PBS News Hour full episode, Sept. 3, 2024

Introduction AMNA NAWAZ: Good evening. I'm Amna  Nawaz. Geoff Bennett is on assignment. On the "News Hour" tonight: Volodymyr Zelenskyy  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. KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, U.S. Supreme Court  Associate Justice: I'm the first Black woman,   as you say, but not the first Black  woman who could have done this job. AMNA NAWAZ: And growing concerns  over voting security, as former   President Trump asserts that he had every  right to interfere in the 2020 election. (BREAK) AMNA NAWAZ:   War in Ukraine Welcome to the "News Hour." Ukraine is reeling tonight after one of the  deadliest Russian strikes since the full-scale war   began more than 2.5 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. NICK SCHIFRIN: Hundreds of miles from the  front line, Russia's ballistic missiles   struck so quickly, Ukrainian cadets  had no time to search for safety,   a military school building and a nearby hospital  both destroyed and nearby homes damaged. Violence has shattered this and every  Ukrainian city and residents long ago   forgot what it feels like to be safe. Oleksandr cleaned up his broken window. OLEKSANDR, Poltava, Ukraine Resident (through  translator): There were two powerful explosions,   one after the other. Everything flew out of  the cupboard. Everything was covered in glass. NICK SCHIFRIN: And a nearby school  dusted itself off despite the danger,   said 12-year-old Alisa Shtybal. ALISA SHTYBAL, Poltava, Ukraine Resident (through  translator): 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 SCHIFRIN: Once again, Ukrainian President  Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued the attack should   unshackle U.S. restrictions on  long-range American weapons. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, Ukrainian President  (through translator): Air defense systems   and missiles are needed in Ukraine, not  in a warehouse somewhere. Long-range   strikes that can defend against  Russian terror are needed now,   not sometime later. Every day of delay,  unfortunately, means more lives lost. NICK SCHIFRIN: And there were more lives  lost early today in Zaporizhzhia. Police   pulled out the bodies of victims  of a Russian strike on a hotel,   by daylight, among the dead, a  woman and her 8-year-old son. Zaporizhzhia is home to Europe's  largest nuclear power plant,   occupied by Russia since the war's first days.  Yesterday, the plant's external power source was   hit with artillery. In Ukraine, International  Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi warned   that could lead to the plant losing  the power it needs to cool its reactor. RAFAEL GROSSI, Director General, IAEA: I  have very often characterized it as very   fragile with a certain -- 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 SCHIFRIN: 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 visited Mongolia,   a member of the International Criminal  Court that has demanded Putin's arrest. Mongolia has built relationships with the West  since it transitioned to democracy in the 90s,   but its economy still depends on Russia and the   leaders announced today their  ties would be strengthened. VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President  (through translator): 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 SCHIFRIN: A small voice of dissent that  demanded Mongolia execute the ICC warrant   was quickly silenced when police  arrested pro-Ukrainian protesters. For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin. News Wrap AMNA NAWAZ: 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 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 individuals -- quote -- "have led Hamas'   effort to destroy the state of Israel and  murder civilians in support of that aim." In the 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 cease-fire and hostage proposal with their   Egyptian and Qatari counterparts, and they called  on Israeli and Hamas officials to reach a deal. MATTHEW MILLER, State Department Spokesman: 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. AMNA NAWAZ: 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 operation, as  Israel and Hamas adhere to a planned pause in   fighting in specific areas. The WHO 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. GERALD DARMANIN, French Interior Minister  (through translator): 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 NAWAZ: 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. JOSE VICENTE HARO, Attorney For Edmundo  Gonzalez (through translator): 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 NAWAZ: Venezuela's election  authority and its Supreme Court have   certified Maduro's reelection, 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 undisclosed agent for the Chinese  government. Linda Sun 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. 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 that 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   Tuesday, the city hit 100 degrees for the  100th straight day. That is far beyond the   prior record of 76 consecutive days. Temperatures  climbed to 102 degrees on May 27. They haven't   cooled since and there is 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. And 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 41000. 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 USA  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. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson 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 BENNETT: Justice Jackson, thanks so  much for speaking with us. We appreciate it. KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, U.S. Supreme Court  Associate Justice: Thank you for having me. GEOFF BENNETT: 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 did they impart that really helped  guide your life and your professional journey? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN 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 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 Onyika. 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 3,   4 years old. And I remember him studying.  And that was one of my earliest memories.   And my parents were educators originally 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 BENNETT: 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? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN 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 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 have made as a country. GEOFF BENNETT: What does being  a first mean in practical terms? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN 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 BENNETT: 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 direct conversations.  Others prefer written communication. How   do you do it and how do you navigate  differences in legal interpretation? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON:  I think a little bit of both. 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 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 approach a particular issue. GEOFF BENNETT: You have at times aligned  in your opinions with Justice Neil Gorsuch. But, for the most part, you're part  of a three-justice liberal minority.   How do you grapple with at times  having limited ability to sway the   outcomes of consequential,  oftentimes divisive cases? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON:  Well, I'm an optimist at heart. (LAUGHTER) JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: And 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 to your position. And you also hear their position and try  to understand where they're coming from to   bridge whatever differences there are. But I'm  not going to lie. It's not easy, to be sure. (LAUGHTER) JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON:  But I'm always of the belief   that people are persuadable. And  that's what I'm here to try to do. GEOFF BENNETT: Has that worked? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: In some cases, yes. I mean, the court 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 BENNETT: How do you think the court is  best positioned to maintain the public trust? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN 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 the court,  unlike the other branches of government,   doesn't have an army and it doesn't have 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 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 BENNETT: On the matter of  court ethics you have 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? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN 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 BENNETT: 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? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well, I'm  going to let the political process play out. And people are engaged in this decision right now,  and it'll be interesting to see what we decide. GEOFF BENNETT: The court's recent rulings  on voting rights, reproductive rights,   presidential immunity, in your view, how have  those rulings fundamentally changed American life? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN 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 wouldn't  make their way all the way to the Supreme Court.   And many of those issues, as you have 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,   according to a majority of the justices,  have been met and changes are made. GEOFF BENNETT: You have 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 already getting our first look at  the apparent impact. MIT, Amherst College,   Tufts University report a significantly  lower number of Black students this year,   as white enrollment increases. What do  you think are the implications of that? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN 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 time   and the fact that affirmative action  was initially designed as a response   to them. And so we will have to see what  happens as a result of where we are now. GEOFF BENNETT: When you write a dissent,   who do you envision as the audience? Is it the  American public, the other justices, posterity? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN 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 BENNETT: The process of  writing a memoir, I imagine,   makes you think about your impact. It's  probably too early to talk about your legacy. (LAUGHTER) GEOFF BENNETT: But what -- how do you  want to shape the court moving forward? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Oh, my goodness. Well, I would just like to do a good job. I mean,   it's pretty early to be thinking about -- 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 BENNETT: Looking back at your  career thus far, what are you proudest of? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Oh, there's so  many things to be proud of. I have 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, without whom I  don't think any of this would have been possible. So I think it's the relationships that I have been   able to build and have been  privileged to be a part of. GEOFF BENNETT: We got to see your parents   during the confirmation process.  What do they think of all this? JUDGE KETANJI BROWN 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 BENNETT: Reading the book, though, I think  they could have. I think they did imagine this. (CROSSTALK) JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Maybe. Maybe. (LAUGHTER) JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Well, they  certainly wanted something 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 BENNETT: The memoir is terrific... JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Thank you. GEOFF BENNETT: ... "Lovely One." Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, thank you so  much for speaking with me. I appreciate it. JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON: Thank you so much. Securing the Vote AMNA NAWAZ: 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 BARRON-LOPEZ: 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. DONALD TRUMP, Former President of the United  States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential   Candidate: Who ever 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 BARRON-LOPEZ: Another feature of Trump's  campaign, sowing distrust about the 2024 election. DONALD TRUMP: 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 the elections are dishonest as hell. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: 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 me. DAVID BECKER, Executive Director, Center  for Election Innovation and Research: Thanks   for having me. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: In that recent podcast  interview with a former aide of his,   Donald Trump said that -- quote -- "mail  voting by its nature cannot be honest." He   also attacked early voting, saying,  where are these votes being stored? What is your response to all of these claims? DAVID BECKER: I mean, it shows  you the difficulty that the RNC   and his campaign are having with  his message discipline on this. The RNC and his campaign are trying to encourage  his voters to vote as conveniently as possible by   mail or early, which all -- many voters in this  country have opportunity to do; 97 percent of   all voters have access to early voting and 36  states plus D.C. offer no-excuse mail voting. Mail voting, early voting, absolutely  secure. There are strict chains of custody   that go around the machines and with  physical security and cybersecurity. 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 voting in 2016, and we didn't hear  anything about mail voting after that. Mail voting has been around  since before the civil war. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Trump and his allies  have also claimed, without evidence,   that noncitizens are voting in large numbers,  are going to vote in large numbers in November,   and Trump has urged Republicans in the House  to shut down the government -- quote -- "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's the function of claiming that noncitizens  are voting in massive numbers? Why do it? DAVID BECKER: Well, they're 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 isn't evidence. Even Trump's   own allies in states like Georgia, Texas  and other places have looked for large   amounts of noncitizens registered or  voting and they just can't find them. It's because they don't exist. It doesn't  happen very often. I think what this is   doing is setting the stage for claims an  election was stolen afterwards. If they   really wanted to change the law, they would  have done this in 2023 or 2021 or even 2017,   when Donald Trump was the  president of the United States. They could have changed the law and done whatever  they wanted with regard to noncitizen voting,   mail voting, anything else. The reason this is  coming up two months before the presidential   election is because they know they're not going  to change the policy in advance of the election,   but they do want to be able to call up  these arguments after the election to   his sincerely disappointed supporters if  he loses, and then perhaps incite anger   and division and donations and even  violence in the post-election period. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: As you  noted, claims of noncitizens   voting is a pretext. Congress did pass  legislation shortly after January,   the insurrection, making it harder to object  to certification in a presidential election. DAVID BECKER: Right. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: But what are the mechanisms,   are there any for Donald Trump to  overturn the 2024 election results? DAVID BECKER: So if he loses -- and it's possible  he could win legitimately -- but, if he loses,   he's almost certainly going to try. I think we  can expect that, regardless of what happens during   the election, that, on election night, he's  going to claim victory regardless of margins. It's likely he's going to spread some  of these lies about noncitizen voting,   about mail voting not being secure,  about voting machines being rigged,   about dead Venezuelan dictators and bamboo ballots  and Italian satellites. We should expect that. And what they will -- 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 in counties all   over the country as they're counting ballots, as  they're 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. However, I will say that, even with efforts  we're seeing in Georgia at the statewide level,   even with efforts we're seeing at the countywide  level, I think these efforts will fail. I think   this is a desperate and somewhat pathetic  strategy by a losing candidate to try to   make it seem as if there's a legal path to  stealing the election from the rightful winner. But there are 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, which happens on December 11.  That's done by the governors of the states. And   the governors have acted really in a principled  way in the past. I expect them to do the same. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Lies about the 2020 election  being rigged are a hallmark of Trump's speeches,   of his interviews throughout this  year, throughout his campaign. But he's also repeatedly said that 2024  is going to be rigged, that Democrats   are rigging it. What are the ramifications  of that constant effort to stoke distrust? DAVID BECKER: For years now, we have seen public  servants all over the country who've been just   exhausted by constant abuse and attacks,  threats against themselves and their family. These are the people who run elections. And  it's 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 diet 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 their work  for them. It's going to take decades,   regardless of the outcome of  this election, to fix that. LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: David  Becker, thank you for your time. DAVID BECKER: Thanks. Civil War AMNA NAWAZ: 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, a war that's killed tens of  thousands of people and displaced millions more. In the fourth report 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 MOLANA-ALLEN: 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. MAN: It will take our lives  to defeat the rebellion. LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: Twenty-nine-year-old  Mohamad Awadallah came here to Qadarif two   months ago after the RSF burned and  pillaged his home state of Sennar. MOHAMAD AWADALLAH, Sudanese Armed Forces Recruit  (through translator): 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 MOLANA-ALLEN: In peacetime, he  runs a market stall. These volunteers   aren't paid to serve. The community  does what it can to support them. MOHAMAD AWADALLAH (through translator):  The meals are regular but there is no   salary. Our relatives outside  Sudan send us money to help us. LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: 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 Mohamed   Hamdan Dagalo with army chief Abdel Fattah  Burhan to seize 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 the army is now  purportedly buying weapons from Iran and Russia. 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. BILAL, Escaped Child Soldier (through  translator): 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 MOLANA-ALLEN: Finally, his chance came. BILAL (through translator): 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. LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: After hiding with neighbors  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. BILAL (through translator): I'm very  worried about them and hope they get out. LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: 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 battleground,  Emirati 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  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 M47   Dragon anti-tank missile launcher.  The Sudanese Armed Forces say they   found many of left behind 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 U.S. envoy, Tom Perriello,  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 CASTNER, Amnesty International:  Modern ammunition does terrible things   to the human body, breaks  bones, can take off legs. You have to look at priorities. You have to  look at whether your priority is making the   most money in however way possible. And what  are your responsibility when it comes to human   rights? What's your responsibility is when it  comes to stopping crimes against civilians,   when it comes to stopping civilian casualties? LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: 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  meters 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. LOUL, Mercenary From South Sudan (through  translator): 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 MOLANA-ALLEN: It was the only battle Loul  would participate in, and it didn't last long. LOUL (through translator): On  the way to the battlefront,   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 MOLANA-ALLEN: 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. LOUL (through translator): 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 MOLANA-ALLEN: 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. ZAKARIA, Mercenary From South Sudan (through  translator): They said they would pay us   when we reached Sudan, $600. But when we  arrived, they didn't give us any money. LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN: 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 "News Hour" 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 neighboring 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 locals   would come from all around to buy provisions,  to socialize, 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 those escaping   Khartoum across the river say the  devastation there is even worse. The country's foundations lies in ruins  too. 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. It's 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 resistance  committees are skeptical. ABDULRAHMAN MOHAMMED ALI, Port Sudan Resistance  Committee (through translator): 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 MOLANA-ALLEN: 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 News Hour," I'm Leila  Molana-Allen in Omdurman, Sudan. AMNA NAWAZ:   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. Trade Winds For those stations staying with us, we take a  second look now 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. MALCOLM BRABANT: A stiff breeze in  the Southern Atlantic provides optimum   conditions for this pioneering ship carrying  200,000 tons of iron ore from Brazil to China. It's fitted with so-called WindWings,  which enable it to maintain speed,   while reducing dependency on engine power. CAPT. NOLI PARAUNDA, Master, Berge Olympus: In my   15 years as a ship captain, I  have never been more excited. MALCOLM BRABANT: Noli Paraunda from the  Philippines skippers the Berge Olympus. Just as aircraft wings create lift,  these devices generate thrust when   installed vertically and automatically  adjust to wind speed and direction. CAPT. NOLI PARAUNDA: I firmly believe that our  collective efforts can significantly reduce   carbon emissions from ships and eventually  realize our goal of zero carbon shipping. JAMES MARSHALL, CEO, Berge Bulk: I think  this is an all-hands-on-deck moment. It's a   critical point, and we all need to really  pursue the war against climate change. MALCOLM BRABANT: Ship owner  James Marshall is so impressed,   he intends to re-equip much  of his 85-strong fleet. JAMES MARSHALL: We're looking at, in good  conditions, around seven tons of fuel that   we save every day. That's around 20 tons of  carbon dioxide. So we're hoping to remove   nearly 5,000 tons of CO2 per annum using  these wings on board one of our large ships. MALCOLM BRABANT: So what sort  of percentage of saving is that   in terms of carbon for the voyages of that ship? JAMES MARSHALL: It's around about  15 to 20 percent we hope to save. MAN: Downwind for one final leg for  Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR. MALCOLM BRABANT: And this was the inspiration  for what may be a wind revolution,   Britain's boat in the 2017 America's  cup captained by Sir Ben Ainslie. SIR BEN AINSLIE, Four-Time Olympic Gold  Medalist: So, I have been a sailor all   my life. I love being on the water.  It's a great sense of freedom, really,   to be powered by the wind. And it's really  amazing that this wing technology can now   use the power of Mother Nature, the power of the  wind to drive commercial shipping into the future. MALCOLM BRABANT: We met Sir Ben at the secretive  workshop building this year's America's Cup boat. Are they wings or are they sails? SIR BEN AINSLIE: They're definitely wings.   So they're not -- if you think of the  old clipper ships from centuries ago,   soft sails that powered them. These are solid  wings going on these modern-day ships that are   really generating a huge amount of thrust.  And they're impressive bits of technology. MALCOLM BRABANT: Shipping accounts for 3 percent  of all the world's CO2 emissions. Older vessels   can sometimes be five times dirtier than  newer ones. There's been a warning from   the International Maritime Organization  that, unless stringent measures are taken,   shipping emissions could rise by  50 percent over the next 25 years. This ferry to the Isle of Wight off the South  Coast of England is part of the necessary change. KEITH GREENFIELD, CEO, Wightlink:  Victoria of Wight's carbon footprint   is about 20 percent less than a  conventionally powered vessel. MALCOLM BRABANT: Keith Greenfield's company  operates Britain's first hybrid ferry as   part of his green commitment. Not all  vessels are suitable for wind power. KEITH GREENFIELD: She has electric  motors, driving propellers, batteries,   and then diesel generators  that generate the electricity. MALCOLM BRABANT: But what's the advantage of that? KEITH GREENFIELD: Firstly, the  diesel generators can operate very,   very efficiently because they just hum away  at the optimum revs, minimum emissions. They   pump up the batteries gradually, and  the batteries do all the hard work. MALCOLM BRABANT: Some of these climate  change innovators are based in Portsmouth,   home to HMS Warrior that combined wind  and steam power nearly two centuries ago. JOHN COOPER, CEO, BAR Technologies: If we're  presenting the wing to a potential customer.... MALCOLM BRABANT: In a building overlooking  the harbor, chief executive John Cooper   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. JOHN COOPER: We want to actually employ  WindWings on as many of those fleet out there,   because the biggest saving in carbon  is not actually building new ships. MALCOLM BRABANT: At present, only two vessels are  using this system. The other is the Pyxis Ocean,   a Singapore-based bulk carrier. A third, a  long-range tanker, has just been ordered. JOHN COOPER: Two years' time, up to 50  percent of tankers and bulk carriers will   be ordered with some sort of wind proportion.  And BAR Tech, we aim to dominate that market. MALCOLM BRABANT: How can you be so  confident that it's going to be that big? JOHN COOPER: The results. They can't be ignored. MALCOLM BRABANT: Yacht designer Simon  Rogers is developing a rival system,   which it's claimed will be even greener  when it's ready in two years' time. Besides clusters of three wings, solar  panels power an electric generator,   whose clean exhaust gases drive propellers. SIMON ROGERS, Technical Director, Windship  Technology: With our carbon capture system   and heat recovery, we actually achieve true  zero, so basically no CO2 and no black soot,   basically. The exhaust fumes that are coming out  of the back of the vessel are actually breathable. MALCOLM BRABANT: After leaving the European Union,   the British government pledged to turn  the country into an economic powerhouse.   But these British climate change trailblazers  are struggling to unlock government support. And as a result, WindWings are  being built in Spain and China. JOHN COOPER: I would love to build them  in the U.K. There is some hurdles. The   big thing that the U.K. government  really needs to think about is import   duties on some of these materials.  Here's another chance to actually   bring a wind-powered technology to the  U.K., and I hope we don't squander it. MALCOLM BRABANT: The ferry company would  like to upgrade to all electric vessels,   but that's proving impossible. KEITH GREENFIELD: The U.K. grid just wasn't really  designed for what it now needs to do, which is   to deliver power to us and to other businesses  around the country in the way that we now need. Like many businesses, we're  clamoring for connections,   but we're not being given any  clarity as to when that will be. MALCOLM BRABANT: On our return  journey from the Isle of Wight,   we had to make way for the Prince of Wales, a  $4 billion aircraft carrier which has been an   object of derision in Britain after being plagued  by breakdowns, including a driveshaft problem. So is it possible to fit warships with sails? JOHN COOPER: Yes, of course, we could  fit a WindWing to the aircraft carriers,   but actually I don't think it's that  practical. The aircraft carriers do   actually have a service speed of 30 knots.  And, therefore, actually that would be quite,   quite fast for this wind-powered technology. So we'd love to. I think it would be more  of a publicity stunt, rather than a reality,   but, yes, we'd certainly pick up the  phone to the Navy, that's for sure. MALCOLM BRABANT: Warships aside,  the future is looking bright,   as shipping turns back to the future. For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm  Malcolm Brabant in Portsmouth. Protecting History AMNA NAWAZ: 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  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. From the "News Hour"'s Student Reporting Labs  journalism training program, Claire Baek reports. This is where people are laid to rest,  and its sacred space. Death reflects life.   And the treatment of Black people in life is  reflective of treatment of Black people in death. CLAIRE BAEK: 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. BROOKE TALBOTT, Volunteer: A lot of times,  these stones are either unmarked or their   family doesn't know about it. So nobody's coming  out to help to, like, refurbish the graves. CLAIRE BAEK: One of those graves honors the  life of a 7-year-old girl named Nannie. She   is one of an estimated 8,000 to  10,000 people buried here. Some   are known. Many are not. It took years  of research to figure out who she was. LISA FAGER, Executive Director, Black Georgetown  Foundation: She is been, pretty popular at the   cemetery since I started in 2019, because people  leave toys and cards and food at her grave site. CLAIRE BAEK: 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. LISA FAGER: Sad that somebody would  vandalize the grave, but, ironically,   it's something so tragic became so  beautiful with people coming together. BROOKE TALBOTT: 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 have risen so, so much. CLAIRE BAEK: 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. JULIETTE WARGA, Former Volunteer: Think  something that really drew me to the   cemetery was the effort that was made to  bring the people buried there to life. CLAIRE BAEK: The African-American Burial  Grounds Preservation Act was passed in 2023   with the intent of funding research into finding  and preserving Black cemeteries nationwide. LISA FAGER: A lot of cemeteries don't  look like cemeteries anymore. They're   under parking garages or buildings,  particularly historic Black cemeteries. CLAIRE BAEK: 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 Q.R. code displayed around the cemetery. JULIETTE WARGA: Quickly, there were like 1,000  hits, and it was really cool to see that. Like,   people were using it and  hopefully learning from it. LISA FAGER: The facts 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. And that's what  Black cemeteries do. They complete the story. CLAIRE BAEK: For the "PBS News Hour"'s  Student Reporting Labs, I'm Claire Baek. AMNA NAWAZ: And that is the "News  Hour" for tonight. I'm Amna Nawaz. On behalf of the entire "News Hour"  team, thank you for joining us.