Perspective Podcast - May 27th, 2011

In this edition of Perspective...

Joplin Digs Through Rubble.

The deadly tornado that has destroyed Joplin, Missouri, has left residents there to pick up the pieces.  How do you move on and rebuild after losing everything?  ABC's Diane Sawyer met some of those residents as they picked through the rubble.  

Storm Chasers.

As the deadly weather moved across the mid-west and south, warning sirens sounded and local residents were told to take shelter.  But for one group of people, the sounds and sights of the storm encouraged them to go outdoors and get even closer.  ABC's Matt Gutman took a ride with a group of storm chasers.

Tornadoes by the Numbers.

There have been more than 500 deaths from tornadoes so far in the U.S. this year, making it the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1953.  For these super storms by the numbers, we turn to ABC's John Donvan.  

Area 51.

Sin City markets itself on the ability to keep secrets, but Las Vegas has nothing on the slice of Nevada known as Area 51.  For decades the government kept such a tight lid on the place, many people assumed they must be hiding UFOs.  So when a sensational new book claimed to have the real story, based on the newly declassified lives of the men who worked there, we jumped on the chance to meet the author and her sources.  But what we found disturbed us in ways we could never imagine.  ABC's Bill Weir explains.  

Casey Anthony Trial.

The lawyer for Casey Anthony claims the young Florida mom reacted to her toddler's death by doing, "what she's been doing all her life, hiding her pain".  This week multiple witnesses at her murder trial testified that if she felt any pain, she hid it really well.  ABC's Ashleigh Banfield has the details.  

Oprah:  End of an Era.

After 25 years, Oprah Winfrey ended her daytime talk show and so it was a moment for taking stock. What has Oprah just completed?  How did she do it?  And why do so many people care?  ABC's Barbara Walters and Cynthia McFadden take a look at Oprah's legacy.

Jerry Bruckheimer.

Imagine being in charge of a creative project with a $225 million budget behind it and realizing that just as it was nearing completion, that what you had created was a total stinker.  Well, that is what producer Jerry Bruckheimer says happened with "Pirates of the Caribbean 2", the 2006 sequel from Walt Disney, which is the parent company of ABC News.  So how did they fix it?  ABC's Chris Connelly found out.

Host:  Cheri Preston

Producer:  Jason Wesalo

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