laura: tonight on pbs news weekend, nearly 115,000 people are waiting work in the u.s. -- are waiting for a new organ in the u.s. can more be done to improve the transplant system? then, why students and teachers are pushing for climate change to be taught in schools. andy -- and the growing

popularity of japanese comics and animations in america. >> it is not an outsider subject anymore. readers have definitely stayed and continued to buy content in a way that shows that there's staying power. >> major funding for tb is essentially divided by -- and with the ongoing support of these individuals and the fusions. -- and institutions. and friends of the newshour. this program was made possible

by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. laura: thank you. laura:good evening. i'm laura baronial pez. -- i'm laura barron-lopez. john yang is away. tonight, there is oil within israel's government. benny gantz, a centrist in beamin netanyahu's war cabinet, is threatening to quit if the government does not adopt a new plan for the war in gaza by june 8. it comes as a ceasefire deal remains elusive and no new hostages have been released since november. and earlier today, israeli airstrikes fell in northern gaza, toppling buildings in jabalia, the largest of gaza's refugee camps, killing 15, and wounding dozens more. meanwhile, national security advisor jake sullivan is in saudi arabia tonight to discuss the war with crown prince mohammed bin salman. he travels to israel tomorrow.

back here at home, deadly storms that killed seven people this week in the houston area have moved on, but a new threat remains, dangerous heat. temperatures are expected to go above 90 degrees, and in many places, including houston, it will feel abov100. the heat and humidity throughout the weekend could be dangerous for the nearly half a million homes and businesses in the state of texas that remain without power. president biden issued a disaster declaration to make federal assistance available. officials say repairs could take weeks. temperatures are soaring in other parts of the world, too. india sweltered today with temperatures above 110 degrees. even in the middle of its summer months, that's hotter than normal. the heat wave is expected to last into next week. in western afghanistan, flash flooding from unrelenting heavy rains have killed at least 68 people. dozens more people are missing. that's on top of deadly floods last week in northern

afghanistan that killed more than 300 people. and the man accused of trying to assassinate slovakia's prime minister robert robert fee-ko appeared in court today, and was ordered to remain behind bars. supporters laid flowers outside fico's hospital, as he remains in serious but stable condition. his health minister adds that his prognosis is positive. still to come on pbs news weekend, why young people are pushing for more climate change education. and what's behind the recent popularity of japanese comics and animations in the u.s. >> this is pbs news weekend from w eta studios in washington, home of the pbs newshour, weeknights on pbs. laura: last week, a massachusetts man who was the first person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney

transplant died. the hospital where he underwent the surgery did not find any indication that his death was linked to the transplant, but his case again put a spotlight on the organ transplant system and the extraordinary measures being taken to make up for its shortfalls. ali rogin has the latest on what can be done to revamp the nation's organ transplant process. ali: kidneys top the list of the most needed organs in the u.s. nearly 115,000 people are currently waiting for a new organ, but the shortage crisis is nothing new. last year, more than 46,000 organ transplants were performed, but 5600 people still die each year waiting for an organ. barry friedman is the former executive director of the adventhealth transplant institute, a hospital specializing in organ donation and transplant. he's now a part of guidry and east, an organ transplant consulting firm. barry, thank you so much for being here. what's driving the organ transplant backl in the u.s.?

barry: currently our waitlists continue to grow. and as those waiist grows, we have to ensure that the organs that we are recovering are utilized properly. in this country right now, the way we distribute organs across the country, we try to get it to the right patient at the right time. so this may mean putting kidneys on commercial airplanes or charter aircraft to get those kidneys to the patient. and there truly has been some challenges and delays in getting that done. we are becoming more efficient. we're trying to create longer preservation times for these organs so that we can either keep them on controlled ice or machine perfusion. and there's a lot of technology that has really helped us to improve that. and i think we are beginning to see a change in ensuring that we are getting these kidneys transplanted. ali: and the procurement numbers, though, in this country don't seem to line up very much with those in other parts of the western world. in 2020, more than 20% of procured kidneys were not transplanted.

so the kidneys were there, but they just didn't make it into into bodies. and those numbers are way higher than those of other countries, particularly in europe. so i wonder what explains that disparity? barry: when we look at the year 2020 and then covid coming on board, with kidney allocation, it's critical that we're able to get the right kidney to the right patient. and we've done a tremendous job in increasing the number of organs that are donated in this country. and we're grateful for those donor families and for the staff that work there. however, we are not able at all times to match the exact kidney to the right patient. we are getting better at that, and some of these kidneys, because we do want to achieve the most number of transplants. ali: so would you say that is mainly a geographical issue? i mean, the united states is a big country, and logistically it can be hard to get these organs from point a to point b in a timely manner. barry: that's part of the challenge. we need to move those organs efficiently. and we got to ensure that we are

using the right transportation mode, whether it's commercial aircraft or charter aircraft or even occasionally government aircraft to help support getting these vital organs to the correct hospitals and transplant patients. ali: there is also a growing body of research and industry opinion that says the u.s. is actually discarding imperfect organs that still might work well in a transplant. what do you make of that? barry: again, putting this in the hands of the capable physicians and surgeons that care for these patients is critical. the challenge that we see is getting the right kidney to the right patient, and we're making better changes in our original location. we have a very collaborative society in the united states for the 250 plus transplant centers that are equipped to do these organ transplants. and there is still a learning curve that we're trying to achieve. and as we see more technology and how we perfuse these organs, how we package these organs until we can get them into the transplant recipients. so we are making great progress. ali: and as you mentioned, there

are still more reforms to come. the biden administration has announced plans to modernize the current transplant system. they want to break up the responsibilities held by the nonprofit united network for organ sharing, or unos, which is the only government contractor to ever operate the u.s. transplant system. are those efforts going to help fix things? barry: i believe they are. and it's time for improvement. and i'm hopeful that the lessons we've learned over the last 40 years with the united network of organ sharing that will take those lessons and incorporate it and bring in the new technologies that are so important. and the biden administration, the previous administration, both have been very supportive. this is a bipartisan issue, and this is one of the areas where i feel our government has done a good job in helping to help fund the necessity of increasing the number of transplants. ali: what does need to change, in your view? you said that there was a, you know, a lot of margin for improvement. barry: so i think as we continue

to learn how we can best allocate those organs and get them to the right patient. what's unique in organ transplant is the physicians and surgeons that have dedicated their careers to doing this. and, you know, this is a fairly young procedure that we're doing . it really began in the 1960s with kidneys, 70s. we're making tremendous headway in how we can ensure we can get the right kidney to the right patient. and we're doing a much better job in 2024. obviously, we still have to work on that number of organs that we're not using. we tried to get away from using the word discard because these families have graciously donated those organs, and we're unable to use them, is what we're now saying. ali: i want to ask also about the racial disparities that seem to persist in kidney donation. in particular, black people are over three times more likely. hispanic people are 1.3 times more likely to have kidney failure than white people. but white americans are more likely to have a kidney transplant than either black or hispanic americans. why is this and what needs to change?

barry: obviously we try to match the genetics. it's not just the kidney itself, it's the blood type. and the genetic tissue typing that we do, and we try to match that up. the more blacks, the more asians, the more that from a racial perspective, we're able to get those kidneys in the pool, i think we'll see an increase. we've also learned over the years as technology has changed how we diagnose, say, what kidney is acceptable for what patient. and we're trying to adjust that so we give more points to patients that may be disadvantaged. ali: that is organ transplant specialist barry friedman. thank you so much for joining us. barry: thank you, ali. laura: last month was the warmest april on record and the 11th straight month of record highs around the world. today nearly a quarter of people globally live in drought conditions. and forecasters anticipate this year's atlantic hurricane season

will be the most active on record. all signs that climate change is an accelerating threat to the planet. and young americans are worried about it. in fact, 85% of generation z is very or somewhat concerned about climate change, according to a marist poll from earlier this year. in response, states like california, connecticut, and new jersey are now teaching kids about climate change in the classroom. one of the educators at the forefront of this is lauren madden, professor of elementary science education at the college of new jersey. how do you go about incorporating climate change into a classroom curriculum? >> in new jersey it is simpler than some other places, because we have standards that are required to be taught at all grade levels and subject areas, so they are developmentally appropriate and good tools for teachers to use to think about

ways they can connect the climate in things they are already doing. laura: can you give examples about how lessons about climate change may change from first grade to ninth or 10th grade? >> yes, that's really important, to be developmentally appropriate, especially talking about working with young children. in the early years, it's about understanding what lives around you, what's supposed to be here when things happen seasonally. and some of the differences between the weather and climate. it's not a tough concept for a young child to understand that weather is day-to-day changes while climate happens over long periods of time. by the time we are in ninth or 10th grade, especially if we have built this foundation of weather and climate and how they are changing over time, we can start to unpack some of the more nuanced mathematical relationships. laura: why do you think it's a necessary subject to teach students? >> i think it's really important

that we don't live, especially young children. our children are seeing the effects of climate change in unprecedented ways. they are experiencing changes in their day-to-day lives that none of us have seen before. last spring across the east coast, we experienced dust in the air from canadian wildfires, something that affected all children. their ability to play outside, to go about their day-to-day life. we need to be clear to kids that something is happening, that it isn't just a bunch of surprise things going on. scientists know what's going on. the other important piece is our economy is going to change, what the industries look like and the industries employing our children will be around climate solutions. laura: we spoke with a high school art teacher in new jersey about the impact of working climate change into her art lessons. >> they feel it is important for

students to know about the realities and the circumstances they are living through. as educators, i think we also have an obligation to teach and guide students through the difficulties of not only understanding this but also emotionally processing the severity of the situation. laura: how can teachers like that one, carolyn mcgrath, help students navigate uncertainty about climate change? >> we need to be honest with them and let them know that the scientists have really good predictions and we have a good sense of what kinds of things are going to be happening into the future. i think to ease anxiety, aside from being honest and making sure that our children are well informed, we need to tell them about the types of solutions that exist already and foster

their creativity and imagination to help them consider what kind of solutions can be built in the future. i think the best way to ease anxiety is to foster positive actions and thoughts about large-scale solutions they can contribute to as children and in the future. laura: we have seen pushback and primarily conservative states when it comes to teaching the history of racism or lgbtq studies. does teaching climate change received similar pushback from some parents and are those parents seeking to restrict what their parents may be able to learn? >> in some parts of the country there is pushback from teaching about climate change from politicians as well as parents. we surveyed parents in new jersey and what they wanted was tools for helping mitigate climate anxiety, as well as information that they can make sure they are having a

consistent conversation with their children at home and supporting what children are doing. across the country i don't know that that story is necessarily the same. laura: in states like florida, they are seeing rising sea levels. governor ron desantis recently signed a bill that deletes most dimensions of climate change in state law. what do you say to educators in states like florida about how to teach climate change when they may be dealing with elected leaders who reject that it exists? >> i have heard from science educators at national conferences working with teachers in florida who are personally choosing to learn more aboutow to integrate climate change into their classrooms, and there is a lot of fear. i was at a conference session where we were asked not to take pictures, for fear of disclosing who the teachers were. teachers are our nation's greatest asset and are naturally

innovators and creative people. i know many teachers in florida are talking about climate solutions without calling them climate solutions, talking about green innovation and things like that. we owe it to children, especially children facing sea level rise, droughts, extreme heat, to know what's happening around them and also know what some things are as they can do to mitigate those changes. laura: thank you so much for your time. >> thank you. laura: over the last few years, japanese animation and comic books have seen an explosion of popularity in the united states. from netflix adaptations to macy's thanksgiving day floats to a win at this year's oscars, the genre has seen an increasing amount of visibility in american culture. ali rogin is back with a look inside the world of anime and manga.

>> my spirit trembles! my heart is ablaze! ali: it is an art form that's having a moment. anime, japanese animation, and manga, japanese comics. holly is one of many who discovered the genre during the pandemic. >> i couldn't go to college, couldn't find a job, so i was in a pretty dark time. . ali: stuck at home with little to do, her cousins recommend they watch one piece, an animated pirate adventure show based on a manga of the same name. >> since we were uncertain how long we were going to stay home, they were like, one piece is long, it's so entertaining. they never told me it was like 1000 episodes. one piece fans kind of trick you into watching it. ali: the volume and variety of content, from fantasy and horror to romance and drama, is part of the appeal. >> anime takes you to a whole

other level. it shows you how artistic people can be, how different people grow up or how different the world looks through animation. >> we could not fill the stores fast enough. ali: the barnes & noble senior director of books. >> the readers are so voracious, it is a good thing the series are so long and so beautifully drawn because not only do they look for 10 other series, they go back and reread. laura: manga sales in the u.s. quadrupled from 2019 to 2022, with the peak of 28.4 million copies sold. it is now the fourth-largest fiction category in the united states behind romance, thrillers, and fantasy. >> it is one of our top 10 subjects. during the pandemic it was in our top five consistently. ali: this has been helped by low -- by other factors, apps with low subscription fees that allow american readers to access

content without long weeks wait for translated companies -- transited copies. streaming companies like netflix introduce viewers to more foreign movies and tv. in 20 22, dragon ball sue bird: superhero debuted number one at the box office in the u.s. and grossed nearly $87 million worldwide. in 2023, everything everywhere all at once, an action comedy inspired by anime, won best picture at the oscars. it is not a new phenomenon. we went to an anime convention in virginia to see what's behind the fandom. there are more than 100 gatherings like this one across the country every year, a chance for anime and manga fans to celebrate this art form. thisonvention has been going on since 1999. for many it's about more than entertainment. >> have someone on the spectrum, this is where i developed and learn how to talk to people and

developed more social skills. >> having us here as a family rings us closer together. ali: nolni and her brother started watching anime in their teens, then her mother became interested. >> my kids were like, mommy, come see this show. i sat down and watched with them. i got hooked. ali: like many, they came in cosplay, the term of dressing up as characters from a favorite series. >> i started out as closet cosplaying and i have started just embracing it andelling people this is what i do. ali: from intricate costumes to everyday clothes, it's a genre that attracts a range of people and personalities. >> if you ask the average person what an anime fan looks like, they would probably say someone cringe, who didn't take care of themselves, who sits in their room all day. people who love anime can be anyone as long as they have an

active imagination. ali: that sense of imagination is partly why today's pop culture is full of references to anime, from grammy award winner megan thee stallion -- >> ♪ ali: two sneaker collaborations. >> this shoe is a response to adversity. ali: even actor and director jordan peel's blockbuster film nope references and anime film, akira. >> the mainstreaming has happened slowly but surely. especially in the black and hip-hop community. ali: this journalist is anime and manga appeals to a generation that loves an antihero. >> they don't want to hear that the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. they want to hear it's hard to be an adult but everyone has to deal with these difficult emotions. that kind of heightened reality in general appeals to young people. >> i will become the god of this young world. >> anime doesn't just show you

things a kid innocently watches. anime shows you dark or sad things. it makes you feel things more deeply. ali: another part of the appeal is the art. >> i just really love seeing artists' renditions of different things and seeing the worlds they create. it lets me get lost in their creation. ali: unlike western comics where artists and writers work in collaboration, manga, even ones that run for decades, is often the work of a single creator's unique perspective. >> some things i have read, like the deluxe edition's of berserk, you can see how he takes every single item and illustrates every single leaf and every single droplet of blood as different characters get their heads exploded. there is a lot of imagination and that will always impress me. ali: it inspires many fans to produce their own art. >> me and my sister watch a lot

of shows, so i got the artistic start flowing and it inspires my work. ali: david loman is an illustrator, one of dozens selling their work at the convention. >> everyone has their own inspiration from the characters. when they see their favorite characters on the wall, it has that moment of sparking joy, enthusiasm that they see themselves in the artwork. ali: enthusiasm has dipped -- sales have dipped from the pandemics record high, but the genre is here to stay. >> it is not an outsider subject. readers have definitely stayed and continued to buy content in a way that shows there is staying power. >> before i used to make fun of people who like anime. now it's like, you know anime, you are cool, you are my best friend now. ali: gaining viewers and readers one character at a time. for pbs news weekend, i am allie rogan. -- ali rogan.

laura: that's our program for tonight. i am laura veron lopez. for all our colleagues, thanks for joining us. see you tomorrow. >> major funding for pbs news weekend has been provided by -- >> consumer cellular, how may i help you? this is a pocket dial. 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. have a nice day. >> 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.

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