Perspective Podcast - May 31, 2013

In this edition of Perspective...

40 Years Since Vietnam
It's been 40 years since the Vietnam War ended and the prisoners of war came home.  The Nixon Presidential Library recently invited former prisoners still alive to recreate the dinner they first attended at the White House.  ABC's Diane Sawyer sat down with three of them to reflect on their courage and love of country.

Amputees
Lieutenants Jason Pak and Eric Zastoupil are graduates of the West Point Military Academy ... and among the more than 15-hundred soldiers who have lost limbs fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz reports on their stories ... a reminder of the soldiers who have come back from war *alive*, but wounded in irreversible ways.

Murder, the Mob, and the FBI
Now to a story out of Florida involving a Russian mobster turned FBI informant.  He is accused of aiding in the murder of a rap star.  ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross reports.

Murder for Hire
They may seem like stories for TV crime dramas, but murder-for-hire plots really do happen in this country.  And now a heavy metal rock star is at the center of the most recent scheme.  ABC's Cecilia Vega has the details.

One Dollar a Day
At the age of 14, Hugh Evans traveled to the Philippines ... a slum in Manila ... where the disparity between his life and those he met struck him hard.  During his time with a family there, cockroaches crawled all over his body while he slept.  The experience was life-changing for Evans.  Now 30 years old, he is the founder of The Global Poverty Project ... an organization to raise awareness about extreme poverty.  ABC's Christiane Amanpour sat down with Evans to discuss his experience and his cause.

50 and Counting
The average age of the members of The Rolling Stones exceeds that of the United States Supreme Court justices.  Yet concertgoers will tell you that Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood can still put on a show like no other.  ABC's Bill Weir caught up with the rock stars discuss their latest tour.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

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Perspective Podcast - May 24, 2013

In this edition of Perspective...

Disaster in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma town of Moore was devastated this week after an E-F5 tornado.  That's the most severe category on the scale used to measure storm strength.  Two elementary schools were destroyed and the path of the destruction has been estimated at two miles wide and 22 miles long.  ABC's David Muir reports from Oklahoma.

Storm Shelters
Some schools in Oklahoma do have safe rooms that were built after prior natural disasters, but Briarwood and Plaza Towers elementary were not among those chosen to receive that funding.  Safe rooms can offer much-needed protection during storms, but there are also other measures homeowners can take to protect themselves.  ABC's Jim Ryan has the details.

Jodi Arias
Earlier this month an Arizona jury found Jodi Arias guilty of first degree murder for killing her one-time boyfriend, Travis Alexander.  But this week a judge declared a mistrial in the sentencing phase of her trial, after the jury couldn'tt agree on whether to sentence her to life in prison or death.  ABC's Ryan Owens sat down with Arias for a revealing interview while she awaits her sentence.

Ibragim Todashev
There was a new twist this week in the Boston Marathon bombing investigation and we turn now to ABC's Aaron Katersky, who has been following this story from the very beginning.  Aaron, this new development involves a man in Florida.  What do we know about him?

Sole Survivors
Imagine being the sole survivor of a deadly airplane crash.  Would you consider it good luck , bad luck, or divine intervention?  One such survivor was a four-year-old girl at the time her plane went down, and now, years later, she's speaking out for the first time.  Here's ABC's Alex Perez.

After Midnight
In 1995, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy starred in the romantic classic "Before Sunrise."  They continued their love affair in 2004 with "Before Sunset."  And now they're back on the big screen to explore the relationship between their characters, Jesse and Celine, in the new film "Before Midnight.."  ABC's Juju Chang met up with the co-stars to discuss the movie.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

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Perspective Podcast - May 17, 2013

In this edition of Perspective...

OJ Simpson Takes the Stand
OJ Simpson is best known for his successful football career and his headline-grabbing 1995 murder case.  But this week he was back in the public eye after spending the last five years behind bars.  Simpson was found guilty of armed robbery in 2008 and sentenced to up to 33 years in prison.  Now he's trying to convince a judge in Las Vegas that he deserves a new trial.  More from ABC's Neal Karlinsky.

Angelina Jolie
This week Angelina Jolie went public about her effort to combat breast cancer.  The movie star wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times, revealing she underwent a double mastectomy to lower her probability of contracting the disease.  ABC's Cynthia McFadden has the details.

What's Your Klout Score?
Some would argue that online popularity is measured in likes and retweets.  But does your social media footprint have the power to influence others?  The founder of Klout.com says it does and your influence can be measured using a number between one and 100.  Here's ABC's Bill Weir.

Guardian Angels
In the moments when they're fighting for survival, some people have reported an overwhelming sense of calm piercing through the panic.  It's repeatedly described as a spiritual or divine experience, but is it other-worldly or a synapse in the brain?  ABC's Jay Schadler (shade - ler) reports on the work of so-called guardian angels.

Duck Dynasty
Duck Dynasty is the most-watched series on A&E, and it's back for a third season.  Since the show's premiere, the Robertsons have become America's favorite big-bearded, camo-clad family.  Despite their modest beginnings, they've made a fortune on duck calls by turning a backyard business into a multi-million dollar sporting empire.  Here's ABC's Matt Gutman.

Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick has become a household name as the only female racer in the world of Nascar ... a sport known for daredevil drivers competing at dangerous speeds.  But Patrick has also faced a wave of criticism from those who say she's just a pretty face.  ABC's Julie Foudy explains.

Barbara Walters Announces Retirement
This week Barbara Walters announced she will retire from television in 20-14.  She was the first woman on a network evening news program and became well-known for her interviews with newsmakers from all walks of life.  More from ABC's David Muir.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

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