After the Hurricane; Vladimir Kara-Murza; Welcome to the W; The Mezcaleros | Full Episodes

Hurricane Ian Aftermath

• A category 4 hurricane named Helen hit the West Coast of Florida with 140 mph winds, causing damage and loss of life, and residents are now facing the daunting task of rebuilding after the storm (1m50s).
• Two years after hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida, an estimated 50,000 homeowners are still battling their insurance companies, with some alleging that they are being misled by their insurance carriers (2m11s).
• Insurance insiders and licensed adjusters claim that after Hurricane Ian, several insurance carriers used altered damage reports to deceive customers, with some homeowners receiving significantly lower payouts than expected (2m29s).
• Jeff Rapkin, a homeowner in Northport, Florida, experienced significant damage to his home during Hurricane Ian, but received a payout of only $9,000 from his insurance company, Heritage, despite the adjuster's initial assessment that the house would need to be completely rebuilt (4m38s).
• Vladimir Putin has been accused of being a murderer, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a man who was allegedly poisoned by Putin twice and sent to prison, will share his story (42s).
• Caitlyn Clark, the WNBA's Rookie of the Year, is featured in a segment, and the league itself is experiencing a breakthrough season, with increased attendance and interest (1m7s).
• The 60 Minutes team, including Leslie Stahl, Bill Whitaker, Anderson Cooper, Sharon Alfonsi, John Wertheim, Cecilia Vega, and Scott Pelley, will cover these stories and more in a special 90-minute edition of the show (1m27s).
• An insurance adjuster, Jordan Lee, received a call stating that a claim was being settled for $9,000, which he found outrageous, as he had assessed the damage to be much more severe (4m49s).
• Lee had assessed the damage to the Rapkin family's home after Hurricane Ian and found that the metal roof had been blown off and the interior was severely damaged (5m10s).
• Lee is a licensed adjuster in Florida since 2017 and typically leaves his cell phone number with homeowners so they can contact him with questions, but after Hurricane Ian, he received numerous angry calls from homeowners (5m27s).
• Lee compared his original damage report for the Rapkins to the one sent by the insurance company and found that they were significantly different, with his report recommending a new roof and the insurance company's report stating that the roof could be repaired (6m7s).
• Lee discovered that a desk adjuster had deleted entire sections of his report and left his name and license number on it, making it appear as though he had written the altered report (6m35s).
• Lee's original report had estimated the damage to be $231,300, but the insurance company's report was significantly lower (7m4s).
• Lee found that 44 out of 46 reports he had written were altered, with all of the changes reducing the estimated damage (7m42s).
• The altered reports reduced the estimated damage by as much as 98%, with one estimate being changed from $488,000 to $13,000 (7m54s).
• Lee and two other adjusters testified to Florida lawmakers about what they believed was systematic criminal fraud by insurance companies (8m17s).
• Another adjuster, Ben Mandel, also reported that 18 out of 20 reports he had written were altered, and that he and other adjusters were instructed to leave damage off reports (8m34s).
• Mandel stated that six insurance carriers in Florida were involved in the scheme to deliberately underreport damage and that it was not just limited to one carrier (9m2s).
• Mandel refused to participate in the scheme, stating that it was illegal to intentionally leave off damage from reports (9m18s).
• Insurance companies are allegedly manipulating damage reports to minimize payouts, with some companies instructing adjusters to leave off certain damages, such as roofs, from reports, and then firing adjusters who refuse to comply (9m34s).
• Attorney Steven Bush, who represents six whistleblower adjusters, including Ben Mandel, claims that insurance carriers are making policyholders file lawsuits to get their roofs paid for, knowing that most people will not take this step (10m3s).
• Bush states that insurance companies are "playing the odds" and "winning" by betting that most people will not fight for their rightful claims (10m30s).
• Florida's insurance market has been unstable, with at least nine insurance companies collapsing since 2021, and some remaining companies allegedly altering damage reports (10m51s).
• Bush claims to have evidence of insurance companies manipulating estimates in six different states, not just Florida, and that policyholders often have no idea that their claims are being altered (11m0s).
• Doug Quinn, executive director of the American Policyholders Association, argues that insurance companies are not allowed to cheat policyholders who have paid premiums for years, and that there should be legal consequences for such actions (11m49s).
• Quinn believes that putting someone in handcuffs for insurance fraud would be a necessary step to see change in the industry (12m17s).
• Steven Bush has turned over evidence of alleged insurance fraud to state investigators, leading to a criminal investigation in Florida, but no arrests have been made two years after the storm (12m21s).
• Quinn notes that cases of alleged insurance fraud are not being investigated and prosecuted as aggressively as cases involving contractors and public adjusters who cost the insurance industry money (12m50s).
• The extent of the problem is difficult to quantify, but every unrepaired home with tarps and mold tells a story of potential insurance fraud (13m12s).
• The Rafkin family is still dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane that damaged their home, with a split roof that remains unrepaired, forcing them to pay both mortgage and rent on an apartment nearby, as well as $4,000 a year for home insurance that has increased in premiums (13m38s).
• The family has filed a lawsuit against Heritage, their insurance company, accusing it of breach of contract and fraud, with Heritage stating that it aims to pay every eligible claim and had no intention to deceive (14m7s).

Vladimir Kara-Murza's Release

• Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition leader, had warned that Vladimir Putin would threaten world peace, and was poisoned twice and sent to prison before being traded for a prize that Putin could not resist (15m12s).
• Kara-Murza believes that Russia deserves better than to live under a corrupt and repressive dictatorship, and that change will only happen if people take action (15m52s).
• He has fought for a free and democratic Russia throughout Putin's 25 years in power, and was tried for treason last year after denouncing Putin's war on Ukraine (16m34s).
• Kara-Murza thinks that Putin's regime is dangerous and that its actions will eventually affect other countries, and that living in Russia today means being constantly aware of the risks of opposing the government (17m11s).
• He has been a target of Putin's since 2012, when he and Senator John McCain fought for the Magnitsky Act, a US law that seized the overseas assets of people who abused human rights (17m43s).
• Vladimir Kara-Murza was poisoned by Kremlin assassins in May 2015, resulting in a coma and multiple organ failure, with doctors giving him only a 5% chance of survival (18m10s).
• After recovering, Kara-Murza had to relearn basic skills such as walking and eating, and he eventually returned to Russia despite having permanent resident status in the US (18m33s).
• Kara-Murza was poisoned again in 2017 and rehabilitated in the US, but he chose to return to Russia to continue his work as a politician, believing he had to be in his own country to call on fellow citizens to oppose the dictatorship (19m7s).
• Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the longest sentence ever for a political prisoner, after his treason conviction, with the judge in the case being one of the first officials sanctioned by the Magnitsky Act (19m30s).
• During his 2.5 years in Russian prison, Kara-Murza was only able to make one phone call to his wife and two phone calls to his three children, each limited to 15 minutes (20m6s).
• Kara-Murza did not believe he would ever be released from prison, but a miracle occurred on August 1st when he was freed as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated by the US and other countries (20m36s).
• The negotiations, led by President Biden's National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, involved seven countries and the release of a Russian agent named Vadim Krasikov, a notorious assassin and friend of Putin (21m12s).
• The leader of Germany, Olaf Scholz, played a critical role in the negotiations, as Krasikov's release was a central piece of the puzzle, and without it, there would have been no deal (21m41s).
• Chancellor Schultz faced a dilemma in releasing a prisoner who had committed a crime on German soil, but ultimately made a deal with Russian President to release not only Americans but also German citizens and Russian freedom fighters, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, in exchange for a Russian prisoner who had served only 3 years of a life sentence (22m14s).
• Schultz was persuaded to make the deal by President Biden, who asked for his help, and Schultz agreed to do it on a large scale (23m11s).
• Vladimir Kara-Murza was unexpectedly released from prison and handed over to American officials, who told him that President Biden was on the phone to congratulate him on his release (24m56s).
• Kara-Murza spoke with President Biden, who told him that he had been wrongfully detained for a long time and that the US was glad he was free (24m59s).
• Kara-Murza's release was part of a larger prisoner swap that included several Germans, three Americans, and eight Russian dissidents (24m10s).
• As Kara-Murza left Russia, his captors warned him to be careful about what he ate, implying that he might be poisoned again (24m26s).
• Kara-Murza was met by a lady diplomat who handed him a phone to speak with President Biden, and later met with the President in the Oval Office along with his family (25m8s).
• Jake Sullivan, who had worked on the prisoner swap, described the day as a "very good day" and noted that it was a rare opportunity to actually protect human rights and freedom (25m40s).
• Vladimir Kara-Murza quoted a Jewish scripture, saying "he who saves one life saves the entire world," and expressed gratitude to President Biden and Chancellor Schultz for their role in his release (26m4s).
• Vladimir Putin has attacked Ukraine, a country that meant him no harm, which is a common behavior of dictators who consolidate control domestically and eliminate opposition before moving against others (26m32s).
• Putin is considered a murderer, and being in opposition to him entails serious risks, as seen in the case of Vladimir Kara-Murza, who remains in the US with his family (27m7s).
• Despite the risks, thousands of people in Russia have publicly spoken out against Putin's regime and the war in Ukraine, even at the cost of personal freedom (27m42s).
• Vladimir Kara-Murza has spoken out against Putin's regime and has won the Piter Prize from prison in Russia, and has been allowed to write for the Washington Post and 60 Minutes (28m18s).

WNBA's Breakthrough Season

• The WNBA has reached a turning point, with a strong rookie class and established stars blending together seamlessly, resulting in a 153% spike in TV ratings from last season (29m4s).
• The league has become a prominent player in the modern sports landscape, with players like Caitlyn Clark making a significant impact, including a memorable moment where she ruptured her eardrum on a screen (29m30s).
• Clark has spoken about the physicality of the league and the memorable moments that come with it, including the eardrum rupture, which has become a defining story of her season (30m21s).
• The WNBA has expanded its reach, with fans coming from all over, including New Finland and Canada, to watch games and support their favorite players (30m38s).
• Caitlyn Clark, a 22-year-old rookie, led the Fever to the playoffs and is the League's main attraction, but not the only one, as Angel Reese made her mark as the best offensive rebounder in the league. (30m47s)
• The real breakthrough star of this WNBA season is the league itself, building off a college season where the Women's Championship Game outdrew the men's, and WNBA games can draw more eyeballs than NBA games, with league-wide attendance up 48%. (31m6s)
• Nefisa Ker, this season's Defensive Player of the Year, was drafted in 2019 and bridges two eras of the WNBA, and she mentioned that the difference this year is the crowds, which makes the game more fun, especially when playing away and silencing the crowd. (31m26s)
• Ker enjoys playing in front of a full crowd, even when it's rooting against her, and finds it more fun to hit a big three or block in a packed arena and hear the crowd's reaction. (31m57s)
• The WNBA debuted in 1997 with eight teams paired with eight existing NBA teams, but despite instability and franchises coming and going, the league has given a generation of girls aspiration and inspiration. (32m19s)
• Caitlyn Clark grew up in Iowa, already running circles around the boys, and her dad took her to see a WNBA game in Minnesota, which inspired her to add distance to her jump shot, and she even extended her range by dumping more concrete in her driveway to create a three-point line. (32m42s)
• Leah Boston, Clark's Fever teammate and last season's Rookie of the Year, had grand ambitions from a young age, initially wanting to go to college, but later aiming to be the number one pick, and making the WNBA became a secondary goal. (33m14s)
• The 2024 draft class, including Clark, Reese, and Cameron Brink, seems to have an unusually high level of confidence, which is rare and amazing, with no signs of impostor syndrome. (33m42s)
• The WNBA is considered the league of choice for basketball purists, with a focus on passing, precision, and smart play, and although the men's league is fun and athletic, the WNBA plays the game "the right way." (34m2s)
• The WNBA has 12 teams with 12 players each, consisting of 144 of the world's best players, including A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, a three-time MVP, and Diana Taurasi, who is still playing in her early 40s (34m29s).
• Caitlin Clark, a WNBA player, has a trademark shot, a jumper from just inside midcourt, known as the logo 3, and she has confidence in shooting from that distance (35m7s).
• Clark's shooting range is not strictly defined, as she sometimes feels closer to the basket than she actually is, and she gauges the distance by looking at the size of the logo at center court (35m33s).
• The WNBA has seen significant growth, with corporate sponsors arriving, and the league recently signing a media rights deal worth $200 million per season, a three-fold increase (36m30s).
• WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert attributes the league's success to players like Caitlin Clark, who has brought new fans to the league, but also emphasizes that the league is not just about one player (36m52s).
• The commissioner highlights the importance of rivalries and competition in sports, but notes that this season has also seen an increase in vitriol and racist targeting of players, which is not acceptable (37m33s).
• The WNBA has announced plans to expand from 12 teams to 16, and for the first time, players will travel on charter flights, which is seen as a positive development for player recovery (37m55s).
• Nefisa Ker recalls the old days of the WNBA, where players had to stay in team-accredited hotels, often two to a room, and now they can stay in five-star hotels and fly private, feeling like professional athletes (38m29s).
• The WNBA's surge and success this season is about more than just basketball, with players owning the social media space and engaging fans (38m51s).
• Players like Caitlyn Clark are now wanting to get paid, with the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations between the league and the players, and are seeking fair salaries, with the median NBA player salary being roughly $12 million (39m15s).
• Nefisa Klier, a union leader, will be at the bargaining table and wonders if the WNBA will share revenues with its players, like the NBA does, roughly 50/50 (40m3s).
• Klier notes that the WNBA is not asking for the same salaries as the NBA, but rather revenue shares, which is what the NBA players receive, and that's how they can close the gap (40m25s).
• The women of the WNBA will continue to work towards their goals, building on this watershed season, and keep "shooting their shot" (40m38s).

The Rise of Mezcal

• Mezcal, a handcrafted spirit, has gained popularity and is now found in cocktail bars and Michelin-starred restaurants, with a significant increase in production over the past decade (42m19s).
• The name "mezcal" comes from the Aztec word for "cave," and the vast majority of it is made in the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico, where family-owned distilleries are common (42m58s).
• Mezcaleros, like the Aranda brothers, Armando and Alvaro, harvest agave year-round, but it takes up to 30 years for some varieties to ripen, and the process of making mezcal is labor-intensive and traditional (43m23s).
• The Aranda brothers are fourth-generation mezcaleros from an indigenous Zapot family and learned the craft from their father, Silvero, and they run Malamore, one of Matatlán's largest distilleries (44m3s).
• The brothers make mezcal without hurry, using traditional methods and not adding anything to speed up production, and they conserve all the traditions they were taught (44m17s).
• Mezcal has been distilled in Mexico since the 1600s, and Mexicans have been drinking it at various occasions, including baptisms and funerals, and it's worth noting that tequila is a type of mezcal made with blue agave (44m51s).
• Artisanal mezcal resists machinery, and the agave is roasted in underground pits, crushed by a horse-drawn mill, fermented in wooden barrels, and distilled twice in copper vats (45m14s).
• The mezcal industry is now worth half a billion dollars a year, but in the 1980s and 1990s, production could barely support the Aranda family, and the price of mezcal was very low (45m53s).
• Armando and Alvaro Aranda left Mexico in the 1990s to work in the United States, with Armando leaving first and Alvaro joining him later, and they spent a decade working in bars and restaurants before returning to the family business (46m27s).
• Alvaro began to dream about returning to the family business when artisanal became popular, and he drew up plans for the distillery, which he showed to Armando (47m18s).
• Armando and Alvaro Hernandez, brothers from a small town, started making mezcal, a type of spirit made from the agave plant, and were initially met with skepticism by Armando's brother-in-law, who thought it wouldn't be profitable (47m30s).
• However, after noticing that shots of mezcal were selling for $10 each, Armando's brother-in-law became interested, and the brothers decided to ramp up production, partnering with John Rexer and Hilberto Marquez of the El Silencio brand (47m55s).
• El Silencio is made from 100% espadin, a type of agave that ripens quickly, and the brand has become one of the top-selling mezcal brands, starting humbly with Rexer searching for a steady supply of mezcal to serve at his bar in Guatemala (48m3s).
• Rexer would take a 24-hour bus ride to find mezcal producers, often relying on locals to introduce him to their uncles or cousins who made good mezcal (48m37s).
• Rexer's operation wasn't exactly legal, and he even dressed up as a priest to smuggle mezcal across the border at one point (49m6s).
• Rexer met the Hernandez brothers through his friend Hilberto Marquez and was impressed by their small but high-quality production, eventually asking to buy all 10,000 liters they had, which took them two years to make (49m31s).
• The partnership between Rexer and the Hernandez brothers has grown, producing 3,000 bottles of mezcal a day, mostly for export, with each bottle certified by the Mexican government (51m11s).
• The artisanal mezcal produced by the partnership is considered high-quality and is not meant for shots or diluting, with a focus on tasting the agave flavor (51m32s).
• Mezcal can be enjoyed in cocktails, such as a spicy Margarita, as an introduction to the spirit for those trying it for the first time (51m37s).
• Hoven is a type of mezcal that is young, unaged, and colorless, with a spicy taste but not a strong smoky flavor (52m1s).
• Aging mezcal is a Mexican tradition, and Ilal does it in American Oak, similar to how bourbon is made, resulting in a darker color and different flavor profile (52m27s).
• The Ilal brand was acquired by Bacardi, the largest privately held global spirits company, in a deal worth $100 million, raising questions about how to preserve the artisanal production and values of the brand (53m7s).
• The acquisition is expected to benefit the community, with the Pena now employing 100 people from Matatlán and beyond, including the 87-year-old Mescalero, Armando (53m55s).
• The Aranda brothers are expanding the family pen, with construction underway, and see their success as the Mexican dream (54m23s).
• Mezcal tourism in Oaxaca is helping to fuel the economy, but some producers fear it's moving too fast, and the state is working to balance growth with preservation of traditional methods and values (54m41s).
• Oaxaca is one of Mexico's poorest states but has one of the fastest-growing economies, driven by agriculture and tourism, with tens of thousands of families producing mezcal for a living (55m2s).
• The state is home to 16 different indigenous groups, more than anywhere else in the country, and has a rich cultural heritage, including the preserved ancestral capital of the Zapotec people at Monte Albán (55m59s).
• Puerto Escondido, also known as the "hidden port," attracts surfers worldwide who come to ride the massive Zicatela break in the Pacific, also called the Mexican pipeline (56m21s).
• The region is also famous for its food, particularly the rich stew made with dozens of ingredients called "seven moles," and hundreds of varieties of small-batch mezcal (56m35s).
• Many tourists visit the rural communities of Oaxaca to experience the real mezcal distillery, or palen, where they can see the traditional production process (56m50s).
• John Douglas, a bar owner from Kentucky, regularly visits Oaxaca to learn about the production of mezcal and to bring back bottles to the US (56m58s).
• The production of mezcal involves a smoky, well-choreographed process, including the roasting of agave, which is typically done in clay pots (57m14s).
• Graciela Angeles Carreño, a well-known mezcalera, has been making mezcal since it was more bootleg than above board, and her family has been involved in the production of mezcal for generations (57m27s).
• Carreño's family distills 11,000 liters of mezcal a year, producing around 8,000 bottles, many of which sell for upwards of $100 (58m6s).
• The production of artisanal mezcal is a combination of science and intuition, and it comes with a unique funk that is developed during the fermentation process (58m17s).
• Graciela showed how she knows when the mezcal is ready for the next step by listening to the sound of the fermentation, which is similar to the sound of a stomach (58m53s).
• The Perez family, who own a palen, also produce mezcal using traditional methods, including roasting the agave over an open fire, which is a community ritual (59m14s).
• Lo Perez, a fifth-generation mezcalero, is taking over the manual labor from his father and is passionate about the production of mezcal, which he believes brings joy to those who drink it (59m56s).
• Lo walked through his agave variety, which includes unique names like "M," and explained that each gives a distinct taste, such as herbal, mineral, or earthy (1h0m25s).
• However, the mezcal produced by the Perez family cannot technically be called mezcal because it is not certified by government-approved regulators, despite being made in the right region using the right methods (1h1m5s).
• Lo Perez does not bother with the bureaucracy of getting his mezcal certified, and instead focuses on producing high-quality mezcal that is appreciated by those who drink it (1h1m22s).
• Mezcal producers do not need government certification to ensure the quality of their product, as they know what is inside their bottles is authentic Mezcal ISC (1h1m47s).
• The brand that bottles the Perz family's product for export has to label the uncertified Mezcal as "distilled agave" in bars around the world, which has become a selling point for small-batch enthusiasts (1h1m56s).
• Graciela Caro chose to drop the denomination of origin for her Mezcal two years ago, focusing on her plants, as once an agave is harvested, it does not grow back, and it takes 30 years to give its best (1h2m17s).
• Mezcaleros obsess over their agave to avoid repeating Tequila's mistakes, as over-planting of Blue Agave used in Tequila has rendered that plant more susceptible to disease (1h2m41s).
• Graciela Caro worries that the same could happen to Mezcal's workhorse variety, Espadin, as it is often planted exclusively (1h2m54s).
• On the world market, what people want most is not Espadin, but wild Agave, which has its own problems, as some species of agave are vanishing due to increased Mezcal production (1h3m8s).
• Graciela Caro germinates the seeds from 12 varieties in her nursery to help preserve the agave plant (1h3m25s).
• Graciela Caro is concerned about the future of the agave plant in Oaxaca, citing economic success but also environmental and cultural costs (1h3m31s).
• She believes that the Mezcal industry needs to slow down and recognize the importance of preserving the agave plant and the cultural heritage of Mezcal production (1h4m1s).