06/29/2025: Humans in the Loop, Sealand, Werner Herzog

60 Minutes reports on how the flight logs found in a plane in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., uncovered Argentina’s notorious death flights during its dictatorship in the mid-1970s – serving as key evidence of the country’s lethal scheme that “disappeared” thousands of innocent citizens whom they viewed as a threat. Correspondent Jon Wertheim revisits this dark and traumatic period in Argentine history, meeting the pair of investigators who discovered the plane, and families of the victims who were thrown to their deaths. This is a double-length segment. Host John Oliver’s highly lauded show, “Last Week Tonight,” gives him a Sunday night platform to unleash searing, satirical takes on the politics and problems of America, his adopted homeland. So how did this Brit become one of this country’s sharpest comedians? Correspondent Bill Whitaker travels to the U.K., and goes behind the scenes in New York, to trace Oliver’s comedic journey. 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

From 1950 to 1970, the Vatican sent thousands of Italian children to eager American Catholics for adoption. The children entered the United States on orphan visas. The trouble was most of the children were not orphans. They were the children of unwed mothers, many of whom were alive and searching for their children. How the Vatican got into the orphan business is the subject of The Price of Children, a book by author Maria Laurino. Bill Whitaker speaks to Laurino and to American adoptees still struggling with the decades of separation from their birth families. Correspondent Anderson Cooper explores AI in the classroom and learns how the education nonprofit Khan Academy teamed up with the AI company OpenAI to enhance teacher efficiency and deepen student learning. Cooper previews a voice and vision technology from OpenAI, and test-drives a pioneering online tutor named “Khanmigo” from Khan Academy to experience firsthand how the two companies are hoping to help shape the future of education. Mezcal is having its moment. This handcrafted Mexican spirit, made from agave, has seen exponential growth in popularity and production. Correspondent Cecilia Vega travels to Oaxaca and meets the mezcaleros laboring to quench the world’s thirst for mezcal. The deeper you travel into Oaxaca’s countryside, the harder mezcaleros cling to their ancestral methods and the louder they’ll tell you: there’s a price to pay for this mezcal boom. 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

It’s rare for 60 MINUTES to follow a story for 16 years, but correspondent Lesley Stahl reports on Jennifer Thompson, a rape victim who learned years after her attack that an innocent man had been sent to prison, a story Stahl covered in 2009. In this era of DNA exonerations, Thompson has come to believe that crime victims are forgotten, and even blamed, when the justice system gets it wrong. She has created Healing Justice, an organization that brings together the wrongfully convicted, crime victims and family members for multi-day intensive retreats. She invites 60 MINUTES to come along as they share their stories and move together on a path of healing. Correspondent Bill Whitaker cruises through Espanola, N.M., a town that’s a hub of lowrider culture: vintage American automobiles with vibrant paint jobs and street-scraping suspensions. He meets a community of “cruisers” who are turning their hobby’s bad-boy reputation on its head, paving a new route as activists and community servants, and claiming a place as custodians of Hispanic culture and champions of fine art. 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

Correspondent Bill Whitaker ventures out to one of the most dangerous inlets in America, nicknamed the Graveyard of the Pacific, at the mouth of the Columbia River. The mission? Document the training of elite members of the U.S. Coast Guard determined to graduate from the National Motor Lifeboat School and earn the coveted title of certified Surfmen. Whitaker speaks with some of the best water rescue professionals in the country as they push their limits, tackling the roughest waters and toughest test, to hear firsthand what it takes to operate in huge breaking surf in order to save lives. Located in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay and only accessible by boat, Smith Island, Md., is a place where time stands still, and its residents speak a unique dialect. Rising sea levels and erosion are changing the landscape and placing residents at risk of becoming some of the country’s first climate refugees. Correspondent Jon Wertheim meets these locals to hear how climate change threatens their way of life – and the island itself – and how their perseverance and pride are inspiring a new generation of islanders. 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, Ga., 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 two-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

As chatbots continue to evolve, Lesley Stahl reports from Nairobi, Kenya, on the growing market of “humans in the loop” – workers around the world who help train AI for big American tech companies. Stahl speaks with digital workers who have spent hours in front of screens teaching and improving AI, but complain of poor working conditions, low pay and undertreated psychological trauma. Correspondent Jon Wertheim journeys by boat (and winch) into the world’s smallest – and unlikeliest – state: the Principality of Sealand. Just off the English coast, and roughly the landmass of two tennis courts, it boasts a full-time population of one. It was built during World War II as a nautical fort, and later repurposed as a “pirate radio” station under its monarchs, the Bates family. Wertheim takes a tour of this micronation and its history of piracy, coups, countercoups and rogues. The name Werner Herzog may not be as recognizable as Spielberg or Scorsese, but over the last six decades, the German filmmaker has had a profound and far-reaching influence on the world of cinema. He’s made over 70 features and documentaries, which are often dream-like explorations of nature’s power, human frailties and the edges of sanity. Correspondent Anderson Cooper sits down with the enigmatic director to discuss his films, and his other roles as writer and actor. 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

Months after anti-Putin activist Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison, his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, now the leading figure of his political movement, spoke with correspondent Lesley Stahl in Navalnaya’s first U.S. interview about her late husband’s posthumous memoir. Navalnaya discussed the book – Navalny’s last act of defiance against the Kremlin, which chronicles his final three years behind bars under often brutal conditions – and his death, which she blames on Russian president Vladimir Putin. She details Alexei’s clandestine operation for penning the memoir inside a high-security prison and then smuggling it out; why the couple decided to return to Russia after Navalny was poisoned; and her daring campaign for justice in the wake of his death. Each year, about 2 million Americans receive a bill from the Social Security Administration, saying they were paid too much in benefits and must pay it back. Even if the error is not their fault, they often still have to pay. Correspondent Anderson Cooper reports on how some elderly and disabled people have been burdened with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Correspondent Cecilia Vega travels to the U.K. for an intimate portrait of actor Kate Winslet, Hollywood’s most non-Hollywood A-lister, and discusses her transformative journey to starring in and producing her film, “Lee.” Winslet, who has been a vocal advocate against the insults and inequalities facing women in the film industry, relies on this experience for the role, portraying American photographer Lee Miller, who worked for Vogue as one of the few female war correspondents on the frontline of WWII. As Vega discovers, Winslet and Miller share a resilience and see the world through a similar lens, making her connection more than just a role. 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

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, 20 states immediately banned or severely restricted abortion while six protected access to it. Since this piece first aired last November, voters in six additional states have amended their constitutions to safeguard abortion rights. But for many women and doctors living in places with strict abortion bans, fear and confusion over these new laws is growing. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi travels to one of those states, Texas, and speaks with doctors who say the restrictive abortion laws are creating unintended consequences, hurting women with desired pregnancies and the people who care for them. With a history spanning 2,000 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. Just weeks before Cillian Murphy won the 2024 Oscar for Best Actor in the film “Oppenheimer,” correspondent Scott Pelley sat down with him for a candid interview. Murphy talked about how he transforms for roles, acts on instinct and how his Irish identity has defined him. 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

For the first time, ex-Mossad agents who led the exploding pager and walkie-talkie plot against Hezbollah, which garnered worldwide attention in September, detail their 10-year undercover op in an interview with correspondent Lesley Stahl. Meeting in Israel, the agents, who recently retired from service, share never-before-known details that caught Hezbollah fighters by surprise and ultimately spurred change across the region from Lebanon to Syria to Iran. Last year, the Veterans Administration announced it would begin funding clinical trials to explore the use of psychedelic drugs for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and addiction. However, these trials are small, and even if successful, it will likely be years before veterans can access psychedelics at the VA. Many U.S. veterans struggling with PTSD aren’t waiting. Thousands of them are traveling overseas seeking relief at psychedelic retreats where these substances are legal to use, mostly in indigenous ceremonies. Correspondent Anderson Cooper follows nine veterans on a psychedelic journey to the west coast of Mexico, where they hope to find healing. Correspondent Jon Wertheim goes behind the scenes as George Clooney makes his Broadway debut, starring in an adaptation of the 2005 Oscar-nominated movie “Good Night, and Good Luck.” Clooney co-wrote both the original screenplay and this play, which tell the story of pioneering journalist Edward R. Murrow, who took on Senator Joseph McCarthy. Clooney calls it a fight for the ages and says the plot, which revolves around themes of truth, intimidation and courage in corporate media, resonates today. Now 64, the actor tells Wertheim why he finally feels ready to take on the role of Murrow himself. 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

For decades, prolific Cuban spies working in the U.S. government, serving in high profile positions with top security clearances, have evaded American intelligence officials. Correspondent Cecilia Vega reports from Washington, D.C. and Miami on the stories of two such undercover agents, former U.S. Ambassador Victor Manuel Rocha and onetime Pentagon official Ana Montes. Cuba continues to supply one of the most dangerous exports to American adversaries around the world: American secrets. For centuries, the giants of the art world, like Michelangelo, have made a beeline for the world-famous Carrara marble quarries of Northern Tuscany, turning the white stone into masterpieces. Now, a fleet of robots has moved in, carving with pinpoint precision and sparking an art world fracas. Correspondent Bill Whitaker travels to Carrara and jumps into the fray: can a robot make art? While many contemporary A-listers are turning to robots for help, many of Italy’s hammer-and-chisel brigade are up in arms. They claim Italy’s artistic heritage is on the line. Many teenagers want to become pop stars, but few convince their parents to let them pack their bags and move to another country to make it big. That’s precisely what Dua Lipa did when she was 15 years old, trading Pristina, Kosovo, for London. Correspondent Anderson Cooper talks with her about her journey from unknown songwriter to international sensation. 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

Frank Larkin’s commitment to America is remarkable. A former Navy SEAL, he served in the Secret Service, at the Pentagon and as sergeant-at-arms of the U.S. Senate. However, as correspondent Scott Pelley reports, Larkin’s most significant contribution may be what he’s done since his son, Ryan, took his own life. Ryan was, like his father, a decorated Navy SEAL, and his death by suicide was attributed to depression. But Frank Larkin did not accept this explanation, and when pathologists discovered Ryan suffered from scarring in his brain, likely due to repeated low-level blast exposure, this father campaigned for a change in how Special Operations and the rest of the military train and protect their service members. When wildfires tore through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods of Los Angeles this winter, 9 billion pounds of toxic ash and debris were left behind. Now, a massive cleanup effort is underway to clear the 13,000 properties destroyed in the fire. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi goes behind the scenes with the Environmental Protection Agency as it completes the first step: removing the hazardous waste. The rest of the debris is in the hands of the Army Corps of Engineers. Despite expedited cleanup efforts, some residents say they still don’t feel safe returning home. Bill Whitaker reports from the chaotic and high-speed racetrack of “America’s original extreme sport” - Indian Relay. As horse nation tribes unite for an exciting and dangerous bareback horse race, Whitaker looks at how the sport continues to grow and offer new opportunities of pride to the next generation of Native American youth. 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