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[Alice]   Are the results      
        that people are getting

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00:00:07,132 --> 00:00:09,592
from drug testing         
      in Johnson County accurate?

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00:00:09,634 --> 00:00:12,846
Some are accurate,         
      but not all are accurate.

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00:00:12,887 --> 00:00:14,347
[Alice]              
     Like many private contractors

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00:00:14,389 --> 00:00:16,141
for the criminal justice     
                system,

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00:00:16,182 --> 00:00:18,601
Averhealth is backed       
           by private equity.

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00:00:18,643 --> 00:00:21,354
It's just so lucrative       
           and pervasive.

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00:00:21,396 --> 00:00:24,190
[Marie]   Averhealth         
       is determining my future.

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00:00:24,232 --> 00:00:25,817
If I went to prison,       
              I don't know

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00:00:25,859 --> 00:00:27,152
if I'd be able           
       to come back from that.

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dramatic music

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[gunshots popping]

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[Melissa]   How ready        
          is Taiwan's military

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in the event of an invasion?

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[speaking Chinese]

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[Melissa]   People say Taiwan    
           is a part of China

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or Taiwan is not a country.

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[person speaking Chinese]

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[Enoch]   As long as Xi Jinping   
              is in power,

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we need to be prepared       
           for the worst.

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dramatic music

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[screaming]

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tense music

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-[Marie] All right, you ready?   
           -[child] Yeah!

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Let's head out.

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It's always the hardest day    
             of the month.

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It could be the last time     
       that I see my daughter

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and drop her off at school.

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It usually shouldn't       
             be a problem,

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but with the way that       
     the drug testing system is,

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I never know what to expect.

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[Alice]              
      Marie is on felony probation

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for fentanyl possession.

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She has monthly check-ins     
      with her probation officer,

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and she must stay         
           completely sober.

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At her last meeting,

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she was sent to jail       
              for 72 hours

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after testing positive      
              for alcohol,

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a substance she says       
          she never consumes.

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-So had you been drinking?     
                -No.

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Like, I haven't drank       
     in probably six-plus years,

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something like that.

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-What did that feel like?     
              -Oh, man.

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It really just--          
      it honestly made me mad.

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Like, I had a lot of anger     
            when I heard

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that there was something      
       going on with my test.

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I'm a recovering drug addict,

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and once you've done all     
     those bad things for so long,

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nobody will believe you.

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Nobody trusts you.

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[Alice]   Marie's probation     
         requires drug testing

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through the private company    
              Averhealth.

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[narrator]             
       At Averhealth, we believe

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the road to recovery       
            goes way beyond

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a positive or negative      
              test result.

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[Alice]   Averhealth was born

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in the midst           
        of the opioid epidemic.

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They've built a niche       
          privatizing testing

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in the U.S.            
        criminal justice system.

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But across the country,      
          people being tested

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accuse the company        
         of inaccurate results.

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And it's not just         
          suspected drug users

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alleging Averhealth's tests    
               are wrong.

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So does one of its own      
            top scientists.

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Vice News uncovered        
            court documents

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from a case in Michigan      
      revealing that Averhealth's

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former lab director claimed    
             that up to 30%

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of the tests being reported    
              were wrong,

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either false positive       
           or false negative.

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Averhealth said in a statement 
         that it was compliant

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with all standards

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and that its former        
       lab director's allegations

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were baseless.

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It also noted that        
      an independent investigation

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commissioned by          
         the state of Michigan

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found no issues          
       with the testing process.

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But Michigan           
         temporarily suspended

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its contract in March.

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The state declined to comment   
           as to the reasons.

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But agencies           
      in more than 20 other states

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are still working         
           with the company,

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running up to 8,000 tests     
                 a day.

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Drug testing has a massive     
      impact on people's lives,

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but the science behind       
    the tests is very mysterious.

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So we're headed to a lab      
            to understand

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how these tests actually work.

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light music

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Alex Krotulski          
       is a forensic toxicologist

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at a nonprofit lab        
        outside of Philadelphia.

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He demonstrated how        
       a supposedly perfect test

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can still go wrong.

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So in here we're gonna grab    
         some of our things

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that we need for our test.

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So in this refrigerator,      
     we have these green boxes,

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00:04:09,082 --> 00:04:12,543
and in these green boxes      
        are tiny glass vials

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of all known drug standards.

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So this is again what we use

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to prepare             
        our quality controls.

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This is a library of drugs.

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[Alex] Yeah.

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The drug we're           
          going to look for

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is benzoylecgonine,        
     the metabolite of cocaine.

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I'm going to show you       
             in a moment

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how we prepare samples

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to run them            
       on a mass spectrometer.

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[Alice]   Mass spectrometry

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is the gold standard       
            of drug testing.

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00:04:32,981 --> 00:04:37,277
It compares the molecules     
      in a sample to known drugs.

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These instruments have strict   
       quality control processes

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to ensure accuracy.

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[Alex]               
     As a forensic toxicology lab,

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00:04:43,992 --> 00:04:46,536
there's always a number of     
   controls that you put in place

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to make sure that not only     
    your experiments are working

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00:04:50,623 --> 00:04:52,292
and that              
     your instrument's working,

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00:04:52,333 --> 00:04:55,295
but that you get          
    the right result in the end.

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[Alice]              
      The quality control process

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sounds like it takes a lot    
           of time and effort

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to get right, is that correct?

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00:05:01,467 --> 00:05:03,052
[Alex]   It takes time        
          to not only prepare

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those additional samples.

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It takes time           
          to analyze the data

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00:05:06,347 --> 00:05:07,765
for those additional samples.

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[Alice]              
       If quality controls fail,

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can the results be trusted?

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Generally, no.

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Generally,             
       that's a huge red flag

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for a forensic toxicologist.

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They should say, "No,       
    these tests are not accurate.

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00:05:19,777 --> 00:05:21,070
"Send the sample          
          back to the lab.

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00:05:21,112 --> 00:05:22,530
"Go through the process again.

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00:05:22,572 --> 00:05:24,657
Make sure everything passes    
           the next time."

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[Alice]              
      What Krotulski is describing

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is at the heart          
     of the whistleblower's claims

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against Averhealth.

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00:05:30,538 --> 00:05:32,915
She said that the company     
         was delivering results

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00:05:32,957 --> 00:05:35,918
even when             
        quality controls failed.

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00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,463
And she said when she brought   
       the improper lab practices

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00:05:38,504 --> 00:05:40,340
to management,          
        Averhealth's executives

139
00:05:40,381 --> 00:05:42,175
dismissed quality controls

140
00:05:42,216 --> 00:05:45,261
as being too time-consuming.

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00:05:45,303 --> 00:05:48,014
Averhealth markets        
       its rapid turnaround time,

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00:05:48,056 --> 00:05:50,975
and for the company,       
           time equals money.

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00:05:51,017 --> 00:05:54,687
The drug testing industry     
        is a $4 billion market,

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00:05:54,729 --> 00:05:57,690
nearly half of which       
        is in the United States.

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00:05:57,732 --> 00:05:59,192
[Jason]   We are absolutely     
             saving lives.

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00:05:59,233 --> 00:06:01,402
We can point to thousands     
            of case stories

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00:06:01,444 --> 00:06:03,653
where people have completely   
       turned around their lives.

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00:06:03,696 --> 00:06:06,366
[Alice]              
      Averhealth CEO Jason Herzog

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00:06:06,407 --> 00:06:07,950
worked at an investment bank

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00:06:07,992 --> 00:06:09,869
prior to acquiring        
              the company.

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00:06:09,911 --> 00:06:11,996
Averhealth is funded       
           by private equity

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00:06:12,038 --> 00:06:13,956
and received           
        a $47 million investment

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00:06:13,998 --> 00:06:15,458
in 2021.

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00:06:15,500 --> 00:06:17,043
Herzog and Averhealth       
                declined

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00:06:17,085 --> 00:06:19,045
our request            
      for an on-camera interview.

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00:06:19,087 --> 00:06:20,963
But in the past,         
            Herzog has said

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00:06:21,004 --> 00:06:23,174
he sees Averhealth        
            as a disruptor.

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00:06:23,216 --> 00:06:25,259
[Jason]   Before,          
     the clinicians could only rely

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00:06:25,301 --> 00:06:28,179
on what the patient told them, 
           and we've taken it

160
00:06:28,221 --> 00:06:31,224
to an objective level       
      so that there's no question

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00:06:31,265 --> 00:06:33,810
what's going on          
       in that individual's life.

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00:06:33,851 --> 00:06:35,728
[Alice]              
      Objective testing depends on

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00:06:35,770 --> 00:06:38,064
near-constant surveillance.

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00:06:38,106 --> 00:06:40,233
People need to be available    
       for testing at Averhealth

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00:06:40,274 --> 00:06:42,819
365 days a year

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00:06:42,860 --> 00:06:45,488
and can be tested         
       two to three times a week.

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00:06:45,530 --> 00:06:47,407
Averhealth says          
           testing frequently

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00:06:47,448 --> 00:06:49,242
helps people stay sober,

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00:06:49,283 --> 00:06:52,412
but the company also profits   
              from tests,

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00:06:52,453 --> 00:06:55,706
and people like Marie pay     
             out of pocket.

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00:06:55,748 --> 00:06:57,875
I've spent             
      over a thousand dollars,

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00:06:57,917 --> 00:07:00,795
if not thousands of dollars    
           on these tests.

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00:07:00,837 --> 00:07:03,464
There's so many people       
   that go there every single day,

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00:07:03,506 --> 00:07:04,715
multiple times a week.

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00:07:04,757 --> 00:07:06,342
They're getting          
         millions of dollars

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00:07:06,384 --> 00:07:07,885
from all of us.

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00:07:07,927 --> 00:07:10,304
What was the impact        
   of going to jail because of...

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00:07:10,346 --> 00:07:12,014
-Oh, boy.             
      -...some of these tests?

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00:07:12,056 --> 00:07:14,434
You know, it caused a lot     
     of problems with my family.

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00:07:14,475 --> 00:07:16,811
And if that happens again,

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00:07:16,853 --> 00:07:19,897
I have 18 months in prison     
             this time.

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With that being said,       
   I would for sure lose my child.

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00:07:22,733 --> 00:07:24,444
[Alice]              
        If Marie goes to prison,

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00:07:24,485 --> 00:07:26,778
the state could place       
     her daughter into foster care.

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00:07:27,822 --> 00:07:29,365
Defense attorney Jay Norton

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00:07:29,407 --> 00:07:31,909
has contested           
     Averhealth results in Kansas,

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00:07:31,951 --> 00:07:34,245
and he says Averhealth's     
           profit incentives

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00:07:34,287 --> 00:07:35,746
are at odds            
       with its supposed mission

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00:07:35,788 --> 00:07:37,790
of rehabilitating people.

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00:07:37,832 --> 00:07:39,959
[Jay]   Averhealth          
        is a for-profit company

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00:07:40,001 --> 00:07:43,754
that exists for the purpose    
       of making money, right?

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00:07:43,796 --> 00:07:45,465
They're not            
        a government agency.

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00:07:45,506 --> 00:07:47,717
They're getting contracts     
         from the government

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00:07:47,758 --> 00:07:49,469
to provide these services.

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00:07:49,510 --> 00:07:53,097
And they want to keep that gig, 
        'cause they're making

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00:07:53,139 --> 00:07:55,308
millions and millions       
        of dollars off of it.

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00:07:55,349 --> 00:07:58,561
Who is being required       
      to test with Averhealth?

198
00:07:58,603 --> 00:08:00,313
Virtually everybody,        
             even people

199
00:08:00,354 --> 00:08:02,355
who are not accused        
            or convicted

200
00:08:02,398 --> 00:08:04,233
of alcohol- or drug-related    
               crimes.

201
00:08:04,274 --> 00:08:07,235
Almost anybody           
   who's on probation for anything

202
00:08:07,278 --> 00:08:09,614
will be required to do

203
00:08:09,654 --> 00:08:11,699
the daily             
       urine testing call-ins.

204
00:08:11,740 --> 00:08:14,160
Averhealth benefits        
       'cause they make money.

205
00:08:14,202 --> 00:08:16,454
What is your perspective      
             on the role

206
00:08:16,496 --> 00:08:18,873
that Averhealth plays       
       in the justice system?

207
00:08:18,915 --> 00:08:21,417
Averhealth is performing      
             a function

208
00:08:21,459 --> 00:08:24,212
that used to be performed     
              by people

209
00:08:24,253 --> 00:08:26,214
that worked            
      within the court system.

210
00:08:26,255 --> 00:08:30,218
It's now been outsourced      
        to a private company.

211
00:08:30,259 --> 00:08:34,555
The courts have placed all     
    of their faith in Averhealth

212
00:08:34,597 --> 00:08:37,683
and are relying on Averhealth

213
00:08:37,725 --> 00:08:40,645
to give them accurate results.

214
00:08:40,686 --> 00:08:45,149
And nobody's checking up      
     on whether they are or not.

215
00:08:45,191 --> 00:08:48,152
There's no oversight        
          over Averhealth.

216
00:08:48,194 --> 00:08:49,654
[Alice]              
      Courts are testing so often

217
00:08:49,695 --> 00:08:52,031
because it costs them little   
           or nothing to run.

218
00:08:52,073 --> 00:08:53,866
And Averhealth makes       
           the messy business

219
00:08:53,908 --> 00:08:55,368
of monitoring           
          someone's compliance

220
00:08:55,409 --> 00:08:57,328
seem simple and easy,

221
00:08:57,370 --> 00:08:59,705
but blanket drug testing     
           has a social cost.

222
00:08:59,747 --> 00:09:02,041
Failed tests are one       
       of the most common reasons

223
00:09:02,083 --> 00:09:05,670
someone on supervised release   
          ends up behind bars.

224
00:09:05,711 --> 00:09:07,630
Over-reliance on drug tests    
              is a problem

225
00:09:07,672 --> 00:09:09,590
that's even bigger        
            than Averhealth,

226
00:09:09,632 --> 00:09:11,342
according to Melissa Moore,    
              a researcher

227
00:09:11,384 --> 00:09:13,469
with the Drug Policy Alliance.

228
00:09:13,510 --> 00:09:16,180
What do you make of the fact    
        that a lot of people

229
00:09:16,222 --> 00:09:18,599
are drug tested          
   in the criminal justice system

230
00:09:18,641 --> 00:09:21,978
whose original offense       
   actually was not drug-related?

231
00:09:22,019 --> 00:09:24,188
[Melissa] I think this shows    
           in so many ways

232
00:09:24,230 --> 00:09:27,024
the tentacles of the drug war   
        that have seeped into

233
00:09:27,066 --> 00:09:29,068
so many different aspects     
         of people's lives.

234
00:09:29,110 --> 00:09:30,528
The profit motive         
          in and of itself

235
00:09:30,570 --> 00:09:33,573
has led to a lot of people     
            referring to

236
00:09:33,614 --> 00:09:36,367
especially urinalysis       
    drug testing as liquid gold,

237
00:09:36,409 --> 00:09:39,662
because it's just so lucrative   
          and so pervasive

238
00:09:39,704 --> 00:09:41,497
across so many           
         different sectors.

239
00:09:41,539 --> 00:09:43,416
What do you make          
   of the argument that drug tests

240
00:09:43,457 --> 00:09:45,668
actually keep people        
           out of prison?

241
00:09:45,710 --> 00:09:48,087
That they're an alternative    
          to incarceration?

242
00:09:48,129 --> 00:09:50,006
Straight out, not the case.

243
00:09:50,047 --> 00:09:51,549
I mean, we see so many people

244
00:09:51,591 --> 00:09:54,051
end up being remanded       
            into custody

245
00:09:54,093 --> 00:09:55,886
because of just          
       a positive toxicology.

246
00:09:55,928 --> 00:09:57,346
Not because            
        they've re-offended,

247
00:09:57,388 --> 00:09:59,348
not because            
     they've actually committed

248
00:09:59,390 --> 00:10:01,434
any other crime,

249
00:10:01,475 --> 00:10:03,185
but simply             
    because they tested positive.

250
00:10:03,227 --> 00:10:04,770
It doesn't necessarily lead

251
00:10:04,812 --> 00:10:07,607
to them actually getting care   
            or treatment.

252
00:10:07,648 --> 00:10:10,067
Drug tests are really       
           this instrument

253
00:10:10,109 --> 00:10:12,445
that's often weaponized      
           against people.

254
00:10:12,486 --> 00:10:16,616
It adds an additional hurdle    
   that often people stumble over

255
00:10:16,657 --> 00:10:18,117
or can't clear,

256
00:10:18,159 --> 00:10:21,287
and it's because the system    
      around the testing itself

257
00:10:21,329 --> 00:10:23,456
is super problematic.

258
00:10:23,497 --> 00:10:24,832
[Alice]              
     Averhealth said in a statement

259
00:10:24,874 --> 00:10:26,751
that accuracy is paramount.

260
00:10:26,792 --> 00:10:29,587
That it is regulated and that   
     it recently passed inspections

261
00:10:29,629 --> 00:10:31,797
by the clinical laboratory    
         improvement amendments

262
00:10:31,839 --> 00:10:34,634
in the College          
       of American Pathologists.

263
00:10:34,675 --> 00:10:36,302
It also said           
         its testing frequency

264
00:10:36,344 --> 00:10:37,803
is backed             
         by addiction medicine

265
00:10:37,845 --> 00:10:39,639
and varies            
        based on the individual,

266
00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:42,475
ranging from once a year     
            to twice a week.

267
00:10:47,355 --> 00:10:49,440
Marie's most recent test     
          came back negative,

268
00:10:49,482 --> 00:10:52,318
but she's just one        
      of more than 500,000 people

269
00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:53,861
currently testing         
            with Averhealth

270
00:10:53,903 --> 00:10:55,488
in the United States,

271
00:10:55,529 --> 00:10:57,698
and if the allegations      
               are true,

272
00:10:57,740 --> 00:10:59,659
this means there could be     
         hundreds of thousands

273
00:10:59,700 --> 00:11:02,578
of people who are at risk     
       for unjustly going to jail

274
00:11:02,620 --> 00:11:04,622
or losing their children.

275
00:11:04,664 --> 00:11:06,290
[Marie]   Is it hard for me     
             to stay sober?

276
00:11:06,332 --> 00:11:08,084
Of course it is.

277
00:11:08,125 --> 00:11:10,086
The old me, 10 years ago,

278
00:11:10,127 --> 00:11:11,462
if this happened to me

279
00:11:11,504 --> 00:11:13,005
and they said           
       I was testing positive,

280
00:11:13,047 --> 00:11:14,965
I would've said, "Screw this.

281
00:11:15,007 --> 00:11:17,468
"I'm gonna go out,         
     and I'm gonna use fentanyl,

282
00:11:17,510 --> 00:11:18,844
"since you're saying        
        I'm doing it anyways.

283
00:11:18,885 --> 00:11:20,346
I might as well."

284
00:11:20,388 --> 00:11:21,806
Okay. I won't hold on.

285
00:11:21,847 --> 00:11:23,766
I'll just catch you        
         if you fall, okay?

286
00:11:23,808 --> 00:11:26,018
I know deep down in my heart,

287
00:11:26,060 --> 00:11:27,520
I know my truth,

288
00:11:27,561 --> 00:11:30,189
which is there's nothing      
           in my system--

289
00:11:30,231 --> 00:11:31,691
not even a cigarette.

290
00:11:31,732 --> 00:11:33,526
Nothing at all.

291
00:11:33,567 --> 00:11:36,404
Averhealth really         
             is determining

292
00:11:36,445 --> 00:11:38,572
my future and my entire life,

293
00:11:38,614 --> 00:11:40,491
and I feel like          
            they know that.

294
00:11:40,533 --> 00:11:42,576
So it's really sad to think

295
00:11:42,618 --> 00:11:44,203
that there are companies      
              out there

296
00:11:44,245 --> 00:11:48,541
that are profiting         
        off of my addiction,

297
00:11:48,582 --> 00:11:50,251
and that is disgusting.

298
00:11:58,426 --> 00:12:01,345
tense music

299
00:12:18,112 --> 00:12:20,990
[speaking Chinese]

300
00:12:24,368 --> 00:12:26,328
[both speaking Chinese]

301
00:12:28,038 --> 00:12:30,082
[Melissa]             
       Home to 23 million people,

302
00:12:30,124 --> 00:12:32,084
Taiwan is under          
            constant threat

303
00:12:32,126 --> 00:12:34,754
of invasion by China's      
          formidable military.

304
00:12:34,795 --> 00:12:36,589
And at its closest point

305
00:12:36,630 --> 00:12:39,091
here on Taiwan's         
            Kinmen Islands,

306
00:12:39,133 --> 00:12:43,095
that danger            
      is just over one mile away.

307
00:12:43,137 --> 00:12:45,097
To those who live here,      
             these islands

308
00:12:45,139 --> 00:12:48,309
are part of a country,      
       an independent democracy,

309
00:12:48,350 --> 00:12:50,978
complete with its own       
        executive, legislative,

310
00:12:51,020 --> 00:12:53,397
and judicial branches       
             of government.

311
00:12:53,439 --> 00:12:55,483
But Beijing            
         has long viewed Taiwan

312
00:12:55,524 --> 00:12:58,903
as part of its own territory   
     and has vowed to take it back

313
00:12:58,944 --> 00:13:02,490
one way or another by 2049.

314
00:13:02,531 --> 00:13:04,950
Here, however,          
            a quiet invasion

315
00:13:04,992 --> 00:13:07,578
is already happening.

316
00:13:07,620 --> 00:13:09,497
Cing-Jhang Hong          
          is a local surveyor

317
00:13:09,538 --> 00:13:11,582
who helps             
       the Taiwanese coast guard

318
00:13:11,624 --> 00:13:13,292
track the movement        
            of Chinese ships

319
00:13:13,334 --> 00:13:15,628
that enter Taiwan's waters    
               illegally.

320
00:13:15,669 --> 00:13:18,130
Only these aren't warships.

321
00:13:18,172 --> 00:13:20,800
They are dredgers         
       gathering tons of sand

322
00:13:20,841 --> 00:13:22,802
for construction projects.

323
00:13:22,843 --> 00:13:25,638
At times, hundreds        
        of these unmarked ships

324
00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,974
test and exhaust the resources 
        of Taiwan's coast guard.

325
00:13:29,016 --> 00:13:32,061
It's called gray zone warfare.

326
00:13:50,079 --> 00:13:52,623
tense music

327
00:13:52,665 --> 00:13:53,707
[Melissa]             
        While this may look like

328
00:13:53,749 --> 00:13:55,668
slow motion territorial loss,

329
00:13:55,709 --> 00:13:57,169
Beijing's crackdown

330
00:13:57,211 --> 00:13:59,338
on pro-democracy protests     
              in Hong Kong

331
00:13:59,380 --> 00:14:01,090
and Putin's invasion       
               of Ukraine

332
00:14:01,131 --> 00:14:03,843
have fueled concerns       
       that Russia's closest ally

333
00:14:03,884 --> 00:14:05,678
will make good          
        on a longstanding threat

334
00:14:05,719 --> 00:14:07,429
to overtake the island.

335
00:14:07,471 --> 00:14:10,349
[speaking Chinese]

336
00:14:16,605 --> 00:14:18,691
[Melissa]             
       Yet, even here on Kinmen,

337
00:14:18,732 --> 00:14:21,193
one of the lines of defense    
             against China,

338
00:14:21,235 --> 00:14:23,863
the majority of Taiwanese     
             remain divided

339
00:14:23,904 --> 00:14:25,823
on whether an attack       
              is possible.

340
00:14:25,865 --> 00:14:28,033
[gate squeaking]

341
00:14:29,034 --> 00:14:31,912
[speaking Chinese]

342
00:14:47,094 --> 00:14:49,805
[indistinct chatter]

343
00:15:07,740 --> 00:15:09,742
dramatic music

344
00:15:09,783 --> 00:15:11,869
[Melissa]   Tension         
        between China and Taiwan

345
00:15:11,911 --> 00:15:13,621
is partly rooted         
             in the outcome

346
00:15:13,662 --> 00:15:15,372
of the Chinese Civil War.

347
00:15:15,414 --> 00:15:18,417
In 1949,             
      the ruling Kuomintang Party

348
00:15:18,459 --> 00:15:20,794
was defeated           
     by the Chinese Communist Party

349
00:15:20,836 --> 00:15:22,671
and withdrew to Taiwan,

350
00:15:22,713 --> 00:15:24,673
where they relocated       
           their government,

351
00:15:24,715 --> 00:15:27,092
The Republic of China.

352
00:15:27,134 --> 00:15:29,553
It's considered          
         an illegitimate state

353
00:15:29,595 --> 00:15:32,264
by Beijing,            
      which maintains that Taiwan

354
00:15:32,306 --> 00:15:36,101
is part of the Communist     
      People's Republic of China.

355
00:15:36,143 --> 00:15:38,228
Xi Jinping has promised

356
00:15:38,270 --> 00:15:40,230
to over 1 billion         
            Chinese citizens

357
00:15:40,272 --> 00:15:42,358
that Taiwan will be theirs.

358
00:15:42,399 --> 00:15:43,901
But like Ukraine,

359
00:15:43,943 --> 00:15:46,028
Taiwan has a strong        
           democratic leader,

360
00:15:46,070 --> 00:15:47,780
President Tsai Ing-wen,

361
00:15:47,821 --> 00:15:51,033
who refuses to be bullied     
     by her more powerful neighbor.

362
00:16:02,503 --> 00:16:05,255
tense music

363
00:16:05,297 --> 00:16:07,758
[Melissa]   President Tsai's     
            bold declaration

364
00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,260
falls on mostly deaf ears     
                 here.

365
00:16:10,302 --> 00:16:11,637
Many of the men in this room

366
00:16:11,679 --> 00:16:13,681
are about to           
         or have just completed

367
00:16:13,722 --> 00:16:15,599
their mandatory          
           military service.

368
00:16:15,641 --> 00:16:18,310
It lasts only four months,    
                however,

369
00:16:18,352 --> 00:16:20,646
meaning that despite       
          Taiwanese defiance,

370
00:16:20,688 --> 00:16:24,316
the island remains unprepared   
        for a Chinese invasion.

371
00:16:24,358 --> 00:16:27,319
[speaking Chinese]

372
00:16:28,654 --> 00:16:30,114
[air horn blaring]

373
00:16:30,155 --> 00:16:33,033
[rapping in Chinese]

374
00:16:36,370 --> 00:16:37,954
[Melissa]             
         Taiwan's conscription

375
00:16:37,997 --> 00:16:39,581
remains deeply unpopular.

376
00:16:39,623 --> 00:16:41,333
Any talk             
     of lengthening the commitment

377
00:16:41,375 --> 00:16:44,002
is met with opposition.

378
00:16:44,044 --> 00:16:47,006
Hsu Chiao-hsin is seen      
       as one of the rising stars

379
00:16:47,047 --> 00:16:49,842
of the Kuomintang Party      
            and a rare voice

380
00:16:49,883 --> 00:16:52,635
advocating for extending     
         the draft to one year

381
00:16:52,678 --> 00:16:56,973
and requiring women to serve   
            as well as men.

382
00:16:57,016 --> 00:16:59,518
How ready is Taiwan's military

383
00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,270
in the event of an invasion?

384
00:17:01,311 --> 00:17:04,189
Mm. [speaking Chinese]

385
00:17:23,167 --> 00:17:24,626
[Melissa]             
       Many Taiwanese conscripts

386
00:17:24,668 --> 00:17:26,670
end up with little training    
            on how to shoot,

387
00:17:26,712 --> 00:17:29,590
leaving those concerned      
       with the island's defense

388
00:17:29,631 --> 00:17:33,010
reliant on target practice    
           with airsoft guns.

389
00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:36,346
[beep]

390
00:17:36,388 --> 00:17:38,849
[gunshots popping]

391
00:17:38,891 --> 00:17:39,892
[Melissa] Oh...

392
00:17:39,933 --> 00:17:42,811
[instructor speaking Chinese]

393
00:17:44,438 --> 00:17:46,023
[beep]

394
00:17:46,065 --> 00:17:47,900
[gunshots popping]

395
00:17:47,941 --> 00:17:50,235
[Melissa] That was better.

396
00:17:50,277 --> 00:17:52,404
What do you think         
        of Taiwan's military?

397
00:17:52,446 --> 00:17:55,407
[speaking Chinese]

398
00:18:05,876 --> 00:18:08,212
[Melissa]   Max Chiang        
      is the owner of Polar Light,

399
00:18:08,253 --> 00:18:10,005
a company that until recently

400
00:18:10,047 --> 00:18:12,299
worked with local         
            law enforcement,

401
00:18:12,341 --> 00:18:14,593
but is increasingly training   
          the general public.

402
00:18:22,768 --> 00:18:24,603
[Melissa]   More than half      
        of the participants here

403
00:18:24,645 --> 00:18:26,563
showed up in part         
        because of what they saw

404
00:18:26,605 --> 00:18:27,773
happen to Ukraine.

405
00:18:31,110 --> 00:18:33,987
[speaking Chinese]

406
00:18:40,327 --> 00:18:42,704
[speaking Chinese]

407
00:18:42,746 --> 00:18:43,789
[beep]

408
00:18:43,831 --> 00:18:45,290
[gunshots popping]

409
00:19:09,606 --> 00:19:11,316
[Melissa]             
       The tough reality is that

410
00:19:11,358 --> 00:19:13,277
even if              
        every Taiwanese fought,

411
00:19:13,318 --> 00:19:16,989
they would stand little chance 
             against China.

412
00:19:17,030 --> 00:19:19,158
In the absence          
          of a ready military,

413
00:19:19,199 --> 00:19:21,285
Taiwan is reliant         
         upon its relationship

414
00:19:21,326 --> 00:19:22,870
with the United States      
            to serve as both

415
00:19:22,911 --> 00:19:24,454
a deterrent to China

416
00:19:24,496 --> 00:19:27,833
and a supplier          
         of high-tech weaponry.

417
00:19:27,875 --> 00:19:30,460
Taipei only has official     
          diplomatic relations

418
00:19:30,502 --> 00:19:33,630
with 14 states          
         and no seat at the UN.

419
00:19:33,672 --> 00:19:36,216
In that sense,          
       it is very much isolated,

420
00:19:36,258 --> 00:19:39,386
making the U.S. relationship   
        all the more important,

421
00:19:39,428 --> 00:19:41,430
but it's a complicated one.

422
00:19:41,471 --> 00:19:44,349
Even the U.S.           
       does not recognize Taiwan

423
00:19:44,391 --> 00:19:46,518
as a sovereign state.

424
00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,062
However, the two have       
        a long history together.

425
00:19:49,104 --> 00:19:51,940
Taiwan's transition        
       to democracy in the 1980s

426
00:19:51,982 --> 00:19:54,359
was encouraged by Washington.

427
00:19:54,401 --> 00:19:56,028
And in recent years, the U.S.

428
00:19:56,069 --> 00:19:57,863
sees it as a front line in

429
00:19:57,905 --> 00:19:59,615
the global ideological battle

430
00:19:59,656 --> 00:20:00,782
between democracy

431
00:20:00,824 --> 00:20:03,368
and authoritarianism.

432
00:20:03,410 --> 00:20:06,538
In May, President Biden      
       set off alarms in Beijing

433
00:20:06,580 --> 00:20:10,042
when he appeared to stray     
       from U.S. policy on China.

434
00:20:10,083 --> 00:20:12,628
[reporter]   Are you willing     
       to get involved militarily

435
00:20:12,669 --> 00:20:14,463
to defend Taiwan          
        if it comes to that?

436
00:20:14,504 --> 00:20:15,631
Yes.

437
00:20:15,672 --> 00:20:18,175
[reporter] You are?

438
00:20:18,217 --> 00:20:20,510
That's the commitment we made.

439
00:20:20,552 --> 00:20:23,305
[Melissa]   The White House later 
      walked that statement back,

440
00:20:23,347 --> 00:20:26,558
but on August 2nd,        
       House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

441
00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,394
visited Taiwan          
         in a show of support.

442
00:20:29,436 --> 00:20:31,355
[Nancy]   Today,           
        the world faces a choice

443
00:20:31,396 --> 00:20:34,733
between democracy         
           and autocracy.

444
00:20:34,775 --> 00:20:37,736
America's determination      
        to preserve democracy

445
00:20:37,778 --> 00:20:40,405
here in Taiwan           
        and around the world

446
00:20:40,447 --> 00:20:42,449
remains ironclad.

447
00:20:54,503 --> 00:20:56,588
[Melissa]   Speaker Pelosi      
        was the highest ranking

448
00:20:56,630 --> 00:20:58,298
American representative      
          to visit the island

449
00:20:58,340 --> 00:21:00,634
in 25 years.

450
00:21:00,676 --> 00:21:03,595
Beijing condemned her visit,   
        and Chinese state media

451
00:21:03,637 --> 00:21:06,014
lobbied for her plane       
       to be shot out of the sky.

452
00:21:06,932 --> 00:21:08,267
That didn't happen,

453
00:21:08,308 --> 00:21:10,727
but China responded        
              dramatically

454
00:21:10,769 --> 00:21:13,105
and held its largest       
         military drills ever,

455
00:21:13,146 --> 00:21:14,731
exacerbating tensions

456
00:21:14,773 --> 00:21:17,776
by encircling Taiwan's border   
             and airspace.

457
00:21:17,818 --> 00:21:20,696
[speaking Chinese]

458
00:21:24,616 --> 00:21:27,494
[speaking Chinese]

459
00:21:33,792 --> 00:21:36,253
[Melissa]   Those who feel      
      more urgency about an attack

460
00:21:36,295 --> 00:21:38,964
have decided to rally       
         their fellow citizens.

461
00:21:39,006 --> 00:21:40,465
-How are you? Nice to see you.   
           -Hey, Melissa.

462
00:21:40,507 --> 00:21:41,967
Good to see you.

463
00:21:42,009 --> 00:21:43,927
[Melissa]   Enoch Wu         
          is a former soldier

464
00:21:43,969 --> 00:21:45,345
in the special forces

465
00:21:45,387 --> 00:21:48,015
and a democratic progressive   
            party candidate.

466
00:21:48,056 --> 00:21:51,310
Now he leads a nonprofit     
     that trains Taiwanese citizens

467
00:21:51,351 --> 00:21:52,978
in civil defense.

468
00:21:53,020 --> 00:21:54,646
We met him            
          during the first day

469
00:21:54,688 --> 00:21:57,274
of Taiwan's annual        
          military exercises.

470
00:21:57,316 --> 00:21:58,984
[Enoch] We're about to see     
          a air raid drill.

471
00:21:59,026 --> 00:22:00,819
What's gonna happen        
      is siren's gonna go off,

472
00:22:00,861 --> 00:22:02,571
and for the next 30 minutes,    
        the general public's

473
00:22:02,612 --> 00:22:04,406
expected to take cover,      
            stay indoors.

474
00:22:04,448 --> 00:22:06,241
Cars are expected to pull over.

475
00:22:06,283 --> 00:22:07,576
We're talking           
        about 20 million people

476
00:22:07,617 --> 00:22:09,161
going through this drill.

477
00:22:09,202 --> 00:22:11,079
Do you think these exercises    
           are effective?

478
00:22:11,121 --> 00:22:12,664
I think it serves         
         as a good reminder

479
00:22:12,706 --> 00:22:14,082
that this is something       
     we need to be prepared for.

480
00:22:14,124 --> 00:22:15,584
And I think folks         
          start getting it,

481
00:22:15,625 --> 00:22:17,919
especially seeing         
     what's going on in Ukraine

482
00:22:17,961 --> 00:22:19,504
for the last couple months.

483
00:22:19,546 --> 00:22:21,923
[alarm blaring]

484
00:22:21,965 --> 00:22:25,010
tense music

485
00:22:25,052 --> 00:22:27,929
[Melissa]   Taipei has        
        almost 27,000 shelters,

486
00:22:27,971 --> 00:22:32,351
yet many do not have supplies   
     like food, water, or medicine.

487
00:22:32,392 --> 00:22:34,936
Enoch thinks more preparation   
            needs to happen,

488
00:22:34,978 --> 00:22:36,688
and not just with shelters.

489
00:22:36,730 --> 00:22:39,232
His organization,         
           Forward Alliance,

490
00:22:39,274 --> 00:22:42,235
has held more than 40       
        civil defense workshops

491
00:22:42,277 --> 00:22:45,364
since a spike in interest     
       following the Ukraine war.

492
00:22:45,405 --> 00:22:48,283
[man speaking Chinese]

493
00:23:06,802 --> 00:23:08,637
[Melissa] Yeah.          
        It's pretty serious.

494
00:23:08,678 --> 00:23:10,180
I mean, they're imagining

495
00:23:10,222 --> 00:23:11,598
bullet wounds           
        and stuff like that.

496
00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:13,683
So this is really         
          wartime thinking.

497
00:23:13,725 --> 00:23:17,687
Usually you don't get       
    a lot of shootings in Taiwan.

498
00:23:17,729 --> 00:23:20,524
Given the scale          
       of China's military might,

499
00:23:20,565 --> 00:23:24,027
it's not surprising        
       that many Taiwanese choose

500
00:23:24,069 --> 00:23:26,238
to get on with their lives    
          and not participate

501
00:23:26,279 --> 00:23:29,074
in doomsday scenarios.

502
00:23:29,116 --> 00:23:31,660
But China will make its move   
          one day to take back

503
00:23:31,701 --> 00:23:34,830
what it believes         
          is already its own.

504
00:23:34,871 --> 00:23:38,500
How do you respond when people   
    say Taiwan is a part of China

505
00:23:38,542 --> 00:23:40,877
or Taiwan is not a country?

506
00:23:40,919 --> 00:23:42,921
[Enoch] We're a functioning    
       democratic government.

507
00:23:42,963 --> 00:23:45,882
We moved the country forward    
             and became

508
00:23:45,924 --> 00:23:48,760
one of the most liberal      
         countries in Asia.

509
00:23:48,802 --> 00:23:50,887
So for me, the fact

510
00:23:50,929 --> 00:23:53,723
that citizens decide        
             where we go

511
00:23:53,765 --> 00:23:58,103
is proof enough          
        that we are our own.

512
00:23:58,145 --> 00:24:01,773
[Melissa]   Are we in a more     
      dangerous period for Taiwan?

513
00:24:01,815 --> 00:24:04,151
[Enoch]   We know we have      
       a very aggressive neighbor

514
00:24:04,192 --> 00:24:06,486
in the Beijing government

515
00:24:06,528 --> 00:24:11,366
that's intent on addressing    
      our differences with force.

516
00:24:11,408 --> 00:24:13,952
As long as this regime      
            stays in power,

517
00:24:13,994 --> 00:24:15,412
I think              
        it's the responsibility

518
00:24:15,454 --> 00:24:17,456
of every single Taiwanese

519
00:24:17,497 --> 00:24:19,541
and really            
      the international community

520
00:24:19,583 --> 00:24:23,253
to make sure that war does not 
     break out across the straits.

521
00:24:23,295 --> 00:24:26,256
But we can't control what     
    an authoritarian regime does.

522
00:24:26,298 --> 00:24:28,216
As long Xi Jinping is in power,

523
00:24:28,258 --> 00:24:29,801
we need to be prepared       
           for the worst.

524
00:24:33,263 --> 00:24:36,141
dramatic music