judy: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, pain at the pump -- the president releases millions more barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve to help lower gas prices. then, state elections -- we examine the potential impact of several critical campaigns for governor -- and the contentious issues that could decide them. and, the cost of the invasion -- russia's war in ukraine causes hunger and poverty across the world as food prices rise -- even as far away as central africa. >> in the past, prices increase after the rainy season. but these past few months, the ukraine, russia conflict made everything expensive.

judy: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour ♪ >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by -- ♪ >> moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. >> pediatric surgeon. volunteer. topiary artist.

a raymond james financial advisor tailor's advice to help you live your life. life, well-planned. >> the walton family foundation, working for solutions to protect water during climate change so people and called -- so people and nature can thrive together. supported by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, committed to building more just, verdant, and peaceful world. more information at mac found.org. and with the ongoing support of these institutions. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

vanessa: i'm vanessa ruiz, in for stephanie sy with newshour west, we'll return to the full program after the latest headlines. russia is moving to impose martial law in 4 regions of ukraine that it annexed illegally. president vladimir putin gave no details, but said the move could allow new restrictions in those regions, and in parts of russia proper. it comes as ukrainian forces are gaining more ground -- which russia's war commander acknowledged. >> overall, the situation regarding the special military operation can be described as tense. the enemy does not abandon attempts to attack russian troops' positions. we will act consciously, in a timely fashion, and will not rule out taking the most difficult decisions. vanessa: as ukrainian forces advance, the russians say they plan to evacuate up to 60,000 civilians from the kherson region. some 5,000 have left already. for many, the only availab exit routes are to russian-controlled areas. meanwhile, israel offered today to help

ukraine develop air attack alerts against the drones that russia is using. the kyiv government had asked for systems to shoot down the drones, but the israelis again refused to go that far. they have so far limited their assistance to humanitarian aid. >> in iran, a competitive rock climber has returned home after competing abroad without a mandatory headscarf. that was widely viewed as a show of support for anti-government protests in iran. but after arriving at tehran's airport today, rekabi said again that it had all been unintentional. >> i was unexpectedly called and i had to compete. i was busy putting on my shoes and technical gear and that caused me to forget putting on the hijab i had to be wearing. then i went to compete. vanessa: outside the airport, hundreds of cheering fans chanted her name.

they called her hero as the vehicle drove through the crowd. british prime minster liz truss apologized today for causing economic turmoil -- but she also lost a second cabinet minister. truss was forced to scrap proposed tax cuts after they roiled financial markets. today, the leader of the opposition labour party lampooned her failings, but the prime minister insisted she's not quitting. >> i have made mistakes. but the right thing to do in those circumstances is to make changes which i've made and to get on with the job. >> i've got the list here. 45% tax cut gone corporation tax cut: gone. 20p tax cut: gone. two year energy freeze: gone. tax free shopping: gone. economic credibility: gone. >> later, home secretary sue-ella braverman stepped down after sending an official document by personal e-mail.

she called it a technical violation, but in a clear rebuke to truss, she said -- quote -- i have made a mistake. i accept responsibility. i resign. back in this country, president biden is trying again to bring down gas prices. today, he ordered the release of another 15 million barrels of oil from the u.s. strategic reserve. he also criticized oil companies again for not doing more. pres. biden: the problem is these guys were asleep. i don't know where they've been. the price at the pump should reflect what the price of a barrel of oil costs, and is not going down consistently. >> the problem is these guys are asleep i dont know where theyve -- >> the president denied his action is aimed at infencing the midterm elections, 3 weeks away. we'll return to this, after the news summary. georgia police arrested a man >>

also new york city opened a new temporary housing site for migrants today. texas and other border states have been busting thousands of migrants to new york in recent months. the new shelter will house up to 500 single adult men. the irs says consumers can expect a little relief to cushion the blow of inflation. it is being raised by $900 for single taxpayers and $1800 for married couples filing jointly. an income levels for all will be revised upwards. >> and private meeting were councilmembers were recorded making racist comments. he apologized for his actions saying he wants to work on homelessness and other problems within his district.

president biden has call for the resignation of all city officials involved in the scandal. the council president resigned last week. seattle had the worst air quality in the world this afternoon due to heavy smoke from wildfires in the region, according to swiss air quality monitoring company i-q-air. seattle public schools asked that all students stay indoors. portland, oregon, also made the top five, as other wilfires burn nearby. still to come, russians who fled their country to avoid fighting in ukraine reflect on their new lives. also, former israelirime minister benjamin netanyahu discusses the state of the middle east. a brooklyn artist gives his brief but spectacular take on painting the world around him. and 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. judy: as we reported, president biden has authorized the release of more oil from the u.s. strategic reserve. geoff bennett digs deeper into what the administration is doing to reduce gas prices and the questions around its broader approach. geoff: president biden's announcement is aimed at easing the oil supply shortage and lowering gas prices, which have become a major concern for the white house just three weeks ahead of the november midterms. the release of 15 million barrels from the nation's stockpile, known as the strategic petroleum reserve, is the final tranche of the 180 million barrels that president biden pledged this spring to release over six months. this is all unfolding as oil prices shot higher last week, after opec announced a cut in oil production by two million barrels a day. brian deese is white house director of the national economic council, and he joins us now. welcome back to the "newshour."

>> happy to be here. geoff: so, the release of 15 million barrels from the nation's reserve, it is a small amount compared to how much oil is consumed daily in this country. what is the expectation for how effective this will be? brian: well, it's important we put this move in perspective. as you said,hen putin invaded ukraine, that created a global supply challenge. it took russian barrels of oil off the market and meant that we needed to stabilize supply. and, in response to that, last spring, the president announced that he would authorize a historic amount, 180 million barrels, of releases from our strategic petroleum reserve. we have been executing on that on a monthly basis and providing supply into the market. today's announcement of 15 million barrels is the last tranche of that. and independent analysts that have looked at that announcement and thatffort in the aggregate agree that it has had a significant impact on moderating energy prices. and, again, if you step back, prices ran up in the wake of putin's invasion of ukraine, but because of the actions that we

have taken and other steps, we have seen prices come down by nearly 30% since midsummer. and what that means in practice is the price of a gallon of gas in this country is down by about $1.15 from those highs in the summer. so, the president is making good on the commitment to release 180 million barrels. but he also announced that we will, as a government, repurchase oil when oil -- the price of oil falls to $70 a barrel, so that we can refill that national stockpile and also provide the industry and the market some certainty that there will be a buyer at those lower prices. and that's something that we have heard is important to providing an incentive to do more production today. that's another important step the president announced. geoff: and we will talk more about that in a minute. but, first, what's the white use reaction to analysts who say that the strategic petroleum reserve was created for unforeseen events, to be used in hurricane, cyberattacks if there are pipeline shutdowns, that

they shouldn't be used in times of a political crisis? there are certainly voters who will see this happening just weeks before the midterm election, and see politics at play here with this decision, with this move. brian: look, the use of the strategic petroleum reserve in this context is fundamentally linked to putin's invasion of ukraine and the unprecedented crisis that that created. again, the psident's announcement of 180 million barrels of release was made last spring. this last installment is making good on that commitment, and to do so in a way that is a responsible use of this national asset, 180 million barrels has represented about a million barrels a day in additional supply onto the market, a little less over this period. but, in practice, the goal of that was to provide a bridge so that our u.s. domestic producers could increase production without american consumers and without the global economy paying the price and bearing the brunt of putin's unexpected and unconscionable invasion of

ukraine. this is a responsible use of the asset. and, again, the repurchase plan is a responsible use as well. geoff: there are analysts who say that tapping the reserves, it has a small effect on the prices that can be seen at the pump. but the consequences could be dire in the event of a national crisis. the president, as you mentioned, he's laid out a plan to restock the reserves. but that could take a while. brian: respectfully, serious analysts who have looked at this say, number one, the strategic petroleum reserve remains with over 400 million barrels in it, well enough to respond to additional contingencies and emergencies, and, two, that this action that the president has taken across the set of months in response to putin's sanctions have had a significant impact on moderating increases in global oil prices. and, as i mentioned, one of the intended impacts is that the price of a gallon of gas is down by about $1.15. the price of a barrel of oil is down about 30% over this period. so, this is a -- this was an effort to try to create a bridge

over an intermediate period of time. we still have a strong, resilient strategic petroleum reserve. and, as of today, we have a clear plan to provide the market certainty about how we will refill and replenish that asset across time. geoff: when opec plus announced that it would defy the white house and cut its oil production, was the white house surprised by that announcement or by the timing? brian: well, we were disappointed. and the reason was, we thought that it wasn't -- it wasn't justified, given the same dynamics that we're talking about right now. the dominant challenge in the global market right now is insufficient supply and certainty of supply, given putin's invasion of ukraine, and that that has taken oil off the market the insufficient supply continues to be the dominant challenge in global oil markets. that's why the president continues to stay the course of the commitment he made earlier this year to release 180 million barrels. so we're disappointed. but i think, at the same time, if you look at what's happening in prices now, gas prices are coming down.

they're coming down. they have come down over the course of the last week. they have come down over the course of the last three months. and the -- there are lotof serious analysts who have looked at this and said that the president's use of the strategic petroleum reserve in this context is one important factor in that trajectory. geoff: does the white house have less influence now with the saudis, given that they rejected the white house request to delay their announcement of this oil production cut? brian: look, i think we made our views very clear to opec. and we have relationships with these countries that span a broad set of issues. what the president is doing is using the assets and the tools that he has available, both the strategic petroleum reserve and his diplomatic assets as well, to represent what is important for the american peopland the american economy. and the steps that he has taken have all been focused on this issue. in the face of an unprecedented supply shock to the global economy, what can we do to stabilize supply and bring down that's what we're seeing happen.

we need to see more of that happen on behalf of the american ople. and that's what today's announcements are about. geoff: in terms of domestic oil production, president biden has been consistent in calling on oil companies to lower the costs to consumers. the oil industry says that, hey, look, there are bigger market factors at play here. they want the president to open up more federal lands for drilling, approve more pipeline construction. the president has articulated a green energy policy that doesn't really account for any of that. is there any room for compromise between the energy plan that president biden has articulated and what these oil companies want to see? brian: well, first, today, u.s. oil production is at 12 million barrels a day. that's at near record highs. and we are on path right now to hit record highs in terms of oil production in 2023. second, one of the things that the industry has raised is the concern that, if prices fall, then they may not have sufficient certainty to invest in production today. that's why the president's

announcement about refilling the strategic petroleum reserve is not only a good approach for taxpayers, but it's also helpful in providing certainty to industry, because now the strategic petroleum reserve will be a buyer of oil into the market when prices come down to about $70 a barrel. that means, for taxpayers, we have sold this -- sold oil at a higher price and are buying for less price. we can actually refill more oil into the strategic petroleum reserve as a result. but it also provides the industry some certainty that there will be a buyer at that price. that's something that a number of them have identified. it's an action the president announced today. geoff: brian deese is director of the national economic council. thanks, as always, for being with us. ♪ judy: control of congress is very much on the ballot in this year's midterm elections, but so is control of dozens of

governor's seats. lisa desjardins has more. lisa: democrats and republicans alike are hoping to flip some governor's mansion this year, 36 states and three territories eric have gubernatorial matchups this midterm season. today, we will be diving into three tossup races, oregon, arizona and wisconsin. to find out what issues are animating those races, i'm joined by dirk vanderhart with oregon public broadcasting, zac schultz of pbs wisconsin, and yvonne wingett sanchez with the washington post. thank you to all three of you. we're going to get into your fascinating gubernatorial races in a second. but, first, just in general, i want to get to what is at stake here. in and i want to start, in particular, in oregon, with you, dirk. it's festival season. can you paint a picture of the season there? and, in particular, how does the governor's race loom? what is that stake in your state? dirk: it's actually very hot and smoky here right now, unseasonably hot.

and i would say that voters here are angsty or even upset. they're looking at rising crime rates. they're looking at increased homelessness, particularly here in portland. and i think they're really reevaluating whether this very traditionally democratic state needs to continue with the same leadership or whether they should look to some other options. lisa: all right, let's move over across the way to wisconsin and to you, zac. when i think of wisconsin, i think of your lakes and streams. i know trout season just ended. but adding to all of that, you have got quite a hot governor's race. what does the governor's race mean there? and tell me about the spending. zac: the spending is astronomical. we have never seen anything like it in this state. and we're used to expensive, nasty elections, close elections over the last 20 years. and we have never seen this amount of money being poured in, double triple what we have seen in the past.

and people are seeing it on i their televisions. they're seeing on the internet. i'm hearing from people saying, my kids can't even watch youtube without hearing ads come up about politics, asking me, who are these people? lisa: yvonne, you heard dirk there say, in oregon, it's unseasonably hot. i understand, in arizona, yvonne, that it is in the 90s or approaching the 90s this week, but obviously a lot of attention your governor's race. and my question is, what does the governor's mansion mean in that state? why is it so important? take us into the dynamics there. years yvonne: this race, more than any other race on the ballot, is really a test of which direction we're going to go over the next four years. are we going to plunge further into this realm of election denialism, or are we going to try to settle that the 2020 election was free, fair and accurate, and we're going to move on with an eye towards 2024? lisa: so, let's stay with that and that very supercharged, now nationally watched race for governor in arizona. and i want to show some of the ads that are running there in particular. on the republican side,

candidate kari lake is a former tv anchor. there there, you see her. she's been unconventional, there throwing hammers, other things at televisions, basically saying she doesn't trust the media. and then, for the democrats, they are running the secretary of state in arizona, katie hobbs. she's less visible, but she's been going after kari lake in ads like this one you see here, saying that she's an extremist. so, can you take us into this race? where is secretary of state hobbs and her campaign? why hasn't she been out more, do you think? and then what exactly does kari lake, the republican, believe, in particular about elections, as you're saying? yvonne: katie hobbs is doing these small, sort of conventional campaign meet-and-greets across metro phoenix, where 60% of the state's voters live. and this is an area that decides major races. you cannot win arizona witho winning maricopa. she has a much lower-key presence. and she would argue that this is

a more effective way of greeting voters and being able to really delve into issues in a more traditional way, o-on-one, looking people in the eye. kari lake, on the other hand, kari lake, on the other hand, has really taken it to hobbs for refusing to debate her. she is often seen as the face, as the leading star in viral videos that highlight hobbs' refusal to meet her on the debate stage, to talk to her in a way or to talk to voters in a way that we have done for decades, on the debate stage. and though she's trying to soften some of her rhetoric around the 2020 election more recently, it's very clear that kari lake is still stuck on 2020. she has really made this election about an allegiance to donald trump or not. and that is going to be the big

thing that voters are going to decide on. and the polls suggest that kari lake could win. lisa: zac, you in wisconsin, in the badger state, have an incumbent governor, tony evers, trying to survive in a toss-up race. and you mentioned one of the issues we have heard today about crime. and i wanted to point to an exchange that happened in the debate between the two candidates for governor just on friday. let's listen to this. >> i'm going to stand with law enforcement. why? because the hardworking, taxpaying, law-abiding citizens are really fearful of the surge in crime that we have had in wisconsin over the last two years. >> it isn't just about talking tough, believe me. it is about providing the resources, so that those police officers can get the job, the training that needs -- that maybe needs to be happening. lisa: one thing i liked about that debate was it really was so substantive. you didn't see the fireworks we have seen in some other debates. but i want to ask about crime rate. that is a very serious issue in wisconsin. how much is that a factor for voters? and what's changing? what does that mean in the race

right now? zac: oh, absolutely. the polling is showing that voters are concerned about crime, especially in our largest city, milwaukee. we are seeing skyrocketing gun crimes and murder rates. and there's a crime on daily basis that republicans are blasting out to the rest of the state as fast as they possibly can. they think this is a winning issue that will override every other issue out there, except maybe inflation, which they also think is on their side. democrats are trying to take a more nuanced approach on crime. they're talking about funding for local police departments. they're saying that the republicans that control the legislature haven't given enough money for governor evers to sign to give to locals, and that that's the reason why crime is up. and they're talking about covid rates and things like that and that issue on crime. but republicans think this is the winning issue for them, this is what gets them all the way home. lisa: briefly, how's that playing vs. abortion, which i know democrats are raising? zac: yes, absolutely. and that's what the democrats wa to talk about. it has been playing up recently mainly because the republican, tim michels, has had trouble staying on a consistent message

on abortion. he early on in the campaign was absolutely no exemptions for rape or incest in wionsin, which is what the law currently says. and then, later on, he said, well, if the republicans sent me a bill that said that, i would do that. and, just yesterday, he ran into a problem where he said, well, i'm not going to be arresting doctors. well, the current law does allow for doctors to be arrested if they perform an abortion. and his campaign had to clarify, well, he wouldn't do the arresting. it will be police or local das who will be prosecuting those crimes. lisa: dirk, let's go out to oregon, then, a very dramatic race there as well. and we know that ang the issues you raised, the cost of living. in particular, rents in oregon have really been skyrocketin can you talk about how that factors in the race? and why in the world are we talking about a toss-up gubernatorial race in deep blue oregon anyway? dirk: i mean, oregon has been dealing with a housing crisis for years. we have known it. and it's only gotten worse after covid. i think cost of living consistently polls on the top of voters' concerns this year.

but it also is just linked, as i mentioned, with the homelessness crisis that is continuing and is often debated as one and the same, with the candidas talking about increasing the amount of housing production as a means to both lower rents and sort of address the homeless crisis. but to the point of the competitive race here. yes, it's been fascinating. it's garnered far more national attention than oregon is used to. the president was just in town. elizabeth warren will be campaigning with the democrat. and that's because we have three major well-funded viable candidates this year. we have the former house speaker tina kotek. she's the democratic nominee. we have a former house republican leader in christine drazan. and then we have a former democratic state senator named betsy johnson who left the party last year and is mounting an unaffiliated run for governor where she's sort of trying to paint both parties as evil and wants to present herself as this unifier, this centrist. lisa: a very interesting situation. and also different among your states is who's voting.

very briefly, if you all could just say in a couple of words. i will go and ask each of you separately. do you think there will be an increase in turnout this year? or are you sensing lower turnout? dirk, quickly? dirk: i'm sensing big turnout. this three-way race has people really, really motivated. lisa: zac, what do you think about turnout there in wisconsin? zac: well, we will be down from the presidential rate of above 70 plus%but probably mid-50s, which is still prey good for wisconsin midterms. lisa: and, yvonne, all that heat in arizona, is that going to lead to more voters or not so many? yvonne: i think more voters. i think we could see record for a turnout race. lisa: well, we will be watching, along with all of you. and we thank you so much for all of your reporting and for your time today, dirk vanderhart, zac schultz, and yvonne wingett sanchez. thank you to all of you. ♪ judy: as part of vladimir putin's martial law declaration today, he allowed for the

restriction of russians' movements in and out of areas bordering ukraine. he's also said his military mobilization, calling up additional soldiers to fight in ukraine, is nearing completion. but hundreds of thousands of russians have fled the country, ther than be drafted. as nick schifrin reports many have gone to istanbul, to escape a war they don't believe in. nick: victor is trying his best to make his new house feel like home. he has maintained his morning routine. squanchy the cat, who fled with him, gets her breakfast. and he gets his coffee, surrounded by his children's cups and their prized possessions. but he is 1,000 miles from his russian hometown. >> in russia, in america or anywhere else, no one wants to fight, no one wants to kill, no one wants to die. nick: he arrived in turkey in what is now called the first wave, russians who fleright after putin invaded ukraine in

february. >> there was not panic, but nervousness. people were leaving. people were running away with their animals. they were flying one way. when i arrived here, i felt a little bit calmer again. and then life just started. we started to get settled. nick: he works in fintech and helps russians abroad with financial transactions. he hopes russians back home follow in his footsteps. >> one thing that i want is that people who still haven't woken up and who have been told, go and kill, that they will ask themselves a question: why? what have people done to me that i need to kill them? nick: maxim is 33. >> i left because i'm at the point where i need to trust only myself. in fact, all men of russia have got to the point where our president decides whether you will live or will you die at the front. nick: he was part of the recent exodus. on september 27, he took a one-way flight for $1,400.

that was five days after putin launched russia's largest mobilization since world war ii. >> only military reservists, primarily those who served in the armed forces, will be called up. i have already signed the executive order on partial mobilization. nick: but, in istanbul, a city of 15 million, maxim does not doubt his decision. he is a tv graphics designer with no military experience, and even he could have been drafted. >> the last four or five days, when i was in russia, i felt panic and shock. i slept for four hours. many who stayed there were still very nervous, because you are a hostage of the situation. nick: maxim lives as a nomad. he is still searching for an apartment and spends nights in a local hostel, missing the girlfriend he left behind. >> it is hard to leave family, your children, but, as we say now in moscow, a father who is far away is better than a dead father. nick: that's the fate that befell yevge bizyaev.

he deployed to ukraine in late september. today, they held his funeral in eastern russia, 1,100 miles from where he died on the front lines. he voluntarily mobilized and ended up making a sacrifice that will last forever. and so other recruits have rushed to volunteer a different kind of forever. in st. petersburg, they are holding fast-track marriages, vows of love, before being sworn into putin's war. some of those fighting that war post videos saying they are being left to suffer biting cold, with nowhere to sleep. others complain of deploying with potemkin equipment, a bulletproof vest without a bulletproof plate. "i hope the ukrainians are firing rubber bullets," he says. back in istanbul, 42-year-old kostya is relieved he is not the one fighting or dying. he'd rather walk to an uncertain future.

>> when i'm reading about news about what's going on there now, i worry about friends, about everyone who has been touched by it. but i feel relief that i am reading about it from here, where i am safe. nick: back in february, he joined thousands of russians who protested the war and, alongside hundreds of others, was detained. he left for istanbul the very day that putin declared the mobilization. >> i don't want to fight against ukrainians, because, for me, russia is the aggressor. i don't like to feel like i'm on the evil side, on the side who began this war. maybe in other cases, we will need to protect our country, but not like this. nick: tens of thousands of russians have mobilized themselves from their homeland to avoid being mobilized into a war that has no end in sight. for the "pbs newshour," i'm nick schifrin. judy: remarkable statements from these men. and from europe to africa, russia's invasion of ukraine is having dire consequences around the globe.

that includes in chad, where the war, thousands of miles away, combined with severe drought, is causing food prices to soar. chadians already suffer one of the world's highest levels of hunger, with more than two million people estimated to be hungry. special correspondent willem marx recently went to chad, where he found entire famished communities struggling to survive. willem: happy eyes, but hungry mouths. several dozen children live in this family compound, but, recently, there's food for just one daily meal, a morning morsel of fried bread dipped in sweet green tea, eaten at speed. youssouf ibrahim abderaman is father to nine here and grandfather to several more. god will decide his family's fate, he insists, but youssouf does what he can to stave off their hunger. >> if you earn a living day by day, you eat whatever you get. sometimes, you don't get anything to eat for a day. sometimes, you are able to buy food for the whole day, sometimes for half-a-day.

that is how it goes. willem: what, we ask, for the consequences for his young children? >> when it comes to the kids, you have to make do. what little food you have, you put it aside for them and you forget about yourself. when there is enough food, you eat together. otherwise, you just give it to them. willemin recent months, food prices have risen sharply in this town of 50,000 called moussoro and right across the african naon of chad. russia's invasion of ukraine resonating painfully even here among those already accustomed to acute shortage. >> everything is more expensive, pasta, flour, rice, millet. everything is more expensive. willem: alhadj adoum berkedai is president of the town's chamber of commerce and has worked as a trader for the past 40 years. we ask him the reasons for these recent price spikes. >> in the past, prices increase after the rainy season.

but, these past w months, the ukraine-russia conflict made everything expensive. willem: so, what he's saying is that this entire room would normally be filled with either flour or sugar. and because of the ukraine war, it's now completely empty. >> we're been facing great difficulties, particularly relating to food. despite the price increase, we have managed to import some, but what's the point if people are not able to buy it? we will end up with stocks of unsold product and go out of business. willem: economic activity in remote communities like this largely centers on food, and in this landlocked country, a lot is imported. but the 15-day truck journey south across the sahara from libya relies on affordable fuel, also now in short supply. the local mayor invites us to tour the town's main market,

where some food still sits in the stores, but shoppers are scarce. at moussoro's only bakery, bread still leaves the oven as reliably as the sun rises. but there are fewer buyers for these baguettes than before and business is suffering badly. mahamat tahir and his friend saleh start early each day, together with their team, stacking loaves deep onto trucks, piling bread high onto bikes. the bare flour costs have nearly doubled this year, forcing their prices higher too. >> now we have fewer customers. we sell less than usual. sales have dropped hugely. we sell far less bread. willem: the two men work morning to midnight, but mahamat says it's still not enough. >> it's not profitable for the bakery now. we're continuing to function just to avoid closing down. the company is not making any profit.

willem: across town, at a less commercial collective established with overseas help, local women grind nuts, corn and salt into an enriched flour that helps prevent malnutrition. >> malnutrition isn't just affecting newborn babies. women, children, they're all malnourished. and it's for that reason that we're making flour. willem: one worker, mariam moussey, tells us hunger kills kids in chad, particularly in rural villages. at a distribution center in one such community, chabaka, there's no price put on life, just a limit faced on food, less than 90 pounds grain per month for each of these 500 families from six surrounding settlements. they sit and wait for their rations among crops that cannot grow fast enough to meet their current desperate needs.

mothers tested for fever that could indicate covid-19, their babies then measured for signs of malnutrition. in chad, the u.n. says 1.3 million children lack sufficient food, while two in every five suffer from stunted growth. price increases helping to push those numbers even higher. >> this first quarter, compared to the first quarter of 2021, if you look at millet, in some areas, the price has increased by 15%. if you look at sorghum, you're looking at an increase of over 40%. but when you look at beans in some part of the country, we have an increase of almost up to 96%, almost double. willem: enrico pausilli is the deputy country manager for the u.n.'s world food program here and says it doesn't take much to devastate the population of a country like chad. enrico: a little shock actually can cause incredible distress to

the populations, be economical or in terms of food security and malnutrition. willem: back in chabaka, the world food program's local partner is led by sadick mahamat rozi, charming, cajoling and checking that several hundred families received the supplies they have been promised. >> it's been worsening since 2010. but now, with the situation in ukraine, it's getting even worse. each harvest, the crisis is increasing. the number of malnourished children is increasing. willem: the worst drought in a decade meant last year's harvest failed for many, meaning, months later, households have very little left for this fallow period known as the lean season, their annual struggle to survive made even worse by a distant war. for the "pbs newshour," i'm willem marx in chabaka, chad. ♪

judy: as we reported, ukraine is asking the israeli government for air defense assistance to combat russia's campaign of drone strikes that are crippling critical infrastructure. that request comes as israelis are poised to head to the polls for the fifth time in the last several years to elect a new government. israel's longest-serving prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, is running to regain the post he lost last year. i spoke with him this afternoon about a host of issues facing israel and the world, as well as his new memoir, "bibi: my story," which is out this week. prime minister netanyahu, thank you very much for talking with us. and i do want to ask you about the book, but let me start with the news from ukraine. as you know, t russians are now under pressure. they are aiming indiscriminately

at ukrainian civilians, using these drones, killing people. this is after months of pounding civilians in that country. is there a good defense for what vladimir putin is doing, do you think? benjamin netanyahu, former israeli prime minister: no. but i think that, beyond the tragedy and horrors of ukraine, there is a larger issue of where this conflict is going. a year ago, it seemed that it would be contained and resolved within the confines of ukraine. but -- and i certainly hoped that that would be the case. i no longer can say that this conflict will not spiral out of control and have ominous global implications. obviously, the most ominous one, aside from shortage of food, shortage of wheat, shortage of protein, and the other horrible things that are happening that could affect countries around the world, i think the possibility of a nuclear exchange, or the use of nuclear weapons, even tactical nuclear weapons, is something that i would have discounted completely a year ago.

and i would say it's still not likely, but it's no longer impossible. and i think this is, by far, the greatest danger and the greatest horror that we face after 77 years in which the world did not witness the use of these weapons. judy: i hear you, but, in the meantime, this is, as you know, mainly a conventional war. we are seeing russia, again, pound civilians. and you have said you think that israel's position on the war is mainly correct, largely staying out of it and denying repeated requests from ukraine for lethal weapons. today, there are reports that ukraine is asking israel for early warning defensive equipment. why not make that available? benjamin netanyahu: well, the government has decided the way -- the present government, which has fallen, and, in fact, is going to elections in two weeks. and i hope to replace them. they have decided what they have decided, to basically limit israel's support to substantial humanitarian aid.

we have taken in more ukrainian refugees, jews and non-jews, proportionately, probably than any other country. they have sent field hospitals. they have done other things. judy: i'm asking because, as you know, the question is out there, at what point, does it make sense to respond to these humanitarian needs, rather than worrying or being mainly focused on placating, frankly, vladimir putin because of syria? benjamin netanyahu: well, it's not placating. there is a -- russian and israeli planes are literally flying next to each other and could bump into each other, and we could provoke a russian-israeli war. that's the reason there is caution on the israeli side. but you can ask the same question, why doesn't nato intervene? because it's complicated, obviously. and even though there are unquestionable horrors that are being perpetrated against the ukrainian people, ukrainian civilians, there is the larger question of, what happens when one side has nuclear weapons?

and i think that leads to the point that i have been trying to make for decades. it's bad enough that you have these nuclear weapons. do you want iran to have nuclear weapons and threaten the entire world, chanting "death to america" and "america the great satan"? not a good idea. judy: and i do want to ask you about iran in just a moment. but in some documents that were recently released, former president obama is described as putting you in the camp of world leaders who subscribe to what he called putinism. and we were reminded today that there were billboards in israel in an election in 2019 that showed you with vladimir putin. is he still your friend, your ally? benjamin netanyahu: i don't know if he was my ally, but we had a common interest in syria and avoiding an israeli war. and, yes, i worked that corridor because i thought it was in the interest of my country. it wasn't -- it wasn't a love affair, as people describe it. i also disagree with the

president obama, not for the first time. although i respect him, i disagree with him. he was friends with erdogan. erdon was perhaps one of his closest friends. and i have had a running feud with erdogan. i mean, i suppose our relations with turkey have improved because he's calling me -he called me hitler not every six hours, but every 12 hours. but erdogan is a classic authoritarian leader, if you will, falling into the category that president obama described. and he was supporting him. he was also very friendly to the regime in tehran. and you can see today what that regime amounts to. i mean, it is murdering its citizens. its brave women are coming out and fighting for their freedom. i'm sorry. no, i'm not -- i'm not an authoritarian. judy: and when it comes to iran, you have argued all along that the iran nuclear deal was a mistake. president -- former president trump agreed with you. i he saw that the u.s. pulled

out that out of that deal. it's now in great jeopardy, whether that deal will ever be revived. but, in the meantime, iran has built up its nuclear capacity. it's closer than ever to having a bomb. so how is israel safer as a result of what -- of what you advocated? benjamin netanyahu: the deal doesn't stop it. i mean, i sent -- i describe this in my book. i sent the mossad to the heart of tehran to pilfer the secret atomic archives of iran. they brought it to israel. and hollywood couldn't even begin to describe this chase and -- in the streets of tehran against our agents who got the material out, got themselves out. and they brought the archive, the secret atomic archive of iran, to israel. and when we looked at it, we could see that they were cheating. they had, as early as 2003, had a secret plan to build five -- that's 20 years ago -- five

atomic bombs, hiroshima-style bombs. and then they hid this program under civilian guise. but iran cheats. and, look, there is no way to stop them. you can sign 100 agreements with them. you could sign agreements with north korea. it doesn't mean anything. iran is the worst of all, because it is a radical islamic regime that is fundamentally opposed to our free way of life, our free societies, and calls and chants "death to israel," "death to america." that's only going to be stopped not by any agreement. it's going to be stopped by the combination of crippling economic sanctions and a credible military option. if you're not prepared to do that, don't hide behind the agreements. the agreements are not going to stop iran. they merely pave iran's path to the bomb with gold, with hundreds of billions of dollars that they use both to accelerate their nuclear program and also to foment terrorism and aggression throughout the middle east and the world. you want to stop iran, stop it now. stop it before they have nuclear

weapons, because, once they do, you're not going to be able to. judy: a few more questions. and, in the book -- i do want to focus on that -- you detailed your relationships with a number of american presidents in succession going back to president reagan, president bush, both presidents bush. president when it comes to president trump, it looked to many of us as if you had more positive things to say about what he did for israel, what his posture was toward israel. and yet, prime minister netanyahu, it is just in the last few days that there are questions being raised about whether former president trump has made antisemitic remarks. you saw it. he said american jews should all support rael -- quote -- "before it's too late. what do you make of that? benjamin netanyahu: well, look, i don't think he's antisemitic. his daughter-in-law -- his daughter, rather, married his son-in-law, who is jewish. he converted. his grandchildren are jewish. i'm sure he loves them. as far as israel is concerned, i can tell you that he had -- he

did do great things for israel. and i appreciate it. i appreciate the fact that he recognized jerusalem as our capital, which is common sense and common history, that the fact that he moved the american embassy there, that he recognized our sovereignty in the golan heights, from which we were attacked repeatedly by syria, and that he pulled out of this dangerous iran deal. so i'm appreciative of that. but it doesn't get me into the thick of american politics, which is thick and deep. let me tell you, i have enough of my own politics here. i'm thick in it right now, as you can imagine, because i have taken a break to have this conversation in the midst of campaigning. judy: and we appreciate it. and speaking of politics, i do want to ask you very quickly about something big. it's not only, where do the palestinians go from here? what sort of life do you foresee for them in the years, generations to come? but in this election, at a time when your country is so divided, and you are seen as a divisive figure, how do you bring your

country together, if you're elected? benjamin netanyahu: well, first of all -- first of all, a lot of israelis, the majority of israelis, prefer me to be prime minister. my party, the likud, is well ahead in the polls of any other party. and they recognize too that if we let the palestinians, whose leaders still cling to the fantasy of destroying israel, if we let them veto the peace agreements that we would have with the arab world, we're just going to let the 1% or 2% of the arab world -- the tail wagging the body, the arab body. and i said, enough of that. we have got four arab countries to have four peace treaties in four months, something that we didn't have for 72 year-- or for 25 years, since the egyptian and jordanian peace treaties. and that has created a wonderful change. judy: and you see a home f the palestinians in years to come? benjamin netanyahu: yes. and i think they can live a life of dignity and a life of freedom, but security under any peace agreement will remain in our hands, because, if not, you will see iran overtaking them

and threatening us. and that won't be good for peace, and it won't be good for former prime minister any of us. judy: former prime minister benjamin netanyahu, thank you very much. benjamin netanyahu: thank you, judy. good talking to you. thank you. ♪ judy: whether on stage or in front of a canvas, multidisciplinary artist patrick dougher sees the importance of celebrating the world around him. dougher, who was found through the brief but spectacular open call, tonight offers his take on his native brooklyn, art, and art magic, as part of our arts and culture series, canvas. >> i was born and raised in brooklyn. i still live here. i can't imagine living anywhere else. to me, nothing compares to the spirit, the soul, the diversity, the creativity. brooklyn is just -- we used to

say it's the planet, and it still feels like that to me. ♪ coming of age in new york and in brooklyn, and particularly from a dysfunctional, financially disadvantaged family, it was tough. but it was also incredibly vibrant. punk rock was happening. hip-hop was just happening. graffiti was becoming accepted. i grew up walking distance from the brooklyn museum. i had a great love for art and a great interest in art as a kid. and i had enough of an understanding to realize that the art depied in a museum wasn't really for me. when i did finally go to the brooklyn museum, i just didn't see brown people on the walls. having my art shown in venues like the brooklyn museum and high-end galleries feels like redemption. it feels like the full circle. i am a multidisciplinary artist. i'm a self-taught musician and fine artist, a writer, a poet.

being self-taught is being open. i never knew what i couldn't do. no one ever told me the limitations, so i enter into every project with a newness, with a willingness to learn. i think, if i had access to art and to art instruction as a child, it would have made the process of creation maybe a little smoother, but maybe not as fun. there's an excitement about learning something for yourself and by yourself. i paint people of color. and, because of that, i'm pigeonholed as a black artist. i don't think white artists have that same stigma. i paint people that are in my environment. i paint people that i find beautiful. i don't necessarily think that i'm painting black people as a statement. it just feels natural. my experiences and my culture influence every aspect of my life. my views on spirituality and social justice come directly from where i was raised and how

i was raised. there's no separation between that perspective and my work. my name is patrick dougher, and this is my brief but spectacular take on brooklyn, art and magic. our judy: so good to be able to highlight that talent that he clearly has. and you can watch more brief but spectacular videos online at pbs.org/newshour/brief. on right now professional licensing. we take a look at the growing push to remove those barriers in louisiana. that's on our website, pbs.org. newshour. and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us on-line and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs newshour, thank you, please stay safe and we'll seeou soon. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by --

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this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.] >> this is a pbs newshour, and in the west, from our bureau at the walter cronkite school of jourlism at arizona state university. ♪

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