reddish captives proved brethren, no more -- british captives proved brethren, no more.to conclude, developments in lancaster ultimately offer a case study of the local production of an emerging revolutionary identity during the americans' war for independence. more broadly, lancaster's story illustrates how the revolution evolved, grounded within this shared sense of imperial belonging to a contest between distinct british and american nationalities. when congressional officials asked the late [indiscernible] they gambled the close interactions might actually help mend the breach between combatants. instead, captors and captives squared off his adversaries approaching each other with mounting suspicion. by late spring 1776, lancaster's hard-liners felt locked in an irreconcilable conflict with an implacable reddish -- british fo e. pennsylvania's diverse insurgents had begun to embrace a common revolutionary identity. thus while the forging of a distinct american identity remained an ongoing and frankly deeply contested process pennsylvania's revolutionaries had begun f

. >> i try never to -- just because our target is not zoos. >> it is captivity. >> just captivity.d. >> so should we have captivity? >> i don't think it is doing any good. >> yeah. >> what ed and the team at paws are doing is amazing, but it is clear to see that after a life in captivity, these animals are still not free. every aspect of their lives have to be managed, since they were never able to learn the skills required to take care of themselves. it makes you stop to think about the implications of keeping wild animals captive. if yand you're talking toevere rheumyour rheumatologiste me, about a biologic... this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain and protect my joints from further damage. this is humira giving me new perspective. doctors have been prescribing humira for ten years. humira works for many adults. it targets and helps to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happene

granted, we have animals brought in in captivity.esponsibilities to those animals, but beyond that, you know, should we be keeping animals in captivity? >> only if we can thrive. what you really expect when you come to a zoo is that you're going to see animals that are thriving. you would not want your zoo to keep animals if you knew that they were suffering. >> in keeping with philosophy, the detroit zoo realized they couldn't have a happy environment for their elephants, winky and wanda. >> they would have to be cooped and knew that would be wrong. we tried to make it better but didn't see any path that fundamentally that was going to do that. after a lot of, you know, heart ache, we said what's best for them is to do this and ultimately were successful and sent them to a fabulous sa sanctuary in california we've been working with for 20 years. >> what's the response with the people who come to the zoo? we love the elephants. >> that's the point. we love the elephants. we don't want them to suffer. yes, a few people are still upset

he is trying to adjust to life after three weeks in captivity. the mother of six was held with 160 other women. she gave up hope of getting out alive at one point. >> i gathered my children and told them to prey. maybe there'll be a miracle. it's hard to sleep will. we heard gunshots day and night. poox were dies on mass -- people were dying on mass. they told us though leave and followed us killing those they could. those at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation by the fighters. >> thousands gained refuge. >> people were forced to leave their homes. men and women held captive. it seems as if almost everyone here has an unpleasant story to tell. as the force begins locals are preparing for more displaced >>> al jazeera calls for the release of two journalists gaoled in cairo for 4010 games. mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed are accused of falsely supporting the muslim brotherhood. charges they and al jazeera deny. convictions were thrown out. a new trial starts thursday a third, peter greste was unconditionally released and is back home in az

her parents released a letter that she wrote from captivity. i just want to read you the top of the letter because it's just so sad. it will give you a glimpse of what her captivity was like. she says -- these are kayla's words. if you are receiving this letter it means i'm still detained but my cell mates have been released. i've asked them to contact you and send you this letter. it's hard to know what to say. please know that i'm in a safe location unharmed healthy, put on weight in fact. i've been treated with the utmost respect and kindness. i wanted to send you a well thought out letter but i didn't know if my cellmates would leave in the coming days or months restricting time but i could only write the letter a paragraph at a time. just the thought of all of you sends me into a fit of tears. if you could say i have suffered throughout this whole experience it is only in knowing how much suffering i have put all of you through. i will never ask you to forgive me as i do not deserve forgiveness. i remember mom always telling me that all in

her fellow captives delivered the letter to her family after they were released. she wrote: muller went on to say: she expressed an unwavering faith in god, writing: in prison what we see from that letter is that she continued to be free. >> and optimistic.

as news emerged about her death details about her life in captivity emerged. they believe she was given to a senior isis leader as a bride of sorts, a reward. kayla went to turkey in 2012, heartbroken after seeing images like this of the conflict in syria, and determined to help those syrian refugees powering into the neighboring country. >> kayla had such great empathy. and it's hard to find that in this world. >> kayla saw stuff in palestine. she saw stuff when she was in india. and for that matter israel too that compelled her to return. >> reporter: by august 2013, she had traveled into syria. >> i am in solidarity with the syrian people. i reject the brutality and killing that the syrian authorities are committing against the syrian people. >> reporter: she was kidnapped by the militant group isis while leaving a doctors without borders hospital. this is the same group that's executed three american captives james foley, peter kassig and >> i think we held out hope because kayla mueller was a woman, that perhaps we wouldn't see isis undertake the type of

kayla mueller possibly paired with an isis fighter while in captivity. unusual is that, considering these are jihadists on a so-called religious campaign? >> well, if it's true, it would be highly unusual. for instance, the doctors without boarders female employees were taken hostage were treated very civilly in the sense they were hostages. and i know for the first part of her captivity, she was treated quite well, considering she was a prisoner by the islamic state. they understood she had a syrian boyfriend. she wasn't tortured. she wasn't offered up as a wife. so if in fact she was paired with an isis member, it happened after may of last year. >> all right. now, separately, the campaign against isis continues. president obama now requesting the authorization for the use of force by congress, essentially saying there will be no ground troops and he wants to limit this to just three years. but there's a mechanism in there for plenty of wiggle room. what do you make of this plan at this time to get the authorization? >> well, i mean, first of all, it's

captive in syria. the u.s. vows to hunt down her killers. >>> houthi killers strengthen their hold in yemen. >>> greek lawmakers back the government's plans to ease bailout terms ahead of tough talks with eurozone ministers. >>> leaders from ukraine, russia germany and france are due to meet in minsk in an attempt to stop fighting in ukraine. hundreds have been killed in recent days. the white house warns if russia doesn't sign a peace deal there'll be consequences. we have more on the latest phone call between president obama and vladimir putin. >> the timing of this call for two leaders that have not spoken in a number of years was significant. this was president obama laying down what he would like to see from the talks in minsk on wednesday. we know that the russian and ukrainians will be in belarus. they'll be accompanied by the french and the general j who came up with a plan they believe will head to a ceasefire in ukraine and a demilitarizing of the conflict. president obama knows that the damage that s

if a male captive had been killed and with an isis commander, would we be talking about this issue?o. i hate to see her memory -- but i also understand why the question exists given isil's practices. >> it shouldn't take away from -- you know, this is somebody who, as the mom was saying, is just trying to survive in captivity. and i think you give somebody wide latitude for doing what they have to do, whatever it is, in captivity. >> there are clues in these letters. there are two letters, a second letter that came out and the parents released it with the new interview, they're all from captives that have been freed. these are women, it looks like who were held with her. until these women who were held with her start talking about forced marriages for kayla or for themselves, i don't think it's fair to speculate. >> david rhode, thank you. >>> more than a thousand flights canceled today because of winter weather. most of them out of dallas which is getting hit with freezing rain. we'll get a live weather update ahead. sometimes romantic. there were tears in my eyes. and tears in my

he's written about being held captive in syria. welcome, peter, thank you very much indeed for talking to us. it's a real pleasure to get some insight into what it was like. you were captured october 2012. take the story on from there. >> right well, i made the mistake of making friends with three young men in turkey. they brought me into syria and within 24 hours, i was in handcuffs, leg cuffs and they were beating me. >> who were your kidnappers? >> i think they were young men with nothing much on their minds except a fun time, but they quickly turned me over to al-qaeda al-nusra and then i was in trouble. at first i might have been able to get out of the difficulty somehow, because these people were very inexperienced i escaped from them, but as soon as i got into the hands of the actual al-qaeda group, i was in trouble. >> ok. you were held in captivity for around two years? tell us about the conditions in which you were kept. >> at first, they were very angry at me. they felt that i was an advanced guard of the american army,

but it raises questions about the treatment of captives in the region. let me just begin with, you know, when you're piecing together what it's been like for some of these captives we've covered, including james foley and stephen sot love what strikes me as different this time it's the first time isis has privately and directly reached out to a family offering proof of death in the form of a photo. >> iffic just comment on the treatment of kayla mueller. we know at the height of the hostage crisis isis had at least 23 foreign hostages almost all of them western. 19 of those 23 were men. we know that several of the men were severely beaten and some of them were also water boarded. the same hostages who spoke to us and confirmed the details of their torture always told me that the women were relatively well treated. of course they're captives and hostages but the women were not tortured as far as we know. so kayla mueller's letter to me confirms what we already knew about the treatment of women in isis captivity. >> but the notion that isis privately sent

three men have been arrested in the kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman held captive in sonoma county. she told police she escaped last week from a home on stoney point road and investigators say she'd been held captive there for two months. yesterday three men went to the sheriff's office to pick up property that was seized during the investigation. all three were arrested as they approached that building. one was arrested for rape and it's not clear if she knew the men before the kidnapping. we'll have more on that case at 5:30. >>> new reports this morning that jihadi john was born in kuwait but grew up in london. he's believed to be 27 years old, a college graduate with a degree in computer programming and believed to be seen beheading at least five western hostages. >>> we are learning about the arrest of flee new york men who planned to leave the u.s. to join the terrorist group in syria. they were living in brooklyn. one of the men was arrested as he tried to board a new york flight bound for turkey. he appeared in federal court yesterday along with another plan who had planned

by kayla in captivity which was released by kayla's parents earlier this week. chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell spoke with nbc's rachel maddow on the motivation behind the white house statement. >> they have been on other networks. we have not published these reports that kayla during her captivity was under the protection of an isis commander, implications. normally they would not deny these things because it would involve intelligence. what they are saying this is too important. the family has suffered enough. the reports simply aren't true. >> meanwhile white house officials are trying to determine how the 26-year-old aid worker died. >>> a triple murder possibly over a parking spot. a candlelight vigil held at the university of carolina chapel hill for three muslims all shot by a neighbor on tuesday. 46-year-old craig stephen hicks charged with three counts of first degree murder. the question what was the motive. police say the shooting was likely the tragic end over a feud over a parking space. the suspect's wife backs that up. the famil

in captivity. nbc news chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell spoke with rachel maddow behind the white house's statement. >> they have been on other networks that kayla was somehow under the pro decks of an isis commander, all sorts of implications. normally they would not deny these things because it would involve intelligence. they're saying this is too important, the family has suffered enough and these reports are simply not true. >> mean while white house officials are trying tofigure out how the 26-year-old died. >>> a candlelight vigil was held at the university of ka ka chapel pell. 46-year-old craig stephen hicks is charged with three counts of first degree murder. the question what was the motive? police say the shooting was likely the tragic end of a feud over a parking space. the sus spengt's wife backs up that claim. but others were say the three were targeted because of their religion including one of the victim's fathers. >> this was a hate crime from a neighbor. our ch

captivity. details we could not report earlier because of our concerns for her safety. we're also expecting a pentagon briefing on the latest news. it's set to begin at any moment. we will take you there for live coverage. and this comes as we get confirmation that jordanian troops are now on iraq's border. what is about to happen there, if anything? plus as we fight the islamic state, and keep an uneasy eye on the world's trouble spots we're taking a closer look at america's military readiness. is the navy fleet really shrinking? and what about the army the air force and the marines? just how prepared are we for the next fight? we'll get the facts. so let's get to it. >> breaking news shepard smith reporting live from the fox news desk. >> a very busy news hour ahead. we're following major developments in the battle against isis as we wait for the pentagon briefing to start, presumably momentarily. right now war planners at the white house are preparing to send a bill to our congress to officia

her family also released a letter, handwritten by mueller last spring while she was in captivity. "i have a lot of fight left inside of me," she wrote, "i am not breaking down and i will not give in no matter how long it takes." >> i am in solidarity with the syrian people. >> reporter: 26-year-old mueller was working for aid groups along the turkish/syrian border when she was captured near aleppo in august 2013. in a statement, president obama says "no matter how long it takes, the united states will find and bring to justice the terrorists who are responsible for kayla's captivity and death." >> that was nbc's joe fryer reporting. >>> well it was three years ago today that music icon whitney houston died. her daughter bobbi kristina remains in an atlanta hospital fighting for her life. meanwhile, her family is fighting back against a range of rumors about her medical condition. they include this "page six" headline -- "family to let bobbi kristina die on same day as whitney." "us weekly" reporting bobbi kristina brown's relatives say she's progressing, as bobby brown says "god i

we're learning new information about kayla mueller's time in isis captivity.at the unsuccessful attempts to rescue her. intelligence suggests that mueller may have been paired with a male isis fighter while she was being held hostage, according to u.s. intelligence and government officials. one official suggests she may have been given, yes, given to the isis fighter as some sort of bribe. as for the attempts to rescue mueller, president obama rejects the idea that the u.s. government didn't do enough. here's what he said in an interview with buzzfeed. >> yeah i deployed an entire operation at significant risk to rescue not only her but the other individuals that had been held and probably missed them by a day or two, precisely because we had that commitment. >> let's bring in cnn's brian todd, he's up on capitol hill. what more do we know more about the rescue operations that the president may have been referring to? >> reporter: wolf we're getting new information about some extraordinary things and extraordinary operations that took place in various efforts

. >> reporter: while in captivity, she sent a letter to her parents that reads, in part if you could say i have suffered it all throughout this experience it is only in knowing how much suffering i have put you all through. i will never ask you to forgive me, as i do not deserve forgiveness. she worked with humanitarian groups in india, israel and the palestinian territories. and by 2013 she was already in turkey helping syrian refugees. she posted this in 2011. >> i reject the brutality and killing that the syrian authorities are committing against the syrian people. >> reporter: on august 3rd 2013 she entered syria, traveling with a young man believed to be a syrian and described as colleague, boyfriend or fiance. he went there to fix the internet connection at a hospital. kayla apparently joined him on a trip to a war zone off-limits to americans. the two stayed overnight. but the next day, returning to turkey both were grabbed on the road. mueller's family didn't hear from isis for nine months. in may 2014 their first message, proof that mueller was alive. two months later, a ran

her fellow captives delivered the letter to her family after they were released. she wrote: muller went on to say: she expressed an unwavering faith in god, writing: in prison what we see from that letter is that she continued to be free. >> and optimistic. her friend touched by her irrepressible spirit. >> kayla tried to teach the guards crafts. making ora gammy. >> reporter: in prison muller thought about her family and the wish to spare them pain. in this plea: the only burden she wanted to share was her work with syrian refugees which brought her to the syrian-turkish border in 2012. >> i want to tell the world about the situation in syria. there's no fuel no electricity, no food. this is the situation. they are shelling there's explosions gun fire violence. we have seen your suffering reflected in kayla's eyes we see it and we intend to do something about it. >> today there is one part of her letter that speakings resonates with her family, writing: >> sometimes we have to look for it. right now that's what we are all trying to do. >>> a group claiming ties t

on august 2014 she was taken captive by isis in aleppo, syria. graduated from northern arizona university in 2009. kayla has devoted her career since then to trying to help people around the world, especially syrian refugees. that drew kata loath turkish/syrian border according to her family in december 2012. she worked with the danish refugee council, humanitarian sorgs organizations and then wound up going to syria. she was asked at the time why she was going on this mission. she said i'm quoting her now, i find god in the suffering eyes reflected in mine. if this is how you are revealed to me this is how i will forever seek you. earlier, she had done humanitarian work in africa in northern india and israel, palestine. she returned home to arizona in 2011 worked for one year at an hiv/aids clinic while volunteering at a women's shelter at night. she traveled to france in december 2011. she actually started to learn french in preparation for her humanitarian work in africa. that has been the common thread of her life. kayla mueller, 26 years old

it's unimaginable the horror that they endured during their time in captivity.course the overwhelming majority of the women and girls who were abducted last august remain in isis captivity. those who have managed to get away are a minority for now. >> are we paying enough attention to this part of this terrible situation with isis? >> i think there is a reasonable amount of attention. what we're all at a loss for is knowing what completely can be done to stop and prevent the atrocities that are being committed every day against ordinary civilians by isis fighters in iraq and in syria. they are in control of very large parts of syria and iraq where their rule for the time being is unchallenged. the civilian population that is living under their roof cannot do anything. they cannot escape they cannot physically get out of those areas. they're totally at their her seechlt all they can do is try to keep a low profile and hope that u you know some deliverance will come. frankly, when i speak to people in syria and iraq in the areas controlled by isis, people are very

like seaworld have been inspiring generation after generation but sit still right to keep them in captivityiller whales are thriving here. they're very healthy, living long lives. we're not taking anything away from them in this habitat. >> for many years their trainers were part of the show. their relationship with the whales and the tricks evidence their large brains were being kept active. but john hargrove, the trainer in the video, has now left seaworld, and not without regrement. >> i cherish those memories and others are heartbreaking. the whales are so bored. the environment is incredibly sterile and it's simply not enough for these animals to have this level of intelligence. they fight because they're bored. we have aggression issues towards the trainers because they're bored. >> the documentary film "black fish" suggested trainers were killed and injured by unhappy aggressive whales. it had a big impact. today at seaworld, there's a different show. trainers banned by law on say. grounds from swimming with the what i say. it's a daily spectacle that brings tens of thousands of peop

we devoted enormous resources to freeing captives or hostages anywhere in the world. i deployed an entire oerms at significant risks. probably missed them by a day or two. the one thing we held to is a policy of not paying ransom with an organization like isil. once we start doing that not only are we financing their slaughter of innocent people and strengthening their organization but we're making americans even greater targets for future kidnappings. >> jim acosta is at the white house. i thought that was a very genuine moment. he was adamant. he stands by that policy of not paying ransom. >> reporter: that's right. we should point out this policy is under review at the white house. that's something the president is not going to back off on. the president said during that interview with buzz feed that feeking ing speaking with the parents is as tough as anything he does. he is standing by the administration's policy of not paying for the release of hostage. we heard the concern from white house officials is they don't want to provide an incentive to isis or terroris

her family also released a letter handwritten by mueller last spring while she was in captivity. i have a lot of fight left inside of me she wrote. i am not breaking down and i will not give in no matter how long it takes. >> i am in solidarity with the syrian people. >> reporter: 26-year-old mueller was working for aid groups along the turkish syrian border when she was captured near aleppo in august 2013. in a statement president obama says no matter how long it takes, united states will find and bring to justice the terrorists who are responsible for kayla's captivity and death. >> that was nbc's joe fryer. >>> it was three years ago today that muse irk icon whitney houston died. her daughter bobbi kristina remains in an atlanta hospital fighting for her life. her family is fighting back against a range of rumors about her medical condition. they include this page six headline family to let bobbi kristina die on same day as whitney. us weekly saying relatives are saying she is progressing as god is hearing our prayers. an attorney for bobbi kristina's father issued this statem

her family also released a letter handwritten by mueller last spring while she was in captivity. i have a lot of fight left inside of me, she wrote. i'm not breaking down and i will not give in, no matter how long it takes. >> i am in solidarity with the syrian people. >> reporter: 26-year-old mueller was working for aid groups along the turkish/syrian border when she was captured near aleppo in august 2013. in a statement president obama says, no matter how long it takes the united states will find and bring to justice the terrorists who are responsible for kayla's captivity and death. >> on behalf of the people of arizona and the united states congress i want to express the deepest condolences. >> we pray for kayla today. >> reporter: over the weekend in arizona, they prayed for mueller's return. tonight, they're grieving her loss. >> she was a fine young lady. that's for sure. and she's done prescott well. >> reporter: in mueller's letter which was smuggled out by her cellmate, she said at the time she was in a safe location completely unharmed and healthy and being treated wi

theories regarding the conditions throughout the duration of her captivity. basically, as far as you know, andrea, does the family have a direct line to the white house, that they were able to ask for this personally? that's how this happened? >> yeah. those in the national security council have been working with them for 18 months. that is partly how, with isis threatening to kill their daughter, they persuaded hundreds of news organizations and reporters, including myself, not to report her name, not to report her identity until, as you know, she was outed by isis itself. they do confirm, people have confirmed to me that the -- at one point the family was so desperate with a 30-day execution warning from isis, that they did ask the president to commute the sentence of a very powerful and prominent terrorist who's been -- a woman who has been in a texas prison, an al qaeda terrorist, and convicted woman, and the white house did not do that. and that 30-day period elapsed and they got proof of life, so they knew that threat -- they did everything to try to sa

breaking news of kayla mueller and the courage and the serenity she displayed many in the year of isis captivity. president obama spoke to buzz feed's penn smith. >> she was confirmed dead today and i wondered if you had any reaction to her murder and whether, really how you tell a family not going to do this again? not doing all we can in this situation? >> first of all, my immediate

woman held captive by isis. after days of doubt and uncertainty it's confirmed kayla mueller is dead. veronica de la cruz has more from the newsroom. her family holding on to her last words of strength and faith. >> reporter: that's right, liz. the last the mueller family heard from their daughter was a letter she sent to prison last year. she slipped a note to other detainees being freed. today kayla's family is sharing her inspirational message. >> the world wants to be more like kayla. and as if that's her legacy and the footprint she leaves on the world, then that is a wonderful thing. >> kayla mueller's parents are heartbroken. isis sent them an email with a photo notifying them their 26- year-old daughter is dead. u.s. officials confirm its authenticity saying it offers photos but no indication of how she died. >> what was so extraordinary about kayla, is she did ordinary things to extraordinary measures. she gave people food. she gave people water. >> messages of condolences are pouring in from the small

. >> what goes through your mind that a woman was held captive? >> that surprises me. you know, that's scary. >> reporter: the victim reported to police that the men were armed. that they abducted her from the roseland area of santa rosa and she has been held against her will three weeks. she was beaten and sexually abused while held captive and she has injuries consistent with that statement. she tells police her captors left the door open and that is how she was able to escape. >> i can't even imagine what it would be like to be captive for a week. three weeks? god. unbelievable. unimaginable. >> reporter: investigators say after she escaped, the woman came to the petaluma police department which is 15 miles from the house on stony point. in petaluma, joe vasquez, kpix5. >>> a nonprofit health clinic in the east bay went belly up leaving behind stacks of medical records filled with people's personal organization. this is the berkeley health center on ellsworth street. no one bothered to secure the medical records before locking up for the last time. look at this. jus

neither this nation nor this party can afford a republican candidate so captive to the demands of the intolerant right that weekend up reelecting egg president from the incompetent left. ladies and gentlemen, that is a core line worth repeating. neither this nation got the most applause. neither this nation nor this party can afford a republican candidate so captive to demands of the intolerant right that we end up reelecting a president of the incompetent left. i might even say it a third time. it got more applause the second time. let me speak now from the heart about my vision for america's future from the lessons of the past lessons passed onto me from the quite example of my father. everything i learned about opportunity, hard work, sacra ice, i learned from my father. a peasant in his native land and american in this one. my father grew up in a small town in russia. in a one-room hut with a dirt floor. a hut he shared with his parents, seven brothers, and one sister. as the only jewish family in town they were convenient targets for the slurs of their neighbors and the threats o

we are learning more about kayla's life in captivity. one report they often spotted her at the same level as a isis commander meaning she was in some form of forced marriage. back to you. >> live for us leland vittert. thank you. >> marco rubio saying swapping those five for accused deserter bergdahl set a dangerous precedence. >> people noticed it, enemies noticed it. we said at the time they would put a price tag on the head of every american abroad. isil even as we speak is actively looking at others kid to kedidnap especially americans. they can publicly butch he haveer them or hopefully in their minds they think they can get a trade or money. there's no doubt in my mind that prisoner swap created that incentive. >>> the president expected to request formal authorization from congress today to fight isis. the request will limit the use of ground forces and expire after three years. the plan also allows the military to wage war against groups associated with isis. democrats weary of getting involved in another war while republicans do

very long time. >> did he grow up in captivity? was he born many captivity?e happy? >> yes he is happy. if an animal is train and raised properly they can be happy. >> and are there certain animals that should not be in captivity? because we do things on the sharks and -- oh there we go. >> well, now, as time goes on there is ethical dilemmas to keep the larger animals with the whales and the elephants. >> yes. >> exactly. so there are more studies that we need to do and be cognizant of what we need to do to give them a more natural life and behavior. >> and whales. >> and we showed up at the detroit zoo and incredible group of people who have a beautiful zoo, and some phenomenal animals, but one of the things that happened is winky and wanda that were live manage the cold of detroit throughout the wint winters, and that decided nott to have them in the zoo anymore and send them out to the sanctuary in california and this is one of the konconversations that happens. >> and he is so cute. what is his name pooh? >> no abu like in "aladdin." >> who else did you

they delivered a handwritten letter that kayla wrote while in captivity. it's a long handwritten letter. but i want to highlight part of it. it gets to the heart of what the family wants to -- for people to know her. she says, i have been shown darkness, light and i have learned even in prison one can be free. i am grateful. i have come to see that there is good in every situation, sometimes we just have to look for it. in the darkest corners of the globe, that is what she tried to do, bring light to people who have no light. that's something that her parents want people to know about their daughter even in death. >> i can't imagine, kyung, that they're even thinking about further communication with these murderers. but ultimately are they trying to get her body back and if so, how? >> reporter: it's very hard to know. in this sort of situation, the likelihood of it, if you talk to u.s. officials, is very unknown what the possibility of that is. we do know that in a public statement released friday evening, the family had sent out a statement -- a public s

neither this nation nor this party can afford a republican candidate so captive to the demands of the intolerant right that we end up reelecting a president of the incompetent left. [applause] i might even say it a third time . let me now speak from the heart about my vision of america's future, from the lessons of the past, lessons passed on to me by the quiet example of my father harry specter. everything i learned about opportunity, hard work, and sacrifice, i learned from my father. a peasant in his native land. an american in this one. you see, my father grew up in a small town in russia called batchkurina, in a one room hut with a dirt floor -- a hut he shared with his parents, seven brothers, and one sister. as the only jewish family in the town, they were a convenient target for the slurs of their neighbors and the threats of the cossacks. when he turned 18, he walked clear across the european continent and sailed in steerage looking for a better life in america. he found that better life, but it did not come easily. he would rise before dawn and work past dusk, earning a livi

american hostage kayla mueller and the white house confirms at least 1 other american is being held captive in syria. the army grows bigger and more ominous. they say 20 thousand militants are ready to die for the cause. among them a growing number of americans deploying to the battlefield. let's begin with president obama seeking official war authority to better mobilize the fight against isis. i want to take you right to the white house and michelle kosinski kosinski. she has breaking news on this. >> reporter: this has been a long time in coming. we've heard the white house talking about specifically tailored authorization for use of force against isis. legislative language to congress but congress is the one who's going to approve this to ask for that authorization authorizing the president to use specific force against isis. so it's been this balancing act tailoring it making sure that the power isn't too broad as the white house believes it is now because, remember to fight isis the white house has been using two authorizations from 2001 and 2002. they pertain to al qaeda and iraq. th

another young woman writing in captivity, anne frank answered in her diary.ait a single moment before starting to improve the world." from india mueller worked with refugees in israel and palestine. back in arizona, she cared for aids patients patients and volunteered at night at a women's shelter. in 2013 she arrived at the syrian border, the world's most dangerous place. why take the risk? another prisoner writing from a sel in 1963 answered, "i am in birmingham because injustice is here. i'm compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home." like dr. king, kayla mueller had the vision to see freedom from a sel. "even in prison," she wrote "i can be free. i am grateful. i have come to see there is good in every situation." she is the fourth american hostage to die. in journalists isis tried to qish truth. with humanitarians they tried to kill compassion, but light defines the darkness. in these deaths isis is revealed, and in her words kayla mueller captured the long struggle for a better world. "please be patient. give your pain to god." dr. kin

out tonight, sharing details from a handwritten letter she sent to her parents while she was in captivity. they've now revealed what she wrote. abc's chief investigative correspondent brian ross tonight. >> reporter: heartbreak today for kayla mule earl's family friends and country after isis sent her parents what has been accepted as visual proof that she is, in fact, dead. >> i'm not yet sure how to live in a world would kayla. but i do know that we're all living in a better world because of her. >> reporter: her family says it wents these foe tomes to be how she is remembered. released today, along with a letter her daughter smuggled out a year ago. just the thought of you all sends me into a fit of tears. if you could say i have suffered at all throughout this whole experience it is only in knowing how much suffering i have put you all through. >> kayla has touched the heart of the world. the world grieves with us. the world mourns with us. >> reporter: with mueller's death now confirmed, people involved in trying to rescue her told abc news today they had been tracking a senior isis

she did died in captivity.t her loved ones are saying about her lasting legacy. >> pam: big changes underway at 2 toll bulls on the golden gate bridge we will break them down. the next life's morning multitasking. it's multiple ideas for growing families and drawers with many layers to show exactly what you need. life's the food that brings us together. and kitchens where every meal is the most important of the day. ring ring!... progresso! it's ok that your soup tastes like my homemade. it's our slow simmered vegetables and tender white meat chicken. apology accepted. i'm watching you soup people. make it progresso or make it yourself you say avocado old el paso says... zesty chicken and avocado tacos in our stand 'n stuff tortillas . (record scratch) you say stand n' stuff tortillas old el paso says... start somewhere fresh >> catherine: the pentagon confirmed that today american hostage kayla miller did die at the hands of ices and not in jordanian air strikes targeting the militant group now the herd that h

we hadn't heard much from isis about her captivity, there were no videos no public threats, no images of her with a knife held to her throat like we saw with other american hostages. the family was doing its best to keep this case under wraps, had requested from the media not to disclose her name the fact that her hometown prescott, arizona, really to try to give negotiators the maximum leeway they could have so they could potentially work out a deal. then things took a dramatic turn for the worse on friday last friday, when isis released several photographs which it claims were the buildings, destroyed buildings that kayla was in buildings that were attacked by jordanian aircraft, and according to isis it was in those jordanian air strikes that kayla was killed. u.s. officials and kayla's family have now confirmed she did, in fact die, but u.s. officials don't know exactly when or how. so at this stage all they are saying is they received some sort of notification from isis that obviously nobody else would have access to that convinced them that she has in fact lost her life but they

mauri saalakhan wrote an open letter to kayla's captives.etter, he compared kayla mueller to rachel corrie, the 23-year-old american activist who was crushed to death by an israeli army bulldozer in gaza. it was march 16, 12,003 -- march 16, 2003. welcome to democracy now! can you tell how the story of kayla gets intertwined on the story of how her family reached out to you? >> i received a call one night in august of last year from the pastor, reverend kathleen day of kayla and her family. she walked me through the nightmare that the family have been going through for about a year at that time. she said they were kind of in a countdown mode because they were in the last 48 or 72 hours of the ultimatum and they were feeling desperate. they reached out to see if there is anything that we might be able to do to help. of course, i immediately expressed my empathy for what the family and the close network of friends were going through as a result of this nightmare and my response was, the best i could do was to pray and to reach out to the famil