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in 60 Minutes
by
Morley Safer, 11 May 2008
Baldwin has a fairly genial conversation with Safer, discussing his career arc, political aspirations, and, for much of the interview, his nasty divorce from Kim Basinger and the resulting custody battle, which was intensified by the infamous phone message he left for his daughter. He handles Safer's near-disgust over the incident with poise, coming off as good-humored and human. And as for his work on 30 Rock, Tina Fey praises him for being able to do what many seasoned actors cannot -- be absolutely hilarious. Baldwin's relaxed confidence will likely inspire fans and irritate detractors.
Posted 10:56, 12 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Emily Fisher
and edited by Brijit.
in 60 Minutes
by
Scott Pelley, 4 May 2008
Pelley reveals an inherent weakness in the criminal justice system in a poignant interview with one of the longest-serving inmates to be cleared with the help of DNA. Legendary Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade was a hardball prosecutor who didn't always play fair, obfuscating critical evidence defense attorneys needed. Choosing "truth over freedom" despite serving such an excruciating length of time, Woodward's quiet dignity serves as a reminder of other innocent inmates waiting to be exonerated.
Posted 10:02, 5 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Adrienne Jenkins
and edited by Brijit.
in 60 Minutes
by
Lara Logan, 20 April 2008
In this thrilling segment, Logan takes a look at two days and two nights in June 2006 when the Taliban surrounded the US forces in Afghanistan and nearly overcame them. One Green Beret's skull was fractured, while another removed his body armor so he could get low enough to crawl for 90 minutes and rescue two of the nine soldiers who almost singlehandedly held off the opposition. The fighting has been going on for nearly seven years, but this is the first interview with an elite special forces, the most highly decorated team in the Afghanistan war.
Posted 9:17, 24 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Joy Schwabach
and edited by Brijit.
in 60 Minutes
by
Morley Safer, 20 April 2008
Like Indiana Jones in a search for lost antiquities, Safer joins an art detective who's convinced a da Vinci masterpiece is hidden safely behind walls of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. If art detective Maurizio Seracini is correct, then his 30-year quest will result in uncovering "The Battle of Anghiari." It is slow, tedious work that requires precise conditions, so as not to desecrate the precious work of art, and Safer's piece allows us to be a part of this archaeological expedition -- and inevitably hope of a follow-up piece documenting a successful restoration.
Posted 2:02, 21 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Adrienne Jenkins
and edited by Brijit.
in 60 Minutes
by
Lesley Stahl, 13 April 2008
John Kanzius, a former radio technician with no college degree, has developed a possible cure for cancer, and some scientists in the field say it's the most exciting development they've seen in 20 years. The idea: zap cancer cells using tiny pieces of metal. Kanzius tested the theory by putting pieces of metal from pie pans into hot dogs, then hitting them with radio waves; the metal heated up, but the rest of the hot dog stayed cool. Similarly, scientists might be able to zap cancer cells that have been injected with metal nanoparticles, and it's already worked on rats and rabbits. The humble backstory and nature of Kanzius' invention only add to this amazing piece.
Posted 11:48, 14 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Joy Schwabach
and edited by Brijit.
in 60 Minutes
by
Steve Kroft, 13 April 2008
Kroft follows up on his 2006 story about corruption in Iraq, interviewing Judge Radhi al Radhi, Iraq's chief anti-corruption investigator. Two years ago, al Radhi was defiant in the face of death threats; today he is seeking asylum in the US after assailants targeted his family with a rocket. The judge and a former US State Department colleague reveal that many Iraqi ministries have been co-opted by militia who use those ministries' budgets to fund attacks against Iraqi and US troops. Kroft reports a hefty amount of information, most disturbing of which is an order issued by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki directing that all anti-corruption investigations require his personal approval.
Posted 10:11, 14 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Tim Merrick
and edited by Brijit.
in 60 Minutes
by
Bob Simon, 13 April 2008
Dr. José Antonio Abreu began an unorthodox experiment in 1975 with 11 Venezuelan children -- could an immersion in classical music help them transcend poverty and hopelessness? The answer was a resounding yes, and Venezuela is now filled with youth orchestras. Thanks to government-funded El Sistema, hundreds of thousands of children (most from poverty-stricken neighborhoods) take part in an intense music program -- with the chance to join the National Youth Orchestra and tour around the world. Simon tells a stunning story of the uplifting effect the program has had on children and how it's become a vehicle for social change.
Posted 9:34, 14 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Meghan Reid
and edited by Brijit.
in 60 Minutes
by
Lesley Stahl, 6 April 2008
China's new $200 billion Sovereign Wealth Fund is only five months old, but it's attracting unprecedented attention. During Wall Street's recent swoon, money coming from sovereign wealth funds from many nations propped up many investment firms like Morgan Stanley, causing alarm about potential "outsiders'" influence on these venerable institutions. Stahl's interview of China fund chief Gao Xiqing (rhymes with "ca-ching", we're told) is the centerpiece of the segment, with obligatory hand-wringing economists Navarro and Summers painting the dark side. Gao's pledge of transparency equaling Norway's world-leading example is interesting "scoop", but where's the set-up explanation of Sovereign Wealth Funds?
Posted 4:04, 8 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Jim Lyons
and edited by Brijit.
in 60 Minutes
by
Bob Simon, 6 April 2008
Today's space program isn't garnering much attention, but if NASA gets funding, more exciting days are ahead. Apollo veteran Neil Armstrong admits he thought America would be on Mars by 2000, a dream that wasn't reached due to waning funds and weakened enthusiasm for expensive space programs. Now, NASA hopes to have a person on Mars by 2030 with a minimum stay of 18 months, until alignment with the Earth allows safe return. Bob Simon nicely covers new developments at NASA, and also points out challenges, including many in Congress for whom space exploration is a low priority.
Posted 3:56, 8 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Marcia Lyons
and edited by Brijit.
in 60 Minutes
by
Steve Kroft, 6 April 2008
Steve Kroft interviews Douglas Feith, the former undersecretary of defense for policy, who discusses the reasoning behind America's military intervention in Iraq. An unapologetic Feith asserts to a visibly incredulous Kroft that a "preemptive" attack on the Iraqi government "was not merely retaliation for the 9/11 attack" but was a preventive measure. He claims further that President Bush believed that is was safer to take Saddam Hussein out of power, rather then let Hussein make the first strike in the future. Feith recycles a slew of discredited justifications for war and badly misremembers American military missteps in a piece noteworthy more for its awkward self-righteousness than for any perspective it offers.
Posted 3:39, 8 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Devin Semrau
and edited by Brijit.