Topic: Synthetic Heroin

The New York Times reports on a breakthrough in synthesizing morphine and heroin using genetically modified yeast instead of opium poppies. This development, published in "Nature Chemical Biology," could allow drug production to move from fields in Afghanistan to small-scale laboratory settings. The potential economic impact on nations dependent on poppy cultivation and the CIA's alleged black budget is discussed.

Attorney General Eric Holder and members of Congress discuss the use of the U.S. Mail to facilitate the trafficking of heroin and synthetic drugs. The hosts argue this is a "setup" to undermine the constitutional privacy of the mail system, suggesting the government wants to eliminate the requirement for warrants to open packages.