Perspective Podcast - March 29, 2013

In this edition of Perspective...

Arguments on Same Sex Marriage
This week the US Supreme Court heard two days of arguments on gay marriage.  Tuesday, the focus was on California's Prop 8, which bans same sex marriage in the state.  Wednesday's hearing turned to the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.  ABC's Steven Portnoy was inside the court for the arguments.

New Details on the Newtown Shooting
This week we learned more about the man who carried out the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.  The search warrants the police obtained following the December 14th killing of 20 students and six teachers were released, and they paint a chilling picture of how the attack happened and what may have led up to it.  ABC's Aaron Katersky was the first network correspondent to report from Newtown following the killings.  

Elections and Social Media
Could the outcome of the presidential election have been different if Mitt Romney had had a few thousand more Twitter followers and Facebook friends?  Bret Jacobson and Ian Spencer think so.  They're co-founders of the conservative digital strategy group Red Edge and they believe the failed GOP nominee could have defeated President Obama with a better showing on social media.  ABC's Devin Dwyer sat down with Jacobson and Spencer to get the details.

Iraq 10 Years Later
Violence has dominated Iraq for the past decade.  In 2003, U-S-led forces easily won the war but sectarian tensions continued.  Shibley Telhami is a professor at the University of Maryland who says Iraq is "a broken country with deep wounds."  He conducts public opinion polls in the Middle East and reports the overwhelming majority of respondents say Iraq is worse off than before the invasion.  ABC's Christiane Amanpour sat down with Telhami to find out more.

Uncovering Animal Cruelty
Do Americans have a right to see where their food comes from?  That question is at the heart of a battle between farmers and animal rights activists who go undercover with hidden cameras.  ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross reports.

Mugshots for Sale
Mugshot websites are now making big bucks exposing those arrested for even the smallest offenses.  They're outing offenders online and forcing them to pay a hefty sum to reclaim anonymity.  ABC's Steve Osunsami reports on the booming business that's surprisingly legal and potentially destructive.

Stephanie Meyer
Twilight creator Stephanie Meyer transformed vampires and werewolves from scary to sexy.  Her stories are already worth billions and now she's talking about her latest project, titled "The Host."  ABC's Juju Chang has the details.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

Download or stream this edition of Perspective

Perspective Podcast - March 22, 2013

In this edition of Perspective...

10 Years Since the Start of the Iraq War

The First Days of Fighting
On the evening of March 20th, 2003, President George W. Bush announced the opening stages of what he called a "broad and concerted campaign" in Iraq.  The US led an assault on Baghdad with contributing fighting forces from Britain and Australia.  Here now are the sounds from the first days of the conflict.

The First Cavalry
In the weeks of fighting that followed the initial assault, much of Baghdad came under American control.  Iraqis took to the streets to topple statues of Saddam Hussein.  Then on May 1st, President Bush spoke from the deck of an air craft carrier beneath a banner reading "Mission Accomplished."  But the fighting continued in Iraq, and ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz spent a lot of time with one unit who saw a great deal of action, the First Cavalry, which suffered many losses during the fighting.

Operation Red Dawn
Iraq's most wanted fugitive was arrested in December of 2003.  The US Army's 4th Infantry found Saddam Hussein hiding in a spider hole and captured him without firing a single shot.

Abu Ghraib
In April of 2004, disturbing news and even more disturbing photos emerged from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.  The infamous torture and execution center during Saddam's reign was made infamous anew, by a small band of Americans who took pictures as they abused prisoners.  Here's ABC's John Donvan.

Executing Saddam Hussein
In October of 2005, Saddam Hussein stood trial in Baghdad.  In his defiant testimony, he would not recognize the court's authority, calling it a pawn of the American aggressors.  That was one of two trials he would face before being hanged in December of 2006.  A cell phone video of his execution emerged, showing the former dictator being taunted by guards before his death.  ABC's Chris Bury has the details.

Donald Rumsfeld Resigns
Democrats took control of the House and Senate in the 2006 elections.  They won for a lot of reasons, but many say the main reason was the war in Iraq.  Just hours after the results of the mid-term elections were in, President Bush announced one of the key architects of the war would be stepping down.  ABC's Ann Compton reports from the White House.

The Halfway Point
In 2007 we saw an increased American presence in Iraq ... an attempt to tone down the violence.  By the end of that year, many believed the surge had been successful.  But it was also a deadly year for our men and women serving there.  ABC's Aaron Katersky reports.

Announcing the Withdrawal
In 20-10 President Obama announced it was time to turn the page on the Iraq War.  He declared an end to combat operations and spoke of the sacrifices of US troops and their families.  Here's ABC's Terry Moran.

Ending Combat Operations
Though official combat operations were over, 50-thousand US troops were still in Iraq as 20-10 neared its end.  But questions remained about whether Iraqi forces were ready to take over the job of securing their country.  More from ABC's Dan Harris.

The Last Troops Leave
In December of 20-11, United States forces declared a formal end to operations in Iraq during a ceremony in Baghdad.  Defense Secretary Leon Panetta thanked more than a million American service members for the progress made since 2003 but he acknowledged that severe challenges still face the struggling democracy.  ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz was there when the last troops left Iraq.

By the Numbers
Bob Woodruff was one of the many ABC News correspondents who traveled to Iraq and reported on the conflict facing our troops.  He now brings us an account of the toll and the progress of that war.

Remembering the War
A decade since the start of the Iraq War, former US Army Vice Chief of Staff Peter Chiarelli still has a hard time talking about the soldiers he lost during the war.  ABC News Chief Global Correspondent Martha Raddatz sat down with Chiarelli to discuss the war and the men and women who died in the conflict.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

Download or stream this edition of Perspective

Perspective Podcast - March 15, 2013

In this edition of Perspective...

The New Pope
This week more than a billion Catholics around the world celebrated the election of the 266th pope.  Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit, and the first non-European in nearly 13-hundred years.  He's also the first to take the name Francis.  ABC's Terry Moran has more from Rome.

Reaction Around the World
Many did not expect Cardinal Bergoglio to be named pope.  His predecessor, Benedict the 16th, was well-known throughout the world before he became pope, but Bergoglio was an unfamiliar name to most Catholics.  Now many are celebrating him across the globe.  ABC's Linda Albin has the details.

Celebrity Hacking
This week more than a dozen celebrities and political figures like Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden allegedly had their private financial information hacked and posted online.   It's the latest attack raising concerns about the security of sensitive information stored digitally.  ABC News Chief Law and Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas has the details.

President Barack Obama
Now to an ABC News exclusive interview with President Obama.  He sat down this week with ABC's George Stephanopoulos to discuss those cyber attacks, plus nuclear concerns from North Korea, and the debate in Washington over the budget.

Sheryl Sandberg: "Lean In"
Sheryl Sandberg is 43 years old but has already been a Washington chief of staff and a top executive at Google.  Now she's the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook and a director at Disney, the parent company of ABC News.  She's excelled at every step of her career and is working to inspire other women to do the same.  Here's ABC's Elizabeth Vargas.

Women in Battle
Staff Sergeant Jennifer Hunt is one of four women who filed a lawsuit to end the ban on direct combat for women.  She has served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded a purple heart.  ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz sat down with Hunt to discuss the issue of women on the front lines of battle.

The World According to Dick Cheney
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has a reputation for secrecy, but in a new documentary he gave an unprecedented level of access to filmmaker R.J. Cutler.  "The World According to Dick Cheney" chronicles the former vice president's four-decade-long career.  For more on the documentary, ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl spoke to Cutler.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

Download or stream this edition of Perspective