An introduction to the world of VICE and a look a what's in store for viewers.
'Assassination Nation' - The Philippines are the most dangerous place in the world to run for office, as politicians are routinely killed by their rivals. In 2009, a convoy of 57 of Governor Esmael Mangudadatu's supporters, friends and family were ambushed and killed as they drove to file his papers to run for office. Correspondent Ryan Duffy rides with the governor-and his heavily armed convoy-as he attempts to file his papers to run again. Duffy explores the gun crazy attitudes prevalent in the Philippines, where some areas boast a 70 percent gun ownership rate, and visits with underground gun makers and a terrorist training camp, which consists almost entirely of children. 'The Killer Kids of the Taliban' - In Afghanistan, the Taliban has ramped up its use of children in suicide bombing terrorist attacks. Ranging from teenagers to children as young as six years old, they are routinely manipulated and lied to as they are sent to blow up their targets. VICE co-founder Shane Smith travels to Kabul to speak with children who have been arrested before detonating themselves. He finds they're often ignorant of the actual teachings of the Koran, but have been misled by terror-preaching imams. In a visit with a high-ranking Taliban official, the former commander is cagey when asked about the subject of suicide bombing, but feels its use is justified in a time of war. When Smith visits the family of victims of one of the worst attacks in Kabul's history, they demand to know why.
Vice correspondent Ryan Duffy visits an illegal backyard gun shop in Danao, Philippines, where an underground gunmaker teaches him just how guns in the Philippines get made.
'Escape from North Korea' - Thousands of North Koreans cross the border into China illegally every year. Living in perpetual fear of being discovered, with all odds against them, defectors still do everything they can to leave. If arrested in communist Laos, they may be sent back to North Korea to face prison camp or worse. The risks of escaping the North and heading to the South are so great that fewer than 25,000 North Koreans have ever made the journey successfully. VICE joins a South Korean pastor who has developed a modern-day underground railroad to move defectors from China to freedom and eventual citizenship in South Korea. 'World’s Most Dangerous Border' - The most dangerous place in the world is Kashmir's line of control, which partially occupies the Indian state and separates India from Pakistan. Observers in both India and Pakistan believe the decades-old conflict between the two nations could potentially lead to the end of the world as we know it. VICE travels across Pakistan to the contested line of control in Kashmir, pointing out how close a nuclear apocalypse is yet again.
While in Bajaur, Pakistan - considered the main refuge and supply-route for Taliban insurgents - Shane gets a first-hand look at what a raid operation with Bajaur Scouts looks like.
Before heading out to the Line of Control that divides India and Pakistan, Shane decides to buy the local garb -- shalwar kameez - to fit in.
Before a defector can officially become a member of South Korean society, he or she must complete a program at the Hanawon Resettlement Center. Thomas sits down with the Director of Education to get a glimpse into the crash course that transforms defector into denizen.
'Gun School' - With an average of 83 people dying in gun-related violence every day in the U.S., the debate over firearms continues to heat up. VICE visits the New Life Baptist Church & Academy in Albuquerque, NM, where Pastor Larry Allen preaches guns and teaches guns. His school is fully armed with an ex-police security team, and his young students are taught gun drills and tactics to disarm attackers. 'Toxic Iraq' - After ravaging Iraq over the past decade, the U.S. is finally exiting the country, leaving behind a toxic cesspool of military waste. Since the assaults on Fallujah in 2004, the city has seen an astronomical rise in birth defects and abnormalities, which some have linked to the American military's suspected use of depleted-uranium rounds munitions during the war. We go back to Iraq - but this time, with a Geiger counter in hand.
'Chinese Cockblock' - China’s “one child” policy and a cultural preference for male babies, has created a market where marrying-age men outnumber women by the millions. 'European Meltdown' - With their economy in the toilet and no jobs to be had, Europe’s youth are taking to the streets to demand radical changes.
At a rally held by the National Democratic Party (NDP), the largest far right party in Germany, we see the NDP and their oppositionists face off.
Amidst the economic strain in France, the far right Front National has experienced a resurgence in popularity. Shane meets the new face of French nationalism and the successors of the Le Pen lineage, Marine Le Pen and Marion Marechal-Le Pen.
'Mormon Lost Boys' - In today's Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) Church, many young men have been thrown out of their homes because of an edict allowing polygamist church elders to monopolize all the eligible young girls. These "lost boys," few of whom have even an 8th-grade education, must adjust to a drastically different America than the one they grew up in. We travel to Colorado Springs to meet some of these young men and listen to their harrowing stories. 'The Fat Farms of Mauritania' - Ironically, in one of the world's poorest countries, obesity is a sign of beauty and wealth. In the West African country of Mauritania, parents send their daughters to rural fattening camps, where they are force-fed over 15,000 calories a day in camel milk, figs, oiled breadcrumbs and couscous. VICE sends its skinniest correspondent to one of these camps to examine the impact of force-feeding on young women in a society that loves them so plump. Mumbai Slumscraper: Nowhere in the world is the collision of caste and future more apparent than in Mumbai, where more than half its residents live in slums sprawled in the shadow of billion-dollar, single-family skyscrapers. VICE travels to Mumbai's Dharavi slum, where over a million people live in abject poverty while billion-dollar single-family skyscrapers are being built on top of them.
Lorin Holm, who has been excommunicated from the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints since 2011, invited us to his home to give us a first-hand look of the house he once shared with his three wives and 25 children.
'China’s Ghost Towns' - Fifteen years ago, China changed its policy so people could buy their own homes. Real-estate investments boomed, and new cities began popping up each year, many inspired by western design and mimicking iconic locales like Paris and lower Manhattan. The problem is: people don’t live here. One ghost city in Inner Mongolia, built to house one million people, is now an empty shell of unoccupied skyscrapers and abandoned construction sites. VICE checks out this and other urban failures to figure out how China’s preoccupation with growing its GNP turned “supply and demand” into “build now, sell later.” 'Egypt on the Brink' - Over two years ago, Arab Spring climaxed in the overthrow of President Mubarek in Egypt. But for many Egyptians, the situation has actually gotten worse, as has the man who replaced Mubarek: Mohamed Morsi, elected under the radical Muslim Brotherhood banner. VICE visits the embattled streets of Cairo, where opposition to Morsi has resulted in renewed mass protests and violence in Tahrir Square. Among those we meet: members of the Black Bloc, youthful revolutionaries who disguise themselves with hoods and scarfs while vowing to oust Morsi and destroy the Muslim Brotherhood.
Vice correspondent, Ryan Duffy takes a stroll with some tour guides through Thames Town in Songjiang, China and learns about the English 'Copy Cat City', its value, uses and the 'One City, Nine Towns' plan China has established for the outskirts of Shanghai.
Vice Founder Suroosh Alvi meets with some local activists around Tahrir Square to learn about the horrible conditions Egyptian women have been put in while their country has been turned upside down.
'Tobaccoland' - The dangers of smoking are no secret in the U.S., but in Indonesia, the tobacco industry is virtually unregulated. The result? Over two-thirds of all men are smokers, and it is commonplace for children as young as six to take up the habit. Tobacco is a $100 billion industry here, with TV and print ads everywhere. Investigating this phenomenon in Malang, VICE visits a clinic that promises cures to a plethora of modern ailments through tobacco and smoking – with our intrepid correspondent getting the full smoke-therapy treatment. 'Underground Heroin Clinic' - Heroin is the most addictive drug on earth, and some people will do anything to kick the habit. Enter Ibogaine – a drug made out of the African iboga root, whose intense, hallucinogenic properties make it a Type-A felony drug. But many swear it's the most effective way to kick heroin addiction – especially when combined with a voodoo-type ritual that involves face paint and chanting. VICE follows the journey of a heroin addict who travels to Mexico, where Ibogaine is legal, to try to finally quit.
Vice Founder, Shane Smith heads to Harlem to meet up with Matt, a heroin user who recently kicked his habit through a ritual ceremony involving the psychedelic drug, ibogaine
Vice Correspondent Thomas Morton attends an anti-tobacco Human Rights Day in Jakarta, Indonesia where he tries to kick his addiction.
'Senegalese Laamb Wrestling' - The most popular sport in the West African country of Senegal isn’t soccer – it’s laamb, combining Greco-Roman wrestling moves with eclectic pre-fight rituals and dances. Laamb’s appeal has skyrocketed as the nation’s economy has plunged (the average income for Senegalese workers is about $3 a day), and top stars are of the Michael Jordan magnitude. In a jarring contrast of color and size, VICE visits Bombardier, a laamb star who’s a hero in his hometown of Mbao, to learn about the physical and spiritual sides of the sport – and to train for our intrepid correspondent’s debut in the ring. 'The World Is Sinking' - The global sea level rose by 22 cms in the past 100 years – and is expected to rise even faster in the years to come. Naysayers who insist that global warming is just a mirage can look no further than Venice, where the famous St. Mark’s Square is underwater a third of the year, or the Maldives, the island nation which is in jeopardy of sinking into the Indian Ocean. Shane Smith travels from Europe to the Maldives to New York (site of massive flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy) to measure what we might expect if climate change and rising sea levels continue unabated.
Vice Founder, Shane Smith, explores global warming by talking to leading experts about what can be done to save the impending disasters that are caused by rising water levels around the world.
Vice Correspondent Thomas Morton trains for an upcoming laamb wrestling match and meets a Senegalese shaman who bathes him in a series of potions to give him an edge over his opponent.
'Chiraq' - The lethal combination of gangs and guns has turned Chicago into a war zone. To see why the Windy City, now dubbed "Chiraq," had the country’s highest homicide rate in 2012, VICE visits Chicago's most dangerous areas, where handguns are plentiful and the police and community leaders are fighting a losing battle against gang violence. In the neighborhood of Englewood, we patrol with police, visit with religious leaders, and hang out with members of gangs – soldiers in a turf war that has spread into new communities as projects are destroyed and residents are forced to move elsewhere. 'Nigeria’s Oil Pirates' - High unemployment, political corruption, and the unequal sharing of oil resources have turned today’s Niger Delta into a hell on earth. Oil theft has become big business in Nigeria, costing oil companies more than $7 billion per year while polluting coastal farmlands and fisheries – and wrecking the lives and livelihoods of local residents. VICE travels to Africa’s oil-producing region to meet with oil thieves who refine and sell oil in West Africa, and follows one farmer’s attempt to sue a foreign oil company for poisoning his family’s land.
Vice Correspondent Thomas Morton meets some young Chicago rappers to gauge the impact of street violence on their lives and music.
Vice Founder Suroosh Alvi hangs out with some Nigerian locals who explain how oil spills affect their community and land.
'Basketball Diplomacy' - U.S. relations with North Korea have been strained to the breaking point by the country’s disturbing nuclear-weapons threats, backed by “supreme leader” Kim Jong-un’s anti-American rhetoric. Fortunately, Kim shares one of his late father’s passions: American basketball. With that in mind, and through official and backdoor channels, VICE organized an unlikely, highly publicized trip to North Korea, hoping to thaw out relations through some hoops diplomacy. With NBA great Dennis Rodman and a trio of exuberant Harlem Globetrotters in tow, VICE traveled to the capital of Pyongyang for a surreal tour of the city, a basketball clinic with under-18 players, an exhibition game witnessed by Kim and 10,000 adoring fans, and - most surprising - a first-ever meeting between the baby-faced leader and an American delegation.
A look ahead at Season 2 and the reporters responsible for bringing the stories to light.
'The Afghan Money Pit' - The U.S. has spent nearly $100 billion on reconstruction projects in Afghanistan, the most spent on any country in history. But John Sopko, special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, has found that much of that money has been wasted and misused, and has even fallen into the hands of the Taliban. Shane Smith heads to Afghanistan for a tour of American taxpayer dollars gone down the drain. 'The Pacification of Rio' - Rio de Janeiro is working hard to remedy its reputation as a drug and murder capital in time for the upcoming World Cup and Olympics. The Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE) has been charged with pacifying the slums (favelas), but BOPE's military occupation of increasing numbers of favelas has been criticized as heavy-handed. Some corrupt members of the BOPE, together with ex-police, have formed militia gangs of their own and are controlling many favelas by sinister means, openly extorting, torturing, killing and making criminals disappear. Still, there are hundreds of favelas, untouched by pacification, that remain under the control of drug gangs who act with complete impunity. Ben Anderson looks behind the picturesque façade of Rio's marketing campaign to reveal the dark underbelly of the city.
'Greenland is Melting' - Greenland recorded its highest temperatures ever in 2013. Though some say that's not cause for concern, the equivalent of three Chesapeake Bays'-worth of water melts off the island every year, affecting sea levels around the world. Shane Smith embarks on an expedition to Greenland with climate scientist Jason Box to discover the reasons for the melting, and how the resulting sea level rise will mean devastation sooner than expected. 'Bonded Labor' - Millions of men, women and children work as bonded laborers in Pakistan's brick kilns. This abusive practice is facilitated by the devastating disenfranchisement of workers and by the pervasive corruption of the brick kiln industry and Pakistani law enforcement. Fazeelat Aslam goes to the brick kilns to see the conditions and learn how certain organizations are fighting back by rescuing the workers from this modern-day slavery.
'American Scrap' - Ailing American manufacturing cities like Detroit and Cleveland are experiencing a boom in a new trend known as scrapping. David Choe looks into the life cycle of scrap metal, from the people that risk their lives to find it, to the yards that buy the metal, all the way to the Chinese traders who funnel it back home. 'Children of the Drones' - Suroosh Alvi investigates the effects of drone strikes in Pakistan, where extremism and militancy are only growing in the wake of Obama's drone campaign.
'A Syria of Their Own' - Thomas Morton goes to the frontline of the battle for a Kurdish state to follow the story of Syria's forgotten ethnic group, the Kurds. 'White Gold' - Rhino horn has been coveted in Eastern medicine for centuries. Vikram Gandhi traces the trade from Southern Africa to Vietnam to understand this illicit phenomenon which has been on the rise.
'Terrorist University' - Dagestan is Russia's hotbed for Muslim extremism; Shane Smith heads there to follow in the footsteps of Boston Marathon Bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev who spent six months there. 'Armageddon Now' - Thomas Morton looks at the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the surprising Evangelical support for the Jewish State.
'Rocky Mountain High' - The legalization of marijuana in the United States is now a reality. Businessmen, and even lawmakers are trying to capitalize on the potential success of the end of marijuana prohibition. David Choe looks at the rising entrepreneurs and businesses of this ever-growing trade. 'North Korean Defectors' - Last season, VICE on HBO followed the lives of the North Korean defectors on their perilous journey escaping the Hermit Kingdom. Vikram Gandhi follows the paths of these defectors and their new lives in the highly modernized society of South Korea.
'The Pink Gang Rebellion' - The brutal details of a 2012 gang rape on a Delhi bus focused international attention on India’s rampant rape issue. Inept law enforcement, the social stigma associated with rape, and a patriarchal social structure have allowed sexual assaults to plague Indian women. But one woman, Sampat Pal, has galvanized a group of rural women into the Gulabi Gang, or Pink Gang, to combat the injustice of sexual assault. Gelareh Kiazand heads to rural Indian to investigate the issue and embed with this revolutionary gang. 'Genetic Passport' - From 1949 to 1989, the Soviet Union, determined to prepare for nuclear warfare, detonated more than 450 nuclear bombs in an area of Kazakhstan known as the Semipalatinsk Test Site. For hundreds of thousands of Kazakhs, radiation not only surrounded them, but became part of their DNA. Thomas Morton goes to Kazakhstan to learn more about this controversial initiative.
‘The Resource Curse’ - Vikram Gandhi heads to Papua New Guinea to investigate the impact of Exxon Mobil on the small Melanesian country, where the American corporation is developing a $19 billion liquid natural gas project expected to start production in late 2014. ‘Deliver Us From Drought’ – Thomas Morton heads to Texas to witness the climate catastrophe, and discover firsthand the local response.
'Crude Awakening' - Shane Smith heads to Louisiana to report on the lasting effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, where four years later, mass quantities of oil still wash ashore. 'The Enemy of My Enemy' - Ben Anderson goes deep into Houthi-controlled territory to learn about the group that’s fighting, and beating, Al Qaeda in the east, Saudi Arabia in the north, and Yemen’s central government in the south.
‘Playing with Nuclear Fire’ - In March 2011, the Tohoku earthquake in Japan created a tsunami that killed some 16,000 people and caused an estimated $210 billion worth of damage, including crippling the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant resulting in massive emissions of radioactive materials. Vikram Gandhi heads to Japan to investigate what's really going on at ground zero of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. ‘No Man Left Behind’ - For many U.S. veterans returning from Iran and Afghanistan, the transition to civilian life is too often marred by mental illnesses including anxiety, depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Ryan Duffy meets with veterans struggling with mental illness and addiction to find out how the men and women who risked their lives on the battlefield are now falling through the cracks back at home.
‘Heroin Warfare’ - Since the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, heroin production in the region has skyrocketed, making the country the number-one producer in the world by a large margin. Suroosh Alvi got a rare look inside Iran to meet the suffering heroin addicts, and to see how the country is coping with the illegal drug trade. ‘The Coldest War’ - With the polar ice caps shrinking due to global warming, new trade routes are being exposed, along with billions of dollars' worth of natural-resource reserves. This is prime real estate and the five nations bordering the Arctic are readying themselves to fight for it. David Choe headed north to witness NATO forces participating in the largest polar military exercise in history.
‘Surveillance City’ – Vikram Gandhi heads to Camden, New Jersey where a police surveillance system is transforming law enforcement in the city. ‘The Forgotten War’ – Ben Anderson heads to refugee camps in Chad and Sudan to meet victims of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s brutal genocide. Little has been done about the problem in the past decade and now rebel groups are poised for a civil war.
An hour-long in-depth documentary that focuses on therapies that go far, far beyond chemo. We'll be taking a look at how doctors use HIV, measles, and genetically-engineered cold viruses to strengthen patients' immune systems and wipe out cancer cells without damaging their bodies the way chemo normally does.
A report on climate change that features a visit to Antarctica to observe melting glaciers and a report on rising sea levels in Bangladesh. Then an interview with Vice President Joe Biden.
'To Serve and Protect' - Thomas Morton reports from Ferguson, Mo., in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, and interviews journalist Radley Balko about the militarization of police in the U.S.. 'Coming to America' - Suroosh Alvi visits El Salvador to observe the reasons behind mass migration north, and chronicles a journey through Central America on top of trains that leads to the U.S.
'We The People' - Gianna Toboni explores the rise of militias in the U.S. 'Countdown to Extinction' - Isobel Yeung investigates the consequences of unsustainable fishing practices.
'Lines in the Sand' - Ben Anderson explores the trafficking hot spots of South America and Africa to find out who is profiting from Europe's cocaine habit. 'Outsourcing Embryos' - Gianna Toboni explores some of India's 3,000 surrogacy clinics, watching doctors deliver surrogate babies, and following recruiters who find prospective surrogates in the slums.
‘Synthetic Drug Revolution’ - Hamilton Morris investigates the man-made chemical compounds that are becoming some of the most frequently abused substances in American high schools. He traces them back to their source in Chinese factories and meets the godfather of modern synthetic drugs in his remote lab in New Zealand. ‘Transsexuals of Iran’ - Thomas Morton follows the stories of homosexuals and transsexuals in Iran as they navigate a terrifying cultural landscape where homosexuals can be put to death and transsexuals can get state sponsored gender reassignment surgery.
‘The Post-Antibiotic World’ - Thomas Morton deep in to the jungle, and deep underground, to aid in the search for new antibiotics to combat the growing number of drug-resistant bacterial infections known as superbugs. ‘Indonesia’s Palm Bomb’ - Ben Anderson travels to Indonesia to assess the impact of palm oil farming on the native rainforest and the locals.
'Sweet Home Alabama' - Thomas Morton reports on the fallout from anti-immigration legislation in Alabama. 'Haitian Money Pit' - Vikram Gandhi visits Haiti to examine what happened to billions of dollars in relief and reconstruction aid following the 2010 earthquake.
'Egyptian Tomb Raiders' - Gianna Toboni investigates who's behind the looting of antiquities in the Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. 'Rent a White Guy' - Thomas Morton reports on the popularity of Western white males in China.
‘Savior Seeds’ - Genetically modified seeds have been planted around the world and hailed as a solution to global hunger. But these crops, called GMOs for "genetically modified organisms," have also sparked heated protest. Isobel Yeung traced the path of these super-crops from the headquarters of American agribusiness titan Monsanto to the soy fields of Paraguay, and visits the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, high in the Arctic, to see what's truly at stake when humans try to improve on nature. ‘India's Water Crisis’ - India is the largest democracy on Earth – with an advanced economy, a highly educated population, and cutting-edge space and nuclear weapons programs. But like many countries around the world, India hasn't been able to provide adequate clean water and sanitation systems for its growing population. Open defecation is widespread, and about 80 percent of sewage in India's cities flows directly into vital waterways like the Ganges. Tania Rashid went to India to see just how bad the problem is, and why water is such a pressing issue here and around the world.
‘A Prayer for Uganda’ - Isobel Yeung travels to Uganda to meet some of the anti-gay leaders teaching intolerance to Uganda's youth, and uncovs disturbing ties between their message and the lessons that American fundamentalists have been pushing for years. ‘Kidneyville’ - Vikram Gandhi heads to Dhaka to explore the thriving illegal market for kidneys, and to see why so many of the country's poor are willing to sell their organs for the cash they need.
'Evolution of a Plague' - A report on the Ebola outbreak in Africa. 'Campus Coverup' - An investigation of sexual assault on college campuses and why schools try to keep it off the record includes remarks by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).
'Enemies at the Gates' - Suroosh Alvi travels to Saudi Arabia to see how America's staunchest Arab ally is defending itself - and how it may be fanning the flames of global militancy. 'Global Jihad' - Gianna Toboni travels to Europe to meet some of the young men drawn to ISIS's call, and visits with American Navy strike pilots working to roll back the Islamic State's gains.
'Afghanistan After Us' - Ben Anderson returns to Helmand, the country's most violent province, to investigate the security situation in Afghanistan as American involvement winds down. 'La Haine' - Vikram Gandhi goes to Paris to gauge the causes of the growing hate in the City of Lights.
The increasingly strained relationship between Russia and NATO is examined in the Season 3 finale, which includes remarks by U.S. president Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden.
The special offers a panoramic perspective on crime and punishment, and will follow all the key characters in America’s sprawling justice system, including prisoners and their families, members of the judiciary, and community reformers.
In honor of World AIDS day, Vice dives deep into the revolutionary breakthroughs happening in AIDS/HIV prevention and treatment.
The new Vice Special Report: Fighting ISIS takes you to the front lines in Iraq, where Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish forces are fighting for their lives.
'Boko Haram' - The terrorist group Boko Haram is responsible for thousands of deaths in Nigeria. Now, the government is determined to drive these militants from the country. But is the hunt for insurgents causing as much harm as it's preventing? Former Navy SEAL and new VICE correspondent Kaj Larsen travels to Nigeria to see what this cat-and-mouse game means for the people caught in the middle of the fight. 'Unnatural Selection' - For centuries, scientists have been working to change the genetic traits of plants and animals. Now, a new gene-editing method called CRISPR has made that process astonishingly simple--so simple that it could easily be used on humans. Isobel Yeung reports from Brazil, Scotland, China, and the United States on the technological advances that could reshape evolution as we know it.
‘Escape to Europe’ - With the war in Syria now in its fifth bloody year, half the country's population has been displaced, and four million have fled. Many are heading to the safety and relative prosperity of Europe, but getting there is a long, life-threatening journey. VICE follows the refugee trail from the Syrian border to Europe, meeting Syrians determined to find a better life. ‘Cycle of Terror’ - The bloody ISIS attacks in Paris stunned the world. As rumors circulated that one of the attackers may have posed as a Syrian migrant, politicians in Western countries, including the U.S., raced to declare their territory off-limits to refugees from countries like Syria and Iraq. VICE travels to France and around the U.S. to see how the global reaction to the violence in Paris is affecting the fight against terrorism.
When California enacted the End of Life Option Act amid fierce debate last October, the number of terminally ill Americans with the right to a doctor-assisted death effectively quadrupled. But in parts of Europe, euthanasia is also administered to people other than the terminally ill, including those with autism, depression and personality disorders. VICE explores the moral, political and personal questions raised by how and when we end our lives.
'Beating Blindness' - Doctors and researchers are making incredible strides in the fight against blindness. New assistive technologies and advances in surgical techniques mean that many patients who've lost sight entirely can now regain visual perception, and the independence that comes with it--a process that can be as disorienting as it is freeing. Isobel Yeung reports from the front lines of this latest medical frontier. 'White Collar Weed' - Small-scale weed farmers have been fighting to legalize marijuana for generations--but the closer they get to ending the prohibition on pot, the closer they get to a new threat: corporate takeover of their way of life. VICE's Hamilton Morris travels to California's infamous Emerald Triangle to meet struggling mom-and-pop growers, and visits with the investors and entrepreneurs eager to cash in on the next big consumer market--even if it could put the small guys out of business.
'Meathooked' - The world is addicted to meat--in developing countries around the world, diets are starting to look more like ours, incorporating more and more beef and pork. Massive factory farms are springing up to supply that demand. But industrial meat operations produce more than just cheap T-bones; they also dish out enormous environmental harm. Isobel Yeung travels to the feedlots, farms and slaughterhouses where our meat is made, to see the true costs of our burger habit. 'End of Water' - Water is the single most vital resource we have--but it's also one of the most threatened. Around the world, from the American West to China, South Asia, and the Middle East, the water we need is simply disappearing. Vikram Gandhi reports from California's once-abundant farmland and the heart of Sao Paulo's reservoir system to assess the depths of the crisis, and what can be done to reverse it.
‘Return to Yemen’ - Last year, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a massive military campaign that overthrew the Yemeni government and sent the Arabian Peninsula into turmoil. Now, Saudi Arabia–nervous about the insurrection near its southern border–is trying to push the Houthis back with a ruthless bombing campaign. Ben Anderson returns to Yemen, where he reported ‘The Enemy of My Enemy’ for VICE S2, to witness one of the worlds most bloody and underreported conflicts. ‘Church and States’ - While many Americans cheered the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, the fight for equality is far from over. In many American states, it is still legally acceptable to refuse services, housing or employment to people because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Gianna Toboni meets some of the families who are navigating this new landscape, and hears from supporters of religious freedom laws, as VICE explores where the battle for equal rights heads from here.
'Palestine Now' - The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people has been locked in a cycle of violence for generations. But now, young people in the West Bank are growing so disillusioned with the status quo that they're turning their backs on their own government. VICE reports from Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah and East Jerusalem to explore what life is like for young Palestinians in 2016. 'Viva Cuba Libre' - On March 21, President Obama becomes the first sitting American president to visit Cuba in 88 years, advancing the campaign to prove that engagement with longtime adversaries is effective in renewing dialogue and promoting change. VICE visits the 2015 Summit of the Americas to see the political thawing of relationships between Cuba and the United States, and then Havana, Cuba to speak to Cubans about how music and culture are helping bridge the divide between two former enemies.
'Afghan Women's Rights' - When the United States invaded Afghanistan, the liberation of Afghan women was used as a rallying cry to garner public support. Now, after nearly 15 years and hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars spent, violence and oppression are still a fact of life for the country's women. With the Taliban gaining ground again, Isobel Yeung reports from Kabul on the fight for dignity and rights in Afghanistan. 'Floating Armories' - Who stops world trade from grinding to a standstill? In many cases it's private military contractors and their network of weapons storage ships afloat in lawless international waters. VICE co-founder Suroosh Alvi reports from one of these floating armories in the Gulf of Aden to take a closer look who's protecting global commerce today.
At the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris last December, world leaders agreed that climate change is an urgent threat, cementing green energy production as a new frontier of innovation. VICE founder Shane Smith takes an in-depth look at the future of how we make and use energy, and how we can meet growing demand as we cut carbon emissions.
'Trump in Dubai' - The United Arab Emirates, and Dubai in particular, are often described as paradise in the Middle East. But the five million migrant workers who live there and make up more than half the population have an entirely different experience. They live in appalling conditions, and regularly end up with nothing, even after years of hard work. Now, as correspondent Ben Anderson investigates, many of them are employed on a project bearing the name of a man who might be the next president. 'China in Africa' - China is financing more infrastructure projects and selling more goods to Africa than any other trade partner in the world, with a large share of investments linked to the extraction of resources. Correspondent Isobel Yeung heads to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and South Africa to meet the characters behind the business deals and explore what this increasingly prominent relationship could mean for the future of global politics.
'The Deal' - Since the hostage crisis in 1979, Iran and the United States have been bitter enemies. But in 2015, the US and major world powers reached an unprecedented agreement with Iran, lifting economic sanctions in exchange for Iran's agreement to limit its nuclear capabilities. VICE travels to Tehran to gauge attitudes about America and see the reactor that started Iran's nuclear program, and meets with key dealmakers -- and critics -- in Washington, DC. 'City of Lost Children' - Global wealth disparity has reached record levels in recent years. Now it's created pockets of unimaginable affluence and huge populations who are falling farther and farther behind. Nowhere is this more apparent than in India, where the most prominent victims of poverty and inequality are children. VICE reports from Kolkata, where entire tribes of homeless children run rampant along the tracks of Howrah Station.
'The End of Polio' - Pakistan is the last battleground in the fight to eradicate polio: since the late 80s, new cases of the wild disease have dropped from hundreds of thousands per year to just hundreds. But in Pakistan's poorest areas, there is widespread distrust of vaccinators, and the Pakistani Taliban have openly condoned violence against them -- especially after the CIA used a vaccinator to help track down Osama Bin Laden. VICE travels to Karachi to meet with the health workers putting their lives on the line to finally eradicate this disease. 'Collateral Damage' - Land mines are deadly weapons of war that remain a threat for years after the fighting is over. But even as international pressure has helped limit the use of land mines, unexploded cluster munitions are still in use, killing and maiming civilians every day. VICE travels to Myanmar and Laos to see the devastating effects of unexploded ordnance and to meet the trained disposal teams working to clean up these weapons before they claim more lives.
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked details of massive government surveillance programs in 2013, igniting a raging debate over digital privacy and security. That debate came to a head this year, when Apple fought an FBI court order seeking to access the iPhone of alleged San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook. Meanwhile, journalists and activists are under increasing attack from foreign agents. To find out the government’s real capabilities, and investigate whether any of us can truly protect our sensitive information, founder Shane Smith heads to Moscow to meet Snowden.
'Heroin Crisis' - America is facing the worst drug epidemic this country has ever seen: more people are dying from overdoses than from car accidents-and at the center of it is an explosion in the use of heroin. Thomas Morton traces the causes and impacts of the crisis, from the poppy farms of Mexico to the hills of West Virginia, and investigates how users, first responders, and government officials are responding to the new reality of American drug use. 'New Age of Nukes' - Twenty-five years after the end of the Cold War, America's vast nuclear arsenal is beginning to show its age, and the government has embarked on the largest nuclear modernization effort in our history, costing American taxpayers as much as $1 trillion. Kaj Larsen goes aboard a ballistic missile submarine and visits the facilities on the front line of our nuclear weapons program to see why the military wants to upgrade the nukes we have-and why that might be a dangerous idea.
'Flint Water Crisis' - The water crisis in Flint, Michigan horrified the nation: a once-thriving industrial city had fallen on such hard times that residents couldn't even trust the water from their own taps. More shocking still were revelations that city and state officials knew about the problems with the water, but failed to take action or warn the public. VICE reports from Flint on the realities of life in a city poisoned by its own government. 'Libya on the Brink' - When the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed during the revolution of 2011, it seemed like good news for democracy in the Muslim world. But in 2012, the American ambassador and three other Americans were killed in a bloody attack in Benghazi. Today, a split between government factions has ceded large portions of the country to ISIS fighters and other extremists. VICE reports from the front lines as rival militias fight to save Libya as we know it.
The 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge raised millions of dollars for ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease, but while the social media wave gave new life to ALS research, there is still no viable treatment and access to experimental drugs is limited. Battling ALS herself, VICE editor Angelina Fanous meets with patients and top researchers across the U.S. to find out what's being done to tackle this devastating disease and the regulatory hurdles faced by ALS patients and drugmakers alike.
'Student Debt' - Americans owe $1.3 trillion in student loans --second only to home mortgages. The rise in student loan borrowing is tied to skyrocketing tuition rates, which are up 226% since 1980. VICE reports from America's college campuses to explore how a spigot of easy money from the federal government is jacking up the cost of higher education and even threatening our international competitiveness. 'Fecal Medicine' - For years, medical science was powerless against one of the most of severe intestinal infections. But a new treatment shows tremendous promise -- if patients aren't too squeamish to try it. Fecal transplants use the stool from a healthy person to repopulate life-sustaining bacteria in the colon of the patient. This technique is so effective that researchers are testing its potential to treat disorders far beyond the digestive tract, pointing to breakthrough treatments for a broad range of the most stubborn diseases. VICE reports from the labs and lavatories where this medical revolution is taking place.
'The New $pace Race' - Decades after the Apollo missions, a new era of manned spaceflight is dawning -- and this time, the destination is Mars. NASA and a growing community of private companies have set their sights on the Red Planet, and they're developing the technologies that will actually get us there. VICE reports on the preparations for humanity's next great adventure. 'Closing Gitmo' - The American prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is one of the most controversial issues of the post-9/11 era. President Obama promised to close the facility, but months from the end of his presidency the facility remains open -- and the reality of life there remains a mystery. VICE meets with ex-detainees who survived Gitmo, and the general who built it in the first place, to find out what really happens behind the camp's walls.
In this first post-election look at the political climate that gave rise to Donald Trump, president Obama speaks to VICE’s Shane Smith about the fierce partisan fighting that dominated his presidency and divided the country.
“Assad's Syria” - Isobel Yeung travels through regime-controlled Syria to see how Assad prevailed and to find out what might happen next in his crippled country. “Cost of Climate Change” - In the face of a scientific consensus, and with the Trump administration ushering some climate deniers into the highest levels of government, Shane Smith follows the money to see the true economic stakes of decades of denial.
Families and doctors are rewriting the rules as they decide when and how to start medical intervention before transgender youth hit puberty. Gianna Toboni explores this emotionally charged and rapidly evolving issue with trans youth and their parents in the midst of that intense process.
“When the Earth Melts” - VICE Correspondent Ben Anderson travels across the Arctic to examine the devastating impact of thawing permafrost--and the astonishing solution that might keep it frozen. “Displaced” - VICE Correspondent Gianna Toboni follows the journey of refugees journeying across the Mediterranean Sea who have been left in limbo due to the tightening borders of an increasingly nationalist Europe.
"Kings of Cannabis" - VICE correspondent Hamilton Morris joins two hunters on an epic journey through the Democratic Republic of Congo in search of one of the rarest species of Cannabis, whose unique genetics could ultimately earn them millions of dollars. "Into the Darkness" - From an abandoned gold mine that lies a mile beneath the Black Hills of South Dakota, to the world's most powerful telescope nestled into the high deserts of Chile, nuclear physicist Taylor Wilson meets the scientists working to unlock the secrets of our Universe.
"Black and Blue" - VICE correspondent Cord Jefferson reports from St. Louis, one of America's most dangerous cities, to hear from activists and police officers alike about race and policing. "Our Bionic Future" - VICE's Wilbert L. Cooper travels to Zurich to see the first ever bionic Olympics and discovers a host of technologies that are expanding what it means to be human.
Gianna Toboni travels the college sports landscape, meeting with athletic directors, coaches, sports marketing minds and the players themselves to see the role money plays in amateur athletics today.
“Life Under Sharia” - VICE co-founder Suroosh Alvi travels to Aceh and across Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, to experience Sharia up close and investigate its relationship to terrorism, as well as meet those who are fighting back against it. “Plastic Oceans” - VICE correspondent Isobel Yeung travels to the remote shores of Hawaii and the coast of the North Sea to see the extent of our plastic addiction and the surprisingly simple ways we can solve it.
“Fast Food of Arabia” - Gianna Toboni travels to Kuwait, now one of the most obese countries on the planet, to witness the health effects on a country deep in the throes of an unlikely obsession with U.S. fast food. “Nollywood” - Thomas Morton explores the explosive productivity of Nigerian cinema, from DIY horror movies to big budget blockbusters, by becoming a Nollywood actor himself.
“Medical Détente” - VICE correspondent Gianna Toboni travels to Cuba to witness potential treatments and cures that flourished in the country's biotech industry despite the decades-long US embargo. “Bananas” - VICE heads to the heart of banana country in Latin American and the Philippines to see the devastating effects of the disease and to investigate what the loss of the banana would really mean besides a less colorful lunchbox.
Ben Anderson returns to the conflict he's covered for 10 years, re-uniting with several Afghans--an Army Major, a Policeman who dismantles IEDs and a family who were forced to fight to defend their home--for a shocking report that questions what America's longest war has actually accomplished.
“Engineering Immortality” - Isobel Yeung meets the scientists and doctors leading the charge in genomics, pharmaceuticals, and stem cell research, which promises to revolutionize how our bodies age in the years to come. “Robot Revolution” - VICE explores how robotics and the computers that power them are poised for an extraordinary leap forward with the emergence of artificial intelligence, and how humanity can reconcile the huge risks and possibilities that will follow.
“Women Behind Bars” - VICE correspondent Isobel Yeung spends time in prisons and jails across the country, discovering what it means to be an American woman behind bars. “The Business of Making Art” - With Warhol's art now fetching tremendous sums in the booming modern art marketplace, Ben Anderson embarks on a journey through the art world with some of Warhol's master printers to explore not just the question "What is art?" but "What is a Warhol?"
“Taking Back Iraq” - Aris Roussinos embedded with Iraqi forces on the road to Mosul as they began their assault on Islamic State's last stronghold in Iraq. "Lost Generation" - Isobel Yeung travels to Iraq to see what the future looks like through the eyes of the youth.
“The Politics of Terror” - VICE examines the rise of Europe’s far right, and the hyper-charged climate fueling nationalist ideologies across the continent. “End of the EU?” - Shane Smith travels to the home of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to discuss why the populist message resonates across the continent, how the left fails to grasp populist anger, and the need for a unified response to rebuild Syria.
“Future of Firearms” - With the political landscape fundamentally changed, the firearms industry, and gun rights advocates, are looking for new ways to expand upon their 2nd amendment rights and the bottom line -- with some surprising results. VICE takes a closer look at the future of firearms in America. “Russia 'Wins' Climate Change” - Climate change is causing catastrophic changes to our planet, but it may be an economic blessing for Russia. As the Arctic ice melts, petroleum and mineral resources are more accessible, shipping lanes are opening up and the frozen Siberian tundra could become arable. In fact, the Russian government and people seem to be welcoming the warming temperatures. And with America pulling out of the Paris Agreement, perhaps this is a glimpse into our own future.
“Cyber Supremacy” - Ben Ferguson travels to Tel Aviv to find out how Israel is on its way to becoming the world's top cyber superpower. “Japan Rising” - VICE sends Gianna Toboni to Tokyo to see the consequences of Japan's rising nationalism.
“Last Line of Defense” - With the Constitutional right to fair representation in a court of law in jeopardy, Cord Jefferson heads to one of the worst hit states to see how overworked and underpaid public defenders are coping with the broken legal system. “El Rostro” - VICE travels deep in the Peruvian Amazon to where multinational companies have been extracting lucrative natural resources to see how these activities are decimating the land. With the native Harakmbut people as his guide, Ben Anderson goes into the forest to explore sacred landmarks they hope will prevent companies from destroying the land for a profit.
Isobel Yeung travels to Turkey as the country heads to the polls in a nationwide referendum that grants Erdogan unprecedented power.
In the decades following World War II, the United States led the way in shaping the world order. But with the end of the Cold War, old alliances have fractured and new rivalries have arisen, resulting in a world increasingly in disarray, where weak states threaten global stability just as much as strong ones do. VICE founder Suroosh Alvi and other VICE correspondents examine the foreign policies that have shaped the modern world and meet people living through today's major conflicts in this exclusive HBO presentation that features interviews with Condoleezza Rice, Tony Blair, Samantha Power, Ash Carter and others.
“Crude Reality” - VICE's Isobel Yeung explores how corruption at the top in South Sudan is threatening to tear the world's newest country apart. “Between Oil and Water” - VICE travelled to the Sacred Stone Camp in December and followed the story of efforts to block construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline over the subsequent months as the Trump Administration moved quickly to resume work on the pipeline, examining how resource extraction has affected Native American communities.
VICE’s Gianna Toboni explores the transformative work being done at the forefront of autism research, meets families trying out some of the newest treatments, and discovers a growing self-advocacy movement out of the autistic community that wants to refocus the science.
“Show of Force” - VICE travels to North Korea during the annual Day of the Sun celebrations as global tensions reached a fever pitch. As North Koreans celebrated the 105th birthday of their country's founder, Kim Il-sung, correspondent Charlet Duboc seeks to learn firsthand how its citizens are reacting to the escalating crisis. “Return to Somalia” - VICE correspondent Gianna Toboni heads to Mogadishu to witness the fight to save the country during an increase of al-Shabaab attacks.
"Controlling the Narrative" - Press freedom around the world has reached its lowest point in over a decade, with many authoritarian governments imprisoning journalists in a fight to control their countries' narratives. One of the deadliest places to be a journalist is the Philippines, where the new President has openly threatened the media and silenced his critics. VICE Correspondent Gianna Toboni heads to Manila to see the dangerous work of local journalists reporting on President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs. Back in the U.S., legendary journalist Carl Bernstein discusses the state of our own media and the importance of a free press in holding the powerful accountable. "Power to Congo" - The War in Congo is the deadliest since World War II, killing more than 5 million people. But throughout the conflict, a remarkable group of Rangers have remained, fighting to protect Congo's Gorillas and other wildlife and natural resources. In a stunning turnaround, these rangers are saving endangered species and Congo's bio-diverse forest, and are even transforming the local economy, cutting off revenue streams to the various rebel groups operating there. Ben Anderson trained and patrolled with the rangers over 10 years ago. He returned to see the remarkable progress they're making.
In early 2017 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced moves that would change the world's most oil-rich nation from a democracy into a dictatorship. This sparked a crisis, igniting long-standing anger over inequality, misrule, hunger and crime. VICE founder Suroosh Alvi and correspondent Ben Anderson travelled to Venezuela as Maduro seized Venezuela's political institutions with an alleged 'sham election' and violently suppressed the growing opposition to his rule.
"Dirty Oil" - Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, but the billions of dollars generated from that resource have not trickled down to the majority of the population. This disparity has led to rampant oil theft and large scale attacks on oil infrastructure by locals, who vow to continue this fight until the government allows them to profit through oil jobs and urban development. For a time, the government listened to this plea and paid these militants through an amnesty program which curbed the violence. But in 2016, a new administration terminated those contracts and suspended the payouts, leading to a violent resurgence of militancy and oil theft. VICE correspondent Gianna Toboni heads to the heart of Nigeria's oil production to witness firsthand the fight of the Niger Delta youth. "Rebuilding Our Reefs" - In the last 30 years the world has lost 50% of its coral reefs, and there's a consensus among marine biologists that climate change will continue to make things worse. Coral reefs are the foundation of some of the most productive ecosystems on earth--providing food, resources, and coastal protection for more than 500 million people. If nothing is done to stop their deterioration, more than 90% of the world's reefs could be gone by 2050. Ben Anderson traveled across the world's oceans to see what a few small teams of scientists are doing to keep these vital structures alive.
"Dark Web" - Child sex abuse and child pornography have always been society's darkest secrets. And the internet's growth has only made things worse. The proliferation of explicit images, live-streaming of sex shows, and online chat rooms have enabled those with salacious intent to destroy the lives of children around the world. The tide of explicit material is overwhelming, but a group of law enforcements agencies and NGOs are fighting back. VICE embeds with the officers trying to shed light on the dark corners of the web. "Future of Appalachia" - Nowhere in America can the coal industry's hurt be seen and felt more than in Appalachia. The region's economy revolves around coal, and more miners are losing their jobs each year. The controversial industry became a focal point of the 2016 election when President Trump made the return of coal jobs a central campaign promise. But the economics behind the suffering industry go beyond policy and regulations. VICE's Isobel Yeung goes to the heart of coal country to see what it will take to save Appalachia.
"Divide and Conquer" - The maps that place voters together for statehouse and Congressional races are the building blocks of a representative democracy. But today, even though those maps are manipulated more than ever in favor of one political party, partisan gerrymandering is still technically legal. All of this could change though as the question of its constitutionality heads to the Supreme Court this fall. VICE's Gianna Toboni traveled to North Carolina to see the effects of gerrymandering on American democracy. "Crackdown in Honduras" - Created on the streets of Los Angeles in the 1980s, gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18 were exported to Central America in a wave of deportations starting 20 years ago. Back in their home countries, these gang members found a power vacuum and only grew in strength. Without an effective judicial system, countries like Honduras struggled to deter crime or contain gang activities. But recently, the situation has begun to change and violent crimes has started to decrease. VICE visits the Honduran prison system and watches as the government tries to bring peace to the country.
"Russian Hacking" - Since the 2016 election, hacking has become synonymous with one country: Russia. From the DNC, to global ransomware attacks, to attempts to penetrate U.S. nuclear plants, analysts have found Russian fingerprints on some of the biggest digital breaches in the world. While the US is scrambling to defend itself against these cybercrimes, the hacker ecosystem in Russia continues to grow. VICE travels to Moscow to find out why these hackers are so effective. "Contagion" - The outbreak of an infectious disease sparks worldwide panic nearly every year. And as humans cluster themselves in denser cities and encroach closer to the wildlife harboring disease, the chances of a devastating global pandemic only intensifies. But scientists are finding that diligent surveillance of these threats could help keep the next nightmare disease at bay. VICE founder Suroosh Alvi went to Uganda to see how vulnerable humans are to a new pandemic and the options there are for staving it off.
"Post-Truth News" - The U.S. is more divided across party lines than ever before in recent American history, and nowhere are these divisions more visible than in our media. With President Trump waging a war on mainstream news outlets and the rise of hyperpartisan sites spreading misinformation, trust in the traditional press has fallen to a record low of 32%. VICE Correspondent Isobel Yeung looks at what's driving the media's battle over facts and the polarization of the American public in the Trump era. "Microbiome" - Powerful antibiotics and widespread sanitation practices have expanded lifespans across the industrialized world. But they have also come at a cost. Our microbiomes, or the trillions of microbes collectively working in our bodies to help regulate our immune system and food digestion, have lost much of its health-promoting bacteria because of our modern lifestyles and sanitation practices. Scientists across the world are now looking to the planet's few remaining pre-industrialized societies to see what industrialized guts have lost--and in doing so, could fundamentally change the way scientists think about germs. Thomas Morton heads to the Central African Republic to see this emerging field of microbiome science.
"After ISIS" - The fight to retake Mosul, the biggest city in ISIS' so-called caliphate, lasted over 10 months and was the biggest urban battle to take place since World War II. As civilians of Mosul endured the impossible choice of hiding in their homes or fleeing, running the risk of being killed by ISIS, the war raged on--bombarding homes and destroying everything in its path. With unparalleled access, VICE followed the Iraqi Army as they fought the terrorist group, room to room, house to house and street to street, often fighting for days on end and suffering horrendous casualties on a slow crawl to liberation. "Cubs of the Caliphate" - Now that most of Iraq has been liberated from ISIS control, the daunting task of what to do with civilians who lived under their brutal regime remains. Nowhere is this issue more complicated than in the case of children, particularly those who were recruited to fight with the Islamic State. VICE Correspondent Isobel Yeung meets the Iraqi youth who both lived and trained under ISIS as they try to rebuild their lives while facing an uncertain future.
Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams embarks on a personal journey to expose the root of the American mass incarceration crisis: the juvenile justice system.
A look at the aftermath of President Trump's announcement to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and a report from China on advances in facial recognition technology.
An inside look at how the Libyan revolution is failing and a front-row seat to the geopolitical tug of war over Internet 3.0.
Gianna Toboni sees firsthand how some teachers are taking up arms to be the “good guy with a gun that stops a bad guy with a gun” and explores the deep divisions in America that make it seem nearly impossible to stop these mass shootings.
Gianna Toboni travels to the Myanmar-Bangladesh border to investigate what the future holds for the world's most persecuted minority; correspondent Aris Roussinos joins U.N. peacekeepers on a peacekeeping operation across the lawless Sahara desert.
Isobel Yeung travels to Iraq to see how Iran is exerting its growing influence over the war-torn country ahead of parliamentary elections. Gianna Toboni heads to the vineyards of Napa during historic wildfires and the wine laboratories of Bordeaux to explore the dangers facing viticulture, and what they mean for agriculture everywhere.
Ben Ferguson speaks with Russian voters and politicians to understand how democracy works in their country. Gianna Tobini examines how President Trump's Global Gag Rule impacts women's health in Uganda.
Krishna Andavolu delves into the cutting-edge world of 3D-printing, meeting the scientists and entrepreneurs pushing the boundaries of manufacturing, material science, and even space exploration. Scientists are closer than ever to finding life beyond Earth so VICE sent Nuclear physicist Taylor Wilson to explore one of our civilization's most haunting questions: Are we alone?
Gianna Toboni travels to Betsy DeVos’ home state of Michigan to investigate the charter school movement and understand what the future of public education might look like. Ben Anderson covers the rarely reported crisis in the Central African Republic, at least 14 rebel groups have seized control of 75% of the country and half the population rely on humanitarian aid for survival.
An exploration of how big pharmaceuticals are impacting Americans. A visit to Puerto Rico, where many residents are still reeling from the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria.
There are more than four million U.S.-born children living in the United States who have at least one undocumented immigrant parent. As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) widens its target for enforcement, more of these kids--U.S. citizens by birth--could see their families uprooted by the arrest, detention, and removal of their parents. VICE Correspondent Krishna Andavolu embeds with ICE and explores what it's like to be an American kid growing up in the shadow of deportation.
America’s infrastructure is in desperate need of more than $4 trillion in upgrades and improvements, so Thomas Morton explores the crumbling bridges, tunnels, and waterways in the U.S. to see how much the situation has deteriorated and to find out if the Trump Administration's promise is being kept. Krishna Andavolu heads to the city of Bangalore to explore what may be the world’s next Silicon Valley.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, Vice's Ben Anderson met those involved in the fight from the frontline to the Kurd's former guerrilla president to ask why the group recently voted for independence and what hopes they have for achieving a state of their own. Nuclear physicist Taylor Wilson joined the Air Force Space Command to see how a growing military and commercial space presence threatens the ubiquitous satellites, which are essential to humanity's digital way of life.
Isobel Yeung examines a surge in West Virginia child welfare cases in light of the country's opioid epidemic. Krishna Andavolu travels across India to investigate the nation's increase in religious nationalism.
Isobel Yeung returns to Syria to tell the stories of those who were caught in the crossfire between the most feared terror group on Earth and the U.S.-backed coalition, whose collateral damage destroyed most of the city.
Gianna Toboni looks at the use of capital punishment in America today as some states experiment with unconventional drug cocktails and others turn to more archaic methods, and follows one death row inmate on his arduous path to the execution chamber. Isobel Yeung is in Yemen which has been ripped apart by terrorism, civil war, and famine, following resilient women, who are finding surprising ways to rise above conflict and their traditional roles in Yemen's conservative society.
Donald Trump made bringing jobs back to America a central part of his campaign. Now, President Trump is trying to do just that, pushing stiff tariffs on imports and working to renegotiate trade deals. "Trade wars are good, and easy to win," President Trump famously said, but some feel his actions may set off an international trade war that could decimate the global economy and actually cost more U.S. jobs. Michael Moynihan tracks the progression of this economic battle royale as it happens.
Charlet Duboc travels to Colombia where a 2016 peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has seen the country embark on a unique experiment to try and end coca farming and production, but freeing Colombia from its cocaine problem is proving difficult. Taylor Wilson meets the scientists racing to build the first quantum computer, a device with millions of times more processing strength than all the computers currently on Earth combined. This technology will harness the unusual laws of quantum mechanics to bring unimaginable advances in fields like materials science and medicine, but could also pose the greatest threat to cybersecurity yet.
Gianna Toboni returns to Texas to see how the transgender community is fighting to win acceptance and protection. Vikram Gandhi travels to Nicaragua to meet the new revolutionaries there and find out what the future might hold for what was once one of the safest nations in Central America.
Gianna Toboni travels to the Bible Belt where wide support for Donald Trump in 2016, against a backdrop of scandals, has brought heavy media scrutiny and now some faith leaders are striving to move evangelicalism away from political associations. Ben Anderson heads to the Eastern Congo where up to six million people have been killed in an underreported crisis and reports on the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces), one of the least known, but most violent groups in the world.
Greenhouse gas emissions are at unprecedented levels and still rising. As climate deniers and their allies in industry and government thwart conservationists' efforts, some scientists are working to develop a back-up plan: use technology to "geoengineer" the Earth's atmosphere and reduce the impacts of climate change. Shane Smith and Ben Anderson find out how this technology would work and how effective this radical, and potentially dangerous, plan could be.
Thomas Morton takes a look at an emerging push to implant electronic devices inside the human body, hardwire them to our brains, and allow us to not only overcome disadvantages or injury, but open up entirely new avenues of human experience. Ben Anderson visits Rio in the aftermath of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics to find Brazil in a financial crisis, its government consumed with a monumental corruption scandal and violence is rising again as drug trafficking gangs fight for control.
One year after the explosive allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the #MeToo movement has impacted everything from Supreme Court nominees and workplace culture to sex and dating. Isobel Yeung takes a searing, personal look at how we define consent, hold assailants accountable and start to move forward
Dexter Thomas travels to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to meet the women taking part in the unique sport of Catch Fétiche, in which mystical voodoo rituals and professional wrestling converge. Charlet Duboc meets devotees and skeptics of America’s billion dollar alternative medicine industry where lucrative celebrity endorsements and social media influencers have helped fuel a wellness obsession.
Gianna Toboni investigates Mexico's spiralling murder rate where there have been over 20,000 homicides in 2018 so far, with over 90% of crimes going unsolved. Michael Moynihan visits Sweden, Italy and Belgium to track Steve Bannon as he aids the rise of right-wing populist parties in Europe.
Krishna Andavolu travels to Central America and the U.S. southern border to see how the Trump administration's narrowed asylum protections have impacted asylum seekers. Vikram Gandhi visits the bizarre world of human guinea pigs, who are often paid thousands of dollars to try unapproved drugs, to get an inside look at these self-proclaimed “lab rats.”
Ben Anderson returns to Yemen to witness the devastating effects of four years of war and indiscriminate bombing of civilians. He also investigates trials using MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans and first responders suffering from PTSD.
Gianna Toboni investigates the role firearms play in domestic violence and meets the women working to fix the shortcomings of a legal system that often fails to protect them. Isobel Yeung visits Crimea, which was seized by Russia in 2014, to see how Crimeans are faring under Russian control, and how Ukrainians are clinging to the hope of reunification.
Thomas Morton investigates the doomsday industry, which is currently thriving thanks to TV shows, movies, hyperpartisan politics and the news media, even the nation's wealthiest citizens are jumping on board to prepare for unknown calamities. Gianna Toboni heads to Mumbai to find out about the cultural bias towards fair skin, which has given rise to a skin-lightening industry worth nearly $500 million.
In the wake of a series of inter-Korean summits and the first ever DPRK-U.S. summit, Shane Smith returns to the Korean peninsula to see how Seoul and Pyongyang are reacting to the new détente. Gianna Toboni travels to the scorched town of Paradise to learn what is causing the worsening wildfires in California and how they can survive a future of deadlier fires.
VICE correspondent Hind Hassan explores the resurgence of ISIS, as brigades of radicalized ISIS women have started to regroup within al-Hol camp, where tens of thousands of women and children who once lived under The Islamic State and are now held; VICE correspondent Krishna Andavolu examines the unlikely origins of what some call the perfect crime, and explores the urgent implications for personal security, digital identity, and the persistent industry inaction on SIM swapping.
With India's leaders ramping up Hindu nationalist rhetoric, there is growing fear among the nation's 200 million Muslims; the tiny Russian Republic of Dagestan is a modern-day fight factory.
Correspondent Isobel Yeung gains rare access inside Idlib, Syria's last rebel-held territory, as President Assad and his allies mount a brutal bombing offensive that has civilians paying the highest price; Correspondent Dexter Thomas goes on lockdown in South Korea to search for the benefits of isolation -- ironically, just weeks before the rest of the world would join him in their COVID-19 quarantines.
Correspondent Krishna Andavolu presents the video diary of Chinese citizen journalist Chen Qiushi to illustrate the full impact of COVID-19 in Wuhan; Correspondent Paola Ramos exposes how the Trump Administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy is strengthening cartels as they kidnap Cuban migrants held at the border and target their American families waiting for them at home.
In this 1-hour episode, correspondent Seb Walker examines the spectacular rise and fall of WeWork, and delves into the world of venture capitalists willing to gamble billions on the next big startup; as the U.S. continues to grapple with its history of racial discrimination, correspondent Alzo Slade explores the vulnerability of black land owners in the South; correspondent Isobel Yeung reports from the heart of Italy's COVID-19 crisis, gaining rare access to an ICU in a hospital overwhelmed by the virus.
Correspondent David Noriega reports from the border between Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, a lawless place where criminal gangs are more powerful than nation-states; TikTok is one of the most popular apps -- but it's not exactly the first place someone runs to when they want to find thoughtful, deliberate dialogue. Dexter Thomas examines how that's changing.
Following front-line healthcare workers as they take on the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis; the nuclear legacy of the United States' atomic weapons testing in the Marshall Islands and the negative impacts on its people.
Ben Anderson goes to Burkina Faso, where a fast-growing humanitarian crisis spins out of control as the Sahel becomes the new epicenter of terrorism and violence; Michael Moynihan surveys the long-term economic devastation wrought by COVID-19.
A look at the role of sanctions and mismanagement in Iran's fate in the wake of COVID-19, including an interview with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; the ACLU works across borders to reunite families that were torn apart.
Correspondent Gianna Toboni examines how Mississippi’s Department of Corrections neglected Parchman Prison for years until recent riots and smuggled out images exposed its grim and deadly conditions; Correspondent Paola Ramos explores what it’s like to survive as an undocumented immigrant in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.
As COVID-19 sweeps across the world, Senior Correspondent Isobel Yeung explores how Asian Americans are being discriminated against in their own country; when the coronavirus pandemic hit, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis left it to local counties and municipalities to decide on safety measures in their towns. Alzo Slade visits one small town to find out how local government officials are handling a global pandemic.
Minneapolis is the center of the Black Lives Matter protest movement; the impact of COVID-19 on Brazil's most vulnerable populations; as the world races to find a COVID-19 vaccine, "virus hunters" are on a mission to prevent the next pandemic.
How the COVID-19 pandemic is being used in Cambodia as a cover for political repression by one of the world's longest-serving leaders; New York City's so-called "last responders" battle against a pandemic to maintain dignity for the dead.
What the future of Afghanistan may hold now that American troops are leaving after more than 19 years of war; Major players helping to arm and train Black Americans with guns and why arming up as a Black person can carry deadly risks.
Alzo Slade meets the young Nigerians at the center of #EndSARS, and those involved in the deadly crackdown against them; Seb Walker sits with Trump's Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller to discuss his controversial days in office.
Jason Motlagh travels to Haiti to uncover the relationship between the government of the US-backed President, a local gang leader, and the recent violence; Ben Solomon meets those pulled into homelessness during the pandemic.
As thousands of migrants make their way toward the United States, many face a grueling 60-mile hike along the Columbia-Panama border through one of the world’s most dangerous jungles. Paola Ramos travels to El Darién to meet with migrants facing robbery, rape and death on the road north; The police-worn body camera is a potent weapon against police brutality, but while sales have skyrocketed, it has yet to fulfill its promise as a silver bullet. Krishna Andavolu investigates body camera functionality, usage, legislation and impact.
US armed forces are trained and readied to face violence anywhere in the world, but today alarm is growing as enlisted personnel are falling victim to violence in a most unexpected place – on stateside military bases. Gianna Toboni meets with victims and insiders to explore stories of violence and impunity across the US military; Hind Hassan travels to Egypt to investigate systematic human rights abuses under a regime propped up by the US government, only to have an interview with a whistleblower brought to a forcible end.
Immersive reporting from the frontlines of global conflicts, civil uprisings and beyond, as correspondents tackle complex geopolitical stories from all corners of the globe.
Isobel Yeung gains rare access to the frontlines of Marib and explores how the escalation in Yemen's conflict is impacting its most vulnerable citizens— children; Krishna Andavolu reports on how parents across the country who use pot can face losing custody of their kids even in states where it has been legalized.
With unprecedented access in Iran and Iraq, Suroosh Alvi investigates a sprawling shadow war for the heart of the Middle East; Alzo Slade travels throughout the Bible Belt to see how the evangelical community is grappling with a post-Trump world and shaping the next chapter of the conservative religious landscape.
Reveals exclusive footage and interviews from war-torn Afghanistan and its surrounding areas from before and after the 2021 takeover, with a deeper look at the militant group that seized control in 11 days following the US military's withdrawal.
VICE News' Alzo Slade travels to “Cancer Alley,” an 85-mile stretch in Louisiana where nearly 150 petrochemical plants and oil refineries line the Mississippi river, to speak with residents about how this industrial corridor has impacted their health; VICE News' Paola Ramos travels to Cuba to find out if the 62-year-old Communist dictatorship is losing a grip on its people.
Vegas Tenold reports on the trend of conservatives flocking there to escape liberal cities and put their stamp on local politics.
VICE journalists continue their deep-dive worldwide mission to cover untold stories of social justice, civil rights and identity.
Krishna Andavolu dives into how Big Tech's investment in ‘big brother' has allowed a surveillance state to slowly creep into American domestic policy; Ben C. Solomon investigates the poets of Myanmar and their push to rally protests against the military takeover even as they become targeted for death.
Matthew Cassel travels to Lebanon to examine the anatomy of a failed state — from sectarian violence to economic collapse — and the impact of that failure on ordinary people and the region; Alice Hines meets cyborgs, neuroscientists and tech pioneers to explore the rapidly blurring line between biology and technology and what it all means for humanity 2.0.
Guo Wengui was one of China's richest real estate moguls until he found himself facing corruption charges. He fled the mainland and later reappeared on American soil. Isobel Yeung meets Wengui and explores his web of disinformation spreading throughout the US; El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, owes his popularity to a decline in gang violence. But true to Bukele's persona, the achievement appears to be all public relations. David Noriega travels to El Salvador to find the truth behind the supposed achievements of its millennial president.
VICE journalists continue their deep-dive worldwide mission to cover untold stories of social justice, civil rights and identity, going places most media outlets ignore and finding the stories that matter most. Get ready for another powerful mix of adrenaline and top-quality reportage as we go behind the headlines and off the map to tell the dangerous truth about the world we live in.
Hind Hassan reports on the Russian invasion of Ukraine from Kharkiv, one of the cities worst-affected by Putin's tactic of brutal and indiscriminate bombing; Paola Ramos travels the United States to understand how a new political tool is altering democracy. Season premiere.
Julia Steers gives viewers an unprecedented look at the global operations of the Kremlin-backed private military force, Wagner Group, as its reach spreads from Ukraine to Central Africa; Seb Walker examines the implications of shuttering state psychiatric hospitals and talks to those on the front lines of America's mental health crisis, some of whom are asking whether it's time to revisit and rethink the concept of asylums.
Alexis Johnson takes a look at the potential fate of WNBA star Brittney Griner, one of the last Americans in Russian prison at the onset of a possible new Cold War; Matthew Cassel travels to Budapest during Viktor Orban’s reelection to explore why so many right-wing Americans are traveling to Hungary, and what they hope to learn from Central Europe’s most autocratic ruler.
Hind Hassan travels to Somaliland to investigate the shadowy supply chain for frankincense, one of the world's oldest traded commodities used in the growing market for essential oils; Keegan Hamilton investigates the rise of "ghost guns," homemade firearms built from parts without serial numbers that are proliferating in the United States despite efforts to crack down.
Ben Ferguson gets an inside look at the cyberwar between Ukraine and Russia, and how it’s changing the rules of war in real time; David Noriega visits Oklahoma to see the aftermath of a Supreme Court decision that returned half the state to five Native American Nations.
Gianna Toboni meets with politicians, abortion providers and women to understand how drastically the country could change in a post-Roe world; Krishna Andavolu travels to the Philippines to learn more about the play-to-earn gaming phenomenon that has taken the country by storm, and which critics claim resembles a Ponzi scheme.
Isobel Yeung goes undercover in Guyana to investigate corruption in large-scale development projects, as the small South American country becomes an attractive target for investment from China; Alzo Slade meets with Moors in America to learn more about their origin story, heritage and ultimately, why the current social and political landscape is making Moorish Nationalism more appealing.
Alec Luhn reports from Moscow and Dagestan on how propaganda has convinced a majority of Russians to support Putin's bloody and costly invasion of Ukraine; Ben C. Solomon travels to Kharkiv and Donbas to explore how the frontline has evolved since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Isobel Yeung is in Afghanistan, exploring the Taliban’s ban on drugs – and the issues with addiction; Vegas Tenold heads to the Midwest to see whether police officers can actually be trained to intervene in cases of police misconduct.
Dexter Thomas Jr. travels to Alabama to learn about the Felony Murder rule and speaks to those most affected by it; As the surge of migrants at sea continues, Paola Ramos meets a smuggler trafficking people into the U.S. by boat.
Alzo Slade investigates the intersection of music and violence in Drill music, the most popular subgenre of rap today; Natashya Gutierrez travels to the Philippines to dig into the historic comeback of the Marcos family to the country’s highest office, 36 years after dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was ousted by the People Power revolution.
Isobel Yeung goes to Brazil's Javari Valley, where evangelical missionaries and indigenous tribes are battling over the soul of the Amazon – and the future of Brazil; Matthew Cassel reports on the financial collapse that united Sri Lankans against the country’s ruling dynasty.
Vegas Tenold takes us to the heart of far-right America to understand the enduring power of the Great Replacement Theory, and its lethality; Paola Ramos travels to Mexico to meet with mothers searching for their missing daughters in a country plagued by violent crime, human trafficking and government impunity.
Alice Hines investigates how inaccurate drug tests could be determining hundreds of thousands of court cases and upending the lives of people around the country; Melissa Chan travels to Taiwan to find out how residents on the island are preparing against mounting threats of an invasion by China.
Hanako Montgomery explores why Japan hasn’t moved to ban sexual depictions of children in manga, despite international and domestic pressure to outlaw the comics; Suroosh Alvi visits an epic show of American force in Morocco, the frontline of a political battle in Guinea, and a retail supercenter in suburban Georgia to find out if US-Russian rivalry is linked to the unrest in Africa.
Hind Hassan travels to Syria to find out how a resurgent Islamic State nearly managed to free thousands of its imprisoned militants from under the nose of the Syrian Democratic Forces – one of America’s closest allies in the fight against ISIS; Gianna Toboni meets young conservatives to see how their ideology is changing, and what it takes to become a right wing star in the U.S. today. Season finale.
Hind Hassan travels to northwest Syria to investigate a recent devastating earthquake and what prevented critical humanitarian aid from getting to survivors in the region who needed it the most; Krishna Andavolu reports on rapid developments in artificial intelligence and learns why many in the tech industry worry that time is running out to uncover how these new AI systems really work - before they become too powerful to control.
Isobel Young meets with religious hardliners in Pakistan, where insulting The Prophet is constitutionally punishable by death, and reports on how they encourage the extrajudicial killing of blasphemers without mercy; Alzo Slade explores the systemic issues behind housing inequality, from landlord concerns over the safety of their renters to how an unregulated background check industry can complicate housing access for formerly incarcerated people.
Matthew Cassel covers Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power by partnering with far-right political parties and their historic and controversial attempt to overhaul the Israeli supreme court; Paola Ramos travels from drug labs in Mexico to Oregon, the state with the highest percentage of meth addiction in the U.S., to understand how the cartels’ newest, cheapest and most potent form of meth, known as “Supermeth”, is fueling an overwhelming national mental health crisis.
Alyza Enriques unpacks the role of detransitioners, or formerly trans-identifying people who have stopped medical treatment, in legislative efforts across the country to ban gender-affirming care, as well as those who oppose these polarizing bans; Alzo Slade travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo, which sits on top of more than half the world’s known cobalt supply, to investigate the country’s dangerous, yet highly profitable mining industry.
Paola Ramos travels to Texas to see how Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s border enforcement initiative, Operation Lone Star, is potentially circumventing the federal government’s authority over immigration. One year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an estimated 300,000 casualties, Ben C. Solomon treks to the war-torn frontlines to reveal the grim reality of the ongoing conflict.
Natashya Gutierrez travels to Southeast Asia to explore a dark new form of online scamming, known as “pig butchering”, that is involuntarily perpetuated by victims of human trafficking forced to steal for the Chinese mafia who run these manipulative scams; David Noriega investigates the deaths and disappearances of Moroccan migrants as they attempt to cross the Spanish border at Melilla and examines how outsourced European immigration policies may ultimately be responsible for these tragedies.
Vegas Tenold examines how new domestic terrorism laws in Georgia have alarmed some civil rights groups who worry that these efforts to combat homegrown extremism may infringe on the rights to free speech and assembly. Isobel Young investigates accusations that the Russian government is systematically deporting thousands of children from occupied areas of Ukraine, an illegal act that could be one of the most egregious war crimes of Russia’s invasion so far.
After making basketball history playing alongside the North Korean National Team, Vice Correspondent, Ryan Duffy and the Harlem Globetrotters sit down for a meal with the North Korean players, sharing highlights from the game and reactions to the surprise appearance of the Grand Marshall, Kim Jong Un.
VICE looks at factors that led to the 2008 financial crisis and the efforts made by then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President Timothy Geithner, and Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke to save the United States from an economic collapse. The feature-length documentary explores the challenges these men faced, as well as the consequences of their decisions.
The next Industrial Revolution is upon us. VICE talks to industry leaders and laborers to learn how radical developments in automation and artificial intelligence are set to change the world of work. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, this special explores technology's threat to the American worker and the ways we are responding.
