Perspective Podcast - July 29, 2011

In this edition of Perspective...

Ft. Hood Plan Thwarted.

It was the same Texas gun store where Major Nidal Hasan stocked up in 2009 before killing 13 and wounding 32 on his Fort Hood rampage.  This time, when a 21 year old walked in to buy ammunition and gun powder, the clerk grew suspicious, called police and officials arrested the suspect.  The man turned out to be an AWOL soldier, a Muslim who is mad at the army.  ABC's Ryan Owens has the latest.  

AWOL Soldier.

The suspect 21 year old Naser Abdo, was already facing court marshall before his alleged attack was foiled.  ABC's Pierre Thomas has more now on the man behind the alleged plot.

Survivor's Club.

The idea of how anyone, let alone a child can survive the horror of an abduction fascinates us.  We have the story of two little girls who managed to do the impossible, escape the clutches of a monster.  Yet, their battle to survive would continue long after they made it home.  Hear them as they were then and now, as many as 10 years later.  It is proof that recovery is a long and winding road.  ABC's Chris Cuomo explains.  

Spirit Bears.

When bears are in the news, it's usually not for a positive reason.  Events like bear attacks can often overshadow the reclusive and even peaceful nature of most bears, including one extremely rare species that ABC's David Wright had a chance to meet.  

6 Year Old On a Diet.

One reason eating disorders are so difficult to treat is because patient's troubling feelings about their bodies can be so hard to unravel.  It's even more difficult to treat when the patient is not a high school student or an adult, but rather a young child.  Yet a government study covering the years 1999-2006 revealed the shocking fact that hospitalizations for eating disorders increased most sharply, by 119%, for children younger than 12 years old.  Here's ABC's Andrea Canning.  

Mommywood.

It used to be that having a kid could be a big detour in an entertainment career. But now for some celebrity moms, it looks like exactly the opposite is happening.  Their kids become part of their entertainment identities, even their brands and ultimately help to create new success.  This may sound like child exploitation to some ears, but ABC's Juju Chang had a chance to put the question directly to the moms themselves.  

Host:  Cheri Preston

Producer:  Jason Wesalo

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Perspective Podcast - July 22, 2011

In this edition of Perspective...

Heat Wave.

This week it has not only been hot, but it has been deadly hot.  At least 22 people have died so far in the heat wave currently sweeping the country.  Factors such as relative humidity of more than 90% and little or no wind are making temperatures that are already high feel downright unbearable.  ABC's John Donvan takes a snapshot of our sizzling states.

Space Shuttle History.

One place a record crowd didn't mind the warm weather, was in Cape Canaveral, Florida to witness the landing of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.  For one last time Atlantis made a long, steep turn, lined up with the runway and landed in the half-light before dawn at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.  ABC's Ned Potter takes a look back as the 30 year old shuttle program comes to an end.

Yukon Gold.

It's a mix of high adventure and investor's flare, moving to the middle of nowhere and risking everything, based on a hunch about hidden treasure.  They say bravery can look a lot like stupidity and it's only in retrospect which is which.  Well, in retrospect Sean Ryan is not only very brave, he's very rich.  Here's ABC's David Wright.

Margarita Man.

Another American success story involves a very popular drink, the margarita.  With temperatures expected to reach three digits, you might just find yourself at some point staring at that hypnotic spin of a frozen margarita machine, waiting for its delicious delivery.  If so, you'll have one man to thank.  ABC's Ryan Owens explains.

Casey Anthony Free.

She's not only out of jail, Casey Anthony is on the move.  The SUV she ducked into when she left the Orange County Jail last weekend, took her to a small airport, local sources say.  But, it's unclear exactly where she might have flown or even if she did fly.  While Casey Anthony may have been acquitted of murder, how she'll fare in the court of public opinion is an entirely different matter.  ABC's Jim Avila explains.  

Cry for Help:  Drought.

We wanted to tell you about a humanitarian crisis you may not have heard of.  East Africa is in the middle of the worst drought it has had in 60 years.  This week the United Nations declared a famine in parts of Somalia.  This is also a region just ravaged by war and terrorism.  Here's ABC's Lama Hasan with more.  

"Cowboys & Aliens".

There is nothing like a great Western and there is nothing like a sci-fi spectacular.  So why not combine them?  And imagine teaming James Bond with Han Solo.  There is nothing in the universe those two guys couldn't take on.  Well that's sort of the idea behind "Cowboys & Aliens", the new film which opens July 29th.  ABC's Terry Moran had a chance to talk with the film's two megastars Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig about how wearing boots and spurs was a dream come true for them.

Host:  Cheri Preston

Producer:  Jason Wesalo

Download or stream this edition of the Perspective Podcast

Perspective Podcast - July 15, 2011

In this edition of Perspective...

Rupert Murdoch.

There is suspicion that in the wake of the September 11th attacks, British journalists used bribery and wiretapping to access the voicemail of victims and their families.  A New York Congressman has asked the FBI to investigate News Corporation, which owns "Fox News", "The Wall Street Journal" and the now shamed and shuttered British tabloid "News of the World".  At the center of the scandal is the man who built News Corp, Rupert Murdoch.  ABC's Jeffrey Kofman has the latest.  

Sergeant Joey Jones.

It is a story that goes to the heart of our country's tradition of freedom won through sacrifice, from the revolution right until today.  This is the amazing story of one marine we first met more than a year ago in Afghanistan, in a place that years of war had made unsafe for everyone.  Yet, he had signed up for duty that put him directly in harms way.  He had talked to us about the risks at the time.  ABC's Clarissa Ward brings us this marine's story then and now.  

Pedophile Danger.

It was an amazing and inspirational television experience.  Jaycee Dugard in an exclusive interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer told her harrowing story of being held captive for 18 years by a sexual offender.  Jaycee's hope and strength shone through in that program, but the story is also enraging.  Her abductor had done prison time for a prior sex offense.  So how could he and other sex offenders like him be allowed to strike again and again?  ABC's Dan Harris investigates.

Klein-Levin Syndrome.

In the fairy tale version of "Sleeping Beauty", a kiss is all that is needed to wake up the maiden.  But the parents you are about to meet, face this nightmare in real life.  Their daughter began to sleep for days, sometimes for more than a week at a time, with seemingly no medical explanation.  Their hunt for a cure became a life consuming quest.  Here is ABC's Juju Chang with what they finally found.  

Seth Myers

"The Los Angeles Dodgers are so broke, their firstbase coach is a mirror reflecting their third base coach".  That was just one of the gems delivered by Seth Myers at the ESPY Awards this week.  From "Saturday Night Live" to the White House Correspondent's Dinner, he is suddenly a man in demand. ABC's John Berman explains.  

Host:  Cheri Preston

Producer:  Jason Wesalo

Download or stream this episode of the Perspective Podcast