The former executives are accused of scheming to enrich Enron by manipulating rules put in place to protect California consumers during the 1999-2001 crisis, which caused rolling blackouts and cost the state and estimated $42 billion.
Chandra Levy, and intern for congressman Gary Condit, was declared missing on April 20, 2001. Police suspected her disappearance was linked to Condit because of a supposed affair between the two of them. Her remains were found on May 22, 2002 by a jogger.
Elizabeth Smart was taken from her Utah home at gunpoint on June 5, 2002. She was rescued on March 12, 2003.
Martha Stewart was busted for an illegal insider trading tip in December of 2001. Her case is still pending, but it looks like Martha will be enjoying prison life soon enough.
In late 2000 to early 2001, Calfornia got into a huge energy crisis in which massive rolling blackouts occured, and many Stage 3 Emergencies were issued.
The SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) plage broke out in some areas of China early in 2003. It is believed to be spread by spit emitted from sneezing and coughing.
Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, terrorists living in the United States began sending letters via postal service filled with the deadly bacterium anthrax. The inhalation mortality rate of anthrax is 80-90%.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into the Twin Towers in New York. The two towers collapsed, along with the economy. Many lives were lost, including those of the terrorists.
On Christmas Eve, 2002, pregnant Laci Peterson was declared missing by her husband Scott. Scott claimed that he had last seen Laci before he left on a fishing trip on the bay. Interestingly enough, two bodies floated ashore less than three miles from where he was fishing four months later. Scott is currently awaiting his fate.
On March 17, 2003, President Bush announced that the United States would be going to war with Iraq, since the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would not destroy his "weapons of mass destruction." Along with British allies, the United States began to bomb Iraq. On May 1, 2003, President Bush announced that all major combat was ended.
