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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More than two years after the Beijing Winter Games and a Russian doping controversy, the U.S. figure skating team finally received the gold medals the team won during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics. -
Olympic events are winding down, but there is still much to go. A highlight from the Paris Games Tuesday: American Gabby Thomas cruised in the 200-meter Olympic final to win her first gold medal.
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Olympic fencing had a big moment in Paris. For the first time ever American women won both individual and team golds in the foil competition. Will this boost a sport that often draws tiny crowds? -
American Noah Lyles won gold in the hundred meter sprint by five one thousandths of a second. U.S. swimmers grabbed two gold medals and shattered two world records in the pool.
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Swimmer Katie Ledecky won her eighth career gold medal at the Paris Summer Olympics. She finished the women’s 1,500 meter freestyle final more than 10 seconds ahead of the silver medal finisher.
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American swimming legend Katie Ledecky pulled away from her competition in the 1,500 meter freestyle and then pulled away even more. The 27-year-old didn't just win gold. She made a statement. -
The once-mighty U.S. Olympic swim team has only won two gold medals so far at the Paris Games. Athletes say the sport has grown more competitive since Americans like Michael Phelps owned the pool. -
Simone Biles and the rest of the U.S. gymnasts compete in the team final. U.S. swimmers are back in the pool, but the triathlon is postponed due to dirty river water.
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The U.S. wants changes to the World Anti-Doping Agency after a Chinese drug scandal. Olympic officials threatened to block Salt Lake City's bid to host the 2034 Games if the U.S. criticism persists. -
IOC President Thomas Bach says Paris is ready to go for the 2024 Summer Olympics. But in speeches this week ahead of the Games, he warned that rising global tensions threaten the Olympic movement.
