The Opioid Epidemic (Prescription Pain Meds and Heroin) have ravaged parts of the US.  Many experts have pointed out that the crisis knows no socioeconomic boundaries. As evidence, three family members of Presidential Candidates have died due to substance abuse.  Yet, this is a very little know fact.  Can you imagine the media frenzy if these three tragedies were the result of Ebola?  This segment not only explores the personal struggles of Presidential families, but also explores the evolution of drug and treatment policies needed to address this crisis.

One day after the mass shootings at the Umpqua Community College in Roseberg, Oregon, Sen Ted Cruz commented on the subject of mass shootings, without specifically referring to this shooting, which at the time was still an active investigation.

The political debate surrounding Planned Parenthood videos is mired with talking points.  The truth lies in the deep body of medical ethics that govern the use of fetal tissue for research purposes.  In this video, the comments of Dr. Ben Carson–both a MD and a candidate for President–and Medical Ethicist Dr. Arthur Caplan are contrasted.

It is more than a well known secret that Sen. Ted Cruz is not well liked by his Senate colleagues.  In fact, Cruz sometimes uses that as a badge of honor to prove his outsider bonafides with the conservative base.  But he does have a fun side (you have to search youtube for his Simpson rehearsal) and demonstrates it as part of this campaign stump speech…although he wasn’t willing to go all-the-way.

Barely registering in the polls, Martin O’Malley is keeping focused on a message he thinks will garner support from Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.  Here he is speaking before New Hampshire Democratic activists on September 19, 2015.

While he has a pipe dream of a chance of being elected President of the United States, Lawrence Lessig is the real deal.  A leading intellectual figure in the transformation into the information age, Lessig is running on the singular message that money is corrupting the very core of our political system and he is using his candidacy as a bully pulpit to spread this critical message.

A day after a rocky debate performance, Donald Trump is in full spin mode about his  debate performance.  More interesting, a national reporter (please email kevin@story-crafters.com if you know who he is) asked if Trump is “growing” as a candidate because he was being nice to other candidates.  Personally, I think it is a sad reflection on both our democracy and modern journalism that refraining from calling opponents names is a sign of “growth”.

Political junkies may recognize the “bearded man” as the “flower guy” who pays for peace with Jeb Bush. But his encounter with Donald Trump and his fans, lead to a different outcome.  Instead of praying for peace, he appears that he’ll need to pray for getting out of the event in one piece.