FRESH

Hacker News

Home

Inside CECOT – 60 Minutes [video]

1665 points by lawlessone

by gmd63

3 subcomments

Larry Ellison is using his bags to purchase lies and silence.
No economy can be in true equilibrium when the consumers send profits to be spent in unforeseen and unrelated ways like this. Every purchase carries potentially immense future costs that are almost completely opaque.
Free market maximalists need to confront this fact before praying at the altar of complete deregulation, and every consumer should pay more attention to who they are buying from.

by paulvnickerson

17 subcomments

Here's why Bari Weiss delayed the story:
Hi all,
I’m writing with specific guidance on what I’d like for us to do to advance the CECOT story. I know you’d all like to see this run as soon as possible; I feel the same way. But if we run the piece as is, we’d be doing our viewers a disservice.
Last month many outlets, most notably The New York Times, exposed the horrific conditions at CECOT. Our story presents more of these powerful testimonies—and putting those accounts into the public record is valuable in and of itself. But if we’re going to run another story about a topic that has by now been much-covered we need to advance it. Among the ways to do so: does anyone in the administration or anyone prominent who defended the use of the Alien Enemies Act now regret it in light of what these Venezuelans endured at CECOT? That’s a question I’d like to see asked and answered.
- At present, we do not present the administration’s argument for why it sent 252 Venezuelans to CECOT. What we have is Karoline Leavitt’s soundbite claiming they are evildoers in America (rapists, murderers, etc.). But isn’t there much more to ask in light of the torture that we are revealing? Tom Homan and Stephen Miller don’t tend to be shy. I realize we’ve emailed the DHS spox, but we need to push much harder to get these principals on the record.
- The data we present paints an incongruent picture. Of the 252 Venezuelans sent to CECOT, we say nearly half have no criminal histories. In other words, more than half do have criminal histories. We should spend a beat explaining this. We then say that only 8 of the 252 have been sentenced in America for violent offenses. But what about charged? My point is that we should include as much as we can possibly know and understand about these individuals.
- Secretary Noem’s trip to CECOT. We report that she took pictures and video there with MS-13 gang members, not TdA members, with no comment from her or her staff about what her goal on that trip was, or what she saw there, or if she had or has concerns about the treatment of detainees like the ones in our piece. I also think that the ensuing analysis from the Berkeley students is strange. The pictures are alarming; we should include them. But what does the analysis add?
- We need to do a better job of explaining the legal rationale by which the administration detained and deported these 252 Venezuelans to CECOT. It’s not as simple as Trump invoking the Alien Enemies Act and being able to deport them immediately. And that isn’t the administration’s argument. The admin has argued in court that detainees are due “judicial review”—and we should explain this, with a voice arguing that Trump is exceeding his authority under the relevant statute, and another arguing that he’s operating within the bounds of his authority. There’s a genuine debate here. If we cut down Kristi Noem analysis we’d have the time.
My general view here is that we do our viewers the best service by presenting them with the full context they need to assess the story. In other words, I believe we need to do more reporting here.
I am eager and available to help. I tracked down cell numbers for Homan and Miller and sent those along. Please let me know how I can support you.
Yours,
Bari

by scratchyone

6 subcomments

I have a feeling this will get DMCA-ed off of Internet Archive in an attempt to suppress it. Here's the infohash of the archive.org torrent download for future reference, this should allow the file to be retrieved in any torrent client as long as someone in the world is seeding it still.
8105370ed7dba50dc7ec659fd67550569b4dd8a0

by rubyfan

2 subcomments

The timing of this might lead one to believe Paramount’s hostile takeover bid for Warner Brothers Discovery is a consideration in their editorial decisions. They and their competitor (Netflix) need regulatory approval for such a merger and the administration has already inserted itself into the deal.

by pjdesno

2 subcomments

Bryan Cantrill, "Do not fall into the trap of anthropomorphizing Larry Ellison" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15886728
The specific lines about Ellison and a lawnmower start at 38:28 in the linked video; the entire Oracle rant starts at about 34:00.

by tl

5 subcomments

I recommend everyone bookmark the archive.org link or download via the magnet link since HN is disappearing these.
Also, any recommendations for a news site that doesn't suppress news? Asking for a friend.

by pwthornton

3 subcomments

Fascinating how this got leaked. A TV station in Canada accidentally ran the original episode version, implying that this was pulled super late and the episode was completely in the can.

by r721

1 subcomments

>Here is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her ‘60 Minutes’ colleagues in full:
https://x.com/grynbaum/status/2002943084322287815

by sans_souse

0 subcomment

Direct Download link if anyone needs it is https://archive.org/download/insidececot/60minutesCECOTsegme...

by empath75

4 subcomments

People in the US now have to use VPN’s to get access to domestic news from a foreign country. I think it’s fair to say that the wheels have come off democracy and things are badly broken.

by tastyface

1 subcomments

As a companion piece, here is ProPublica's recent report trying to determine who exactly was sent to this torture camp: https://projects.propublica.org/venezuelan-immigrants-trump-...

by czottmann

0 subcomment

Here's the magnet URL to the torrent, can't hurt:

    magnet:?xt=urn:btih:734abc77f48d11c78543c52004b6f57db71d6d92&dn=60minutes-cecotsegment&xl=1483256352&tr=http%3A%2F%2Fbt1.archive.org%3A6969%2Fannounce&tr=http%3A%2F%2Fbt2.archive.org%3A6969%2Fannounce&ws=http://ia601703.us.archive.org/32/items/&ws=http://ia801703.us.archive.org/32/items/&ws=https://archive.org/download/

by jmward01

1 subcomments

This is why we need archive.org.

by why-o-why

3 subcomments

Too bad the only people that will watch this are people who already understand the terror of what is happening. It might have helped a little if it had aired. My MAGA dad still watches 60 Minutes (no idea why, habit?) This might have penetrated his TDS-addled skull if it had aired. But the takeover of CBS by Trump and Ellison (and his 1980's-college-villain son) with Weiss is complete, and vile.

by ProllyInfamous

3 subcomments

<https://www.muellershewrote.com/p/watch-the-60-minutes-cecot...>
This is disgraceful [0], whatever your opinion on illegal immigration.
[0] deporting non-citizens to 3rd-party countries/prisons

by Scoundreller

3 subcomments

Funny how it leaked out by sending it off to their Canadian distributor

by slg

6 subcomments

I'm reminded of the Letter on Justice and Open Debate[1] that Bari Weiss signed only a few years ago, now she's spiking stories like this one on CECOT for showing the current administration in a negative light.
I also wonder if this story will get the type of leeway to stay on HN to collect the 200+ upvotes and 300+ comments of that previous example or if it will be flagged off the front page within minutes like so many other similar stories.
EDIT: No idea how long this post actually lasted, but checking in an hour later to see this has been flagged completely off the first 10 pages of HN despite getting close to that 200 point total.
[1] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23759283

by cdrnsf

1 subcomments

Additional context:
> The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that the men sent to El Salvador were overwhelmingly violent criminals; Pro Publica reported that the administration knew at least 197 of the men had not been convicted of crimes in the United States, and six had been convicted of violent offenses.
https://www.404media.co/archivists-posted-the-60-minutes-cec...

by kg

1 subcomments

For context, this report was suppressed by CBS News' new leadership, most likely to appease the US government.

by vdupras

1 subcomments

This, and Larry Ellison buying all news outlets in America. Things should be happening quickly enough so that it's obvious where this is all going, right?
Whoever writes the next "Inglorious Basterds" should have a lot of fun parodying Larry...

by JKCalhoun

0 subcomment

Using the torrent, you should be able to pull it down in a few minutes.

by bparsons

1 subcomments

No matter what your politics are, this is a pretty dark turn for the United States.

by ordinaryradical

4 subcomments

Corruption is not merely something someone in power enacts in their choices; it is a rot that eats out the society from the inside.
As individuals realize that nakedly appeasing the autocrat wins favor, they voluntarily corrupt themselves and others in hopes of advantage.
More and more of the society enters the grip of this force and weakens until the truly valuable things—its resources, minds, institutions—are annihilated, stolen, and displaced by a hierarchy of criminals or warlords. This is how nations sink. It’s the story of many in Africa, South America, Russia—and now it is our own.

by frugalmail

0 subcomment

Anybody watch Nick Shirley's tour and interviews at CECOT? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrK9nVLAqwk
I thought he did a great job.
I'd love to hear what others that have seen both think since I'll want to put aside some time to watch this one after all the holiday hustle and bustle are done.
I think it's a great model based on what Nick's tour showed.

by rldjbpin

0 subcomment

stepping outside the (geo)politics, externalizing deportation to a third country has been attempted in the past as well [1], which ultimately did not succeed. this was also partly due to the ridiculous cost per deportee.
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38275396

by kenjackson

3 subcomments

Ironically, this might end up being more widely watched now (Streisand). I’ve seen multiple people on my Facebook link to different sources hosting the video. People who never would’ve heard about the story are now watching it through the lens of Trump and CBS trying to kill the story.

0 subcomment

by engineer_22

1 subcomments

I expected a piece titled "Inside CECOT" to have a part where the principal journalist actually goes there.

by g-b-r

2 subcomments

Something I hadn't heard yet about CECOT: https://www.lemkininstitute.com/single-post/mass-grave-compl...

0 subcomment

by ChrisArchitect

1 subcomments

Archive links are all good in the comments, but let's make the submission url one of the story links with context:
CBS defends pulling 60 Minutes segment about Trump deportations
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrnv3keeneo
or
‘60 Minutes’ Pulled a Segment. A Correspondent Calls It ‘Political.’
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/business/60-minutes-trump...

by postflopclarity

0 subcomment

everybody involved is evil.

by UltraSane

0 subcomment

This should NOT be flagged.

by nutjob2

1 subcomments

The oligarchy is in full effect. This is exactly how it works, ie you scratch my back I scratch yours. Ellison kills this CBS report, he gets approval on buying WBS, or more to the point NetFlix doesn't. Same with Musk, Middle East dictators and all the others lining up for favors from Trump. Also he and his family is enriched in various ways by all the pardons he hands out.
It's nauseating, but this is where Republicans live these days. The midterms can't come soon enough.

0 subcomment

by anonym29

2 subcomments

I believe information wants to be free, and should be free, even when I don't unanimously agree with the information, so I will start by re-sharing the torrent magnet link for the video, which I am also seeding right now, and will continue to do so until at least a full month passes with zero activity:
```
  magnet:?xt=urn:btih:734abc77f48d11c78543c52004b6f57db71d6d92&dn=60minutes-cecotsegment&xl=1483256352&tr=http%3A%2F%2Fbt1.archive.org%3A6969%2Fannounce&tr=http%3A%2F%2Fbt2.archive.org%3A6969%2Fannounce&ws=http://ia601703.us.archive.org/32/items/&ws=http://ia801703.us.archive.org/32/items/&ws=https://archive.org/download/
```
That said, there seems to be lots of conspiracy-adjacent talk in here. Has anyone considered the impact of the previous Trump lawsuit against CBS over the Kamala Harris edits, or the Trump-BBC lawsuit, whereby CBS made a business risk decision to avoid a story that might have some individual aspects of questionable factual accuracy that could come back to bite CBS in a courtroom, like how BBC's selective edits of Trump came back to bite them? Paramount/CBS settled Trump's lawsuit over the Kamala Harris "60 Minutes" edit for $16 million in July. BBC is getting sued for $10 billion. It's not economically irrational for an organization that has already settled lawsuits for selective presentation of political information in the past to be more worried about $10b lawsuits than $16m lawsuits.

by pavel_lishin

1 subcomments

There are other links here as well: https://www.404media.co/archivists-posted-the-60-minutes-cec...

by tonetheman

0 subcomment

[dead]

by LarsDu88

4 subcomments

How long before Hackernews takes this one down?

by mrjay42

5 subcomments

Why all those articles on HN are "flagged"? And by WHOM?
I've been watching this 60min piece, and there's nothing wrong with is. It's journalism well done.
Do Trumpist minions have their ways on HN?

by lbrito

3 subcomments

Thanks for sharing. The way things are here, this will soon be censored - sorry, I meant flagged - here as well.

by misiti3780

2 subcomments

[flagged]

by miguellacorte

4 subcomments

[flagged]

by ProofHouse

4 subcomments

[flagged]

by offtotheraces

0 subcomment

[flagged]

by tohnjitor

3 subcomments

[flagged]

by constantcrying

1 subcomments

[flagged]

by aerostable_slug

1 subcomments

[flagged]

by _3u10

4 subcomments

It’s saved so over 15,000 lives and protected the human rights of millions of Salvadorans. Truly a great accomplishment.
I’m excited to see what positive coverage CBS has of this great development in human rights in El Salvador.

by kardianos

5 subcomments

Bari Weiss had editorial comments that forced a delay. If you want to read her comments, look for them:
https://x.com/thesimonetti/status/2003142908854313225
They seem reasonable. The person doing this 60 minute segment has also pushed false stories in the past, which make her concern more relevant.