This Week: Russia's quagmire in Ukraine, the making of "The Godfather," and trans athletes

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This Week: Russia's quagmire in Ukraine, the making of "The Godfather," and trans athletes

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March 27, 2022

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Afghanistan, the Kremlin's other quagmire

In 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to install a puppet regime; ten years later, the Soviet army's last forces withdrew, defeated by Afghan rebels who'd been armed by the CIA. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin looks at how the Kremlin's failure so far in capturing the Ukrainian capital and installing a puppet government has produced a new quagmire for Russia, exposing weaknesses in its military and creating a question mark over Vladimir Putin's future.

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"The Godfather" at 50: The making of a classic

When "The Godfather" opened in March 1972, director Francis Ford Coppola's drama about a mob family forever changed how we look at gangster films. Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with Coppola, and with stars Robert Duvall, James Caan and Talia Shire, about the making of a classic that, 50 years later, movie lovers still cannot refuse.

Diving into the debate over trans athletes

UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, has smashed Ivy League records in the pool since switching from the men's team to the women's. Her winning streak has reignited a fierce debate: do trans women have an unfair biological advantage in sports? And are competitive fairness and trans inclusivity mutually exclusive? With 22 states recently introducing bills that would ban trans women and girls from sports, correspondent Lee Cowan talks to advocates and experts on both sides of this contentious issue.

Buster Keaton, the "Great Stone Face"

He was a vaudeville performer from the age of four, a silent-film star in his 20s, and the writer and director of some of the greatest comedy films ever made. Yet Buster Keaton never quite achieved the fame of Charlie Chaplin, and, at the peak of his success as an independent filmmaker, he signed a studio deal that he would call "the worst mistake of my life." Correspondent David Pogue talks with biographer Dana Stevens, and with comic actor Bill Irwin, about Keaton's artistic ingenuity, stunts, and innovations that inspire filmmakers to this day.

Breaking through Russia's digital Iron Curtain

Inaugurated during the Cold War, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty broke through the Iron Curtain via shortwave radio, presenting news broadcasts to countries where freedom of the press was under assault. Today, its mission is even more critical, as it counters Kremlin propaganda about the war against Ukraine with uncensored news for Russian audiences via the Internet. Correspondent Christina Ruffini examines how the organization is evading a new generation of Russian censors.

Meet a Russian oligarch hit by sanctions

Targeted by the U.S. and its allies with sanctions because of their ties to the Kremlin, Russian oligarchs have found their accounts frozen and assets seized. Correspondent Seth Doane talks with Mikhail Fridman, a Ukrainian-born Russian oligarch now living in London, who cannot use his ATM card and resides in a mansion he can't sell. Fridman explains why he believes sanctions are not the answer to punishing Russia's leader Vladimir Putin. Doane also talks with Tom Burgis, author of "Kleptopia: How Dirty Money Is Conquering the World."

Gems: Beauty set in stone

They took millions, even billions of years to form, but gemstones can capture our awe in a flash. Correspondent Faith Salie visits the recently-reopened Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, where visitors can eye these beautiful superstars of geologic history.

Almanac: The 1952 premiere of "Singin' in the Rain"

Seventy years ago, the film regarded as perhaps the greatest Hollywood musical ever – a Technicolor love letter to Hollywood starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds – debuted. Jane Pauley reports.

Art curated by museum guards

Museum guards probably spend more time with art on the walls than anyone else, but are rarely asked for expert opinions. At the Baltimore Museum of Art, a new show, "Guarding the Art," was organized not by the museum's curators, but by its very own security staff. Correspondent Kristine Johnson talks with guards who are offering their perspectives on the museum's collected works.

Volunteers continue to sign up to defend Ukraine

As Vladimir Putin's forces appear largely stymied in the face of Ukrainian counterattacks, Ukraine's resistance is being fueled by tens of thousands of volunteers, and by armaments boosted by supplies from NATO countries. Correspondent Holly Williams reports.

Madeleine Albright, a "Hammer of Democracy"

Historian Douglas Brinkley remembers the trailblazing Secretary of State and U.N. Ambassador, who promoted NATO enlargement while antagonizing despots around the world.

Jim Gaffigan: The horrors of older kids

After years of standup in which he's complained about his five young children, comedian Jim Gaffigan has discovered something truly terrifying: being the father of five older children.

Oscars 2022: David Edelstein asks, "Why does this thing still exist?"

Everyone, it seems, is angry at the Academy Awards, and amid this maelstrom our film critic offers his predictions for this year's award-winners, and why he believes this might be the most freakishly riveting Oscar ceremony yet.

Oscars 2022: Listen to the five best song nominees

Hear the five songs up for this year's Academy Award, including performances by Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, and Van Morrison.

Extended Nature Video: Elk in North Carolina

"Sunday Morning" takes us among the elk and turkeys at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Videographer: Scot Miller.

Watch the full March 27 episode!

Hosted by Jane Pauley.

Gallery: "The Godfather" - The 50th anniversary

A timeless landmark of American film, Francis Ford Coppola's explosive drama of a mob family, which premiered in March 1972, was an offer no moviegoer could refuse.