A quick warning before we get started. This podcast is about drugs and addiction, and so it

includes some heavy content. In this episode, you'll hear descriptions of drug use and of a fatal

overdose, as well as some curse words. So take care of yourself and whoever's listening with you.

This story is going to go to a lot of places, the halls of Congress, a federal prison, the NBA draft.

But there's only one place it can start.

And I'll warn you, it's the part that's the hardest to listen to.

It starts with the drug deal at a Best Western in Manchester, New Hampshire.

A friend of mine, Liz, hits me up on Facebook, and she's like, hey, I got some money and I want to buy

some dope. This is Josh Cook. In this moment at the hotel, he's 20. He's selling fentanyl to support

his own addiction to opioids and meth. He's living in someone he's 20. He's selling fentanyl to support his own addiction to opioids and meth.

He's living in someone else's room at the hotel.

His friend Liz is 33 years old.

She's been messaging Josh for days, trying to set up a time to buy fentanyl from him.

Josh and Liz have been friends for a few years. In one

message, Liz calls Josh family. So I'm like, all right, I got you. Liz messages Josh

early in the morning to set up a buy. She gets to the hotel around 9 a.m. Josh tells

her to come in the back entrance of the hotel.

They meet in a stairwell.

And then I'm like, so you got the money?

And she's like, yeah, yeah, I got the money, just let me see the drugs.

So I show her and she's like, before I buy it, can I just do something because I'm really sick?

According to Josh, Liz is in withdrawal.

...