Regionally Speaking, Monday, September 20, 2021

Today:  Alfred “Chip” Cooke, the special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration northern Indiana office, is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about the drug enforcement and prevention efforts because of the overdose epidemic.  The culprit is fentanyl, a deadly opioid which is increasingly being laced into heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and other dangerous and illicit drugs, as well as prescription pills that have been diverted from appropriate medical use.  Andy Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Purdue Ft. Wayne, has an update on the General Assembly's work on new district maps -- legislative and congressional -- before they vote on them and send them on to the Governor's office.  Citizen groups are angry that they haven't had much input into the drawing of the maps, and only a few public meetings are scheduled before they are voted upon.  And Dr. Elizabeth Brill, deputy chief medical officer for Veterans Health Administration, joins us to talk about the VA’s mandatory vaccination requirement for all employees, to protect veterans who come into their facilities from contracting the virus.