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America`s Relationship With Russia; Some Oregon Residents Are Pushing To Join The State Of Idaho. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired March 16, 2023 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. It`s Thursday, so happy Friday Eve. I`m Coy Wire, and I`m giving a salute to all the teachers out there
today. Like Mr. Sliz (ph) at Pine Valley Central School in South Dayton, New York, who I met recently. All of you, keep uplifting guiding and
inspiring, helping us make sense of this world in which we live.
Students, go on and give your teachers some heart hands today and let them know you appreciate them for being the best that they can be for you.
Now, we start today with news from the Black Sea, where a Russian fighter jet forced down a U.S. Air Force drone this week after damaging the
propeller. The U.S. drone and two Russian aircraft were flying over the Black Sea when one of the Russian jets intentionally flew in front of and
dumped fuel on the unmanned American drone several times.
According to U.S. officials, the Russian aircraft then hit the propeller of the drone, prompting U.S. forces to bring the drone down to the water.
The incident marks the first time Russian and U.S. military aircraft have come into direct physical contact since Russia launched its invasion of
Ukraine just over a year ago. And the incident this week is likely to increase tensions between the two nations. The U.S. called Russia`s actions
reckless, environmentally unsound, and unprofessional. But the Russian Ministry of Defense denies that the Russian jet made contact with the drone
at all.
This is a potentially dangerous escalation at a critical time in the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We`ll hear now from CNN
Pentagon Correspondent Oren Lieberman, who has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: All of this plays out early Tuesday morning in international airspace over the Black Sea when the U.S.
says its MQ-9 Reaper drone was intercepted by two Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets. That part is not that uncommon, and these sorts of intercepts
have happened in the past. What is extremely rare is what happened as this played out. Over the course of 30 to 40 minutes. The Russian fighter jets,
according to the Pentagon, repeatedly flew around and in front of the U.S. drone, dumped jet fuel in front of it, and even collided with it, damaging
the propeller and forcing the U.S. to take down its own drone in international waters in the Black Sea.
Now, the National Security Council`s Coordinator for Strategic communications, John Kirby, told CNN that the U.S. took steps to protect
its equities, but it`s unclear exactly what that is, whether that was some sort of self-destruct or some other step to protect it.
Now, the drone has not been recovered, partially because at least there is no U.S. naval asset in the Black Sea to have carried out such a recovery.
So the U.S. took some step to protect its own equities. This MQ-9 Reaper drone. But again, unclear what that is. Much of the response so far has
been in the diplomatic lane. The U.S. summoning the Russian Ambassador to the U.S. and carrying out at least a 30 minutes conversation at the State
Department.
Russia giving an entirely different version of events, saying there was no collision, there was no Russian jets firing at that U.S. drone, but Russia
saying it does not want confrontations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Ten-second trivia.
Which of these U.S. states is nicknamed the Gem State?
Oregon, Idaho, Arkansas, or Delaware?
Idaho. The Gem State is the 14th largest, and it`s bordered by Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Washington and Oregon.
We`ll travel to Oregon now where some residents are pushing to move the state line so that they can join their neighboring state of Idaho. The
movement known as Move Oregon`s Border for a Greater Idaho is looking to redraw the border between Oregon and Idaho so that about 20 rural
conservative Oregon counties can instead become part of Idaho.
These counties say that they want to do this because they want a Republican led government. Oregon`s state government is currently controlled by
Democrats, while Idaho`s state government is controlled by Republicans.
Critics of the idea have called the plan bad for America and have stated that the U.S. political system works best when there`s a balance of
different viewpoints. But members of the group pushing for change have said rural Oregon is politically outnumbered in its state and that their voices
have been ignored for years.
The group believes their livelihoods, industries and freedoms are hurt by the policies of a government that doesn`t share their values. Still, those
opposed to the idea believe dividing America into politically like-minded people is the opposite of a healthy country.
We`ll hear now from CNN National Correspondent Kyung Lah looking at both sides of this debate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANDIE GILSON, GREATER IDAHO MOVEMENT: It`s extremely frustrating. The rules and regulations that they`re making that make sense in the city don`t
make sense out here.
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Out here in eastern Oregon, the expansive rural region and Sandie Gilson`s home where we`re walking is
a world away from the urban cities of the state.
(On camera): Do you have anything in common with Portland?
GILSON: Oh, sure, we`re all people.
LAH (voice-over): But she says that`s about it. And the signs dotting the east tell you what many people here want known as the Greater Idaho
Movement.
Redraw the state line so liberal Portland and the other democratic cities are Oregon. And eastern Oregon overwhelmingly Republican joins largely
conservative Idaho. Nearly all of Oregon`s 17 eastern county governments have approved plans to leave and form a larger Idaho resembling the logo on
Sandie Gilson`s hat.
(On camera): Is this about politics or differences?
GILSON: Both. We are very different people. I don`t believe that the Oregon government as a whole and the supermajority that has been in power
there for many decades is listening to eastern Oregon at all.
BARBARA EHARDT, IDAHO STATE HOUSE: It just overwhelmingly hit me this makes sense.
LAH: So much so that Idaho State Representative Barbara Ehardt, a Republican, co-sponsored a bill to begin dialogue with Oregon.
EHARDT: This is where all the big decisions are made for the Idaho legislature.
LAH: The bill passed the Idaho House and is now before the Senate. Idaho`s government is officially on a path to redraw its state line for the first
time since 1864.
EHARDT: The country is so torn apart right now.
LAH: By ideology?
EHARDT: Yes.
LAH: Is this your vision of peace?
EHARDT: It is one of the solutions, yes.
ILANA RUBEL, IDAHO STATE HOUSE: Are we going to carve Georgia out of Atlanta? Are we going to carve Austin out of Texas? Are we going to slice
Michigan`s? It`s a ridiculous road to start to go down.
LAH: State Representative Ilana Rubel knows all about being a political minority. She`s a Democrat in Ruby Ridge, Idaho and voted against the state
bill.
(On camera): Are you surprised that it has already gotten this far?
RUBEL: I`m saddened, but I`m not surprised. We are in a time, I think, of unprecedented partisanship and hostility.
GILSON: Portland`s changed. Salem`s changed. Eugene has changed.
LAH: What do you say when the people of those cities say that they`re changing with the times and that`s the America of today.
GILSON: They say it`s more progressive to have government tell you what to do. But the people here haven`t changed.
LAH: If these two states do agree to redraw the state lines, then Congress has to get involved and Congress has to approve this entire measure. But
how would this work if they do, do all of this?
This is Oregon on that side of the river, that is Idaho. Oregon, where I am standing, would become Idaho. Just like 250 miles to my north, to the west
and to the south. It would form one of the largest states in the entire country, a new Idaho. Organizers say it would be approximately the size of
Montana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: I love shoes. So if you`re a sneakerhead like I am, we might be soul mates.
And you`re going to love today`s story, getting a 10 out of 10, an exorbitant price tag for some shoes. A pair of Air Jordan 13s are expected
to shatter auction records with a high estimate of $4 million.
Worn by the legend Michael Jordan himself in the 1998 NBA Finals, the last championship series, by the way, he won with the Chicago Bulls. The current
record is another pair of Jordan`s game worn shoes which went for 1.47 million 2 years ago.
Open bidding is set to take place online starting April 3. Shulala weh weh. Those are sweet. All right. So many great. Your word Wednesday submissions
yesterday on my @coywire social accounts. Thanks to today`s winner @Brady E. Ellison (ph) for exorbitant. Did you hear it? It`s an adjective meaning
unreasonably high when talking about a price or amount charged.
Our special shout out today is going to Redwood Collegiate Academy in Ukiah, California.
Big love for the third biggest state in America. Do you remember which state is the largest in the country? It was on yesterday`s show. I`ll ask
somebody. See you tomorrow, lovely people. It`ll be Friday and we can`t wait.
I`m Coy Wire, and we are CNN 10.
END
