60 Minutes - Season 53

The Battle for the Ballot – Bill Whitaker reports on the battle over rules for mail-in voting in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, which could impact who wins the state and the presidency. 

H.R. McMaster – In his first interview about his new book, the president's former national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, sounds the alarm on China, cautions against a hasty troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and says challenges to U.S. national security are growing and making the country less safe. Scott Pelley is the correspondent. 

Coach O and the Sideways Season – Ed Orgeron took the LSU Tigers to the national college football championship. Now the head coach faces a new and fierce opponent as he attempts to defend the title amid the coronavirus pandemic. Jon Wertheim is the correspondent.

Florida's Amendment 4 – Lesley Stahl reports on the legal and political fight over the voting rights of 1.4 million felons in the crucial swing state of Florida. 

The Wall  – Sharyn Alfonsi investigates how a company with a checkered past convinced the Trump administration to give it billions in border wall contracts. 

Sir David – The wildlife filmmaker Sir David Attenborough warns in his latest documentary that humanity has committed a crime against the natural world by causing climate change. Anderson Cooper reports. 

Fire! – Record-high temperatures and drought in the West have contributed to thousands of fires in California that have killed 29 people and burned nearly four million acres. Scott Pelley reports. 

Talent on the Spectrum – Some people on the autism spectrum have conditions that preclude them from working or caring for themselves, but many have unique talents and capabilities. Anderson Cooper speaks to adults on the autism spectrum whose skills landed them jobs. 

Seinfeld in 2020 – The legendary comedian talks about writing comedy, his family, and his beloved New York City post-pandemic. Jon Wertheim profiles Jerry Seinfeld. 

Treating COVID-19 Today – Scott Pelley reports on the latest therapies being developed to treat the COVID virus. 

The Lincoln Project – A group of longtime Republican strategists have turned against the party and formed a Super PAC aimed at unseating President Trump. Lesley Stahl reports. 

Grizzlies – Thanks to conservation efforts, the giant predators are returning to Montana in numbers not seen in 150 years. But human populations are also growing near the areas where the grizzlies are recovering in the greatest numbers. Bill Whitaker reports from the Montana wilderness. 

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. 

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. 

Scott Pelley talks to voters in Ohio; how early voting is tabulated in Arizona; a nursing facility says a federal investigation diverted staff time away from COVID-19 patient care.

.Counting the Vote: In Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, election officials carry out their duties while facing unfounded attacks on the integrity of the vote by a sitting president. Bill Whitaker reports.

Operation Warp Speed: David Martin reports on the military efforts underway to inoculate 300 million Americans with an anticipated COVID-19 vaccine.

Ken Burns: The filmmaker known for his exhaustive documentaries on American subjects gives Scott Pelley a glimpse into how his films are made, the message he wants to convey with them, and how he became the person he is today.

President Obama – The 44th president speaks to Scott Pelley in his first interview about his much-anticipated memoir in which he reflects on his historic tenure in the White House.  This is a double-length segment.

TikTok – Many of the 100 million American users of the wildly popular Chinese-owned app aren't aware that the data it collects from them could be accessed by the country's communist government. Bill Whitaker investigates.

COVID's Long Haulers – Thousands of Americans infected with the Coronavirus, who seemingly recovered, are still experiencing worrisome symptoms, some very debilitating. Anderson Cooper reports on these patients whose conditions doctors still don't fully understand. 

Where Did They Go? – Enrollment data from the largest school districts in the U.S. compiled by 60 MINUTES this fall found unprecedented numbers of students unaccounted for when school started – the first school year to begin in the pandemic. Sharyn Alfonsi reports. 

90+ – 60 MINUTES returns to a Southern California retirement community where it first reported on a landmark study of people over the age of 90. Lesley Stahl finds half of the people she interviewed six years ago still alive and providing valuable information on the secrets to a long and healthy life. 

Securing the Election: Chris Krebs, a lifelong Republican, was put in charge of the agency handling election security by President Trump two years ago. When Krebs said the election was the country's most secure ever, Mr. Trump fired him. Now, Krebs speaks to Scott Pelley.

The Last Slave Ship: The Clotilda was burned and sunk in an Alabama River after bringing 110 imprisoned people across the Atlantic in 1860. Two years ago, its remains were found. Anderson Cooper reports on the discovery of the wreck and the nearby community with descendants of the enslaved aboard the ship.

James Corden: Bill Whitaker talks with the host of CBS' "The Late Late Show" about his favorite Carpool Karaoke guest, changing his show due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his new Netflix project with Meryl Streep.

Peddling PPE: John Thomas was a Republican strategist with no experience importing medical supplies when he and a Republican fundraiser started a PPE supply company as the pandemic hit. 

Secondary Sports: The dreams of athletes in "secondary sports" are being sacrificed while schools are going to extreme lengths to keep sports like football and basketball going. 

Viola Davis: The actress tells Jon Wertheim about playing the title character in the film and acting alongside Chadwick Boseman in what would be his final performance.

Saudi Fugitives: Saudi citizens accused of serious crimes in the U.S. have been able to escape to Saudi Arabia before facing trial.

The High Cost of Healing: Sutter Health is in the midst of a lawsuit for business practices that drove up health care prices for Californians.

Excited Delirium: Excited delirium was mentioned in the deaths of George Floyd and Elijah McClain, but some in the medical world are skeptical it's actually a condition.

The Pfizer senior vice president who led development of the company's COVID-19 vaccine says beating the virus became personal when she witnessed the death and economic disaster it wreaked near her home in New York City. Kathrin Jansen speaks in her first network television interview and allows 60 Minutes cameras into Pfizer's research labs to tell the story behind its collaboration with the German company BioNTech and how it led to the first emergency use authorization for a vaccine in the U.S. Jansen's interview.

The criminal justice system in Kenya is underfunded, overcrowded and decrepit. Over 80% of the inmates have never been represented by a lawyer. As a result, many inmates in the teeming prisons are experiencing some degree of injustice. But some of those prisoners are now earning law degrees and becoming paralegals thanks to Justice Defenders, an organization providing legal education and counsel that often changes lives. Anderson Cooper reports from Kenya.

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. 

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.

How Washington is bolstering security for the inauguration; Then, former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund's account of the Capitol assault; And, Washington Football Team QB Alex Smith's comeback from nearly losing his leg.

Families remember loved ones lost to COVID-19; Then, How China is racing to collect Americans' DNA; And, The big money market for your DNA.

Unprecedented Russian SolarWinds hack that infiltrated federal government likely still happening; Then, Bill Gates on how the world can avoid a climate disaster; And, Simone Biles readies for her final Olympics.

Judges say it's time for more security in the face of mounting violence; Then, Holding Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime accountable for war crimes; And, QAnon's corrosive impact on the U.S.

The efforts to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations; Then, never-before-seen video of the attack on Al Asad Airbase; And, Colson Whitehead: The 60 Minutes interview

Stories from COVID-19's unequal recession; Then, the longshot candidate to treat COVID; And, NASA's women sending America back to the moon.

An in-depth look at coronavirus variants; Then, Prosecutor Kim Gardner's fight to reform the St. Louis justice system; And, the story of New Orleans' St. Augustine High School Marching Band.

Detailing the charges facing the Capitol rioters; Then, changing how the military handles racial bias in the ranks; And, studying coronavirus spread in one Georgia school system.

Finding the origin of the coronavirus; Then, robots of the future at Boston Dynamics; And, Dave Kindred goes back on the beat to cover high school girls basketball.

Inside Florida's chaotic vaccine rollout; How Darren Walker, the head of the Ford Foundation, wants to change philanthropy; And, survivors recount being stranded on an island as teens 50 years ago.

Songs from Prince's "Welcome 2 America," an album written and recorded before a 2010 tour, but never made public, will be heard for the first time Sunday night on 60 Minutes.

Bill Whitaker reports on some of the innovations being developed to try to prevent the next pandemic.

Profile of the militia movement the Oath Keepers; the link between race and health outcomes; actress Viola Davis.

The prosecution team in the Derek Chauvin murder trial speak to 60 Minutes; Then, Alexey Navalny describes the poisoning ordeal he says Vladimir Putin perpetrated; And, the curtain begins to come up for New York performing artists.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the threat posed by China; America's microchip problem; And, early pandemic spotters at the center of Michael Lewis' new book, "The Premonition."

Ingenuity and Perseverance - How NASA's Mars rover landing almost went terribly wrong. NASA wasn't sure if Perseverance could slow itself down as it barreled toward Mars at over 300 miles per hour earlier this year. Anderson Cooper reports on the missions carried out on the red planet by the rover and its special cargo, the tiny helicopter Ingenuity, to search for ancient life on Mars. He also covers the painstaking process of launching the helicopter and the extraordinary images the two have already sent back to Earth.

The Ritchie Boys - Ritchie Boys were a secret U.S. unit bolstered by German-born Jews who helped the Allies beat Hitler. They were responsible for uncovering more than half the combat intelligence on the Western Front during World War II. For the many German-born Jews in their ranks, defeating the Nazis was heartbreakingly personal. Jon Wertheim tells this little-known story of the Jews who escaped the Nazis during World War II and returned to fight Hitler as part of a secret American military intelligence group trained in espionage and psychological warfare. This is a double-length segment. 

Facial Recognition: Anderson Cooper reports on a man suing for wrongful arrest after police used facial recognition technology to help identify him. More police departments across the U.S. are using the technology, but there aren't well-established national guidelines on using it. 

UAP: Former Navy pilot says flight crews observed UFOs off Atlantic Coast "every day for at least a couple years." Next month, a government report is expected to be made public on sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, better known as UFOs. Bill Whitaker reports on the sightings.

Rafa: Rafael Nadal discusses his island home, his rivalry with Roger Federer, and his family. The tennis superstar offers 60 Minutes a glimpse into his life. Jon Wertheim reports.

Transgender Healthcare: State bills would curtail health care for transgender youth. Lesley Stahl reports on the spate of legislation being introduced in states that would limit care for transgender youth.

Geldingadalir: Bill Whitaker visits Iceland's newest volcano, Geldingadalir, which erupted into existence. He reports on the mesmerizing scenes.

Exhume the Truth: Greenwood, 1921: One of the worst race massacres in American history occurred in this thriving Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma; burned, leaving hundreds dead. Scott Pelley investigates the Greenwood Massacre.

Attacks on the Judiciary: Judges say it's time for more security in the face of mounting violence against them. Bill Whitaker investigates. 

90+: Lesley Stahl checks on the groundbreaking 90+ Study on aging where people older than 90 provide valuable information on the secrets to a long and healthy life.

Notes of Grace: Pianist Igor Levit talks to Jon Wertheim.

What Happened in Wuhan?: A lack of transparency from Chinese officials and looming geopolitical consequences have damaged the credibility of a WHO-led inquiry into how the virus that causes COVID-19 originated. Lesley Stahl reports on why questions still linger on the origin of the coronavirus. 

Ransomware: How cybercriminals hold data hostage... and why the best solution is often paying a ransom. Targets have included hospitals and municipalities, but the FBI says anyone on the internet should expect to be attacked by cybercriminals. Scott Pelley reports.

Sir David: Sir David Attenborough explains what he thinks needs to happen to save the planet. The legendary wildlife filmmaker tells Anderson Cooper why urgent action on climate change is crucial and why we need to save nature in order to save ourselves. 

High Velocity: Some of the worst massacres in recent memory have had something in common: the AR-15 style rifle. Scott Pelley reports on why the high-velocity rounds used in the gun make it so deadly.

The Last Slave Ship: The Clotilda was burned and sunk in an Alabama River after bringing 110 imprisoned people across the Atlantic in 1860. Three years ago, its remains were found. Anderson Cooper reports on the discovery of the wreck and the nearby community with descendants of the enslaved aboard the ship.

Simone Biles: Sharyn Alfonsi speaks with the gold medal-winning gymnast about the year-long delay before her final Olympic Games, USA Gymnastics' response to Larry Nassar and why she thinks the training she went through in previous years wasn't right.