captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, the shifting invasion-- russia repositions some troops but increases attacks in the south, as civilians resort to desperate attempts to escape the war zone. then, looking for relief-- president biden announces plans to release one million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve in an effort to lower gas prices. and, investigating the insurrection-- former president trump's son-in-law jared kushner testifies before the january 6th committee. we discuss the latest on the probe with representative zoe lofgren. >> what has unfolded here, i think, is more serious than the threat that was posed by

watergate to our country. >> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> with fidelity wealth management, a dedicated advisor can tailor advice and recommendations to your life. that's fidelity wealth management. >> the kendeda fund. committed to advancing restorative justice and meaningful work through investments in transformative leaders and ideas. more at kendedafund.org.

>> carnegie corporation of new york. supporting innovations in edation, democratic engagement, and the advancement of international peace and security. at carnegie.org. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions: and individuals. >> this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: president biden said today there was "no clear evidence" that the russians were

scaling back their military operations around the ukrainian capital, despite that assertion from moscow yesterday. the u.s. has seen some redeployments of russian troops, but not in sizeable numbers. meantime the russian attacks, and ukrainian resistance, grind on, most fiercely in the east and southeast of ukraine. the international committee of the red cross said it had secured an agreement to evacuate civilians from besieged mariupol, but those plans have been blown away by russian shells in the past. but we start well north of there, in ukraine's second city: harr'kiv. special correspondent jack hewson again begins our coverage. >> reporter: a once residential area in north eastern kharkiv, now a ghost town. the horror continues even as russia pledged to stop the attacks. today another russian missile hit a pipeline, cutting the gas supply to thousands of residents.

the attack triggered a massive fire that burned dozens of local shops. >> ( translated ): our apartment block was hit by three missiles, people were left without entry doors. where are we supposed to live? look at us, look at my clothes. that's how we live. >> reporter: elsewhere in the north, russian troops are now pulling out of the chernobyl nuclear plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster. the russians seized the facility in the early days of the invasion. today, ukraine's nuclear operator reported russian soldiers were exposed to“ significant doses” of radiation from digging trenches around the highly-contaminated site. ukraine said those troops are now moving toward the belarus border, where the u.s. expects russia to resupply and redeploy them elsewhere in ukraine. the ukrainians are not letting up their defense. this week they recaptured towns and villages near kyiv, where dead russian soldiers now lay.

ukrainian fighters, eager to take away any russian weapons left behind. >> ( translated ): we will win. and >> ( translated ): we will win, we will be victorious because we are on our land, and this is a huge advantage we have over the enemy. >> reporter: as russian forces struggle, today president putin authorized drafting nearly conscripts into the army. he said it had nothing to do with ukraine. but the issue of conscription has been contentious in the war. earlier this month mr. putin claimed all soldiers were“ professional,” but russia's chief defense spokesman said that was not the case. >> ( translated ): unfortunately, we have discovered several facts of the presence of conscripts in units taking part in the special military operation in ukraine. >> reporter: u.s. officials say russia continues to reposition its troops away from the capital. but despite promises of de- escalation, russia intensified its offensive in the southeast as it focuses on the donbas region. in the north, heavy shelling continues to hit kyiv, chernihiv and kharkiv. there was a renewed onslaught of russian artillery that hit the

north east of kharkiv today, with approximately 380 impacts recorded. according to firefighters we spoke to this was the heaviest week they had experienced since the beginning of march. so contrary to russian claims, there is no observable reduction in russian military activity in kharkiv. in reality, the bombardment is getting worse. farther south in mariupol, russia promised a one-day ceasefire, but ukraine said a new humanitarian convoy headed to evacuate trapped civilians was stopped at a russian checkpoint. in washington today, president biden said he's seen no sign of moscow scaling back its offensive. >> depending on your view of putin, i'm a little skeptical. it's an open question whether he's actually pulling back and going to say i'm just going to focus on the donbas and i'm not worried about the rest of e country. >> reporter: meanwhile in berlin, a ukrainian delegation met with germany's economy minister as the country is trying to reduce its dependency on russian energy. putin threatened to halt gas exports if they're not paid for

in rubles, beginning tomorrow. >> ( translated ): today i signed a decree that establishes the rules for trading russian natural gas with the so-called unfriendly states. in order to purchase russian natural gas, they must open ruble accounts in russian banks. >> reporter: earlier this week, putin's spokesman dmitry peskov insisted russia will cut off all gas supplies if countries don't adhere to the new rules. and as peace talks are expected to resume tomorrow, in another address to his nation last night, ukraine's leader said the suffering was expected to grind on. >> ( translated ): these are only words. so far no specifics. there is a real situation on the battlefield. and now, this is the most important thing. we ill not give up anything. and we will fight for every meter of our land, for every person. >> reporter: for the pbs newshour, i'm jack hewson in kharkiv, ukraine. >> woodruff: the city of zaporizhya lies in the southeast of ukraine, along the dnieper river. it's very close to the frontlines, and so far remains in ukrainian hands. in the early days of the war,

fighting at its nuclear power plant put the entire world on edge. now, things have settled down there somewhat, but zaporizhya has become a way station for thousands trying to escape russian attacks. special correspondent volodymyr solohub is there for us. >> reporter: zaporizhzhia is relatively calm now. but the routine here is anything but routine. the city has become a major logistics center for those fleeing the war in mariupol and other towns in southeast of ukraine. we have evacuated around 112,000 people to central and western parts of ukraine since the beginning of the war. we serve as a sort of layover hub. if all of those evacuees stayed here, tens of hundreds of thousands of people, it would be very difficult for the city. most of the evacuees stay overnight and keep going to central and western ukraine. >> reporter: this is estate's

main hub. those fleeing the horrors of war come to this processing center to seek help moving further from the fighting. you can see the damage on the cars arriving here. victoria was forced to live three weeks in the basement of an apartment building in mariupol with her six-year-old daughter and two elderly parents. she told us the daily struggle to even cook. >> ( translated ): we would put a pot a fire outdoors, add some water, start cooking. when they would start bombing, we would run back into our basement, then come back to see if it's ready. a lot of young guys helped us with whatever they could. before the war, you would call that looting. now it's just some help. >> reporter: staying in mariupol was, of course, very dangerous. but fleeing the city was both dangerous and uncertain since they didn't have internet access. >> on march 19, when we were watching our apartment burn, we realized we needed to leave, but

we couldn't leave our neighborhood. we were too afraid. some people left at 4:00 a.m., packed their cars and drove. some didn't make it and were turned back. there were no evacuation buses whatsoever. >> reporter: and while the worst is behind victoria and her family, their future is uncertain. as she walks into this welcome center, she says she's not really sure what's next for her. for many, the road from mariupol and other besieged cities in eastern ukraine took days before finally reaching this parking lot of a hardware store on the outskirts of zaporizhzhia. and inside, they can get some clothing for those who had very little time to pack before fleeing the war. and here, they're being greeted by the volunteers and social workers. they can get some food and hot drinks, and for the first time, feel some sort of normality. they arrive here with children, pets, and the few belongings they could tyke with them.

many are confused, frightened, and not sure what to do next. but all of them ask the same question: why did this happen to their city? one of the main problems of mariupol, according to both the experts and those who fled the city, is the absence of air defense systems. if they had a proper air defense, russians wouldn't be dropping 1,000-pound bombs on civilian objects. zaporizhzhia also needs a proper air defense system. this will protect both our civilian objects and chemical plants and other dangerous facilities. >> reporter: we discussed the need for more air defense systems with a ukrainian fighter jet pilot. his location, face, and real name could not be disclosed. he asked us to refer to him by his call sign, "juice." >> right now we need some soifiet systems from our allies, "which are mastered by our

crews. every day we are using our systems. ed. >> reporter: how big of a game changer that would be if ukraine was to receive these types of weapons? >> reporter: while ukraine is waiting for more air defenses systems, people from mariupol and other towns and cities in southeastern ukraine continue living the horrors of war, whether in the basement, of

their homes, or making the death-defying journey to safety. for the pbs newshour i'm volodymyr solohub >> woodruff: our coverage of the war in ukraine is supported in partnership with the pulitzer center. >> woodruff: in the day's other news, president biden ordered the release of one million barrels of oil a day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve for the next six months. he said it could help control soaring gasoline prices. previous releases failed to have much effect, but the president said he is hopeful. >> my guess we'll see it come down, and continue to come down. but how far down? i don't think anyone can tell. but it will come down, and it could come down fairly significantly. it could come down, the better part of, anything from 10 cents to 35 cents a gallon.

it's unknown at this point. >> woodruff: in response, oil prices fell sharply in new york trading, back to $100 a barrel. we'll return to this, after the news summary. parts of the deep south are recovering from a night of severe storms and tornadoes, including one that killed two people in the florida panhandle. the huge weather system blasted its way across six states, with hundreds of reports of wind damage. storms toppled trees and smashed homes. by early morning, workers were rushing to clear the wreckage, and crews began trying to restore widespread power outages. the state of washington today became the first in the nation to create a statewide alert system for missing indigenous people. the governor signed the measure, modeled after amber alertsor missing children. advocates say it is aimed primarily at native american women, who suffer sharply higher rates of violence than whites do. in turkey, a prosecutor has

asked that a trial involving the killing of jamal khashoggi be moved to saudi arabia. the "washington post" columnist disappeared in 2018 at a saudi consulate in istanbul. 26 saudis have been on trial, in absentia, for nearly two years. the transfer request comes as turkey is trying to repair relations with saudi arabia. israeli forces killed at least two palestinians today in the occupied west bank. shoong erupted when troops entered a refugee camp, hunting suspects in tuesday's killing of five people in israel. afterward, palestinians marched in a funeral procession. and, the militant group islamic jihad announced a mobilization of its fighters. back in this country, a leading republican senator confirmed he'll oppose ketanji brown jackson's nomination to the u.s. supreme court. lindsey graham of south carolina supported jackson for a federal appeals court slot last june.

today, he said he now believes she is too far left. >> i find judge jackson to be a person of exceptionally good character, respected by her peers and someone who has worked hard to achieve her current position. however, her record is overwhelming in its lack of a steady judicial philosophy and a tendency to achieve outcomes in spite of what the law requires, or common sense would dictate. >> woodruff: so far, maine senator susan collins is the only republican to back jackson's nomination. but her support, if joined with all 50 senate democrats, would be enough to ensure confirmation. hillary clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and the democratic national committee will pay $113,000 to the federal election commission. the penalties involve the so- called "steele dossier," which made allegations about then- candidate donald trump and russia. it was largely discredited later. the clinton campaign was accused

of covering up paying for the research. it admitted no wrongdoing. postmaster general louis dejoy announced today that the u.s. justice department has closed an investigation of him, without bringing criminal charges. it involved political fundraising at his former logistics business. dejoy was appointed to his post by former president trump. on wall street, stocks finished their worst quarter in two years, as major indexes fell 1.5%. the dow jones industrial average lost 550 points to close at 34,678. the nasdaq fell 221 points. the s&p 500 slipped 72. and, the space tourism venture blue origin launched and landed its fourth flight today. the six passengers included a blue origin engineer and a university professor. their capsule blasted off just after sunrise in west texas. it flew as high as 66 miles,

then drifted back to earth under three parachutes. still to come on the newshour: the transgender community marks a day of visibility as more state laws target l.g.b.t.q. youth. an economic historian discusses the global impact of sanctions on russia. how the slapping incident at the oscars is sparking difficult but important conversations. plus much more. >> woodruff: as we reported earlier, president biden announced unprecedented action today to reduce the pain at the gas pump. lisa desjardins explains. >> desjardins: putin's price hike"-- that's what president biden calls the surge in gas prices since russia invaded ukraine five weeks ago. and today, he announced a

historic effort to lower those costs. he said the administration would release 180 million barrels of oil from the strategic reserve over the next six months. at one million barrels per day, that is the largest release in u.s. history. and it amounts to roughly a third of the reserve's current supply. joining me now to help us understand what this means is patrick de haan, who tracks and analyzes oil markets. he's the founder of the popular site, gasbuddy. patrick, let's just start right away. how significant is this? what do you make of it? >> well, i think it's very significant. it was la gely unexpected, surprising,s and it's a significant amount of crude oil. keep in mind that the president had previously announced two other releases of 50 million barrels last fall, and 30 million barrels shortly after russia. to come out just shortly thereafter from the previous announcement, and announce another 180 million barrels, it

certainly caught me off guard. >> desjardins: that's the interesting thing. those previous two releases didn't seem to affect prices or at least didn't bring them down. what do you think about this idea? will this affect prices? the president says 10 cents to 35 cents but mitch mcconnell calls it a drop in the bucket. what do you think? >> well, i think a drop in the bucket is just dismissing something-- dismissing the idea that maybe didn't oridgeinate with him. i think there will be an impact. i don't know if it will be as high as 35 cents, but somewhere a 10-25 cent a gallon range. what i'm concerned about is there are plenty of volatile situations, especially russia, ukraine, covid, and china, that could potentially offset part of the expected decrease should the oil prices suddenly reverse or the situation in russia with ukraine escalate. >> desjardins: help us understand the world markets right now. as i said, the president calls this putin's price increase. how much of the price increase

that americans are experiencing right now is related to ukraine? how much is still global, oil supplies, and maybe other factors? >> i think there's just-- there is some level of accuracy as referring to the last two months of increases as being associated with putin. for, without putin's war on ukraine, the u.s. probably would not have to respond with sanctions so part of this at least could be blamed on putin's move into ukraine. now, having said, that gas prices were already fairly high prior to the war on ukraine. the national average was already at about $3.30. so much of the increase since that $3.30 national searnlg likely attributed to the war in ukraine, but prior to that, a lot of the increase i could blame on covid, which upended norms between supply and demand. and, of course, oil prices early in the pandemic plummeted, only for the economy to recover, and for then demand to recover much

faster than supply. >> desjardins: this is a historic release in its amount. some critics say this is not what the strategic reserve is for. that it's for emergencies. do you think that there is enough left in the reserve to deal with any potential other supply shocks that we may not be able to predict? >> i think that's certainly a point of contention that can be debated. you know, it is a situation that the u.s. created through sanctions. those sanctions have plenty of merit. this is not an emergency that is unexpected, and so i would have to say, you know, part of me agrees that potentially, this is not an emergency situation, and that we leave the nation more vulnerable to if one of those emergencies does arise, where we can't do anything about it. and, certainly, the situation that the u.s. has put us into, the administration, is avoidable, whether or not sanctions were necessary is one

thing, but this situation is of the u.s.' choosing. >> desjardins: patrick de haan, i see that heat map behind you. i take it that's prices. a lot of americans want to see those colors dim in the near future. but we know you'll stay on top of it. thank yofor joining us to talk about it. >> thanks for having me. >> woodruff: as we heard, oil prices have mostly climbed since russia's invasion of ukraine. that's one key part of the larger economic fallout from the war and from the tough sanctions the u.s. and many other countries have imposed on russia in response. our economics correspondent, paul solman, looks at the global impact of these moves. >> reporter: columbia university's adam tooze has chronicled the biggest economic events in recent history; from

nazism to covid, world war i to the crash of ¡08. so what does the crisis in ukraine mean for the global economy? >> one thing we're worrying about is energy, and the other thing we're worrying about is food. >> reporter: worrying about soaring prices, since russia is a key supplier of oil and gas to much of the world. and together russia and ukraine export so much of the world's wheat. >> the shock of the war, the prospect of uncertainty in markets, which as far as energy were concerned already very tight, and in the black sea, through which the grain has to travel, the actual fact of the shooting war and ships being sunk has led to a interruption in supply and then speculators get hold of the story and the market rises if you like anticipating future shortage. and it's those two effects which are really going to be decisive, not just for the rich countries of the world, but in a sense even more significant for low income countries. >> reporter: how worried are you? >> i'm seriously concerned about the countries most

disadvantaged. if you are ethiopia, if you're egypt, if you're tanzania, if you're kenya, the low income countries with huge import bills, this is a very, very dangerous situation. the very worst case scenario one we have to contemplate now is that there will be a flat out interruption of supply, a so- called "stock out" where countries run out of key fuels like diesel, which for low income countries are vital not just for driving tractors, but for generators, which are the backup power source when the electricity grid fails. >> reporter: so how much of a problem to the world food supply is what's going on now? >> the shock to the world food supply is much more significant than to the world's energy supply. the because russia and ukraine together add up to close to 30% of wheat supply, the very, very large percentage also vegetable oils, which are crucial, say, in indian cuisine. sunflower oil, 80% of that comes out of the black sea region. there is very serious reason to be concerned about the ability of low income countries to afford basic foodstuffs through

the autumn, through the fall and into the winter. and it's the middle east and north africa, sub-saharan africa, whh is really going to be in the crosshairs here of these pressures. >> reporter: but we're america. what about us? >> america should not, i think, exaggerate the scale of its difficulties. the shock to the united states will be felt through the oil market above all. >> reporter: the greater difficulties, says tooze, are those of the russian economy, due to sanctions imposed by the u.s. and its allies. >> the really big bazooka was the announcement of sanctions against the russian central bank. and this is like nothing we've ever seen before. we've done that against iran. we've done that against venezuela. but russia is a far bigger proposition. it's a g20 country in good standing. it has foreign exchange reserves of $500 billion at least, and these are being frozen effectively in new york and in the financial centers in europe. and that is totally indiscriminate.

that is a bludgeoning attack on the russian financial system on the russian currency. the big question mark really is whether or not we will move, and this is a question for the europeans to sanctioning, block blockading, boycotting russia's export of oil and gas. >> reporter: so far the e.u., which relies on russia for gas, oil and coal, has not sanctioned russian energy. but russian oligarchs have been targeted. >> this is popular. you saw the folks in congress applauding president biden as he promised to go after their yachts and so on. >> tonight, i say to the russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who built billions of dollars off this violent regime, no more. >> i think we'd like to tell ourselves that the function of the targeted sanctions on the oligarchs is a to make a surgical strike on the inner circle around putin that will force as it were a change of mind on the part of the kremlin, but i think if you honestly look at the power politics of russia since the early 2000s, since the incarceration of the energy baron khodorkovsky in 2003,

that's not really a very convincing story about how politics is made. if those people had been in charge, putin would never have launched his invasion of the ukraine. this is a policy that doesn't suit their interests. >> reporter: or the interests of their megayachts. but what about the rather larger interests of the global trading system? are we seeing a lasting reshaping of the world economy? >> we are seeing a lasting reshaping of the world economy, but i think this war is just part of a broader set of forces that are doing that reconfiguring of globalization. more fundamental or really, is the antagonism between the united states and china. i think we are going to see is globalization in a new key, if you like. the fact of the matter is that as this war is going on, as russia is shelling ukrainian

cities, both ukrainians and europeans continue to consume its gas. so those connections are profoundly resilient. but no one is any longer going to pretend that that connection is going to create a total peace between russia and western europe. >> reporter: no they're not. for the pbs newshour, paul solman in new york. >> woodruff: president biden commemorated transgender day of visibility with a series of announcements and events today. the president's message came as more states passed laws limiting transgender rights. william brangham has more about this day and the battles playing out around the country. >> brangham: judy, the biden administration announced a number of changes to make the government more inclusive, incuding giving trans people the

right to mark "x" for gender identity on their passports. and it announced a series of measures to support the mental health of transgender children. but perhaps most powerfully, in this video message, president biden told trans individuals "your president sees you." >> to parents of transgender children affirming you're child's identity is one of the most powerful things you can do to keep your child safe and healthy. to any transgedner american please know that you're not alone. to parents and children alike, please ask for help. and know this: you're so brave, you belong, and we have your back. >> brangham: this all comes as more than 130 bills targeting transgender rights specifically were introduced in state legislatures this year. just yesterday, oklahoma became the 13th state to sign into law a bill banning transgender women from competing on female sports teams at public schools and colleges.

in arizona, governor doug ducey signed bills targeting trans youth, including one that would restrict access to gender affirming health care. for more on all of this, i'm joined by award-winning writer and activist raquel willis. raquel, great to have you on the newshour before we get to what is happening in the states. i want to acknowledge that today is supposed to be a day of recognition and visibility and celebration, and i'm wondering if it does it feel that way to you? does it feel like today is important? >> today is important for sure for our community, and i think folks are carving out spaces of joy in their everyday life. the trans community has always been here. we've always found ways to survive and thrive and i love that our community does that in the face of all of this legislation. >> brangham: let's talk about all of that legislation because there has been this record number of bills i touched on a few of them. but bills and laws passed in

states targeting different slices of transgender life in america. why do you think this has become such an issue? >> well, it's a banner issue, especially in the aftermath of what has been considered obviously marriage equality, becoming the law of the land. the conservatives have made it their point to go after the trans community. they know ovwhelmingly that we still have a general public that is unfamiliar with the experiences of trans people, many folks, they'll say that they don't know a trans person who live in america. so it is easy for them to take advantage of, you know, a bit of confirmation bias. they know that folks have all of these ideas about us that aren't necessary true. >> brangham: i was struck recently by republican governor of utah, spencer cox, when he was he was vetoing a piece of legislation in his state that was then overturned by the legislature. but when he went to veto that

bill, he said, "rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few." "i don't understand what they're going through or why they feel the way they do, but i want them to live." it does seem that there is a disproportionate focus on trans people in society right now. >> yes, there is. i mean, if you look at many of the testimonials from conservative politicians, a lot of times they don't even know a single case in the state in which they're trying to move this legislation. but either way, i think what we need to see more of is folks who consider themselves to be supportive of a trans community like the democratic party to come out and be on the offense and not just the defense. >> brangham: what are the practical implications of these bills and laws and all these different states? >> well, unfortunately, what we're seeing in texas which has been really, a tentpole, state

for a lot of us by legislation. i mean, there are families that are considering moving or have already and then of course, there are lots of folks who are trans, who just do not feel safe, you know, that impedes their ability to be visible as we're celebrating today. so i think we have to get a grasp on why our experiences are so vital and why we are valid as human beings. >> brangham: what would you say to people who, i mean, it's hard to understand people's motives sometimes, but people who genuinely believe that they are trying to protect women's sports or they are trying to protect their kids from what they think is indoctrination going on in classrooms. what do you say to people like that? >> well, i think that we have to consider that the folks who are overwhelmingly trying to move this legislation to supposedly

protect women for it have never really cared about women's inclusion and different sectors of society previous to this. so i think that that is very telling. i think it also paints an unfair picture. and you know, so my point earlier about the ramifications of that, i mean, we don't want to see an increase in suicidality amongst young people which we know happens when they don't have environments that are affirming, and we don't need to see a stoking of the violence that already exists. i mean, we've already lost a number of trans folks, mostly trans women of color to senseless violence this year. >> brangham: right, that violence is going hand in hand with this rise in these numbers of bills. do you do you see those as connected or those just parallel tracks? >> i definitely see them as connected. i think that we can't disentangle what happens when we hear political rhetoric that says that we shouldn't exist. it says that we don't deserve the same rights as other folks. we don't deserve health care,

housing, and so be ourselves to be loved by our families. i mean, that's the big thing. if you think about the young children who are able to even name their truth to their families, and then finally find support. now, for instance, in places like alabama and beyond, you're seeing criminalization of families that are affirming and loving. that's not okay. >> brangham: that's writer and activist raquel willis, thank you so much for being here. >> thank you. >> woodruff: the house committee investigating the january 6th capitol attack today heard from the closest witness to former president donald trump yet: his son-in-law jared kushner. representative zoe lofgren, a democrat from california is a member of that committee and i spoke with her a short time ago.

congresswoman lofgren, thank you very much for joining us. the january 6 committee today heard from jared kushner. what can you tell us about what he had to say to the committee, or maybe equally important, what he didn't say? >> well, as you know, judy, it's the policy of the committee not to discuss the testimony of the wptses without a vote of the committee, which has not occurred. so i'm sorry, i can't get into that with you. >> woodruff: does his testimony, in your view, help the committee reach its goal, which is understanding what happened on january the 6th of last year? >> well, as you know, we have heard from hundreds, hundreds of witnesses, some very close to the former president, some in his closest inner circle, others not as close. and we're piecing together the information, as you're aware.

there have been some high-profile individuals who have refused to testify, which is wrong. but we're going to great lengths to put together the facts, and then we'll be able to lay it out to the american people. >> woodruff: well, speaking of phone calls, now that we know that there was almost an eight-hour gap in the official phone records provided to the committee, what was going oned in the trump white house on january 6. and now we have learned that the president made at least one phone call during that time to utah senator mike lee. how does that change the work of the committee? >> we know from public reporting there were many phone calls made during that time frame. for example, it's been publicly reported, and certainly not denied, that minority leader kevin mccarthy spoke to the former president in that time frame, along with many others. so we know that phone calls were

made. they should have been recorded on the log. they were not. and so we intend to find out what calls were made and piece together the truth. it's very disappointing that the laws that require these logs were not followed in this cas >> woodruff: well, we know the committee's commission is not to pursue a criminal investigation, but does the fact that you're not getting the whole picture from the records being provided change materially the work the committee has to do? >> well, there are other ways to find out what phone calls were made, and we're doing our best to do that. as i say, life would be easier for the committee if every person who is asked to give us information did so readily, as the law requires. that hasn't always occurred. it would be easier for the committee if the former president had fully complied

with the presidential records act, which, unfortunately, has apparently not occurred as well. but we'll piece together-- it's our intent to find out everything about this whole situation and report it to the american public, so everyone can understand the threat that we posed, and i would say still face, to our democratic republic. >> woodruff: congresswoman lofgren, you were a young staffer in the office of then-congressman don edwards, a member of the house judiciary committee, during the time. watergate, when there were impeachment proceedings against president richard nixon. one of the things you were dealing with was an 18-and-a-half-minute gap in the audio recording in the oval office. how do you compare the gap you're dealing with now with what happened back then? >> i'll just say that what has unfolded here i think is more

serious than the threat that was posed by watergate to our country. >> woodruff: and why do you say that? >> well, i think the threat to the democratic republic was far it, far more serious than in the case of w watergate. just my opinion. >> woodruff: well, and let me ask you in connection with that,s we interviewed on the newshour just a few days ago congressman adam schiff, who is on the january 6 committee with you. he made a point of saying the justice department now needs to move, in his wods, with alacrity, to pursue investigations against those for whom criminal referrals have been voted out of congress. do you share the concern that he expressed that he's worried that justice and the attorney general may be worried about wading into controversy rather than pursuing

an investigation. >> well, the truth is we don't know what the department of justice is doing, and it's really not... the regular order, for the department of justice to report to us. it's not the way they're supposed to act. however, we did refer the mark meadows matter to the d.o.j. for prosecution. we didn't do it lightly. and the former chief of staff has taken the position-- and there is no authority for this in the case law-- that he didn't have to come in and answer the questions. now, if there's a prinl that he wants to assert, he can come in and assert that privilege. and there may be some case where's that privilege would be warranted. but, clearly, in case where's he has already talked about matters, he's waved the privilege, when he was talking to state legislators, not the former president. that wasn't privileged. what he has done is completely

lawless. and i just don't understand what is taking the department of justice so long to actually take some action relative to this. it's, you know, hopefully they are doing some work. we certainly are. >> woodruff: is there any way of conveying that to the justice department, other than speaking out as you are right now in public? >> no, i mean, they have to make their own decisions. i understand that. they cannot and should not take orders from the legislative branch, but in this case, congress, and by extension the american people, are the victim of misconduct on the part of mr. meadows. and so, we have stature as the victim of this crime to explain complain and we are. >> woodruff: congresswoman zoe lofgren, who is a member of the house select committee on january 6, thank you very much. >> thank you. take care.

>> woodruff: four days after the shocking events at this year's oscars, the fallouis not over. the academy of motion pictures, arts and sciences says it is considering disciplinary action against will smith. the academy also said yesterday that smith was asked to leave the ceremony but refused to go. chris rock, for his part, said during a show last night that he is still processing what happened. many people and commentators are also still processing it. stephanie sy picks up on that larger conversation. >> sy: a lot of people who watched will smith's on-stage slap of comedian chris rock are saying the moment carried more meaning and charge than just a man losing his cool with another man who insulted his wife.

joining meo discuss the deeper cultural context are author and film critic eisa nefertari ulen, who is also a professor, and mark anthony neal, author and professor of black popular culture at duke university. professors, thank you so much for joining the newshour. and professor ulen, i want to ju right in with you. you wrote a searing piece for the "hollywood reporter" in which you seem to dissect each action will smith took that night in a deeper context of pain, specifically what you call the black pain. why do you think it's important to see this movement this moment through that lens? >> i think that anytime we witness violence, we need to understand that from a place where we recognize the emotional psychological state that's driving this physical response to a trigger. and will smith was definitely triggered that night. but i think in the broader context of american society, we

need to understand what was happening there. it's really rooted and steeped in a 400 year commitment to black erasure of black marginalization, black silencing and the stereotyping of black people. all of that was present in a visceral felt and real way in the infamous slap. >> sy: professor neil, you have taken a different take in previous interviews you've criticized will smith's actions as rooted in notions of traditional manhood what some people refer to as toxic masculinity. why do you view it that way? >> there's been a lot of discourse recently about the ways in which black men can show up for black women we saw senator cory booker do a version of that last week with judge brown jackson. but i think in this instance, you know, the expectation that black men show up is not something in which we resort to violence.

i think like he suggested we saw a man who was unhinged in that moment, and the only thing that seemed to be in his toolbox to respond to that moment was an act of violence, but also don't want to erase the violence that was enacted. chris rock in that moment, you know, in his critique or joke on jada pinkett smith, an extension of a broader critique of black women, you know, is it ever a comfortable space to make fun of the kind of chronic diseases that black women are suffering, right so in that regard, i absolutely agree with esa, that we're seeing the continuation of almost a spectacle of black pain, you know, broadcast to millions and millions of people. >> sy: professor ulin, i wonder if you'll pick up on that point and talk about a black pain as it relates to jada pinkett smith in this moment. and to black women was chris rock's joke about her shaved head did it go beyond and insensitivity to her medical condition alopecia but did it

also hit at issues surrounding black beauty? >> yes, and i appreciate mark so much for guiding the conversation in this direction. the de-centering of black women through time has been ubiquitous. we have been maligned and attacked. so much that we've internalized these external pressures, these social constructs and have started to even use them one against each other in the black community. you know, calling someone bald headed in the black community. critiquing black women's hair. that is a real red zone. and the language itself is a violent act. chris rock should not be exonerated. what he committed on stage was a verbal assault to minimize it and say it was just a joke is actually treading into dangerous territory. because it gives a kind of cultural permission to that global audience to people

outside the african american community to commit the same kind of aggressions against black women, calling them out about their physical appearance, marginalizing the way that they appear. this has been a tool used to oppress black people through time, and so no one should have permission to do that. it is more than just a joke. so as violent as will smith's act was, his slap, the fact that he should not be exonerated. for what she did that night. we need to hold chris rock accountable also. and anybody else that would try to attack black woman's appearance. >> sy: professor neil, you obviously agree that chris rock a comedian, did cross the line in this instance. but i also wonder if you will comment on the irony here. two of the most high profile black men at the oscars that night.

will smith and chris rock get into this altercation after the oscars have faced years of criticism? oscars so white was the hashtag not so long ago the irony of that and whether you're concerned something was lost that evening, in the midst of so many victories for black talent that evening, including mr. smith. >> when you think about some of the campaigns around oscars so white, it is ironic that this moment, you know, brings upon at least a feeling of shame or some evidence of shame. and i think that shame is legitimate in terms of the way that some black folks black hollywood folks but also nominal black folks who are watching the television show. now my concern there is that we can't put too much energy into this notion that we can somehow not have shame on performance. right. you know, we're talking about multimedia culture now social media. there's so many aspects of what we would call the dirty laundry of blackness.

that are out there. i think what's more important in this moment is for us to own up to the pain that's occurring in this context, to kind of go from that standpoint, to talk about ways in which we can be much more healthier. and of course, part of the challenge here is that give them were more vibrant and diverse representations of blackness that existed in hollywood and that were given the kind of kudos that we saw the other night that we wouldn't feel so we have this kind of moment. you know, exploding, right because it's not exact it's not exist. we haven't seen these examples of hollywood performances. before. where folks you know, do things in a kind of off script that kind of break the core. let's not pretend that thiis the first time the court has been broken into hollywood at the academy awards. >> sy: well, to that point, the academy is considering disciplinary action today against will smith. what do you think of that and within black spaces, what are some of the ways accountability is being discussed professor

ulen. >> i would like to see the board of governors the academy board of governors take this as an opportunity and instead of resorting to punitive disciplinary actions to hold most men accountable. i think that this is an opportunity for the academy to do something bold and different. i think they should reach out to she's a leading figure in this happened that night. >> and our healing needs to happen in a way that is restorative around the issues of black hair around the issues of black wellness, around the fact that we are as marc anthony neil just said unhinged, and not just because of what happened that night and the representations and misrepresentations of black people through hollywood through time. let the academy do something that affirms black life and the value and worth of jada pinkett smith burst and then chris rock

>> sy: mark anthony neal oh, what do you think should be looked at in terms of accountability for either of these men or for the academy? >> i think you only had to deal with the accessory in a way that reflects the nature of the act. we didn't have these conversations you know, when adrian brody a few years ago, sexually assaulted an actress on stage, we didn't have these conversations. of course, when we got someone like casey affleck, you know who was facing a rape charge at the time that he won his award. why is it now that we feel the need to do a better job of scripting these shows and policing people, you know, when it's an act of black on black crime that occurred on that stage? >> sy: yeah, esa ulen and mark anthony neal. i'm afraid we're out of time and we'll have to leave it there. but thank you so much for joining the newshour with your insights. >> thank you.

>> woodruff: online right now, the ocean plays a huge role in keeping earth's climate in check. but as waters warm, it's not clear whether it can keep absorbing as much carbon dioxide. learn more on our instagram. and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you, please stay safe, and we'll see you soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by:

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hello, everyone. welcome to "amanpour & co." in kyiv. here is what's coming up. in ukraine doubts about russia's next battlefield moves. my report from the scene of a missile strike near the capital. we assess the playbook now with president zelenskyy's chief of staff and the pentagon spokesman and the foreign minister joins me on president macron's talks with president putin trying to end this war. we speak to military analyst and former marine elliott ackerman.