This week on "Sunday Morning" (May 30)
Host: Jane Pauley
WATCH THE FULL MAY 30 EPISODE!
COVER STORY: The debate over the geographical center of North America | Watch Video
For years Rugby, North Dakota, a tiny spot on the prairie, had made a name for itself from its designation as the geographical center of the North American continent – that is, until a bar owner in the town of Robinson, about a hundred miles south, used some string and a globe to claim his town was the true center. Correspondent Lee Cowan visited these unassuming contestants in a tectonic battle for bragging rights, and talked with a geography professor who, armed with latitudes, longitudes and algorithms, may have laid the question of center to rest.
For more info:
- City of Rugby, N.D.
- Hanson's Bar, Robinson, N.D. (Facebook)
- Peter Rogerson, Geography Department, University at Buffalo
- clayjenkinson.com
TRAVEL: Navigating our reliance on maps | Watch Video
Correspondent Martha Teichner charts a course through the history of mapmaking, and the rise of road atlases, which, to our surprise, have not died out with the advent of GPS.
For more info:
- Ian Fowler, Curator and Geospatial Librarian, Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, New York Public Library
- Rand McNally
- Rand McNally Road Atlases
- Science journalist Maura [M.R.] O'Connor
- "Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World" by M.R. O'Connor (St. Martin's Press), in Hardcover and eBook formats, available via Amazon and Indiebound
TRAVEL: VR Vacations: Globetrotting via virtual reality (Video)
Virtual travel through immersive technologies is allowing those stuck at home to experience the world despite a global pandemic. Correspondent Mo Rocca and his avatar explore the world of VR, passport not required.
For more info:
- Oculus
- AlcoveVR
- AltspaceVR
- VZFit
- Jeremy Nickel, EvolVR
- Oculus VR Group (Facebook)
- Wander VR Travel Club (Facebook)
- nationalgeographic.com
- Scott Stein, editor-at-large, CNET
POLITICS: Bob and Elizabeth Dole's long personal and political history | Watch Video
Former Senator and presidential nominee Bob Dole and former Senator and Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Dole are one of Washington's most celebrated power couples. Correspondent Rita Braver sits down with the 97-year-old World War II veteran, who is taking his diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer in stride, and his wife, to talk about their continued public service.
For more info:
PASSAGE: In memoriam (Video)
"Sunday Morning" remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week, including actor Gavin MacLeod, of TV's "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Love Boat."
WEB EXTRA: Remembering actor Samuel E. Wright (Video)
"Sunday Morning" correspondent David Pogue looks back at the life of veteran Broadway actor Samuel E. Wright, who starred on stage in "The Lion King," but is best known as the voice of Sebastian the Crab in the animated Disney musical, "The Little Mermaid."
VINTAGE: Yard sale finds: Treasures of the hunt (Video)
While supply chain problems have created a backlog for new furniture, sales of vintage home furnishings, easily available online, has exploded. Correspondent Serena Altschul reports on what experts call the "circular economy," and how the internet is changing the nature of 'vintage' in the 21st century.
For more info:
- Warehouse 414/Grandmontagne Designs, Topeka
- Elizabeth Daniel - Décor (Facebook group)
- Chairish
- yardsalesearch.com
VETERANS: A Medal of Honor recipient's continued service | Watch Video
During the Battle of Iwo Jima, in the face of powerful enemy resistance, Marine Cpl. Hershel "Woody" Williams succeeded in destroying several heavily-defended machine-gun pillboxes, and was awarded the Medal of Honor. But his service to his country, and his gallantry, did not end there. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin talked with the 97-year-old Williams, the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, about his continuing efforts for Gold Star families.
For more info:
- Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation
- Woody Williams Foundation
- Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams
HARTMAN: Taps Across America, reprised (Video)
Last year on Memorial Day, musicians from all 50 states played "Taps" in what turned out to be one of the largest musical tributes of all time. Taps Across America is back this year, and correspondent Steve Hartman talked with some of the musicians, young and old, who will be participating.
For more info:
COMEDY: Rich Little, still making a great impression | Watch Video
At 82 Rich Little, who has impersonated hundreds of celebrities and politicians over the years, shows no signs of letting up. Correspondent Tracy Smith sits down with the comedian and impressionist, now performing in Las Vegas, to talk about the presidents, movie stars and TV icons, like Johnny Carson, who have all been given the Rich Little treatment.
For more info:
- therichlittle.com
- Rich Little Live at the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana, Las Vegas | Tickets
- "Trial on the Potomac: The Impeachment of Richard Nixon" at the Theatre at St. Clements, New York (beginning August 6) | Tickets
PHYSICS: Exploring the boundaries of time travel | Watch Video
Breaking the bonds of time has been a timeless pursuit in science fiction stories and movies. Will it ever become science fact? Correspondent Faith Salie explores the possibilities of taking a journey to the future, or the past, even without a souped-up DeLorean.
For more info:
- Lisa Yaszek, professor of Science Fiction Studies, Georgia Institute of Technology
- "The Future Is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, from Pulp Pioneers to Ursula K. Le Guin," edited by Lisa Yasrek (Library of America), in Hardcover and eBook formats, available via Amazon and Indiebound
- Physicist-author Brian Greene
- "Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe" by Brian Greene (Knopf), in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon and Indiebound
COMMENTARY: Memories of the Tulsa Massacre | Watch Video
One hundred years ago, a White mob in Tulsa, Okla., killed 300 Black people and reduced the thriving Black community of Greenwood – also known as Black Wall Street – to ashes. New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow talks about one of the most notorious massacres in American history and those who witnessed it.
For more info:
- Charles M. Blow, The New York Times
- "The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto" by Charles M. Blow (HarperCollins), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon and Indiebound
- Oklahoma State University
- Oklahoma Historical Society
- Tulsa Historical Society
- Photos by Damon Winter (The New York Times)
TRIBUTE: A tribute to "Sunday Morning" writer Tom Harris (Video)
Broadcast writer Thomas Harris is retiring this weekend, after 43 years at CBS – and more than 1,000 Sunday mornings for which he found just the right words. Jane Pauley shares a few words in thanks.
NATURE: Yosemite National Park (Extended Video)
"Sunday Morning" takes us amidst the splendors of Yosemite National Park in California. Videographer: Scot Miller.
For more info:
- Yosemite National Park (National Park Service)
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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