Shania Twain and World Cup grass lead CBS Sunday Morning lineup
CBS says the July 19 show will feature Twain, FIFA turf science, Carol Bove, Ted Danson and a Big Bang Theory spin-off.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Shania Twain, World Cup-ready grass and a collapsing sitcom multiverse are all on the menu for the July 19 edition of CBS News Sunday Morning, with Lee Cowan stepping in as guest host.
CBS says the Emmy-winning program airs on CBS at 9 a.m. ET and begins streaming on the CBS News app at 11 a.m. ET. The episode’s cover story will be Robert Costa’s report on gridlock in Congress.
The sports segment heads straight for the pitch. Correspondent Conor Knighton reports on the natural grass required for World Cup play under FIFA rules, including the challenge of staging matches in venues that normally use artificial turf. CBS says the piece looks at special grass varieties designed for different climates and playing conditions, including use inside domed stadiums.
Dr. John Sorochan, a distinguished professor in turfgrass science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is featured in connection with FIFA’s work on grass for the tournament, according to CBS.
The arts segment turns to New York’s Guggenheim Museum, where artist Carol Bove has a retrospective featuring large bent and warped steel sculptures. CBS says Faith Salie speaks with Bove about work meant to draw visitors into a playful, curious space. The exhibition is listed by the museum as running through Aug. 2.
Twain sits down with Seth Doane for the music feature. CBS describes the interview as a look back at her childhood in rural Ontario, where she sang country songs in bars, as well as family hardship, divorce, Lyme disease-related voice loss and her late-20s record deal. The network identifies Twain as the top-selling female country artist of all time.
The singer is also promoting a biographical album, Little Miss Twain, which CBS says is available for pre-order ahead of a July 24 release.
TV, commentary and a judge’s life with MS
On the television side, Luke Burbank previews Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, an HBO Max comedy spinning out of The Big Bang Theory. CBS says the series stars Kevin Sussman as comic book store owner Stuart Bloom, who becomes an unlikely action hero as the universe falls apart. Lauren Lapkus and creators Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Zak Penn are also interviewed. The show debuts July 23, according to CBS.
Actor Ted Danson delivers a commentary on aging creatively. CBS says the segment cites studies linking positive views of aging and strong social networks with health benefits, including memory and life expectancy.
Another commentary comes from Rolling Stone writer Barry Walters, author of Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000. CBS says Walters discusses Sam Smith’s ballad My Guy and its place in LGBTQ love songs.
Dr. Jon LaPook interviews Judge Ronald Gould of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle. CBS says Gould, 79, continues to carry a full caseload while living with progressive multiple sclerosis. LaPook also speaks with Karla Gilbride, one of Gould’s former law clerks and an attorney who has been blind since birth.
The episode also includes the Almanac feature for July 19, an In Memoriam passage, a Steve Hartman nurse story and a nature segment listed by CBS as still to be announced.
Online extras
CBS is also offering web exclusives tied to the program, including an archive interview with political cartoonist Pat Oliphant, who died July 13 at age 90. The 2000 segment features Morley Safer speaking with Oliphant about caricature, censorship and French cartoonist Honoré Daumier.
Other online extras include a hot dog-themed video collection and galleries on notable deaths in 2026 and summer music highlights.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.