CNN Special Investigations Unit - Season 2006

First aired: 1/7/2006 10 episodes
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Episodes

1. Hope & Heartbreak---Inside the Sago Mine Tragedy

Aired: 1/7/2006

Anderson Cooper anchors this look at the Jan. 2, 2006, Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia. Included: the rescue effort; how miners are trained.

2. 26 Hours of Terror

Aired: 3/11/2006

Kyra Phillips examines the March 11, 2005, shooting rampage in the Atlanta courthouse that resulted in four deaths; and how Ashley Smith, who was taken hostage by the alleged perpetrator, Brian Nichols, talked him into surrendering to the authorities. Included: comments from Claudia Barnes, the widow of slain Judge Rowland Barnes; Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Don Briant.

3. We Were Warned: Out of Gas

Aired: 3/18/2006

Frank Sesno examines what might happen if a major hurricane hit Houston, the center of U.S. energy production, and the disaster was followed by terror strikes at oil installations in Saudi Arabia. Included: how much oil the earth has left; alternative fuels; and insights from Richard Branson and automobile designer Bob Lutz.

4. The Last Days of Pope John Paul II

Aired: 4/1/2006

Delia Gallagher reports on the final days of Pope John Paul II. Included: interviews with those closest to the pontiff, including Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul II's personal secretary; Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls; Mother Tekla Famiglietti, who prayed over the pope's body the night he died. Also: Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, governor of Vatican City; Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago.

5. Chasing Angelina---Paparazzi and Celebrity Obsession

Aired: 5/13/2006

The paparazzi's pursuit of a pregnant Angelina Jolie is the prime example in this look at the world of celebrity media. Included: insights from gossip reporter Ted Casablanca; People's Larry Hackett and Peter Castro; Mariah Carey; Ashlee Simpson; photographer Kevin Mazur, who only works the red carpet; P.R. consultants Cindi Berger and Ken Sunshine; American Media Inc. editorial director Bonnie Fuller; and Frank Griffin, who heads the paparazzi agency Bauer-Griffin.

6. How to Rob a Bank

Aired: 5/20/2006

Drew Griffin reports on modern methods of looting bank accounts, such as identity theft. Included: a thief who had more than 100 credit cards under other people's names; an identity-theft ring; a scheme that affected AOL subscribers.

7. Wounded Warriors

Aired: 5/27/2006

Alex Quade reports on the care wounded soldiers receive, from Iraq to Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany to the U.S.

8. No Survivors: Why TWA Could Happen Again

Aired: 7/15/2006

An examination of the July 17, 1996, tragedy involving the Paris-bound TWA Flight 800, which exploded 12 minutes after taking off from New York's JFK International Airport. Included: animation that shows how a fuel-tank explosion caused the plane to break apart; a look at initial concerns that terrorism may have been to blame, and how the National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause---an electrical short circuit. David Mattingly reports.

9. The Town That Fought Back

Aired: 9/30/2006

Kathleen Koch reports on how the people in Bay St. Louis, Miss. (her hometown) are faring a year after Hurricane Katrina leveled their homes.

10. Combat Hospital

Aired: 11/11/2006

An examination of the 10th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, where five doctors, 14 nurses and 22 medics treat U.S. and coalition casualties, as well as civilians and insurgents. Included: a calm Memorial Day 2006 turns hectic when 12 casualties, including CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier, arrive at the hospital. Also: comments from medical personnel; the difficulty adjusting to work in a combat setting; and how the staff tries to maintain a semblance of normalcy.