CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley

J.K. Simmons, the Oscar-winning star of "Whiplash", relishes being a character actor. He talks with correspondent Tracy Smith about his role as a mob leader in the new MGM+ series "The Westies", and recalls the difficult early days of his career – and how an unexpected kindness from an actor friend helped him when he needed it most.

Hosted by Jane Pauley. Featured: The military newspaper Star and Stripes, actor J.K. Simmons, "Little House on the Prairie" returns to screens, Founding Father Thomas Paine, a visit to George Washington's Mount Vernon, and hifi listening bars.

This special broadcast includes Mo Rocca’s look at the Founding Fathers, Lee Cowan’s trip along Route 66, Luke Burbank’s exploration of America’s food melting pot and David Pogue’s story on how the railroad changed the country. Special correspondent Susie Essman sits down with her friend Larry David to talk about his new series “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,” Martha Teichner reports on women’s rights, Faith Salie visits with the multi-generational Italian family doing the fireworks for the nation’s Washington celebration and Nancy Giles has a slightly different look at abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglass.
NOTE: the songbook performances were not included in the podcast due to content restrictions. Learn more about Sunday Morning's Essental American Soundbook here: https://www.cbsnews.com/projects/2026/sunmo-american-songbook/

Mo Rocca reports on the issue of birthright citizenship, what it is and why some are trying to restrict it, which is currently before the Supreme Court. Tracy Smith catches up with comedian and actor John Mulaney. Lee Cowan visits the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which has been 107 years in the making.

In the United States, the percentage of obese adults is about ten times what it is in Japan, even though fast food, junk food, pizza and donuts are popular. Correspondent Adam Yamaguchi looks at what differentiates the Japanese diet.
Actor Bill Mumy first became known for his childhood appearances on classic series such as "The Twilight Zone", and later as Will Robinson on "Lost in Space". Correspondent Jim Axelrod discovers how Mumy, now 72, avoided the dangers that other child actors faced while pursuing a Hollywood career.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, are expecting their fourth child. They talked with "Sunday Morning" national correspondent Robert Costa about family, his conversion to Catholicism, and his book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith".