Download January 4, 2017

Secretary John Kerry: Hi, I am John Kerry, the 68th secretary of state of the United
States, and Channel One News begins right now.
Keith: Thanks, Secretary Kerry. We will hear more from him in a bit as we continue our
look at relations between the U.S. and Russia. But first up, the United States Congress
is back at work. Yesterday was day one, and the first session of Congress for 2017, and
it appears the Republican-led Congress and President-elect Donald Trump got off on
the wrong foot.
The 115th Congress gaveled into session on Tuesday. Even before that it had already
voted to shut down the Office of Congressional Ethics, an independent body that
oversees lawmakers. But after it got scolded by President-elect Donald Trump via
Twitter, it scrapped the idea. The president-elect instead urged it to focus on tax reform,
healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance, followed by the #DTS —
drain the swamp.
Representative Nancy Pelosi was reelected to serve as the minority leader for the
House of Representatives. Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan received enough votes to
keep his job as speaker of the House. He took the oath of office, then administered the
oath to all the members of Congress. The Republicans, who control both chambers of
Congress, are now focusing on trying to repeal Obamacare.
And President Obama is on Capitol Hill today trying to convince them to keep his
signature healthcare law.
All right, coming up, Tom Hanson is in the Baltic nations with a look at how our past
relationship with Russia could be impacting our future.
Keith: Over the holiday break, the world marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the
Soviet Union. That brought forth a new openness to the United States and other
Western countries. But some fear — two and a half decades later — we are moving to
the time when the world’s two superpowers were embroiled in a decades-long standoff.
Tom Hanson is in Lithuania, a country that borders Russia, with a look at rising tensions
there.
Tom: Lukas Borusevicius comes from a long line of service.
Lukas Borusevicius: You have to be proud about yourself if you are in military.
Tom: His grandfather and his father were both soldiers. And now, although he is
studying to become a lawyer, he may have to serve as well — but not by choice.
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Borusevicius: I cannot say that it's fear, that every day it could be a conflict. But when
you see the conflicts in pro-Soviet area, you are thinking that you could be in this place
as well.
Tom: Tensions between his home country of Lithuania and neighboring Russia are
heating up, so Lithuania is drafting its citizens to the military. Lukas and his friend
Laurynas are both eligible.
Laurynas Juozapaitas: Five years ago, they would have said, “This in nonsense; we
don't need this.” But now, more and more people would say that they are concerned
about the Russian thing, and that's why they really support the draft.
Tom: The draft was put into place after Lithuania saw what was happening with the
conflict in Ukraine when Russia took over the Crimean Peninsula back in 2014. And still
today, government troops are battling rebels supported by Russia in other parts of the
country.
Lithuania worries Russia will try to take its land, too.
So this area is very strategic for Russia.
Gustina Zelinskas: In the case of conflict with NATO, yes.
Tom: Gustina Zelinskas knows all too well what life would be like under Russian control.
He grew up when Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union, with Russia as its power
center, and the United States was Enemy No. 1.
It started after World War II, the deadliest military conflict in history. Europe was in ruins,
and two new world powers emerged, basically splitting the world in half: the Soviet
Union and nations under its control and America and NATO, the military alliance of
28 nations.
In between was a boundary known as the Iron Curtain. It prevented travel and the
spread of information between the Soviet Union and the West. The divide pitted
American culture against communism.
Zelinskas: I very well remember the lesson at school when the teacher just asked,
"Kids, who's going to attack Soviet Union?" Two-thirds said, "United States is going to
attack Soviet Union." That was very common way how the propaganda was
constructed. I think nowadays in Russia, it's almost the same.
Tom: Aside from being taught to hate the United States, people living under Soviet
control had very little freedom. The government controlled almost every aspect of their
lives, and they were closed off from the outside world.
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Zelinskas: We cannot speak about liberties: let’s say, liberties to unions, liberties to
associations, freedom of press, freedom of speech. You can end in jail for one joke if it
would touch upon Soviet Union’s official for whatever.
Tom: But most importantly, the Soviet Union and the United States were in a dangerous
race to have the most nuclear warheads — the deadliest weapon known to man. Each
side scrambled to make more and more powerful bombs in an attempt to get so strong
that no one would mess with it.
It was called a cold war because, while there was no fighting between the two
superpowers, the fear of nuclear war became a part of everyday life. But in 1991 the
Soviet Union collapsed and eventually turned into what is now Russia and surrounding
countries. For the first time in decades, the United States and Russia were no longer
enemies.
While Lithuania got its independence 25 years ago, Zelinskas fears losing that freedom,
which he says would happen if Russia invaded his homeland.
Does it feel like a new cold war?
Zelinskas: From the point of view of Lithuanians, more or less, yes. Only this time, we in
a better side of the Iron Curtain than it was before.
Tom: But a Russian attack would have major consequences for the world, too. Any
attack by Russia on a NATO country would require the United States and its NATO
allies to respond, which could lead to a global conflict.
Both sides still have nuclear weapons. Russia has been linked to a number of cyber
attacks against the U.S., including government websites and corporations. And this
year, U.S. intelligence agencies say Russia tried to influence the 2016 presidential
election.
I sat down with Secretary of State John Kerry, the highest-ranking advisor to President
Obama on foreign policy, to get his take.
There has been escalating tension in the Baltics. Are we entering a new cold war with
Russia?
Kerry: No, I don’t believe so, and I certainly don't want to see us do that. I think it would
be a terrible waste of energy. There are real tensions over Ukraine, over NATO and
nuclear policy in the region.
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We have to work through those things, to sit down at the table and hammer out an
understanding regarding those differences and try to find common ground where we
can work because it is not a good thing for Russia or the United States to go back into a
cold war status. Everybody would be a loser.
Tom: As for Lukas and Laurynas, they are ready to do whatever it takes to protect the
freedom they have experienced for their entire lives.
Juozapaitas: We should as well be prepared; that's what Lithuanians do. There are a lot
of men who are preparing; they are training. And they are ready to fight for their
families, for the country and for Lithuania.
Tom: Tom Hanson, Channel One News.
Keith: And tomorrow Tom takes a look at cyber warfare as Russia steps up its game,
hacking into several countries — including right here in the U.S. Plus, we have got an
in-depth country profile on Russia; you can check it out on ChannelOne.com.
All right, coming up, a helping hand in the aftermath of a hurricane.
Keith: The holiday season is the perfect time to give back, and Emily is here with a story
about someone doing exactly that.
Emily: Yeah, Keith. Well, Louisiana and North Carolina are still recovering from historic
floods last year, but one teen who lost her home is not letting that get in the way of
giving back. Check it out.
Shanasre Collins: My dad came and knocked on the door and was like, “We gotta go
because the water is coming in the house."
Emily: A recent memory of destruction that washed away the possibility of future
memories in this home.
Shanasre: Seeing it how it was today was my first time.
Emily: Seventeen-year-old Shanasre Collins has been without a home for nearly three
months after historic flooding destroyed thousands of homes across the South. And she
knows returning home for good won't happen for months more.
Shanasre: It's, like, devastating.
Emily: She travels dozens of miles each day to work and school so she can stay at this
temporary home a few towns away, which left her celebrating this past holiday season a
different way.
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Shanasre: Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I tend to just push everything else to the
side and, like, focus on the positive sides and being that Christmas is about giving back.
Emily: Giving back to those in a similar situation — through Kinston Teens, she has
been spending her free time mentoring her peers.
Shanasre: We had a lot of fundraisers. We gave away clean water and helped with
clothes, and we did a lot.
Emily: A girl who performs selfless acts got her own surprise present this Christmas: her
first acceptance letter to college.
Shanasre: Oh, my gosh.
Emily: Emily Reppert, Channel One News.
Keith: Really great story, Emily.
All right, have a great Wednesday, and we will see you right back here tomorrow.
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