The essential episodes of 60 Minutes
Watch these 15 in order and you've got 60 Minutes — each pick states its reason.
- 01
- 02
The Zika Virus | The Battle for Mosul | The National Mood
The Zika Virus: One of the world's most frightening viruses has reached the U.S. Dr. Jon LaPook speaks with the country's top scientists about the fight against Zika.The Battle for Mosul: After more than two years of ISIS occupation, Iraq's second-largest city is being taken back by the Iraqi Army. Lara Logan reports from Mosul.The National Mood: In two days, American voters will send a president to the White House, but both the leading candidates have the highest disapproval ratings in U.S. history.
- 03
46 Days | The Leaning Tower of San Francisco | Alma Deutscher
An update on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria; the sinking Millennium Tower in San Francisco and lawsuits; 12-year-old Alma Deutscher, a natural composer and prodigy who plays piano and violin, discusses music, and speaks Mozart as a "first language."
- 04
Too Big to Prosecute | An American Terrorist | Airlift
Whistleblowers: DEA attorneys went easy on McKesson, the country's largest drug distributor; then, rejecting hate, after spending nearly a decade spreading it; and, saving rhino with helicopters.
- 05
The Label | Double Crossed | Made in China
Did the FDA ignite the opioid epidemic? Then, should a former terrorist be allowed into witness protection? And, China's drive to dominate the electric car industry
- 06
A Central Ally | The Lost Music
A Central Ally – In the last year, 90,000 Salvadorans have been apprehended at the U.S. Southern border. The migrants are fleeing economic hardship and, in many cases, gang violence – a vicious combination making it extremely difficult for Nayib Bukele, El Salvador's young president, to improve his country. Sharyn Alfonsi reports. The Lost Music – An Italian composer and pianist who converted to Judaism, Francesco Lotoro, has made it his mission to recover, catalog, and perform music written during the Holocaust – including works done secretly by prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. Jon Wertheim reports.
- 07
Putin's Public Enemy | Dr. Fauci | Hell Flight
Putin's Public Enemy – The Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny tells Lesley Stahl that President Vladimir Putin poisoned him with a banned nerve agent that's said to be 10 times more powerful than sarin. Dr. Fauci - The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases gives Dr. Jon LaPook the latest information on how the U.S. is faring in the pandemic as the number of new cases of COVID-19 begins to increase. Hell Flight – Early in the pandemic, dozens of cruise ship passengers sick or infected with COVID-19 returned to the United States on a hellish charter flight. As Sharyn Alfonsi reports, they were inexplicably allowed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to mix with unsuspecting travelers in the world's busiest airport and risk spreading the virus.
- 08
Election Edition: The Candidates
The Candidates – The 2020 presidential candidates and their VPs appear on 60 MINUTES for the hour in this pre-election edition. Lesley Stahl interviews President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence; Norah O'Donnell interviews the Democrats, Joe Biden, the former vice president, and his running mate California Sen. Kamala Harris.
- 09
Section 230 | The Case Against Curtis Flowers | Notes of Grace
Section 230: Scott Pelley reports on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which protects internet platforms from liability for what users post on their sites. How it has shaped the internet drives why victims of internet lies want it repealed. The Case Against Curtis Flowers: Sharyn Alfonsi reports how Curtis Flowers, tried six times for the same crime, was freed from death row with help from a podcast. He spent nearly half his life in prison for the murders of four people and may still be on death row if not for the podcast's investigative work.Notes of Grace: The classical pianist, Igor Levit, tells Jon Wertheim about finding an audience during the pandemic streaming performances from his living room, speaking out against antisemitism, and understanding Beethoven with the help of Eminem.
- 10
January 6th | 11,780 Votes | American Independent
Nancy Pelosi speaks to 60 Minutes about the Capitol riot; Then, President Trump's phone call with Georgia's top election official; And, Angus King: The 60 Minutes Interview.
- 11
While the nation remembers the terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans 20 years ago, New York City firefighters, sent to rescue victims at the World Trade Center who survived, will relive a life-changing experience that's now a part of who they are. "It's a day that will never leave you," Fire Department of New York Commissioner Dan Nigro tells Scott Pelley. Nigro and other firefighters at Ground Zero, many of whom fill the top ranks of the FDNY, recall the men, their sacrifices, and the tragedy of losing 343 of their colleagues on the 54th Season Premiere of 60 MINUTES. This one segment runs the full hour.
- 12
Olena Zelenska | What Happened at Grizzly Flats | Captain Kolisi
Olena Zelenska – Following months of the catastrophic war in Ukraine and news of Vladimir Putin's declaration of annexing occupied Ukrainian territories (a violation of international law), 60 MINUTES' Scott Pelley meets First Lady Olena Zelenska in the capital of Kyiv. Zelenska, a trained architect and former comedy writer, speaks of the transformation of her country and herself. What Happened at Grizzly Flats – 60 MINUTES' Bill Whitaker visits the rural community of Grizzly Flats in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, almost wiped out in one of the worst wildfires in California's history. A year after the fire, angry residents are demanding answers from the U.S. Forest Service, whom they blame for letting a small fire get out of control and become a catastrophe. Through Freedom of Information Act requests and eye-witness testimony, Whitaker seeks to uncover what happened in those crucial first days of the Caldor fire. Captain Kolisi – Correspondent Jon Wertheim profiles South Africa's first Black rugby captain, Siya Kolisi, whose team, the Springboks, won the 2019 Rugby World Cup. For a century, the Springboks have been a symbol of the nation's oppressive white minority rule. In post-apartheid South Africa, Kolisi is keenly aware of the challenges of transforming the team. Wertheim follows Kolisi's long and unexpected road to rugby glory as he uses the sport to help bind a country still riven by inequality and racial divisions.
- 13
Disappeared | The Stand | The Underboss | Africatown
Disappeared – No one knows exactly how many Ukrainian children have allegedly been abducted by Russia during Vladimir Putin's war. The Ukrainian government estimates about 20,000 kids have been taken, but says the number may actually be closer to 300,000. Correspondent Cecilia Vega reports from Ukraine and Poland on the dangerous journey mothers are taking, traveling thousands of miles into enemy territory to bring back their children with the help of the organization Save Ukraine. Vega spent months following one grandmother as she risked her life to find her grandson before he completely disappeared. Nichole Marks is the producer.The Stand –After a wildfire devastated the Hawaiian town of Lahaina in August, correspondent Sharyn Alfonsireports new details about the disaster, including the narrow escape of Maui County firefighters who had become trapped by the rapidly moving flames. Guy Campanile and Lucy Hatcher are the producers.The Underboss – Reporting from backstage of a Bruce Springsteen concert in Rome, correspondent Jon Wertheim profiles longtime guitarist and musical director for Springsteen and the E Street Band –and ultimate wingman –Steven Van Zandt. Wertheim talks with Van Zandt, now 72 years old, about growing up in New Jersey with his best friend, Springsteen, the success of the E Street Band, his involvement with political activism, the shifting state of music and what makes him a true American original. Michael Karzis is the producer.Africatown – Correspondent Anderson Cooper continues his reporting on Africatown, a community founded by the formerly enslaved men and women brought to Alabama on the Clotilda slave ship in 1860. The Clotilda is the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to America and was found in 2018 in an Alabama river, a story first reported by 60 MINUTES in 2020. Cooper returns to Africatown to witness a historic meeting between the descendants of the enslaved Africans and the descendants of Timothy Meaher, the man who commissioned the Clotilda. This is a double-length segment. Denise Schrier Cetta and Katie Brennan are the producers.
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The Shift | The War Reporter | Robo | Mysterious Russian Deaths
The Shift – Days after President-elect Donald Trump won the election by moving nearly every county in the country toward the right, Scott Pelley travels to Northampton County, Penn., to report on the shift. It's the state's bellwether county, which voted for nearly every president in the last century, including President Biden in 2020 and President Trump last week. Why did Northampton flip this election cycle? Pelley speaks with longtime residents to find out. Maria Gavrilovic, Henry Schuster, and Nicole Young are the producers.The War Reporter – CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams turns the lens on a fellow war reporter on the frontline of the Russia-Ukraine war. She travels to Kharkiv to meet the fearless Andriy Tsaplienko, a Ukrainian journalist who uses his reporting to fight for his country's survival. As Williams discovers, Tsaplienko's relentless search for the facts is a powerful weapon to counter disinformation and propaganda. His battle to reveal the truth underscores the critical role journalists play in actively shaping the outcome of global crises where information is a battlefield. Erin Lyall is the producer.Robo – 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 marble 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. Heather Abbott is the producer.Mysterious Russian Deaths – Correspondent Cecilia Vega reports from Spain on the unsolved shooting of a Russian defector in the seaside town of Villajoyosa. It's part of a pattern of recent falls from top-floor windows, poisonings, and accidental deaths of a growing number of enemies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Vega investigates the suspected links to Russian intelligence services and examines how European governments are responding to Russian aggression on Western soil. Finally, she asks U.S. Intelligence officials whether Putin's "War on the West" has reached U.S. territory. Oriana Zill de Granados and Michael Rey are the producers.
- 15
The China Hack | Booms, Busts and Bubbles | The Road to Damascus
The China Hack – Correspondent Scott Pelley reports on the threat China's cyber campaign poses to America's critical infrastructure. The former head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, General Tim Haugh, speaks with Pelley – in the general's first television interview since his retirement – about the threat. Aaron Weisz is the producer.Booms, Busts and Bubbles – With Wall Street soaring to record highs and worries of an AI bubble, correspondent Lesley Stahl speaks with Andrew Ross Sorkin – one of the most trusted financial reporters of our time – about his new book, 1929, which examines the market crash a century ago, to explore whether history is about to repeat itself. Shachar Bar-On is the producer.The Road to Damascus – As the deal brokered by the Trump administration between Israel and Hamas raises hope for broader changes in the Middle East, Margaret Brennan interviews Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former Al Qaeda member, in his first U.S. television interview since taking office. Andy Court is the producer.
