Perspective Podcast - January 27, 2012
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In this edition of Perspective...
The State of the Union
Facing a country preparing to hold a referendum on his leadership, President Barack Obama gave his fourth State of the Union address this week. He struck themes of patriotism and American unity, calling for a renewed commitment to economic fairness, as well as growth. ABC's Terry Moran has the details.
Gabby Giffords Steps Down
After receiving a roaring round applause upon her entrance at the State of the Union address on Tuesday, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords received additional accolades from her colleagues in the House of Representatives when she turned in her resignation letter this week. She was recognized by both the Majority Leader, Eric Cantor ... and the Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. But it was what one of Giffords' best friends ... Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz said ... that touched the most people. Here's some of what it sounded like on Wednesday, when --- a year after her near fatal shooting --- Gabby Giffords stepped down.
Seal Team 6 Strikes Again
It's the story of a Navy Seal team rescuing a young, American woman and another man from pirates in Somalia. The mission involved jumping from an airplane in the middle of the night, lethal combat, and a helicopter evacuation. ABC's Martha Raddatz has the story.
The Most Dangerous Man in China
We now turn from Somalia to China, to an artist and dissident that some consider a danger to the government of China. His name is Ai Weiwei (eye way-way), and Chinese authorities fear him so much they have gone through the trouble to install surveillance cameras throughout his home. He is now the subject of a documentary from filmmaker Alison Klayman, titled "Never Sorry." ABC's Christiane Amanpour spoke with Klayman about the film and what she learned about one of China's most influential artists and activists.
Cyber Stalking
A danger closer to home involves the dark side of social media, evidenced by one woman's struggle to elude her cyber stalker. After being approached with a friend request on Facebook from a former classmate, their interaction quickly took a disturbing turn that eventually dominated her life. ABC's Andrea Canning reports.
Many Happy Returns
It's another type of holiday shopping season ... only cheaper. Now that the holiday season is over, people have spent the last month returning unwanted gifts, including more than 550,000 items returned from online purchases alone. But many of those items aren't ending up at the stores they were bought. Instead, they're sent to warehouses to sell at seriously deep discounts. ABC's Juju Chang explains.
The End of Illness
He's been called a rock star of science ... and believes that modern medicine is completely backwards. Instead of America spending billions on the sick, Doctor David Agus says the system should keep us from getting sick in the first place. To demonstrate his theory, he asked ABC's Bill Weir to undergo a series of cutting-edge tests, and it turns out those tests may actually have saved his life.
Oh Say Can't You Sing?
The Star Spangled Banner was written in 1814 and became the national anthem in 1931. Singing it before major sporting events has become a tradition, but it's not an easy song to sing. It's been mangled by some very famous people, most recently by American Idol judge Steven Tyler at last weekends AFC Championship football game. Here's ABC's David Wright.
Host: Cheri Preston
Producer: Colin Tipton
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