Ep 16. Waiting to Die & Women in War

In season 6 episode 16 of Vice, the episode is split into two segments addressing two very different topics. The first segment, titled "Waiting to Die," explores the use of the death penalty in the United States. Vice correspondent Gianna Toboni takes a closer look at how one state, Arkansas, has been carrying out a string of executions in a short amount of time, highlighting the ethical and legal controversies of capital punishment. Toboni interviews death row inmates, prison staff, and activists both for and against this form of punishment. She also sheds light on how the lethal injection drugs used by the state are obtained and the legal issues surrounding their acquisition. The other segment, called "Women in War," examines the experiences of female soldiers fighting on the front lines in Iraq against the Islamic State. Correspondent Isobel Yeung closely follows several women in the Iraqi army, the Kurdish Peshmerga, and the Yazidi militias, who have taken up arms to fight against ISIS. Yeung explores how these women came to the battlefield, the challenges they face fighting in a male-dominated field, and the unique perspective they bring to the war. She also interviews commanders and officers who have taken risks to ensure that women have a place in their units, and who recognize the vital role that women can play in conflict. Both segments of this episode of Vice take on timely and meaningful topics, and offer a glimpse into often overlooked aspects of the issues at hand.