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Top Stories: Dallas County Sues Over Opioid Epidemic; Arlington MLK Parade Canceled

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The top local stories this morning from KERA News: Dallas County is suing drug companies and doctors over their alleged roles in the deadly opioid epidemic.

The Dallas Morning News reports a 59-page claim filed in Dallas County court accuses the maker of Oxycontin, at least 1o other pharmaceutical companies and three local doctors of knowingly pushing patients towards addictive drugs – while also claiming the drugs were safe.

Other stories this morning:

  • With only four days left until the event, Arlington's Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade has been canceled. City officials said parade organizers still didn't have a permit for Monday's event, nor enough money to cover all the costs. Event spokesperson Winsor Barbee said organizers came up $60,000 short after some sponsors pulled out because of a threatened boycott over naming Governor Greg Abbott as honorary grand marshal.  

  • Byron Sanders takes over Big Thought, which focuses on merging education and the arts to make opportunities for kids. Sanders joined KERA's Rick Holter to talk about the path he took leading him to one of the most influential education nonprofits. 

You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM. 

Gus Contreras is a digital producer and reporter at KERA News. Gus produces the local All Things Considered segment and reports on a variety of topics from, sports to immigration. He was an intern and production assistant for All Things Considered in Washington D.C.