60 Minutes

• 04/27/2025: NIH, Evidence, The Land of Declining Sons

  In its ongoing mission to shrink the federal government, the Trump administration has cut more than a thousand jobs and billions in research grants from America’s crown jewel of medical research - the National Institutes of Health. While other administrations have tried to downsize the NIH before, leaked Trump administration documents show plans to reduce the NIH budget by more than 40 percent, sending shockwaves throughout the scientific community. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi sits down with the former director of the NIH, Dr. Francis Collins, as well as a researcher and an NIH insider who all say these measures could jeopardize the health of Americans for generations to come. Evidence has emerged that could change our understanding of the 9/11 terrorist attacks more than two decades ago. A 60 Minutes investigation has found that crucial information, initially turned over to the FBI shortly after the attacks, was never shared with the bureau's own field agents or senior intelligence officials. Correspondent Cecilia Vega reports on this evidence, which has come to light amid a lawsuit against the Saudi government filed by families of the nearly 3,000 victims and includes a video of a Saudi national filming the U.S. Capitol, thought to be al-Qaeda's fourth target. The world’s population may have recently surpassed eight billion, but it’s a misleading figure. Growth is unevenly distributed, and many countries are experiencing a decline in population—in some cases, steeply. Consider Japan. The country with the fourth largest economy is now facing a rapidly declining birth rate, and a population projected to shrink in half by this century's end. Correspondent Jon Wertheim reports from Japan, examining how these demographic changes are affecting the country and its culture. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• 04/20/2025: Bird Flu, Demis Hassabis, Flight of the Monarchs

  Bird flu, which has long been an emerging threat, took a significant turn in 2024 with the discovery that the virus had jumped from a wild bird to a cow. In just over a year, the pathogen has spread through dairy herds and poultry flocks across the United States. It has also infected people, resulting in 70 confirmed cases, including one fatality. Correspondent Bill Whitaker spoke with veterinarians and virologists who warn that, if unchecked, this outbreak could lead to a new pandemic. They also raise concerns about the Biden administration’s slow response in 2024 and now the Trump administration’s decision to lay off over 100 key scientists. Demis Hassabis, a pioneer in artificial intelligence, is shaping the future of humanity. As the CEO of Google DeepMind, he was first interviewed by correspondent Scott Pelley in 2023, during a time when chatbots marked the beginning of a new technological era. Since that interview, Hassabis has made headlines for his innovative work, including using an AI model to predict the structure of proteins, which earned him a Nobel Prize. Pelley returns to DeepMind’s headquarters in London to discuss what’s next for Hassabis, particularly his leadership in the effort to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) – a type of AI that has the potential to match the versatility and creativity of the human brain.  One of the most awe-inspiring and mysterious migrations in the natural world is currently taking place, stretching from Mexico to the United States and Canada. This incredible spectacle involves millions of monarch butterflies embarking on a monumental aerial journey. Correspondent Anderson Cooper reports from the mountains of Mexico, where the monarchs spent the winter months sheltering in trees before emerging from their slumber to take flight. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• 04/13/2025: Zelenskyy, Greenland, Banana Ball

  Correspondent Scott Pelley interviews Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kryvyi Rih, his hometown, where last week nine children were killed on a playground in a missile attack. They discuss U.S. support for Ukraine, the state of the war, and the Oval Office dust up with the Trump administration.  Until President Donald Trump expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, the Danish-controlled territory had long been overlooked. Now, the world's largest island, home to a majority Indigenous Inuit population of 57,000 residents, has suddenly become a reluctant focal point in global geopolitics. Correspondent Jon Wertheim bundles up to explore the rich history and breathtaking landscapes of a bitingly cold region that has found itself at the center of a rapidly evolving hotspot. Something unusual is going on in Major League Baseball stadiums across the country this season, and it isn’t traditional baseball.  Correspondent Lesley Stahl reports from Savannah, Georgia on the dancing, back-flipping, lip-syncing almost-baseball team, the Savannah Bananas.  They’ve created a new twist on the sport, which they call Banana Ball.  Among its rules: a 2-hour time limit; no bunting, walks, or mound visits; and if a fan catches a foul ball, it’s an out.  Stahl meets Banana Ball’s unorthodox, yellow-clad founder, Jesse Cole, and discovers the electric, circus-meets-sporting-event atmosphere that is selling out ballparks. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• 04/06/2025: The War in Gaza, The Prisoners, Wood to Whiskey

  Correspondent Scott Pelley reports on an American doctor who volunteers in Gaza, and from Doha where medical teams work to rehabilitate children injured in the war. Who are the men President Trump sent to a notorious maximum-security prison in El Salvador using a wartime law dating back to 1798?  The Trump administration says they are all violent gang members and terrorists. But after obtaining internal government documents, 60 Minutes could find no criminal records for most of the prisoners. Correspondent Cecilia Vega reports.  With a history spanning two thousand years and still playing a vital role in global commerce, the oak barrel, as correspondent Bill Whitaker discovers, is much more than just a container. Barrels are a vital ingredient, especially in the production of Bourbon Whiskey — giving it all of its distinctive color and much of its taste. Whitaker takes us inside the largest maker of wooden barrels to glimpse the magic and mystique of this essential tradition. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• 03/30/25: Hostages, Voice of America, Left Behind

  Correspondent Lesley Stahl dispatches to Israel for her 5th report since the Oct. 7 terror attack to interview freed Israeli and American hostages, including Yarden Bibas and Keith Siegel, who are speaking out to share their experiences in captivity and what they witnessed at the hands of Hamas. Correspondent Bill Whitaker reports on Voice of America (VOA), the U.S. government-funded international broadcaster that is now off the air thanks to a Trump administration executive order and lockout of hundreds of its employees. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi goes behind the scenes of the Environmental Protection Agency's massive cleanup effort after wildfires tore through several Los Angeles neighborhoods three months ago. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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