also supposed to debut on christmas day. but after the sony hack and threats invoking 9/11 on any theater that shows the film, sony has opted to not release the film in theaters or on demand. there's no word yet on exactly how the u.s. is sure the north koreans are behind this. either way, though, the homeland security chief insisted on "andrea mitchell reports," there's no credible intel indicating an active plot. that does not mean he's not on alert. >> the u.s. government is actively considering a range of options that will take in response to this attack. it's a very serious attack. not only on individuals and a company, but on basic freedoms. to travel to go to public places. we have no specific credible intelligence of a 9/11-style attack, attempted attack or a plan on movie theaters in this country. >> critics say bowing to pressure from hackers could open the flood gates to a whole new level of cyber warfare.

it all begs the question, is sony doing the right thing for the nation or for its business by pulling the film altogether? and will this encourage other hackers with a grudge against corporations or the government to do the same thing? lots to discuss with our first guest, ceo and editor of foreign policy. also author of national insecurity, american leadership in an age of fear. thank you as always for being with us. will sony's reaction be taught as a case study in how not to handle a situation like this? >> i think it will. i think this is from top to bottom, just about everything that you could do wrong on the message that it sends is that hackers, some place, can get into a business, get into a business's mind and actually censor things. you know, imagine, you know, kim jong-un decided, if in fact, the reports are right and north korea's behind this, he didn't want the united states of america to see this movie, and so he made a threat, played on the fears of the united states, played on the fears in sony,

played on their lawyers' fears of liability and risk. and what happened? they pulled the movie. what kind of precedent does that set? and what kind of floodgate is it going to unleash as other people want to get other americans to shut up or pull their products from the shelves? >> yeah. david, what should sony have done to set the right example here? >> well, i think, in the first instance, sony should've said we're not intimidated, we stand behind artistic freedom. we're going to take precautions to protect those, perhaps, that are going to see this in the theater. we'll distribute it via means, perhaps, that do not create as great a risk. we are going to work with the united states government to identify who did this. but we can't allow this precedent to be set. they didn't do that. i also think, however, there's a lot of responsibility in the united states government to actually have the kind of response that deters people from doing this in the future. and we're a long way from that, too. >> yeah. david, speak more to that. and by the way, i could not

agree with you more here. i think the response is pathetic, i think it feeds into our culture of being afraid of everything, even though the department of homeland security is saying there is no credible threat here at all. i think the probability is that north korea could or would try to bomb a movie theater in the u.s. are pretty low. but moving aside from that, what can the government do? if corporations are being hacked and that is being used as a threat to our national security, does the government need to get more involved in corporate cyber security? >> i think the government does. but, you know, you make a great point. if north korea actually did perpetrate an attack that involved a weapon and involved an explosion, we'd know exactly what to do. we'd set a precedent with it with 9/11 and other attacks. we would go after the attackers. we would use force, we would do whatever was necessary to deter it. but we're so far, you know, so early in the cyber days, we don't have a kind of credible response. the government here is still

evaluating when it talks about what it might do behind the scenes, it talks about sanctions against a government that has already been sanctioned and already been isolated. so that's not going to be terribly effective. and i think, it's very important that the united states government sends a message that if you launch a cyber attack against us, against our company, companies, against our people, that you will get a sure, swift response that will be legal response, economic response, and if necessary, perhaps the cyber response or some other kind of response involving force. otherwise, why shouldn't people do it? what's the disincentive? >> david, i disagree somewhat with you and my dear friend crystal. and the community stands with you, steve carrell tweeting, a sad day for creative expression. fear eats the soul. ben stiller tweeting, really hard to believe this is the response to a threat to freedom of expression here in america. i understand that.

i understand the dangerous precedent, the not wanting to give into terrorists, the disgusting concept of kim jong-un having a veto of what goes into american theaters. but it's not really sony who pulled this. it's the theater owners who really have no -- they don't really care if they're going to show "the interview" or "into the woods" or what have you, as long as they're making money. and if you are a theater owner, could you really risk having the theater experience marred by something happening and people being afraid when they come into what is your house that they are not safe? if you are that -- i mean, sony wants to stand behind their $44 million investment. but if you're a theater owner, why would you do that? why would you put people at risk for a movie. >> well, i don't think you would if you didn't feel that people were secure. but there are a lot of ways to make people secure. i think sony could've gotten together with the industry association with the theater owners, with the theater owners industry association, with the department of homeland security,

with local police forces. and they could've said, this is what we can do to protect these theaters and also to protect freedom of expression in the united states. and they didn't do that. and, look, you know, there is a disincentive, as i was saying a moment ago against actually making an attack. and there was no credible threat of an attack. we live in an era as we've talked about before on the show, an age of fear in which we are so on edge because of everything that happened in 9/11 and subsequent to that we take these threats of a threat even and we blow it up into something that paralyzes us or causes us to change our behavior. whether that's torture or whether that's shutting down theaters to a movie, it's the wrong response. we have to find a response that moves us away from fear and back towards protecting our way of life. nobody did that. >> david, in terms of finding a government response to this, it seems to me the most important thing is demonstrating to either north korea or other people who might perpetuate similar attacks, you won't achieve your

objective by doing this. the objective seems to have been preventing anybody from seeing the interview. and so far, they're succeeding in that objective. should the government be doing something directly to try to cause this film to be seen as widely as possible. it seems to me in the extreme case, the government could seize the film by eminent domain. allowing the government to take intangible property for various purposes. why doesn't the government just take the movie, put it up on government websites, broadcast it on pbs, show it at the kennedy center. >> and force americans to watch it at the same time. >> yeah, the notion of the united states government forcing everybody to watch a seth rogen movie is mind boggling. and, you know, i don't know that's the business you want your government in. what you want the government to do is you want the government to protect people's right to express themselves and to see things and make their own choices. so that means protecting the streets, it means protecting the homeland.

it means making sure that foreign governments can't mess with our way of life here in the united states. and right now, north koreans or whomever seeks to launch an attack, they're not sure what the u.s. is going to do. and right now, the message that the u.s. is sending is maybe it won't be so much. imagine in kim jong-un gets the message going away from this that he now has the ability to extend his censorship rights which are strong in pyongyang all the way to l.a. that's something i can't imagine he in his wildest dreams may have thought he could've done a couple of years ago, but it's right there and right now. >> well, we already let's say don't have the best relationship with north korea. but i would say this strains it to a whole other level of antagonism. what can the government at this point actually do to further punish north korea? >> well, there are a set of tools they've got. the ability to do additional sanctions. i'm not sure how much pressure that would be since the north koreans have a lot of sanctions

on them. and since the regime doesn't much care how squeezed the people are. but that's there. we have the ability to identify perpetrators, and we have the ability to undertake legal action against them. that's what we did with the chinese. they're never going to be prosecuted. it does make them persona non grata around the world. we've got the ability to work with other governments to isolate the north koreans in other areas, make it difficult to trade in dollars and that kind of thing. that has an impact. we have an ability to say that we will reserve the right to strike back. however, we think it is appropriate, including a cyber response. i think that's a critical thing we need to keep, you know, on the table. it's certainly there when somebody strikes out against us with force. we are not sure what happens in this new age of cyber warfare. and i think, perhaps most important of all is to take whichever of these things the government is comfortable with and make a clear announcement of

how the u.s. will respond and what the lengths the u.s. will go to to protect u.s. people and corporations. freedom of expression and other things we value. >> i mean, that's the big take away here. when did we make it okay for other nations? north korea to dictate our own policies here at home, david, i think it was the wrong move by sony. thank you as always for being with us. we appreciate it. >> it's my pleasure. up next, breaking news this afternoon of a big blow to isis by u.s. forces. we have got the details. plus, cubans and americans react to the change of the u.s. relationship. emotions are running high for and against the shift. out with the old, in with the new, time will tell us what to expect in 2015. it's still 2014 right now. >> it is? and it's thursday, december 18th. "the cycle" rolls on. ♪

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breaking news this hour, new details in a big victory against isis. u.s. air strikes have killed three top militants of that group. nbc news chief pentagon correspondent has the details. jim? >> krystal, these are by no means household names to any americans outside the intelligence or military communities. but nevertheless, officials here at the pentagon consider this a significant victory in the u.s.-led air war against isis there in iraq. based on intelligence, there were three separate air strikes launched and targeted. these three individuals to include the deputy to the leader of isis. it included abd al basit, the top commander, and rodwin talib,

under the control of isis fighters. now, u.s. officials say this is a significant victory, but acknowledge, look, it's only a temporary one, temporary setback for isis. there are plenty of isis fighters in the wings willing to accept up. they may not be as qualified, but there is willingness to step up and take over those positions. but nevertheless, these strikes are considered significant because in a war where progress has been hard to define, these are the first targets, individuals, specifically tracked down, targeted, and taken out by the u.s. military. so in those terms, this is considered a big win by folks here at the pentagon. krystal? >> important developments there. thank you so much. and now to another story that continues to grab headlines both here and abroad. the united states opening up a dialogue with cuba. a country that's been one of our fiercest enemies now for half a

century. streets of little havana in miami tell the story. some celebrating a new beginning. >> most of us that have our family members there have, had a hard time trying to visit them, to get in touch with them. and i -- i don't think the embargoes actually worked. so i think hopefully this will bring new change. >> while others typically of the older generation denouncing it as president obama bowing to a brutal dictatorship. >> i think it's a terrible mistake. obama has given in to basically what's an act of terrorism and racketeering. it's a practice of the castro brothers and the dictatorship to do things like extortion, taking hostages, which is what alan gross was. >> cnbc's michelle caruso-cabrera has made her way to cuba. she's in havana for us.

>> reporter: it was a muted reaction here in cuba to the announcement made simultaneously by president obama in the u.s. and the leader of cuba, raul castro. no major rallies planned, where thousands of people will be bussed into the city center from across the country, like we have seen in the past where they have to listen to hours worth of speeches. though, we did see a small group of university students last night cheer the return of the spies that have been released from the u.s. prison and sent back to cuba. what cubans here are telling me is they want to see whether this change in policy is going to lead to a better economy, the country desperately needs a better economy, it's been devastated by socialism and left its policies here. and they also want to see whether or not there's going to be an ability to see family they've been split from for so long. so many people have escaped from this island through the decades and the policies announced by president obama, they hope, will mean that they'll be able to see their family members more often and more easily. krystal, back to you. >> michelle in havana, thank you

so much. and the divide over the president's announcement isn't just limited to cubans and cuban americans, of course, it's led to pretty strange bedfellows. bob menendez is blasting the president saying that he vindicated the human rights abuses of the castros. meanwhile, the chamber of commerce hailed the president's decision. yes, you heard that right. 4 out of 5 americans alive have never known a free cuba. will anything that just happened change that? joining us now is the deputy director of the latin america center at the atlantic council. thanks for being with us. >> thanks, krystal. >> you seem like the guy to ask. i'll throw out there the $1 million question. do you think this represents a first step and we're going to see further opening and changes on the ground in cuba, or not? >> excellent question, krystal. yesterday's announcement wases a an historic day for the relations. and frankly for our relations with latin america and even broadly across the world. i mean, the president basically

did pretty much most everything he could do under his executive authority still in place to be able to open up with cuba. the travel, the remittences, the banking, the re-establishing diplomatic relations, the beginning of the process to remove him from the terrorism list. not just critical first steps, but critical, second, third, fourth steps for a -- for a relationship with cuba that has long been defined by adversarial and now will be a relationship more about exchange of information and collaboration, i hope. >> jason, a lot of people have been comparing this to president nixon's choice to go to china in 1972. interaction has led to enormous on the ground change in the lives of ordinary chinese people. what do you think this means for the people of cuba? and what is it likely to do to life in that country? >> well, this is -- this announcement, look, we've had a policy for the last 50 years

that has failed, right? i mean, the policy of regime change clearly hasn't worked. the castro brothers remain in power after over 50 years. it's time to try something new. and the policy of isolation has left cubans in a more destitute state than before. and the idea is that opening up cuba, by having access to new telecommunications, to internet, to more u.s. travelers, to more money flowing to cuban small businesses, this will only increase the pressure on the castro regime for change. look, they've used the embargo for the last 50 years as the response to why things don't work in cuba. and now, as obama has begun to peel back the critical elements of our -- of our embargo, the castros are losing one of their greatest assets for defending their regime. >> and jason, you have older generations that very much remember those terrible days in cuba. and as we showed in the lead for the segment, there's a real

generational divide between the older generations and young people. if you ask them how they feel or look at the polling, they're very much in support of advancing relations with cuba. they want to start a new chapter. why is this? why is there such a deep divide? is it simply because the young people don't remember those days? >> yeah, look. the older generation, many of which came over in the 1960s and left their families behind, left their houses behind, had property confiscated by the castro government. and so, they rightfully, you know, have a vehement hatred toward the castro government. any type of engagement with the government. the younger generation realizes our policy of the last five decades hasn't worked. you look at polling, it shows that nearly 90% of 18 to 29-year-old cuban americans think that we should move toward some type of normalization. we at the atlantic council did a poll this year, found that 56% of americans, but even more in florida, 63% of folks in florida

and even more in miami-dade county specifically thought we should move toward normalization in cuba. so there is this generational divide. but the younger generation recognizes that this policy clearly hasn't worked. >> jason, what does this breakthrough say about raul castro? has he decided using america as the great satan is no longer valuable for him? >> well, the cuban economy is teetering on an economic brink. earlier this year, the economic growth forecasts were 2.5% economic growths. i was actually in cuba in june, when they revise it down as a whole percentage point, 1.4%. at the same time, cuba depends on venezuela for most of its oil, for a lot of the other -- a lot of the currency. venezuela's on the brink of economic collapse with potential stagflation next year, 40% drop in the price of oil. so the cubans have learned their lessons from the 1980s.

completely dependent upon the soviet union. so they are looking for how to cushion themselves further against any typical absence. the same reason they've been negotiating a free trade agreement with the european union, as well. >> all right, jason, thank you very much, appreciate it. >> great, thank you very much. 2015 could be a turning point in the u.s./cuba relationship. and in tech and in the economy, i know because i'm krystal ball. that's next.

it was just this month that we saw nasa's triumphant return to space with a test launch of an unmanned rocket. well, if you thought that was cool, just wait until 2015. astronaut scott kelly, identical twin of mark kelly will spend an entire year in space. mark will stay back here on earth and nasa will monitor both

of them to see the effects space travel has on the body. this unprecedented mission is previewed as the cover story for "time's" third annual guide to the year ahead. hits newsstands on monday. and here to give us a preview of the preview is matt vella. thank you so much for being with us, matt. >> thanks for having me. >> yeah. cool cover this year. i want you to explain, the twin brothers. >> sure. >> really the first time they're spending a year of time in space. >> right. for the first time, a mission to mars is not only possible, it's probable. but before we can go, we need to know what happens to the human body when it's in space that long. so scott is going up for a year, which is the longest any american astronaut has ever spent in space. >> what do you do for a year in space? >> 40% of the time is exercise some gnarly things happen to your body when you go up there. your eyes change shape, your vascular system changes, bone density gets pretty messed up.

so they're going to study all that, do psychological testing. what it's like when you're in a confined space. >> interesting. i spend about 40% of my time exercising, so not that different from my normal day. >> to be in your house for a year without going outside. >> is that what it's like? >> i've done that, too. it's not fun. >> if your house is like the studio -- >> it is a '90s studio. >> we all live in new york. people tend to cringe if they hear the word drones. they're not totally wrong, it's a complex issue when we're talking about military applications. but state side, nonmilitary applications in things like film making, in things like deliveries. could have a huge impact on the future. >> yeah, it's true. we have this amazing photo essay by this photographer who shoots. it's a really interesting perspective, it's higher than a tall building. yeah, those are great. higher than a tall building, but

not quite an airplane. and the view you get on the ground is unique and fascinating. >> wait a minute, you can buy a drone on amazon? >> yeah. >> i could have my own drone? >> yeah. >> and they deliver it by drone, right? >> right. >> full circle there. >> wow. >> very interesting. so 2014, there was a lot of fear, latest fear being the seth rogen movie, apparently. and you have a helpful guide to what we should be afraid of and how afraid we should be of things in 2015. you've got like a full-length "frozen" sequel, and higher end, you've got armed conflict with isis and a chocolate shortage. >> that's right. >> oh, i agree with that one. >> it's very scary. not very deadly, but terrifying nonetheless. there's a lot of drought which is leading to cocoa deficits. and by 2020, a million metric tons. >> a lot more expensive. >> any chance that 2015 is going to be the year when we stop being afraid of things? >> nope. >> no. >> nope.

>> short answer. >> maybe chocolate. maybe chocolate. >> there's a lot to be hopeful for. i think this mission is, we chose it for the cover, because it's moving, could be movie, you know. astronauts, you know, put themselves in danger. they really are the best people. but, you know, there's still a lot of danger out there in the world. >> i mean, when i look out there, i see gas prices through the floor, job growth finally picking up, consumer confidence just came out this morning in a 7-year high. americans are buying as many cars as they did before the recession, finally. isn't it possible the big story of 2015 is going to be the economy finally working again? maybe we have a good news year and we can stop being sad about everything. >> absolutely. our economic recovery has been much stronger and much broader than i think anyone anticipated. and when you see what's going on in russia, mexico, some of our, you know, competitors out there who aren't doing as well, it's going to be a good year economically. but we've got more competitors, china, brazil, india, these countries, they're not sitting,

you know, idly by either. >> yeah. thank you so much for being here. i'm going to buy myself a drone. i have no idea. >> i wonder what she's going to do with it. thoughts on what to expect from a key gop senator in the coming year. but next, the podcast taking over the nation. ♪ (holiday music is playing) hey! i guess we're going to need a new santa

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cycle" team have combed through the evidence that our team lays out. and we have puzzled over who killed baltimore teen back in 1999. was it her ex-boyfriend adnan said? his friend jay who knew where his car was so he must have been involved. or was it sara canning herself? highly doubtful. "serial" breaks down every possible theory. and this morning, the last episode of season one was released. well done team. and now to reveal who actually killed, attorney and "serial" fan lisa green. no pressure, my friend. lisa, of course, is the author of the forthcoming book "on your case." one thing, one of the reasons people are so loving this is characters, right? the character of sara who is fantastic, great voice. the character of adnan who is so comp compelling. but we get wrapped up in this, is he a good guy? is he articulate? is he nice? the imply was in her car and he

made a phone call or somebody from his cell phone made a phone call from where she was being buried at that time. the evidence is where we must follow. >> the evidence is what we should follow, although, i'll to say that the personalities are hard to resist. but here's what's so astonishing about a "serial" phenomenon. if you told us 12 weeks ago that we'd be riveted by a woman who sounds like a cross between my therapist and my yoga instructor. wait, say it with me. talking about a group of people, none of whom are sympathetic. >> teenagers. >> you know, just not the kids that you would expect, you know, to have a lot to say about this crime. and indeed, many of them seem to have forgotten anything happened about a murder at their high school. throw in the person who most knows about whether he's innocent, the defense lawyer -- >> is gone. >> and locked on cell phone tower pings. >> we still don't really know. we just don't know. not because of the personality contest, but because of the evidence is old and

inconclusive. do you agree? or do you think i'm missing some obvious -- >> well, let's save our conclusions until the end. but i do have a theory. >> which you're not going -- >> i'll save until the end of the conversation. >> a theory is different than saying it's conclusive, though, josh. >> yeah. so why this then? you know, everybody i know is talking about this. >> why this? >> i have to listen to this. normally i try not to read anything longer than a tweet. there are lots of legal stories that come through and some capture the attention and -- why is this the one that has really caught on in such an unusual way? >> i think it's a combination of our abiding love for murder mysteries. and you see it throughout culture, not just in podcasts. and i think there's something about the intimacy of this new/old format, right? i don't know about you, listeners, but when i would listen to this podcast, about half way through, they sort of upgraded, the music got fancier. they added sponsors from the

original, much laughed about male chimp. and all of a sudden tons of advertisers. and i felt personally betrayed. hey, sara, we had a deal. i think that's what made it so riveting, and it's nothing new. >> it's a love story that ended in death. >> it's a love story that ended in death. and it really does make some important points about the limits of the criminal justice system, doesn't it? >> well, absolutely. >> what does it mean to be guilty or legally guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. >> when you see them talking about trying to make a case, that's bothersome. >> i have to say, no one has spent wiser ad dollars than male chimps. >> absolutely. >> i can't imagine they pay too much for these ads and everybody's talking about them. who is going to be next? to your point about the criminal justice system. the court of appeals has agreed to hear his appeal. one of the things they're going to consider is whether or not he had received effective counsel. whether his defense attorney was effective.

what goes into weighing that decision based on what you heard on "serial"? and does the fact that he's not just your typical convicted murderer and also now, does that impact the way the judge is going to think about this case? >> well, to take the second question. first, the answer is, it shouldn't, but we're all human. so there's a lot more attention on maryland's criminal justice system than there was when this case was decided, right? it'll be interesting to see. but the standard briefly is two parts. was the assistance beyond a reasonable standard of what you'd expect a lawyer to do? and did that make a difference? in other words, let's assume it was. would he have been convicted anyway? in a case like this, where the evidence at issue here is a witness not going to give spoilers, there's a witness who claims she was with him at a particular time, that kind of hurts the prosecution's story. conventional wisdom is he has a shot. but, yeah, you can't look at it in a vacuum. this is now the most famous,

arguably wrongly convicted, you know, former 17-year-old in the history of the judicial system. >> if that's the case. i don't think i can ask my question without the music. do we still have the music we can play? because i'm asking a very serious question, lisa. putting you on the spot. are you going to answer it honestly? >> yes. >> did adnan commit the crime? >> a simple yes or no will do -- >> next time on. >> we're asking each other, right? >> the beauty, i think the beauty of the podcast is you can leave it watching -- listening to one episode or the entire thing and still have reasonable questions. >> don't do that. don't do that. do you think that he is guilty of this murder? >> i think that sara kanig and her team have uncovered enough evidence they've created reasonable doubt about this case. >> what do you think? >> clearly -- i think.

>> i'm sorry, you had a theory? >> i think that adnan and jay did it in concert. jay, perhaps, he paid or engaged to do it. adnan is in her car in the afternoon. he is there in lincoln park where her body's being buried at the time her body's being buried. it is very difficult to extract him from this if he's there. >> the cell phone towers -- >> very interesting. for those who haven't been following this carefully, no witnesses. >> no forensics. >> jay's the witness. >> maybe an unreliable witness. >> no forensic evidence to get a conviction? >> well, it's certainly much harder, right? so you kind of go back, and if memory serves, the first trial ended in a mistrial. >> that was the attorney's fault. >> but she uncovered jurors willing to acquit. this really has constantly turned on a knife's edge. it is really atypical that way. >> the innocence project lawyer, to me, really brings it home

when she says you're not that lucky. that just walked into her life that you found this one person who is in prison who shouldn't be there. >> stranger things have happened. >> makes you wonder where all these people were when this actually happened. lisa, no better person to be with us to discuss this. amazing podcast. >> my pleasure. there's another web series i hope gains a fraction the following "serial" has built. this time i open the throttle and rode into the progressive international motorcycle show. >> got to hang out and relax. it's going to be a good time. >> oh, my gosh. >> all right. there's a lot more of this to check out @thecyclem srsnbc.com. ♪ ♪ ♪ push it.

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it's a swiffer wetjet! oh, i love this! i could do this everyday. ewww. sunshine is overrated, now we can get messy. feet...tiptoeing. better things than the pain, stiffness, and joint damage of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist decide on a biologic, ask if xeljanz is right for you. xeljanz (tofacitinib) is a small pill, not an injection or infusion, for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can relieve ra symptoms, and help stop further joint damage. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers have happened in patients taking xeljanz. don't start xeljanz if you have any infection, unless ok with your doctor. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz

and routinely check certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you have been to a region where fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take. one pill, twice daily, xeljanz can reduce ra pain and help stop further joint damage, even without methotrexate. ask about xeljanz. we're back now, in the guest spot with a college basketball standout whose professional career was sidelined by a rare disease. a 7'1" center from baylor university was such a star that he made himself eligible for the nba draft in his sophomore year. but during a pre-draft physical, isaiah learned he had a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue and in some cases can be deadly. he took his diagnosis in stride, returned to the classroom to complete his bachelors degree at baylor. and when he finishes with that,

the nba commissioner said there'd be a job with him in the league. leading the effort to recognize achievement on and off the court through the higher achievement award for student athletes. isaiah at the table now. so, isaiah, you were on the verge of fulfilling a lifelong dream when you got this news. what was going through your mind when that happened? >> it was a little bit like heartbreak at first, you know. but then i looked around who was all in the room with me when i received the news and i saw that my little brother and sister was there. and i knew i had to uplift myself to uplift them at the same time. >> was your dream to go to the nba and earlier this year after you had to give up that dream, earlier this year, the nba allowed you to come in and be a ceremonial draft pick. talk about that moment being there with adam silver, the nba commissioner, and getting to -- get a taste of fulfilling your dream. >> i mean, that's an experience i'll never forget for the rest of my life. >> none of us will ever forget that moment. to be honest with you. >> yeah, just because adam silver out of the grace of his

heart and the nba. they did that for me and my family. it was just tremendous. all the emotions that were going through me as i was walking across the stage as, you know, it's really breathtaking. >> and isaiah, tell us more about the higher achievement award, you're the national spokesman now. who does it honor? >> yeah, i'm working with higher america, and they're awarding student athletes scholarships across the country. this year, they'll be giving out eight of them, and what they're doing is they're looking for student athletes, not only who have excelled in their sport or on the court or field they play the sport. but also in the classroom in their communities. >> and this is a disease that while playing a sport, you could die. did that ever go through your mind when you were playing? >> it never did, you know. i never even knew what marfan syndrome was until the nba combine until i was actually diagnosed. but i'm glad they found out about it because it did save my life. >> let's talk about basketball for a minute. because you were a defensive standout. talk a little bit about about

beyond just being taller than everybody else how you approached defense that allowed you to get all those blocks in like all those stops and all that. >> i want to be aggressive for my team. i know that my guards would work hard to guard around the perimeter and i knew they had me as the team. anything around the basket, i wanted to contest and make it difficult for the other opponents. >> was bill russell somebody who you could look to as an historic, amazing defensive presence as sort of a role model. were there others you looked at, i want to pattern my game after them? >> i'm a little young for bill russell. >> there's videotape, man. >> i've watched videotape with him, of course, he's an nba legend. but some of the centers i grew up -- >> is isaiah calling you old right now? >> no, he's not. >> i wasn't calling him old. >> it's okay. we all do it. >> ignore her. >> i grew up watching dwight howard, dirk. you know, i just watch a variety

of players when i was growing up. >> you grew up watching dwight howard. wow. >> and you're still -- basketball's still a huge part of your life. you're not necessarily playing like you were, but you're were, but you're coaching and it could potentially be the rest of your life. >> yeah. definitely. being on the team and the staff has given me a different perspective about the game. it's like i'm falling back in love with the game all over again just from a different side of it. so if i am offered a coaching job somewhere along the lines of these next couple of years i'll go for it. >> are you a mean coach? >> no. i'm nice. >> i'm nice, but i am aggressive with some of the players on my team just because i have to be that way with them. a lot of people will tell you tori prince, al freeman, lester medfrey, our starting five and i'm on them every day because i don't have the opportunity to play anymore. i don't want them to take it for granted just because i know that

they have the talent to one day take care of their families by playing that sport. >> tell us about the first time you dunked. how old were you and what was going through you? >> first time i dunked on somebody or just the first time i dunked regular? >> let's have both. >> it was a funny story, my college roommate is actually my best friend, elliott and i was in the eighth grade and the first year i was moved to texas and he was the first body i caught playing basketball. it was in practice and the first time i dunked was in the sixth grade. >> sixth grade? >> how tall were you then? >> i was probably like 6'4". >> sixth grade. >> just 6'4". >> wow! when you're coaching, are you looking for those same off the court values and trying to encourage the same off the court values that you're looking to honor with the higher achievement award. i try to make sure that all our players on the team are having high character off the court

especially when they're walking around campus because so many people look up to us and so many people think of us as higher beings, but we're really not. i just make sure that everyone carries themselves well. >> in your mind, who is the greatest player of all time? >> m.j., hands down. >> michael jordan. >> you thought i would say kobe, huh? >> he's so young! these kids today! >> has your perspective on life totally changed going through this? >> i know i have a different meaning in my life now. i think before i was so caught up in wanting to live the nba dream and have the cars and travel the world and things like that, you know? but now i know that life isn't really about all that and really because i'm so faithful in my faith, i know all of those materialistic things can't come with you at the end of the day. that's how i'm living my life now. >> isaiah, up next, ted cruz, #sorrynotsorry.

abby is ahead. we'll have given 50 million dollars over seven years. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. it's about getting to the finish line. in life, it's how you get there that matters most. like when i found out i had a blood clot in my leg. my doctor said that it could travel to my lungs and become an even bigger problem. so he talked to me about xarelto®. >>xarelto® is the first oral prescription blood thinner proven to treat and help prevent dvt and pe that doesn't require regular blood monitoring or changes to your diet. for a prior dvt i took warfarin, which required routine blood testing and dietary restrictions. not this time. while i was taking xarelto®, i still had to

stop racing, but i didn't have to deal with that blood monitoring routine. >>don't stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban, unless your doctor tells you to. while taking xarelto®, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto® may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto® can cause serious bleeding, and in rare cases, may be fatal. get help right away if you develop unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. if you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto®, watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto® is proven to reduce the risk of dvt and pe, with no regular blood monitoring and no known dietary restrictions. treatment with xarelto® was the right move for me. ask your doctor about xarelto® today.

congress should use those powers given to it by the constitution to counter a lawless executive branch or this body will lose its authority. if the president will not respect the people, congress must. >> what played out on capitol hill this weekend has been described by some as the moment the tea party got laughed off the stage. ted cruz, clearly did not know what he was doing when he brought the senate back into session over the weekend. it was his way of fighting against obama's executive order

and it did not end well for republicans. the democrats were thrilled about the outcome. senator chuck schumer thanked the conservative senator saying ted cruz did all of us a big favor because when he kept the senate in session on saturday, we, the democrats, spent a whole lot of time on nominations who i believe will now be approved. as you can imagine, republicans are pissed off about how the whole thing went down. and rightfully so. the only thing the world was talking about the narrative of the republican party. 24 hours later the only thing the political world was talking about was once again the deep divide in the republican party. thanks to ted cruz. according to some gop senators though cruz has since privately apologized, not if are what he did, but for interrupting their holiday schedules. here's the thing, ted cruz is far from stupid. he knows exactly how the legislature works and my guess is he knew exactly what he was doing. he might be dumbed down by some

in the media, but do not forget he's a harvard-educated lawyer and he's playing the long game for his own personal game and he's giving primary voters a very clear choice come 2016. keeping the party divided because that allows to say to the voters hey, it's either all of those other guys who promised one thing and then caved under pressure or it's me, the guy who has consistently fought for you. the guy who has refused to give under any circumstances. i'm the only guy standing up against the president is's executive action. if we nominate another candidate in the same old mold as bob dole, john mccain or mitt romney, the same voters who stayed home in 2008 and 2012 will stay home and hillary clinton is the next president. this is exactly his goal to put everyone else in the loser's corner and put himself in a league of his own and what better way to do that and make headlines by sticking it to the

establishment boys. he has zero -- that only threatens his rock star status among conservatives and befriending senators could mean compromise and that is not good for ted cruz's brand. we may see it for bad pr and feel embarrassed, but remember this has been his strategy all along. call him a loner, call him crazy and whatever you want, but i said this before and i will say it again, do not underestimate what ted cruz is doing because he will be the last one laughing in two years when the iowa straw poll results are a nouned and then the joke will be on all of us. all right. that does it for "the cycle." "now" with alex wagner starts right now. have the self-proclaimed guardians of peace just won a cyber war? it's thursday, december 18th, and this is "now." >> we regard this as a very serious attack. ♪

>> hello, north korea! sony pulling the release of "the interview" will have ripple effects. they have named north korea as inciti greaters. >> the leader being investigated by the fbi and department of justice. >> they were acting on orders from the north koreans. >> these hackers were able to bring a major global corporation to its knees. >> do we want north koreans dictating what americans see and what americans don't see? how will the american government retaliate or will it? protecting my consumers and protecting my business franchise. to think that the most backwards country in the world can affect the country that stands for freedom. is it something that we think is serious and credible, we will alert the public and for now my recommendation would be for people to go to the movies. >> the u.s. govert