Special Investigations: Atlanta Child Murders

Nearly 30 years after the trial of accused serial child killer Wayne Williams, CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien interviews Williams about the evidence used to connect him to more than two dozen murders of young adults and children that terrified the city of Atlanta, Ga. – and horrified a nation – for two years. A new, enterprising investigation of the case, including evidence never before shared with the public, is the subject of a new, two-hour documentary, ATLANTA CHILD MURDERS, debuting Thursday, June 10 at 9pm ET and PT.

Read more »

Mystery Journalist Pop Quiz

Below is an excerpt from a CNN Press Release on the premiere of the latest Special Investigations Unit program, Czar Putin:

With modern Russia flush with oil money wealth, President Vladimir Putin enjoys a 70 percent approval rating among the Russian people according to some polls. But Putin’s power and popularity may come at a price. Some observers say there is a dark side to Russia’s capitalistic miracle. Days ago, several political rivals of Putin were imprisoned, and many Russian journalists charge that the government intentionally intimidates the independent press.

As Russia’s parliamentary elections approach this weekend, chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour reports for CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Czar Putin, on Friday, Nov. 30, at 10 p.m., with replays on Saturday, Dec. 1, and Sunday, Dec. 2, at 1 a.m. and 10 p.m. All times Eastern.

Amanpour meets world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who is fighting an uphill battle to challenge Putin. Arrested last weekend under charges of “administrative offenses,” Kasparov is a would-be Russian presidential candidate who says that democracy in Russia is a farce.

Disturbingly, press freedoms have been curtailed under Putin’s regime. Yevgeny Kisilev, formerly Russia’s leading national news anchor, describes for Amanpour how Putin thwarted an independent television network NTV from reporting freely in Russia. NTV management was accused of financial improprieties; special police stormed its headquarters; and Gazprom, a Russian energy giant, gained control of the company, ending its independence and forcing out Kisilev and his news team.

More than 200 journalists have been killed since the fall of communism in 1991, according to Alexei Simonov of the Glasnost Defense Foundation. While Russian police solve 80 percent of all murders, the number drops to only 6 percent when the victim is a journalist. This includes the murder of famed Putin critic Anna Politkovskaya, Russia’s most famous investigative reporter. Simonov believes that the Kremlin is responsible for creating a climate of fear for journalists.

Russia appears to be flexing its military capabilities as well. Amanpour challenges Konstantin Kosachev, one of Putin’s party leaders, about aggressive Russian bomber exercises near British and American air space during a time of peace.

“The point is, that they need to have training in a real situation,” Kosachev says.

In Czar Putin, several Russians of all ages give Putin credit for their country’s rising global economic status and geopolitical influence. And as Putin has moved to consolidate his powers, he has also developed a savvy sense of photo opportunities that fuel his “rock star” admiration among some Russians.

Yulia Latynina, an anchor for Moscow Echo Radio and outspoken Putin critic, says about Russia’s rollbacks of democratic freedoms: “For Putin, it’s about power. For people that surround Putin, it’s about money.”

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Mystery Journalist

It's pop quiz time! I was browsing through my collection of Mystery Journalist pictures and decided it was time to find out who has been paying attention. All eyes are on you tonight as you'll find pictures of previous Mystery Journalists below. Can you see through the clues to the names of these Mystery Journalists?

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.

I'll post the answers on Sunday night. Good luck!

Ladies Night

Suzanne Malveaux filled in for Wolf Blitzer today on The Situation Room. It was ladies night for tonight's political round table discussion. Panelists included:

• Lisa Desjardins, Congressional Correspondent for CNN Radio
• Gloria Borger, CNN Senior Political Analyst
• Amy Walter, CNN political contributor

Lisa Desjardins	Gloria Borger	Amy Walter

The panel discussed:

• Fred Thompson's criticism of Rudy Giuliani using his tenure as New York mayor as the basis for his campaign.
• A new campaign ad for Hillary Clinton where someone else does all the speaking.
• A Rudy Giuliani campaign ad where he talks about dealing with "crisis".
• A new study that implies the Republican party may no longer be the party of the rich.

The full transcript of the discussion is available at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0711/23/sitroom.03.html.

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The Republican YouTube debate won't be the only special programming on CNN next week.

Wednesday night, November 28th at 11pm ET, Campbell Brown reports on Broken Government: Campaign Killers.

Friday night, November 30th at 11pm ET, Christiane Amanpour's Special Investigations Unit, Czar Putin will air.

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Mystery Journalist

Can you name this CNN journalist?

Let us know who you think it is and we'll reveal this journalist's identity in Sunday's post.

Holiday Programming Schedule

If you are looking for something to watch while you're cooking your Thanksgiving feast, tune to CNN for a Special Investigations Unit and CNN Presents Marathon. So put your turkey in the oven and tune into CNN for five great documentaries. But please, don't forget to check on Tom Turkey in between programs! (Please click title for full text.)

CNN to Air Thanksgiving Day Documentary Marathon

On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22, CNN will broadcast five of its most popular CNN: Special Investigations Unit and CNN Presents documentaries, featuring anchors Larry King, Sanjay Gupta, Soledad O’Brien and Don Lemon.

The 12-hour marathon begins at 1 p.m. with all times Eastern:

· CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Growing Up Diana – (Airs 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.; 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; and on Friday, Nov. 23, from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.) – CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien investigates the lesser-known early life of one of the most famous women of all time – through rare interviews with Princess Diana’s childhood nannies, friends and family members.

· CNN: Special Investigations Unit – James Brown – Say it Proud – (Airs 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.; 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.; and on Friday, Nov. 23, from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m.) – CNN Newsroom anchor Don Lemon unravels the multiple paradoxes of James Brown, who rose from abject poverty to the heights of fame and wealth. Brown’s career and life reflected the culture and politics of the times in which he lived.

· CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Fed Up: America’s Killer Diet – (Airs 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.; 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and on Friday, Nov. 23, from midnight to 1 a.m.) – Just in time for the holiday of excessive eating, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the surprising science behind how nutrition affects the body and brain – and how unhealthy food remains central to the American diet despite growing consumer awareness about health.

· CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Chasing Life – (Airs 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and on Friday, Nov. 23, from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.) – In a documentary based upon his book also called Chasing Life, Gupta reveals whether there is a longevity gene; whether cutting calories or exercise contributes more to a longer life; if anti-aging supplements are a waste of money; if stem cell therapy can reverse or stop the aging process and much more.

· CNN Presents: Larry King – 50 Years of Pop Culture – (Airs 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Friday, Nov. 23 from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.) – CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest guide viewers on a two-hour tribute to Larry King. King’s family, icons, pals and celebrities – including former President George H.W. Bush, Mariah Carey, Walter Cronkite, Mark Geragos, Jon Bon Jovi, Kermit the Frog and Dolly Parton – offer insights into King’s life and his place as an American institution.

· CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Danger: Poisoned Food – (Airs 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.) Gupta journeys from the fields to the dinner table to diagnose how tainted spinach, lettuce, chicken and other foods enter the food supply, how the dangers can be avoided and how federal interventions and guidelines currently under debate offer protection.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I hope your holiday is filled with love, happiness, friendship and fun! ~Sheryn

Fed Up: America’s Killer Diet

This week's Special Investigations Unit focuses on Americans' diets with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. An excerpt from the CNN Press Release:

Americans are among the fattest people in the world, and since the 1980s, the nation has experienced an unprecedented spike in obesity rates. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the surprising science behind how diet affects the body and brain and how unhealthy food remains central to the American diet despite growing consumer awareness about health.

CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Fed Up: America’s Killer Diet will premiere on Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. (ET).

Fed Up is the first CNN documentary to be broadcast in high-definition television.

The documentary features Adrian McHargh, who embarked on a steady diet of fast food following his family’s relocation to Kennesaw, Ga., from Kingston, Jamaica, just over a year ago. The 12 year-old gained more than 30 pounds and developed high cholesterol, high blood pressure and borderline Type 2 diabetes. After enrolling in an innovative three-month program with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta that included weekly visits with a nutritionist and a personal trainer, Adrian changed his eating habits and lost 15 pounds.

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Have you ever wondered what's in a Twinkie? Dr. Gupta takes a look in the following CNN clip.

Warning: Twinkie fans might want to skip this one.

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The saga between Wolf and Ellen continues... earlier this week, it appears that Ellen dumped Wolf for another anchor.

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Evidently, becoming a Jeopardy champion is not as easy as some CNN anchors have make it look. Below is a clip from Nancy Grace's attempt.

credit:colemaster

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Mystery Journalist

This is not one of my better screen capping momements, but it does make for an interesting Mystery Journalist clue.

Can you name this CNN journalist?

Let us know who you think it is and we'll reveal this journalist's identity in Sunday's post.

Ambush, Access, Debate, & Mystery

In today's post:

• Ambush at the River of Secrets
• CNN All Access Podcast
• YouTube Debate
• Casual Friday
• Mystery Journalist

Ambush at the River of Secrets

This weekend CNN is broadcasting Ambush at the River of Secrets on Special Investigations Unit. Tom Foreman tells the story of four marines from the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, Charlie Company. This program has been aired several times over the last several months and if you haven't had the chance to see it, I highly recommend it. Just have a hanky handy.

From CNN's website: Saturday and Sunday at 8 and 11 p.m. ET. Their deaths marked a tragic milestone: 3,000 U.S. troops killed in Iraq. We honor four Marines in a special hour. Watch CNN SIU’s ‘Ambush at the River of Secrets,’ Saturday and Sunday, 8 p.m. ET.

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CNN All Access Podcast

This week's CNN All Access Podcast is a real treat. They go behind the scenes of American Morning.

The podcast is available from CNN's website, iTunes, or this link. Check it out!

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YouTube Debate

Monday is the YouTube debate with the Democrats. The video submissions look like they are over 1,750 questions. But did you realize that you could vote on which videos you think should be included on Monday?

There's a site setup that you can do just that. You can review the questions that have been submitted & provide you're two cents on whether it should be answered. (If you start tonight, do you think you can make it through all 1,700+ questions?) Here's the link, if you're interested.

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Casual Friday

Today's video focuses on those YouTube questions that you probably won't be seeing on Monday night...

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Mystery Journalist

Can you recognize a journalist from his tie alone?

Can you name this CNN journalist?

Please feel free to let us know who you think this journalist is in the comments. The identity of the Mystery Journalist will be revealed in Sunday night's post.

And to those of you who are Harry Potter fans, have you gotten your copy of the book yet?

Behind the Scenes with Gary Tuchman

In today's post:

• Behind the Scenes with Gary Tuchman
• Battlefield Breakdown
• Mystery Journalist
• Casual Friday

Behind the Scenes with Gary Tuchman

Gary Tuchman has always impressed me with the way that he handles interviewing people who really don't want to talk to him. He's always professional, respectful and polite- no matter what. Several years ago, he talked with students from Kline High School in Houston, Texas. Sam Houston University’s website features an article written by Jennifer Gauntt about the visit. Below are a few excerpts:

"There's always something different to learn about," he said. "People go into journalism because it's something they're interested in. Twenty-one years after I've gotten out of college, I still find this as fun as when I first started.

"It's a great way to make a living because you always have people paying attention to what you do, whether you're a writer or working on the radio or are on TV," he continued. "People learn something from you, and you're always learning about different topics. You always have a sense of fulfillment and you may not realize it now, but as you get older, you need that sense of fulfillment."

Tuchman advised the students to major in something they are interested in while in college, not just something that is 'practical' or something their parents want them to do.

"That's how you do well in school, when you study what you're interested in, and that's how you do well in your post-school life, by working in what you're interested in," he said. "Don't do what's practical. Do what's in your heart. Follow your dreams. It may sound clichÈ, but I know too many people who I went to college with who kind of did what their parents wanted them to do and weren't happy doing it."

And to the future journalism majors in the group, Tuchman stressed the importance of always being polite.

"I think a lot of people stereotype journalists as being rude and being aggressive. And, yes, when you have to get a story, sometimes you have to be aggressive, but there's no reason ever to be rude," he said. "Even when I have to deal with the most unscrupulous, loathsome characters, I'm still polite because you don't get what you want when you're being rude. That's a really important thing to keep in mind."

He also told the students that just because you are covering a story doesn't mean you can't be compassionate.

"You are a journalist second and a human being first," he said.

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Battlefield Breakdown

One programming note: CNN will be rebroadcasting Special Investigations Unit: Battlefield Breakdown this weekend: Saturday, July 7, 2007 at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. & Sunday, July 8, 2007 at 2 a.m., 8 p.m., 11 p.m. & Monday, July 9, 2007 at 2 a.m. (all times Eastern).

This is an excellent hour of programming if you get the opportunity to catch it. John King presents facts and soliders stories that you won't soon forget.

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Mystery Journalist

Can you name this CNN journalist?

Please feel free to let us know who you think this journalist is in the comments. The identity of the Mystery Journalist will be revealed in Sunday night's post.

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Casual Friday

TGIF! And in celebration of it being Friday, I'll leave you tonight with our Casual Friday video clip. With 24 hours of news, CNN is certain to have a few lighter moments on air from time to time. This is where I plan on spot lighting some of those moments. I expect that some of the clips will be funny or amusing exchanges between anchors. Others will be of an off beat or quirky story.

Tonight's video is from June 20, 2007's American Morning & it features... well.. men in silver spandex.

SIU: Battlefield Breakdown

In today's post:

• Reminder
• SIU: Battlefield Breakdown
• CNN Website Makeover
• Pipeline
• Mystery Journalist

Reminder

American Morning will broadcast Monday morning from both sides of the pond.

John Roberts will be in London with updates on the recent terrorist attacks in the U.K.

Kiran Chetry will be broadcasting from New York.

American Morning airs Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 9 a.m. (ET)

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SIU: Battlefield Breakdown

Did you get the opportunity to catch one of the SIU: Battlefield Breakdown broadcasts this weekend?

Excellent program, although as with many of the stories that we hear from Iraq, hard to watch. The program paints a grim picture of the mistakes that have been made during the Iraq war. After 4 years on the ground, there have been improvements, but those improvements have come only after the loss of lives. Stephen Castner was a serviceman who was killed on his third day in Iraq. Kay Castner, his mother, said during an interview: I don’t feel that somebody calling my son a hero answer’s my questions for me. I want the army to tell us what happened.

John King amassed a few frequent flyer miles working on this project. Here’s the list of locations that I noted(I might be missing a few):

• Baghdad, Iraq
• Ballad, Iraq
• Washington, DC
• Letterkenny, Pennsylvannia
• Fort Stewart, Georgia
• Cedarsburg, Wisconsin
• Corpus Christi, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Fort Irwin, California

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CNN Website Makeover

CNN.com unveiled a new look this weekend.

From the behind the scenes CNN.com blog: Hello and welcome to the RELAUNCHED CNN.com! Our new site is the culmination of over a year of listening, researching, analyzing, and building a site to meet your needs. If there were an "easy button" for news, this is what you'd expect.

Some of the highlights of the new and improved website:

• Cleaner, less cluttered look
• A link to a full listing of CNN’s blogs (long overdue)
• Easy access to TV program specific information
• Ability to search for CNN videos from the main page
• Quick links to Hot Topics

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Pipeline

Starting tomorrow, July 2, the content that was originally only available through the CNN Pipeline subscription service will be available for free through CNN’s website. Browsing around earlier today, it appeared that some of that content was already available online.

Why the change? This is the explanation posted to the CNN.com blog:

So, why are we changing to a new model and a new service? Couple of reasons. First, as popular as the service was, it became clear to us that reaching true scale was going to be impossible if the product remained a pay service. Remember that our entire mission is about getting more news to more people on more platforms… and too few people actually subscribed for us to meet that goal. Second, once we built our new flash video experience in the Integrated Story presentation on CNN.com, we realized that that was a better experience than even the Pipeline player for videos. There are no load times, no pop-up players, no changing software environment to worry about, and you can get more context for the story in an integrated way. In short, we could create a better news experience within CNN.com than on any other site, and once that includes free live Pipeline content, our new site will be a game changer.

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Mystery Journalist

This week's Mystery Journalist: CNN's senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley.

Thanks to all of those who have been playing along with us! I'll post another Mystery Journalist clue in Friday's post.

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A note to our Canadian readers: Happy Canada Day!

Special Investigations Unit- Updated Schedule

In today's post: *updated Saturday 11:18a a.m. ET*

• The War Within
• Battlefield Breakdown *updated*
• Danger: Poisoned Food *updated*
• John King Interviews
• Laura Bernardini Interview
• Mystery Journalist

The War Within

CNN's programming schedule has been very dynamic this week and this weekend's line up is no exception. In response to the discovery of two car bombs in London, CNN will be airing Christiane Amanpour's The War Within on Saturday and Sunday's Special Investigations Unit.

From a CNN press release: The first CNN: Special Investigations Unit documentary will be a one-hour examination of the troubling home-grown Muslim extremism in the United Kingdom. Reported by Amanpour, The War Within examines the cultural conflicts within Britain's Muslim communities and the alienation felt by many young Muslims living inside Western societies.

For more information on the program see this behind the scenes article, Amanpour: Radical, moderate Muslims battle for young English minds, written by Amanpour.

The War Within will air on Saturday, June 30, and Sunday, July 1, at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. All times Eastern.

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Battlefield Breakdown

Battlefield Breakdown premiered at 6 a.m. ET Saturday morning! Additional airings are scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, June 30 and 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 1. All times Eastern.

There's currently no indication when Battlefield Breakdown will be rescheduled for its premiere. If you'd like more information about the program CNN's website has links to several related stories. Including Battlefield breakdown: The full price of war in Iraq and Behind the Scenes: U.S. sees headway in fight against roadside bombs in Iraq (both written by John King).

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Danger: Poisoned Food

Also airing this weekend from Special Investigations Unit is Sanjay Gupta's Danger: Poisoned Food: Saturday, June 30 at 6 a.m. & 3 a.m. and Sunday, July 1, at 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. All times Eastern.

This program investigates the effects of an E. Coli outbreak and the safety of the food supply in the United States.

Although this is an excellent program, I stongly recommend not watching this while you're eating dinner.

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John King Interviews

John King has done several interview this past week on Battlefield Breakdown. CNN's John Lisk spoke to King about the program. The podcast is available for free from iTunes, CNN's website, or here's a direct link to this week's podcast.

King also did an interview with Total information AM KMOX 1120 in St. Louis. The podcast of the interview is available on KMOX's website or this direct link.

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Laura Bernardini Interview

Seven Days Vermont's Alternative Webweekly interviewed Vermont native and CNN Producer, Laura Bernardini. Excerpts from the article:

Asked why CNN didn’t make more of Rumsfeld’s refusal to answer questions about his leadership, or lack thereof, while on the public payroll, Bernardini told us they “were not focused on the politics of whether or not we should be in Iraq. This piece is solely focused on the toll of a long-term commitment.”

Actually, the refusal of Rumsfeld and Gates to be questioned by CNN about the Bush administration’s pathetic planning for the Iraq war says a great deal.

“I’m not going to draw a conclusion,” said Bernardini. “We’ll let the piece stand for itself.”

Trust me, it does. And it will get a lot of attention.

“Battlefield Breakdown” will air this coming Saturday and Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. And, yes, it’s well worth a watch.

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Mystery Journalist

After the positive response to last week's Mystery Journalist segment, you'll now find a new Mystery Journalist here on All Things CNN in the Friday night's post. Please feel free to let us know who you think the journalist is in the comments. The identity of the Mystery Journalist will be revealed in Sunday night's post.



Can you name this CNN journalist?