hurricane sweeps across florida. >>gabon's though teri ousts his

president. >> judy woodruff explores the link between the decline of local news and rising partisanship. >> people are beginning to understand the value of journalism. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by. ♪

>> bnsf. the engine that connects us. the walton family foundation. working for solutions. supported by the john d in catherine t macarthur foundation, committed to building a more just world. with the ongoing support of these institutions. this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting.

>> wins near 125 miles per hour. wall of water. >> officials reported rain traffic test. >> after a night of raging wind and rain, the hurricane landed. on the gulf coast. ,. those who shelter-in-place woke up to find the flooded streets. >> this is going to be devastating. >> the hurricane could be seen from the international space station. the storm hit hardest in the big bend region. after the hurricane had passed,

officials urged people to remain watchful. the local utility company staged crews and tracks. as of midday, hundreds of thousands of people are without power. >> the state by the storms. committee workers are actively working to restore power in all affected areas. . >> be ready and move. make sure back in florida

aftermath. >> federal teams are going to work to get people to safety. i'm ready to mobilize the support. >> still recovering from hurricane ian that destroyed thousands of buildings. >> for an update, we turn to the mayor of tallahassee, john daly. this was the largest, strongest storm to ever hit the big bend area in modern history.

tallahassee is the region's biggest city. >> to be honest, we got lucky. as we now know, it went east. we were impacted and we have damage but you are correct that this is the strongest storm to hit the area and colleagues are in a massive recovery stage. >> in our report, hundred-year-old oak tree fell on the mansion. do you have any idea? >> we have a lot of trees down. we are a tree city usa. the concerns are if you have

high wind, it does not mix well. as a result, we have a lot of trees. power lines, roads. unfortunately we are sorry to see it happen. >> this part of florida is not accustomed to storms of this size. >> we laugh and say we have backup plans we started early. communication is key. we have a municipal population of 200,000. it's important for us to

communicate and let everyone know we have a storm event coming. people took care of business. we are the largest missable service provider in the region, we were checking 4000 miles of transmission to make sure they were clear, checking the sewer system and as a result, i think storm water systems worked well. we tripled the size of the electric utility department as far away as nebraska and we had other minister polities prior to the storm. as the storm moved through the community we were ready to respond.

do you expect these kinds of weather events will be more problem? >> queries to having weather events. we usually are impacted one way or another, most of the time they go to the west of us. that made this more unique. when you look at the size and strength, we are seeing more intensity in rainstorms. it causes pause to make you think about the environment, global warming and what it's doing. we are impacted on an annual basis. >> john daly is the mayor of tallahassee. thank you for being with us.

>> let's turn to the federal response. >> the fema administrator is leaving for florida to assess the hurricane's damage firsthand and she joins us now. welcome back. storm continues to move across the southeast. what can you tell us? >> the biggest thing is we have the resources in place to some any lifesaving activities they need to happen. there are many people that chose not to evacuate, the brave men and women have been going to help, we are posturing and getting ready to understand what the impacts that hurricane has

had on all of the state. >> we heard bits and pieces of reports. i don't have the number. i would defer to the local officials. our focus is going to send in resources if needed to help support. if these people need additional help. >> residents who live through this, what should they be doing to make sure they are in line for support? should they be documenting damage, getting in touch? >> the first messages make sure you are doing it in a way to make it safe.

we have down power lines, water in the streets. the area is very dangerous. officials -- individuals need to make sure they are protecting themselves. contact your insurance company. make sure you make the phone call to see what is covered and what is not covered. start taking pictures and documenting the damage and work to determine what level of federal assistance will be important. >> the disaster relief fund is prioritizing funding. marco rubio said there are new

storms for local governments. >> our focus and priorities to make sure we can always support lifesaving missions. that is what we are prioritizing. so we could have enough funding to send search and rescue teams, power generation and ensure those in harm's way don't have increased damage. the work itself does not stop. it will delay the payments, and it's not a lifesaving activity. >> the near times reported just 19% of staff we are responding

to a wide number of events. we have employees we will tap into and we have the search capacity where the secretary has given up -- us the ability to use volunteers across the department to support us. 6000 people are signed up to support efforts if you need them. >> thank you so much for joining us safe travels and please come back soon. >> other headlines.

$95 million to strengthen the electrical grid in hawaii. there have been questions about whether down power lines sparked the maui wildfire. the fire killed more than 300. a federal judge in washington ruled rudy giuliani defames two election workers by accusing them of alec fraud. the default judgment came after the lawyer failed to require documents. he ordered giuliani to pay legal fees for the accusers. the two sides in the russia-you ring war traded heavy aerial assaults. the ukrainians launched the biggest drum barrage yet, hitting airports and military planes. video caught the explosions.

the attacks reportedly hit six regions and lasted more than four hours. moscow accused western allies of helping. >> ukrainian drone attacks once again. it's clear drones were not able to fly distances without information. >> russian drones and missiles lit up the sky in the biggest bombardment in months. by daybreak, smoke was still rising and officials reported two deaths. officials say intelligence says vladimir putin is trying to buy weapons from north korea. the white house disclosed putin and kim jong-un have exchanged letters. john kirby spoke about that in an off-camera briefing. >> is going to north korea to

try and get utility shells, there is no other way to look at that than desperation. >> also today, north korea fired two missiles into the sea. the kremlin conceded a plane crash that killed yevgeny prigozhin could have been foul play. officials have suggested it was retaliation. he was buried yesterday in his hometown, the site brought out people paying respect. the former roman catholic cardinal will not be tried on sexual assault charges. a psychologist testified at a

massachusetts hearing that he has dementia. both sides agreed. he is 93 years old. the labor department said another 3.6 million salaried workers will be eligible for overtime. the obama administration tried something similar but business groups defeated in court. the dow jones industrial average was up 37 points, the nasdaq rose 79 points. still to come on the newshour, students respond to the shooting at the university of north carolina in the trauma of gun violence.

judy woodruff delves into the connection between partisanship and local news. francis tiafoe shares his journey. >> this is the pbs newshour. >> for the second time this summer, mitch mcconnell rose up while answering your questions. this time during-- >> it's best to show what happened. >> what my thoughts?

>> running for reelection. >> oh. >> did you hear the question? >> you can see there were 30 seconds where he was nonresponsive. he went on to take a couple of questions, his office says he felt dizzy. in july there was a similar moment after getting questions from reporters. this office is known for its discipline, i heard from the number two republican, little me center thune was his usual self.

>> he was the longest serving party leader about the age and health. one third is over 70 years old. mcconnell is over 80. john fetterman had a stroke. this is a place worse already's power. it could be critical in the next month. >> thank you. >> in the last two years, six

countries suffered what the u.n. has called an epidemic. soldiers in gabon seized power after election results were announced. they are an oil-rich country. >> and election is erased to thunderous applause. residents fill the streets to celebrate what they view as a liberation. they think the army and call from this is independence day.

>> the player they are in charge. >> the election did not meet the conditions. the responsible governance is threatening to drive the country into chaos. >> the results had been announced hours earlier. 41 years before that, the president -- from house arrest, he appealed for international help. john kirby called it deeply concerning. >> we will remain.

>> they suffered occlusions 2021. like the sahara, the problems stems from dynastic rule. they have been staunch french allies. one third of the country -- they introduce the new head of state who until yesterday, led a guard that was supposed to be protecting. we discussed what it means for the region. i turned to the director, she turns me now. welcome to the newshour.

no international observers. we just highlighted the family. >> as he pointed out, we have been seeing a lot of frustrations that the system of government is not delivering for people. gabon seen as a country with high gdp. we have seen, you have one country ruling for over 50 years. >> people pulling the streets, celebrating. that is a genuine national reflection.

>> it's not necessarily a celebration but opportunity for transition. it's less citizens voice showing signs of relief that this could be an opportunity to transition to something better than what they are coming from. >> zooming out, let's look at the map. coups seven countries, each is different. his democracy in decline? >> to put it directly, yes it's in decline. yes, there is a concern across the board, there is a huge gap

between the demand for democracy and supply. unfortunately, the gap continues to widen across the continent, many want to see democracy delivered, dividends. better livelihoods. p.r. seeing a trend where the gap for democracy is winding due to a lack of proper supply. >> what are the implications for

u.s. interests? >> it is clear there is a strong case to be made for continued u.s. support and strengthening democratic institutions. at the end of the day, this should give the u.s. and other actors an opportunity to look inward at approaches to partnering with governments and more importantly, people to strengthen democratic institutions of governance. the opportunity is still there for honest engagement and partnership. >> thank you so much.

>> a shooting at the university of north carolina earlier this week left one professor dead and a community reeling, especially students on campus. the associate professor was shot monday afternoon, i campus lockdown lasted three hours. police say he was an advisor to the gunmen. the paper published a front-page that went viral. the editor in charge joins me now. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> tell us about where this idea came from. what was it like for you and your staff to pull this

together? >> on monday, i was in lockdown and we were planning to go ahead with the paper focused on the upcoming football season and of course when it happened, we knew it was not the way to go. i was on campus a couple of buildings over. we walked through what this look like an adverse we did not know what it would be. there are no words after such a traumatic event. that evening i was laying at home and looking at the text messages i received, looking at

instagram and seeing so many students posting texts they received two friends who were also in lockdown, that's what i view that every person on campus got a message. that is when i knew. >> it is just stunning to read through all of these, they range from messages like are you safe, where are you. i know you must have grown up watching coverage of shooting, have you ever thought it would happen? >> it is something we are seeing more and more. had to do lockdown trainings not

something you everything will experience. so many have experienced an active shooter situation. i personally have not. before i became editor-in-chief, it was something i saw, how will i respond and it is in a way sad i had to think that, then i know other editors who have had to cover active shootings, so it has been front of mind for me so now we have to sit through it and i have been the editor of our school paper. it is sad and something i have yet to process.

>> this was only in your second week of school. how does this change how you see it? >> everyone's perspective on campus is different, i was looking very excited and i'm still very thankful that i get to leave the news but this event has marked everyone's experience , and everyone who is an alumni. looking forward, this will be a large part of coverage and it will not go away, the event has lasting impacts by everyone who experienced or was close to it. i.t. is working really hard. >> as you mentioned, you could

have covered the story but chose to do this in this way on this cover. it feels like it was meant to send a message. >> we wanted to rate a historical -- create a historical record and create something that gathered the full experience of that day. furthermore this is a cover so personal to the students.

>> the editor-in-chief thanks you for joining us. >> thank you. >> in a recent report, judy woodruff examined how the loss of thousands of local newspapers is depriving communities of some clue that holds them together. tonight, she looks at how some news outlets are hanging on. it's part of her ongoing series america at a crossroads. >> taking to the winding mountain roads, delivering the local newspaper. >> not just a delivery person.

she is the owner, editor and publisher that covers three counties including two or the most sparsely populated. she is closely connected to the community. >> folks need to know their neighbors, what happening. >> the office is nestled in virginia, a small town of about 160 residents. adam says people not only suggest story ideas but also holter to account. >> there like we think you crossed the line. >> for much of the history, local newspapers played a key

role, highlighting common challenges and events that tie people together. >> we have also had a great network. >> we will report that. >> i feel like folks would not have right information, less engaged. >> that has become the reality for many americans over the last two decades, about 2500 local newspapers have folded since 2005 according to a school of journalism. in the same period, newspaper revenue has plunged from $50 billion to $20 billion. news organizations are operating on razor thin margins.

1/5 of residents live in news deserts where residents have limited access to comprehensive information. >> they did a look back and that's a feature we published. >> adams, who was only the 10th publisher of the paper took over in 2007. >> look at these tiny headlines. >> the recorder has helped hold this community with its large history together for 146 years. it has done some mainly by selling ads descriptions at a time when somebody local newspapers have collapsed. but, it may not be financially sustainable in the long run. >> the cost of paper has gone up. >> can you venture a guess? >> as long as i'm alive.

i always say, we will not kill it off on my watch. >> 2017, she gambled and doubled the price, and it was just five issues away from oldie during the pandemic when readers stepped in to keep the printing press going. all of this is paid off. the 600 mile pipeline would cut through over three states that potentially had huge environmental impacts. >> people say why are you bothering? we kept hammering away. we got the privilege of being the first to report. >> like many local newspapers,

they locked the power to do reporting. newsroom employment has been slashed since 2005, turning many small publications into ghost newspapers. in mississippi, staff has suffered repeated rounds of cuts in the last 15 years. >> there was a lack of statehouse reporting. >> mary is the ceo of mississippi today, a nonprofit launceston 2016 run by donations and grants. >> some big issues were coming through the legislature and there was no one there to cover them, that was the early days. >> is become an exemplar of rapid growth. >> in early days, making the case for journalism was a long and hard conversation.

it was new information you beget to the media. now, people are beginning to understand the value of journalism to our democracy, the value to local communities and that it is a worthwhile cause to support. >> i am so proud, we brought in 400,000. that's from everyday people. >> mississippi today publishes the names of donors and is partially funded by venture philanthropy, based in washington, d.c.. >> we think we are at the front end of building a new generation of news organizations. >> the project was established four years ago and helps support across the country. >> we have seen over the last several years, new, digital

nonprofit organizations that are fundamentally re-examining advertising. about 80% has disappeared in these organizations are thinking of the financial structure in the same way we to our communities that suggest together. >> mississippi's reporters cover politics which are livelier than usual in this statewide election year. >> i want to see changes. >> last month, we caught up with reporters. we spoke with residents who say they have grown to rely on the digital only platform. >> i don't agree with everything they write, but it seems like

they are straight facts. >> now, one of the largest newsrooms in the state, mississippi today won a pulitzer prize. an investigation exposed the diversion of federal welfare dollars intended to help the poorest people in the country, instead directed to political supporters. >> i am probably on that story close to 100 public records requests. >> think about the time to draft and see through the process. not realizing the investment

that is required. >> at times, the focus is heavily on nonprofit newsrooms. >> mississippi today was providing people with basic tools they needed to be able to navigate the crisis, information about how to get water and what to do. >> while the nonprofit model is

showing promise in urban settings, economic realities perseus for local newspapers that depend on subscriptions and advertising. >> the traditional news model has vanished. >> penny abernathy has done extensive research on local journalism. >> it helps them gather and understand. >> she says one solution might be using public dollars >> there

is not subscription subscriber of. the challenges are great and the stakes are high. >> increasingly, i am worried. evolving into haves and have-nots. it has huge implications for democracy and society. how do we come together to solve the issues that are confronting us? let's i'm judy woodruff in jackson, mississippi. >> some stay -- say tennis is a metaphor for life.

for 25-year-old francis tiafoe, now one of the top 10 players in the world, those were lessons learned early both on and off the court. i caught up as part of the arts and culture series. >> frances tiafoe, >> good. >>'s trademark smile is charming and disarming. >> in battle it propels him to the world's top 10 and a place in tennis history. >> hi-fi expectations. >> they soared after last year's u.s. open. in the round of 16, he took down the number two seed rafael nadal. then, in the quarterfinals,

andrey rublev in straight sets. making him the first to make it to the semifinals since andy roddick 2006, the first black american man since arthur ashe and this spring he became only the third black american man in history to blake -- break into the top 10. this year, the world is expecting big things. >> i want to approach it in another year. i want to make it a big ordeal. >> everyone describes it is happy.

, friends, myself. the whole area. i want to continue to make everyone proud. >> tiafoe knows where he comes from. the frame is often draped in hometown jerseys. probably from the district of maryland around washington, d.c.. he went pro at 16, competing in grand slam's see was 17.

his parents fled the civil war. his father worked in construction, helping to build the junior tennis champion center. and becoming its custodian. he slept in a spare office. it was there he first picked up a tennis racket. they inspired a new generation to cheer on tiafoe during last year's u.s. open. >> you are the third black american man to make it into the top 10.

>> opportunities everything. that's a lot. a lot goes into it. >> success he says is measured. he announced a $250,000 fund to boost tennis education and access across the country as his mother and father looked on. >> it's a wonderful thing. people who grow up in the same facility, what he is become.

>> they want to be like francis. great performers know. whether it's one person, you want them to be great. >> mary jo fernandez is one of the youngest. he sees enjoyment of the game.

i feel like he can compete, focus and entertain. that's very difficult. >> there is a mental fortitude in tennis, you are out there alone. >> the pressure is high. >> i wonder -- it's a tough sport. dealing with expectations. you can hate messages. >> do you read those? >> i'm not into that.

>> you love the crowd, you feed off the crowd. you put your head to your ear, call for them to be louder which is not normal. what do you love about that tomorrow quotes hours and hours. i am loving that moment. i played better that way. >> he may be on the court alone, but he says he is held up high cast of thousands. >> please your first call? >> my parents. cousins.

>> you of the wristband. >> he is laser focused on the road ahead. >> the next piece features billie jean king. that's coming up next week. there is more online including a lightning round with frances tiafoe on instagram. >> that is the newshour for tonight. on behalf of the entire team, thank you for joining us. >> major funding has been provided by. the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. friends of the newshour, including jim, kathy and paul. >> consumer cellular, how may i help you? >> with consumer cellular, you

get nationwide coverage with no contract. >> have a nice day. >> the ford foundation. working with visionaries for social change worldwide. with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. this program was made possible by the corporation public broadcasting and by contributions viewers like you.

thank you.

-buongiorno. i'm lidia bastianich, and teaching you about italian food has always been my passion. it has always been about cooking together and building your confidence in the kitchen. i'm showing off. does this look like a good meal? so make it. for me, food is about gathering around the table to enjoy loved ones, share a meal, and make memories. tutti a tavola a mangiare!