulates pictures of children suffering from terminal diseases,' the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement last night. 'It is shameful.' But it's an undeniable reality that, for Gazans, hunger has been drastically more widespread since the expiration of a six-week ceasefire in March, after which Israel reimposed a blockade on the territory. 'Beginning in late May, U.N. humanitarian efforts were replaced by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli- and U.S.-backed aid distribution system,' report WaPo's Ruby Mellen and colleagues. 'Critics have warned that the foundation — which is registered as a nonprofit but is backed by entities hoping to profit from the relief effort — transports inadequate aid to Palestinians under a flawed setup that forces them to risk their lives for provisions.' Since May, Israel has allowed in an average of 69 aid trucks a day, per AP's Wafaa Shurafa and colleagues — 'far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed for Gaza.' Today, at this very moment, we're in a brief 10-hour window during which Israel has paused military operations in parts of Gaza to allow aid into the territory, Reuters' Nidal Al-Mughrabi and colleagues report. After global outcry over the spiraling humanitarian catastrophe, Israel announced this morning that humanitarian pauses will continue on a daily basis until further notice. Key members of Netanyahu's government disagree with that decision. 'This is a capitulation to Hamas' deceitful campaign,' far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a statement. He went on to repeat — in Reuters' words — 'his call to choke off all aid to Gaza, conquer the entire territory and encourage its Palestinian population to leave.' But the international pressure on Netanyahu is mounting. And there are key questions that could change the situation substantially: What, if anything, does President Donald Trump want to do? Will he pressure Israel to come to the table and broker a ceasefire? Trump, who is in Scotland, is due to meet tomorrow with British PM Keir Starmer. Their discussion, per the Telegraph's Dominic Penna, will focus on the U.K.-U.S. trade deal, further support for Ukraine and the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza. Pressure is mounting within the U.S., too, as the humanitarian disaster has stirred people across the political spectrum. Growing numbers of Democrats — including staunch defenders of Israel — are speaking out, as POLITICO's Gigi Ewing and Ben Johansen report. And conservative Ross Douthat used his influential Sunday NYT column today to write that 'Israel's warmaking at this moment is unjust.' Aid groups have welcomed the news of Israel's daily 10-hour pause during which they can bring food into the territory — the World Food Program says it has enough food en route to Gaza to feed the entire population for three months, per Haaretz — but broadly believe that a ceasefire is 'likely the only way to end the crisis,' NYT's Aaron Boxerman writes. Today, that 10-hour pause will end at 8 p.m. local time, or 1 p.m. Eastern. By then, perhaps, food will have been distributed and medicine delivered to hospitals. It will have come too late for Zainab Abu Halib. But there still may be time for others. 'I don't know what to say anymore,' her mother told CNN yesterday. 'How many innocent babies like Zainab should be starved to death so the world wakes up?' SUNDAY BEST … — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on the tariff deadline coming up Friday, on 'Fox News Sunday': 'No extensions, no more grace periods. Aug. 1, the tariffs are set. They'll go into place. Customs will start collecting the money, and off we go. Obviously after Aug. 1, people can still talk to President Trump. I mean, he's always willing to listen. And between now and then, I think the president's going to talk to a lot of people. Whether they can make him happy is another question. But the president's definitely willing to negotiate and talk to the big economies, for sure.' — Speaker Mike Johnson on a possible pardon or commutation of Ghislaine Maxwell, on NBC's 'Meet the Press': 'I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least. … Not my decision, but I have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would.' — Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Maxwell, on ABC's 'This Week': 'I have skepticism given she was indicted for perjury. Given she has a motive for getting a pardon. I didn't love that Todd Blanche was meeting with her, allegedly, one on one. But I'm for all the evidence coming out.' More from POLITICO's Gregory Svirnovskiy — OMB Director Russ Vought on whether the administration will release NIH funds for cancer and cardiovascular disease research that it has withheld after Congress appropriated them, on CBS' 'Face the Nation': 'The NIH was weaponized against the American people over the last several years … We have an agency that needs dramatic overhaul. Thankfully, we have a great new head of it, but we're going to have to go line by line to make sure the NIH is funded properly. … We're going to continue to go to the same process that we have gone through with regard to the Department of Education … and we will release that funding when we are done with that review.' TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week's must-read opinion pieces. 9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. RED-LIGHT REDISTRICT: Democratic plans for emergency gerrymandering — an effort to counter Trump's drive to seize several seats in Texas and Missouri — are gathering speed, with California seen as the leading option, POLITICO's Liz Crampton and colleagues report. In the Golden State, '[l]awmakers and operatives who were initially caught off guard or skeptical of [Gov. Gavin] Newsom's proposal are increasingly becoming convinced California has the authority and the political will.' Dems' next-best option would be New York, with possibly Maryland and New Jersey down the list, while state lawmakers in Colorado, Minnesota and Washington say no. But but but: There remain legal and political hurdles for Democrats to mount a gerrymander anywhere, including in California — and that's putting it mildly. The party's debate over the issue may slam into those realities. But the desperation is real, NBC's Adam Edelman reports from the National Governors Association summer meeting in Colorado Springs. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says outright that Republicans are trying to steal the election and Dems must 'fight fire with fire.' 2. RACE FOR THE STATES: Republican operatives in Pennsylvania are in panic mode about another potential Doug Mastriano gubernatorial bid — and whether his down-ballot effect could cost the GOP the House, POLITICO's Holly Otterbein reports. Their fear is that the far-right state senator could again win a primary and again get clobbered by Josh Shapiro, who's now the popular incumbent. State Treasurer Stacy Garrity could be the establishment Republican pick. Some Trump advisers are concerned, and local Republicans hope Trump will endorse Garrity. But Mastriano says that's not true: 'I have President Trump's direct line,' he writes. 'And he ain't saying this.' On the left coast: In California, some Democrats are batting about similar — if much less dire — concerns about a potential Kamala Harris gubernatorial bid, CNN's Isaac Dovere reports. Harris has plenty of enthusiastic allies, but her critics worry that she'll be saddled with Joe Biden-era baggage and motivate Republicans to turn out, damaging Democrats in swing House races. 3. THE LEGACY OF DOGE: At the NGA meeting, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offered a rare candid glimpse into the budgetary tensions that may exist within the Trump administration, POLITICO's Shia Kapos writes in. Kennedy acknowledged he's hardly enthusiastic about the cuts being taken to his agency. 'If it were up to me, I wouldn't cut anything in my department,' he told the governors and attendees during the meeting yesterday. 'With the exception of maybe [Education Secretary] Linda McMahon, there's nobody else in the Cabinet who wants to see any of their budgets cut.' McMahon spoke at the conference Friday. The comment earned the biggest laugh of the day — a light moment in a conference that was otherwise focused on serious stuff. Kennedy also talked about chronic disease, healthful school lunches and the mystery of peanut allergies. What he didn't talk about: his take on vaccines. The summer gathering also featured tech billionaire Mark Cuban, who spoke about artificial intelligence, and Mehmet Oz, now the top official at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who huddled with governors behind closed doors. Also in the DOGE house: The Department of Government Efficiency is now using an AI tool to rifle through hundreds of thousands of federal regulations — with the goal of cutting half of them outright by determining which rules aren't required by law, WaPo's Hannah Natanson and colleagues scooped. Administration spokespeople say no final decisions have yet been made. Meanwhile, a much-diminished CFPB isn't just trying to cut rules but also retreating from enforcement of existing ones — deregulation by another (easier) name, WSJ's Scott Patterson reports. 4. FOR YOUR RADAR: 'Trump says Thailand, Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks,' by Reuters' Shoon Naing and colleagues: 'Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, thanked Trump and said Thailand 'agrees in principle to have a ceasefire in place' but 'would like to see sincere intention from the Cambodian side.' … Trump said he had spoken to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Phumtham and warned them that he would not make trade deals with either if the border conflict continued.' 5. FOR PETE'S SAKE: The turmoil inside the upper echelons of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's paranoid Pentagon is far from over. As Hegseth focused on polygraph tests to root out leakers to the press this spring, the White House ordered his team to stop when Hegseth senior adviser Patrick Weaver (a Stephen Miller ally) told them he was worried about being targeted, WaPo's Dan Lamothe and Ellen Nakashima scooped. And Hegseth has refused to promote Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims — first over suspicion of leaking, of which Sims was cleared, and then over Sims' ties to Mark Milley, NYT's Greg Jaffe and colleagues report. Even an intervention by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan 'Razin' Caine couldn't move Hegseth on Sims, who's now likely to retire. 'Mr. Hegseth's actions could shape the military's top ranks for years to come. His insistence on absolute loyalty, backed with repeated threats of polygraphs, also creates uncertainty and mistrust that threaten to undermine the readiness and effectiveness of the force, officials said.' 6. ABOUT THAT QATAR JET: 'What Will It Cost to Renovate the 'Free' Air Force One? Don't Ask,' by NYT's David Sanger and Eric Schmitt: 'Officially, and conveniently, the price tag has been classified. But even by Washington standards, where 'black budgets' are often used as an excuse to avoid revealing the cost of outdated spy satellites and lavish end-of-year parties, the techniques being used to hide the cost of Mr. Trump's pet project are inventive. Which may explain why no one wants to discuss a mysterious, $934 million transfer of funds from one of the Pentagon's most over-budget, out-of-control projects — the modernization of America's aging, ground-based nuclear missiles.' 7. KNIVES OUT FOR PENNY PRITZKER: The leader of Harvard's Corporation and Democratic former Commerce secretary could be targeted for removal by the Trump administration in an eventual deal between Washington and Harvard, NYT's Anemona Hartocollis reports. And on campus, some professors think having Pritzker step down would be a relatively small and painless concession for Harvard to make, since it wouldn't encroach on academic autonomy. But Pritzker would have to choose to step down, and she has plenty of allies in Cambridge. 'Friends said she was unlikely to give in.' 8. BANNED AID: 'Trump administration to destroy birth control intended as aid,' by WaPo's Maham Javaid and colleagues: 'The family-planning supplies, which include more than 50,000 intrauterine devices, nearly 2 million doses of injectable contraceptives, nearly 900,000 implantable contraceptive devices and more than 2 million packets of oral birth control, are worth about $9.7 million … The government of Belgium, the United Nations and humanitarian groups say they tried to stop the destruction of the contraceptives, which they say are needed in much of the developing world.' 9. SUNDAY READ: 'ICE Took Half Their Work Force. What Do They Do Now?' by NYT's Eli Saslow: 'For more than a decade, Glenn Valley [Foods]'s production reports had told a story of steady ascendance — new hires, new manufacturing lines, new sales records for one of the fastest-growing meatpacking companies in the Midwest. But, in a matter of weeks, production had plummeted by almost 70 percent. Most of the work force was gone. Half of the maintenance crew was in the process of being deported, the director of human resources had stopped coming to work, and more than 50 employees were being held at a detention facility in rural Nebraska.' TALK OF THE TOWN LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND POWERFUL — 'Diary of a Foreigner in Rome,' by Air Mail's Mattia Ferraresi: 'Tilman Fertitta, the U.S. ambassador to Italy, is yet to move into Villa Taverna, according to Italian-media reports. The sumptuous Roman villa … is rumored to have been deemed a dump uninhabitable by the Texas multi-billionaire, who insists it needs major renovation. He has allegedly taken up residence on Boardwalk, his 250-foot-long yacht sailing under the flag of the Cayman Islands and moored in the port of Civitavecchia, some 60 miles north of Rome. Fertitta's helicopter commute has quickly become the latest buzz in Rome's power circles.' OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED in owner Mark Ein's box at the Mubadala Citi DC Open quarterfinals Friday at Carter Barron to watch Frances Tiafoe play Ben Shelton: Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Antony Blinken, Steve Ricchetti, Venus Williams, Gerry Baker, Margaret Carlson, Gene Sperling, Sally Ein, Charlie Ein, Chloe Ein, Alli Andresen and Mary Currie. WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Harry Jung is now senior policy adviser at the President's Council of Advisors on Digital Assets. He most recently was acting chief of staff at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Glenn 'G.T.' Thompson (R-Pa.) … Sean Savett … Priscilla Painton of Simon & Schuster … Katie Wheelbarger … Alex Wirth of Quorum … Andy Spahn … Paul McLeod … Cecilia Muñoz … retired Adm. Craig Faller … Johanna Persing … Jeremy Adler … Prime Policy Group's Stefan Bailey … John Connell of Sen. Todd Young's (R-Ind.) office … Linda Feldmann … Gaurav Parikh … Bobby Cunningham of the Vogel Group … Live Action's Lila Rose … Bobby Saparow … Jeremy Deutsch of Capitol Venture … Anna McCormack of Rep. David Rouzer's (R-N.C.) office … MSNBC's Denis Horgan … Juan Mejia … former Reps. Dave Brat (R-Va.) and Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) … Ashley Gonzalez … former Commerce Secretary Don Evans … CNN's Susan Durrwachter … former CIA Director John Deutch … Seth Waugh … Kate Thompson of the Russell Group … Air Force's Charlie McKell … Susan Phalen … Nicholas Anastácio of National Journal … Brayden Karpinski … POLITICO's Brian Tran-Dac … Andrew Grossman Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
