amna: good evening. i'm amna nawaz. geoff bennett is on assignment. on the "newshour" tonight, volodymyr zelensky renews his call for long-range weapons from the united states after two russian missile strikes kill dozens in ukraine. geoff bennett sits down with justice ketanji brown jackson to discuss her new memoir, detailing her journey to become the first black woman on the supreme court.

>> i'm the first black woman, as you say, but not the first black woman who could have done this job. amna: and growing concerns over voting security, as former president trump asserts that he had every right to interfere in the 2020 election. ♪ >> major funding for the pbs news hour has been provided by -- >> the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions and friends of the news hour, including and camilla and george smith. >> working to advance inclusive

democracies. >> fostering an and engaged communities. laura: -- >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and 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. amna: welcome to the news hour. ukraine is reeling tonight after one of the deadliest russian strikes since the full scale war

began more than two and a half years ago. authorities say two missiles hit a military academy and a hospital in the central-eastern town of poltava today, killing at least 50 people and injuring hundreds more. nick schifrin has our report. >> hundreds of miles from the frontline, russia's ballistic missile struck so quickly, ukrainian cadets had no time to search for safety. a military school building and nearby hospital both destroyed. nearby homes damaged. the violence has shattered this and every ukrainian city and residents long ago forgot what it feels like to be safe. he cleaned up his broken window. >> there were two powerful explosions, one after the other. everything was covered in glass. nick: a nearby school dusted itself off despite the danger.

>> it was scary. fear, panic. i don't know how to describe it. i was worried for my parents and my sister, for my loved ones. nick: volodymyr zelenskyy argued the attack should unshackle u.s. restrictions on long-range american weapons. >> air defense systems and missiles are needed in ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere. long-range strike that can defend against russian terror are needed now, not sometime later. every day of delay unfortunately means more lives lost. nick: there were more lives lost early today. police pulled out the bodies of victims of a russian strike on a hotel. by daylight, among the dead, a woman and her eight-year-old son. it is home to europe's largest nuclear power plant, occupied by russia since the war's first today's peer of yesterday, the

power source was hit with artillery. in ukraine, international atomic energy agency head rafael warned that could lead to the plant losing the power it needs to cool its reactor. >> i have very often characterized it as very fragile. for some days, we have some stability and then the next day, there is an event, an issue, a drone impact. the situation is very serious indeed. nick: today, the wars architect was given an honor guard by a country that is legally obligated to arrest him. vladamir putin visited mongolia, a member of the international criminal court, that have demanded putin's arrest. mongolia has built relationships with the west since it transitioned to democracy in the 1990's but it's economy still depends on russia and eaters announced today that their ties would be strengthened. >> relations with mongolia are

among the priorities of our foreign policy in asia and have been raised to a high level of comprehensive strategic partnership. nick: a small voice of dissent that demanded mongolia execute the icc warrant which quickly silenced when police arrested pro-ukrainian protesters. the pbs news hour, i am nick schifrin. amna: we start the day's other headlines with events in the middle east. the u.s. department of justice has filed criminal charges against several top hamas leaders in connection to the october 7 massacre. they include the group's leader, yahya sinwar there are seven -- they include the group's leader, yahya sinwar. there are seven charges in total, including conspiracy to murder u.s. nationals, and conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. in a statemant, attorney general

merrick garland said the individuals, quote, "have led hamas's efforts to destroy the state of israel and murder civilians in support of that aim." meantime, israelis took to the streets of tel aviv for a third straight night to demand their government strike a deal with hamas to secure the release of the remaining hostages in gaza. u.s. officials today said they're working on a new ceasefire and hostage proposal with their egyptian and qatari counterparts. and they called on israeli and hamas officials to reach a deal. >> there are dozens of hostages still remaining in gaza still -- still remaining in gaza, still waiting for a deal that will bring them home. it is time to finalize that deal. ultimately, finalizing an agreement will require both sides to show flexibility. it will require that both sides look for reasons to get to yes, rather than reasons to say no. nick: -- amna: in time, the world health organization says its polio vaccine campaign in gaza is exceeding expectations. more than 161 thousand oral

vaccines were administered during the first two days of a 10 day operation as israel and hamas adhere to a planned pause in fighting in specific areas. the w.h.o. hopes to vaccinate a total of 640,000 children overall. at least 12 people are confirmed dead after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the english channel. one official called it the deadliest migrant disaster in the waterway this year. rescuers say they pulled 65 people from this rough stretch of sea. investigators believe the majority had come from africa, and were trying to cross from northern france to the u.k. today, france's interior minister blamed overcrowding for the disaster. >> you must understand that while there were 30 to 40 people on these boats in the past, small boats with small engines, today, there are 70 to 80 people on the same boats. so, what probably happened is that this boat collapsed on itself very quickly. amna: the minister also said

that most of the passengers weren't wearing life vests, and that 10 of the 12 victims were women and girls. the white house today condemned the arrest warrant issued by venezuelan authorities for opposition leader edmundo gonzalez, calling it "unjustified." officials in brazil, argentina , and peru have also slammed the move. the warrant accused the former presidential candidate of various crimes related to the results of the disputed july election. they include conspiracy and falsifying documents, and stem from the country's opposition publishing vote tallies online that showed president nicolas maduro actually lost by a wide margin. gonzalez's lawyer said publishing those tallies did not amount to any wrongdoing. >> mr. edmundo gonzalez had nothing to do with collecting copies of the tally sheets, digitalizing them, and uploading them on a web page. this was a civic, citizen action of witnesses at polling stations accredited by the national electoral council.

amna: venezuela's election authority and its supreme court have certified maduro's alleged re-election, but have provided no proof of his win. here in the u.s., federal prosecutors have charged a former new york state official for acting as an undiclosed agent for the chinese government. linda sun and her husband left a brooklyn courhouse this afternoon, after pleading not guilty to charges that she used her position to help chinese authorities in exchange for millions of dollars in compensation and gifts. sun worked as deputy chief of staff for new york governor kathy hochul. she also held a position in former governor andrew cuomo's administration. in a statement, governor hochul's office said sun was fired last year due to, quote, "evidence of misconduct." the city of phoenix has set a new milestone, as it grapples with long-running summer heat on -- heat. on tuesday, the city hit 100 degrees for the 100th straight day. that's far beyond the prior record of 76 consecutive days.

temperatures climbed to 102 degrees on may 27. they haven't cooled since, and there's no break in sight. the forecast calls for unseasonably high temperatures this week across the western u.s., with an excessive heat warning lasting through friday. on wall street today, stocks plunged to start the new trading month, on renewed concerns about the economy. the dow jones industrial average sank more than 600 points, to close below 41,000. the nasdaq tumbled more than 500 points, as shares of big technology companies struggled. the s&p 500 also ended sharply lower on the day. and at the paralympic games in paris, team u.s.a raked in more medals, including three across the day's para-equestrian categories. among them, rebecca hart and her horse, "floratina," put on a golden performance at the palace of versailles. she bested the favorite, six-time paralympic champion

natasha baker of great britain. meanwhile, on the track, sprinter jaydin blackwell posted his second world record of the games, winning gold in the men's 400-meters. and ezra frech continued his golden run, topping the podium in his classification's high jump final. still to come on the "news hour", justice ketanji brown jackson reflects on her path to the u.s. supreme court. and teachers and shopkeepers take up arms in sudan to defend their country against a rebel militia. >> this is the pbs news hour from weta studios in washington and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. amna: supreme court justice ketanji brown jackson is out with a new memoir, chronicling her family's rise from segregation to her confirmation as the first black woman on the nation's highest court, all in a single generation. geoff bennett spoke with justice jackson earlier today in new

york about her memoir, lovely one. geoff: justice jackson, thanks so much for speaking with us. we appreciate it. justice jackson: thank you for having me. geoff: this book, your memoir. what comes through is how your story is such a uniquely american story, a real powerful testament to this country's progress. and you write about how your parents are the products of segregation, but they poured into you. and what strikes me about your story is that they poured into you with such powerful and purposeful effort and deliberate intention. what values today, in part, that really helped guide your your -- what values did they impart that really helped guide your your life and your professional journey? justice jackson: well, as i said, thank you for having me and giving me the opportunity to talk about the book and talk about my parents, who really did instill values like hard work and love of country. love of self.

they had a fierce pride in our african american identity, which comes up in my name. the book is called lovely one. because that is the english translation of my african name. given name. ketanji onyeka. and my parents, you know, i just wanted to be so much like them. when i was little. my father went back to law school when i was three, four years old, and i remember him studying, and that was one of my earliest memories. and my parents were educators originally when when i was born. and so, the idea of the importance of education and working hard and striving to achieve something all come from my parents. geoff: as the first black woman to serve on the u.s. supreme court, how do you perceive your role in the the broader context of american history and progress? nick: -- justice jackson: well,

it definitely demonstrates progress. so many people have received my appointment in that light. i'm the first black woman, as you say, but not the first black woman who could have done this job. i think about constance baker motley, who i talk about in the book and who was a role model for me. she was the first african-american federal judge. and she argued something like 11 cases in the supreme court. but she grew up and came up in a time in which it wouldn't have been possible for her to be appointed to the court. and so i feel so fortunate to be in this position, and it shows the progress that we've made as a country. geoff: what does being a first mean in practical terms? nick: -- justice jackson: well, i think it means that we are moving now to a time in which anyone has the opportunity to do what they want to do in our society. and i hope that seeing my appointment would be motivational for children, just like judge motley was

motivational for me. geoff: how do you engage with the other justices? justice breyer, as i understand it, he used to like to go to other justices chambers and have, you know, direct conversations. others prefer written communication. how do you do it and how do you navigate differences in legal interpretation? justice jackson: i think a little bit of both. you know, i learned from justice breyer, who, as you say, was a great collaborator, as someone who really did like to gauge personally with the other justices. sometimes, i go around. but i think we probably mostly communicate by memo and also by phone. and, you know, you do your best to try to persuade people that you have the better of the argument, or at least the way that you're thinking about it is the way the court should, geoff: you have at times aligned in your opinions with justice neil gorsuch. but for the for the most part, you're part of a three justice

liberal minority. how do you grapple with at times having, you know, limited ability to sway the outcomes of consequential, oftentimes divisive cases? justice jackson: well, i'm an optimist at heart. and, you know, you look at every case and you do your best to ask the questions at oral argument that you think might get people thinking. and you do your best through your clerks and other, members of your staff to communicate with them, do your position and you also hear their position and try to, understand where they're coming from to bridge whatever differences there are. but, you know, i'm not going to lie. it's not easy to be sure. but, you know, i'm always of the belief that people are persuadable, and that's what i'm here to try to do. geoff: has that worked? justice jackson: in some some

cases? yes. i mean, the court. it is a deliberative body, and our duty and our job is to listen to one another and try to come to the best decision. geoff: how do you think the court is best positioned to maintain the public trust? justice jackson: well, maintaining the public trust is a very important aspect of the court's work. this is something that justice breyer talks about all the time. and, when i was clerking for him, now, it's one of his big themes that, you know, the court, unlike the other branches of government, doesn't have an army, and it doesn't have, the power of the purse. and so we really do have to persuade people that the court is trustworthy in order to ensure that the rule of law is maintained. i think the court needs to -- i can tell you what i do -- really focus on the role of the court in a democratic society.

we have a constitutional republic. there are other branches of government. and so, i'm really focused on ensuring that i am staying in my lane, in my decisions and in the cases that come before us. i'm thinking about consistency, across the various cases, regardless of who brings the the -- regardless of who brings the claims at issue. and i am, you know, working diligently to set aside my personal views as i did as a lower court judge and, as a judge on the court of appeals. geoff: on the matter of court ethics, you've said that you are open to proposals to implement an enforceable code of ethics for justices. president biden has also urged the adoption of an 18 year term limit for the justices. should there be term limits for supreme court justices? justice jackson: well, here's how i'm thinking about that. there have been debates about term limits since the beginning of our republic. i talk about this in the book a little bit.

alexander hamilton debated the anti-federalists as to whether or not judges should have lifetime appointments, and the constitutional process was such that he won that debate. and that's what we have now in our system. and so, it's a political process to make a determination as to whether or not that should be changed. and in our democracy, people are engaging in that debate right now. geoff: the idea, though, as president biden has suggested, that it's a good thing to have more consistency in this process. and that 18 years, as he suggested, is a good approach. justice jackson: well, i'm going to let the political process play out in you. people are engaged in this decision right now. and it'll be interesting to see what we decide. geoff: the court's recent rulings on voting rights, reproductive rights, presidential immunity. in your view, how have those rulings fundamentally changed american life? justice jackson: well, the court hears some of the most significant cases.

that's the role of the court in our constitutional design. we take issues that are difficult because if they weren't difficult, they would n't make their way all the way to the supreme court. and many of those issues, as you've indicated, deal with pretty complicated social issues. there are standards in the law for when we decide to make changes. the court generally follows precedent, but there are times in which those standards and according to a majority of the justices have been met and changes are made. geoff: you've written some pretty forceful, pointed dissents in some major cases to include a 29 page dissent, sharply criticizing the ruling to reject affirmative action in college admissions.

and you wrote that deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life. and you also wrote that time would reveal the effects we're -- -- the effects. we're already getting our first look at the apparent impact mit, amherst college, tufts university report a significantly lower number of black students this year is white enrollment increases. what do you think are the implications of that? justice jackson: well, i will leave it to your viewers to read my opinion. in my dissent, i talked about the gaps that have been created in our society over. -- over time. and the fact that affirmative action, was initially designed as a response to them. and so we'll have to see what happens as a result of where we are now. geoff: when you write a dissent, who do you envision as the audience? is it the american public, the other justices? posterity? justice jackson: all of the above. you really do try to speak to a wide variety of audiences, because when you're dissenting, obviously you have not been able

to persuade your colleagues, about your view of the issue. so to some extent, you are writing for the public so that they can understand the debate that the justices have had about the issue. and then you hope to be writing for posterity, because you would hope that eventually your point of view would prevail. geoff: the process of writing a memoir, i imagine makes you think about your impact. it's probably too early to talk about your legacy. but what what how do you. -- want to shape the court moving forward? justice jackson: oh my goodness. well, i would just like to do a good job. i mean, it's pretty early to be thinking about what, how i'd change it or how i'd stamp it. right now i just want to do the best i can to serve the american people to the best of my ability. geoff: looking back at your career thus far, what are you proudest of? justice jackson: oh, there's so many things to be proud of.

i've talked about all of the various stages of my life in the book and the people who contributed. i say in the preface, no one reaches the highest of heights on their own, and i really believe that. and so i think i'm proudest of the relationships that have sustained me to include my wonderful husband for whom, -- without whom i don't think any of this would have been possible. so i think it's the relationships that i've been able to build and have been privileged to be a part of. geoff: we get to see your parents during the confirmation process. what do they think of all this? justice jackson: oh my goodness. my parents are, i think, over the moon happy and proud and just probably couldn't have imagined that this would happen. geoff: reading the book though, i think they could, i think. justice jackson: maybe. well, they certainly wanted something, you know, wonderful

to happen and felt that it could. and that's why they invested so much. and i just -- i'm most pleased that we were able to put everything down on paper and have such a tribute to them while they're still with us. geoff: the memoir is terrific. justice jackson: thank you. geoff: lovely one, justice anthony brown jackson, thank you so much for speaking with me, i appreciate it. justice jackson: thank you so much. amna: we have just over 60 days to go until election day, former president donald trump is again casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election process. our white house correspondent laura barron-lopez takes a closer look. laura: lies about the 2020 election have been a key feature of donald trump's third campaign for the presidency. in an interview with fox over the weekend, trump defended his efforts to overturn the 2020 results. mr. trump: whoever heard you get

indicted for interfering with a presidential election where you have every right to do it, you get indicted, and your poll numbers go up? laura: another feature of trump's campaign, sowing distrust about the 2024 election. mr. trump: and it's one thing i taught people. they used to think that the elections were honest and the borders were sealed. now they know the borders are an open sieve that's destroying our country, and that the elections are dishonest as hell. laura: joining me now to discuss this is david becker, executive director of the nonpartisan center for election innovation and research. david, thank you so much for joining. in that recent podcast interview with a former aide of his, donald trump said that mail-in voting by its nature cannot be honest. he attacked early voting, seeing where are these being stored? what is your response to all these claims? david it shows you the

difficulty that the rnc and his campaign are having with his message discipline on this. the rnc are trying to encourage his voters to vote as conveniently as possible, by mail or early, which many voters in this country have opportunity today. 97% of all voters have access to early voting. 36 states plus d.c. offer no excuse mail-in voting. mail-in voting, absolutely secure. there are strict chains of custody that go around the machines with physical security and cyber security so people can be absolutely confident about those ballots being cast. donald trump himself won a majority of states with significant mail-in voting in 2016 and we did not hear anything about hollande voting after that. it has been around since before the civil war. laura: trump and his allies have claimed that noncitizens are running in large numbers and are going to vote in large numbers in november and trump has urged republicans in the house to shut

down the government in a heartbeat if they don't get their bill that requires proof of citizenship to vote even though it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote. what is the function of claiming that noncitizens are voting in massive numbers? why do it? laura: they are not -- david they are not trying to change policy. if they had the evidence to suggest a significant problem, and there is an evidence -- places have looked for large amounts of noncitizen registered or voting and they just can't find them. it's because they don't exist. it doesn't happen very often. what this is doing is setting the stage for claims that an election was stolen afterward. if they wanted to change the law, they would have done this in 2023, 20 21, or 2017 when donald trump was president of the united states. they could have changed the law and done whatever they wanted with regard to noncitizen voting, mail-in voting, everything else. the reason this is coming up two

months before the presidential election is because they know they are not going to change the policy in advance of the election but they do want to be able to collect these arguments after the election to his sincerely disappointed supporters if he loses. and then perhaps insight anger and division and donations -- incite anger and division and donations. laura: congress did pass legislation shortly after january it's insurrection, making it harder to object to certification. but what are the mechanisms? are there any for donald trump to overturn the 2024 election results? david: if he loses, and it is possible he could win legitimately, but if he loses, he is almost certainly going to try. regardless of what happens during the election that on election night, he' going to claim victory regardless of

margins. it is likely he's going to spread some of these lies about noncitizen voting, about mail-in voting not being secure, about voting machines being ri gged, and italian satellites. we should expect that. what i think we will see them do is if he loses, they will start organizing activists that they have organized over the course of the past four years. as they are counting ballots and getting ready to certify the election. we have seen attempts to do this at the county level in many states. nevada, arizona, new mexico, michigan, and others, by usually extremists on the right wing who are trying to slow down or stop state certification. i will say that even with efforts -- what we are seeing in georgia at the statewide level and efforts we are seeing at the countywide level, i think these efforts will fail. this is a somewhat pathetic strategy by losing a candidate to try to make it seem as if there is a legal path to stealing the election from the

rightful winner but there's so many checks and balances in place with state certification. there are legal actions that can be brought and have been brought by states in the past. there is the ascertainment of electors that happens on december 11 and by the governors of the states and the governors have acted in a principled way in the past. i expect them to do the same. laura: lies about the 2020 election being rigged are a hallmark of trump's speeches and interviews throughout this year, throughout his campaign, but he has also repeatedly said that 2024 is going to be rigged, that democrats e rigging it. what are the ramifications of that constant effort to stoke distrust? david: we have seen public servants all over the country who have been just exhausted by constant abuse and attacks, threats against themselves and their family. these are the people who run the elections and it is happening at least as much if not more so in deeply red areas of our country,

in areas that have voted very heavily for trump where the professional election officials find themselves the targets of attacks sometimes from their own county boards, sometimes from their own county councils, sometimes, from their own county law enforcement who have ingested a constant toxic died of lies about the 2020 election. it is corrosive to our entire democracy. our adversaries overseas, russia, iran, china, are actively seeking to get us all to doubt our democracy, to doubt that democracy can work for us and to doubt the election system that decides who leads us and now we have domestic actors over the last several years who intentionally or unintentionally are doing the to fix that. laura: david becker, thank you for your time. david: thanks.

laura: -- amna: international aid groups issued a joint declaration today that the hunger crisis in sudan is of "historic proportions." for nearly 18 months, the country has been embroiled in a civil war, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. in the fourth report in her series from sudan's front lines, supported by the pulitzer center, special correspondent leila molana-allen met some of the men fighting this war, and looked into the powers funding it. leila: elated. defiant. united. these sudanese armed forces soldiers want to show they're ready for a fight. in reality, most haven't yet been on a battlefield. they're fresh recruits, part of the government's drive to grow the army's ranks in the fight against a rebel militia, the rapid support forces.

a shopkeeper, an engineer, and a middle school english teacher. a year ago, these men couldn't have imagined fighting. now, they gather at this repurposed soccer stadium for basic training; some still wearing sneakers and jeans, waiting for their uniforms. this is the first time you have ever been in the army? and ahmed, you are an english teacher, and now the first time you are serving as well. >> protect our land to defeat the rebellion. leila: 29-year-old mohamad awadallah came here to qadarif two months ago after the rsf burned and pillaged his home state of sennar. >> in sennar, i saw death. there were rapes. the rsf were killing anyone they found in front of them. the situation in the country is getting worse, and we're afraid of being displaced again to another state. leila: in peacetime, he runs a market stall. these volunteers aren't paid to serve. the community does what it can to support them. >> the meals are regular but there is no salary. our relatives outside sudan send

us money to help us. leila: they don't underestimate the enemy they're fighting. once a militia armed by the country's former dictator, omar al bashir, to fight rebels in darfur, and responsible for mass slaughter of civilians there, the rsf was absorbed into the army in 2013. they fought here and abroad, building up strength and experience. bashir used them to crack down on popular protests in 2019; after he fell from power, his other elite army units were disbanded, making the rsf all-powerful. in 2021, rsf leader mohamad hamdan dagalo united with army chief abdel fattah burhan to take power in a military coup. when war erupted between them last year, the rsf quickly seized major territory like the capital, khartoum, and much of darfur. this year, having rallied the troops the army has managed to , seize some of that territory back and is now purportedly

buying weapons from iran and russia. but it's a long, hard, fight, -- but it's a long, hard fight, much of it street to street urban warfare in densely packed residential areas. the impact on civilians is devastating. up to a 150,000 people have already been killed, and over 11 million displaced from their homes. the rsf has been recruiting too, but forcibly. we met several child soldiers kidnapped from their families to serve the militia when it swept through khartoum. bilal is just 15. we're protecting his identity for fear of reprisals. he was arbitrarily arrested by militiamen from outside his home and held by the rsf for months. >> the rsf beat us every day, insulted us, and made us clean their military vehicles. they would force us to help them steal from houses and take boys to fight with them in battles. leila: finally, his chance came. >> they were drunk when i escaped. we were carrying flour sacks, and they were distracted.

i ran to the main road and found a bus passing by; i knew the driver, he was from my neighbourhood. leila: after hiding with neighbours for two weeks, bilal snuck across the river by night to saf territory. he still doesn't know the fate of those who helped him. >> i'm very worried about them and hope they get out. leila: a loving reunion with his relieved father. but these are the lucky ones, their stories of escape miraculous. they say many more are still stuck in rsf territory. foreign actors are staking a claim in the conflict, too, sending a steady flow of foreign weapons into the country. the united arab emirates is accused of sending weapons to the rsf to be smuggled in via chad. the united states is one of the leading arms traders to the uae. dotted around the burned out battle ground, emirati armoured vehicles, russian tanks, some

from the cold war. these battle fields are awash with foreign arms; some newly imported, some legacy weapons from the wars that have plagued this continent for decades. many of the guns now being used in sudan come from libya's civil war in 2014. we found evidence of emirati and russian weapons systems, as well -- turkish and serbian munitions as well as u.s.-manufactured , small arms. this is an american-made m-47 dragon anti-tank missile launcher. the sudanese armed forces say they found many of these when they pushed the rapid support forces back. it's a 20-year-old model, so there's no telling where it's been between then and now. the serial number, the best way of tracking how these weapons entered the company, has been carefully removed. critics say the uae wants control over sudan's red sea ports and rich mineral mines. the emiratis deny supplying and funding the rsf, but have engaged in talks to determine sudan's future; sudan's us envoy -- u.s. envoy, tom periello,

invited an emirati delegation to failed talks in geneva in august. the sudanese army says it will not negotiate with a foreign power that's arming its enemies. arms dealing is legal in the right circumstances. but countries who trade have a responsibility to track where and how their weapons are used. and these weapons are being used to massacre civilians. brian castner is a weapons investigator for amnesty international. brian: modern ammunition does terrible things to the human body. breaks bones. you can take off legs. you have to look at whether your priority is making the most money and in, you know, however way possible. and what are your responsibility when it comes to human rights? what's your responsibilities when it comes to stopping crimes against civilians when it comes to stopping civilian casualties? leila: it's not just foreign weapons, but foreign fighters playing a role in this war. mercenaries from nearly a dozen countries have been spotted

fighting alongside the rsf. last month, emirati passports were found in an area where the militia had been pushed back. we negotiated rare access to interview some of the rsf mercenaries the sudanese army has captured, at a nondescript intelligence base just metres from the echoing gunfire of the front line. loul, from south sudan, says he never even made the choice to fight. he came to work in khartoum because even in wartime, he had more chance of earning money than back home. in january, he was kidnapped from his cigarette stall, and told he would be free once he helped the rsf win back omdurman. he arrived at the front to discover he and the other young fighters were little more than cannon fodder. >> there weren't many soldiers, and no one could use the weapons. the few people who did fire bullets killed themselves or others in the group by accident. they were children, too young to fight. i was afraid, thinking will i survive or not? leila: it was the only battle

loul would participate in, and it didn't last long. >> on the way to the battle front, clashes broke out and i was shot in the leg. the driver fled. i was shot again and fell to the ground with some others. i lay on the ground for four hours. the people with me died. leila: loul managed to crawl to an abandoned house, where he was eventually found and arrested by the sudanese army. he's been held here since march. >> i still don't understand anything that's happening. will they let me go or not? no one tells me anything. will i go home to my family or to prison? leila: zakaria is just 16. when an rsf recruiter came to his destitute village in chad in early february offering cash to fight, he jumped at the chance to help his family. >> they said they would pay us when we reached sudan. $600. but when we arrived, they didn't give us any money. leila: like all the others here,

he never saw a penny. by april he'd been captured by the army; he's been locked up in omdurman ever since. prisoners of war must be treated humanely under international law. on camera, the boys said they were being treated well. but while setting up the interview, they whispered to the newshour team that they were being starved, and begged for help to get out. every member of the group was severely emaciated. like bilal, these are just young boys too, victims of a vicious conflict that spares no one. it's an cycle of corruption and abuse that threatens to drag sudan's neighbouring countries , already unstable and dealing with multiple crises, into the abyss of war along with it. and this is the impact of that war. a thriving regional capital in ruins. omdurman market used to be the bustling heart of this region. millions of people would come to buy provisions, to socialise, and for anything else they needed. now it's abandoned. soldiers say they're still

digging through the rubble finding bodies under these , charred shop fronts. and people escaping khartoum, across the river, say the devastation there is even worse. the country's foundations, too, lie in ruins. the economy has collapsed. children haven't been to school in over a year. fear and hunger rule the land. when this war does end, sudan's road ahead is full of pitfalls. its just five years since popular protests toppled the country's longtime dictator. but then army snatched power from the people. while many here support it in fighting the rsf, if they win, the next battle will be for democracy. the military junta claims it will hand back power when there is peace. . leaders of civil society's resistance committees are sceptical. >> i do not believe that the army has no interest in ruling the country. all the evidence shows the army is interested in staying in power. the future of the youth is in

great danger because after the revolution, many hopes were built, and what's happening now is a complete destruction of everything. leila: and whoever leads the country, building back from this devastation could take a decade. so much has been lost: lives, homes, dreams. in the midst of such suffering, hope for the future, so vibrant just a few years ago, is turning to dust. for the pbs newshour, i'm leila molana-allen in omdurman, sudan. amna: and we'll be back shortly,for a look at how young people are trying to preserve a long-neglected historic black cemetery in washington, d.c. but first, take a moment to hear from your local pbs station. it's a chance to offer your support, which helps keep programs like this one on the air. ♪

amna: for those stations staying with us, we take a second look at what could be a revolution in commercial shipping. following the successful operation of two giant wind-assisted vessels, a british company predicts that by 2026, half of all new ships will have high-tech sails. malcolm brabant reports. a stiff breeze provides optimum positions for this pioneering ship carrying 200,000 tons of iron ore from brazil to china. it's visit enables it to maintain speed while reducing dependency on engine power. >> in my 15 years as a ship captain, i have never been more excited. malcolm: he skippers olympus.

just as aircraft wings create lift, these devices generates thrust when installed vertically and automatic fully adjust the wind speed -- automatically adjust to wind speed and direction. >> i believe our collective efforts can significantly reduce carbon emissions from ships and eventually realize our goal of zero carbon shipping. >> this is an all hands on deck moment, a critical point, and we will need to really pursue the war against climate change. james marshall is so impressed, he intends to reacquire -- re-equipped much of his fleet. >> in good conditions, around seven tons of fuel that we save every day. that is around 20 tons of carbon dioxide. we are hoping to remove his wings on board our ships. malcolm: what percentage of

saving is that in terms of carbon for the voyages of that ship? works 15% to 20%, we hope to say. forks downwind for one final leg. malcolm: this was the inspiration for what may be a wind revolution. captained by him. >> i have been a sailor all my life. i love being on the water. it is a great sense of freedom to be powered by the wind and it is really amazing that this technology can use the power of mother nature in the wing to drive commercial shipping into the future. malcolm: all the vessels can sometimes be five times dirtier than newer ones. there has been a warning from the international maritime organization that unless stringent measures are taken, shipping emissions could rise to 50% over the next 25 years.

this very goes to england -- ferry euros to england. >> it is 20% less carbon footprint than a conventional vessel. malcolm: he operates britain's first hybrid ferry as part of his green commitment. >> electric motors, driving propellers, batteries, and then diesel generators that generate the electricity. malcolm: what is the advantage of that? >> the operators can operate efficiently because they homeaway at minimum emissions. they pump up the batteries gradually. batteries do all the hard work. malcolm: some of these innovators are based in portsmouth, home to hms warrior. >> presenting it to a potential customer. malcolm: the chief executive leads a team working to convince

owners of conventional cargo vessels like these that they should be sprouting wings. he says they should pay for themselves in six years. >> we want to employ as many of those out there because the biggest saving is carbon is not actually building new ships. malcolm: the other is the ocean, a singapore-based carrier. a third, a long-range tanker, has just been ordered. >> up to 50% of tinkerers and bulk carriers will be ordered. we aim to dominate that market. malcolm: how can you be so confident that it will be that big? >> the results. they cannot be ignored. malcolm: they are developing a rival system which it has claims will be even greener when it is ready in two years time. besides, clusters of three wings, solar panels power and electric generator whose gases

drive propellers. >> heat recovery. we actually achieve true zero so basically no co2 and no black suit, basically. the exhaust fumes coming out of the back of the vessel are actually breathable. malcolm: the british government pledged to turn the country into an economic powerhouse but these british climate change trail blazers are struggling to unlock government support and as a result, wings are being built in spain and china. >> i would love to build them in the u.k. there are some hurdles. the big thing the u.k. government needs to think about is important to be on some of these materials. here is a chance to bring a wind powered technology to the u.k. and i hope we don't squander it. malcolm: that is proving impossible. >> it was not designed for what it now needs to do which is deliver power to us and other businesses around the country in the way that we now need. like many businesses, we are

clamoring for connections but we are not being given any clarity as to when that will be. malcolm: on our return journey, we had to make way for prince of wales. it was including a driveshaft problem. is it possible to fit warships with sails? >> yes, of course. i don't think it is that practical. carriers have a service fee of 30 knots so that would be quite fast. we would love to. i think it would be more of a publicity stunt rather than reality but we would certainly pick up the phones. that is for sure. malcolm: the future is looking bright as shipping turns back to the future. i am malcolm in portsmouth. ♪ amna: now to a story from our

student reporting labs. last year, congress passed a measure to find and protect historic black cemeteries nationwide, but money to actually do the work hasn't been allocated. some aren't waiting for lawmakers to act. earlier this summer, dozens of people came together to help preserve a pair of cemeteries in washington ,d.c. -- washington, d.c. from the newshour's student reporting labs journalism training program, claire baek reports. >> this is where people are laid to rest, and it's sacred space. death reflects life. and the treatment of black people in life is reflective of treatment of black people in death. claire: in washington d.c, the mount zion and female union band society cemeteries have endured challenges such as erosion and a lack of funding. at one point, developers almost built on this land. but on days like juneteenth, volunteers like high school student brooke talbott come to take care of the burial grounds. >> a lot of times, these stones

are either unmarked or their family doesn't know about it. so nobody's coming out to, you know, help to like, refurbish the graves. one of those graves honors the life of a seven-year-old girl named nannie. she is one of an estimated eight to ten thousand people buried here, some are known many are not. it took years of research to figure out who she was. >> she is been, pretty popular at the cemetery since i started in 2019, because people leave toys and cards and food, at her gravesite. claire: lisa fager is in charge of the foundation that oversees the burial grounds. she was the first to discover the remnants of a fire set on nannie's grave last year. >> it's sad that somebody would, vandalize the grave, but ironically, it's something so tragic, became so beautiful with people coming together. >> i think it's important that this place highlights, the plight of african-americans in

this country, but also the triumph that they have that -- you know, we came to this country in bondage. but we are we've risen so, so much. claire: juliette warga, who lives near the cemeteries, started volunteering here in high school. she quickly realized there was more than just history, but also a community. >> think something that really drew me to the cemetery was the effort that was made to, bring, -- was made to bring the people buried there to life. claire: the african-american burial grounds preservation act was passed in 2023 with the intent of funding research into finding and preserving black cemeteries nationwide. >> a lot of cemeteries don't look like cemeteries anymore. they're under parking garages or buildings, particularly historic black cemeteries. claire: this vault within the cemeteries was used as a stop on the underground railroad. some people buried here were enslaved at nearby plantations, including mount vernon, the home george and martha washington. to walk visitors through the history here, warga created an

online self-tour accessible by a qr code displayed around the cemetery. >> quickly, there were like a thousand hits, and it was really cool to see that, like, people were using it and hopefully learning from it. >> the facts are there in, their -- are there in their lives and in their deaths, and tell us the stories and the history that we need to remember so that we don't repeat it. that's what black cemeteries do. they complete the story. claire: for the pbs news hour student reporting labs, i'm claire baek. amna: and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm amna nawaz. on behalf of the entire newshour team, thank you for joining us. ♪ >> major funding for the pbs news hour has been provided by -- >> consumer cellular. this is sam. how may i help you? this is a pocket dial. well, somebody's pocket, thought i'd let you know that with consumer cellular, you get nationwide coverage with no contract. that's kind of our thing. have a nice day. ♪

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