CBS News Sunday Morning will examine California’s proposed wealth tax, the overlooked artistic legacy of Lee Krasner and the economic concerns shaping voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections in its October 18 edition, hosted by Jane Pauley.
The programme’s main report will focus on Proposition 40, a measure that would impose a new tax on billionaires’ wealth if approved by California voters. Correspondent Jo Ling Kent will assess whether the proposal could deliver the benefits promised by its supporters, and why some progressives are opposed to it.
California wealth tax at the centre of Sunday Morning
The arts will feature prominently, with correspondent Anthony Mason reporting from a landmark exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner.
Pollock and Krasner helped reshape the art world during the 1940s and 1950s, but Krasner’s work has often been overshadowed by that of her husband, who died in 1956. The exhibition brings their work and legacies together, exploring the artistic and personal ties between the two painters.
Actress Carrie Preston will discuss her role as Elsbeth Tascioni, the unconventional lawyer-turned-detective at the centre of the comedy murder-mystery series Elsbeth. Preston has played the character in The Good Wife, The Good Fight and the current series, in which Elsbeth assists New York police in solving crimes through unorthodox methods.
In a separate interview with Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz, actor John Turturro will reflect on a career spanning more than 100 productions. Turturro, known for roles in films by the Coen brothers and in the television series Severance, is now starring in the crime drama The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.
The programme will also feature Spanish singer Rosalía, whose fourth album, Lux, was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra. The record includes lyrics in 14 languages and tells the stories of female saints and mystics, following two years of work by the self-described perfectionist.
Rosalía will discuss her blend of classical music, opera and pop, as well as what she describes as a near-spiritual commitment to her craft and a search for communion through music.
Broadway’s revival of Other Desert Cities will be the subject of a report by Tracy Smith. The production, written by Jon Robin Baitz, centres on family divisions and a concealed past, and stars Allison Janney, Ed Harris, Lily Rabe, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Joe Keery.
The cast will discuss grief, the demands of live theatre and the feeling of returning to the stage. The production marks Broadway debuts for Louis-Dreyfus and Keery.
Economic pressures will be examined in a report from Michigan by CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes. With fuel and housing costs high and wages failing to keep pace with inflation, consumer sentiment is described as being lower than at almost any other point in modern history.
With the midterm elections only weeks away, the report will explore how the economy is influencing voters in the state.
The programme’s lighter stories include the 65th annual frog-jumping contest in Valley City, Ohio. The event was created in 1962 after a group of men in a bar sought to put the town on the map, drawing inspiration from a Mark Twain story.
The edition will also include a commentary from National Public Radio health and science correspondent Allison Aubrey, who will discuss “the art of aging” and the importance of purpose and play in the third chapter of life.
An October 18 historical feature will look back at events from that date, while a photographic gallery will present images captured during the week of October 11 to 17. The programme will also remember notable figures who died during the week.
Online features include a look at Winnie-the-Pooh, whose first appearance in book form came 100 years ago, and a collection of stories about resilience and recovery, including medical breakthroughs, stroke rehabilitation and efforts to help injured people walk again.
The Emmy Award-winning programme is broadcast on Sundays from 9am Eastern Time and is hosted by Pauley, with Rand Morrison as executive producer. It is also streamed from 11am Eastern Time.
