Perspective Podcast - March 25th, 2011

In this edition of Perspective...

Target Libya Exclusive.

There are indications that there could be more huge and potentially bloody uprisings in Syria and Yemen, but as for the current revolution in Libya, news came that the U.S. will turn over command to NATO to enforce that no fly zone.  But questions remain.  What is the U.S. role going forward? With Moammar Gadhafi's air force smoldering, what do we do now and for how long?  ABC's Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz went in search of answers in the exclusive first interview with the operation's top brass.

Japan:  The Exclusion Zone.

It is like something out of Stephen King.  An entire population suddenly shut off from the rest of the world, trapped by an invisible barrier, unable to escape an airborne toxic threat, that everyone knows can kill them.  But, it is not fiction.  ABC's David Wright went inside Japan's "exclusion zone".  

Elizabeth Taylor Remembered.

This week Elizabeth Taylor died at the age of 79.  The reaction to her death crossed multiple generations, from tv news to Twitter.  We are lucky that we can call on a colleague of ours who knew Elizabeth Taylor as both a subject and as a friend.  ABC's Barbara Walters interviewed Taylor five times and explains what it was about the actress that captured our imagination.

Madoff Family Survival Kit.

Remember the "Calgon, take me away" commercial? If only someone could come up with a quake stopping, reactor patching, war ending, bubble bath.  Until then we have the disaster preparedness industry, which for obvious reasons is booming.  Jumping into the upper end of that business is one family with huge name recognition.  ABC's John Berman explains.  

The Science of Memory.

Do you have a hard time remembering names, lists, phone numbers or where you put the car keys?  It turns out there are simple techniques using visualization exercises that can help anyone create a "memory machine".  ABC's Dan Harris brings us the latest revelations.

Jennifer Hudson.

In recent years Jennifer Hudson has gone from the high of winning an Oscar to the unimaginable opposite, the murder of her mother, her brother and her nephew.  But, a new life literally is giving her a new song to sing.  ABC's Deborah Roberts explains.  

Host: Cheri Preston

Producer: Jason Wesalo

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Perspective Podcast - March 18th, 2011

In this edition of Perspective...

Japan:  Fear or Fallout?

Japan is struggling to recover from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that was followed by a massive 23 foot wall of water.  The tsunami alone erased entire towns in Northwestern Japan.  But for the last several days the world's focus has been almost exclusively on that crippled nuclear plant near the epicenter of the quake, where workers have been desperately fighting to stop a catastrophe.  ABC's Clarissa Ward reports from the streets of Osaka, Japan.  

Japan:  The Exodus.

Some Japanese are still tragically stranded in the nuclear evacuation zone, but many more this week were on the move, lining up at gas stations and crowding airports, in an effort to get as far away from the danger as possible.  Among them was an American family.  ABC's Bill Weir has their story.  

Are We at Risk?

There is a pretty good chance that you power your life thanks to one of the 104 nuclear power plants built in 31 states across America.    Some of them are even built on seismic fault lines you may never have heard of before.  So the obvious question these days is how strong are they?  Could they survive a 9.0 earthquake, like the one that has decimated Japan.  For a look at just that question here is ABC's David Wright from a nuclear power facility in Southern California.

Radiation Explained.

If you wonder if your fellow Americans are concerned about the nuclear fallout from Japan, just check out most retailers these days, where there is a run on iodine pills, Geiger counters, and emergency kits. Experts say that all of that is unnecessary at this point, but ABC's Dan Harris tried to determine how much radiation we actually encounter on a daily basis.  

Heart Attack Grill.

It is a simple rule of modern eating, fatty foods in huge portions are bad for you.  But you are about to enter a dietary twilight zone, a restaurant that makes the potentially harmful nature of its food a selling point.  It's name is "The Heart-Attack Grill" and it does bring a sort of whimsical comedy to serving up giant versions of meals that have been American favorites for generations.  But as ABC's Ryan Owens explains, beyond the comedy are some very real health concerns.  

Longevity.

In 1921 the psychologist Lewis Terman launched a study to follow about 1,500 children for their entire lives, tracking their behavior and personality traits.  Of course some of the subjects lived longer than others, but why?  Did certain traits, apart from obvious risk-taking, seem to add or subtract to their life spans?  ABC's John Donvan takes a look.  

Greyson Chance.

They are young stars who attract huge audiences of equally young fans and generate massive profits. Recently in Liverpool, England, police had to take anti-riot precautions when a crowd of screaming girls gathered outside a hotel where the singer Justin Bieber was staying.  At 17, Bieber has been a huge star for years now and the question is already been asked, who is next?  ABC's Neal Karlinsky found out. 

Host: Cheri Preston

Producer: Jason Wesalo

Download or stream this episode of the Perspective Podcast

Perspective Podcast - March 11th, 2011

In this edition of Perspective...

Earthquake in Japan.

Early Friday morning an 8.9 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami with 13-foot high waves that battered the coast of Northern Japan.   The Japanese Prime Minister called for calm as his country initiated a massive emergency response.  Japan's military was dispatched to the quake zone, airports were shut down, subways were closed, and workers hundreds of miles away in Tokyo described grabbing on to the edge of their desks just to hang on.  ABC's Juju Chang takes us through the moment the earthquake hit.

President Obama News Conference.

President Obama personally called the Japanese Prime Minister, pledging to help Japan with any assistance that may be needed.  On Friday the president addressed the earthquake, as well as rising oil prices in a news conference.

Crime Family Saga.

Despite what "The Godfather" taught us, most self-respecting mobsters hope all their sons find a legitimate line of work.  But one notorious Chicago hitman had no such parental instinct.  He pulled his son into the mob and it cost him his family and his freedom.  For the first time ever, you are about to hear from the most important mafia turncoat in recent history.  He is the man at the center of what the FBI called, "Operation Family Secrets".  ABC's Bill Weir reports. 

The Adam Walsh Case.

It is one of the most famous crimes in American History.  In fact it has been called "The crime that changed America".  Before the disappearance of 6-year-old Adam Walsh, there were no "Amber Alerts" or missing kids on milk-cartons.  But during the decades that the case went unsolved, Adam's father John Walsh got famous for hunting down bad guys on "America's Most Wanted".  Adam's mother has been largely silent until now.  ABC's Dan Harris explains.   

Suze Orman.

Prices are spiking at the pump, jobs are still scarce, and tax day is on the horizon.  With all that is going on, so many Americans are feeling added pressure to get their finances in order.  For the millions of people that buy her books and watch her on television, that is where financial guru Suze Orman comes in.  But lately Orman has reversed some of the key points of advice she used to give.  She had a chance to tell ABCs Vicki Mabrey why.

Sheen & Twitter.

Charlie Sheen lost his day job on the hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men".  It might be hard for Sheen to replace the nearly $2 million per episode that role brought him.  But he is already on to at least one source of income, Twitter.  So, what is a tweet worth?  ABC's John Donvan found out.

Host: Cheri Preston

Producer: Jason Wesalo

Download or stream this episode of the Perspective Podcast