60 Minutes

Hands off the Wheel: Self-driving cars may sound like science fiction but they're already hitting the road for research as carmakers and tech companies race to develop the potentially life-saving technology. Bill Whitaker goes to Silicon Valley to take a ride and take stock of the emerging industry and two of its leaders, Google and Mercedes-Ben.

Patrick Kennedy: A Kennedy son breaks the silence about his and his family's alcoholism in an effort to help others overcome their own addictions. Lesley Stahl reports.

The Hidden Holocaust: They lie in unmarked mass graves throughout the former Soviet Union, forgotten victims of the Holocaust whose stories haven't been told. Father Patrick Desbois is determined to find them for history and for humanity. The French Catholic priest takes Lara Logan to some of the sites his work has discovered.

Refugees from the Middle East seeking asylum in Germany; the people behind the Make-a-Wish foundation, who grant the wishes of seriously ill children; New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Vice President Biden- Joe Biden will discuss his decision not to run for president on 60 Minutes. The vice president will appear, with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, on television for the first time since announcing Wednesday that he will not seek the Democratic presidential nomination.

The New Burma - 60 Minutes goes to Burma before the country's historic elections to report on its democratic movement and speak to the Nobel Prize-winning woman most responsible for it. Bill Whitaker reports from the former military dictatorship and speaks to the iconic opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Inside the Air War - On the combat operations floor of the nerve center for the air war against ISIS, David Martin and 60 Minutes cameras watch as a B-1 bomber zeroes in on its target. On one wall they can see a map tracking all the planes -- including Russian -- over Iraq and Syria. On another wall, they watch a live-video feed from an unmanned drone orbiting the target -- a cluster of buildings which U.S. intelligence believes is hiding an ISIS car bomb factory. Lt. Gen. Charles Brown, the commander of the air war, joins them on the operations floor and describes the strike as it unfolds in real time. This is the first-ever look inside the command center -- located in a bunker-like building in the Persian Gulf country of Qatar -- for the 14-month-old air campaign against ISIS. The air war costs the U.S. $10 million-a-day and Lt. Gen. Brown describes for Martin the amount of work that single B-1 strike entailed. "Scheduling-wise [its] about a three-day process and some of those targets we've looked at for...days, weeks and sometimes months," he tells Martin. The mission 60 Minutes follows results in the destruction of the buildings with secondary explosions indicating that explosives were stored inside. It is one of 47 such facilities the U.S. and allied planes have hit over the past six weeks. Brown acknowledges that ISIS will probably set up another factory elsewhere, but that, he says, is the nature of this war, which pits a superpower against an enemy intent on dragging the Middle East back to the Middle Ages.

Federal and local authorities all over the country say it's the biggest drug epidemic today. Not methamphetamines or cocaine, but heroin.

You might think of heroin as primarily an inner-city problem. But dealers, connected to Mexican drug cartels, are making huge profits by expanding to new, lucrative markets: suburbs all across the country. It's basic economics. The dealers are going where the money is and they're cultivating a new set of consumers: high school students, college athletes, teachers and professionals.

Heroin is showing up everywhere -- in places like Columbus, Ohio . The area has long been viewed as so typically Middle American that, for years, many companies have gone there to test new products. We went to the Columbus suburbs to see how heroin is taking hold in the heartland.

Into Dangerous Hands - There are probably more people like NSA leaker Edward Snowden working right now with America's secrets says a former deputy secretary of Defense. John Hamre tells Scott Pelley that the U.S. security clearance process -- the one that green-lit Snowden as well as convicted spy Chelsea Manning and mass murderer Aaron Alexis -- is obsolete. In fact, an internal government memo obtained by 60 Minutes warns the process could contain "systemic problems.

The Collider - It's already helped scientists find what some call the "God Particle." What else will the Large Hadron Collider reveal as it begins work at nearly double the power?

Hamilton - An unorthodox musical with a diverse cast about the life of Alexander Hamilton is creating waves on Broadway and beyond while it smashes box office records.

The Speaker of the House: New Speaker of the House Paul Ryan tells Scott Pelley he thinks he will be able to find common ground with the Democrats on critical issues like tax policy, infrastructure and funding the government. Two weeks after his election, the Wisconsin Republican invited Pelley to his hometown of Janesville to talk politics, policy and family for the next edition of 60 Minutes.

Football and the Brain: Steve Kroft examines the state of concussion safety and science in football, especially in the NFL.

The terror attacks in Paris have prompted police departments to train officers and members of the public how to respond and stay alive during a shooting; the battle against Islamic State group; a cellphone-based payment system in Kenya.

The Last Prisoner- When Cuban authorities locked him up for helping its citizens get unrestricted Internet access, Alan Gross figured he would be out in a jiffy -- after all, he was working for the U.S. government. But after two weeks, he knew he was in trouble and wondered why the people at the U.S. Agency for International Development who had hired him hadn't come to his rescue. Gross was an electronics consultant hired by USAID to set up independent Internet connections in Cuba, an illegal activity because it bypassed censorship in the communist country. His efforts landed him in custody for five years until he was released last December on the same day the U.S. released three Cubans it held. Gross tells Scott Pelley about his ordeal and his activities that led up to his arrest in his first interview.

The Execution of Joseph Wood- The execution of a man in Arizona with a new cocktail of drugs was supposed to take about 10 minutes. It took almost two hours, the longest execution in U.S. history.

Taking on the Eiger - If a villain were about to kill James Bond at the top of a Swiss peak, 007 might make an incredible escape like this. And JT Holmes would be the stuntman to pull it off. The extreme sportsman has been waiting for years to try it. And when the weather was finally right, he flew, skied and then jumped off the Eiger's rock face, pulling a parachute to break his 100-mph free fall. 60 Minutes cameras were there to record the breathtaking event, tried by Holmes for the first time on the famous peak that's more than two miles high.

Confidential Informants: Rachel Hoffman, 23, was caught by police with five ounces of marijuana and a few ecstasy and Valium pills. The authorities offered her a deal: they wouldn't charge her for a crime that could send her to jail, they said, if she helped law enforcement bring down some bigger dealers. With no undercover experience, she agreed to become a confidential informant. She was murdered in the course of a drug deal she did under law enforcement direction. Hoffman's story is part of a Lesley Stahl investigation into the controversial use of young, small-time drug dealers as untrained undercover informants in the war on drugs.

Bonobos: In one of nature's bitter ironies, the most peaceful primate on Earth is being driven to extinction by human behavior. In Democratic Republic of Congo, the only place where bonobos are found, Anderson Cooper visits a preserve that cares for the abandoned young of these great apes, which are treated like human babies by the people who care for them.

The Spy Among Us: Jack Barsky held a job at some of the top corporations in America and lived a seemingly normal life as a father and husband -- all while spying for the Soviet Union in the last days of the Cold War.

Apple - The CEO of Apple, the world's biggest and richest company, says the notion that his company is avoiding taxes on overseas profits is just "political crap" coming from politicians who refuse to change an antiquated tax code. Charlie Rose conducts a wide-ranging interview with Tim Cook in which the Apple CEO also addresses his company's other hot-button issues including encryption technology and manufacturing products in China. In addition, Rose speaks to Apple design chief Jonathan Ive, who lets 60 Minutes cameras into his studio for a rare look at the process that gave birth to revolutionary products like the iPhone and iPad.

Michael Caine - After making films for over 50 years, Michael Caine says his latest is his best work ever. The 82-year-old British actor tells Lesley Stahl that playing the role of Fred Ballinger in the new film "Youth" was also his most difficult. Caine talks about his latest movie and his incredible career on the next edition of 60 Minutes Sunday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. PT.

"Secretly, I regarded it as the best thing I ever did," Caine says of "Youth," a film about aging in which he plays a retired conductor and composer. "It was the most difficult and the criterion for that is that I made it look the most easy," he says. The octogenarian actor says he needs the challenge the role posed because, he jokes with Stahl, "I don't get the girl anymore. All I get is grandma." But he tells Stahl being a grandpa is his biggest kick. Ten years ago he began playing Alfred the butler in the Batman trilogy of films. "My grandson looked up at me and said, 'Do you know Batman?' I said 'Yes....I know him very well.' And he told all the boys at school, 'My grandpa knows Batman. Does your grandpa know Batman?'" There is talk of a nomination for best actor; he would be the oldest person to win that Oscar. He has won for best supporting actor twice.

The Road to Syria - Bill Whitaker and 60 Minutes cameras were permitted to visit and report from Russia's main military base in Syria, where the Russians are waging an air war against the enemies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Whitaker also interviews a top Russian lawmaker with a critical role in the campaign who expresses his dissatisfaction with Assad, an ally of Russia.

Life After Death Row - Three unjustly convicted people who spent years in prison and then were exonerated tell Scott Pelley how they are adjusting to being free.

Hamilton - An unorthodox musical with a diverse cast about the life of Alexander Hamilton is creating waves on Broadway and beyond while it smashes box office records.

Economic espionage sponsored by the Chinese government is costing U.S. corporations money and jobs; then, Sean Penn on his controversial meeting with the drug kingpin known as "El Chapo;" and Los Angeles is the only megacity in the world where mountain lions live side-by-side with humans

Heroin addiction in the United States; a singing program in Harlem for senior citizens; clips from a never-completed profile of musician David Bowie.

Anonymous, Inc. - The U.S. has become one of the most popular places for foreigners to hide dirty money. See what happens when hidden cameras capture American lawyers being asked to move highly questionable funds into the U.S.

Greenland - Sharyn Alfonsi goes to the top of the world to report on scientists trying to get to the bottom of climate change and sea level rise by studying one of the largest glaciers in the Arctic Circle.

The head of the CIA outlines the threat to America posed by ISIS and discusses other security concerns; then, not playing by the rules? Steve Kroft reports on the unfolding FIFA scandal; and, Anderson Cooper profiles photographer Danny Clinch who captures the music world's "in-between" moments.

The hunt for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, and his recapture, after he escaped imprisonment for the second time; Elaine Weinstein's efforts to negotiate her husband's release after he was kidnapped in Pakistan; director Danny Boyle ("Steve Jobs").

An African-American museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.; Italy's fashion industry helps preserve the nation's architectural treasures; the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which has been under construction for more than 130 years.

Dead or Alive - Thousands of errors to the Social Security Administration's Death Master File can result in fraudulent payments -- costing taxpayers billions -- and identity headaches.

Face Blindness - Imagine you couldn't recognize people's faces, and even your own family looked unfamiliar. Lesley Stahl reports on face blindness, a puzzling neurological disorder, for 60 Minutes.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; the case against coal company CEO Don Blankenship; coal miners from Upper Big Branch mine discuss working conditions; death-row inmates.

Encryption - The war on terror has created a privacy versus security debate across the world -- including in Europe, site of the Paris attacks, where one thing investigators are looking into is a texting app favored by ISIS that features encryption.

Aid in Dying - She was young, beautiful and terminally ill with a brain tumor so invasive and painful she chose to end her life in what advocates call "Death with Dignity." The prescription for the lethal dose of barbiturates Brittany Maynard took was written by Dr. Eric Walsh of Oregon, where the protocol has been legal for 18 years.

Starchitect - On 60 Minutes this week, "starchitect" Bjarke Ingels reveals the model of the stadium where the Washington Redskins football team will be playing soon -- complete with a moat for tailgating kayakers.

Presidente Marci - Argentina's new president reverses course on years of populist economic policies and anti-U.S. rhetoric on the eve of President Obama's visit.

Cornel West - The former Princeton professor is a different kind of civil rights leader and has the respect of young activists at the heart of new civil rights efforts, especially the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Resurrection of St. Benedict's - Their school motto is "Whatever hurts my brother hurts me" and their graduation rate is 98 percent. Scott Pelley reports on a unique school in Newark.

Make-a-Wish - Bill Whitaker reports on the people behind "Make-A-Wish," the popular organization that grants the wishes of seriously ill children in towns across America. Wishes come true because of volunteers and miracle workers.

The Health Wagon - Scott Pelley reports on nurse practitioners who are providing badly needed healthcare to the uninsured working poor in Appalachia.

The Giving Pledge - A group of billionaires pledges to give at least half their vast fortunes to charity, in hopes of changing the world. Charlie Rose talks to some of them, including founding members Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates.

The German prison system's emphasis on rehabilitation; ballet choreographer Christopher Wheeldon; professional golfer Bubba Watson.

Attempts to declassify a top-secret report that might show Saudi support for some of the 9/11 hijackers; China's film industry; swimmer Schuyler Bailar, the first transgender male athlete to compete in a NCAA Division I men's sport.

Not Paid - Audits of the nation's biggest insurance companies have uncovered a systemic practice of insurers not paying benefits on millions of policies - even when the companies knew the policyholder was deceased. Lesley Stahl reports that 25 insurance companies, without admitting wrongdoing, have agreed to pay more than $7.5 billion in back death benefits in a series of settlements reached with states across the country. Thirty-five companies still have not settled and remain under investigation.

Hacking Your Phone - International experts in mobile security including California-based Lookout founder John Hering and Berlin-based Karsten Nohl of Security Research Labs show how mobile phones and the networks that carry their signals can be exploited by hackers. Hering gathered a group of security researchers in Las Vegas during a hackers convention and they broke into the phone of 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi. Hering demonstrated how he could read Alfonsi's email and collect her credit card and other private and personal information. Nohl and his team in Berlin showed how they were able to exploit a flaw in a global mobile network called Signaling System Seven -- or SS7. The team was able to monitor and record a phone that 60 Minutes lent to U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-California, a member of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Information Technology.

The Heroin Epidemic - Ohio's attorney general says arresting drug addicts is not going to solve the heroin epidemic in his state. Attorney General Mike DeWine is hoping the use of drug courts can help reduce the drug addiction that's taking the lives of 23 Ohioans each week.

Dialing for Dollars - Rep. David Jolly says he was told his first job as a newly elected congressman was to raise $18,000 a day so he could get reelected. On Sunday's 60 Minutes, the Florida Republican calls the daily phone calls he and other members of Congress feel pressed to make to donors a "shameful" distraction from work they should be doing for the people who elected them.

Gold Star Parents - The parents of military members who gave their lives in the wars since 9/11 are finding solace in an old San Francisco hotel at a unique event held annually. The Marine's Memorial Hotel and Club was transformed into a living memorial after WWII. Once a year, "Blue Star" mothers -- whose children served in the military -- invite "Gold Star" parents -- whose children died while serving in the military -- to a commemorative gathering. Mike Anderson has attended all eleven.

Strike-through - A company accused of supplying faulty protective equipment to hospitals during the most recent Ebola outbreak also sold the equipment to the U.S. government's Strategic National Stockpile for use in future outbreaks and emergencies.

Fintech - Patrick and John Collison are among a vanguard of entrepreneurs trying to make the movement of money online as easy as sending photos or videos. The young founders of Stripe, a $5 billion payments startup, appear in a Lesley Stahl report on the burgeoning industry known as "Fintech," which is challenging traditional financial institutions.

The Children's Village - India Howell fell in love with Tanzania after climbing its famed Mt. Kilimanjaro. This American woman then made a life for herself there that led to new lives for 94 children who now call her "mom."

A Russian whistleblower has information that at least four of Russia's gold medal winners at the Sochi Winter Olympics were on steroids. Vitaly Stepanov reveals this in an interview with Armen Keteyian.

ISIS has become an efficient "killing machine" run in a scientific way much like Hitler ran his Holocaust against the Jews, says a priest who would know. Fr. Patrick Desbois has been uncovering hidden sites of the Holocaust for years and points out the similarities he finds in the ethnic cleansing ISIS has undertaken against the Yezidi's in Iraqi Kurdistan. Lara Logan and 60 MINUTES cameras accompany the French Catholic priest on a recent mission to expose a genocide that has taken the lives of at least 5,000 Yezidi.

Oklahomans are getting tired of the ground shaking under their feet. Last year the state set a record for earthquakes, with 907 registering a magnitude of 3 or more. It's causing anxiety, damage and residents to rethink one of the state's biggest industries– oil and gas production– which scientists say is causing nearly all the quakes. Bill Whitaker goes to Oklahoma, now the capital of earthquake activity in the continental U.S., to report the story.

Breakthrough Status - FDA grants breakthrough status to Duke University cancer treatment documented by 60 Minutes.

Collateral Damage -The U.S. Justice Department bungled the economic espionage case against Xiaoxing Xi. The Department investigated him for contact with Chinese scientists that was required by his U.S. funded research grants. Now cleared, Xi, a naturalized citizen of the U.S., fears the false accusations may have lingering repercussions on his promising career. Xi appears in his first television interview in a Bill Whitaker story about Chinese American citizens wrongly accused of economic espionage related crimes for China.

Inside Edge:
Roomy Khan provides a rare look inside the secretive world of insider trading. She tells how she got caught and then helped the government bring down Raj Rajaratnam -- the billionaire co-founder of one of the world's largest hedge funds.

Valerie Jarrett:
Blame politics, not lack of will or personality, for the president's inability to get Republicans to hold hearings on his Supreme Court nominee choice. That's what White House senior advisor and close personal friend of the Obamas, Valerie Jarrett, tells Norah O'Donnell.

Donald Trump and Gov. Mike Pence speak to Lesley Stahl in their first joint interview; Seth Doane reports from Nice, France; and, Bill Whitaker reports on the big cats some L.A. residents are calling neighbors.

Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, speak to Scott Pelley in their first joint interview; then, Bill Whitaker meets some of the people behind the popular organization that grants the wishes of seriously ill children.

Life After Death Row - Scott Pelley hears the story of three people who were exonerated after spending years in prison.

Top of the World - Sharyn Alfonsi reports one of the most significant efforts to study climate change.

The Children's Village - Bill Whitaker meets the two legal guardians of nearly 100 children in Tanzania.

Heroin in the Heartland - The faces of heroin include the young, middle-to-upper class and suburban. What was once thought of as an inner-city problem is now a national epidemic.

Christopher Wheeldon - Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon brings ballet to Broadway.

Bonobos - They are our primate cousins, as genetically similar to humans as chimpanzees. But bonobos are female-dominated and do not kill each other -- preferring to make love not war.

The execution of Joseph Wood, which took nearly two hours, the longest in U.S. history; federal law enforcement trackers discuss how they located and arrested gangster Whitey Bulger; photographer Danny Clinch.

Donald Trump and Gov. Mike Pence speak to Lesley Stahl in their first joint interview; Seth Doane reports from Nice, France; and, Bill Whitaker reports on the big cats some L.A. residents are calling neighbors.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton; Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.); the people behind the Make -A-Wish Foundation; bonobo orphanage in Congo.