All Blog Posts from Couric & Co.

A lot of people ask me what I look for in an Assignment America story.

Typically, I'm looking for something heartwarming or humorous. But sometimes a story doesn't have to be either. Sometimes a story just has to be fun to watch.

In the TV news business we pitch those kinds of stories to our bosses by saying they have "great visuals." If a story has "great visuals," we'll make up any reason to call it news and put it on the air.

Last night's 60 Minutes was a perfect example. If you saw the piece about people jumping off of cliffs wearing bird suits, that was epitomy of "great visuals." The story won't win them another Emmy for investigative journalism, but it was wonderful eye-candy.

Likewise, tonight's Assignment America won't win me any Cronkite comparisons, but it'll be a heck of a lot of fun to watch.

It's about a group of college students who set out to make the most amazing basketball shots ever caught on camera. No, it won't make you laugh or cry, but I guarantee it'll keep you glued to the screen.

As a follow-up, I'm hoping they next try to make a basket while jumping off a cliff wearing a bird suit! Of course, I'd have to fight 60 Minutes for that story.

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I used to think of myself as a generous person. If somebody drops a glove in an airport, assuming I’m not in a rush, I’ll often pick it up for them. When I’m in a convenience store I’ll usually leave a penny rather than take a penny. Or if somebody wants the shirt off my back, I’m always willing to sell it to them for a fair price.

Steve Hartman's Full Story Here

But this week I learned what it really means to be generous. In fact, I don’t think I’ve met a more generous, empathetic man in all my life.

Friday, I get the pleasure of telling, and you get the pleasure of watching, the story of Tom Chappell. I just finished putting his story together and I’ve already watched it a dozen times myself. I may watch it a dozen more times before the broadcast on the Evening News with Katie Couric. I do that sometimes when a story really makes me feel good and Tom Chappell makes me feel good.

Tom lives in a trailer in Phoenix, Arizona. He squeaks out a living driving a cab for V.I.P. taxi. His story began a few months ago when a cranky woman got in his cab and immediately started scolding him for being late. Most cab driver’s would have probably barked right back, but not Tom. Tom listened to her vent, found out the real reason she was so irritable, and eventually offered her his kidney. And no, I don’t mean that metaphorically. He really offered her his kidney! Obviously, that gesture alone makes for a great story.

But this tale is just getting started. So please make an appointment to be a near a TV Friday so you can meet this remarkable cab driver. That’s my tip for the day.

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What do you think is the best idea for a new business?

1) Taco ingredient home delivery
2) Flavored ice cubes - for those who want a hint of lemon in their drinks, but don’t want to use an actual lemon.
3) A bar on wheels
4) A taxi cab where people don't have to pay if they don’t want to.

And no, you can’t say "none of the above."

These ideas are all the brain children of 46-year-old Eric Hagen of Burlington, Vermont. For the last several months he’s been trying to come up with a way to supplement his income.

Fortunately for Eric, he does have a day job. He helps run blood drives for the Red Cross. Also fortunately for Eric, his friends talked him out of actually following through on any of his ideas. All but one, that is.

A few weeks ago Eric started the "Recession Ride Taxi Service."
His motto is "Pay What You Want."

I went up to Burlington this week to meet Eric because, believe it or not, he’s actually making money. Yes, some people don’t pay the going rate. But many others are paying MORE than the going rate. They say they like the idea of being trusted to pay a fare that's fair. Eric's convinced he’s stumbled on a new business model. Although when I asked him what other businesses might be able to use "pay what you want" pricing, he struggled, "um…delivery services, ahh, other taxi cabs, umm, couriers, ahh, delivery services…"

Too bad. I was hoping to get a steal on a new car.

To see Eric’s full story, please tune in for tonight's Assignment America on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

When you trip on the sidewalk, do you get mad at yourself?

Or do you get mad at the sidewalk?

The 92-year-old woman in tonight's Assignment America gets mad at the sidewalk -- or, more specifically, she gets mad at "the bastards" at the city who didn't properly maintain the sidewalk.

Kathleen Harris has been giving those city officials an earful for years and tonight she brings her bluntness to the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

Of course, there are a lot of seniors who have unkind words for their elected officials (look no further than my father), but what makes Kathleen different is what she has done to make the "SOBs" accountable.

A few years ago, after she tripped on a sidewalk in her hometown of Oswego, NY, and nearly broke her nose, Kathleen tried to get the city to pay her doctor bill. The city refused -- citing a New York State law that says a city can't be held liable for a sidewalk problem unless someone notified the city, in writing, about the problem before the accident.

It's a good out for the city because, really, who in their right mind is going to go to the trouble of documenting every single crack on every singe sidewalk in town?! No one! -- but Kathleen Harris, of course.

Kathleen has now completed the 4 year project. She now knows every piece of pavement that isn't flush to within a quarter of an inch. And she has turned her log sheets over to the city -- all 10,000+ entries.

So what is the city going to say next time someone trips over a sidewalk and wants to sue? I don't know, the city attorney isn't returning my phone calls. But if I hear from her this afternoon I'll be sure and report it in tonight's broadcast. If not, you'll still hear from Kathleen. And believe me, she's worth tuning in for all by herself.

Steve Hartman is a correspondent for CBS News based in New York. His weekly Assignment America segment airs Fridays.

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If you’ve got kids in elementary school, you won’t want them to miss tonight’s Assignment America. On second thought – maybe you will want them to miss it. All I know for sure is that, after they see this story, they’re going to be even less excited about doing homework.

But for good reason.

This week I interviewed a 5th grader from Long Island, N.Y., who is trying to ban homework. It all started when Ben Berrafato had to write an essay about something he felt passionately about. Since he hates doing homework, he wrote about that. It was such a well-crafted essay, the New York Daily News ran it on their editorial page.

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Read Ben's essay here.

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He’ll be reading some of the essay for us tonight on the Evening News with Katie Couric. I also looked into some of his claims that homework has been proven to be a waste of time. And low and behold ...

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Okay, so you've heard "man's best friend" cliche over and over. But one dog moved on to a bigger - much, much bigger - mammal to befriend. She was the subject of Friday's Assignment America with Steve Hartman. Meet Tarra and Bella, the pachyderm-canine duo of the Tennessee's Elephant Sanctuary.

Happy Halloween, guys and ghouls. Do you ever get reminiscent for the Halloween of childhood ... ah, the sugar highs, the Nixon masks and "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" on TV?

Well, this year, a different sort of "Great Pumpkin" will be getting airtime tonight, thanks to our Assignment America correspondent Steve Hartman and producer Linda Karas. They trekked over to Frerichs Farm in Warren, R.I., this month for the annual pumpkin weigh in ... and found some gourds that were truly outstanding in their field.

Here's a little awww-inducing preview, thanks to grower Steve Connolly. Be sure to check out Steve and Linda's full report tonight on the CBS Evening News.

Talk about aiming high. For this week's Assignment America, Steve Hartman met a little boy with very tall dreams ... 19344 feet tall to be exact. He wants to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro — and he's 7 years old.

For an early peek, just click the monitor at left. And be sure to join us for the full story tonight.

Steve Hartman previews tonight's broadcast, including his very special Assignment America.

For an early look at his touching story, just click the monitor at left.

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As we do every Friday, we have Steve Hartman providing the First Look at tonight's Evening News, with a preview of his Assignment America feature on an art teacher who adopted one of his students.

Click on the monitor for more.