Success Through Sacrifice

At the CBS News Department, programs such as 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, CBS Evening News, and CBS Morning News all wielded considerable influence and enjoyed solid ratings.

After Dawn acquired CBS, Aaron planned to reform the news department as well, because CBS's news division had become too geared toward the elderly.

In fact, it was not just the news department. Other variety and talk shows had also grown somewhat old-fashioned. Aaron terminated the contracts of a number of producers and began working with more producers familiar with younger audiences' tastes!

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Survivor had already proven themselves, and next up was the talent show American Idol, aimed squarely at younger demographics.

At the same time, Aaron specifically had Karen McKee promote some beautiful, sexy female hosts to appear on screen, replacing those older people.

After all, Karen McKee herself had been brought in by Aaron to replace Eric Ober!

Meanwhile, the United States Congress approved the Permanent Normal Trade Relations Act with China, resolving long-standing instability in Sino-American economic and trade relations.

Elsewhere internationally, the U.S. Navy missile destroyer USS Cole was attacked by a suicide boat loaded with explosives while refueling at Aden Port, Yemen. The blast killed seventeen U.S. servicemen, wounded forty others, and blew a huge hole in the ship's hull.

As the NBA's 2000–2001 season got underway, Aaron arrived in Houston after attending ExxonMobil's shareholder meeting in Texas.

In an office at Dawn Center Arena in downtown Houston, Aaron sat on the sofa and looked at Houston Rockets general manager Ray Patterson. "That Chinese basketball player, Wang Zhizhi, still can't come to the United States to play?"

Ray Patterson looked somewhat helpless. "Last year, we spent a long time communicating with them, but they refused to let him go."

"So there's