_ and austin tice? from the conversations _ and austin tice?e? from the conversations i have - and austin tice? from the conversations i have had, | and austin tice? from the l conversations i have had, it and austin tice? from the . conversations i have had, it is a strong desire to get together and get behind a unified approach... studio: us secretary of state antony blinken taking questions there injordan, he is visiting a number of countries in the region to talk about the unfolding situation in syria, which he described as a delicate moment for the country. pictures here of damascus at night, much more on that coming up next, here on bbc news, stay with us. hello there. for many of us, we�*ve probably felt like the weather has been stuck in a rut. it has been very cloudy across many parts of the uk, the exception being really across scotland where there�*s been some sunshine. but certainly this afternoon there�*s been again some rather grey skies and we�*ll keep that cloud really for the rest of the afternoon. across much of england, wales

search of a facility that we all thought would have a probable, i guess, some sort of relation to austin tice, i understand, of course, their past. what i can tell you is right now they're being helpful in the search for austin. >> so you conducted a joint search with hts of a prison today. did you believe that is where austin was being held? >> we came up with a priority list of about six sites. and of those six sites we felt that this had the highest probability of having held austin at one time. but really the long -- i guess i would say the best way to describe it is we're just not sure, with the time we have on the ground, it seemed to be our best shot. so we gave it a good hard look. we're going to review all the information and evidence that we collected, and hopefully render some more decisions about the probability. but really, our job is just to keep searching. >> assad intelligence ministries were known for keeping scrupulously detailed records, numbering prisoners, alive and dead. do those records still exist? >> we have had a chance to find various documents or i would even say f

as a goal beginning my vice presidency starting last january is continuing permission to bring austin tice home. what we can say this year that we can continue to support austin, that we continue to support deborah and the entire tice family and raise awareness through 5ks and discussion and press and entire conferences and we still have failed and austin tice has not yet come home. i still have four weeks left to once again call on president joe biden. you are still the president, there's still time to get this done. it is incredibly critical that austin tice, airplay marine and award winning journalist and american return to his family. he was a journalist as we all know, journalism is not a crime. i'm really truly honored to be standing here with the tice family today. i think you'll be able to have a chance to hear from a few of them. but this is truly a dedicated family. deborah, you've constantly been an inspiration to me with your fight and power and not letting in go and deep support with your entire family with you, and i know you've traveled, some of you very far around the globe

is alive, austin tice is treated well. there is no doubt about that so i think that is the most important thing and i would sincerely appreciate your most faithful prayers that we will see austin back free and i thank you so much. [applause] >> thank you so much, debra. i'd now like to call up bill mccarron, the director of the press freedom center and if you know the national press club, you know that bill for a long time has been involved in austin's case. he has tirelessly fought to make sure our politicians and our government feel the pressure and know austin needs to come home. bill? [applause] bill: thanks, emily, and thanks, debra. and all of these people in the green are tices, if you haven't figured that out before. there's 17 tices up here. marc is at the end there, the dad. and we're going to hear from many of them, and as you know, the family had a meeting today at the white house and at that meeting with national security staff, they were able to each of austin's six siblings, they were able to each ask one que

the first is the importance of locating and returning austin tice to his family. as you know, that has been a top priority for the united states government. we have a number of piemen gauged on trying to find austin tic and he bring hem home, and we communicated to h.t.s. that anything that they could do to help us find him, we would greatly appreciate. and they commit to do that. the second area of communication has been around the principles that the secretary laid out publicly early last week, and then you saw countries in the region coalesce around over the weekend. those are the ones i just went through, making clear to h.t.s. while we have heard them say in their public statements that they're committed to an open and inclusive and transparent government, that we believe it is important that they actually adhere to that, as well as adhere to those principles, and that we will be watching them closely over the coming weeks. >> at the moment, it sounds like a number of things are being discussed, perhaps potentially an eventual recognition. a lot of these thing

and her goal is to free austin tice. [applause] >> this is naomi tice. she's the youngest. >> my question was, what megan referred to, is basically how can we leverage this moment and everything happening in syria as a potential opportunity for austin and as we have already mentioned, we were basically told we need to wait and see how it pans out which, while understandable, after 12 years, it does feel like another thing we need to continue to wait and see how it pans out which is consistently beyond frustrating and to talk a little bit about what jacob had brought up, as well, what was some of the last memories, formative memories he had with austin. i chose to go to college in virginia because austin was in d.c. and one of the amazing pieces of that was that us being geographically closer because austin is 11 years older than me which means he had moved out of the house when i was still really young so i had not graduated yet before he was taken. and just kind of thinking about how different our lives are from what i think we had kind of planned and ho

the sister and niece of austin tice spoke to me earlier about how their family is.ith this news. . >> to receive that news has been such a boost of hope for our family. >> your uncle austin has been gone for most of your life. what do you know about him or what have you been told about him? >> the stories we share as a family about how he was as a brother. even in the short years i knew him, we were close and i don't remember all of it but i heard the stories about him and he was amazing. he does not deserve to be left. >> you would love to see him come home. he is the only u.s. journalist currently being held captive abroad. successive administrations havet been unable to secure his release? >> unfortunately it comes down to the fragile political relationships and austin is kind of caught in all of that. but for our family obviously, our one main goal and hope is to get austin home and while we are here, all of us together in washington, d.c., our goal is to ask president biden to please call assad and asked for austin to come home. >> the sister and niece of austi

i want to ask about austin tice.bout, a sighting of him in 2022. talk to me about richard engel saw in a prison where he was maybe held. >> reporter: richard engel reports speaking to an activist who was held in the cell across the way, or he claimed across the hall way from austin tice in damascus. he said in this miserable looking cell that austin tice had been there for a while. looks like it was a painful place to live. this activist who spoke to richard engel got the details of this correct. it could be believed. we just heard from reuters quoting american officials saying that actually austin tice had escaped and run around a wealthy neighborhood here in clothes and was eventually recaptured and sent back to the regime's jail. that's two new bits about austin tice as the search for him is winding up. >> matt, thank you. i want to correct something i said. travis timmerman, the other american who we talked to the other day, has left syria. i said he was in the u.s. he's not in the united states yet, but heading

austin tice has been held in syria for 12 years.er given up hope and told me today there's recent evidence that austin is alive. >> we have not received proof of life. we have absolutely verifiable intel he is. >> reporter: marc and debra tice say their confidence is boosted by unspecified information from the region. >> we heard he was doing well when we had the information.ce is he's safe, he's well. >> reporter: president biden agreeses that tice is alive and said he thinks the u.s. can get him back. the family's request to the president? >> ask the same thing of them as we are of the new authorities in damascus, that is please do everything you can to keep austin safe until he's in our arms and home with us. >> reporter: austin tice went missing on a reporting assignment in syria, august 2012. the last sighting this brief video a month later, alive but appearing to be held captive by unknown parties. we've spoken before, there have been ups and downs as you can testify to. does this feel different somehow? >> it does feel differ

austin tice.dent, trey yingst, live outside of the capital and what are you hearing from the administration about the situation on the ground in regard to austin tice? >> john, good afternoon. american officials believe austin tice is still alive. i spoke with one person familiar with the search and they said 100 million location searched at this moment. we visited two of them today. >> after receiving tip from u.s. intelligence source, we arrive national security building in damascus. local residents say this is where assad regime helped most important prisoners. we are looking for information on one in particular, u.s. journalist, austin tice, who was kidnapped in 2012. >> we are underneath the security services building where many of the high profile prisoners were believed to be held under the assad regime. we are looking for austin tice or information about him. >> like many government buildings coach at the basement is a jail and torture and horric conditions but no signs of life. upstairs t

austin tice has been held in syria for 12 years. ave never given up hope and told me today there's recent evidence that austin is alive. >> we have not received a proof of life, we have absolutely verifiable intel that he is. >> mark and debra say their confidence is boosted by unspecified information they've received from the region. >> we did hear that he's doing well, whenever we had the information that he is safe, he is well. >> president biden agrees that tice is alive and over the weekend said he thinks the u.s. can get him back. the family's request to the president -- >> we would ask the same thing of them as we are of the new authorities in damascus, and that is please do everything you can to keep austin safe until he's in our arms, home with us. >> austin tice went missing on a reporting assignment in syria in august 2012, the last sighting, this brief video surfacing about a month later. alive but appearing to be held by captive by unknown parties. >> we've spoken before and there have been some ups and downs, as you can

president joe biden has repeatedly reiterated on sunday that austin tice is alive. n a doubt for our family that austin was alive and we have had multiple administrations, including the trump administration that have verified that. then we also recently had an independent source that has also verified what president joe biden has mentioned. so yes, for our family we know that he is alive and our administration also knows that he is alive. >> dana: okay. that's good news. richard engel had this headline. syria's new leadership blames assad for the tice family as the search continues. i don't know if you have any idea or a new regime trying to hold a country together that will be very difficult for them to do so. do you know if there is any other direct communication from the biden administration to this new regime there? >> so we are incredibly grateful for everyone who is actively working to bring austin home. as meghan mentioned there are people on the ground in syria and lebanon actively working to bring him home. we do believe that the u.s. government also wants t

and regarding americans, do you have any news on austin tice? >> first question, not that i'm aware. we don't have any additional information about austin since the events in the weekend in syria. and we are working very hard and we hope that developments in syria could lead to some opportunities and some more information but right now, we don't have anything. reporter: are you concerned there isn't more information or more of an update that we're seeing -- [indiscernible] or expected to have more news? >> we are concerned about mr. t inch ce and finding out more about him, his condition. we want to do everything we can to get him back to his family back. would we like to have had more information? you betcha. and we are working hard. we are in touch in and outside of syria to get as much information as we can. but i don't have anything in addition. >> president trump said xi was invited and you said you want a good relationship and better relationship now than four years ago. what is your take? >> i'm not -- it's not my place from the podium her

and regarding americans, do you have any news on austin tice? >> first question, not that i'm aware. we don't have any additional information about austin since the events in the weekend in syria. and we are working very hard and we hope that developments in syria could lead to some opportunities and some more information but right now, we don't have anything. reporter: are you concerned there isn't more information or more of an update that we're seeing -- [indiscernible] or expected to have more news? >> we are concerned about mr. t inch ce and finding out more about him, his condition. we want to do everything we can to get him back to his family back. would we like to have had more information? you betcha. and we are working hard. we are in touch in and outside of syria to get as much information as we can. but i don't have anything in addition. >> president trump said xi was invited and you said you want a good relationship and better relationship now than four years ago. what is your take? >> i'm not -- it's not my place from the podium her

austin and he saw him in 2012. we're looking at some of that video right now, mrs. tice. extraordinary to see some of the drawings on the walls. when you see this video, what goes through your mind? >> i think he was with austin in 2022. yeah, and we were able to verify that. he was. as far as, you know, of course we have incredible respect for the people that are going in to the cells in the prisons. that must be very challenging. but we do have some feelings about what richard saw and we're just so glad that he went in there and we're so glad that he filmed it and it matters. it mattered to us hugely. >> it's very significant. you have also confirmed that you believe austin was there in 2022. >> yeah. >> okay. syria obviously has this new rebel group that has taken over. have you been in touch with any of the new leadership within syria? they told the u.s. government they are trying to find austin. >> well, we haven't engaged with them, but we work very closely with hostage aid worldwide and they are on the ground. so we ask people if they have any information at all th

reporter: any update on austin tice? antony: only to say every day we're working to bring him home and making sure the word is out for everyone this is a priority for the united states. reporter: are you concerned at all of israel's widespread air strikes and their maneuvers inside this buffer zone that created angner the arab world among u.s. partners. secondly, i'm wondering what your message would be to erdogan and kurdish forces who lost territory against other militias? antony: first, when it comes to the buffer zone that came from the 1974 cease-fire agreement, what israel has said is that the syrian forces that were on one side of that buffer zone abandoned the area and israel is concerned that vacuum could be filled by terrorists and extremists, so it moved forces into the buffer zone and it told us and told others it's a temporary move to make sure the vacuum isn't filled by something bad. when it comes to actions israel has taken, the stated purpose of those actions from the israelis is to make sure equipment d

there were a lot of rumors online. >> this is not austin tice the search for austin tice, of course, continues, but an american was found in syria. his name is travis timmerman. this is breaking news. so we are waiting to get more information. but what we know about him, this 29 year old from missouri who appeared barefoot, wandering, disoriented in a suburb just south of damascus. now, media outlets have been able to speak to him their social media video emerging of him. and i just want to play you a short clip of one so that you can get a sense of his state and and hear his voice. >> my name is travis yellow. >> i'm from the one minute, 21 minute. what's your name travis chavez. a country united states, united. >> united states united states. >> now, what we know about him is what he's been able to tell journalists on the ground that he's spoken to, which is that he has been in prison for seven months. he traveled to syria on foot. he told reporters that he was on a spiritual journey, that he considered himself a pilgrim. he says that when he crossed, of course, from lebanon into s

any news on the search for the journalist austin tice?ads that we're following up on. nothing confirmed at this stage. the latest i have heard from a very senior u.s. military source is they don't have anything definitive about his whereabouts or wellbeing at this moment. yes, as you mentioned, when the word broke, actual reporting on the austin tice story, when word broke, there was this video that came out first. and in the video, this unknown group of syrians said, we found this american. and it was very -- the suggestion was that it was austin tice, that he had been held by the regime. you could only see a little bit of him. it wasn't that clear. and we thought, well, maybe this is him. and we pretty quickly, we were able to determine it wasn't austin tice. but it was this other american who was here on this mysterious religious pilgrimage. we eventually found where he was taken, i spoke to the person who found him wandering on the streets. he was seen earlier in the day barefoot, walking alone in a very, very poor neighborhood on the

i'll sit down exclusively with austin's mother, deborah tice. it's all ahead this sunday on meet the press. as you heard, meet the press is sunday morning, 8:00, right here on nbc bay area. we've got new details tonight about the investigation into the murder of the united health care ceo. we've confirmed a missing person's report for luigi mangione was filed in san francisco. investigators tell us mangione's family filed a report with san francisco police in november last month. then, after the killing in new york city, a san francisco officer thought that the wanted suspect looked like mangione. the officer contacted the fbi in san francisco. the fbi then shared the tip with the fbi office in new york. investigators say they received hundreds of tips from across the country about the shooting, and the tip did not stand out over other leads. but investigators say it shows the authorities did work together to try and solve this crime. contra costa county animal shelter is making an urgent plea for your help tonight. consider adopting a pet for t

>> i want to say about austin tice, i talked with austin's family, the bashar al-assad regime knows whereians, i hope the biden administration is making an effort to find austin. iran is in a week post addition because of how successful the israeli counterstrike far across the region. i would like to see a return to the pressure campaign. make the iran regime broke so that it cannot reconstitute its forces and can't spread terrorism. stuart: general jack keane suggested the all-time native should be sent to the mullahs. stop work on your nuclear program or else. that is a pretty pointed thing to say. >> donald trump since of the 90s has been beating the drum, it was north korea coming out is iran cannot be permitted to have nuclear weapons that can threaten the united states. when you have nuclear weapons you don't have to employ them, you can use them coercively and donald trump said that is intolerable. he is right in focusing on that element. all options on the table because you want to put pressure in the right place to make sure the iran regime understands the united states finds tha

conducted a joint search of a facility that we all thought would have some sort of relation to austin ticeunderstand, of course their past. what i can tell is that you right now, they are being helpful in the search for austin. >> margaret: so you conducted a joint search with hts of a prison today? did you believe that that is where austin was being held? >> you know, margaret, we had a lot of information over the last 12 years pointing to a variety of facilities, and nicking that down over 12 years, we came up with a priority list of about six sites, and of those six sites, we felt that this had the highest probability of having held austin at one time. >> margaret: and you can see more of our interview this sunday on "face the nation." austin tice is just one of the thousands missing in syria. cbs's imtiaz tyab spoke with people desperate to find their loved ones who disappeared during bashar al-assad's brutal reign. >> reporter: they come looking for answers. scrutinizing what has become a wall of pain outside a hospital in damascus, hoping in these photos to find some trace of their l

and so far, alex, austin tice has not been among them. alex?, i've got to tell you, i hope -- i love that mom. bless her. thank you, matt bradley. a new theory about why we are seeing so many drone sightings, this one you probably haven't heard until now. y haven't heard until now. boop! friends. let's go, let's go, friends! hold onto your dice. woohoo!! -nice frosting, pratt. -thank you! how we doin', keke? tastes like money to me. i can't go back to jail! wait, did you rob my bank? -hehe. -are we winning!? -ha ha ha! -oh boy! yeah! money, power, friendship. let's go! [music playing] interviewee: my son is winston, and he is eight months old. my son has a brain tumor. my parents have donated for years, ever since i was a child. i remember my mom talking about st. jude. i just never thought that i would ever need them. narrator: today, you can give a gift like no other, a gift that can help st. jude children's research hospital save lives. interviewee 2: anybody who is supporting this organization, i'm not sure that they know the impact that th

no update on austin tice except to say every single day we are working to find him and bring him home making sure the word is outt to everyone this is as a priority for the united states. secretary thanks for being here. are you concerned about israel's wives -- strikes and the anger it's created among u.s. partners and i wonder what your message will be for erdogan when it comes to kurdish forces who have lost territory in syria against other malicious? >> first when it comes to the 1974 cease-fire agreement with israel has said is the syrian forces that were on one side of the buffer zone abandoned the area and israel's concerned that could be vacuum filled by extremists and terrorists. they told others it's a temporary move. when it comes to actions that israel is taking the stated purpose of those actions by the israelis is to try to make sure military equipment abandoned peasant fallen is the wrong hands extremist government. we are talking with israel and talking to others about the way ahead and when it comes to turkey. on israel to support: their moe and they have gone after s

. >>> also ahead, the search for austin tice. the new clue emerging in syria overnight in the american journalist's disappearance. >>> later arrange tick blast. the bone-chilling temps hitting millions from the great lakes to the northeast. ♪♪ >>> we made it to friday. it's 10:00 eastern, 7:00 a.m. pacific. thanks for joining us. i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. new york city police are revealing new details into how the suspect in the murder of a health care exec evaded capture for days. authorities now say after luigi mangione fled the crime scene on an ebike to central park and ended up at an uptown bus station he appears to have hopped on a subway and double back to throw police off. the search for a motive is more complicated this morning after unitedhealthcare confirmed that mangione was not a member. nbc's valerie castro is in pennsylvania where mangione remains in custody. also with us former fbi supervisor rob it d'amico and retired nypd officer jillien snyder, adjunct lecture at the john jay college of criminal

i also know you care about the case of austin tice. do you have any sense that the rebel gains in syria of the recent vintage will have any chance of unlocking austin tice's freedom? >> i don't know. i certainly hope and pray, austin tice needs to come home, and i hope and pray, listen, there's a combination of two things working. one is joe biden is in the process of transitioning out, any outgoing president is looking to get final wins. i would encourage him and i'm sure he's doing everything he can to bring austin tice home, to bring the hostages in gaza home, both the israelis and americans. bring them home in this window. i also think president trump coming into office on january 20th, the enemies of america i think are afraid of president trump. that is a moment i hope we have a moment right now that is very much like the end of the jimmy carter administration right before ronald reagan came in and we saw on january 20th our hostages in iran released. i think in significant part because the ayatollah was afraid of reagan. i hope

those are the those are key metrics, including the search, i might add, for austin tice austin tice austinice. >> right. and i wonder as it pertains to austin tice, i mean, he's been there for more than a decade now. what? you know, hey, whoever that is, this is what happens when we're at home and we're also doing tv, so that's okay. but, you know, as it pertains to austin tice, you know, he's been there for, you know, more than a decade now. i mean, what are the expectations about being able to find information, find people who are willing to share, whether it be with the u.s. delegation or anyone else, any information about his whereabouts? >> i mean, i think that's the key. there are syrian officials uh, who who probably know what if if austin tice is alive in the united states government seems to believe that there's no reason to believe he's not. um, but those are high level security officials. there are probably half a dozen of them where they are right now. uh, and what their fate is going to be is unknown. but again, they're still finding, uh, in syrian intelligence um, buildings,

as relates to austin tice, arriving information to offer today.nue to believe he is alive and we continue to make clear in all of our conversations, either with entities on the grant in syria or with entities that may be in communication with those on the ground in syria that we have no higher priority than the safe return of austin tice to his family. >> just wondering if you have had any direct contacts with the rebel group hts and if you're looking to attract context with them, are you still going through different channels that are notably turkey? >> i don't any context to speak to from here. and i'm going to refrain, i think of an speak at a high level about our priorities and that with ways to communicate with all of the relevant entities, at least indirectly, in some cases directly. i shouldn't at the hts is only one of a a number of groups wo are players in the syrian political theater. i'm not going to speak to them in detail from here. we have the ability to get messages to everyone of the relevant groups inside syria and let them know w

secretary of state and the white house today said they are working to locate freelance journalist austin ticee was captured at a syrian checkpoint in 2012 and has been jailed for more than 12 years. >> here's his brother simon talking to cnn this morning i would like to say that. >> yeah, well, we know that austin is alive and we know that austin is in syria and so at this point, we are encouraging anyone who's in a position to do so to provide him assistance and help him to return safely home to us. >> now simon tice went on to say that the family's uncomfortable sharing how they know that he's alive as it is, quote, too much of a dynamic situation. in his words the comments come a day after president biden also spoke about austin tice we are mindful. >> we are mindful that there are americans in syria including those who reside there, as well as austin tice, who was taken captive more than 12 years ago. we remain committed to returning him to his family. >> well, on friday before, the regime had clearly fallen members of the tice family expressed some frustration with the answers they'd got

reporter: as we drove through damascus looking for information about missing american journalist austin tice, suddenly, a video appeared online. an unidentified group claimed to have found an american who'd been held by the former regime. we immediately contacted our sources. information is coming in piecemeal. the latest that we just heard is that, yes, an american was found but not tice, a different american, who'd been traveling in the region on some sort of pilgrimage. he was in a small house packed with rebels, aid workers and journalists, and there on the floor was travis timmerman from missouri. as i pushed in, i knocked our microphone, making it buzz. what is it, seven months that you've been here? >> yes, i was in prison for okay. months, but it's been i'm on a pilgrimage, and that's when i was arrested. >> reporter: timmerman says he crossed into syria from lebanon without a visa. what did they say when you were picked up? >> i was interviewed to see if i was a political actor, but then they cleared me, essentially. and then i was just held in prison. i wasn't beaten or anything li

here's some sound from a press conference in which austin tice's brother spoke talking about his request. >> i asked him directly for a commitment for president biden in his prior commitments and sentiments he's expressed about austin to reach out directly to assad on austin's behalf. i asked for that commitment explicitly directly and i did not receive it. >> obviously austin tice's family, i can't even imagine what they're going through right now. what we have been committed to is making sure that americans get home. 75 americans unjustly detained around the world. we have able to do that because this president's leadership. so i think that matters. >> reporter: saying that president biden over the last 44 days of his presidency up until january 20th will continue having these talks to release tice as well as other american hostages wrongfully detained across the world but the tice family is saying they were told in that meeting that they have to wait and see how the situation in syria pans out. so obviously a terrible wait for this family that's still ongoing. >> thank you so much. >>

members of the biden administration have said they believe that austin tice is still alive. cnn's clarissa ward has been going to prisons looking for any sign of tice and others. tonight, she reports on syrian families desperate to locate loved ones who disappeared during the assad regime. we want to warn you. her report contains some graphic images a woman wails on the floor of the mujtahid hospital. >> my mother, she's been missing for 14 years, she says. where is she? where's my brother? where's my husband? where are they? doctor ahmed abdullah shows us into the morgue, where about 35 bodies have been brought in, discovered in a military hospital days after the regime fell. they are believed to be some of the last victims of bashar al assad. drum, take a look. this is the crime of the regime. he says even in the middle ages, they didn't torture people like this. another man points to their tattered clothing evidence. he says that most were detainees at the much feared sednaya prison. even in death, they are still only identified by numbers. everyone here heard about the ho

he's called austin tice. will you ask president assad for information? >> translator: i haven't met with assad since his arrival in moscow, but i do plan on doing so. i promise i will ask him this question. >> reporter: we pressed president putin with russian troops still fighting in ukraine, the assassination of a russian general in moscow and the fall of russia's ally, assad, what does that mean for his potential meeting with president-elect trump. mr. president, when you face president-elect trump, you will be the weaker leader. how do you propose to compromise? what are you going to offer? after speaking about another topic, he returned to our question. >> translator: i have not spoken to him for more than four years now. i am prepared for that conversation at any time. >> reporter: also saying -- >> translator: russia has become significantly stronger over the last two to three years. why? because we are becoming a truly sovereign country. we now depend on very few. >> reporter: i also pressed him if he would compromise over ukraine. he said he woul

the fbi is offering a reward for up to $1 million for information that leads to tice's safety return. joining me now austin'sn robert, thank you so much for joining me. i spent the years talking to your parents, but it's good to meet the two of you. meghan, talk to me about what you know about your brother and, you know, probably not his whereabouts but how he is being held? >> we know that he is in syria. we know that he is alive and we believe that this is the time to bring him home, that this in chaos that there is opportunity and that this is the moment now to bring him home and reunite him with us. >> how were you told that he's alive? >> unfortunately, we can't dive into too many of those details. >> okay. >> but we have had independent and verified confirmation. it's been verified in many branches of the usg -- >> u.s. government. >> only supports what president biden has said multiple times now, that he is alive. >> and he said that in his speech before he was leaving and answered another question. simon robert, let's talk about your brother. help us to better understand this, the courageous reportin

, then when people saw the video, they realized it was not austin tice, but it was another man, een there for all of these years since 2012 but that the u.s. is not sure where he is. here's what secretary blinken had to say before leaving earlier today. >> no update on austin tice except to say every single day we are working to find him and to bring him home, making sure that the word is out to everyone that this is a priority for the united states. >> tice's mother deborah said she has been assured that he is alive and has been treated well. their confidence, and i talked to the siblings the other day, the brother and sister, they are very encouraged by this. what do you think is happening behind the scenes trying to find him? >> yeah, i mean, andrea, we know from the phenomenal, you know, media coverage including richard engel there on the ground that people are -- the syrian people, and of course some media with them are just going, basically from jail to jail. they're looking for hidden prisons. obviously austin tice was somebody that the syrians wanted to hold on to and did

the witness who says he saw austin tice alive. and the new photo, what tice may look like now. >>> for the first time the woman who falsely accused three duke lacrosse players of rape nearly 20 years ago publicly admitting why she says she made it all up. and the mariah carey classic celebrating 30 years of spreading holiday cheer. >>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening and welcome. official reassurances to the public have only increased the calls for hard answers about unexplained nightly sightings in the skies over new jersey and now several other states. and now dozens of new reports coming in overnight including some from high profile figures. while widely presumed to be drones, the mysterious craft have so far displayed no malicious intent, and their presence haven't seemed to be generating the level of alarm in washington many think is warranted, but that is changing. lawmakers feeling the heat from worried constituents are becoming increasingly vocal from demanding answers about what they are seei

he's called austin tice. will you ask president assad for information? >> translator: i haven't met with assad since his arrival in moscow, but i do plan on doing so. i promise i will ask him this question. >> reporter: we pressed president putin, with russian troops still fighting in ukraine, the assassination of a russian general in moscow and the fall of russia's ally assad, what does that mean for his potential meeting with president-elect t trump? >> mr. president, when you face president-elect trump, you will be the weaker leader. how do you propose to compromise? what are you going to offer? >> reporter: after speaking about another topic he returned to our question. >> translator: i have not spoken to him for more than four years now. i am prepared for that conversation at any time. >> reporter: also saying -- >> translator: russia has become significantly stronger over the last two to three years. why? because we are becoming a truly sovereign country. we now depend on very few. >> reporter: i also pressed him if he would compromise over ukraine

. >>> next, the mother of austin tice joining me.r family and the biden administration want to find and free the journalist missing in syria for more than a decade. debra tice and her appeals coming up next. her appeals coming up next i can turn it up... that smells good! or turn it down... hmm. nice and light. enjoy 40 days of freshness, your way. ♪ lalalalala ♪ harry and david is small batch, gourmet, and delicious. so, of course they run out fast. whether you want to say, "thank you", "i love you", or just "happy holidays" - send something special, beautiful, and delicious. order your harry and david favorites now before they're gone. pablum. >>> the chaos after the collapse of the assad regime has raised new hope that there could be a new opportunity to finally find missing american journalist austin tice, who was abducted 12 years ago while covering syria's civil war. in a letter obtained by nbc news austin's mother debra writes to prime minister netanyahu that her family has, quote, credible information that austin may be held

he didn't see any other americans while held captive and knows nothing about the whereabouts of austin tice. lester? >> richard engel in damascus, thank you. >>> here at home, president-elect trump was in new york today, ringing the opening bell at the new york stock exchange, after "time" magazine named him its person of the year for what it called his comeback of historic proportion. in an interview, trump seemed to lower expectations about quickly bringing down grocery prices, saying, it's very hard, but i think that they will. >>> in 60 seconds, no one has more super bowl wins than bill belichick, but can he ace the learning curve of college ball at unc? that's next. that's next. farxiga has been trd again and again, and again. ♪far-xi-ga♪ ♪far-xi-ga♪ ask your doctor about farxiga. oh, we got a weathertech gift card! weathertech is the perfect gift for everyone. may i? (laughs) laser measured floorliners protect carpet in the front and second row. cargo liner protects the rear. the side window deflector offers more protection. my turn! the sinkmat contains spills in cabinets. something