Browse all episodes of Dan Rather Reports

It's been said that war changes everything. Dan Rather Reports looked at American soldiers returning from conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan and how their lives were forever changed. For the wounded, advances in technology have saved thousands of lives, but is the government prepared for the long-term cost of treating returning vets?

Coming Home

Who's really running Washington? Lobbying our elected officials has grown into a billion dollar industry. Dan Rather Reports investigates the "shadow government."

The Best Congress Money Can Buy

Dan Rather Reports talks to a former FEMA worker who was convicted of accepting a bribe from a government contractor. The impact of the big storms that hit the Gulf Coast a year ago were felt far beyond New Orleans. This is the story of rebuilding without federal help, down on the bayou.

Survivors of the Storms

More Americans have been kidnapped in Mexican border towns than in Iraq. The drug cartels have all but taken over several of Mexico's northern border cities. Dan Rather Reports looks at the growing violence that's just next door.

Border War

17 years after the tanker Exxon Valdez spilled millions of gallons of oil, some residents of Alaska say the oil is still there and still causing environmental damage. Also close encounters with grizzly bears in the wilds of Montana.

Exxon Valdez

Residents along the Gulf Coast say big, out-of-state companies are getting the bulk of the clean-up contracts and that's costing taxpayers everywhere millions of dollars. Plus, a year of record profits on Wall Street leads to big-time bonuses like you won't believe.

Contractors or Carpetbaggers?

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.

The Bush Legacy

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.

General John Batiste, Fallen Hero, Elite Search and Rescue

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.

The Future of Ford

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.

The Heroes Are Dying

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.

Hamid Karzai Interview, Border Wars Update

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".

Medical Marijuana

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.

Race to the White House - Talking Politics st Princeton University

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.

Combat Photographer

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.

Latino Invasions

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.

Afghanistan: The Problem with Poppies

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.

Cooking with Clones

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?

New Rules of the Game

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.

Made in China

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.

Virginia Tech, Corey Booker

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.

Exodus

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.

Toxic Trailers

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.

Civilians at War

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

Green Scare

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.

Where Are the Bees?

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.

A Question of Rights

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

West Point at War

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?

Going Behind the Mask

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

The Constitution in Question

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.

The Most Wanted Man in Iran

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

Military Justice

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.

The State of the News

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

The Trouble with Touch Screens

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.

The Prime Minister in Exile

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.

Did Texas Execute Innocent Men?

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.

Heroes at Home

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.

Plastic Planes

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.

America Over There

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.

Christian Soldiers

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.

One Man vs. China

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.

Into Africa

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

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

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.

The Dosage Dilemma

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

A Crack in the Ice

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

Pay Dirt: Subsidies and the American Farmer

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.

G.I. Gangs

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

Church & State: Separation Anxieties

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

Pressuring the Prosecutor

Dan Rather Reports examines the alarming consequences of the overuse of antibiotics. Every year, more than 90,000 Americans die from superbugs that antibiotics cannot treat; these antibiotic-resistant infections, caused directly by the overuse of antibiotics, cost us more than $35 billion a year. We'll also investigate the role that doctors, patients, and American culture itself play in precipitating this crisis.

But while resistance continues to threaten American lives, one country has managed to remain a safe haven from superbugs. We visit Norway, a global leader in prudent antibiotic use, and the nation with the lowest rate of antibiotic-resistant infections in the world. Dan Rather investigates how Norway has achieved what for so many others, would be nothing more than a pipe dream.

Addicted to Antibiotics

This Emmy-nominated report attempts to explain a chaotic year and a half for the Detroit Public Schools, looking at how the situation was ever allowed to become so dire and exposing the incredible obstacles facing the students who never quit fighting to succeed there. "A National Disgrace" is an eye-opening amalgam of historical documentary, investigative journalism, unflinching exposé and personal spotlight, detailing the apathy, corruption, and ultimate collapse of the tumultuous 2009-10 academic term when the state of Michigan took the drastic step to impose new leadership on the district. The result is a searing, tragic portrait that forces us to ask ourselves: does the situation in Detroit reflect our estimation of public education? Rather it seems the true "national disgrace" is instead our own willingness to accept that the places we send our children could ever get this way in the first place.

A National Disgrace

Training Afghans to protect their country has become a multi-billion dollar mission of the United States military. But will the Afghans fight? An investigation into what happened to a group of Afghan and NATO soldiers when they came under enemy fire at a remote outpost. Plus, a conversation with the American general in charge of training Afghan troops.

What Really Happened at Bari Alai

A former mechanic has made it his mission in life to rescue immigrants lost in the desert coming to America. Russia scholar Stephen Cohen on Vladimir Putin. Plus, the dedication of the King Memorial in Washington.

Angel in the Desert

The first in our series of reports on education systems around the world. Why has the United States fallen so far behind? A look at Singapore and their school system that has produced some of the smartest students in the world.

Take A Lesson From Singapore

In Hawaii, Rather explores the bombing of Pearl Harbor seventy years later.

Dan Rather Remembers Pearl Harbor

Live election results of the nation's first 2012 presidential primary from Manchester, New Hampshire.

Live from the New Hampshire Primary

In just 30 years, Finland transformed its school system from one that was mediocre and inequitable, to one that consistently produces some of the world's best students, while virtually eliminating an achievement gap. And they do it without standardized testing.

Finnish First

One man's quest to document how the Asian appetite for shark fin soup is decimating the ocean's shark populations.

All for a Bowl of Soup

The Republican presidential contenders move on to the Sunshine State. Live results from Tampa.

From the Florida Primary

A young, former Army infantryman, wounded in Afghanistan, rehabilitates himself for a chance to play college football. Plus, western businesses invade the new Libya in search of riches.

A Fighting Chance

A conversation with Dr. Donald Berwick, a leading expert on America's healthcare policy, discussing the controversial healthcare bill. And, an island in Japan has the longest living people in the world.

The Doctor Is Out

An American engineer was convicted of espionage after selling stealth secrets to China. But were they really secrets? An investigation of American technology transfer to countries around the world.

Stealth Spy

The economic crisis is becoming a disaster to many Greeks with the fallout spreading to children. Some parents are sending their children to live with relatives because they can no longer afford to keep them. Also, the story of a journalist who's taking on a dictator in Europe.

A Greek Tragedy

Live from New York, the latest election returns from the GOP Presidential primaries with Dan Rather and a panel of guests.

Super Tuesday

With the U.S. Supreme Court set to weigh in on President Obama's health care bill, the public seems to think that it is an unconstitutional overreach of federal power. But most legal scholars disagree. Who will win? The political, social, and legal stakes couldn't be higher.

Case of the Century

It's been called the most strategically important waterway in the world, but tensions are high in the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States Navy ramps up operations for a possible showdown with Iran. Back at the Navy's base on the tiny island Kingdom of Bahrain, an ongoing uprising pits the United States' democratic ideals against the cold, hard reality of oil-driven politics.

A Dire Strait

A state agency in California, and the woman who runs it, have enormous influence over everything from the air we breathe to the cars we drive. When it comes to the environment, Mary Nichols, the director of the California Air Resources Board, is the most important person you've probably never heard of. Also, the IRS and non-profits.

Queen of Green

U.S. officials worry that Panama is becoming a drug transiting point.

A Panamanian Passageway

Big money from China is buying influence in America's backyard. Small countries in the Caribbean are the beneficiaries of Beijing's largess. Also, a live discussion on what China really thinks of its place in the world, and its relationship with the United States.

China in the Caribbean

An investigation into claims by women that they were forced to put their babies up for adoption, many with the knowledge and support of Catholic Charities. It has been a little discussed practice for decades but this special hour-long program will remove the veil of secrecy that has led to emotional trauma for unwed mothers around the world.

Adopted or Abducted?

Meet Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a Muslim-American who believes Islamic terrorists are among us, and silence by Muslims is partly to blame. Plus, an update on our "Castle Doctrine" report and the controversial breed of gun laws center stage in the Trayvon Martin shooting.

The Most Unconventional Conservative

Dan Rather talks live with some of the most sought after actors in Hollywood, including Ed Helms, William H. Macy, and Don Cheadle.

The A-List: A Conversation in Hollywood

Since the last drought in 2010, hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency food aid has been spent in Africa's most needy nations. And now a brutal summer looms. While the US government and aid agencies race to prevent a food crisis, some are asking is there a better way to save Africa's starving people? Also, an update on drinking water thought contaminated at a U.S. Marine base.

A Hunger That Never Ends

Seventy years after the United States was launched into World War II, veteran reporter Dan Rather returns to Hawaii to explore the day that will live in infamy and how its meaning has changed with the passage of time.

A conversation on Congress with Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein, the authors of the new book It's Even Worse Than It Looks. Plus, an update on "The Piper," a previous story about WWII veteran Bill Millen and his legacy on the beaches of Normandy.

Divided They Stand

With the violence escalating, hundreds of families are escaping the hell that is Syria every day. We have first access to crowded camps on the Jordanian border where families show us the horrors of what's happening just a few miles from their safe haven. Also, middle east expert Fouad Ajami.

Running for Their Lives

Deep inside Syria, we travel with freedom fighters as they take on a dictator. Also, a final journey for the American flag rescued from Ground Zero.

Inside the Revolution

From Alaska, where fishermen believe wild salmon, known here as "Red Gold", will be threatened by runoff from a planned copper and gold mine that would be one of the largest in the world.

Red Gold

Dan Rather Reports investigates the skyrocketing rates of HIV infections across the southern United States, where more than 50% of new infections are reported, by far the highest area in the nation. Also, an update on the fate of Blitz USA, a company that makes plastic gas containers that are alleged to explode.

It's a Southern Thing

From a small town in Kenya come most of the world's greatest marathon runners. These men and women could win almost any road race in the world - finishing marathons in half the time of the average American - but here they are just another face in the crowd. On the eve of the Olympics, we travel to Kenya to see why they can run so fast, so far.

In the Running

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

An update to our original program with new information into claims by women that they were forced to put their babies up for adoption, many with the knowledge and support of Catholic Charities.

Adopted or Abducted

A young, former U.S. Army Infantryman, wounded in Afghanistan, rehabilitates himself for a chance to play college football. Plus, an update on where he will play. Also, a follow up report to our investigation into counterfeit drugs.

Dan Rather Reports travels to Austin, Texas, for an in-depth conversation with music legend Willie Nelson, along with other rising stars, about the current state of the music industry.

Music 2.0

Building a better college, at a fraction of the price. Two California entrepreneurs say they have the answer to an affordable higher education. Also, a rapidly growing population of pythons in Florida.

College on the Cheap

Colombia, the recipient of billions of U.S. tax dollars in counter narcotic aid is now daring to tell the United States that the drug war is not working. And the country's president tells Dan Rather in an exclusive interview it's time to put every option on the table including the decriminalization of narcotics. Also, we travel to the jungles of S. America where miners are digging for gold.

El Presidente

By most estimates, the 2012 Presidential election boils down to Ohio's 18 electoral votes. An investigation into new voting hours in Ohio that some Democrats claim will suppress the turnout. Also, Republican political consultant Mike Murphy and America's contentious history of voting.

As Ohio Goes...

The promise of high speed trains across the United States is falling off the tracks. But in many countries super-fast trains are full speed ahead. Join us for a real fast ride.

Real Fast Rail

On the one-year anniversary of his death, an investigation into the strange circumstances surrounding the death of Libya's longtime ruler.

Gaddafi's Last Day

Milton Hershey built a chocolate empire in the middle of Pennsylvania. It was also a workers utopia. But modern corporate America has changed everything in Chocolate Town.

How Sweet It Was

Join us for the most intelligent and thought provoking election night coverage-Live from Washington D.C. With GOP strategist Mike Murphy and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

Election Night - Live With Dan Rather

Dan sits down for a conversation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, on the future of the US military and the concerns of veterans . Also, a Veterans Day salute to a sailor who was on board the USS Arizona.

Pulling Rank

After Hurricane Sandy, utility customers in several states are furious that they continue to be without power, weeks after the storm. We investigate why it's taking so long. Also, a look at the rising rates of AIDS in the southern U.S.

In the Dark

A look back at some of our more memorable stories this year from around the world.

Best Of Dan Rather Reports 2012

Dan Rather presents hard-edged field reports, in-depth interviews and investigative pieces. Each story emphasizes the accuracy, fairness and guts that have been a hallmark of Rather’s illustrious career.

All Episodes of Dan Rather Reports

Browse all episodes of Dan Rather Reports

Season 1

Coming Home

Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 11/14/2006

The Best Congress Money Can Buy

Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 11/21/2006

Survivors of the Storms

Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 11/28/2006

Border War

Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 12/5/2006

Exxon Valdez

Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 12/12/2006

Contractors or Carpetbaggers?

Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 12/19/2006