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tv   PBS News Hour  PBS  September 3, 2024 6:00pm-7:00pm PDT

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amna: good evening. i'm amna nawaz. volodymyr zelenskyy renews his call for long weapons from the united states after two russian missile strikes killed dozens in ukraine. geoff bennett sits down with justice ketanji brown jackson on
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her new memoir. >> 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. ♪ quick to major funding for "the pbs news hour -- >> major funding for "the pbs newshour" has been provided by friends of "the newshour" including kathy and paul anderson and camilla and george smith. >> the charles f. kettering foundation, working to build inclusive democracies.
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learn more at kettering.org. >> the john s. and james l. knight foundation, fostering engaged and informed communities. more at kf.org. >> 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 newshour." ukraine is reeling tonight after
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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 hospital in the -- in a central eastern town tonight, killing at least 50 people and injuring hundreds more. nick: hundreds of miles from the frontline, russia's ballistic missiles struck so quickly ukrainian cadets had no time to search for safety. the military school building and a nearby hospital both destroyed. nearby homes damaged. the violence has shattered this and every ukrainian city. residents long ago forgot what it feels like to be safe. lisman cleaned up his broken window. >> there were two powerful explosions, one after the other. everything was covered in glass. >> a nearby school dusted itself off, despite the danger.
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>> 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. >> once again, president zelenskyy argued the attack u.s. restrictions on long-range american weapons. >> air defense systems and missiles are needed for ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere. long-range strikes that can defend against russian terror are needed now, not some time later. every day unfortunately means more lives lost. >> and there were more lives lost early today in zaporizhzhia . police pulled out the bodies of victims on a russian strike hotel. zaporizhzhia is home to europe's largest nuclear power plant, occupied by russia since the war's first days.
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in ukraine, the international atomic energy agency had warned that could lead to the power -- the plant losing the power it needs to control its reaction. >> i ultimately characterize that as very fragile. for some days we have some stability, and the next day, there is an event, an issue, a drone impact. the situation is very serious indeed. >> but today, the war's architect was given an honor guard by a country that is legally obligated to arrest him. russian president vladimir putin is in mongolia. a member of the international criminal court that has amended his arrest. mongolia's economy still depends on pressure, and the leader of announced today that are ties will be strengthened.
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>> 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. >> a small voice of dissent that demanded goalie execute the icc warrant was quickly silenced when police arrested pro-ukrainian protesters. ♪ stephanie: here are the latest headlines -- 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. 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 statement, attorney general merrick garland said the
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individuals "have led hamas' efforts to destroy the state of israel and murder civilians in support of that aim." meantime, israelis took to the streets of tel aviv to demand their government strike a deal with hamas to secure the release of the remaining -- remaining hostages in gaza. u.s. officials today said they are working on a new cease-fire and hostage proposal with egyptian and qatari counterparts. >> there are dozens of hostages 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. >> meantime, the world health organization says its polio vaccine campaign in gaza is exceeding expectations. more than 161,000 oral vaccines were administered during the first two days of a 10-day
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operation as israel and hamas adhere to a planned pause in fighting in specific areas. the who plans to vaccinate a total of 600 40,000 children overall. at least 12 are confirmed dead after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the english channel. one official called at the deadliest migrant disaster in the waterway this year. rescuers say they have pulled 65 people from this rough stretch of c. investigators believe the majority had come from africa and work 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 or 40 people on these boats in the past, small boats with small engines, today, there are 70 or 80 people . what probably happened is that this boat collapsed on itself very quickly. >> the white house today condemned the arrest warrant issued by venezuelan authorities
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for opposition leader edmundo gonzalez, calling it unjustified. officials in brazil, argentina, and peru have also slammed the move. the woman accused the presidential candidate of various crimes related to the dispute in the july election. they include conspiracy and falsifying documents and stem from the publication of vote tallies online that showed president nicolas maduro actually lost by a wide margin. gonzales' lawyer said publishing those tallies did not amount to any wrongdoing. >> mr. edmundo gonzales had nothing to do with collecting copies of the tally sheets, digitizing them, and uploading them. this was a civic civic -- pacific citizen action -- this was a civic citizen action. >> courts have affirmed maduro's
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reelection but have not provided any proof of his win. the home -- pope francis will visit papua new guinea, east timor, and singapore during his 11-day journey. it is his longest trip as pope. here in the u.s., federal prosecutors have charged a former new york state official for acting as an undisclosed agent for the chinese government. she and her husband left a brooklyn courthouse 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. she worked as deputy chief of staff for governor and also held a position in former governor andrew cuomo's administration. the governor's office said she was fired last year due to
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evidence of misconduct. the city of phoenix has set a new milestone is a grapples with long-running summer heat. on tuesday, the valley of the sun hit 100° for the 100 straight day, far beyond the prior record of 76 consecutive days. temperatures past the 100-degree mark on may 27, and there's no break in sight, with an excessive heat morning lasting at least through friday. at the paralympic games in paris, team usa raked in more metals, -- more medals. rebecca hart and her horse 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 tracks, sprinter jaden blackwell posted his second world record of the games, winning gold in the men's 400 meters. and as frank continued his go
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ld-medal run -- ezra frank appears still to come, 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 newshour" from weta studios in washington and in the west from 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 is the first black woman on the nation's highest court, all in a single generation. geoff bennett spoke with justice jackson earlier today about her memoir, "lovely one." geoff: thank you for speaking with us. justice jackson: thank you for
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having me. geoff: in this book, what comes through is how your story is such a uniquely american story, a real testament to this country's progress. you write about how your parents are the products of segregation, but they poured into you and what strikes me about your story is they poured into you with such powerful and purposeful effort and deliberate intention. what values did they impart that really helped guide your life and your perpetual journey? justice jackson: as i said, thank you for having me and giving me the opportunity to talk about the book, to 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
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translation of my african given name. my parents, i just wanted to be so much like them when i was little. my father went back to law school when i was 3, 4 years old, and i remember him studying , and that was one of my earliest memories. my parents were educators originally when i was born, 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 broader context of american history and progress? justice jackson: well, it definitely demonstrates progress, i think. so many people have received my appointment in that light. i'm the first black woman, as you say, but not the first black
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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 where she did not think it possible for her to be appointed to the court, so i feel so fortunate to be in this position, and it shows the progress we have made in this country. geoff: what does being a first mean in practical terms? justice jackson: i think it means that we are now in 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
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it, used to like to go to other justices' chambers and have conversations. others prefer written communication. justice jackson: a little bit of both. i learned from justice breyer, who was a great collaborator and like to engage personally with other justices. i probably mostly communicate by memo and also by phone. you do your best to try to persuade people that you have the better argument or at least the way you are thinking about it is the way the court should approach a particular issue. geoff: you have at times outlined in your opinions with justice neil gorsuch, but for the most part, you are part of a three-justice liberal minority. harry can grapple with at times having limited ability to sway the outcomes of consequential, oftentimes divisive, cases?
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justice jackson: well, i am an optimist at heart. you look at every case and do your best to ask the questions in oralrgument 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 your position, and you also here that are position and try to understand where they are coming from, to bridge whatever differences there are, but, you know, i am not going to lie. it's not easy, to be sure, but i'm always of the belief that people are persuadable, and that's what i have come here to try to do. geoff: has that work? justice jackson: in some cases, yes. the court is a deliberative body and our duty and job is to try to come to the best decision.
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geoff: how do you think the court's best position to maintain the public trust? justice jackson: maintaining the public trust is very important aspect of the court's work. it is something justice breyer talks about all the time. from what i was clicking with him and now it is one of his big themes, that the court unlike other branches of government does not have an army and does not have power of the purse, 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 think -- really focus on the role of the court in democratic society. we have a constitutional republic. there are other branches of government, so i'm focused on ensuring that i'm staying in my lane in my decisions in the
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cases that come before us. i think about consistency across the various cases, regardless of the claims at issue, and i am 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: in the matter of court ethics, you have said 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 justices. should there be term limits for supreme court justices? justice jackson: here is 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 debating antifederalists asked to if judges should have lifetime appointments, and the constitutional process was such that he won that debate, and
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that is what we have now in our system, so it is a political process to make a determination as to if that should be changed, and in our democracy, people are engaging in that debate right now. geoff: the idea, as president biden has suggested, is that it is a good idea to have more consistency in the process and that 18 years, as he suggested, is a good approach. justice jackson: i am going to let the political process play out. people are engaged in this decision right now, and it will 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 the court? justice jackson: the court hears some of the most significant cases. that is the role of a court in our constitutional design.
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we take issues that are difficult because if they were not difficult, they would not make their way all the way to the supreme court. many of those issues, as you have indicated, deal with pretty complicated social issues. there are standards in law for when we decide to make changes. the court generally follows president, but there are times in which the standards according to the majority of justices have been met and changes have been made. geoff: you have written some pointed, forceful dissents, including rejecting the use of affirmative action in college admissions. we are already getting our first look at the apparent impact. m.i.t., amherst college, tufts university report a significantly lower number of
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black students this year as white enrollment increases. what do you think are the implications? justice jackson: well, i will leave it to your viewers to read my opinion. in my dissent, i talk about the gaps that have been created in our society over time, and the fact that affirmative action was actually designed as a response to them, so we will 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? the american public, the other justices, posterity back on justice jackson: all of the above. we really do try to speak to a wide variety of audiences. when you are dissenting, obviously, you have not been able to persuade your colleagues about your view of the issues, so to some extent, you are writing for the public so that they can understand the debate that the justices have had about
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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 is probably too early to talk about your legacy, but how do you want to shape the court? justice jackson: my goodness. i would just like to do a good job. it is pretty early to be thinking about how i would change it or stamp it.ow i juste 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: there is so many things to be proud of. i have talked about all the various stages of my life in the book and the people who contributed. i say in the preface no one
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reaches the highest of heights on their own, and i really believe that, so i think i am proudest of the relationships that have sustained me, to include my wonderful husband, without whom i don't think any of this would have been possible, so i think it is the relationships that i have been able to build and have been privileged to be a part of. geoff: we got to see your parents during the confirmation process. what do they think of all of this? justice jackson: oh, my goodness. my parents are, i think, over the moon happy and proud and probably could not have imagined that this would happen. geoff: reading the book, though, i think they could and i think they did imagine -- justice jackson: maybe. they certainly wanted something wonderful to happen and felt that it could. that's why they invested so much. i am most pleased that we were able to put everything down on paper and have such a tribute to
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them while they are still living. geoff: thank you so much for speaking with me. i appreciate it. justice jackson: thank you so much. ♪ amna: with just over 60 days to go until election day, former president trump is again casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election process. our white house correspondent takes a closer look. laura: lies about the 2020 election have in 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. >> who ever you get indicted for interfering with an election and
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your poll numbers go up? laura: another feature, so in distress about the 2024 election. >> it's one thing that i taught people. now they know the borders are an open sieve that is destroying our country and the elections are dishonest and dumb. lower: joining me to discuss this is the executive director of the nonpartisan center for election innovation and research. thank you so much for joining me. david: thanks for having me. laura: in that recent podcast interview with a former aide of his, donald trump said mail-in voting by its nature cannot be honest. he also attacked early voting. what is your response? david: it shows you the difficulty that the rnc in this campaign are having with his message discipline. the rnc and this campaign are trying to encourage his voters to vote as conveniently as possible, by mail or early,
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which many voters in this country have opportunity to do. 97% of all voters have access to early voting and 36 states offer no-excuse mail-in voting. 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. in addition, it should be noted, donald trump himself won a majority of states with significant mail-in voting in 2016 and we did not hear anything about mail-in voting after that. it has been around since before the civil war. laura: trump and his allies have also claimed without evidence that non-citizens are voting 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
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that noncitizens are voting in massive numbers? why do it? >> they are not trying to change policy, i don't think. if they really thought this was a significant problem, if they had the evidence to suggest that -- and there is not evidence. even trump's allies in states like georgia and texas have looked at -- look for large amounts of non-citizens voting, and they cannot find them. that's because it does not exist. it does not happen very often. i think this is setting the stage for claims the election was stolen afterward. if they wanted to change the law, they would have done this in 2023 or 2021 or even 2017 when donald trump was president of the united states. they could have changed the law and done whatever they wanted with regard to non-citizen voting or mail-in voting. the reason this is coming up is because they know they are not going to change the policy in advance of the election, but they want to be able to call up these arguments after the election to his disappointed
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supporters if he loses. and perhaps insight anger and division and donations and even violence in the postelection period. laura: as you noted, claims of non-citizens voting as a pretext, congress did pass legislation shortly after the insurrection, making it harder to object to certification in a presidential election, 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 be legitimately, but if he loses, he will almost certainly try -- it is possible he could win legitimately, but if he loses, he will almost certainly try -- i think it is a certainty he will claim victory election night. it's likely he will spread lies about non-citizen voting, about mail-in voting not being secure, about voting machines being rigged, about dictators and
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bamboo ballots and italian satellites. we should expect that. what i think we will see them do is if he loses, they will start organizing activists in counties all over the country as they are counting ballots, as they are 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 -- but usually extremists on the right wing who are trying to slow down or stop state certification. however, i will say that even with efforts in georgia at the statewide level, even with efforts we are seeing at the county-wide level, i think these efforts will fail. i think this is a desperate, somewhat pathetic strategy by a losing candidate to try to make it see -- same as if there is a legal path to stealing the election, but there are so many checks and balances in place. with state certification, there are legal actions that can be and have been brought by states in the past. there is the ascertainment of
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electors. that is done by the governors of the states. governors have done this in a principled way in the past, and i expect the same. laura: lies about the 2020 election are a hallmark of trump's campaign, but he has also repeatedly said that 2024 is going to be rigged, that democrats are reading it. what are the ramifications of that constant effort to stoke mistrust? david: for years now, we have seen public servants across the country, who have been exhausted by constant abuse and attacks, threats against themselves and their family. these are the people who run 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 heavily for trump, where professional election officials find themselves the targets of attacks, sometimes from their own county boards, county councils, or their own county law enforcement, who have
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ingested a constant toxic diet of lies about the 2020 election. it is corrosive to our entire democracy. our adversaries overseas -- russia, iran, china -- are actively seeking for us to get our democracy, to doubt that democracy can work for us. now we have domestic actors over the last several years who intentionally or unintentionally are doing their work for them. it will take decades, regardless of the outcome of this election, to fix that. laura: david becker, thank you for your time. david: thanks. ♪ international aid groups issued a joint declaration today that the hunger crisis in sudan is of historic proportions. for nearly 18 months, the
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country has been embroiled in a civil war, a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions more. special correspondent layla malan allen met some of the men fighting this war and looked into the powers funding it. >> elated, defiant, united. these sudanese armed forces soldiers want to show they are ready for a fight. in reality, most have not yet been on the battlefield. they are fresh recruits. part of the government's drive to growing the army's ranks in a fight against a rebel militia. a year ago, these men -- [indiscernible] now they gather at this soccer stadium for basic training, some
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still wearing sneakers and jeans, waiting for their uniforms. you are an english teacher, and now for the first time, you are serving as well. 29-year-old mohamed came here two months ago after the rss burned and pillaged his home state. >> i saw death. there were rapes. the rss were killing everyone. the situation in the country is getting worse, and we are afraid of being displaced again to another state. >> in peace time he runs a market stall. these volunteers are not paid to serve. the community does what it can to support them. quickly meals are regular, but there is no salary. our relatives send us money to help us. >> they do not underestimate the enemy they are fighting. once a militia armed by the country's former dictator fight rebels in darfur and responsible
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for mass slaughter of civilians there, the rsf was absorbed into the army in 2013. bashir used them to crackdown on protests in 2019. after he fell from power, his other elite army units were disbanded, making the rsf all-powerful. the leader united with the army chief in 2021 to seize power from the people in a military coup. when the 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 the territory back, and the army is now reportedly buying fresh weapons from iran and russia, but it is a long, hard fight. much of it street to street urban warfare in densely packed residential areas.
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the impact is devastating. over 11 million people have been displaced from their homes and over 150,000 killed. we met several child soldiers kidnapped from their families to serve the militia when it swept through khartoum. milal is just 15. we are protecting his identity for fear of reprisal. >> the rsf because 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 in battles. >> 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 neighborhood. >> after hiding with neighbors for two weeks, he snuck across the river by night.
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he still does not know the fate of those who helped him. >> i'm very worried about them and hope they get out. >> and loving reunion with his relieved father. but these are the lucky ones. there stories of escape miraculous. they say many more like them 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, smuggled in via chad. iraqi armored vehicles, russian tanks, some from the cold war. these battlefields are awash with foreign arms. some newly imported, some legacy weapons from the wars that have leg to this continent for decades. many of the guns now being used
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in sudan come from libya's civil war in 2014. we found weapons of iraqi and russian weapons systems, turkish and serbian munitions, as well as u.s. manufactured small arms. this is an american-made antitank missile. the sudanese say they found many of these left behind when they pushed rapid support forces back. it is a 20-year-old model, so there's no telling where it has been between then and now. >> the serial number, the best way of tracking how these weapons came into the country, has been carefully removed. the iraqis did not -- the immoralities -- the emiratis denied providing support. the sudanese army says it will not negotiate with a foreign power that is arming its enemies. arms dealing is legal in the
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right circumstances, but countries to trade have a responsibility to track where and how their weapons are used, and these weapons are being used two massacre civilians. a weapons investigator for amnesty international. >> modern ammunition does terrible things to the human body. brakes bones. it can take off legs. you have to look at priorities. you have to look at if you're priority is making the most money in however way possible, and what our responsibilities when it comes to human rights? what is your responsibilities when it comes to stopping crimes against civilians, when it comes to stopping civilian casualties? >> it's not just foreign weapons with 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 the area where the
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army was pushing back. this man 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 here 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 their he arrived at the front to discover he and the other fighters were little more than cannon fodder. >> there were not many soldiers and no one could use weapons. a 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 die? >> it was the only battle he participated in, and it did not last long. >> clashes broke out and i was shot in the leg. the driver fled. i was shot again and fell to the
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ground with some others. i lay on the ground for some four hours. people with me died. >> he managed to crawl back to her house where he was eventually found and arrested by the sudanese army. he has been held here since march. >> i still don't understand anything that is happening. will they let me go or not? no one tells me anything. will i go home to my family or to prison? >> zachariah is just 16. when a recruiter came to his destitute village in chad in 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 did not give us any money. >> like the others here, he never saw a penny. by april, he had been captured by the army. he has been locked up ever since. prisoners of the war must be treated humanely under
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international law. on camera, the boys said they were being treated well, but while setting up the interview, they whispered that they were being starved and begged for help to get out. every member of the group severely emaciated. these are just young boys, victims of a vicious conflict that spares no one. it is a cycle of corruption and abuse that threatens to drag sudan's neighboring countries, already unstable and dealing with multiple crises, into the abyss of war. and this is the impact of that war. a thriving regional capital in ruins. millions of locals would come from all around to buy provisions and socialized in for anything else they needed. now it is appended. soldiers say they are still digging through rubble, finding bodies under the charred shop fronts. those who escaped across the river say the devastation there is even worse. the country's foundation lie in
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ruins, too. employment has collapsed. children have not been to school in more than a year. fear and hunger rule the land. win this war does end, sudan's road ahead is of pitfalls. it's been just five years since popular protests toppled the country's dictator, but then the army swiped power from the people. the military junta claims it will hand back power when there is peace. leaders of sudan's civil society resistance committees are skeptical. >> 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 is in great danger because after the revolution, many hopes were built, and what is happening now is a complete destruction of everything. >> whoever leads the country, building back from this
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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. ♪ amna: and we will be back shortly with 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. ♪ for those stations staying with us, we take a second look now at what could be a revolution in
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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 sales. -- high-tech sails. >> the stiff breeze in the southern atlantic provides optimum conditions for this ship carrying 200,000 tons of iron ore from brazil to china. it is fitted with so-called wind wings which enable it to maintain speed while reducing dependency on engine power. >> in my 15 years as a ship captain, i have never been more excited. >> this man from the philippines skippers the olympus. just as aircraft wings create lift, these devices generate thrust when installed vertically and automatically adjust to wind speed and direction. >> i firmly believe that our
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collective efforts can significantly reduce carbon emissions from ships and eventually realize our goal of zero carbon shipping. >> and all hands on deck moment is a critical point, and we all need to really pursue the war against climate change. >> james marshall is so impressed he intends to reacquaint much of his 85-strong fleet. >> we are looking at in good conditions around seven tons of fuel we save every day. that is around 20 tons of carbon dioxide. we are hoping to remove nearly 5000 tons of co2 per annum using these wings on board one of our large ships. >> what sort of percentage of saving us that in terms of carbon from the voyage of that ship back on and on >> it is around 15% we hope to save.
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>> this was the inspiration for what may be a wind revolution, america's cup. >> i have been a sailor all my life. i love being on the water. it is a great sense of freedom being powered by the wind, and it is really amazing that this small technology can be used to drive commercial shipping into the future. >> shipping accounts for 30% of all the world's co2 emissions. older vessels can sometimes be five times dirtier than newer ones. a less stringent measures are taken, stringent -- unless stringent measures are taken -- victoria white's carbon footprint is about 20% less than a conventional vessel. >> keith greenfield's company
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operates britain's first hybrid ferry. >> she has electric motors, batteries, and then diesel generators that generate the electricity. >> but what is the advantage of that? >> firstly, diesel generators can hum away at optimum minimum emissions. they pump up the batteries gradually. the batteries do the hard work. >> some of these climate change innovators are based in portsmouth, home to hms warrior. the combined wind and steam power and made nearly two centuries ago. in the building overlooking the harbor, chief executive john cooper leads a team working to convince owners of conventional cargo vessels like these they should be sprouting wings. he says they should pay for themselves in six years. >> we want to gradually employ
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wind wings on as many as those fleets out there. cracks at present, only two vessels are using the system. the other is a singapore-based bargain carrier. the third, a long-range tanker, has just been ordered. >> in two years' time, up to 50% of tankers and bulk carriers will have some sort of wind portion, and we aim to dominate that market. >> how can you be so confident? >> the results. it cannot be ignored. >> a designer is developing a rival system, which may claims will be even greater. solar panels power an electric generator. >> with our carbon capture system, we actually achieve true zero. basically, no co2 at no black soot, basically. the exhaust fumes coming out of the back of the vessel are
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actually breathable. >> after leaving the european union, 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. as a result, wind wings are being built in spain and china. >> i would love to build them in the u.k.. there is some hurdles. the big thing the u.k. government needs to think about as import duties on materials. here is another chance to bring wind powered technology to the u.k., and i hope we don't squander it. >> the ferry company would like to operate more electric vehicles, but that is proving impossible. >> the u.k. grid is not designed for what it now needs to do, which is deliver power to us and other businesses around the country in the way we now need. like many businesses, we are clamoring for connections, but not giving any clarity -- not given any clarity when that will be. >> they have to make way for the $4 billion aircraft carrier,
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which has been an object of derision in britain after being plagued by breakdowns, including a driveshaft problem. is it impossible to fit warships with sales? >> of course we could fit a window into the aircraft carriers, but i don't think it is that practical. aircraft carriers do actually have a server speed of 30 knots, and that would be quite fast for this wind power technology. we would love to. i think it would be more of a publicity stunt rather than reality, but we would certainly pick that up, that's for sure. >> the future looks bright as shipping terms back to the future. amna: and now to a story from our student reporters. last year, congress passed a measure to find and protect historic black cemeteries nationwide, but money to actually do the work has not been allocated.
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some are not waiting for lawmakers to act. earlier this summer, dozens of people came together to help preserve a pair of cemeteries in washington, d.c. >> this is where people are laid to rest in sacred space. death reflects life, and the treatment of black people in life is reflective of treatment of black people in death. >> in washington, d.c., the mount simon -- mount zion cemetery has faced challenges such as erosion and lack of funding. at one point, developments must fill out this land, but on juneteenth, volunteers like high school student rick talbot come to take care of the burial grounds. >> and a lot of times, these stones are either unmarked or their family does not know about it, so nobody is coming out to help refurbish the graves. >> one of those graves honors
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the life of a seven-year-old girl, one of an estimated 8000 to 10,000 people buried here. some are known, many are not. it took years of research to figure out who she was. >> she has been pretty popular at the cemetery since i started in 2019 because people leave toys and cards and food at her gravesite. >> lisa is in charge of the foundation that oversees the burial grounds. she was the first to discover what was left on the grave. >> said that somebody would vandalize a great, but with something so tragic, it is beautiful to see people come together. >> i think it highlights the plight of african-americans in this country, but also the triumph. we came to the country in bondage. >> julie wigley realized there
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was more than just history but also a community. >> i think something that really drew me to the cemetery was the effort that was made to bring the people buried there life. >> the african-american burial grounds preservation act was passed in 2023 based on finding and preserving black cemeteries nationwide. >> a lot of cemeteries do not look like cemeteries anymore. they are under parking garages or buildings, particularly historic like cemeteries. >> this was used as a stop on the underground railroad. some people buried here were enslaved at nearby plantations, including mount vernon, the home of george and martha washington. to walk visitors through the history here, there an online self tour accessible by qr code displayed around the cemetery. >> it was really cool to see that people were using it. >> the facts are there in their
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lives and in their deaths that tell us the stories and the history that we need to remember so that we don't repeat it, and that is what secretary -- that is what cemeteries do, they complete the story. amna: and that is "the newshour" for tonight. on behalf of the entire "newshour" team, thank you for joining us. >> major funding has been provided by -- >> consumer cellular, this is sam. how may i help you? this is a pocket knife. somebody's pocket, i thought i would let you know that with consumer cellular, you get nationwide coverage with no contract. that's kind of our thing. ♪
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>> moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the engine that connects us. ♪ carnegie corporation of new york, working to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for education, democracy, and peace. more information at carnegie.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. this is "pbs newshour west" from
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weta studios in washington and from the bureau at our walter cronkite studio at arizona state university -- walter
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[announcer] this program was made possible in part by... what is bold? at bowie state university, we believe it means always striving for more. bold is born at bsu, with a mission to empower students to break barriers and change the world. bold is preparing students for careers in stem fields like cybersecurity and nursing. bold is training the next generation of entrepreneurs

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