Pennsylvania Counts; The Vatican’s Orphans; Ballmer’s Ballgame | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

Pennsylvania Election Integrity and Concerns

• Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state in the U.S. presidential race, with 19 electoral votes and significant campaign spending from both former President Trump and Vice President Harris, totaling $436 million. The state law prevents early processing of mail-in ballots, potentially delaying results and leading to conspiracy theories and violence. (1m52s)
• Al Schmidt, a lifelong Republican and Pennsylvania's Secretary of State, is working to ensure the integrity of the election process and counter misinformation about voter fraud, which he states is not widespread. He emphasizes the security of elections with a voter-verified paper ballot record. (2m37s)
• Schmidt, who previously served on Philadelphia's Board of Elections, investigated claims of voter fraud and found it to be rare and not impactful on major elections like the presidency. (4m16s)

Bella Mama Mia Mary's Adoption Story

• Bella Mama Mia Mary, who grew up in Ohio, discovered she had a large family in Italy. She learned that the church convinced her birth mother to give her up for adoption, prioritizing financial gain over helping her. This revelation led to her anger towards the church. (38s)

Steve Ballmer and the LA Clippers

• Steve Ballmer, the wealthiest owner of a U.S. professional sports franchise, purchased the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion and invested another $2 billion in building a new facility. (1m15s)

Pennsylvania Secretary of State's Efforts

• Secretary of State Al Schmidt is visiting all 67 counties in Pennsylvania to promote election security and encourage voter registration, emphasizing the importance of voting in the upcoming election on November 5th. (4m39s)
• Schmidt is engaging with local communities, including a visit to a fair in Columbia County, to build trust in the voting system, addressing concerns such as allegations of deceased individuals voting. (5m2s)
• Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro appointed Al Schmidt, a lifelong Republican, as Secretary of State to demonstrate a commitment to pro-democracy values and ensure free, fair, and secure elections. (6m12s)
• The role of Secretary of State, often seen as administrative, is highlighted as crucial for maintaining voter confidence in the electoral process, whether voting by mail or in person. (6m50s)

Pennsylvania Election Delays and Misinformation

• In the 2020 election, Pennsylvania experienced delays in counting votes due to a high volume of mail-in ballots, which cannot be processed until Election Day morning, leading to a prolonged period before results were announced. (7m19s)
• The process of handling mail-in ballots involves multiple steps, including dealing with double envelopes and unfolding ballots, which is time-consuming and contributes to the delay in election results. (7m36s)
• The delay between polls closing and announcing results is seen as a vulnerability that can be exploited to undermine confidence in the election outcomes. (8m32s)
• The delay in counting ballots in Pennsylvania has been exploited to spread misinformation, such as claims of truckloads of ballots and zombie voters. There have been calls to align Pennsylvania's election process with other states by allowing election workers to start processing ballots before election day, but legislative division has hindered reform. (8m50s)
• Pennsylvania's election officials emphasize patience as they work to count votes with integrity, and they focus on providing truthful information to voters. The process of counting millions of votes is time-consuming, but officials are better prepared now than in previous years. (9m37s)

Trump's Election Denial and Potential Violence

• Former President Donald Trump continues to claim that he won Pennsylvania in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, despite losing in 2020 by about 880,000 votes. His refusal to accept the election results and his rhetoric have contributed to ongoing misinformation and division. (11m20s)
• Concerns exist about potential violence and threats to public officials if Trump refuses to accept future election results, similar to the unrest seen in 2020. Election officials, both Republican and Democrat, are worried about the implications of such actions. (12m2s)
• During the 2020 presidential election, the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia was a focal point as Al Schmidt oversaw the counting of a record 375,000 mail-in ballots, mostly from Democratic voters. Despite demands from Trump to stop the count, officials continued their work amidst protests and police presence. (12m28s)
• The vote counting process in Pennsylvania continued despite calls from the President of the United States to stop the count. After four days, the race in Pennsylvania was called for Joe Biden, securing his victory in the presidential election. Al Schmidt, involved in the vote counting process, faced violent threats from supporters of former President Trump, which included specific threats to his family and required him to relocate for safety. (13m15s)

Vatican Orphan Program and its Impact

• During the 1950s, the Catholic Church in Belgium separated thousands of newborns from their unwed mothers, often without consent, and put them up for adoption. Pope Francis recently apologized for these forced adoptions. From 1950 to 1970, the Vatican sent 3,500 Italian children to America on orphan visas, although many were not orphans but children of unwed mothers. Many mothers later searched for their children, discovering they had been sent overseas. (15m5s)
• John Campitelli, an American adoptee, was reunited with his Italian birth mother after searching for over a decade. Born Pierro Davi in 1963, his mother Francesca was forced to give him up, and he was sent to a Catholic institution. His birth records were altered to declare him an orphan, making him eligible for adoption and a U.S. visa. Francesca never intended to permanently give him up and had no idea he would be sent to America. (16m2s)
• Piero Davi was one of thousands of children born out of wedlock in Italy who were repackaged as orphans by the Vatican and sent to the United States, despite their mothers not consenting to adoption or being aware of their children's relocation. (18m2s)
• The Vatican's orphan program was facilitated by a 1950 U.S. law that broadened the definition of an orphan to include children with one parent who could not provide care, leading to a significant increase in adoptions. (18m13s)
• Many mothers were unaware that their children were being sent to the United States and had no recourse to reclaim them, as the church often misled them or obtained consent through deceitful means. (18m34s)
• Author Maria Laurino uncovered the Vatican's orphan program through church archives, revealing that consent forms were sometimes signed by doctors or lawyers without the mothers' knowledge, and some women were falsely told their children had died. (18m52s)
• Laurino found letters from distraught mothers pleading for the return of their children, including one to Reverend Andrew Landi, an American priest in Rome who ran the orphan program. (20m15s)
• Pope Pius XII personally saw off the first group of children in 1951, and thousands more followed, despite many having living parents. The church charged $475 per child, equivalent to about $4,500 today. (20m46s)
• The demand from American Catholics led to local priests being sent to find more children, turning the program into a large-scale operation to send babies born out of wedlock to the United States. (21m23s)
• John Catelli, one of the adopted children, had a loving family in New York but became obsessed with finding his birth mother after discovering he was adopted, highlighting the emotional impact on the children involved. (21m49s)
• The surname "Davi" was fabricated by the state to sever ties, but eventually, an Italian newspaper published the story, leading to a breakthrough where someone recognized the mother. In 1991, the individual spoke to his mother for the first time, expressing nervousness and emotion upon finally connecting with her. (22m3s)
• After exchanging photographs, the individual traveled to Italy and immediately recognized his mother upon seeing her, feeling a strong resemblance and emotional connection. He moved to Italy, learned Italian, and connected with his birth family, but the experience did not erase the suffering caused by the church's actions. (23m0s)
• The church's orphan program, which sent children to the United States, is still defended by the church as providing a new life for the children. However, the program's leader, who died in 1999, never expressed regret, believing in the program's merit. This explanation is criticized for treating women as disposable and not considering their struggles. (23m52s)

Mary Rato's Adoption Story

• Mary Rato, an American adoptee, frequently visits Italy to see her birth family. She had a happy upbringing in Ohio but longed for a large family, which she discovered she had. In 1992, she met her birth mother, Anna Maria, and was struck by their similarities. (24m39s)
• Mary Rato and her mother continue to learn about each other, and it took years for Mary to ask why she was given away. She learned that her mother was in a desperate situation, lacking basic necessities, and instead of receiving help from the church, her children were taken away. (25m23s)
• Anna Maria shared her experience of having her child, Christian, sent to a church-run institution, where she was falsely informed by nuns that he had died. Decades later, Christian discovered the truth that he had been put up for adoption without his mother's knowledge. Anna Maria described the situation as a swindle and expressed her emotional turmoil upon learning that her son was alive. (26m11s)
• The Vatican's orphan program, which ended in 1970, continues to have lasting effects on those involved. Mary Rato expressed anger towards the church, believing that it prioritized financial gain over the well-being of children and their families. She reflected on how her life could have been different without the grief caused by the program. (27m35s)

Steve Ballmer's Journey and Clippers Ownership

• Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO, entered the NBA in 2014 by purchasing the LA Clippers for $2 billion. Since then, the team's value has more than doubled, and they have not had a losing season. Ballmer's net worth has increased significantly, and he remains passionate about the team. He believes the new arena, the Intuit Dome, will help the Clippers surpass the Lakers and eventually win an NBA title. (28m22s)
• Ballmer, now 68, is the wealthiest owner of a U.S. pro sports franchise. He invested over $2 billion in the new venue for the Clippers, hoping it will enhance the team's performance by energizing fans. His enthusiasm for the team is a continuation of his energetic leadership style from his days at Microsoft, and he aims to support the team both personally and as an owner. (29m30s)
• Steve Ballmer, who previously ran Microsoft, reflects on his time there, noting the pressure he felt daily, but mentions that he doesn't worry any less in his current role with the Los Angeles Clippers, particularly about winning. (30m43s)
• Ballmer's journey began in suburban Detroit, where his father worked at Ford. He attended Harvard, where he became friends with Bill Gates, who later recruited him to Microsoft. (31m11s)
• Initially working in sales and marketing at Procter & Gamble, Ballmer was persuaded by Gates to leave Stanford Business School and join Microsoft's startup, where he received a $40,000 salary and a 9% stake in the company. (32m8s)
• Ballmer and Gates, who had a strong rapport from their college days, often engaged in intense arguments while working together at Microsoft. Ballmer's strategy in these disagreements was persistence. (33m4s)
• In 2000, Ballmer became CEO of Microsoft. Known for his enthusiastic and energetic style, he often motivated software engineers with passionate speeches, which became a trademark of his leadership. (33m35s)
• Ballmer's leadership style was characterized by high energy, which he acknowledges might not suit everyone. He admits that some of his past expressions of enthusiasm are now a bit embarrassing to him. (34m2s)
• Under Ballmer's leadership, Microsoft sometimes prioritized function over form, which occasionally hurt the company. He notably underestimated the impact of Apple's iPhone, dismissing it as too expensive and not appealing to business customers in 2007. (34m34s)
• During Steve Ballmer's tenure as CEO of Microsoft, the company's revenue more than tripled, and he retained most of his stock, making him one of the world's wealthiest billionaires. Despite his wealth, Ballmer maintains a modest lifestyle, living in a four-bedroom house outside Seattle and engaging in significant philanthropy, including giving away nearly a billion dollars in the last 10 months and supporting the nonpartisan USA Facts project. (35m27s)
• Ballmer acknowledges that his wealth and position have changed him, but he strives to remain grounded and not act arrogantly. He expresses that owning a basketball team was never a childhood dream, but he acquired the Los Angeles Clippers as a personal indulgence after retiring from Microsoft. (36m3s)
• In 2014, Ballmer purchased the Los Angeles Clippers after the previous owner, Donald Sterling, was forced to sell the team due to a racist tirade. Ballmer paid a premium price for the team, recognizing its value as one of only 30 NBA teams and its location in a prime market. (36m41s)
• Ballmer is determined to elevate the Clippers' status, acknowledging the challenge of competing with the more successful Los Angeles Lakers. He has invested in upgrading the team's roster by signing star players like James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. (37m56s)
• The Clippers have faced challenges due to not having their own arena, as they have been sharing the Lakers' arena in downtown Los Angeles. To address this, Ballmer is building a new arena in Englewood, where he is involved in every detail of the project, including ensuring there are enough toilets to prevent long lines. (38m21s)
• The arena is designed to enhance the fan experience with contactless technology, minimalistic suites, and a focus on watching the game rather than socializing. (38m53s)
• The arena uses sensors to measure fan noise levels, rewarding the loudest fans with incentives like free hamburgers, to encourage high energy and support for the team. (39m32s)
• Steve Ballmer, the owner, compares the immediacy of feedback in basketball to business, noting that in basketball, performance is measured every 24 seconds, and results are final at the end of each game and season. (40m58s)
• Steve and Connie Ballmer are involved in philanthropy, giving away billions, and believe every child deserves an opportunity. (41m33s)

Nobel Prizes for AI Scientists

• Two scientists, Geoffrey Hinton and Demis Hassabis, were awarded Nobel Prizes for their work in artificial intelligence, with Hinton recognized for artificial neural networks and Hassabis for mapping protein structures. (42m3s)