gas to kill a group of defectors from the United States military. The Pentagon denied the story. Skeptics deemed it improbable that such an extraordinary and risky atrocity could have gone unnoticed at the height of the Vietnam War's unpopularity. CNN, after a two-week inquiry, issued a retraction. Restarting business (2001–2006) In 2000 and 2001, CNN hired many key people such as Anderson Cooper, Aaron Brown, Paula Zahn and (rehired) Lou Dobbs. The leadership of the network also changed. Kaplan left CNN in 2000, and moreover Tom Johnson retired as head of CNN in 2001 after 10 years. Following his retirement, new management and increased competition from Fox News Channel led to the network's gradual decline during the decade. New shows NewsNight with Aaron Brown Created in 2001, NewsNight with Aaron Brown focused on investigative journalism and had a strong emphasis on interviews. The program included segments such as "The Whip" (which quickly previewed segments from four reporters at large), "On The Rise" and "Segment 7". The Morning Papers segment, known as "The Rooster", featured a brief preview of compelling or interesting headlines from the next day's newspapers around the world. The segment concluded with the weather forecast for Chicago as provided in the Chicago Sun-Times. Newsnight was cancelled on November 5, 2005, and Brown resigned from CNN shortly afterward. Paula Zahn Now The primetime show that aired in the timeslot preceding Larry King Live, Paula Zahn Now, which debuted in 2003, was never very popular. It competed against Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, which had grown to become the highest-rated cable news program. The program lasted for four years before being cancelled on August 2, 2007. Connie Chung Tonight Launched in 2002, Connie Chung Tonight was a short-lived news and interview show, hosted by Connie Chung, that was canceled after one year on the air. The Point w/Greta Van Susteren Greta Van Susteren, who had been with CNN as a correspondent for over a decade, began hosting her own primetime news and interview show in 2001, called The Point; the program was canceled after a year, with Van Susteren joining Fox News Channel shortly afterward. The Spin RoomThe Spin Room, a half-hour debate show that aired in the 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time slot, debuted in 2000 and was hosted by Tucker Carlson and Bill Press; the program was canceled after a few months and replaced by Greenfield at