30. Back in the Dprk & California Burning
No release date yet
"Back in the DPRK" VICE Media founder Shane Smith has been traveling to North Korea for years, including during some of the most acrimonious periods in its history. Now, the country is on a charm offensive and appears to be slowly emerging from its isolation. In the wake of a series of inter-Korean summits and the first ever DPRK-US summit, Smith returns to the Korean peninsula to see how Seoul and Pyongyang are reacting to the new detente. "California Burning" California is experiencing its worst wildfire season in a decade, and November's Camp Fire was the deadliest, most destructive fire in state recorded history. While climate change is partially to blame, and its effects becoming more severe according to a new government report, there might be another culprit at play. Gianna Toboni travels to the scorched town of Paradise to learn how California can survive a future of deadlier fires.
29. Doom Boom/Unfair
No release date yet
"Doom Boom" Throughout human history, doomsayers--people predicting the end of the world--have lived largely on the fringes of society. Today, a doomsday industry is booming thanks to TV shows, movies, hyper-partisan politics and the news media. With the country's collective anxiety on the rise, even the nation's wealthiest people are jumping on board, spending millions of dollars on survival readiness in preparation for unknown calamities. We sent Thomas Morton to see how people across the country are planning to weather the coming storm. "Unfair" India is home to Bollywood, the world's most prolific movie industry. For those who dream of stardom, landing a leading role may depend on the color of your skin. India's preference for fair skin has given rise to a skin-lightening industry worth nearly $500 million dollars. Gianna Toboni heads to Mumbai to find out how this cultural bias is fueling the booming business of fairer skin.
28. The War At Home/Putin's Crimea
No release date yet
"The War at Home" On average, three women in the United States are killed each day by a current or former partner. With firearms greatly increasing the odds of homicide inside homes with reports of domestic violence, some states are making efforts to seize firearms from those with orders of protection against them. Meanwhile other states have passed legislation making it easier for those who file protection orders to carry a weapon without a license. We sent Gianna Toboni to meet the women working to fix the shortcomings of a legal system that often fails to protect women. "Putin's Crimea" In 2014, Russia seized the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in one of the most brazen annexations of territory since World War II. Aside from economic sanctions, that land grab has largely been forgotten by the international community. More than four years on, Russia's grip on Crimea seems stronger than ever. Isobel Yeung investigates how Crimeans are really faring under Russian control, and how Ukrainians are clinging to the hope of reunification.
27. A Living Hell/MDMA for PTSD
No release date yet
"A Living Hell" After nearly four years of war in Yemen at least 10,000 civilians have been killed. Millions more have fled their homes and are now facing famine and disease. The situation is so dire that the UN has described it as the world's worst humanitarian disaster. The crisis, created in large part by US allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE, using US supplied weapons and planes, has turned Yemen into a living hell. Ben Anderson returns to Yemen, gets access to the various fighting groups waging war for the Saudi/Emirati led coalition, and sees the devastating effect the chaotic fighting and indiscriminate bombing is having on civilians. "MDMA For PTSD" PTSD affects millions of Americans, including 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and up to 30 percent of first responders. Despite this, available treatment is limited, resulting in long term suffering and, in many cases, suicide. But a new set of trials using MDMA-assisted therapy has achieved remarkable results. VICE's Ben Anderson, who has been covering conflict for almost two decades and was diagnosed himself over a year ago, decided to try the treatment.
26. The Road to Asylum/Lab Rat Nation
No release date yet
"The Road to Asylum" Over the last year, the Trump administration has increased its efforts to crackdown on asylum in America. Citing widespread abuse and fraud in the system, the administration narrowed asylum protections for those fleeing domestic and gang violence, an action that disproportionately affects people fleeing Central America. VICE Correspondent Krishna Andavolu traveled to Central America and the US southern border to see how these new policy changes are impacting the fate of thousands of asylum seekers. "Lab Rat Nation" Pharmaceutical companies spend years seeking approval from the FDA to bring new drugs to market. During the first phase of clinical trials, drugs are tested on healthy human beings who are often paid thousands of dollars for trying unapproved drugs and reporting their side effects. Vikram Gandhi travels into the bizarre world of these human guinea pigs to get an inside look at the self-proclaimed "lab rats" who test our medicines.
25. Death Inc./Bannon's World
No release date yet
"Death Inc." 2018 is on track to be Mexico's deadliest year on record with over 20,000 homicides so far. In a country where more than 90 percent of crimes go unsolved, searching for truth and justice can make you a target. Civilians, journalists and politicians have been intimidated, killed or have disappeared. We sent VICE correspondent Gianna Toboni to investigate the roots of this spiraling murder rate and meet the people who refuse to be silenced. "Bannon's World" When President Trump's former strategist, Steve Bannon, was ousted from his White House post, he didn't disappear. He went to Europe and is heading up new projects to support right-wing populist parties that are currently surging across the continent. We sent Michael Moynihan to Sweden, Italy, and Belgium to track Bannon and see the rise of Europe's right-wing populist movement firsthand.
24. Voodoo Wrestling/Big Placebo
No release date yet
"Voodoo Wrestling" Mystical voodoo rituals and professional wrestling converge in Catch Fetiche, a popular but polarizing sport in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Until recently it was an all-male sport, but women have been getting into the ring to fight, pushing the definition of gender roles in a country where violence against women is high. Dexter Thomas travels to Kinshasa to see the battles firsthand and meet the women wrestlers who are emerging as the sport's new champions. "Big Placebo" Americans spend billions of dollars every year on alternative medicine. While products like dietary supplements are nothing new, a wave of lucrative endorsements from celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and "influencers" on social media have made "wellness" a booming industry. Charlet Duboc meets devotees and skeptics, to figure out just what's going on with the country's wellness obsession.
23. Consent
No release date yet
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.
22. Brainhackers/Fall of Rio
No release date yet
"Brainhackers" Advancements in neurotechnology are blurring the line between biology and technology. An emerging push to implant electronic devices inside the human body and hardwire them to our brains may allow us not only to overcome a host of ailments but to open up new avenues of human experience. Thomas Morton gets an inside look at what might be the next evolutionary step for humankind. "Fall of Rio" Brazil hosted the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics in an effort to create wealth and improve safety and security for the nation's poor. But today the country is in a financial crisis, its government is consumed with a monumental corruption scandal and violence is rising as drug trafficking gangs fight for control. Ben Anderson returns to Rio to see what happened.
21. Engineering Earth
No release date yet
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.
20. American Piety/Terror in Congo
No release date yet
"American Piety" White evangelicals comprise a third of all Republican voters and are among the GOP's most organized voting blocs. But 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. Gianna Toboni travels to the Bible Belt to see how evangelicals are navigating today's volatile political environment. "Terror in Congo" Conflict in Eastern Congo has killed as many as six million people, more than any war since WWII. Yet this conflict remains among the most underreported crises in the world. Ben Anderson reports on the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces), one of the least known, but most violent groups in the world.
19. Trans in Texas/Nicaragua Deja Vu
No release date yet
"Trans in Texas" Last year, VICE investigated the complicated lives of trans kids and their families as they navigate decisions over medical transitions and how best to support their children's identity. A year later, life for transgender Americans has become more uncertain as politicians dismantle key federal and state protections and introduce a slew of anti-LGBTQ bills. Gianna Toboni returns to Texas to see how the transgender community is fighting to win acceptance and protection. "Nicaragua Deja Vu" Once upon a time, Daniel Ortega helped lead a revolution in Nicaragua. Now, nearly four decades later, he's the president and a new revolution is coming for him. As people take to the streets seeking to oust Ortega, his police and paramilitary forces have responded by killing hundreds of protesters. Vikram Gandhi travels to Nicaragua to meet the new revolutionaries and find out what the future might hold for what was once one of the safest nations in Central America.
18. A New Leaf/Quantum Supremacy
No release date yet
''A New Leaf'' The cultivation of coca, the main ingredient in cocaine, has nearly tripled over the past five years in Colombia. As part of the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country has embarked on a unique experiment to try and end coca farming and production, but freeing Colombia from its cocaine problem is proving difficult. Charlet Duboc travels to the remote towns where coca farming is a way of life to examine the struggle for a cocaine-free Colombia. ''Quantum Supremacy'' Computer giants are 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. Taylor Wilson meets the scientists at the cutting edge of this new age of computing.
17. Trump's Trade War
No release date yet
''Trump's Trade War'' 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.
16. Waiting to Die/Women in War
No release date yet
"Waiting to Die" America is the only industrialized, Western country still using capital punishment. While a majority of Americans support these executions, it's becoming difficult to actually carry them out. Major pharmaceutical manufacturers no longer want their drugs used in lethal injections, leaving many states scrambling. Now, as some states experiment with unconventional drug cocktails and others turn to more archaic methods, VICE's Gianna Toboni follows one death row inmate on his arduous path to the execution chamber. "Women in War" Yemen has been ripped apart by terrorism, civil war and famine, leading to the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Women and girls are bearing the brunt of the crisis, and there has been a dramatic rise in reported incidents of gender-based violence. In this report, Isobel Yeung follows resilient Yemeni women, who are finding surprising ways to rise above conflict and their traditional roles in Yemen's conservative society.
15. After the Fall
No release date yet
The fight for the future of Syria has turned the nation into a chessboard for competing world powers. But for civilians in the former ISIS capital city Raqqa, the ghosts of the past make the future hard to imagine. 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 US-backed coalition, whose collateral damage destroyed most of the city.
14. Opioid Generation/Hindustan
No release date yet
"Opioid Generation" The U.S. is suffering from the highest rate of drug overdose deaths on record. Driving this public health crisis is the opioid epidemic, which claims more than 100 lives daily. But as politicians and public health officials grapple over solutions, another crisis is emerging. VICE's Isobel Yeung travels to West Virginia to investigate a surge in child welfare cases, as opioid-addicted parents fight to keep their families together. "Hindustan" In India, a wave of resurgent nationalism is transforming the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his far-right political party, the BJP, have been accused of promoting policies which incite religious intolerance and violence. VICE correspondent Krishna Andavolu travels across the Hindu-majority nation to see how this cocktail of religious nationalism is affecting India's 240 million religious minorities, most of whom are Muslim.
13. A Kurdish State/Out of Space
No release date yet
''A Kurdish State'' The Kurds have played an instrumental role in the fight against ISIS in Iraq. Although the case for their independence is rarely made, the Kurds are the largest ethnic group in the world without a state of their own, and are one of the only peoples to suffer attempted genocide since the Holocaust. In Iraqi Kurdistan, Ben Anderson meets everyone from frontline fighters to their former guerrilla president, asking why the Kurds recently voted for independence and what hopes they have for achieving their own state. ''Out of Space'' More than half a million objects of man-made space junk currently orbit the Earth at speeds up to 17,500 miles per hour, and even the tiniest pieces could potentially destroy any of the 1,700 satellites circling the Earth. Nuclear physicist Taylor Wilson joins the Air Force Space Command to see how a growing military and commercial space presence threatens the ubiquitous satellites that are essential to humanity’s digital way of life.
12. The Big Fix/Silicon Valley of India
No release date yet
"The Big Fix" America's infrastructure is in desperate need of more than $4 trillion in upgrades and improvements. President Trump campaigned heavily on overhauling the country's crumbling infrastructure, and promised to invest big to fix it. VICE correspondent Thomas Morton explores the most vital bridges, tunnels and waterways in the US to see how much the situation has deteriorated and to find out if the Trump Administration's promise is being kept. "Silicon Valley of India" Traditionally, India's best and brightest tech talent have emigrated to the United States for lucrative job opportunities. But now they're putting their entrepreneurial spirit and engineering skills to use at home. VICE correspondent Krishna Andavolu heads to the city of Bangalore to explore what may indeed be the world's next Silicon Valley.
11. Separated By Birth
No release date yet
"Separated By Birth" 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.
10. The Cost of Living/Paradise Lost
No release date yet
"The Cost of Living" Americans today spend more on pharmaceuticals per capita than anywhere else in the world, and more than one in five say they have trouble affording their prescription drugs. But alternative pathways to medicine exist. Hamilton Morris explores the world of clandestine chemists, DIY bio hackers, and grey markets to see if a more democratized medicinal future is indeed possible. "Paradise Lost" Five months after Hurricane Maria, one of the worst natural disasters in Puerto Rico's history, Isobel Yeung travels to the American territory and finds thousands of citizens struggling to rebuild amidst insufficient aid and a lack of basic services. Isobel explores the social and political ramifications of the Trump administration's lagging support in what many consider one of the world's last colonies.
9. No Choice But to Choose/Rebel Republic
No release date yet
"No Choice But to Choose" School choice is an education reform movement that promotes alternatives to traditional public schools in the form of charter schools and voucher programs. One of the biggest advocates for "choice" over the past two decades, Betsy DeVos, is now serving as President Trump's secretary of education. Gianna Toboni traveled to DeVos's home state of Michigan to see choice in action and to understand what the future of public education might look like. "Rebel Republic" Ben Anderson covers the rarely reported crisis in Central African Republic, a country whose government barely control the capital city, and where 75 percent of the country is in the hands of at least 14 armed groups. What was once a war between Christians and Muslims has now descended into a chaotic and brutal battle for the country's many natural resources, causing devastating harm to the country and its civilians.
8. Printing Tomorrow/Are We Alone?
No release date yet
'Printing Tomorrow' 3D printing innovations in recent years have fueled a sea change in how we fabricate everything from automobile parts to human bio-tissues. VICE's Krishna Andavolu explores the cutting edge research behind what's being called the next industrial revolution, meeting the scientists and entrepreneurs pushing the boundaries of manufacturing, material science and even space exploration. 'Are We Alone?' Scientists are leaping exponentially closer to finding life beyond Earth. Missions to Mars and Saturn's moons are prime candidates for finding the first signs of life and NASA can now identify more than 3,500 planets outside our solar system, many with habitable temperatures. That number is quickly growing as space travel technology improves and probes head deeper into the galaxy. Nuclear physicist Taylor Wilson explores one of our civilization's most perplexing questions: Are we alone?
7. Russian Democracy/Global Gag Rule
No release date yet
'Russian Democracy' Russia held its seventh democratic presidential election in March and, as expected, Vladimir Putin added another six years to his already long tenure. With Putin now Russia's longest-serving leader since Stalin, VICE sent Ben Ferguson to speak with voters, candidates and opposition figures barred from running in hopes of discovering how democracy works in Russia. 'Global Gag Rule' Just three days after his inauguration, President Trump signed a memorandum reinstating what's known as the Global Gag Rule, which eliminates U.S. funding for any NGO providing abortion-related services. In the year since, the effects of this policy have rippled across Africa. Gianna Toboni investigates the impact on women's health in Uganda.
6. Iran in Iraq/Dying On the Vine
No release date yet
"Iran in Iraq" Iran and Iraq fought one of the longest and bloodiest wars of the 20th century, which cost the lives of more than a million people and cemented the two countries' rivalry in the decades that followed. But after the Islamic State took over wide swaths of Iraq, it was Iran that came to Iraq's aid. Now, after the defeat of ISIS, VICE correspondent Isobel Yeung travels to Iraq to see how Iran is exerting its growing influence over the war-torn country ahead of parliamentary elections. "Dying on the Vine" From sinking cities to species extinction, the effects of climate change are expected to be disastrous. These shifting weather patterns will directly impact our food supply. One beloved crop, the grape, is already facing threats due to its extreme sensitivity and these changes threaten the grape's main byproduct: Wine. In the vineyards of Napa during historic wildfires and the wine laboratories of Bordeaux, Gianna Toboni explores the dangers facing viticulture, and what they mean for agriculture everywhere.
5. Massacre in Myanmar/The Blue Helmets
No release date yet
"Massacre in Myanmar" Over half a million Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have fled brutal ethnic violence carried out by their government. While unprecedented numbers of refugees have found safety across the border in Bangladesh, their fates are uncertain. The international community has been reluctant to take action against Myanmar, and plans are underway to return those who escaped. Gianna Toboni travels to the Myanmar-Bangladesh border to investigate what the future holds for the world's most persecuted minority. "The Blue Helmets" An exclusive look inside the UN's most dangerous active peacekeeping operation in the African country of Mali, VICE correspondent Aris Roussinos joins UN peacekeepers on their mission across the lawless Sahara desert as VICE co-founder Suroosh Alvi speaks with the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres about what the future of peace looks like in today's world.
4. The Parkland Effect
No release date yet
As the young survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting make an impassioned plea for gun control, the NRA is pushing back with a narrative of their own: "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." Gianna Toboni sees firsthand how some teachers are taking up arms to be that 'good guy' and explores the deep divisions in America that make stopping these mass shootings seem nearly impossible.
3. A Revolution in Ruins/New Kids On the Blockchain
No release date yet
'A Revolution in Ruins' Libya is in chaos. Rival governments compete for power, human smuggling is rampant, and black markets thrive for everything from oil to hard currency. The international community is backing the Government of National Accord, which maintains a tenuous hold on the capital. But the government’s survival depends on warring militias, many of whom are paid to police the smuggling they themselves are allegedly involved in. VICE looks at how the Libyan revolution is failing.'New Kids on the Blockchain' Bitcoin’s emergence as a global, digital currency has been as revolutionary as it has been erratic. And while fledgling investors obsess over every fluctuation in the cryptocurrency market, nation states are more interested in the underlying blockchain technology and its ability to revolutionize how business is done on the internet and beyond. VICE travels to Russia with Vitalik Buterin, inventor of the Ethereum blockchain, to get a front row seat to the geopolitical tug of war over Internet 3.0.
2. Battle for Jerusalem/A Face In the Crowd
No release date yet
'Battle for Jerusalem' On December 6th, 2017, President Trump declared that the United States would move its embassy to Jerusalem this year, upending decades of international diplomacy and inciting protests and violence across the Palestinian territories. VICE correspondent Gianna Toboni reports on the aftermath of Trump's announcement from the front lines, and speaks with leaders and civilians on all sides of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict about the imminent consequences of the future move.'A Face in the Crowd' As developments in facial recognition technology make rapid advances, Elle Reeve travels to China where companies and the government are rapidly deploying all manner of imaginable applications. VICE investigates the blurry legal boundaries surrounding this technology and the potential it has to change the very nature of policing itself, both in China and in the United States.
1. Raised in the System
No release date yet
Season Six Premiere. In an episode that offers a frank and unflinching look at young people caught up in the criminal justice system, Michael Kenneth Williams explores why the country's mass incarceration problem cannot be fixed without first addressing the juvenile justice problem, and investigates solutions local communities are employing that are resulting in drastic drops in crime and incarceration.
