This week on "Sunday Morning" (Oct. 25)

October 23, 2026 / 10:14 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. "Sunday Morning" also streams on the CBS News app beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. (Download it here.) Hosted by Jane Pauley Escape artist and illusionist Harry Houdini, pictured in handcuffs, elbow irons and thumbscrews, courtesy of the Berlin police, Germany, October 1900. Library of Congress/Donaldson Collection/Getty Images COVER STORY: The mystery of Houdini's deathHarry Houdini, the greatest escape artist who ever lived, died 100 years ago on Halloween – a fact that has only burnished his image as a daredevil who often cheated death. Correspondent David Pogue examines the life, and after-life, of a man who seemingly performed the impossible while also debunking seances and fake mystics; and looks into the mystery surrounding Houdini's death at age 52.For more info: "Harry Houdini and the Art of Escape" by David Denby (newyorker.com)New Yorker staff writer David DenbyHistorian and collector Roger Dreyer (Houdini Revealed)"Houdini: The Man Who Died Twice" by Larrian Gillespie (Cipher House Books), in Trade Paperback and eBook formats, available via AmazonLarrian Gillespie ALMANAC: October 25"Sunday Morning" looks back at historical events on this date. WORLD: Israeli electionsMatt Gutman reports from Tel Aviv. A ghost sign for Duluth Imperial Flour in Little Falls, N.Y. In the late 19th century the Minnesota-based milling company produced more flour than almost any other; by the early 20th century it had closed. Ronald Ladouceur ENVIRONMENTS: Ghost signs: Faded reminders of the pastThey're painted advertisements from long ago, for businesses that may have since died. But remnants of these "ghost signs" still remain, haunting our urban spaces. Correspondent Conor Knighton talks with marketing expert Ronald Ladouceur about the origins of these outdoor ads; and with artist Craig Winslow, who is bringing ghost signs back to life. For more info:"Ghost Signs – A Brief History" by Ronald Ladouceur (YouTube)Ronald Ladouceur, Massry School of Business, SUNY AlbanyLight Capsules Project by Craig WinslowMOVIES: "The Mosquito Bowl" and the human cost of warThe new Netflix film "The Mosquito Bowl" recounts the true story of All-American football stars who volunteered for the Marines following Pearl Harbor – and fought in the Battle of Okinawa, the last and costliest World War II battle in the Pacific. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin talks with director Peter Berg ("Friday Night Lights") about translating the story of young men trained for war to the screen.To watch a trailer for "The Mosquito Bowl," click on the video player below: The Mosquito Bowl | Official Trailer | Netflix by Netflix on YouTube For more info:"The Mosquito Bowl" opens in theaters October 30; streams on Netflix beginning Nov. 25"The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II" by Buzz Bissinger (Harper), in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.orgThe Battle of Okinawa (National World War II Museum) PASSAGE: In memoriam"Sunday Morning" remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week. One of the most famous residents of the Tower of London. CBS News WORLD: The Tower of London's RavenmasterLegend warns that if the ravens leave London's Tower of London, the monument would crumble – as would the British monarchy. Correspondent Seth Doane meets the man charged with caring for these feathered protectors of the realm. For more info: Tower of London | Ravens Experience HARTMAN: TBD Actress Parker Posey. CBS News SUNDAY PROFILE: Parker PoseyIn the 1990s actress Parker Posey became a breakout star in independent films like "Party Girl," and was dubbed "The Queen of the Indies." Recently she earned an Emmy nomination for "The White Lotus," and is featured in the new Martin McDonagh film "Wild Horse Nine." She talks with correspondent (and fellow summer theater school classmate) Mo Rocca about her Southern upbringing, and how her parents inspired her acting.For more info: "Wild Horse Nine" (Searchlight Pictures) opens in theaters Nov. 6"The Mob," hosted by Parker Posey, premieres October 26 on Hulu COMMENTARY: David SedarisFor more info:"The Land and Its People: Essays" by David Sedaris (Little, Brown & Co.), in Hardcover, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.orgdavidsedarisbooks.com Missy Mazzoli (center) appears onstage following the Metropolitan Opera's world premiere of "Lincoln In The Bardo," at Lincoln Center, October 19, 2026, in New York City. Jenny Anderson/Getty Images MUSIC: How punk rock and MTV inspired opera composer Missy MazzoliComposer Missy Mazzoli is the first woman ever to have an opera premiered by the Metropolitan Opera. Based on the award-winning novel by George Saunders, Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek's "Lincoln in the Bardo" depicts Abraham Lincoln mourning his 11-year-old son, Willie, whose passing has led the young boy to a threshold place between the living and the dead. Correspondent Faith Salie talks with Mazzoli about the opera and the influence that punk rock and music videos had on her work. For more info: "Lincoln in the Bardo" at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City (through Nov. 14)Missy Mazzoli (Official site)Luna Composition Lab"The Galloping Cure" courtesy of Scottish Opera, Edinburgh International Festival, Opera Ventures ProductionsNATURE: Hoodoos in UtahWEB EXCLUSIVES: Prison stories by CBS Sunday Morning on YouTube MARATHON: Prison stories (YouTube)This collection of "CBS Sunday Morning" stories offers a glimpse inside the American prison system, showcasing the lives of those incarcerated within.Meet the prison grandmaThe Gainesville Tornadoes thank their unexpected fansA visit to a prison rodeoFormer inmates, guards revisit AlcatrazJudge spends night in jail with man he sentencedVoices from "The Q": A prison podcastPrison in the time of coronavirusDwayne Betts and his mission beyond prisonPanettone: Sweet treat from inside prisonA zoo for rescued animals, beneath a Key West jailPrison labor, an invisible workforce of the U.S. economyThe Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison."Sunday Morning": About usDVR Alert! Find out when "Sunday Morning" airs in your city "Sunday Morning" also streams on the CBS News app beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. (Download it here.) Full episodes of "Sunday Morning" are now available to watch on demand on CBSNews.com, CBS.com and Paramount+, including via Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon FireTV/FireTV stick and Xbox. Follow us on Twitter/X; Facebook; Instagram; YouTube; TikTok; Bluesky; and at cbssundaymorning.com. You can also download the free "Sunday Morning" audio podcast at iTunes and at Play.it. Now you'll never miss the trumpet! Do you have sun art you wish to share with us? Email your suns to SundayMorningSuns@cbsnews.com.