Dan Rather Reports Season 2, Episode 31: Plastic Planes

1

The Bush Legacy

A talk with noted historians about the Presidency of George W. Bush and how he will be viewed against others who've sat in the Oval Office.

2

General John Batiste, Fallen Hero, Elite Search and Rescue

Dan Rather interviews former General John Batiste about President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq; a family pays tribute to a fallen hero; and dramatic footage from Mt. Hood with an elite search and rescue team.

3

The Future of Ford

Once the icon of American industry, Ford Motor Company finds itself falling fast in the eyes of consumers who are flocking to imports. The company has been forced to lay off thousands of workers as car building moves to cheaper foreign plants.

4

The Heroes Are Dying

A look at how 9-11 is still affecting the first responders; many of the police and firefighters who spent weeks atop the toxic pile that was the World Trade Center are sick and dying from lung diseases.

5

Hamid Karzai Interview, Border Wars Update

Dan Rather travels to Afghanistan for an exclusive interview with President Hamid Karzai on the resurgence of the Taliban fighters who promise a bloody spring offensive to topple the government. Also, an update on "Border Wars". Newly elected Mexican President Calderon is sending thousands of troops to take on the drug cartels who have all but taken over some Mexican towns.

6

Medical Marijuana

Possession of marijuana could lead to jail time. But medical researchers are learning that it may also lead to significant advances in medicine. Dan Rather Reports investigates important new information on the plant that some researchers are calling the "aspirin of the 21st century".

7

Race to the White House - Talking Politics st Princeton University

Live from Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, Dan Rather hosts a town hall meeting looking at the race to the White House that's still 20 months away, but in full swing for more than a dozen candidates.

8

Combat Photographer

The story of U.S. Marine Chief Warrant Officer Sean Fairburn, who videotaped America's invasion of Iraq in high-definition. His pictures will not only tell the story of the invasion, but what it's like to be in combat, as only high-definition can provide.

9

Latino Invasions

For anyone caught entering the United States illegally, there's a new reality. Detention Centers. The Bush administration has stopped the long accepted practice of "catch and release" for illegal immigrants and is instead locking them up. While the government tries to slow the influx, there's no stopping the flood of Latino culture that is exploding on the American scene, from television and movies to some of the most popular new music. A special town hall meeting live from Austin, Texas.

10

Afghanistan: The Problem with Poppies

Dan Rather travels to the wild frontier of Afghanistan where massive drug production is threatening to turn the country into a narco-state. The money coming from heroin production is funding a resurgence of the Taliban and terrorism.

11

Cooking with Clones

It all began with Dolly the sheep, but coming soon to a supermarket near you: cloned beef. And if the Food and Drug Administration has its way, it won't be labeled. Also, Pakistan: what are Americans getting for the billions of taxpayer dollars sent to the military dictator Pervez Musharraf? With the resurgence of the Taliban in Pakistan, some in Congress are asking questions.

12

New Rules of the Game

Democrats campaigned to end the culture of corruption in Washington, as well as limit or end lobbyists access to lawmakers. But so far it's been more talk than action with the influence industry as cozy as ever with lawmakers. Also, what's killing the coral in the Florida Keys?

13

Made in China

For national security reasons, everything the military uses, from bombs to berets has, since World War II, been made in the USA. But now there's a move to outsource the manufacture of military hardware to countries such as China and Russia. Plus, he's being called "America's Mayor". A look at how Rudy Giuliani ran New York City before 9-11. And, dramatic rescues at sea from U.S. Coast Guard choppers.

14

Virginia Tech, Corey Booker

Dan Rather hosts coverage of the Virginia Tech killings from Blacksburg, Virginia. Also, Corey Booker, Newark, New Jersey's 37-year-old Mayor and his mission to change the image of the city.

15

Exodus

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are fleeing their country to Syria in search of safety. But that's not their final stop. Many are being smuggled to Europe and beyond.

16

Toxic Trailers

Some of the thousands of people along the Gulf Coast still living in travel trailers say formaldehyde used to build the campers is making them sick. Also, take a ride on the straight talk express as Dan Rather sits down with Republican presidential hopeful John Mc Cain.

17

Civilians at War

Tens of thousands of American citizens are serving their country in Iraq as civilian contractors. They are the untold story of the war with hundreds killed and wounded. Also, why aren't there more African Americans playing major league baseball, and on the anniversary of the Kent State shooting, a professor who witnessed the event and now teaches about it.

18

Green Scare

Some Muslims and Arab Americans complain this country is returning to the McCarthy era and the red scare.

19

Where Are the Bees?

Dan Rather Reports learns of amazing new discoveries scientists and the government are making in the quest for why bees are dying. Also, more on the story of formaldehyde gas in trailers provided to hurricane victims. And, immigrants talk about what new legislation pending in congress would mean to them.

20

A Question of Rights

Is the Justice Department's Civil Rights division no longer enforcing anti-discrimination laws? That's the allegation of some former career attorneys with the agency, who also say they were moved out because they didn't follow the current administration's conservative mantra.

21

West Point at War

Cadets learn about "duty, honor, and country" while preparing to lead troops in a hostile world.

22

Going Behind the Mask

There is a mysterious masked man who speaks for the poor and dispossessed of Mexico who are the descendants of an ancient empire. And he has a message he thinks Americans need to hear. And what if you could hail an airplane like you hailed a taxi? A new group of jets are on the horizon that may revolutionize air travel, but can they return the romance of flight?

23

The Constitution in Question

A panel of legal thinkers debate the different views of executive power and the Bush Administration in the aftermath of 9/11.

24

The Most Wanted Man in Iran

A young Iranian rebel and his band of guerillas are terrorizing the Iranian government. Is he backed by the CIA? Also, whistleblowers say Boeing airplanes have parts that are "bashed to fit" and unsafe to fly. And, Barack Obama is raising more money than any presidential candidate. See how he does it.

25

Military Justice

A US Marine received word on the fate of his court martial for murdering Iraqi civilians. And a remembrance of Lady Bird Johnson.

26

The State of the News

A roundtable discussion with HDNet Global Correspondent Dan Rather and network veteran anchor Ted Koppel on the state of broadcast journalism. The program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania.

27

The Trouble with Touch Screens

An investigation into the voting machine industry that reveals problems with the latest touch screen technology.

28

The Prime Minister in Exile

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is attempting to return to her homeland after years in exile. She's backed by the Bush administration, which is trying to keep the government of America's key ally from collapsing. Also, a rare and candid interview with the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg. Plus story updates.

29

Did Texas Execute Innocent Men?

Dan Rather Reports examines the cases of two convicted murderers in Texas who were sentenced to death after they were identified by eyewitnesses at trial. Those identifications are now in doubt years after the men were executed. Also, a look at the latest in aviation--very light jets.

30

Heroes at Home

Two remarkable women deal with the realities of lives changed forever by war because loved ones were killed or injured fighting in Iraq. Also, the Bush administration announces a proposal for hundreds of millions of U.S. tax dollars to go to Mexico to fight the drug cartels.

31

Plastic Planes

Top former and current Boeing engineers believe the new 787 Dreamliner should not be certified to fly since it was built primarily out of high tech plastics called composites. And from Florida, dolphins in danger because people are loving them to death.

32

America Over There

A rare visit to one of the most dangerous places on earth, Somalia. Since the U.S pulled out more than a decade ago, Somalia has fallen deeper into crisis. But there is still American involvement, this time by proxy. Also, the United States is sending billions to Pakistan to fight terrorism. But Pakistan's dictator has found another use for the money. And a Louisiana woman suddenly finds her neighbor is a mountain of trash, courtesy of the Katrina cleanup.

33

Christian Soldiers

A watchdog group claims members of far right wing evangelical Christian groups are having an undue influence on the U.S. military. Plus, a trek to Greenland where scientists report the ice is melting much more rapidly than they anticipated. And voting rights--the Supreme Court has agreed to hear whether voters need government issued ID's to vote.

34

One Man vs. China

Dan Rather visits with the Dalai Lama. The man who calls himself "just a simple monk" tells us the Chinese, who exiled him decades ago, lack the moral authority to become a super power.

35

Into Africa

With little fanfare and even less notice, the U.S. Military will now have a new command dedicated to Africa. Also, an inside look at the American security company called Blackwater.

36

The Passion of His Politics--A Candid Conversation with James Carville

Dan Rather and Democratic strategist James Carville discuss the state of politics-2008.

37

The Dosage Dilemma

Many parents were alarmed when infant and children's cold medicines were pulled from the market and deemed unsafe. In fact, two thirds of drugs prescribed for children have not undergone pediatric testing. Also, the anatomy of a cyber attack that brought a country to its knees.

38

A Crack in the Ice

For centuries, explorers dreamed of a Northwest Passage. Now, as the Arctic melts, that dream is becoming a reality. But is the world ready?

39

Pay Dirt: Subsidies and the American Farmer

Some farmers are worried that huge subsides are a waste. A visit to the backwaters of Burma and taming Louisiana's wetlands.

40

G.I. Gangs

Reports that gang members are enlisting in the U.S. military have terrified police. Plus, changes in Indian law could soon make low cost generic drugs unaffordable to many.

41

Church & State: Separation Anxieties

A panel discussion with legal scholars about how the Constitution governs the balance of religion and government in American life.

42

Pressuring the Prosecutor

A former chief prosecutor at Guantanamo speaks out, and a public school teaches the Bible.