Perspective Podcast - August 2, 2013

In this edition of Perspective...

Life in Prison for Castro
Ariel Castro - the Cleveland man who pleaded guilty to holding three women captive in his home for a decade - was sentenced to life in prison this week, without the possibility of parole.  If the case would've gone to trial, Castro could've faced the death penalty.  Instead, he agreed to plead guilty.  As ABC's Scott Goldberg reports, it all came down to a hearing on Thursday.

Cannes Jewelry Heists
The French Riviera city of Cannes was victim to two armed heists this week.  First a daring jewel theft, then a robbery involving high-priced watches.  Police believe the two incidents are not connected, but who could be behind these headline-grabbing heists?  ABC's Lama Hasan reports.

Real Houswife Reality Check
Reality T-V star Teresa Giudice is probably best known for flipping over restaurant tables on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." but federal prosecutors say her and her husband Giuseppe were fraudsters.  Court records say they lied to lenders and failed to file tax returns.  ABC's Juju Chang has the story.

The Clarence Thomas Hearings
It's been more than 20 years since Anita Hill testified about alleged sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas, who was undergoing Senate confirmation for the Supreme Court at the time.  Hill's testimony sparked a national conversation on the issue of workplace sexual harassment, but many questions were left unanswered at the hearings end.  Now, in the new documentary "Anita," Hill is telling her side of the story.  ABC Senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny spoke with the film's director, Frieda Mock, to get the details.

What's Wrong with DC?
Mark Leibovich (lee - bow - vich) is the chief national correspondent for the New York Times magazine and author of the new book about life inside the beltway.  It's called "This Town," and it has all of D-C talking.  ABC's Susan Saulny and Olivia (oh - live - ee - ay) Knox from Yahoo News sat down with Leibovich to discuss his book.

Pitbull, Inc.
Pitbull grew up quoting cuban revolutionaries in the streets of Miami and now, years later, has climbed his way up to the top of the hip-hop charts.  The self-proclaimed "Mr. Worldwide" is known for nonstop partying, but is also using his fame to tap into corporate America.  To find out more about the man and his methods, ABC's Cecilia Vega spent 24 hours behind the scenes at "Pitbull Incorporated."

The ABC News Fixer
Setting up automatic online payments to take care of bills can make life easier ... unless you make a mistake that you can't take back. That's what happened to Rachel Gibson.

Hope Solo
The U-S women's soccer team boasts some of the finest athletes in the world, yet many female players still struggle to gain the same notoriety as their male counterparts.  Now these women are fighting for recognition, including one soccer star who has a reputation for breaking boundaries.  Here's ABC's Amy Robach.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

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Perspective Podcast - July 26, 2013

In this edition of Perspective...

The Royal Baby Arrives
The royal baby has arrived.  The future King of England was born on Monday.  The next day, William and Kate stepped out of St. Mary's Hospital with their son, greeted by cheers from the crowd gathered there.  ABC's Lama Hasan was in London all week for the celebrations and brings us more on His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.

Growing Up Royal
Currently less than a week old, Prince George has no idea about the royal life that awaits him as heir to the nearly one-hundred year-old House of Windsor.  For more on what it means to grow up royal, here's ABC's Dan Abrams.

The Good Wives?
Two years ago, Anthony Weiner resigned his seat in Congress after he was caught sending inappropriate pictures to random women.  Now, new allegations have surfaced, saying he continued sending inappropriate messages for months after his resignation.  Earlier this week, the candidate for mayor of New York City held a press conference to address the issue.  Here's ABC's John Donvan.

Fatal Error?
An unprecedented federal review of death penalty crimes has revealed 27 cases where FBI forensics experts may have helped garner wrongful convictions.  Now we examine one bloody murder and a questionable investigation that condemned a man to death, but did the state execute an innocent man?  ABC's Terry Moran has the story.

Hernandez and Lloyd
This week Patriot's Coach Bill Belichick answered questions for the first time about former player Aaron Hernandez, who now stands accused of murder.  The Florida Gators, the team Hernandez played for in college, removed all references to the player both in and around its stadium.  The former NFL star remains behind bars, charged with the murder of his friend, Odin Lloyd.  But how did these two men meet and what could have caused Hernandez to allegedly commit the crime?  ABC's John Schriffen reports from Boston.

The ABC News Fixer
Smokers looking to quit today often turn to electronic cigarettes to help kick the habit ... smokers like Cassandra Faulkner.

Miracle Doctor?
His methods are unorthodox and he has numerous critics.  Yet this man says he has a miracle cure for some mysterious medical conditions.  While alternative treatments for dehabilitating diseases are not a new concept, one chiropractor's unusual brand of surgery-free healing is garnering attention.  ABC's Juju Chang has the details.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

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Perspective Podcast - July 19, 2013

In this edition of Perspective...

The Parents of Trayvon Martin
The parents of Trayvon Martin spoke to ABC News this week after Saturday's not guilty verdict in the murder trial of George Zimmerman.  ABC's Aaron Katersky has the details.

The Parents of George Zimmerman
The parents of George Zimmerman also sat down to discuss last weekend's verdict.  Their son is now a free man, but they say his life is anything but back to normal.  ABC's Barbara Walters began by asking them a question on many people's minds.

The Prosecution Speaks
Prosecutors knew that George Zimmerman would be a tough man to convict.  It took six weeks and a lot of public pressure before he was even arrested.  But did they overreach by trying to get a second-degree murder conviction?  ABC's Matt Gutman sat down with the prosecution team to get their take.

'Til Death Do Us Part
Now to a Michigan woman who hired a hitman to get rid of her spouse ,,, literally trying to get away with murder ... and she's not the first to take such drastic measures.  Luckily law enforcement was there to foil her plot.  More from ABC's John Donvan.

Undercover Arms
Owning a weapon is a constitutional right that many Americans exercise proudly.  But most of those weapons aren't AK-47s or powerful sniper rifles.  So just how easy is it to get ahold of some *serious* weaponry?  Marianna Van Zeller went under cover to find out.

The ABC News Fixer
Now a story out of Sarasota, Florida, where a small, private law firm ran into an expensive billing mistake.  Verizon suggested that the firm Fournier (four - knee - ay) and Connelly switch its phone setup to a more complex system, but after running into technical problems with the installation, the firm decided to stay with its original setup and cancelled the newer service .... or so they thought.

Going Strong in Their '80's
They're in their '80's and their beat goes on ... entertainers still swinging and singing.  Here's ABC News Entertainment Correspondent Bill Diehl with a look at three legends.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

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