CNN sister network HLN (formerly CNN Headline News) quietly launched their new website, HLNtv.com recently.

The site features "The HLN 10" which is a list of the Top 10 stories the network is covering, a live stream, as well info on talent and shows, which at this time revert to the CNN.com show pages.

What do you think?

Following last week's announcement from veteran CNN journalist Jim Clancy that his program, 'The Brief' was finishing up, CNN International has announced a new hour-long business show titled 'Global Exchange', to be anchored by John Defterios. The program debuts November 7 and will originate from CNN's Abu Dhabi bureau.

CNN Press Release: CNN International is expanding its business programming portfolio this autumn with the launch of ‘Global Exchange’, an hour-long weekday focus on the emerging markets looking at how emerging market news is framing the new world order.

Alert to the huge impact that the BRICS and other emerging markets are having on the world’s economy, ‘Global Exchange’ will report, analyse and interpret the events, players, trends and indices that are impacting and influencing the global financial community, at a time when business has never been a more significant part of the news agenda.

"CNN is constantly looking to anticipate its audience's needs, and dynamic, relevant business output has long been core to the news mix we offer,” said Katherine Green, CNN International’s Senior Vice President and General Manager. “Now we’re going a step further. There is no question that understanding the impact of emerging markets on your business is key to unlocking future success in the global marketplace. ‘Global Exchange’ will provide the information and context that matters to keep our smart, forward-looking audiences right on top of the emerging market news they need to know. The international spread of our correspondents and contributors makes us perfectly placed to cover the countries and markets that really matter.”


Global Exchange

Anchored out of Abu Dhabi at the cross roads between east and west, ‘Global Exchange’ draws extensively on CNN’s network of international correspondents to provide a unique vantage point on the new dynamics at play in today’s business world. The show is presented by emerging markets editor, John Defterios, whose expertise is flanked by regular contributions from Robyn Curnow and Errol Barnett in South Africa, Luis Carlos Velez across Latin America, Shasta Darlington from CNN’s soon-to-open Brazil bureau, Mallika Kapur in India, Ramy Inocencio in Hong Kong and Richard Quest from the UK, bringing audiences the stories and interviews that matter from Brazil to China, Russia to India, Africa to Central Asia and beyond.

‘Global Exchange’ also includes the ‘GX20’, a global hotlist of some of the world’s biggest economic thinkers. The GX20 will be drawn from the key emerging markets, from across China, Russia, India and South Africa, contributing daily to the show and bringing an added dimension to the business stories that count. There will also be a dedicated look at Generation Xchange, the youth who make up the real foundation for future growth.

The show also features ‘Along the Silk Road’, a weekly five minute bespoke segment that will explore the burgeoning trade and investment links from the Middle East to Asia – Beijing, Mumbai, Istanbul, Kabul, Moscow, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Dubai. The series surveys the export driven economies, countries with vast capitals of reserve and natural resources, which economic forecasters pinpoint as the ringleaders of growth for the next quarter of a century. ‘Along the Silk Road’ will be a high quality blend of polished feature reports and high profile interviews with newsmakers – those at the cutting edge of this geo-political shift.

The new show will have a dedicated webpage at www.cnn.com/globalexchange featuring the latest facts and figures from emerging markets, plus expert analysis from contributors and presenters.

Audiences can also follow the show on Twitter at @CNNGlobalEx for the latest show news, guest information and more.

‘Global Exchange’ is a strong addition to CNN’s vibrant portfolio of business programming, a fresh complement to the successful ‘Quest Means Business’ show, the recently expanded ‘Marketplace’ franchise, and the long-running popular World Business Today strand, at a time when business stories continue to set the world news agenda.

CNN International's Diana Magnay and Phil Han are heading on a road trip across Europe this week, ahead of the annual G20 summit in Cannes.

The premise of the road trip is to give a voice to young people across European countries on a range of issues raanging from the economic crisis, how young people view European leaders and their hopes for the future of themselves and Europe itself.

Part of the road trip will include mini town hall meetings that will be organized entirely via social media. Portions of the meetings will be aired across CNN International programming, including: World Business Today, Connect The World and Quest Means Business.

The schedule for the road trip includes:

Tuesday November 1: Munich, Germany
Wednesday November 2: Milan, Italy
Thursday November 3: Marseille, France
Friday November 4: Barcelona, Spain.

If you live in any of the above cities and wish to be part of CNN's mini town hall meetings, contact Phil Han on Twitter at twitter.com/PhilHanCNN

The buzz surrounding a relaunch of CNN's early morning block is gaining momentum with new reporting over the weekend from The New York Post and The New York Times. (via: Inside Cable News)

On Sunday Page 6 suggested an announcement from CNN on changes was imminent, following an email to former colleagues from Ashleigh Banfield (rumored to be joining CNN once her contract with ABC ends).

Ashleigh Banfield may have let the cat out of the bag on CNN’s latest shake-up. The former MSNBC host e-mailed her ex-colleagues Thursday to hint at a big announcement next week. Banfield is slated to host an early-morning show on the network from 5 to 7 a.m.

Meanwhile, Brian Stelter picks up on earlier reporting from Page 6, TV Newser and Chicago media writer Robert Feder.

The plan, described by three people with direct knowledge of it, will effectively dismantle “American Morning,” which has had about 10 co-anchors in its 10 years on CNN. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the changes had not been announced. A CNN spokeswoman declined to comment on Sunday.

Ms. Banfield, at 5 a.m., will have a co-anchor, the people with direct knowledge of the plans said. One possibility is Zoraida Sambolin, who was an early morning anchor in Chicago until this month. Time Out Chicago reported last week that CNN had hired her for a morning anchor slot. Ms. O’Brien, at 7 a.m., may be joined by an ensemble of contributors.

Over on TV Newser, Chris Ariens suggests that any changes probably won't be seen on air until 2012.

The new shows are not expected to hit the airwaves until after the New Year. O’Brien is finishing up a new “Black in America” series for November and, as she told us last month, she plans to take a few weeks off after what’s been a busy 2011. Banfield’s contract with ABC runs through the end of the year.

Our friends over at TVNewser are reporting that around 24 CNN Newsroom Dayside staff members are having their jobs be re-classified and are asked to re-apply for their jobs or accept a severance package.

“This new structure invests and plans for the future needs of the program,” confirms CNN spokesperson Bridget Leininger. “It is not a cost-cutting measure by any means. We are posting more new positions than writers impacted.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will speak to CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an interview that will air later Friday on CNN International. The special live broadcast is scheduled to air at 10:30pm (U.S. Eastern) / 0230 GMT (Saturday). Details from CNN below.

- Editor's note: Ahmadinejad was also interviewed earlier this week on Al Jazeera English by former CNN anchor Tony Harris.

CNN Press Release: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Speaks Exclusively to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria will interview Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week in Tehran. Zakaria and President Ahmadinejad will discuss the death of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, recent U.S. accusations of an alleged Iranian assassination plot against the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, the release of the American hikers from detention in Tehran, internal Iranian democracy movements, and other subjects.

The Iranian president will be interviewed in Tehran at the presidential palace.

This exclusive interview will air live in a special broadcast on CNN International on Friday, Oct. 21 at 10:30pm ET on CNN International. The full interview will air inside FAREED ZAKARIA GPS on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 10:00am ET on CNN/U.S.

CNN is launching a new bureau in Brazil. Shasta Darlington, previously based at the network's Havana bureau, will move to the new newsgathering office in São Paulo. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: CNN Worldwide to Open Newsgathering Bureau in São Paulo; Appoints Shasta Darlington as Correspondent

With Brazil’s news importance on the global stage, CNN Worldwide is announcing today that it will open a permanent newsgathering hub in São Paulo. CNN journalist Shasta Darlington will be moving to São Paulo effective immediately to assume the reins of CNN’s Brazil coverage.

Darlington will be focused on covering stories from Brazil and the surrounding region across all of CNN’s diverse platforms, on air and online.

“CNN is pleased to be establishing a bureau in Brazil with Shasta Darlington as the correspondent,” said Parisa Khosravi, senior vice president of international newsgathering. “Her depth of experience reporting on the Latin American region, specifically the time she’s spent in Brazil, coupled with her knowledge of business reporting will serve her well in this economic powerhouse.”

With CNN’s commitment to distinctive reporting, Darlington will cover business and current affairs, as well as the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Darlington most recently served as an international correspondent for CNN based at the network's bureau in Havana, Cuba, filing stories in English and Spanish across a range of topics including Fidel Castro's illness, his handover to his brother Raul Castro, and the first years of Raul’s succession. Darlington also travelled multiple times to Brazil from Havana, most recently to cover the 2011 floods in Rio de Janeiro State and President Barack Obama’s visit in March, and the 2010 Presidential elections for CNN’s global audience.

Prior to joining CNN in 2006, Darlington worked as a correspondent for Reuters in Italy for four years. From 1997-2001, Darlington served as a correspondent for Bloomberg and then Reuters in Brazil, where she focused on covering the devastating economic crisis, drug wars, and massive prison riots. Before moving to Brazil, she worked for the Los Angeles Times in Mexico City.

Darlington began her career as a reporter for The News, a Mexico City-based English newspaper, and has since devoted more than 15 years to journalism. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in English literature and Spanish from Middlebury College and is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

CNN Domestic is noting its numbers for last night's Western GOP Presidential Debate. The full rundown from CNN follows below.

CNN Press Release: CNN Republican Debate Is #1 Last Night; Drawing 5.5 Million Viewers and 1.7 in the Key Demo 25-54. AC 360 is #1 at 10pm. Las Vegas Most Watched Debate on CNN.com So Far.

According to Nielsen Fast National data, CNN's Las Vegas Debate (8:00p-10:00p*), moderated by Anderson Cooper, delivered 5.468 million total viewers and 1.651 million in the key demo 25-54. Last night's debate represents the second highest debate this season among total viewers (FNC’s 9/22 debate averaged 6.107 million).

CNN was, by far, #1 in the 8:00p-10:00p time period last night among cable news networks. CNN was top rated in both total viewers and in the key demo 25-54, topping second-place FNC by 163% among total viewers (5.468 million vs. 2.083 million) and 235% among P25-54 (1.651 million vs. 493k). CNN also out-performed third-place MSNBC by 632% among total viewers (5.468 million vs. 747k) and by 822% among P25-54 (1.651 million vs. 179k).

Compared to CNN’s recent Tampa Debate (9/12/11) this debate was up by +51% among total viewers (5.468 million vs. 3.613 million) and by +46% in the key demo 25-54 (1.651 million vs. 1.132 million).

*Fast National Data is representative of 8:00p-10:00p. Final Data will reflect actual debate time of 8:00p-9:52p.


AC 360 at 10:00p:

• With a delivery of 2.244 million total viewers and 735k P25-54 viewers, AC 360’s 10:00p hour easily outperformed the cable news competition.

• Among total viewers, AC360’s 10:00p hour topped that of FNC by 13% (2.244 million vs. 1.991 million) and MSNBC by 122% (2.244 million vs. 1.009 million)

• Among P25-54, AC360’s 10:00p hour topped that of FNC by 43% (735k vs. 515k) and MSNBC by 172% (735k vs. 270k).


CNN Digital:

Las Vegas Most Watched Debate on CNN.com so far

• CNN delivered 601.3 thousand live video streams during the 8:00p-10:00p hours of the debate, 35% higher than Tampa, and over four times as high as New Hampshire.

• For the day, CNN served more than 3.9 million global video starts (live + VOD), a 38% increase over Tampa performance, and a 23% increase over New Hampshire performance.

• During the 8:00p-10:00p hours, CNN’s mobile web video views were 123% higher versus the prior four Tuesdays, 116% higher than Tampa and 60% over the New Hampshire debate.

• #CNNdebate trended globally on Twitter during the Las Vegas debate.

CNN Domestic will tonight host another GOP Presidential debate.

Anderson Cooper will moderate the two hour debate, set to tackle issues affecting voters in the Western states, from The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

The debate airs from 8pm - 10pm (eastern) tonight on CNN Domestic, and will simulcast live on CNN International and CNN en Español. Full details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: Western States, Issues Take Center Stage for CNN, WRLC Debate. Anderson Cooper to Moderate the Oct. 18 Face-off among Eight Presidential Contenders in Las Vegas.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper will moderate the Tuesday, Oct. 18 debate presented by CNN and the Western Republican Leadership Conference (WRLC). The debate, which will air live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. (ET), will be broadcast from The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Voters from the 16 states and territories that make up the Western region of the United States will be in the audience and will have an opportunity to pose questions directly to the candidates. Nevada will be one of the first states to vote in the Republican presidential primary process in 2012, as chosen by the Republican National Committee.

The following eight presidential contenders will participate in the debate: Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

CNN’s live and on-location coverage surrounding the debate will begin with CNN Newsroom on Saturday, Oct. 15 and continue through American Morning on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Programming from Las Vegas will include anchors Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett, John King, T.J. Holmes, and Carol Costello. CNN political contributors and analysts also on hand in Las Vegas will include Gloria Borger, Ron Brownstein, Alex Castellanos, Ari Fleischer, David Gergen and Mary Matalin. (See full programming details below).

CNN en Español's Washington, D.C. anchor Juan Carlos López will host live analysis on that network before the debate starting at 7:45 p.m. (ET). At 8 p.m., CNN en Español will take the debate live with simultaneous interpretation followed by more analysis with CNN en Español's team of political contributors. The debate will also be carried live on CNN International.


CNN.com:

Online, users can visit CNN’s Election Center and CNNPolitics.com for all things political before, during and after the debate. On debate night, CNNPolitics.com will live stream the event. In addition to questions posed by Cooper, CNN will solicit questions and comments submitted in real-time from CNN.com, the CNN Politics fan page on Facebook and by using the #CNNDebate hashtag on Twitter. The Political Ticker will live-blog the debate and incorporate live comments generated from social networks directly on the Ticker.

CNNPolitics.com will also showcase commentary and analysis from CNN’s political contributors, and feature a post-debate camera live from the Spin Room. CNN iReport, the network’s global participatory news community, will be asking for submissions of reactions to the debate, some of which will be shown across CNN.com and broadcast on CNN.


Programming:

The following programs will originate live from Las Vegas, Nevada today. (All times Eastern):

6:00 am – 9:00 am: American Morning
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: John King, USA
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Erin Burnett OutFront
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: CNN Western Republican Presidential Debate
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Anderson Cooper 360°

CNN Domestic has teamed with non-profit organization Reporters Without Borders to create a national contest for university students.

The competition encourages students to create a public service announcement with the theme, “Why should we care about freedom of information?”. The winning spot will air on CNN Domestic and CNN.com.

Full details on the competition (which is only open to students in the United States) follows below.

CNN Press Release: CNN and Reporters Without Borders launch a video contest in the United States

CNN and Reporters Without Borders USA are launching a nationwide contest, challenging American university students to create a video PSA that will air on World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2012. The PSA will seek to answer the question “Why should we care about freedom of information?” the PSA will air on CNN.

“We are proud to partner with CNN for this contest,” Jean-Francois Julliard, Reporters Without Borders’ General Secretary said. “Our organization believes that freedom of information is essential for democracies to thrive, and that citizens should work to preserve it. It is great to work with American college students, who are the leaders of tomorrow.”

Students at more than 100 universities are expected to participate in the contest. A student may enter alone or partner with up to two other students, and submit their PSA no later than March 19, 2012. An international jury of journalists and human rights defenders will select the winning video. On May 3rd, 2012, the winners may attend a press conference in New York and see their video go live, running several times that day on CNN and CNN.com.

“We hope that this contest will raise awareness about the importance of freedom of information” said Mark Whitaker, Managing Editor of CNN Worldwide. “CNN is committed to creating a safe environment for reporters around the world, and we are pleased to partner with Reporters Without Borders in supporting this competition”.

Reporters Without Borders was created in 1985 to defend journalists and media rights worldwide. It is a non-profit organization based in Paris, with more than 150 correspondents on the ground and a dozen offices abroad, including in Washington D.C.

Launched in 1980, CNN was the first cable network to provide 24/7 news coverage, first in America and then around the globe. It remains committed to delivering nonpartisan news and analysis across all its television and digital platforms and is widely seen as the world’s most trusted news and information source.

For more information on the contest, visit rsf.org/videocontest, get updates on facebook/rsfusa and twitter.com/rsf_rwb. Use the twitter hashtag #RSFcontest to ask your questions or send an email to contest@rsf.org.

CNN Domestic will tonight debut the latest Larry King special for the network - an hour-long interview with actor Johnny Depp. The special premieres at 8:00pm (eastern). Full details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: One of the most celebrated actors of his generation, Johnny Depp, sits down with legendary interviewer Larry King for a rare, candid and in-depth interview. The famously private actor gives King a tour of his private office in Hollywood, showing his personal paintings and memorabilia and opens up to King about his life and work. The interview will air on CNN at 8pm ET and again at 11pm and 2amET.



During the interview, Depp touches upon fame, success and failure. He also reveals new details about upcoming projects including his next film, “Dark Shadows,” with longtime collaborator Tim Burton, and his upcoming film, “The Rum Diary”, out October 28, which is based on the life of his good friend Hunter S. Thompson.

Depp and King talk about his family and friendships with his mentors Marlon Brando and Thompson. Depp credits Brando with changing the way actors work, saying that “Marlon reinvented acting, he revolutionized acting.” Johnny Depp, a vocal advocate for the West Memphis 3, also comments on the release of the three men, who had served close to 20 years for murder.

Depp is a three time Academy Award nominee for Best Actor and a Golden Globe winner. The interview will re-air on Saturday October 22 at 8 pm, 11pm ET and 2amET.

CNN International will this week debut a new addition to its "Marketplace" business franchise with Marketplace Europe.

According to CNN, the weekly 15 minute business-themed program will be hosted by Richard Quest. Business reporter Juliet Mann will join the program as correspondent.



Marketplace Europe debuts this Thursday at 1945 GMT and will air also at the following times:

Fridays - 0345 GMT
Saturdays - 1600 GMT
Sundays - 0100 GMT, 0715 GMT


CNN program synopsis:

Europe sits at the heart of the business world and has always been seen as a continent focused on growth, diversity and ingenuity. CNN's Marketplace Europe will put the spotlight on one of the worlds most influential and interconnected continents as Europe faces up to the economic challenges and opportunities of the next 10 years.

Using CNN's unparalleled access to business leaders and decision makers, it's global reach and its unique line up of seasoned business correspondents, Marketplace Europe will deliver intelligent and unmissable features and analysis the European business scene.

The program will pay particular attention to Germany's role as the largest economy in Europe and the driver or growth and stability in the regions. German businesses and German CEO's will offer their perspective on the issues facing the continent and the challenge and opportunity of a world post recession embracing new emerging markets.

Marketplace Europe will join the stable of CNN Marketplace programming, with the same look and feel, structure and format as the very successful Marketplace Africa and Marketplace Middle East programming. At the heart of the programme will be the popular ‘Facetime' and ‘In Focus' segments.

The program will be presented by CNN's award winning business anchor Richard Quest, the host of the daily business show Quest Means Business.

CNN Domestic has joined with other networks for a multi-platform special that addresses bullying. As part of the effort, CNN will air a town hall special moderated by Anderson Cooper and feature a series of special reports on Anderson Cooper 360°.

The town hall premieres this Sunday, October 9 at 8:00pm (eastern) and the special reports run from October 10. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: CNN, Facebook, Cartoon Network and Time Inc. Team Up for Anti-Bullying Efforts. Anderson Cooper 360° Town Hall “Bullying: It Stops Here” to air October 9; AC360° week-long series begins October 10.

CNN, Facebook, Cartoon Network and Time Inc. have teamed up for a special multi-platform effort aimed at taking a stand to help stop the bullying crisis. Anderson Cooper 360° will air a week-long series focused on bullying in addition to a town hall hosted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, marking the one year anniversary of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi.’s death.

Anderson Cooper will reveal the results of a six-month long pilot study that provide new insight about why kids bully each other and how parents and educators can more effectively stop the problem. In partnership with University of California sociologist Dr. Robert Faris, this groundbreaking investigation involving over 700 junior and high school students will explore the complex social dynamic of bullying, and how certain students hold the key to stopping the problem.

“Too many kids have died already; too many kids are living in fear. At AC360 we decided to look into the problem by sponsoring an extensive study of bullying in one school to better understand the dynamics “said Cooper “what we learned by focusing on one school was eye opening. The problem of bullying is far more complex than it is often portrayed, and while there are no easy solutions, we’ve learned some things that lead me to believe that with enough attention, we can make life better for kids”

Bullying: It Stops here, An Anderson Cooper Special Report will feature guests including actor and bullying prevention activist Jane Lynch , psychologist and talk-show host Dr. Phil McGraw; who has testified before Congress about bullying prevention, talk show host and mother of three Kelly Ripa, and Rosalind Wiseman; best-selling author “Queen Bees and Wannabees”. Along with a special audience of students, parents, educators and policy makers, Cooper and guests will question whether new legislation, laws and significant media attention has helped the bullying prevention efforts.

The town hall, titled Bullying: It Stops Here will premiere Sunday, October 9 at 8pm ET and will re-air on October 14 at 8 and 10 pm ET.

Beginning October 10, Anderson Cooper 360° will air a week-long series which will move the conversation forward with solution oriented, original research that will help families and educators to better understand this serious problem impacting children. Cooper sheds new light into the world of bullies, uncovering counter intuitive information about what motivates kids’ aggression that might surprise viewers. Cooper will uncover some universal truths about bullying in schools across the country by speaking with UC sociologist Faris and bullying expert Rachel Simmons, best-selling author of “Odd girl Out”. Anderson Cooper 360° airs weeknights at 8 and 10pm ET on CNN.

Earlier this month, Facebook and Time Warner Inc. announced the launch of the Stop Bullying: Speak Up Social Pledge App, an interactive social media pledge that enables educators, parents and students to make a personal commitment—and recruit others to join them—to help stop bullying.

CNN Domestic has unveiled a new-look design and new name for its political coverage. Watch Wolf Blitzer revealing the new branding on CNN Wednesday in the video below.





CNN Press Release: CNN unveiled its new graphic look and tagline for coverage of the 2012 campaign Wednesday.

"The choice Americans will face in 2012 is between two very different visions for governing the United States," said Washington Bureau Chief Sam Feist.

"CNN's goal is to leverage our extraordinary resources and offer our viewers the most unbiased, comprehensive coverage of the most important choice the American voter will make for the next four years."

"CNN's 'America's Choice 2012' branding reflects our commitment to helping American voters make that choice," Feist said.

###

Also on Wednesday, CNN Domestic announced the addition of two new political contributors. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and conservative columnist David Frum have joined the network for the 2012 election season, it was announced today by Sam Feist, CNN senior vice president and Washington bureau chief.

“Having spent all of my professional career in communications, public policy, and politics, I’m thrilled to join CNN as a political contributor, especially as we are entering the excitement of the upcoming 2012 presidential election cycle,” said Maria Cardona.

“CNN is where the national conversation starts,” said David Frum. “In this exciting election year, I am truly honored to join that conversation.”

Maria Cardona is a Democratic strategist and currently heads the public affairs practice at Dewey Square Group, where she founded the Latinovations practice that focuses on Latino strategic outreach on national, state and local levels. During the 2008 Democratic primary election, Cardona was senior adviser and spokesperson to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and served on the campaign’s Hispanic outreach team. During the 2008 general election, Cardona was a key surrogate for the Obama for America campaign. Previously, Cardona was a senior vice president for the New Democrat Network, and before that, the communications director for the Democratic National Committee. During the Clinton administration, Cardona served as a spokesperson at the U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce. In addition, Cardona will also contribute to CNN en Español.

David Frum is the editor and founder of the conservative website FrumForum.com. From 2001 to 2002, Frum served as special assistant and speechwriter to President George W. Bush. During the 2008 election season, he served as senior foreign policy advisor to the Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign. Earlier, as an American Enterprise fellow, Frum studied political, generational and demographic trends. From 1989 to 1992, he worked as an editor of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. Frum is the author of six books, including most recently, Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again. He writes regular columns for CNN.com, This Week and Canada’s National Post. Frum was born in Toronto, Canada, and received a simultaneous B.A. and M.A. in history from Yale in 1982. He was appointed visiting lecturer in history at Yale in 1986; in 1987, he graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Federalist Society.

Cardona and Frum join a deep bench of political contributors at CNN, which includes John Avlon, Paul Begala, Bill Bennett, Donna Brazile, James Carville, Alex Castellanos, Erick Erickson, Ari Fleischer, David Gergen, Roland Martin, Mary Matalin and Hilary Rosen, among others.

Erin Burnett OutFront Debuts Monday at 7 PM ET on CNN Domestic. Along with her interview from today's Reliable Sources, we have some welcome videos from her new CNN family.

Part 1:



Part 2:

Read more »

CNN Domestic will tonight premiere a new investigation from Joe Johns. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: The Anthrax Mystery – CNN’s Joe Johns Investigates. Death by Mail: The Anthrax Letters Debuts Sunday, October 2 at 8:00p.m. and 11:00p.m. ET & PT

CNN’s Joe Johns reports for a documentary investigation into the anthrax letter attacks of 2001. Letters written with jihadist language and laced with deadly anthrax spores were sent via U.S. Mail to members of the news media and Congress in the weeks following the September 11 attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. Five people were ultimately killed and 17 others were sickened by exposure to the letters directed to The New York Post, Tom Brokaw at NBC News, Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and others.



Drawing from recently released FBI and Justice Department documents of what is officially called the Amerithrax Investigation, Johns tells the story of the complex, seven-year investigation into what happened and who was allegedly responsible for the deadly letters, explaining the bizarre turns in the bioterrorism case that extended the nation’s horror.

The one-hour documentary, CNN Presents: Death by Mail – The Anthrax Letters, debuts Sunday, Oct. 2 at 8:00p.m. and 11:00p.m. ET & PT, and replays on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8:00p.m. and 11:00p.m. ET & PT on CNN/U.S.

From the beginning, federal investigators turned for help to the scientific community on the belief that the killer may have been a rogue insider from the biotech industry. Thomas Dellafera, the now-retired U.S. Postal Inspection Service team leader on Amerithrax, describes how authorities even requested that the scientists working in bioweapons defense research submit to polygraph testing.

One scientist, Nancy Haigwood, suspected a former colleague and contacted the FBI with the name “Bruce Ivins.”

“In my mind, it was as though something clicked,” she tells Johns, “I just thought I might actually know the person.” She described Ivins’s years-long history of stalking and his odd obsession with her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma.

But for the next four and a half years, her tip was low priority. “We didn't know how it related to the crime,” says Dellafera.

Ivins escaped federal scrutiny for years while investigators pursued other leads, including targeting an innocent man. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft publicly identified former U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) scientist, Steven Hatfill as a ‘person of interest.’ But, Johns explains, nothing collected in the Hatfill investigation ever connected him to the crime. Ultimately, Hatfill was determined not responsible for the crimes, and the federal government paid him nearly six million dollars to settle a lawsuit for allegedly violating his right to privacy.

Death by Mail reveals a hidden side of Bruce Ivins that federal agents remained unaware of until near the end of their investigation. In emails to colleagues, Ivins describes his disturbed mental state and fears he is becoming paranoid and losing control.

By July 2008, federal prosecutors believed they had enough credible circumstantial evidence to indict Ivins for Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction. Scientists hired by the FBI had matched four genetic mutations in the attack anthrax to the same mutations in a flask of anthrax in Ivins’s lab.

“There was no one who was more experienced at growing, purifying and handling, preparing anthrax spores at Fort Detrick than Bruce Ivins,” says David Willman, Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and the author of The Mirage Man: Bruce Ivins, the Anthrax Attacks, and America’s Rush to War (April 2011).

Investigators theorize his motive may have been to increase interest and funding for a new anthrax vaccine that he had helped to invent, which he apparently feared had become a low priority.

Ivins denied having anything to do with the anthrax attacks, and to this day, Ivins has defenders. “How it was made, how it was prepared, where it was done, over what period of time -- there’s a total void of evidence,” Ivins’s attorney, Paul Kemp of Rockville, MD, tells CNN. And there is no direct evidence linking Ivins to the crime: no DNA on the letters, no fingerprints, and no eyewitnesses.

Bruce Ivins committed suicide just as investigators appeared to be ready to bring formal charges against him. No one has ever been officially charged with the anthrax letter attacks, though Johns’ report dissects the evidence, explains why doubts linger about the guilt of the main suspect, and asks if such an attack could ever happen again.

More information about Death by Mail can be found at www.cnn.com.

Andy Segal produced Death by Mail: The Anthrax Letters. Kathy Slobogin is a managing editor for the CNN Special Investigations unit overseeing production of this documentary. Lee Hughey and Dave Herrod edited Death by Mail.