and next to me is writer and comedian bonnie mcfarland. and today's hash tag one lucky guy, tv's andy levy. >> unlucky guy. >> were they after pay back or a pay day? the militant group isis said they killed american journalist james foley in retaliation for airstrikes. before executing him they demanded a multimillion-dollar ransom which the u.s. refused to pay. on thursday, a state department spokesperson explained the decision using an alternate abbreviation for the group. >> we do not make concessions to terrorists. one of the main ways it has been funded throughout the conflict was from ransom payments that others have paid. we believe it is in the millions of dollars. we believe paying ransoms and making concessions would put americans at greater risk for being in harm's way. the ransoms would also fund and finance the groups we are trying to degrade their capability. >> james foley was not the only american being held. isis threatens to kill three others if their demands are not met. the u.s. revealed that special operations forces t