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Norah O’Donnell returned to CBS Mornings this week in a surprise appearance. The veteran journalist anchored the morning show to promote her highly anticipated new book, We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America, scheduled for release on February 24, 2026. She joined Gayle King and Nate Burleson behind the desk.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Return to Mornings: O’Donnell anchored CBS Mornings with Gayle King and Nate Burleson this week
- Book Release: We the Women drops on February 24, 2026 via Ballantine Books
- Book Tour: A 13-city book tour kicks off February 23 in New York with Gayle King at Temple Emanu-El
- Career Status: O’Donnell still serves as CBS News senior correspondent and 60 Minutes contributor
A Long Career of Breaking Barriers at the Network
Norah O’Donnell stepped away from anchoring the CBS Evening News on January 23, 2026, after five years as the show’s lead anchor. She became only the second woman to solo anchor the evening broadcasts. She follows Katie Couric as the sole female evening news anchor, a position that had been entirely male recently. O’Donnell remains committed to CBS News in a broader role.
During her tenure as Evening News anchor, she continued to interview prominent women from politics, entertainment, and activism. She refused to let sexism derail her career. When interviewing for a White House reporting position at CBS, a senior executive questioned how she would manage with three children. Her sharp response changed the conversation forever.
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We the Women Tells the Stories Nobody Knows
We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America reframes U.S. history by centering overlooked women’s contributions. Co-authored with Kate Andersen Brower, the book spans 416 pages and costs $35 in hardcover. Stories include Mary Katharine Goddard, the printer whose name appears on the Declaration of Independence, and Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to argue before the Supreme Court. O’Donnell admitted her own education left her shocked by how much women’s history remained hidden.
The book highlights Patsy Mink, author of Title IX, which revolutionized women’s athletics. It also features Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor, and sports icon Babe Didrikson.
The Untold History Behind America’s Forgotten Heroes
| Historical Figure | Achievement |
| Mary Katharine Goddard | Printer on Declaration of Independence, treason risk |
| Patsy Mink | Authored Title IX, enabled women athletes |
| Dr. Mary Edwards Walker | Only woman Medal of Honor recipient |
| Constance Baker Motley | First Black woman Supreme Court litigator, federal judge |
O’Donnell’s research revealed shocking timelines. Women couldn’t open credit cards without men until the 1970s. They couldn’t serve on juries in all 50 states until the early 1970s. The right to vote took 44 years after 1876 when Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony stormed Independence Hall with their Declaration of Rights for Women.
“I cannot tell you how many times I have experienced sexism. When I was interviewing at CBS for a position covering the White House, a senior person asked me, ‘How are you gonna cover the White House with three young children at home?’ I felt the blood rush up my neck. But I did not allow his misogyny to change the path of my career. And if I had, I wouldn’t have sat in Walter Cronkite’s chair.”
— Norah O’Donnell, CBS News Anchor
A 13-City Book Tour Launches This Week Across America
Norah O’Donnell announced an ambitious 13-city book tour kicking off on February 23 in New York City. The opening event features Gayle King in conversation at The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center. Cities on the tour include Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, and others. All events include a pre-signed copy of the book. Tickets range from $40 to per venue, and the tour visits bookstores and cultural centers nationwide.
O’Donnell’s return to CBS Mornings marks her first major appearance on the program since leaving the evening news. The surprise appearance highlighted her ongoing connection to her former morning show colleagues.
What Does the Future Hold for Representation in Evening News Anchoring?
O’Donnell raised an important question during her recent interviews. Today, all three major networks feature male evening news anchors exclusively. Tony Dokoupil replaced her at CBS Evening News. She believes women deserve representation in these prestigious roles. “I don’t think it’s a good thing,” she said about the complete absence of female evening anchors across ABC, NBC, and CBS.
However, O’Donnell remains optimistic about younger generations. She notes that women in their twenties don’t apologize for speaking up. They command authority collaboratively and let results speak for themselves. This generational shift, she believes, signals genuine progress in fighting workplace sexism and gender discrimination moving forward.
Sources
- CBS News – Norah O’Donnell interview on We the Women and unsung heroines of America
- The Independent – Norah O’Donnell returns to CBS Mornings as co-host in surprise appearance
- Penguin Random House – We the Women official book details and publication information
