08/04/2024: Master of the Mind and Sealand

Name a successful comedian of the last five decades and chances are, they got their start on Saturday Night Live -- under the direction of Lorne Michaels. As SNL enters its 50th season, we share never-before-heard audio from Lesley Stahl's 2004 interview with the show’s famously private creator and executive producer, who allowed 60 Minutes cameras unique behind-the-scenes access. Stahl also spoke with Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Seth Meyers as they pitched, wrote and rehearsed sketches up until 11:30 Saturday night. Plus, 60 Minutes producer Denise Schrier Cetta shares what it was like filming the same week as one of the most controversial musical performances in SNL history. If you enjoyed this episode of "60 Minutes: A Second Look", find and follow the show on your favorite podcast app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Correspondent Cecilia Vega examines former President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to conduct the largest deportation in American history. She goes out with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Maryland as they arrest undocumented immigrants with criminal records, and she talks with one of the people Mr. Trump is likely to ask to oversee the mass deportations if he’s elected: Tom Homan, who led ICE when the Trump administration separated about 5,000 migrant children from their parents at the southern border.More than two years after Russia invaded Ukraine, the fighting continues, and despite thousands of economic sanctions, Russia's wartime economy is expected to grow. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi sits down with Daleep Singh, the architect behind the U.S. sanction strategy, to discuss his past predictions and uncover new details about what's fueling Russia's economy. Her investigation leads to the waters off the coast of Greece, where she tracks Russian oil tankers evading sanctions and raises questions about how Russia is making its money.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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reporting from the Appalachian Mountains, correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi surveys one of the hardest hit areas of Hurricane Helene, a category four storm that tore through six states more than three weeks ago. Alfonsi visits communities in rural western North Carolina where the search for the missing goes on as most residents endure life without water, electricity, communications, and passable roads. All are attempting to rebuild - most have no insurance. Months after anti-Putin activist Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison, his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, now the leading figure of his political movement, speaks with correspondent Lesley Stahl in her first U.S. interview about her late husband's posthumous memoir. Navalnaya discusses the book, Navalny's last act of defiance against the Kremlin, which chronicles his final three years behind bars under often brutal conditions, believed to be ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin. She details his 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. Correspondent Jon Wertheim travels to Door County, Wisconsin, a bucolic coastal community where political party loyalty is up for grabs and residents have successfully voted for the winning candidate in every presidential election this century. Door County is the only swing state county with this distinction. Wertheim travels to Door County to get to know its residents and look for the mystery voter who’s voted both Republican and Democrat successfully in every election since 2000. Bill Whitaker reports from Germany’s Baltic Coast on the bombing of the Cap Arcona, a little-known human tragedy in the closing days of World War II in Europe. Once a luxurious German ocean liner, the Cap Arcona was commandeered by the Nazis and, at war’s end, turned into a floating concentration camp. Thousands of prisoners were killed in the aerial attack. Whitaker interviews historians and Holocaust survivors who witnessed the bombing to bring this largely overlooked chapter of history to light. This is a double-length segment.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cecilia Vega travels to the pivotal battleground state of Pennsylvania for an in-depth interview with Secretary of State Al Schmidt, a key figure in the election process. From 1950 to 1970, the Vatican sent thousands of Italian children to American Catholics for adoption. The children came on orphan visas — but most of them were not orphans; they were the children of unwed mothers, many of whom were alive. Bill Whitaker speaks with the American adoptees still searching for their Italian families. Jon Wertheim profiles Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft who is now the basketball baron of the LA Clippers. Wertheim goes inside the gleaming Intuit Dome and delves into Ballmer's love of basketball and drive to win a championship. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 2024 presidential ticket, Bill Whitaker joins the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail for in-depth interviews with Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz. Belief in the ballot; Scott Pelley travels to Arizona's Maricopa County. The last minute, Whoever wins the presidential race in November will inherit an expanding Middle East conflict.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Hurricane Helene hits the Gulf Coast, Jeff and Ginny Rapkin are still rebuilding after Hurricane Ian ripped the roof off their home in 2022. Their insurance company valued the damage at only about $15,000 for repairs. Sharyn Alfonsi investigates what happened. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a fierce critic of Putin, survived two poisonings and was sentenced to the longest term ever given to a political prisoner in Russia. Hear his story with Scott Pelley on 60 Minutes. Jon Wertheim sits down with WNBA stars to talk about the league’s soaring TV ratings, player pay, and the buzz around this year’s standout rookies. And Caitlin Clark challenges Wertheim to take a shot. Mezcal has experienced more production growth than any other liquor in the last decade. Cecilia Vega visits Oaxaca, Mexico, to meet the families working to meet demand for this popular spirit, while preserving the environment and their culture.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Taylor Swift was just 21 years old, she invited "60 Minutes" inside her home and on tour to see firsthand how she was revolutionizing the music business. Now, for the first time, hear previously unreleased audio from Lesley and her team's time with Swift on “60 Minutes: A Second Look”. As we take a "second look," these conversations help us better understand Swift's unbelievable career trajectory. Correspondent Lesley Stahl and producer Shari Finkelstein recollect spending time with the artist as she was still finding her voice and highlight moments that stood out in the original interview. Young Swift also delves into her songwriting process, common themes within her music, and the rationale behind her business decisions. Listen to new episodes of "60 Minutes: A Second Look" every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Sunday night, 60 Minutes looks into the synthetic opioid fentanyl crisis, exploring its devastating impact on American communities. Bill Whitaker investigates the root causes, from prescription opioids to the Mexican cartels’ involvement in the illicit fentanyl market. Norah O’Donnell gains rare access to the National Archives, where she explores the nation’s most precious documents and artifacts. From oaths of allegiance signed by historical figures like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton to Adolf Hitler’s will and President Nixon’s resignation letter, O’Donnell looks into the Archives’ rich history. She also speaks to the recordkeepers, emphasizing the vital role they play in preserving presidential papers. The episode also covers the National Archives’ past, present, and future, including an exciting announcement: the Emancipation Proclamation and the 19th Amendment will be permanently displayed in the Archives’ Rotunda in Washington in 2026, joining other iconic documents like the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights in time for America’s 250th birthday.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the FBI continues to search for suspects in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, Scott Pelley meets with some of the people at the center of the story, including the prosecutor in charge.It’s not just Taiwan anymore. Tensions have escalated in another part of the South China Sea off the western coast of the Philippines, raising the possibility of a conflict between the U.S. and China. Cecilia Vega reports.Dua Lipa sits down with Anderson Cooper and shares her journey to becoming one of the top female recording artists in the world.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former Fire Department of New York Commissioner Dan Nigro and other firefighters who were at Ground Zero recall the tragedy of losing 343 of their colleagues on 9/11.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.