This Tuesday on HDNet: Premieres of Dan Rather Reports, HDNet World Report and InFocus: Enigma

Dan Rather Reports, 8 pm ET: Treasure Island - Madagascar is a treasure island famous for its exotic wildlife and valuable timber - an investigation of how logging may be costing this poor country its natural heritage. And a New England town sparks another American revolution, this time in how we eat.

“Dan Rather Reports” will feature never-before-seen footage from the island of Madagascar, where an ecological horror show is taking place. Madagascar’s national parks are, according to scientists, being raped by loggers who are illegally chopping down rare and extremely valuable rosewood trees. The recently obtained video shows loggers hauling the trees out of the forests by hand.

Each of these trees is worth thousands of dollars on the international market, but the desperate residents of Madagascar are cutting them down for only a few dollars a day.

The images presented in this story were taped as a part of an undercover investigation by two international conservation groups, looking to make the case for prosecutions in the trade of these trees and prosecution of foreign businesses who use this illegal wood for their products.

The illegal logging also threatens the habitat for the rare silky sifaka lemurs, which live exclusively on the island. Originally thought to be extinct, scientists have found a few groups on the island, but their habitat is now threatened by the logging. Tomorrow’s program will also air the only known high definition footage of these unique creatures in their natural habitat.

In February 2009, there was a coup - dozens of people died as the military opened fire into a crowd, unleashing panic across the country. The military went on to oust the country’s president - chaos reigned and the economy dissolved. The impoverished people streamed into the forests looking to make a quick buck in the illegal rosewood trade. Ebony trees are also taken from Madagascar’s forests and the precious lumber is in high demand.

HDNet World Report, 9 pm ET: Dr. Lee Carhart; Low Born, High Minded: India’s Untouchable Hero; Viewfinder: Inside Afghanistan’s Drug War - Dr. Lee Carhart is an abortion doctor, one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, one of only ten in the country that will do late-term abortions. Jennifer London has an exclusive interview. Then, born into India’s lowest caste, she’s rising up on behalf of her country’s most vulnerable population, at great personal cost. Then, a World Report Viewfinder. Inside Afghanistan, where the cost of drug abuse is measured in American and Afghan lives.

InFocus, 10 pm ET Enigma: Tarot - To this day, Tarot cards remain a popular means of fortune telling. This documentary explores the mysterious past and hidden meaning of the Tarot deck. Is it no more than a harmless diversion? Or is the Tarot a doorway into a forgotten world of myth?

Check out the full episode of “Truck Talk” from Dan Rather Reports. In this episode, Dan Rather talks with big rig drivers about keeping America’s economy moving, and safety on the road.

“Truck Talk” is a follow-up to “Queen of the Road,” which can be viewed here:

Watch Dan Rather Reports on HDNet, every Tuesday night at 8 pm ET

This Tuesday on HDNet

Dan Rather Reports, 8 pm ET: Truck Talk - Dan Rather visits the big truck stop at Carl’s Corner, Texas, to hear from the American Truckers Associations and big rig drivers from across the country who are concerned about their profession.

HDNet World Report, 9 pm ET: Suicide Tourism; Beyond Belief: Jesus of Siberia; Viewfinder: Honor Guards - People suffering from debilitating or terminal illnesses travel to a clinic in Switzerland because that nation has some of the most liberal assisted suicide laws in the world. A court case in Montana may make it a constitutional right there, too. Next, a journey to Siberia, where a reclusive mystic claims he is Jesus Christ. Finally, for Veterans’ Day, a special group of veterans who make sure that their brothers-in-arms from World War II get burials befitting heroes.

InFocus, 10 pm ET: The International Yo-Yo Open 2009 - The best players from fourteen countries converge on the Big Apple, showcasing the latest in mind-blowing tricks and jaw-dropping moves and wowing the crowd of thousands in the historic South Street Sea Port, Pier 17.

DAN RATHER REPORTS NOMINATED FOR AN EMMY AWARD FOR BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL REPORTING

Weekly news program garners Emmy nod for in-depth story on a copper mine in the Congo

HDNet is proud to announce that “Dan Rather Reports,” the network’s award-winning weekly news program has been recognized with a nomination for Outstanding Investigative Reporting of a Business News Story - News Magazines - by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

The nominated program “All Mine” focuses on an American company, Arizona’s Freeport McMoran, which, when it bought a massive copper mine from the government of Congo, also took control of part of the impoverished country’s economic future. Critics of the purchase said that the contract for the billion-dollar mine left the war-torn African nation with little in return, and that the U.S. government played a part in what many are describing as a modern day land grab. The episode originally aired on September 23, 2008.

“Once again ‘Dan Rather Reports’ has been recognized by a highly respected, national organization,” said Mark Cuban, president and co-founder of HDNet. “To have this nomination from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences just backs up the fact that Dan and his staff put out an amazing program each and every week.”

“Dan Rather Reports” airs every Tuesday at 8:00 ET as a part of the network’s News and Documentary programming night. The program is entering its fourth year on HDNet.

Visit Dan Rather Reports on Facebook and Twitter.

This week on HDNet News and Docs:

Dan Rather Reports, 8 pm ET PREMIERE Carbonomics - Understanding an issue you need to know. Cap and trade and a plan by the Obama administration to reduce pollution.

HDNet World Report, 9 pm ET PREMIERE To the Moon, Or Not?; Puerto Rico: Island Under Siege; Viewfinder: The Littlest Tulku - NASA is testing the new Ares rocket, designed to bring us back to the Moon and on to Mars. But can we really afford to explore anymore? Next, to the island of Puerto Rico, which is awash in drugs. Addiction is at epidemic levels, and it is a major transit point for traffickers on their way to the U.S. mainland. We go inside the shooting galleries and the drug busts to investigate. Finally, a great Buddhist lama dies, and a search begins for his reincarnation. The search ends in Washington DC, and with the enthronement of ‘The Littlest Tulku.’

InFocus: Trinity and Beyond, 10 pm ET PREMIERE The Atomic Bomb Movie - Trinity and Beyond is an unsettling yet visually fascinating documentary presenting the history of the design, development, production and testing of nuclear weapons between 1945 until 1963.

This week on HDNet News & Docs -

Dan Rather Reports, 8 pm ET: Pill Mills - Police say pill mills in Texas make buying narcotics too easy, and closing a famous American street.

HDNet World Report, 9 pm ET: Inside the Legendary French Foreign Legion - The French Foreign Legion, famous from movies, is alive and well and training in a remote African country for their next mission: Afghanistan. It is brutal desert training, trying to turn men of questionable pasts into elite soldiers. Correspondent Michael Davie goes inside.

Stephen Fry in America, 10 pm ET: Pacific - In the final episode of Stephen’s epic journey through all fifty states, he explores those that touch the Pacific Ocean.

This week on HDNet News & Docs - a night of premieres!

Dan Rather Reports, 8 pm ET: Queen of the Road - Thousands of new truckers are hitting the road every year. Are they properly trained to handle the big rigs?

HDNet World Report, 9 pm ET: Universal Care, No Public Option - The debate on healthcare reform centers on the controversial ‘public option’ — the creation of a government-run health insurance program to help achieve universal coverage. But one country has discovered a way to provide insurance for all with private companies. How do they do it?

Stephen Fry in America, 10 pm ET: True West - The high mesas of New Mexico are the starting point for Stephen’s journey through the dramatic landscapes and peoples of the Southwest.

We have premieres all Tuesday night - starting at 8 pm ET.

8 pm ET: Dan Rather Reports, Tax Cheats - Americans who stash money in Swiss banks to avoid taxes will soon be prosecuted. Plus, following the “Wolfman” in northern Montana and New York’s jobless recovery. (See pictures from our Wolfman segment below)

9 pm ET: HDNet World Report, Cuban Crossroads; Cons Cashing In; Mavericks: The Human Crash Test Dummy - Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Havana’s Revolution Square a few weeks ago for a concert featuring an artist based in Miami, it was the latest sign that Cuban - U.S. relations are undergoing big changes. But not everyone is happy about this, not by a long shot. Paul Beban reports from Havana. Next, we meet ex-convicts who are cashing in on their dark pasts. And finally, a World Report Maverick — Rusty Haight, a human crash test dummy. He’s been in over 1,000 car wrecks and counting.

10 pm ET: On Stephen Fry in America - Stephen Fry in America - Mountains and Plains - Starting with the airborne border patrol agents at the Canadian border in the stunning mountains of Montana, and ending at the very different border with Mexico in Texas, Stephen explores the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains and America’s breadbasket beside them.

This week on HDNet News & Docs:

On Dan Rather Reports, Tuesday at 8 pm ET: Half the Sky - A discussion with Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn on the story they think will be the most important in the 21st century—the emerging role of women in developing countries.

On HDNet World Report, Tuesday at 9 pm ET: The Resurgence of the American Militia; Low Born, High Minded: India’s Untouchable Hero; Beyond Belief: Onward Christian Surfers - Militias are on the rise in the U.S., arming themselves to the teeth against what they say is a government growing too big. Correspondent Carol McKinley is on the inside with one militia group, to find out what might make them pull the trigger on violence. Then, born into India’s lowest caste, she’s rising up on behalf of her country’s most vulnerable population, at great personal cost. And finally, for some Californians, surfing has literally become a religious experience. On

On Stephen Fry in America, Tuesday at 10 pm ET: Mississippi - Stephen begins his epic journey along the length of the Mississippi in the sultry, voodoo soaked streets of New Orleans during its busiest day of the year: Mardi Gras.