♪ >> on "the newshour" tonight -- the cost of war. western nations pledge more military aid for ukraine as investigators gather more digital evidence of war crimes including russians' apparent use of civilians as human shields. and judge ketanji brown jackson becomes the first black woman elevated to the supreme court after three republican senators join democrats to vote for her confirmation. then the former soviet state of moldova welcomes refugees from neighboring ukraine but also worries about what comes next.

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station from viewers like you. thank you. >> there were more revelations today of the death of carnage and devastation across ukraine as russian forces redeploy. investigators the port city of mariupol said there were as many as 5000 dead and roughly 0,000 still trapped. meanwhile at nato, foreign ministers met to discuss further aid to ukraine and the united nations took a rare vote to kick pressure off its security council. we begin with our reporters in a small village northwest of kyiv, where the air is filled with death, and a warning -- some images in this report are disturbing. >> at mother's sorrow in northern ukraine. >> his eyes were covered. >> volunteers have covered the

body of one of her sons, shot during the russian occupation of this village. she is too distraught to speak. her younger son was last seen being led away blindfolded with his hands tied, accused by the occupying russian force of helping ukrainian troops direct their fire. her younger son was found here, buried in his own garden or the soldiers who killed him -- by the soldiers who killed him. it is the sixth body recovered in the last few days believed to be an execution. >> a 12-year-old child and her head's, off. >> as many as 20 villagers did not survive, including this girl and her father who died in a car as they tried to flee. nearly 180 people were held in

the basement of school, used as a human shield by russian troops. >> we were a human shield. we cou see that clearly as they were shooting back and forth. >> the villagers were packed so tightl that 11 of the more frail resides did not survive the month-long ordeal. they used buckets as toilets and were rarely allowed to go outside for fresh air. >> they tried to make us learn the russian national anthem. if you learn russian anthem, you could go home and if you don't, you will have to stay here. >> did you do it, i ask. >> no, no one did. >> this music teacher jokes that she has now put in double overtime at the school as she leads me into the dark cellar where she and the others lived for weeks. >> my little chair. i wrote the last names of some of the people who were here down.

>> what we have here is really interesting and gives an insight into what russian army life is like. is case is labeled military political preparedness. in other words, these are ideological materials the russian soldiers used to prepare themselves and ready themselves for patriotism and serving their country. apparently, the troops that occupied this village came from a buddhist region. there is a book here from the dalai lama. there's a magazine, and there's a lot of other materials about patriotism in russia. the national anthem. important dates fm military history, and the military oath that soldiers are supposed to take. the soldiers who came here apparently planned to stay for a long time. >> a local man shows us the

classrooms russian soldiers turned into their barracks, leaving behind cigarette butz, food wrappers, and vcs. >> this is where they lived. look at the state of this place. the officers were in there. this was their so-called rec room. >> the most upsetting thing was watching how they bring you water as if they are helping you in your own children's shoes. one man was wearing sneakers from my apartment over there. it is painful to watch. none of this was free. we built all of this with our own hands. then they came, looted the place, destroyed it, and punished us onop of that. we were being punished, so they would not open the cellar. they block the doors. >> the war in ukraine has been

poorer if it from the start. the aerial bombing of civilian cities probably rises to the level of a war crime, but there's something about the evidence that emerges over the last week of deliberate killings that has really galvanized the world's attention to what is happening because it cannot be claimed that these deaths were an accident. far from these killing fields, foreign ministers met at nato headquarters in brussels pledging to send milita aid to ukraine. secretary of state antony blinken said western leaders would were made -- would remain united. >> the sickening reports have only strengthened our collective resolve and unity for sustaining and building on pressure on the kremlin and its neighbors. >> ahead of the meeting, ukraine's top diplomat said his nation needs three things -- weapons, weapons, and weapons.

later, he added urgency. >> either you help us now -- and i'm speaking about days, not weeks -- or yourelp will come too late. and many people will die. many civilians will lose their homes. many villages will be destroyed exactly because this help came too late. >> after two days of talks, european leaders said they approved a fifth round of sanctions, including a historic ban on russian coal imports, expected to take effect in august. it is the bloc's first move to target russian energy. officials expect a large offensive in the east in the next two weeks. in the north, the scale of buc

ha's killings becomes grimmer with each passing day. officials said at least 410 civilians were killed in towns near the capital, and a german news organization reported today that german intelligence intercepted russian military radio conversations discussing the crimes and orders to kill civilians. that contradicts russian claims the killings were staged. but a kremlin spokesman again did not change his posture. >> it is a bold take -- bold fake, and we have been speaking about that for days, but no one would listen to us. >> citing reports of human rights abuses, today the general assembly voted to suspend russia from the organization's human rights body. >> russia is not only committing

human rights violation it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security. >> our reporting on the war in ukraine is supported in partnership with the pulitzer center. in the day's other news, a near unanimous congress voted to cut off normal trade relations with russia and ban russian imports of oil. this follows reports of russian atrocities in ukraine. chuck schumer condemned russian president putin before the bills passed by tallies of 100-0. >> no nation whose military is committing war crimes deserves fr-trade status with the united states. no vile thug like putin deserves to stand as an equal with the leaders of the free world. he is a menace and a pariah who

has ensured that his place in history will be one of everlasting shame. >> later, the house of representatives approved the bills with only a handful of no votes. they now go to president biden for his signature. the speaker of the house tested positive today for covid. she is 82 and fully vaccinated and boosted. a spokesman said she has no symptoms. just yesterday, she stood next to president biden at a bill signing. he has tested negative so far. in israel, a shooting at a tel aviv nightlife district. witnesses say a gunman opened fire at a bar and restaurant and then left the scene. pakistan's political crisis, meanwhile, deepened today when the supreme court rejected the prime minister's bid to stay in power. his allies shut down parliament

and call for new elections to head off a no-confidence vote. oppotion supporters celebrated in islamabad after the court ordered the assembly restored. >> today, the supremacy of the constitution has been restored. this is not the victory of any political party. it is a victory of the constitution of pakistan. >> the prime minister plants a nationally televised address tomorrow. the exiled president of yemen transferred power to a presidential council amid new efforts to end the seven-year civil war. the announcement was quickly endorsed by saudi arabia and the united arab emirates. the trial in the killing of journalist and saudi dissident jamaal khashoggi will be moved to saudi arabia. a turkish court ordered that change today. it had presided over the trial of 26 saturdays in of censure. they are accused of the murded

on system bull. human rights activists say the move means the killers may never be brought to justice. >> we know very well have the justice system works or rather does not work in saudi arabia. of course, nobody expects a positive decision or justice to prevail. i don't expect it either. this is a political decision. >> turkey had once vowed to document the full truth of the killing but more recently has been trying to improve relations with the saudi's. the u.s. justice department is opening an investigation of the transfer of former president trump's records to his home and florida. "the washington post" and others report it involves 15 boxes that include classified material. the boxes have since been returned to the national archives. a fire at a main power plant in puerto rico has cut off power. schools and offices were

shuttered today. 160,000 customers have no water service. the aging electrical system has never been fully rebuilt since hurricane maria back in 2017. the head of the internal revenue service is appealing for more funds in the face of a record backlog. he appeared at a u.s. senate hearing today and said his agency needs more workers and upgraded systems to deal with a logjam of more than 20 million tax returns. >> modernized technology would significantly improve our ability to respond to a crisis, pandemic related or otherwise. it is simply unacceptable for us to remain and largely paper-based organization operating in a digital environment. >> wall street eked out gains today. the dow jones industrial average was up 87 points to close at

37,583. the nasdaq rose eight points. the s&p 500 added 19. in sports, major-league a small had opening day, delayed one week after a long labor dispute. the season began in chicago where the cubs hosted the milwaukee brewers at wrigley field and in augusta, georgia, the masters opened with tiger woods playing for the first time since a severe car crash last year. still to come, former congressman will hurt share his eye -- shows his ideas for an american reboot. and an art exhibit chronicles opposition to the 1984 u.s. intervention in central america, plus much more. >> this is "the pbs newshour," from w eta studios in washington and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. >> the senate today narrowly

confirmed first black woman to the u.s. supreme court. let's begin now with some background on today's vote, following a whirlwind confirmation process. >> on this vote, the gays are 53, the nays are 47, and the nomination is confirmed -- on this vote, the yeas are 53, the nays r 47. >> judge jackson watched it unfold alongside president arden in the white house, and vice president harris reflected on the occasion as she left the chamber. >> the statement that in our highest court of the land, we want to make sure there will be full representation and the finest and brightest and best. >> three republican senators, lisa murkowski of alaska, mitt romney of utah, and susan collins of maine, joined all 50 democrats in voting for jackson.

>> this is a great moment for judge jackson, but it is an even greater moment for america as we rise to a more perfect union. >> jackson will become not only the first black woman on the court, she will also be the first justice to have been a federal public defender. last month, she spoke of the legal racial segregation her parents lived through and how it shaped her life today. >> my parents taught me that unlike the many barriers that they had had to face growing up, my path was clearer, so that if i worked hard and i believed in myself in america, i could do anything or be anyone i wanted to be. >> jackson worked for eight years as a federal district court judge until last june when she was confirmed unto the d.c. circuit court of appeals. some republicans today repeated concerns about expanding the size of the court and jackson's

judicial philosophy. >> her judicial record is full of cases where justice jackson ruled like a policymaker implementing personal biases instead of a judge following the text wherever it led. >> others reiterated attacks on a narrow part of her sentencing record. >> we can reasonably expect that justice jackson will consistently vote as she has done as a judge for the last 10 years -- for more lenient sentences for criminal defendants. >> questions jackson fielded time and again during confirmation hearings. >> i know what it is like to have loved ones whgo off to protect and to serve and the fear of not knowing if they are going to come home again because a crime in the community. >> the white house announced judge jackson will deliver remarks tomorrow from the south

lawn along with president biden and vice president harris. for the next three months, jackson is a justice in waiting until justice fire retires at the end of the current court term. the longest -- until justice breyer retires at the end of the current court term. justice jackson will sit for her first term on the court in october. for more on this historic supreme court confirmation, i'm joined by the first black woman judge in northern california who has since retired from the bench and recently published an memoir. welcome. thanks for joining us. it only took 230 three years, but here we are. what did you think when the vote happened today, where we are, what it means for the nation? >> i watched the boat as it happened, and when it was

finalized, i immediately thought this is a good day for america and a wonderful day for america's legal system. yet another barrier has been broken and we are on a slow but steady process of making or -- our u.s. supreme court look like america. we are not there yet, but this is a huge step in that direction. >> you know what it is like to be the first in a space, which is something judge jackson has known and will continue to know. the pressure is big for any high-profile role, specifically in this kind of role for a black woman. talk to me about what you anticipate for judge jackson. >> the pressure that i being the first african-american woman, really two different kinds of pressure. one is what i call the bad pressure, pressure from individuals within the institution and on the outside who expect you to fail, expect

you to fail, expecting you and want you, hoping that you fail. they bought into negative stereotypes about women, about people of color, and they don't want their institutions to change. then there is the good pressure, pressure from communities of color, from women's organizations and communities who want you to succeed and hope that you will, expect you to succeed. what that means for judge ron jackson, the justice in waiting, is that she has seen a few of these pressures, but we have already seen that her history is that she has survived and dealt well with these pressures. in fact, they have made her thrive. we can expect nothing different from what she has done already. >> among those who oppose her before and still oppose her, there are some that say she is only there because she is black, right? there are some republicans who were saying that even before the

confirmation hearings began. what would you say to them? >> the same things were said when i was appointed. i say back to them and i say this on behalf of judge brown jackson, i would rather be appointed because i'm a black woman than not be appointed because i'm black woman. it is nothing to be ashamed of, and it is a job that we can do and should have been doing. consider the u.s. supreme court has been a segregated institution for more than 200 years. you look back when thurgood marshall came on the bench, and then we looked at 1980 one, sandra day o'connor was the first woman on the court. before then, hundreds of years, it has only been white males. it has been a segregated institution. so it is time. it does not matter what people say about why they think she is there. we know that she will do a great

job on the court. >> did it surprise you that republicans voted to confirm her? >> what surprised me was they are touted as having courage to vote for this candidate, this nominee for the court. this does not take courage. this nomination and voting for her was common sense and if anyone understands the legal stem and how important representational diversity is, does not take courage at all. it is common sense. those who did not vote for her, they express themselves quite well with their baseless, race baiting, and insulting comments and questions to her, and i hope we spend very little time on these individuals who are basically very hypocritical and/or do not have an understanding of how the legal system works, particularly the criminal legal system. >> we have less than a minute left, but i have to ask -- she

could likely be on the bench for decades. she's very young. what do you anticipate justice jackson's impact on the court will be? >> initially, as you stated, she will not be generally probably in the majority. she will be with the liberal wing which now will be composed of three women, one african-american, one latina, and a jewish woman, which i find wonderful, the fact there is so much diverty. she will likely be writing dissents, but i say to people who are discouraged by that, history shows that justice is, as long as they are on the court a long time, often times those dissenting opinions become majority opinions, so if the law evolves, as we know, and i expect her to be a consensus builder or at least make a good-faith attempt to do it, eventually we will see things

change, as we always do in our legal system. >> thank you so much for being with us. >> thank you so much. it is a good day. ♪ >> one congressman will heard announced in 2019 he would not seek reelection in his competitive border district, he was the house republicans' only black member and one of few in his party to openly criticize then president trump. now the former congressman says it is time for a total overhaul of america's political system. he sat down with judy woodruff recently to discuss his new book, "american reboot: an idealist's guide to getting things done." >> thank you very much for joining us and congratulations on the book. there is so much to talk about, but i want to start with

immigration. the biden administration announced it is resending what is called title 42, the edict that migrants could not apply for legal asylum. they are rolling that back. is that the right move? >> it was not. the border is the worst it has ever been, and it truly is a crisis. this is being fueled by a number of factors, but there's things we can be doing. we also cannot treat everybody as if they are and asylum-seekers. coming to the united states to seek asylum because you're looking for a better paying job is not a reason to apply for asylum. so the fact that -- this started in the last of ministration and continued under this administration. this is not a best practice. >> i want to ask you about ukraine. you are a former c.i.a. officer. so much heartache right now and commentary about what the u.s. and other countries should be doing. at this point under this administration just this year, the united states has spent

$14.5 billion to help ukrainians through security assistance, humanitarian assistance. what more should, could the u.s. and american citizens be doing? >> oftentimes we look at topline numbers, but we need to be loing at the things we are actually giving. i have been connected with the national security community for over two decades, and one of the things i learned in my time as a back alley -- in a back alley of dangerous places, undercover with the cia or working with the intelligence community, we should have a very simple policy -- your friends should love you and your enemies should fear you. when president zelenskyy is saying he needs more help, his country needs more help and here are the things we can do, i think we should listen to him. we should be giving them the kind of tools they need in order to bring a true and to the russian invasion of ukraine. the longer this goes on, the bigger the impact is going to be

on eastern europe. judy: let's talk about your book -- you want a complete reboot, as the title says, of the american political system. you talked about how what we have now is not healthy. you talk about a country in decline. in a nutshell -- and there is a lot here for people to look at -- what is wrong with the system right now? >> what's wrong with the system is we have elected officials that are appealing to the edges and the extreme edges of the party, not the middle. that is driven by how districts are designed, and you have too many leaders on both sides of the political divide that are more interested in fear mongering than trying to inspire. i saw it when i was in congress. i was a lack republican representing a 71% latino district. nobody thought i had a chance. when i won, everybody said there's no way this guy is getting reelected.

i showed up to places and realized that way more unites us as a country then divides us and when we focus on those things, we can get way more things done. >> you have said you think president trump's influence is waning in the republican party. and yet -- and we know some of the candidates he is backing are not ahead in their races, but most are embracing some form of trumpism. >> i can also give you a list of candidates that won despite not having donald trump's support. let's look at alabama. everybody thought mo brooks was going to be the canon and that was because of donald trump's support. i'm not saying he does not have support and there is not a group, b that influence is waning, what i wouldonsider more the authoritarian wing of e republican party, but you have enough examples to say that this is not a lock and that this is the only way to win is by

embracing that authoritarianism. republicans are taking the house back in 2022. it is almost fa to complete. likely to take back the senate. -- it is almost a fait accompli. what i'm talking about is not just how to win elections but also how you should govern. this pendulum swinging back each election cycle is not good. that's not healthy for the country. >> let me ask you about the issues raised were republicans are running and running well. one of them is critical race theory. do you think that should be an issue? >> it is simple -- slavery happened. it influenced the country. all right. jim crow happened. it influenced the country. my dad is black. my mom is white. they live in the house they live in now because it's the only place they were allowed to buy a home. that meant me, my brother, and my sister could only go into

certain schools. we should talk about our history warts and all, but the way we talk about it matters. >> one other issue is when republicans are asked did joe biden win the election, is he the legitimate president of the united states? many are ducking that. what should the answer be? >> the answer is joe biden won the election, period, full stop. it was lost i donald trump because he was incapable of growing the republican party to different groups. >> two different questions -- for the first impeachment of president trump, you voted not to impeach him. you said the pressure he was putting on the ukrainian president to dig up dirt on joe biden and his son was not illegal. do you today regret that, given the commentary about the apparent signal that that sent?

that people like fiona hill who worked in the trunk white house said it emboldened vladimir putin to go into ukraine. >> what i have changed my decision? no, because my standard for impeachment was very simple, and it was a violation of the law, and adam schiff was saying this was extortion, and the precondition for extortion did not exist in that phone call. as a host of reasons of why vladimir putin decided to go into ukraine at the time he went into ukraine, and that phone call, that issue i think was not the biggest decision that vladimir putinsed. judy: i know you say this is abouthe issues and wanting to improve our political system, but a number of your friends have said you are thinking about running for president in 2024. is that something that is in the cards? >> does it's great that you ride a good book -- you write a good

book and everyone things you're running for president, and the reality is i have been lucky to serve my country in a variety of ways. in the cia, working on different issues, it was awesome representing people when i was in congress. if an opportunity comes for me to serve my country again, i will evaluate it when that time comes. >> a door is open. >> i will evaluate it when the opportunity potentially arises. >> the book is "american reboot: an idealist's guide to getting things done." thank you very much. >> it is always a pleasure to be with you. >> the former soviet republic of moldova has grown increasingly worried about its security as the war in ukraine grinds on. not only is it hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees, it has had russian troops in its

territory for years in a breakaway region. are special correspondent traveled to moldova to hear how the echoes of war in ukraine rain. >> guarding an almost invisible line that today separates conflict from comfort, peace from war. until last month, moldova's border from ukraine was a barely mentioned relic of a soviet past. the sometimes problematic perimeter stretching hundreds of miles north from these flds. for the country's border police, it is now ground zero for a refugee and safety crisis of unprecedented proportions. >> what is the biggest security challenge you think you face right now? >> there are a few. right now, we are already facing a migration of criminality.

>> recently, we have also reported cases that involve military ammunition. we believe criminal groups may use this situation to traffic weapons. >> he took us on a tour through his border region's no man's land where his men scour riverbanks and hillsides, away from more remote outposts, the busy crossings process up to 500 refugees each hour. for several years, european customs officers have operated on both sides, advising mold ovens and ukrainians. now only in moldova, they try to help ukrainians however they can. this eu border assistance mission, moldova recently requested emergency membership of the european union, a move he welcomes. >> i felt it was natural to

support a country that wants to be part of this family in the future, once to support as much as you can during this terrible time. >> support will expand as the eu's border post expands. making this the eu's own new de facto border and freeing moldova and forces to patrol further afield, but they cannot room entirely free, for within moldova's internationally recognized borders is a separatist region sealed off by a river and supported by russia. as we traveled close, while still very much on moldova in soil, we encountered russians manning military check once and self identifying as peacekeepers. we are right in the middle of moldovan farmland, but a few hundred yards that way, russian soldiers ask for our passports, and this checkpoint could go a

little further this way, and you end up in a separatist territory. for years, that has been home to more than 1000 russian troops. after the soviet union collapsed, a brief but brutal conflict left moldova divided. the kremlin backed russian speakers who declared an independent state that remains unrecognized elsewhere. >> we support them financially, economically, socially, militarily, including politically and diplomatically. >> he has spent years researching this separatist territory and is concerned russia's presence represents a real and present danger to moldova. >> the problem is they have control of this territory. all this military structure is under the control of russia.

>> do you think mold ovens can trust russia today? >> probably nobody can trust russians. >> back in moldova's capital, similar worries are widely shared. russian compatriots are asking them to support instances of ethnic or linguistic, and that has some people concerned about russian intentions toward this former soviet state. meanwhile, at a moscow concert president putin attended, one popular russian singer described ukraine, belarus, and moldova as his countries, but with help from eure, that must never happen, the country's interior minister told me. >> being part of the european union means sharing the same values, and equally

participating, but we understand the republic starts here in the republic of moldova because that is the primary concern and task of the central authorities. >> the moldovan military and military defense will not talk publicly about the possibility of a russian invasion, focusing instead on drills like these which have been conducted along the u.s. military. at this tense time, the country's army still has its critics. >> medically and professionally, we are unable to face any russian attack. >> should people in moldova have faith? >> they do not have a strong army able to defend their country as it is expected.

>> back at the border, the chief awaits greater manpower and more modern equipment, but meanwhile, he must make do with what he already has. have you been told to prepare for military attacks? >> all our forces are ready for any kind of change in the situation. >> this small country at the edge of a great struggle, willing to help but hoping not to fight. >> another former soviet republic is also concerned iv war in ukraine, but unlike moldova, the small baltic nation of lithuania is both a member of nato and the european union. regardless of security and economic guarantees, fears are compounded not just by its former occupier russia but by thadversaries that order it to the south, russian ally belarus, to the west, the russian region of kaliningrad.

>> mr. foreign minister, thanks for joining us. lithuania right now is the only european country that has decided to stop importing russian gas. why do you think you were able to make that announcement where others have not? >> i think the main reason was not just from the side of the invasion, but much earlier than that. we were paying the highest price in europe for the gas imports. we were dependent on one gas pipeline from russia. we started building our own infrastructure, and we were able to procure our gas from anywhere. >> a senior official told me that blocking oil and gas is the

only way to get russia to recalculate its war. ukraine's president agrees with that. what is your message to those countries? >> first point is that we have paid during the last 40 days almost 40 million euros. -- almost 40 billion euros to russia for oil and gas. the second point is that when we are here, the leaders are saying that it will be done one way or another, one day or sooner or later, it will be done, we will cancel the contract, so the questions remain, how many cities need to be bombarded, destroyed in order for us to say this is the day. >> he used the word "a moral question code does that mean you think these countries are failing morally?

>> i think this question should be posed by every decision-maker who is a responsible decision-maker. the way he answers the question, this is the way that people will judge in. >> the foreign minister said he was very specific today on his request for weapons to nato members and said those weapons have to be delivered in days, not weeks. will ukraine get enough weapons quickly? >> i can say there are some positive signs in that direction . i'm hopeful. it might be just a beginning, and we have to be prepared for much worse. >> some of the weapons being transferred right now, tanks, anti-ship weapons, were once determined as offensive weapons. in fact, emmanuel macron said a few weeks ago that tanks were a red line. why is your willing to cross

that line -- why is europe willing to cross that line? >> the war is changing. it changes the perception that ukraine really has a chance to win, and if they win, it

>> finally accountability. how portant is it that russian leaders are held accountable? >> we thought we would not need these. unfortunately, it is happening again. we need to look into it and prepare again for the future. >> do you have faith it can be had? >> i believe can. combined with the efforts of what i call the global alliance, i think it is powerful enough to bring even individuals to justice. >> thank you very much. >> thank you so much. >> artistsall was the name of the effort in 1984 when the

artistic community throughout north america rallied to protest u.s. intervention in central america. an exhibition at the tufts university art gallery focuses on that nearly forgotten moment that ultimately provided the movement -- the blueprint for movements to come. we have a closer look as part of our arts and culture series. >> by the mid-1980's, central america was awash in war with the u.s. government sending money and weapons to militant forces. tens of thousands of people were slaughtered. in guatemala, indian villages were leveled. soldiers waged guerrilla warfare in nicaragua. death squads patrolled el

salvador. artist beatrice cortez was a child at the time. >> there were massacres and destruction of entire villages, etc. i was in san salvador, and my parents were really great at protecting me. >> the violence was so horrific protests rose up across north america. one of the most forceful and fleeting was a movement called artists call against u.s. intervention in central america, a grassroots effort that quickly coalesced among artists, galleries, and museums from january 2 march of 1984. >> part of the message was we cannot be indifferent. we cannot be indifferent to the destruction of others' cultures. >> cortez was one of the artists injured in the show art for the future at tufts university. five years in the making, it is the first time the artists call efforts have been comprehensively re-examined. >> this exhibition is focusg on the activities that happened in new york, but in fact, there were 20 seven cities that participated.

>> the show's co-curator discovered 12 tucked away boxes at the museum of modern arts library in new york held a trove of artists call history. >> it was like an awakening. it was like, oh, wow, this is, like, way bigger than anyone made it out to be. >> the effort spread rapidly in the u.s. and canada with some 31 exhibitions. 1100 artists pitched in to raise awareness and aid. they marched and sold work. they performed, recited that, and produced films. >> they wanted to kind of ignite actions. there's a procession for peace were everyone walked with the names of the disappeared. they tied it to a balloon and let the balloon fly into the sky. >> with the searing images of this photographer as an early

prompt, the artists call was trumpeted by teams of organizers and committees making phone calls, sending letters, and distributing flyers. >> i think there was a lot of direct pointing to violence and the expression of u.s. power. >> abigail is the show's co-curator and says the call and response was so thunderous it took organizers by surprise. >> they were overwhelmed with a response. that was why it spread to all these different cities. they basically said, all you have to do is take our letterhead, at your own listings and do your own thing and this is not about unified expression. this is about artists together. >> high-profile artists galvanized the effort. he and his wife also conceived a monument. though never built, it was a symbol of hope, a pencil that while broken still writes. is piece protests the vietnam war, echoing a 1980's refrain

that el salvador was spanish for vietnam. this piece appropriates a "fortune" magazine ad with a halting twist. >> we see this layered understanding of how artists are pushing against institutions to do better and pushing against media representations to do better and really building that conversation. >> the curators have continued that conversation into the present. they have invited artists to plumb their archives for their own contemporary response to artists call. >>t also speaks of the shelter of immigrants in the middle of the pandemic, so it is a shelter for this archive that preserves a moment when the war in el

salvador connected with migration and with our world. >> for the months it took hold, the artists call was heard. its impact was big, broad, and brf, all by design. >> part of the organizing committee argued that it needed to be ephemeral, that it needed to dissipate and people would go on to take those experiences and do other things with them. >> and they did because virtually at the same time, another looming tragedy e looming aids crisis.ention, >> the art for the future exhibit will travel next to the new mexico art museum in the fall before heading to chicago's depaul art museum and chicago's cultural center next spring. and a federal appeals court has upheld president biden's requirement that all federal employees be vaccinated against covid-19. the fifth circuit court of appeals in new orleans reversed a lower court. that is "the newshour" for tonight. join us online and again here tomorrow evening. thank you for joining us.

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hello, everyone, and welcome to "amanpour &ompany" from kyiv, where i've just returned from the devastated city of