This week on "Sunday Morning" (April 7)
The Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. "Sunday Morning" also streams on the CBS News app beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. (Download it here.)
Hosted by Jane Pauley
COVER STORY: The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse: What to expect, from the awe-inspiring to the "very strange" | Watch Video
On Monday, April 8, a rare total eclipse of the sun will be viewable across a swath of 13 states. Correspondent David Pogue talks with amateur astronomer Ed Ting about what to expect during the minutes of totality; and with Cari White, chairman of the Eclipse Oversight Committee for Jonesboro, Arkansas, where the town is expecting to temporarily double in size due to eclipse tourism traffic.
For more info:
ALMANAC: April 7 (Video)
"Sunday Morning" looks back at historical events on this date.
HEALTH: Flash: Menopause is no longer stigmatized | Watch Video
It's a topic that for generations was just whispered about: the challenges for women undergoing "the change." But today more and more women are speaking openly about the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, the treatments, and the lingering stigma. Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with experts about the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy, and the difficulties of underfunded research in women's health. She also visits a gathering of women called Menopause Mondays; and talks with the producers of the show "Menopause: The Musical," which takes a lighthearted look at the challenges of the change, from hot flashes to weight gain.
READ AN EXCERPT: "Grown Woman Talk" by Sharon Malone, M.D.
For more info:
- Ellen Dolgen
- Menopause Mondays Blog
- Fearless Vagina: Ellen Dolgen's Guide to Menopause
- "Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy" by Sharon Malone M.D. (Crown), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available April 9 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
- Dr. Sharon Malone
- Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, Brennan Center for Justice, New York University Law School
- Women's Health Initiative
- "Menopause: The Musical" | Tour and ticket info
U.S.: Stumpy, the Washington, D.C. Tidal Basin's "celebri-tree" (Video)
A homely, hollowed-out husk of a cherry tree in Washington, D.C., is not the prettiest or the healthiest. Still, tourists and locals alike can't get enough of "Stumpy." Correspondent Faith Salie pays tribute to an underdog of a tree that one photographer calls "so ugly, it's beautiful."
For more info:
- Photographer Kevin Ambrose (DC Storm Chaser)
- "Seasons of Stumpy" 2024 wall calendar
- National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C. (National Park Service)
MOVIES: An America fighting itself in "Civil War": "It's a warning" | Watch Video
"Civil War," the latest film by writer-director Alex Garland ("Ex Machina"), imagines an America divided, in which rebel forces from breakaway states try to depose an autocratic president. Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz talks with Garland about the hot-button film, told through the eyes of journalists covering a domestic war. Stars Kirsten Dunst, Nick Offerman, Wagner Moura and Cailee Spaeny also discuss what the movie says about a polarized America today, and whether the collapse of democracy could happen here.
To watch a trailer for "Civil War," click on the video player below:
For more info:
- "Civil War" opens in theaters and Imax April 12
PASSAGE: In memoriam (Video)
"Sunday Morning" remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week, including British writer Lynne Reid Banks, author of the classic children's book "The Indian in the Cupboard."
HISTORY: Captain James Cook and the controversial legacy of Western exploration | Watch Video
The British explorer Captain James Cook, who sailed the uncharted Pacific Ocean in the 1700s, created detailed maps of places he was the first European to visit, including New Zealand, Australia, the Cook Islands (which still bear his name), and the islands of Hawaii. But Cook's legacy – initiating a period of colonization that obscured the histories of Native Islanders – is being reexamined today. Correspondent Ben Tracy looks back on Cook's voyages and imperial ambitions with historian Hampton Sides, author of a new book, "The Wide Wide Sea." He also visits the Big Island of Hawaii, and talks with native islanders about efforts to teach the history of Pacific island cultures.
READ AN EXCERPT: "The Wide Wide Sea" by Hampton Sides
For more info:
- "The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook" by Hampton Sides (Doubleday), in Hardcover, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available April 9 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
- hamptonsides.com
- Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Hawaii
STAGE: "The Wiz" eases on down to Broadway (Video)
The '70s Tony Award-winning musical "The Wiz," a soulful retelling of L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," is back on Broadway. Contributor Kelefa Sanneh talks with members of the cast (including Wayne Brady, who is stepping into the shoes of the Wiz), and with director Schele Williams and writer Amber Ruffin, who are revising the show for today's audience.
For more info:
- "The Wiz," at the Marquis Theatre, New York City | Ticket info
- Thanks to Starchild Rooftop, New York City
MUSIC: Country music milestones (Video)
"Sunday Morning" looks back at some landmarks in country music, from Victor and Okeh, to Beyoncé. Don't miss the 23rd CMT Music Awards, Sunday, April 7 on CBS and Paramount+.
U.S.: Foster children deprived of benefits: How a loophole affects the most vulnerable | Watch Video
In many states, young people in foster care who are entitled to survivor and disability benefits are having those benefits taken by state agencies that apply for the benefits themselves without giving notice to the child or his or her relatives. More than 25,000 children nationwide are affected by this practice. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty talks with young people who were denied tens of thousands of dollars; and with experts and officials trying to correct a situation which, though not illegal, is depriving those in foster care of their rightful benefits.
For more info:
- Amy Harfeld, national policy director, Children's Advocacy Institute, University of San Diego School of Law
- Preserving federal benefits of foster youth (Children's Advocacy Institute)
- Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.)
- Martin O'Malley, commissioner, Social Security Administration
- Sarah Pauter, founder and CEO, Phenomenal Families
HARTMAN: A young eclipse fan ready for a cosmic show (Video)
Correspondent Steve Hartman's son, George, has long been an astronomy buff, and thrilled at witnessing the solar eclipse in 2017. So, it's no surprise that he's anxious to see Monday's spectacle in its totality.
NATURE: Prairie chickens in South Dakota (Extended Video)
We leave you this Sunday among prairie chickens doing their dance in South Dakota. Videographer: Kevin Kjergaard.
WEB EXCLUSIVES:
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Writers on writing IV (YouTube Video)
Enjoy a look back at "Sunday Morning" conversations with some of the most celebrated writers of our time. Featured: From 1994, Patrick O'Brian talks with David Culhane about his series of Napoleonic-era naval adventures featuring Captain Jack Aubrey; from 1997, "The Color Purple" author Alice Walker talks about literature and activism with Jerry Bowen; from 1979, William Styron discusses the writing of "Sophie's Choice" with Heywood Hale Broun; from 1995, Barbara Kingsolver talks about her novels, and her collection of essays, "High Tide In Tucson," with Anthony Mason; from 1990, Bill Geist joins counter-culture author Ken Kesey and some Merry Pranksters aboard a replica of the celebrated "magic bus" of the 1960s; and from 2010, Serena Altschul visits fantasy and comic author Neil Gaiman for a conversation about his novel "Coraline," recently made into an Oscar-nominated animated film.
EXTENDED INTERVIEW: Steve Martin and director Morgan Neville (YouTube Video)
Comedian Steve Martin's career has spanned standup, TV, albums, movies, novels, music, plays – and now, a documentary film, "STEVE (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces." In this extended interview, correspondent Tracy Smith sat down with Martin and the film's director, Morgan Neville, to talk about what Martin learned doing standup, and what his father thought about his line of work; making a documentary and the difficulties of looking back on one's career; and how Martin's current live shows with Martin Short continue to evolve.
GALLERY: Notable deaths in 2024
A look back at the esteemed personalities who left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
The Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison.
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