This week on “Sunday Morning” (Jan. 4)

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 11:00 a.m. ET. (Download it here.) 

Guest host: Lee Cowan

      
HEADLINES: Latest on Venezuela
      

COVER STORY: One year after Calif. wildfires, progress is slow in rebuilding
A year after wildfires decimated much of Pacific Palisades and Altadena, California, construction has begun on just about 500 of the more than 16,000 structures lost. Jonathan Vigliotti talks with some of the residents, business owners and officials navigating the complex web of permits, insurance payouts, rising construction costs, and stalled federal aid that is slowing the path to rebuilding a better and safer community.

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ALMANAC: January 4
“Sunday Morning” looks back at historical events on this date.

TV: Behind the scenes of “The Pitt”
The Emmy-winning HBO Max drama “The Pitt” immerses viewers in the hour-by-hour struggles faced by the overworked-yet-superhuman emergency room staff at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook visits the series’ hyper-realistic set at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, Calif. (where cast members undergo a two-week medical boot camp), and talks with star, writer, director and executive producer Noah Wylie about why the former “ER” actor returned to the medical drama genre.

WATCH A PREVIEW: Dr. Jon LaPook on “The Pitt” (Video)

To watch a trailer for Season 2 of “The Pitt” click on the video player below:

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WORLD: Look ahead to 2026: Prospects for peace in Ukraine
Last February, American policy on Ukraine took an unexpectedly sharp turn after President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticized Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House when the Ukrainian president pressed for continued U.S. support against the Russian invasion. As Putin’s assault continues, Holly Williams reports on the progress of peace talks, and the war’s impact on Ukrainians. 

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PASSAGE: Remembering Brigitte Bardot, Tatiana Schlossberg
Lee Cowan looks back at two notable personalities lost this week: French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot, and environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg.

U.S.: How Mayor Fiorello La Guardia made New York the greatest city in the world
After he took office in the middle of the Great Depression, New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia reshaped the city through massive public works projects (like housing, bridges, schools and hospitals) while championing immigrants and the working class. Mo Rocca talks with historian Kenneth T. Jackson about how La Guardia – a 5’2″ bundle of dynamite and inveterate PR hound – changed the role that government plays in people’s lives, and became the mayor that made New York great.

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HEALTH: Doctor’s orders: Eat ice cream, and other tips for a long and healthy life
In his new wellness book, “Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules For a Long and Healthy Life,” Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a prominent oncologist and health policy expert, goes beyond the basics of eating, exercise and sleep. He talks with Norah O’Donnell about the importance of being happy, social engagement, and recommended behaviors (like “don’t be a schmuck”) that can benefit longevity.

READ AN EXCERPT: “Eat Your Ice Cream” by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D.

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MOVIES: Michael B. Jordan on “Sinners”
Michael B. Jordan, who plays twin brothers in “Sinners,” says shooting Ryan Coogler’s horror film set in the Depression Era South – a drama that melds Jim Crow racism with vampires – is also a testament to the power of family. He talks with Tracy Smith about portraying the characters Stack and Smoke; his ties to his parents; and what it took for him to recover from playing the villain Killmonger in “Black Panther.”

To watch a trailer for “Sinners” click on the video player below:

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WORLD: Look ahead to 2026 – Europe as a frenemy to Trump
In the decades since World War II, the relationship between the United States and its European allies has been solid, cooperative and cordial – until President Trump took office. Elizabeth Palmer talks with European security expert Camille Grand about Trump’s attacks on the European Union, and how the EU hopes to preserve its alliance with America, even as Washington takes a more aggressive posture toward Europe.

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U.S.: Heartwarming follow-ups to “Sunday Morning” stories
Lee Cowan revisits some of the most impactful “Sunday Morning” stories of 2025, with updates on the positive outcomes since they aired.

      
NATURE: Lake Champlain in New York (Extended Video)
We leave you this Sunday Morning along the frozen shores of Lake Champlain in upper New York State. Videographer: Jamie McDonald.  

WEB EXCLUSIVES:

     
U.S.: Look ahead to 2026 – Shifting views of Washington
As America enters its 250th year since declaring independence, longtime political journalist Dan Balz says the country is taking stock and measuring the consequences of the Trump administration’s actions to drastically reshape the government. He talks with Robert Costa about the political landscape in 2026, including the disruptions caused by government layoffs; President Trump’s age; and the prospects for Republicans in November’s midterm elections.

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MARATHON: Those we lost in 2025 (YouTube Video)
“Sunday Morning” looks back on our conversations with some of the noted celebrities, newsmakers, and creative figures who left us this past year, including:

• Filmmaker David Lynch
• Actor and novelist Gene Hackman
• Boxer and grill pitchman George Foreman
• Photographer Sebastião Salgado
• Estée Lauder CEO and art collector Leonard Lauder
• Political commentator David Gergen
• Novelist Martin Cruz Smith
• Secretariat jockey Ron Turcotte
• Fashion designer Giorgio Armani
• Actor and director Robert Redford
• Olive Garden reviewer Marilyn Hagerty
• Musician and TV theme song composer Sonny Curtis
• Naturalist Jane Goodall
• Actress Diane Keaton
• Former Vice President Dick Cheney
• Actress Diane Ladd
• Playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard
• Actor and director Rob Reiner

MARATHON: Stories from New England (YouTube Video)
“CBS Sunday Morning” travels through New England in this marathon, exploring quaint towns, rural stores and exciting landmarks:

• Visiting every town in Vermont
• Becorns in Rhode Island
• Towns for sale
• Uncovering a Connecticut dumpster worth millions
• Rescuing sea turtles
• A new breed of frontier family
• A separate peace
• How Erin French found herself at The Lost Kitchen
• Saving rural general stores
• A 101-year-old lobster lady
• Oysters, the pearls of Cape Cod
• A unique cross-border institution
• Maine’s most celebrated young beekeeper
• The cream of the crop in butter
• Dog Mountain
• Two Maine seniors and their very odd honeymoon
• Hunting treasures on Block Island
• Art by the incarcerated
• Store owner gets some help
• Abandoned houses
• A lobsterman’s friend
• Alex Katz spotlights his favorite artists
• The little patriot

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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