The 59th season of "60 Minutes" premiered Sunday under new CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, featuring a refreshed correspondent lineup and updated production design. Norah O'Donnell interviewed an Air Force colonel rescued after being shot down over Iran, while Lesley Stahl investigated middlemen lobbying for presidential pardons using hidden cameras. A lighter segment profiled Sean Mc Vay, coach of the Los Angeles Rams. The show's signature stopwatch received a makeover, and traditional "book" graphics were replaced with sleek screens.

Politically, the program described the Iran war as "costly and unpopular" and noted President Trump pardoned "a string of unrepentant financial con men" and "rioters" from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared in the airman segment, using an expletive that CBS bleeped.

Off-camera, the premiere followed Weiss's purge of senior leadership, prompting departures of stars like Scott Pelley and Anderson Cooper. Pelley accused Weiss of "murdering" the program. CBS parent Paramount paid $16 million to settle Trump's 2024 lawsuit, and tech scion David Ellison — who appointed Weiss — acquired Paramount with Trump administration approval. New overseer Nick Bilton and Weiss viewed the premiere as a critical test to placate skeptical viewers and media executives.