>> stahl: debbie bingham, 56, always wanted to sing, but she needed a steady job to raise her family, so she became a nurse. >> debbie bingham: i worked in pediatrics, in the trauma center, so i did a little bit of everything. >> stahl: did you ever dream of being a professional singer? >> bingham: all the time. >> stahl: renee walker, also 56, works for her local school district. >> renee walker: when i started working there, i told myself it would just be a temporary job until i made it as a singer. so, i've been there 31 temporary years. >> stahl: in some cases, the talent was obvious. in others, like a 75-year-old named matthew brown, a little less so. >> higginsen: oh, matthew brown.

he came in... he was bent over, looking down, and i was thinking to myself, "what's gonna happen here?" >> stahl: "he... he's not right for this show." >> higginsen: well, i don't know. i mean, look at... whew. >> stahl: she looked at you and said, "uh-uh." >> matthew brown: yes. yes. yes. >> stahl: she told you that? >> brown: she told me that. >> higginsen: he took the mic. he pulled his shoulders back. he started to sing. and i fell out in my chair. >> brown: song of praise... >> higginsen: my god! that's what i'm looking for. ( laughs ) >> higginsen: who sings like that today? you can't turn on the radio and hear that. but i heard that when i was a young girl. >> stahl: he sounded, to her,

did you know you had... that you got it? >> brown: i... i told myself, "you got it." but i won't... i won't say anything. >> ( singing "ain't no sunshine" ) >> stahl: vy heard a different sound in theo harris' voice. >> higginsen: i put him a little bit in the crooner/doo-wop section. >> stahl: the doo-wop. >> higginsen: the doo-wop time. >> stahl: vy's plan had been to create a story for each singer that would match their individual sound. that was before she knew what kind of stories were right in front of her. theo harris revealed at his audition that he had spent time in prison. when he said how much time, he wasn't sure anyone heard him correctly. >> harris: greg kelly, who was the pianist, said, "wait a minute, how many years did you say?" and i said, "40." >> greg kelly: 40? >> harris: yes.

>> harris: yes. >> higginsen: 40 years in prison? >> harris: in and out. >> stahl: harris told her he had committed burglaries, many in her neighborhood, harlem, to get money to feed a drug habit. vy told us she was conflicted, but when she and her husband and collaborator, director ken wydro, made their choices and assembled a cast to start creating the show, theo was sitting front and center. why did you pick him if he's this person who destroyed your neighborhood? >> higginsen: because he's part of it. he's part of the big picture. i can't ignore that. and perhaps it was necessary for him to have a second chance. perhaps he deserved it, another chance. >> stahl: and theo harris wasn't the only one they had chosen with a dramatic story, and he wasn't the only one who needed a second chance. matthew brown, born the fourth of 13 children in north

life illiterate. >> brown: i was just ashamed, or i don't know what it was. but i just... just couldn't learn. you pull up a piece of paper and say, "read one word," i'm ready to run someplace. >> stahl: for decades, he drank until the alcohol started to affect his singing voice, and that terrified him. >> brown: i remember the last drink i had. it was a guy i was drinking with. i told him, i said, "this is the last drink you ever gonna see me drink." >> stahl: of course, he didn't believe you. but was it the last... >> brown: he might have been too drunk. that was it. >> stahl: that was it? >> brown: that's been 28 years ago. >> stahl: 28 years ago. >> brown: november the 2nd, 28 years ago. >> higginsen: when we heard his story, i just fell apart. i just... that's when you knew that you had to tell that story. >> stahl: yeah, you couldn't... couldn't really make that one >> stahl: it was a turning

vy and ken decided to take a risk-- to have each singer tell his or her own true story paired with a song. debbie bingham, the nurse, wanted to talk about losing her son. he passed away four years ago. >> bingham: my son was diagnosed with cancer when he was 34 years old. >> stahl: oh, my word. she's the one who took care of him. >> bingham: it didn't matter how much i knew. it didn't matter how much i helped other people, i just couldn't do anything. >> stahl: debbie knew what she wanted to sing in the show-- "i will always love you," the song made famous by whitney houston. >> bingham: only problem was vy wasn't crazy about it at first. >> higginsen: i wasn't sure. >> stahl: why weren't you sure? >> higginsen: if that song is not sung the right way, it misses big time.

vy said no. ken said, "why not?" vy said, "because." and i said to her, "if you give me the chance to show you, i promise you you won't be disappointed." >> higginsen: how do you say no to that? >> stahl: you can't say no. >> higginsen: i can't say no to that. but i did say, "okay. but have another song, just in case." ( laughs ) >> stahl: theo harris wanted to sing about his time in prison and how it was music that got him through. >> harris: they had a 10:00 quiet bell, which meant all talking ceases. so one evening, i started singing. and it was real quiet. and then when i finished, i heard somebody say, "who was that singing?" and i... hesitantly, i said, "that was me." they said, "well, keep singing." >> stahl: keep singing. >> harris: keep singing. i was their radio from that point on. >> stahl: any song you felt like?

and took requests. >> stahl: oh, took requests? >> harris: and took requests, yes. >> stahl: harris used his prison time to get an education-- a college degree, and then a masters in playwriting. when a musical he wrote was performed at the prison, music brought him something else-- a leading lady. >> phyllis harris: of course, they had to get somebody from the outside, because it's an all-male prison. and so my sister doris, she volunteered me. >> stahl: phyllis and her sister do volunteer work at the prison through their church. >> harris: so when she came in, we saw each other for the first time. it was just some chemistry there. >> stahl: right away? >> harris: right away. >> stahl: did you know that he >> phyllis harris: after our >> stahl: he told you everything? visit, he told me everything. >> stahl: and she played your wife? >> harris: she played my wife in the play. and seven months later, she became my wife. >> stahl: she married you while you were behind bars? >> harris: while i was in prison, yes. >> stahl: turns out vy had cast

knowing she was theo's wife. vy felt she was hearing the stories of a generation, the generation that came of age during the era of urban decay and the struggle for civil rights-- the black baby boomers. >> higginsen: that was one of the most creative musical time periods. there were sounds that were created out of the emotion. >> stahl: but not everyone in the group had such dramatic stories of struggle. renee walker, the school clerk, raised her two children in a middle-class suburb. >> ken wydro: okay, whoa, whoa, whoa. what were you feeling singing that? just now, what were you feeling? >> walker: it's hard for me, because i don't really like to talk about myself that much, not my... my innermost feelings. but ken was adamant about us getting in touch with our feelings.

would sing about something that was really more success story than tragedy-- watching her sons leave home to go off to college. >> wydro: and what did you feel when you had to say goodbye? >> walker: sad. >> wydro: sad. >> stahl: you want to sing on the stage, it has to come out. >> walker: it has to come out. >> stahl: and there was one last story, from a man named matthew burke. he and theo harris had sung together in prison. he sold drugs, and committed violent armed robbery. but what he wanted to talk about in the show was what he had recently discovered in a case file about the first weeks of his life. it says that you were abandoned at two-and-a-half weeks in a hallway. >> burke: yes. >> stahl: mother unknown. father unknown. the first thing most of us get from our parents is a name.

you are a number. >> burke: and you want to know something? i became 81a3684. i became 00a6432. that's been my life-- a number. >> stahl: you're smiling. but you don't mean it. >> burke: right. and that's the defense mechanism. >> stahl: right, because it's horrible. he was named matthew burke by a priest in the first of many foster homes. when he sings the song "georgia," he told us he's trying to give a name to what he lost. >> burke: if i had to give my mother a name, and i could give her a name-- i can-- it would be

>> stahl: i know a psychiatrist who says the most important question she asks somebody is, "when you were growing up, who loved you?" do you have an answer? >> burke: that's very difficult to answer-- who loved me-- because there's different types of love. >> stahl: unconditional. i mean... >> burke: yeah, unconditional... >> stahl: that's what i mean. >> burke: i've never... i've never experienced that. >> stahl: so you... you have no answer for that question. >> burke: i have no answer. to this day, i have no answer to that. >> stahl: it was daring, bringing real people, none of them trained actors, to tell their own stories on the stage. what happened when the show opened when we come back. across america, people like basketball hall of famer dominique wilkins... ...are taking charge of their type 2 diabetes... ...with non-insulin victoza . p for a while, i took a pill to lower my blood sugar. but it didn't get me to my goal. so i asked my doctor about

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-- - at >> stahl: we first met vy higginsen several years back, when she launched gospel for teens, a program to teach the hip-hop generation the art of singing gospel. the teens are still coming, more and more of them each year. it's all part of her drive to keep this music alive, and what better way to do that than to bring the young and the old together? we were there when vy invited her over-55 crew to a gospel for teens class, for what she called an "intergenerational exchange." >> higginsen: come on, matthew. >> brown: that old man river,

>> stahl: vy wanted to know what the kids heard in matthew brown's voice. >> i hear the journey that he lived, coming from segregation, coming from racism. i feel all the pain that our people had to endure, just by listening to his voice. and i thank him so much for sharing that with us. >> higginsen: wow! ( applause ) >> stahl: she wanted the kids to try to copy the sounds they'd heard. >> roberta ross: soon, i will be done... >> sateena turner: soon, i will be done... ( laughter ) >> higginsen: the older people are passing it on to the younger generation so the younger generation can pass it on to the next generation. >> stahl: and this is your mission.

>> ross: i'm goin' home >> turner: i'm goin' home >> both: to live with god. ( applause ) >> stahl: there sure didn't seem to be any risk of any music dying here, as vy's group took the stage to perform "alive: 55- plus and kickin'" before a packed house in harlem. >> walker: vy has a saying: the first 50 years are for learning, and the second 50 years are for living. life just begins when you're in your 50s. >> brown: amazing grace... >> stahl: it's a message that feels a lot like redemption. and that's what comes through in

stories, as when matthew brown, the 75-year-old janitor, tells the audience about his battle with illiteracy. >> brown: i couldn't read or write. and when i turned 16, i started to drink. and then, i was 50. ( laughter ) but i had no give-up in me! i went back to school to learn to read and write. ( applause ) >> stahl: he started writing poems, and even entered a poetry contest. >> brown: i took third place. ( applause ) >> stahl: then, two years later, an essay contest. >> brown: i took first place! ( applause ) >> harris: no matter what life has thrown at you, no matter what you have done throughout your life, there's always a

>> stahl: always. >> harris: and this play-- it's not even a play. this is real people telling real stories who have been through real struggles. and it's been a healing process for me. oh, my love my darling... ( cheers and applause ) >> stahl: when the man who spent more than half his life in prison sings about hoping his wife will wait for him, it feels as though the song is his story. >> harris: are you still mine? i need your love... >> stahl: but as in so many stories, this one had another twist. seven years after theo got out of prison, he started using drugs again. he robbed a hotel clerk and ended up in jail. >> harris: i've never contemplated suicide in my life until that night.

and i certainly didn't want to call my wife. >> phyllis harris: very early sunday morning, the phone ring. >> harris: and i said, "i'm in jail." and i'm saying to myself, "she's gonna hang up. she's gonna leave me." >> phyllis harris: he got silent. and i said, "do you love me?" >> harris: and i started crying. i said, "yes, phyllis, i love you." she said, "well, i'll be there for you." she said, "we'll get through this together." you know i need your love... >> phyllis harris: then when i said it, i'm like, "what?" i'm saying to myself, "what did i say?" >> stahl: you don't know why you said it? >> phyllis harris: i don't know, no. ( laughs ) >> stahl: but you said it? >> phyllis harris: but i said it. >> stahl: she waited eight and a half more years. ( applause ) >> walker: if i could, i'd

>> stahl: then, a surprise. the woman with the least dramatic story singing about sending her children off to college gets the most emotional response. >> walker: and if i could in a time and place where you don't want to be... the song is a parent to a child, wanting the best of everything for that child. i could have written it myself, it's that real for me. my yesterday won't have to be your way if i knew... >> burke: i love all the songs. but that song for me, i sta... she used to rehearse it here. and all the men were crying. all the men. and they used to tease us and say, "okay, renee's gonna rehearse the song.

>> stahl: when we looked backstage during her song, there they were. >> burke: and i'm imagining in my mind that it's my mother saying that to me. >> stahl: and when it's his turn... >> burke: maybe you were just too young. >> stahl: ...matthew burke speaks to his mother, trying to understand why she abandoned him. >> burke: maybe you were sick. maybe you thought that what you did was best for both you, and for me. >> stahl: then he sings to her, the mother he had had to name himself. >> burke: georgia whoa, georgia the whole day through... >> stahl: so have you forgiven your mother? >> burke: i'd like to believe that i've forgiven her fully. >> stahl: but you're not sure? >> burke: there's a lot of

and the only one thing that i hope was not the case is that she said, "i don't want this child." >> stahl: this child? >> burke: me. >> bingham: but i know... >> stahl: after a son mourning the absence of his mother, a mother mourns the loss of her son with the song vy hadn't been sure about. >> bingham: and i... >> walker: you know, i've heard it said that if you lose your spouse, you're a widow or a widower. if you lose your parents, you're an orphan. but they said, "what do you call someone that has to bury their child?" what do you call them? we don't have a name for it. >> bingham: there was a time when i couldn't tell the story to anybody without just bursting into tears. >> stahl: singing about it, she says, helps. >> bingham:

and happiness... but above all of this, i wish you love... ( cheers and applause ) >> stahl: there's a pause before the song kicks up into a higher key... >> higginsen: they're cheering for her... >> stahl: ...if she makes it. >> higginsen: is she gonna get it? >> bingham: and i... >> higginsen: she nailed it! >> bingham: ...will always love you... >> stahl: having sung their songs and told their stories, this cast of characters in their "second half of life" comes together for a grand finale. and it's hard to avoid the sense that vy's drive to keep the music alive has achieved something more.

the show is this-- it's never too late for anything. i'm not that sad little lady that i was before and things are going to be okay. >> stahl: second chances. is that the way you see this? >> harris: how about seven chances? ( laughs ) >> stahl: i'm told that you tell people you're looking at a miracle. >> harris: if you're not looking at a miracle, i don't know what a miracle looks like. >> brown: this is what i've always wanted to do. >> stahl: you told us that you feel like you're floating. >> brown: ever since when i auditioned last year. i've been floating ever since then. >> stahl: you're still up floating. >> brown: oh, i haven't been down since then. >> higginsen: yes! ( applause ) >> brown: i love being an old laughs >> yes! yes! yes!

"alive: 55 plus and kickin'" begins in april. before i had the shooting, burning, pins-and-needles of diabetic nerve pain, these feet served my country, carried the weight of a family, and walked a daughter down the aisle. pbut i couldn't bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer. pso i talked to my doctor and he prescribed lyrica. nerve damage from diabetes causes diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is fda approved to treat this pain from moderate to even severe diabetic nerve pain. r lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. p tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, p or unusual changes in mood or behavior. nor swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, r muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. r common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, r weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. r don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. p don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. p those who have had a drug or alcohol problem r may be more likely to misuse lyrica. tnow i have less

and my biggest reason to walk calls me grandpa. ask your doctor about lyrica. and can you explain why you recommend synthetic over cedar? "super food?" is that a real thing? it's a great school, but is it the right one for her? is this really any better than the one you got last year? if we consolidate suppliers, what's the savings there? so should we go with the 467 horsepower? ...or is a 423 enough? good question. you ask a lot of good questions... i think we should move you into our new fund. sure... ok. but are you asking enough about how your wealth is managed? wealth management at

3 the opening ceremonies for

tri-state -- a at >> whitaker: occasionally, "60 minutes" begins shooting a story we never finish. that happened with our look at the life and music of david bowie. ed bradley became ill; mike wallace had an injury. then, bowie suffered a heart attack while on the 2003 tour we had begun to tape. when bowie died on january 10, we searched our archives and found revealing unaired interviews with this extraordinary artist, as well as sound checks and this recording session in woodstock, new york. we decided to show some tonight. >> david bowie: never get old... i was never particularly fond of my voice. i never thought of myself as a singer, you know?

wrote music, and that was sort of what i... i thought i was best at doing. and because nobody else was ever doing my songs, i felt, you know, i had to go out and do them. and i... it's only over the last few years that i've actually felt more comfortable interpreting the songs myself and being a singer, you know? ( singing "ziggy stardust" ) i would have much preferred other people to have done my songs. then, i wouldn't have had to have put all that makeup on. and that hair! you know? but... ( laughs ) ( singing "the man who sold the world" ) the excitement of going into a recording studio, i still feel a terrific buzz with the actual process. that's never quitted.

life to write and record music. i can't imagine my life without doing that. let's do a harmony line on those two that we just did. i've really gotten quite comfortable with the idea of getting old. when i hit my 50th, i think... it was a good time for me. because life had gone much better than i ever thought it could be. so, there was a lot really pointing to the idea that getting old is going to be painful in some ways, because the body will start to not function, and... because i'm pretty active, so i'll miss all that as that starts to happen. i feel comfortable with the fact that we have to get old. i'm just really... i'm really very thankful that my older years are really good. they're... they're productive. i've a great, wonderful domestic life. my... my public life-- songwriting, the recording, performances and all that side of it-- are really enjoyable.

so, i consider myself really a very lucky guy. i really do. >> whitaker: david bowie's final album, "blackstar," released two days before he died, is number one on the charts. there's more from david bowie at 60minutesovertime.com. i'm bill whitaker. we'll be back next week with a brand-new edition of "60

man: good game, mr. vice president! hello. good to see you. gentlemen, i'm glad we could provide a perfect day for golf. the least we could do given that you're stuck with the understudy. (scattered chuckling) the president is very sorry to miss out

he and prime minister welton shared a close friendship. of course, he had to be on hand for the state funeral, and is just flying home today. our hearts go out to our australian brothers and sisters on this solemn occasion. the good news for all of you is that the trans-pacific trade partnership has been high on my agenda since i was a young senator. the bad news for all of you-- i'm a much better golfer than the president. (laughter) minister chen, i believe we're in the first group? woman: good luck today, mr. vice president. we're assuming this is why australia did not send a delegate to the conference this year? they are a country in mourning rather than protest. absolutely. because we are well aware that several members of the asia-pacific nations are not entirely comfortable with the inclusion of china at this forum this year. on the contrary, minister chen. we need china in this discussion, given that much of the framework is about counterfeit issues. we, uh... we want to see some progress there. it's a little warm today,

it's quite pleasant. it's warm to me. and i usually run cool. in metaphors? what? if that is the case, mr. vice president, then let me remind you from the head. please don't say that. the fish rots from the head. please. just as the top part of the fish rots... (retching) (people gasping) (groans) i'm so sorry. we need a medic on the green... there's something wrong. (groans) matt (to billy joel's " longest time" ): we haven't done that in the longest time (snapping fingers along) once i thought that our free trade was gone ooh-ooh-ooh now i know that commerce must go on ah, ah, ah so grab your iphone but promise that it's not a clone and we won't see one for the longest time whoa, oh, oh, oh, yeah for the longest time, time

for the longest time. that's as far as i got. madam secretary? i'm so sorry. i was hoping this is the part where i wake up. it's a first draft, and you know, it'll... it'll sound a lot better when you do it. mm. of course, you'll have some of the staff backing you up. daisy: i know it's cheesy, but the pacific rim economic forum is important, and the delegates love the talent show aspect. matt: the hosting country always performs. look, it would be bad form to skip it. and it really comes down to the cambodians. they're the swing vote on the trans-pacific agreement. and they are huge fans of billy joel. oh, well, that's good. that's... here's the thing. yeah. i don't sing. i mean, a little bit in the shower, you know, like, la, la here and there. uh-uh. do you guys sing? mm, well. yeah, i do. college. a capella. it's a r\sum\ builder. madam secretary, the whole thing is ludicrous, but it has a lot more diplomatic importance

(sighs) just tell me that i have time in my schedule to work on this. uh, no, ma'am. but i'm certain that daisy has a plan. uh, look, i'm sure you're better than you think. (door opens) that's your plan? well, she's right. i mean, if you can speak, you can sing. unless you're tone deaf or something. (door closes) i'm sure you're not. that's like two percent of the population. excuse me, ma'am. the vice president has been taken to the hospital following an incident on the golf course with the pan-asian delegation. flu-like symptoms. he'll be undergoing tests. his condition is stable, and they'll keep us informed. (sighs) flu-like symptoms. sounds contagious. madam secretary, you're going to be great. henry: e.m. forster said, " if i had to choose " between betraying my friend or my country, " i hope i would have the courage to betray my country."

it demonstrates his distrust of larger institutions. how an outsider? gay in england at the turn of the century? okay, so you're suggesting that his outsider status gave him a unique perspective on nationalism, but does this statement make him unpatriotic? yes. why? the point of serving your country is, ahead of the individual. okay, ivan. for your buddy in the foxhole? i feel like that might be more of an american concept. well, i-i disagree. all of those soldiers fighting shoeless and without weapons on the russian front in world war ii the common good. they were being forced (phone buzzing) families from going to prison. ivan: that's an oversimplification, and you can't reduce russian patriotism to that. to defeat hitler. and the russian army almost accomplished that

(loud, overlapping chatter) all right. hold on. hold on. hold on. (whistles) reign it in. reign it in. uh, who won world war ii is an entirely different class, and i don't teach it, thank god. for a minute about the ethical role of the individual in a commonwealth. sorry to call you in on such short notice. we like to give more of a heads-up as a rule. i'm jane fellows. i'll be your you main contact at dia. this is cooper ralston, perry thomas. hi. how are you? hello. have a seat. this is one of our safe houses. it's smarter for you not to come to the office. uh, you look a little thrown. i was told general sarno briefed you on how this would work once you joined the faculty at the war college. i was informed there'd be some overlap with dia, but that's it.

i'm sorry about that. uh, getting right to the point, we have an eye on one of your students. ivan kolashkov. do you know him? yes, of course. he's in my military ethics class. he's training to serve under general doroshevich, one of the highest-ranking members of the russian military, and a close advisor to president ostrov. i believe that all the russian students in my classes are under his direction. yes. but we like ivan. he seems pretty steadfast in his nationalism. good. observe and assess him. we need a basic psychological profile, character analysis. what are you looking for? can be an asset for us. all that fiery patriotism. do you want to let me in on the idea? he's a closet homosexual. a dim view of it. possible prison time.

there are other criteria to consider. uh, you're familiar with the checklist of intelligence modalities? inter and intra personal skills, situational awareness, so on? so, you want me to tee him up so you can blackmail him? all while teaching military ethics. (sighs) national security is a vast network, and it's all part of the same fabric, dr. mccord, but... you know that. it's a corrupt government which forces him into the shadows. let's start there, or maybe you're squeamish because you're still new at this and thinking about the person, and not the politics. but russia continues to be our next real nuclear threat, and he's a very ambitious officer in their army. no matter how cuddly he might seem in your classroom. perry, is it?

(sighs) just get to know your student, dr. mccord. tell us what you think, that's all. man (on tv): the white house released a statement saying that delgado is undergoing emergency gallbladder surgery. the vp reportedly collapsed... i didn't know gallbladder could have an emergency. well, it can if it's inside the vice president of the united states. hey, one of you guys needs to sign this paper proving that i showed it to you. good morning. morning. why? oh, ' cause i got a " c" , and they think i'm gonna hide it. they don't have the honor code in public school like the quakers did, so, they just assume you're a liar. no. why did you get a " c" on your paper? because he's an average student. jason: wrong again. does that ever get boring? oh, jace, this is civics. i thought you liked this class. i do, which is why i threw myself passionately into the assignment. write about an american who has a positive influence on society. i chose erica james, the washington chronicle journalist who's in prison for not revealing her sources. well, maybe your teacher wasn't looking for,

you mean like rosa parks? nice. mr. crider said that being in prison actually prevents erica james from contributing to society in a positive way, so, he, uh, gave me a " c." come on, jace. i mean, it's an admirable point, but you had to know you were poking the bear. okay. so, what, civil disobedience isn't important? elizabeth: well, it is. and it will often get you a " c" in your civics class. henry: yeah. i have some good news. school elections were held yesterday, and i was elected peer mediator. wow. that's cool. what... what is that? that's like... she gets to be the keeper of the talking stick. oh, like round-table discussions? yeah, but with a stick that tells you when to talk. it's part of a program at school they call life skills, something you'll never know about. so you're like a student counselor. no, mediator. nora trilling got peer counselor. oh. well, that's great. try to tone down the excitement. elizabeth: no, no, no, we are. we just... we didn't have those kind of things at our school. we had sergeants-at-arms, which probably not very quaker.

and i'm happy about it. that's all that matters. hey, you know, before i get out of here, just one quick question. um... (laughs) i can sing, right? i mean, a little. like, i'm not... i'm not awful, right? are you kidding me? those beach boys songs you sing in the shower-- you kill it every time. i mean the good kind of kill, not the... well, because there's this sort of silly thing at work, but i... mom, you're tone deaf. what?! what?! yeah. s-sorry. (alarm sounds, phone buzzes) but that's like... two percent of the population. henry: you sound great to me. (sighs): oh. i have to go. i love you. alison: love you. sorry. bye. i love your singing. you know, dad, it's cruel to lie to her. i heard that. elizabeth: morning. i heard about the vice president-- is he okay? yeah, as far as i know. he's being prepped for surgery. that's not what you're here about.

air force one is missing. what do you mean? we lost all communication somewhere over the pacific-- we can't find it. when did we last make contact? half an hour ago, then they suddenly went offline. they're out of radar range, so we have no idea what happened. where are we? we're scrambling the f-15's out of hickam field in honolulu. they're about two hours out of making visual contact. all communication's down. what could knock all that out? nothing, ma'am. obviously something. a cyber attack-- hijackers who knew what they were doing. all due respect, the communications system on air force one is the most sophisticated in the world. it's got firewalls in front of firewalls, and every kind of backup you can imagine. all of it is designed so that this cannot happen. and yet this has happened. then the plane has crashed. there's no evidence of that. (sighs) elizabeth: how long can we expect to control intelligence around this?

who've suddenly gone dark? we've reached out to their editors, told them the wi-fi is temporarily down. they've agreed not to report it, but i don't know for how long. the pentagon has taken us to defcon 3. and i think we should consider the decapitation strike scenario. someone is trying to take down the top tier of our government in one swoop. it's being considered. the president and the vice president suddenly out of commission at the same time? that's why it's being considered! sir, i think it's time to discuss the line of succession. are we at worst-case scenario? whatever's going on, we need an acting president. has anyone reached out to the speaker of the house yet? he's on air force one. he and the prime minister were college buddies, so he went to the funeral. was his itinerary public knowledge? there was no reason to hide it. okay, let's convene the national security council, get the chief justice down here.

is next in line. (low, indistinct conversation) elizabeth... do you know the chief justice? madam secretary. yes, i... i actually took your constitutional law class at uva. (chuckles) (whispers): i got an " a." (whispers): i remember. madam secretary, excuse me. i was hoping to come by and bid my farewell today, so i'll just do that now. heck of a way to spend my last day as national security advisor. what do you mean? you're resigning? yes. i gave my notice last week. you must have heard. i had no idea that it was official. afraid so. my wife has some health issues. i'm very sorry to hear that. thank you. it's been a pleasure to serve. senator gates and his staff are here. well, it's been some time since i found myself in this room. senator gates, you are, uh, familiar

national security council? oh, yes, yes, of course. yes, yes, uh, very, very unfortunate circumstances that we have to meet under. uh, do we have any news? no. we are still out of communication with air force one, but measures are being taken to upgrade the status. oh, well, i guess in the meantime, then, we need an acting president, mm-hmm. in accordance with the succession act of 1947, that would be you, senator. right, well, then, uh... let's proceed, shall we? the chief justice will administer the oath. uh, oh, here. it's a formality, but you will also need to resign your position in the senate. (chuckles): uh, n... no way. no, i never agreed to that, mm-mm. no, no, no, it's-it's, uh, just protocol. you'll resume your seat once the president returns. mm. oh, all right, right. the president will come back. (chuckles) i mean, he survived one assassination attempt. he's hard to kill. hm. wh... what do you mean, senator? what do you think i mean? talking about that

tried to shoot him. well, that was president ford. ah. of course, you're right. i meant hinckley. where do i sign? um... actually, senator, mm-hmm? i-i believe it is also protocol... you have to state the... full name of the current president. for the record. of course. sure. ronald wilson reagan. i'm sorry. could we ask the senator to... step outside hmm? just for a moment wh-while we prepare? is that all right? that's fine. thank you. sure. (whispers): what the hell? senator gates had a series of mini strokes a few months ago, but we are working diligently to get him through his final term. he has his good days and his bad days.

to take the oath of office for president? probably. to the next in line. the secretary of state. chief justice: madam secretary, if you will place your left hand on the bible and raise your right hand... and repeat after me. i, elizabeth adams mccord, do solemnly swear... i, elizabeth adams mccord, do solemnly swear... ...that i will faithfully execute the office of president of the united states... ...that i will faithfully execute the office of president

...and will to the best of my ability... ...and will to the best of my ability... ...preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the united states. ...preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the united states. good luck, ma'am. (sighs) thank you. give me miles, lots of miles, under starry skies above. don't fence me in. let me fly any time, any airline that i love, don't fence me in. give me a mile and a half for every buck i spend. double my miles when the first year ends. no annual fees, no blackouts, let the fun begin.

get the discover it miles card. here are some slides from my research trip down in nashville. now, here i am at the airport. here i am trying classic nashville hot chicken with a spicy, smoky flavor. here i am thinking, man, this would be great with my crispy, hand prepared chicken. here i am, writin' down the recipe. and here i am, with kfc's new nashville hot chicken. straight from nashville for a limited time only.

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i was gonna go. omelets and... and home fries and a... glutenous chocolate something. (laughs) mmm. i actually have to go to work. that's too bad-- i ordered it when you were in the bathroom. what? mm-hmm. you're gonna have to eat it alone, then. i'm sorry-- i have to go. come on. i'm gonna be late. you're an intern-- it's not like you can get fired. so, um, what does your dad think about all these mysterious and very expensive hotel charges on your credit card? i think you'll be surprised to learn... the president of the united states of america doesn't do his own bookkeeping. really? yeah. wow. um... but someone is, like, gonna say something eventually. right? if they do, we'll deal with it then. okay. looks like it's going to rain. can i borrow your jacket? yeah.

aw. god, i remember this thing. (laughs softly) it's, like, falling apart. since high school. there's rips everywhere. okay. (laughs) no! that's not fair! mm-hmm. you said i could have it. (laughs) uh... crap. harrison... that, uh, it's not what you think. really? because i think it's heroin. you're supposed to be sober. i am. i am sober. it's-it's, um... it's an emergency stash. i used to hide them in the lining of my coat, and i... i thought i got them all. but i apparently... didn't. uh... come on. you got to believe me. uh... it's an old junkie trick. you can ask anyone. i don't know any

i'm not using, okay? i swear to god. (knocking) (sighs) it's room service. just a minute! agent: mr. dalton, white house secret service. (mouthing) hang on! agent: sir, we have to take you in. harrison: what's going on? we have a situation. finish getting dressed. we'll brief you on the way. we need to get you to a secure location. you, too, ms. mccord. um, i have to get to work. i'm sorry, you're coming with us. (sighs) have a seat. give me a moment. ma'am, can i get you anything? she's fine, thanks, lucy. really?

to get comfortable, bess. oh, there's no danger of that. but i would love a cup of coffee. of course. the jets are an hour away from being within radar range of air force one. we'll be able to determine if it's on a prerecorded flight path. if so, they'll try to get close enough for a visual. excuse me. madam president's former staff is here. we'll be with them shortly. and, lucy, you don't have to call her that. lucy: sorry, sir. the protocol is confusing. tell me about it. send colonel preston in, please. (door closes) if it's any consolation, i'm not enjoying this. in addition to everything else, one of my oldest friends might be dead. why don't we get through it with as little snark as possible. sorry, bess. you're right. henry: hi, guys. may i join you? yes. thanks. i hope i'm not interrupting anything.

his favorite pastime.