This week on "Sunday Morning" (August 14)
Guest Host: Tracy Smith
WATCH THE FULL AUGUST 14 EPISODE!
COVER STORY: What's the right way to think about the left-handed? | Watch Video
Even though an estimated ten percent of the world's population is left-handed, scientists have not definitely figured out why. Southpaw correspondent Rita Braver talks with some famous lefties (including former President Bill Clinton, and World Series winning pitcher Sean Doolittle) about functioning in a world dominated by the right-handed; and with researchers who think differences in brain structure between those who are left-handed and right-handed may have implications in the treatment of disease. (This story was originally broadcast February 6, 2022.)
For more info:
- Lefty's: The Left Hand Store, San Francisco
- President Bill Clinton, Clinton Foundation
- david-wolman.com
- "A Left Hand Turn Around the World: Chasing the Mystery and Meaning of All Things Southpaw" by David Wolman (Da Capo Press), in Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon
- Follow Sean Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) on Twitter
- Akira Wiberg, Ph.D., University of Oxford
- Professor Gwenaëlle Douaud, University of Oxford
- Professor Dominic Furniss, University of Oxford
- Psychologist Charlotte Reznick, Imagery for Kids
HEADLINES: The assault on Salman Rushdie: "An attack on freedom of expression" | Watch Video
The attempted murder of the renowned author, long targeted by Islamic fundamentalists over his novel "The Satanic Verses," is the latest sad chapter in the life of a quiet but dedicated hero of free speech. Correspondent Lee Cowan reports.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Salman Rushdie on life after fatwa (Video)
After the 1988 publication of the novel "The Satanic Verses," which Muslim fundamentalists were convinced insulted Islam, the Ayatollah Khomeini issued an order than author Salman Rushdie be executed. He lived for nine years under threat of being killed. In this interview originally broadcast on "CBS Sunday Morning" on September 29, 2002, Rushdie talked with correspondent Martha Teichner about the battle over freedom of thought in Islam and the "enriching jungle" of his past that has inspired his books; his 1999 move to New York City; and the problem of becoming "famous for the wrong thing."
POSTCARD FROM ITALY: "La dolce Riva": Italy's classic wooden motorboats | Watch Video
During Italy's post-war boom years, Riva's glamorous wooden boats were the pinnacle of "la dolce vita" – the Ferraris of motorboats, owned by movie stars, tycoons and royalty. Correspondent Seth Doane takes a spin on the water in a classic Riva; checks out a new edition of the famed Aquarama boat; and learns how the company is working to keep Riva's spirit alive.
For more info:
- riva-yacht.com
- Riva Boats at Antique Boat America
- Riva at Boat International
- Restoring a Riva Wooden Boat (Bellini Nautica)
- Peter Freebody & Co. (Boatbuilders of the Thames)
U.S.: A visit to Andy Griffith's "Mayberry," a town that never was | Watch Video
Andy Griffith was born and raised in Mount Airy, North Carolina, a community that was the inspiration for Mayberry in the classic comedy "The Andy Griffith Show" and its spinoff, "Mayberry, R.F.D." Now, Mount Airy has reinvented itself as a destination for fans who come by the hundreds of thousands each year. Senior contributing correspondent Ted Koppel visits Mount Airy to find out what attracts so many nostalgic for a show created more than 50 years ago. (This story was originally broadcast September 19, 2021.)
For more info:
- visitmayberry.com (Mount Airy Visitors Center)
- Andy Griffith Museum, Mt. Airy, N.C.
- The Snappy Lunch
- Wally's Service Station
- Mount Airy Squad Car Tours
- Good Time Trolley
- Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce
- Watch "The Andy Griffith Show" on Me TV and Amazon Prime
PASSAGE: In memoriam (Video)
"Sunday Morning" remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week, including singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, star of the film version of "Grease."
FROM THE ARCHIVE: Olivia Newton-John on finding joy in a life with cancer | Watch Video
The Australian singing superstar Olivia Newton-John died this week at the age of 73. In this 2019 "Sunday Morning" profile, she talked with Gayle King about her battles with cancer, and how, while the pain could be unbearable, her spirit remained unshakable.
FROM THE ARCHIVE: David McCullough on founding father John Adams | Watch Video
Bestselling historian David McCullough died August 8, 2022 at age 89. In this "Sunday Morning" interview, originally broadcast on July 1, 2001, he talks with correspondent Rita Braver about an overlooked Founding Father, John Adams, the subject of his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography.
U.S.: A small town dreams big, with very big things (Video)
Conor Knighton visits Casey, Illinois, home to the World's Largest Rocking Chair, World's Largest Golf Tee, World's Largest Pitchfork, and World's Largest Wind Chime, among many other over-sized objects. It's a collection that has helped the tiny town halfway between St. Louis and Indianapolis loom large on the map of world records. (This story was originally broadcast August 20, 2017.)
For more info:
TV: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin on acting, aging and activism | Watch Video
On the Netflix series "Grace and Frankie," Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin play two feisty octogenarians who see old age not as a death sentence, but as a victory lap. The two old friends talk with correspondent Tracy Smith about aging, working together, and how Fonda, who raised millions as an exercise entrepreneur, gave most of it away. (This story was originally broadcast April 24, 2022.)
For more info:
- "Grace and Frankie" (Netflix)
SUNDAY JOURNAL: The fallout from Donald Trump's unparalleled legal problems | Watch Video
As the former president's legal problems cascaded this week – an unprecedented search warrant obtained for classified documents stored at his Florida home; a court decision regarding his tax returns; and his pleading the fifth during a deposition in a civil case against his company – his supporters denounced the FBI, and spoke openly on social media about retaliation. CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett reports about America's democracy entering uncharted waters.
MUSIC: "Omar," an opera illuminating a Muslim slave's life in America | Watch Video
"Omar," an opera that recently had its world premiere, tells the story of Omar Ibn Said, a 19th century Muslim scholar stolen from Senegal and sold into slavery in America, who left behind a remarkable autobiography written in Arabic. Correspondent Martha Teichner talks with writer Rhiannon Giddens and composer Michael Abels about how their opera tells a largely-forgotten story, informing the history of our multicultural nation.
For more info:
- Rhiannon Giddens
- Michael Abels
- "Omar" at the Los Angeles Opera (October 22-November 13)
- "Omar" (World Premiere), Spoleto Festival
- "A Muslim American Slave: The Life of Omar Ibn Said" (University of Wisconsin Press), in Trade Paperback and eBook formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indiebound
- African and Middle Eastern Division, Library of Congress
NATURE: Red-headed woodpeckers (Extended Video)
"Sunday Morning" takes us this week among some red-headed woodpeckers at Knox Farm State Park in western New York. Videographer: Carl Mrozek.
For more info:
- Knox Farm State Park, East Aurora, N.Y.
- Friends of Knox Farm State Park
Of Note:
On Thursday correspondent Ted Koppel, producer Deirdre Cohen and editor Ed Givnish were named winners of the 2022 Edward R. Murrow Award for Hard News for their August 29, 2021 "Sunday Morning" report, "Shots Fired," about the epidemic of gun violence in America. Read the story, or watch it here.
"HERE COMES THE SUN": Actress Sandy Duncan and the modern library
Mo Rocca sits down with actress, singer and dancer Sandy Duncan to discuss her career and how she recovered after losing eyesight in her left eye. Also, how modern libraries are becoming social hubs full of activities and technology.
The Emmy Award-winning "CBS Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison.
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