It's incredibly bloody -- and incredibly misunderstood. What has come to be known as the Mexican drug war, but would be better viewed as the US-Mexico drug trade, has claimed nearly 50,000 lives since 2006, including those of many journalists. Mexico-based writer John Gibler talks about the politics and economics of an industry that involves enormous sums of money, territorial violence, mega-profits, and the collusion of governments and banks. (Encore broadcast.)

If you were to go off the mainstream media, you would think youth violence is on the rise. But is it? East Asian scholar Adrienne Carey Hurley has taken a careful look at the demonization of young people in both the United States and Japan. She discusses the less noted but widespread abuse that children and youth are subjected to. Hurley also talks about mass protests by students in Québec, as well as the anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.