VICE >> Season 4

'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.

'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.

'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 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.

'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.

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.

'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.

'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.

'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.

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.

"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.

‘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.

'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.

'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.

Exploring the moral, political and personal questions raised by euthanasia.

Season Four Premiere. '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.

Season Four Premiere. '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.