Season 7
2012 · 39 episodes
Episodes
1. Live from the New Hampshire Primary
January 10, 2012
Live election results of the nation's first 2012 presidential primary from Manchester, New Hampshire.
2. Finnish First
January 17, 2012
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.
3. All for a Bowl of Soup
January 24, 2012
One man's quest to document how the Asian appetite for shark fin soup is decimating the ocean's shark populations.
4. From the Florida Primary
January 31, 2012
The Republican presidential contenders move on to the Sunshine State. Live results from Tampa.
5. A Fighting Chance
February 7, 2012
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.
6. The Doctor Is Out
February 14, 2012
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.
7. Stealth Spy
February 21, 2012
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.
8. A Greek Tragedy
February 28, 2012
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.
9. Super Tuesday
March 6, 2012
Live from New York, the latest election returns from the GOP Presidential primaries with Dan Rather and a panel of guests.
10. Case of the Century
March 20, 2012
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.
11. A Dire Strait
March 27, 2012
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.
12. Queen of Green
April 10, 2012
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.
13. A Panamanian Passageway
April 17, 2012
U.S. officials worry that Panama is becoming a drug transiting point.
14. China in the Caribbean
April 24, 2012
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.
15. Adopted or Abducted?
May 1, 2012
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.
16. The Most Unconventional Conservative
May 8, 2012
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.
17. The A-List: A Conversation in Hollywood
May 15, 2012
Dan Rather talks live with some of the most sought after actors in Hollywood, including Ed Helms, William H. Macy, and Don Cheadle.
18. A Hunger That Never Ends
May 22, 2012
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.
19. Dan Rather Remembers Pearl Harbor
May 29, 2012
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.
20. Divided They Stand
June 5, 2012
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.
21. Running for Their Lives
June 12, 2012
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.
22. Inside the Revolution
July 3, 2012
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.
23. Red Gold
July 10, 2012
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.
24. It's a Southern Thing
July 17, 2012
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.
25. In the Running
July 24, 2012
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.
26. A Crack in the Ice
August 14, 2012
For centuries, explorers dreamed of a Northwest Passage. As the Arctic melts, that dream is becoming a reality. But is the world ready?
27. Adopted or Abducted
August 21, 2012
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.
28. A Fighting Chance
August 28, 2012
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.
29. Music 2.0
September 4, 2012
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.
30. College on the Cheap
September 18, 2012
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.
31. El Presidente
September 25, 2012 · 1h
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.
32. As Ohio Goes...
October 2, 2012
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.
33. Real Fast Rail
October 16, 2012
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.
34. Gaddafi's Last Day
October 23, 2012
On the one-year anniversary of his death, an investigation into the strange circumstances surrounding the death of Libya's longtime ruler.
35. How Sweet It Was
October 30, 2012
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.
36. Election Night - Live With Dan Rather
November 7, 2012
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.
37. Pulling Rank
November 13, 2012
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.
38. In the Dark
November 20, 2012
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.
39. Best Of Dan Rather Reports 2012
December 18, 2012
A look back at some of our more memorable stories this year from around the world.