This week on “Sunday Morning” (July 13)

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: Norah O’Donnell

       
COVER STORY: Genetic genealogy: Building the family tree of a serial killer
Retiree Barbara Rae-Venter never anticipated that her hobby of researching her family tree would lead to the capture of one of the most notorious criminals in California, the Golden State Killer. A pioneer in the use of genetic genealogy, Rae-Venter has since become an important partner for investigators seeking to solve cold cases. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

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ALMANAC: July 13
“Sunday Morning” looks back at historical events on this date.

ARTS: Joop Sanders, last of the original Abstract Expressionists
The Dutch-American painter Joop Sanders was the last surviving member of the Abstract Expressionist movement when he died in 2023 at the age of 101. Now, his granddaughter Isca Greenfield-Sanders has curated a retrospective in New York City that brings light to the artist’s work. Correspondent Serena Altschul reports.

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GAMES: Candy Land, the game that still hits a sweet spot
For the last 75 years, generations have taken turns weaving through a rainbow road, surrounded by all things candy. Correspondent Faith Salie looks at the enduring appeal of Candy Land, and talks with authors Sandra A. Miller and Margaret Muirhead about the origin of the board game, which was invented by Eleanor Abbott to help alleviate the suffering of young polio patients.

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TV: Richard Kind is quite happy being just a little famous
You may not know his name, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen Richard Kind – on TV, in films or on Broadway. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook finds out how the Tony-nominated actor (recognizable from “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Only Murders in the Building”) measures success, and goes behind-the-scenes of the Netflix show, “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney,” where Kind serves as announcer and sidekick.

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PASSAGE: In memoriam
“Sunday Morning” remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week.

      
AGRICULTURE: The secret to a successful cherry crop? Helicopters
Central Washington’s long, sunny summer days and cool evenings make the region ideal for growing sweet cherries. But summer rainfall can cause cherries to become waterlogged and rupture. To protect their crops, farmers use an unusual method to blow-dry their cherry trees: helicopters. Correspondent Conor Knighton reports on a fruitful alliance of agriculture and aviation. 

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HARTMAN: Bird kid
     

MUSIC: Billie Eilish on what she’s found “liberating”
Singer-songwriter Billie Eilish is just beginning to know herself. With her latest album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” and her current tour (her first without brother Finneas and her parents), the music superstar is discovering parts of herself she didn’t know were there. She describes to correspondent Anthony Mason finding a new voice as a songwriter, and about stretching her singing after starting vocal lessons. (This story was originally broadcast Dec. 8, 2024.)

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Extended interview – Billie Eilish (Video)
In this web exclusive, Anthony Mason sits down with music superstar Billie Eilish to talk about performing on her “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour (her first without brother Finneas). She also discusses welcoming the label of “songwriter”; what she learned from writing the “Barbie” song “What Was I Made For?”; the perceived criticisms of her singing voice and the liberation she discovered after starting vocal lessons; and the power that she says comes from expressing vulnerability in her art.  

You can stream the Billie Eilish album “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by clicking on the embed below (Free Spotify registration required to hear the tracks in full):

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CRIME: The hunt for sexual predator John Doe #147
In 1997, a nine-year-old Ohio boy was sexually assaulted, but his assailant could not be found. Using genetic genealogy, a recent tool for tracing family histories through DNA, Cuyahoga County prosecutors, aided by researcher Barbara Rae-Venter, were able to solve the nearly-three-decade-long crime. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

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THESE UNITED STATES: The Louisiana Purchase
Correspondent Lee Cowan reports on a moment in American history that changed our nation like no other before or since.

     
NATURE: TBD

WEB EXCLUSIVES: 

EXTENDED INTERVIEW: Richard Dreyfuss on filming “Jaws” (YouTube Video)
In this web exclusive, actor Richard Dreyfuss talks with Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz about fighting for the role that would launch his career into the stratosphere: the shark expert Matt Hooper in Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.” He also discusses the notoriously problem-plagued production; his awe of co-star Robert Shaw; and the most valuable lesson he learned during the film’s 159-day shoot on Martha’s Vineyard.

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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“Sunday Morning” also streams on the CBS News app beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. (Download it here.) 

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