ethel's sons are asking president obama to exonerate their mother as a new report shows ethel was executed because she refused to cooperate with the government doubt convict her husband. -- to help convict her husband. all of that and more, coming up. welcome to democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. in breaking news, russian president vladimir putin said today syria's government has agreed to a cease-fire with rebels said to begin at midnight tonight. putin said russia and turkey would guarantee terms of the truce and that the deal excludes fighters with isis, the so proclaimed islamic state. it was not immediately clear which of the dozens of rebel groups fighting the regime of syrian president bashar al-assad would take part in any truths. claims of a truce came as the syrian observatory for human rights said 40 people, including children, were killed in air strikes. amateur video purports to show the aftermath of the attacks with children and adults seen fleeing through smoke-filled streets. in washington, d.c., secretary of state john kerry blaste

now, ethel, don't get panicky. now, ethel, don't get panicky. i'll find them. lucy! don't tell me you've lost our train tickets. don't get panicky, ethel. (drawers banging in other room) ethel? what? get panicky. oh, if ricky finds out about this, he'll kill me. not this time he won't. i intend to do the job myself. now, ethel, don't get excited. look, all i have to do is call him on the telephone and tell him to wire me some more money. oh, yeah, that'll be great, except for one thing. what's that? they're out on a boat where they can't be reached. oh, darn it. honestly, lucy. well, maybewehave enough to buy two more train tickets. how much money did fred leave you? $18 and a half a sheet of green stamps. well, let's see now. i have $32.24. that's over $50. that's not nearly enough for two train fares to florida. oh. well, um... is it enough for one train fare and... and one half-fare it is not. well, maybe one of us could go. which one? the one of us that has a little child down there that needs her? oh, no, you don't. either we both go to florida or nobody goes. a

ethel rosenberg was not guilty and therefore she doesn't need a pardon. what we're asking for is a presidential statement that in effect nullifies the guilty verdict and states that her execution was wrong untilful. -- wrongful. >> [ inaudible ]. >> given one of the principle architects was cohen who president-elect trump has said was his mentor, the chances of trump doing anything that would cost -- would put his mentor in a bad light strikes me as nil and, therefore, this is the time to do it. if we don't get obama to do it, we are virtually certain that trump will not. that's another reason for doing it. >> on "60 minutes" the chief prosecution lawyer said it was roy cohn who physically came to him and said, your wife has just told us something new, ethel rosenberg typed stuff up. david green admitted he had no memory of her having typed it up. he says he doesn't even know if any typing occurred. he committed perjury to support his wife and that roy cohn was the architect of that perjured testimony. this is very significant in a kind of macab way that

but supporters say there's no evidence that ethel rosenberg took part in espionage.ew report by the seton hall school of law suggests ethel was used as upon for leverage in its attempt to build a case against her husband julius.s. meeropol, now, r robert six years old at the time of their execution. he is author of the autobiography "an execution in the family: one son's journey." he is also the founder and executive director of the rosenberg fund for children. meeropol robert, it is great to have you back on democracy now! i'm sorry, i said that michael was coming in. her older brother. i'm glad you both get along. what exactly are you asking for? >> we're asking for an exoneration as oppososed to a pardon. first of all, a pardon implies a somebody is guilty. it is a forgiveness for something they did. kgb f fil i in other plplaces that etethel roseerg ws never giveven a code name, so we know the kgb did not consider her a spy and she wasn't a spy. we're not a asking for r a pard. instead,d, what we a are sayings the trial,l, the entirire trials a pervrversion off j

i had a brief discussion with ethel.tory is well known about him talking to the kids and being sent back to hickory hill. what struck me was i was told that when you went john got to hickory hill john walked into senator kennedy's private study. and saw that robert kennedy had out a book of poetry. and it was opened up in the leaf of the book and margins, comments made by robert kennedy. and the passage until john remembered was, this time like all times is a very good one. if we know what to do with it. the thing i like most about john is he knew from his upbringing that ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. he believed, i believed he was confident that every successive generation would know what to do with it. that is the charge i think john left us. it join our nation's conquests and operations as a challenge to not only fulfill a sacred duty, but to join in this joyous adventure. so when the marine plays taps on the bugle at arlington for our friend, we can look deep into the heavens and no with certitude

i had a brief discussion with ethel as i sat with her.nd the story is well known him b him ta -- about him talking to the kids, being sent back to hickory hill. what struck me is i was told that when you and john got to hickory hill, john walked in to senator kennedy's private study and saw that robert kennedy, the only political rival i ever had in my life, had out a book of ralph waldo emerson's poetry. it was opened up, and a leaff the book there in the margins were comments made by robert kennedy. and the passage that john, i'm told, remembered was where emerson said, this time like all times is a very good one if we but know what to do with it. the thing that i liked most about john was he knew from his upbringing that ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. ordinary americans do extraordinary things. and he believed, i believe, he was confident that every successful, every successive generation would know what to do with it. and that's the charge i think john left us, annie. to join our nation's conquests and our nation's

when ethel ethel and robbie wanted to come today it was a tremendous meaning for us.obby. those memories are beyond heartache and joy. thank you so much for being here for dad and mother. i'd also be remiss if i do not think, i'm surly not going to list them, but dad died about nine days ago. in that time from his death until today there have been a group of people who have come together with unbelievable love, strength, support, and energy to celebrate him. they knew him him well and they absolutely made this day possible, this time possible. when we are going to the funeral home to see dad's body i knew i wanted to write something to put in the casket. i started writing my letter to him. as i wrote it i realized that i was actually writing what i wanted to say to all of you. so this is a letter, this is the letter i started and so you'll hear me refer to him as my father. many people have mentioned, of course february 20, 1962. from that day until this, people have come up to me and have said, gosh what is it light, john glenn is your father, he is a hero. what is i

i had a brief discussion with ethel. known about well him talking to the kids and being sent back to hickory hill. what struck me was i was told that when you went john got to hickory hill john walked into senator kennedy's private study. kennedy had robert of poetry. was opened up in the leaf of the book and margins, comments made by robert kennedy. and the passage until john remembered was, this time like all times is a very good one. if we know what to do with it. the thing i like most about john is he knew from his upbringing that ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. he believed, i believed he was that every successive generation would know what to do with it. that is the charge i think john .eft us it join our nation's conquests and operations as a challenge to not only fulfill a sacred duty, but to join in this joyous adventure. so when the marine plays taps on the bugle at arlington for our friend, we can look deep into the heavens and no with ,ertitude that john believed and was right, that future ge

i had a brief discussion with ethel.ry is well known about him talking to the kids and being sent back to hickory hill. what struck me was i was told that when you went john got to -- when you and john went to hickory hill, john walked into senator kennedy's private study. and saw that robert kennedy had out a book of poetry. and it was opened up to a leaf in the book and there in the margins were comments made by robert kennedy. and the passage until john -- that john remembered was, this time like all times is a very good one, if we know what to do with it. the thing i like most about john was he knew from his upbringing that ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. and he believed, i believed, he was confident that every successive generation would know what to do with it. that is the charge i think john left us, annie. to join our nation's conquests and operations as a challenge to not only fulfill a sacred duty, but to join in this joyous adventure. so when

i had a brief discussion with ethel.well known about him talking to the kids and being sent back to hickory hill. what struck me was i was told that when you went john got to hickory hill john walked into senator kennedy's private study. and saw that robert kennedy had out a book of poetry. and it was opened up in the leaf of the book and margins, comments made by robert kennedy. and the passage until john remembered was, this time like all times is a very good one. if we know what to do with it. the thing i like most about john is he knew from his upbringing that ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. he believed, i believed he was confident that every successive generation would know what to do with it. that is the charge i think john left us. it join our nation's conquests and operations as a challenge to not only fulfill a sacred duty, but to join in this joyous adventure. so when the marine plays taps on the bugle at arlington for our friend, we can look deep into the heavens and no with certitude that jo

skakel is the nephew senator robert kennedy's widow ethel. the case and the trial attracted national attention, opening the lives, a fascination that endures. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >>> parts of the northeast are still digging out tonight after the first big snowstorm of the season that caused numerous accidents and left thousands without power. morgan radford reports on the challenges going into this year's new year's weekend. >> reporter: tonight, millions of americans, scrambling to clear the streets. >> unless you have to go out, don't bother going out. it makes live easier for us. >> reporter: in upstate new york, plows clearing up to eight inches of snow. after the first major storm of the season clobbered the northeast. >> it's coming down pretty hard. it's very difficult to see. >> reporter: almost 100,000 people in maine without power which officials say may not come back for days. parts of that state saw more than two feet of snow. more than a foot in parts of new hampshire. tonight responders trying to prevent this. the

the daughter of 70-year-old ethel lance, one of the victims, talked to a local newspaper about how she part is over. happy that my mom and everybody who is in heaven knew that we were down here fighting for em. so i feel in my heart they're all in heaven, doing a happy dance. >> i had the honor of participating in the funerals for ethel lance as well as th sharonda coleman singleton. charleston didn't happen in a vacuum. hate is linked to hate. tragedy is linked to tragedy. just a few months earlier, in charleston, i attended a vigil at the shooting site of walter scott, the unarmed man who was killed by a police officer as he was running away. also at that vigil, reverend clementa pinckney. you see him highlighted there. two months later, pinckney was gunned down as pastor at mother emanuel church. and president obama sang amazing grace at his funeral. hate is prevailing around many places. even in the 21st century. this was a young man, this wasn't an old man. hate is still abound in some places. we cannot regulate love. we can't make people love everybody. but we can have a society

i had a brief discussion with ethel. i sat with her. the story is well known about him talking to the kids and being sent back to green hill. what struck me was, i was told that when you and john got to hickory hill, john walked into senator kennedy's private study and saw that robert kennedy, who was the only political rival i had in my life, had out a book of ralph walter emerson's poetry. it was opened up and a leaf of the book there in the margins were comments made by robert kennedy. and the passage that john, i'm told, remembered was where emerson said, "this time, like all times, is a very good one if we but know what to do with it." think i like most about john was he knew from his upbringing that ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. and he believed, i believe, he was confident that every successive generation would know what to do with it. and that's the charge i think john left us, annie. to join our nation's conquest and our nation's explorations as a challenge, n

ethel rosenberg was a not guilty and she does not need a pardon.are asking for a presidential statement that nullifies the guilty verdict and states that her execution was wrong. given that one of the principal architects of our mother's execution was roy cohen , who president-electron had said was his mentor. the chances of trust doing put his that would mentor in a bad light strikes me as nill. this is the time to do it. if we don't get obama to do it, we are virtually certain that trump will not. >> let me reiterate the role of roy cohen. the chief prosecution witness said to the camera it was roy cohen specifically who came to him and said, your wife had just told us something new. he admitted that he had no memory of her tight it up. he said he did not know any typing occurred. he said he committed perjury and that roy cohen was the architect of that testimony. this is very significant in a macabre way that roy cohen would end up being the mentor of the president-elect. >> we can say that the ghost of ethel rosenberg is going to hop the white

skakel is the nephew of ethel and robert kennedy. released in 2013 when a judge ordered a new trial under the contention that skakel's lawyer hadn't represented him well. now that ruling has been overturned by a judge who disagreed with it. skakel has always maintained his innocence. his current lawyer sent this statement to cnn -- want to read it to you in full. we have not had time to fully digest the opinion at this juncture, but of course it's a setback. we're going to be dealing with other legal procedures that are available to avail michael of any and all of his constitutional rights. >> and just to remind you, michael skakel was sent to prison more than 20 years after the murder of martha moxley. now while there was plenty of forensic evidence left behind after the gruesome murder, none of it linked skakel to the crime. here is randi kaye with part of what the jury saw. >> reporter: one of the first pieces of evidence police find at the scene of martha moxley's murder is part of a stainless steal golf club shaft about a foot l

skakel is the nephew of ethel and robert kennedy.s leased in 2013 and the judge ordered a new trial saying that skakel's lawyer hadn't represented him well. that's been overturned by a judge who disagree. skakel has always maintained his innocence. his current lawyer center a statement that reads, quote, we haven't had time to fully digest the opinion at this juncture but of course it's a setback. we're going to be dealing with other legal procedures that are available to avail michael of any and all of his constitutional rights. >> and while there was plenty of forensic evidence left behind after the gruesome murder, none of it links skakel with the crime. here's part of what the jury saw. >> reporter: one of the first pieces of evidence that please find at the scene of the murder is part of a stainless steel golf club shaft about a foot longer. another blood stained part of the club is also found. also with the head of the 6 iron. all covered in blood. versus also find several patches of blood in the area. the medical examiner dems

if that's the route to grandma's or aunt ethel's house, no construction. all lanes are blocked queen village, southbound side of columbus boulevard, they are scheduled for 6:00 a.m., they started early, southbound columbus boulevard is blocked off as they continue work on the water main. no major issues along i-95 they have not blocked the off ramp to columbus, they wecht them to do that. schuylkill looks fine. we have broken down vehicle saint charles borromeo seminary, wynnewood lane at laches lane. a crash at center avenue at 611. fire in pottstown on high street. matt inyou have more on that. -- i know you have more on that. >> fire broke out pottstown in montgomery county. several people were inside and one never made it out. and joins us live at the scene, annie. >> reporter: matt we were talking to residents who were inside when the fire happened him we'll ghetto them in just a minute. first, i want to show you the fire activity matt pellman was talking about. these fire trucks are expected to be out here for several hours, because the investigation

ethel rosenberg was not guilty, therefore she doesn't need a pardon. what we are asking is a presidential statement that null nullifies the guilty verdict and thus her incarceration was wrong. president-elect trump said was his mentor. the chances of trump doing anything that would cast -- that would put his mentor in a bad light strikes me as nil. and therefore this is the time to do it. if we don't get obama to do it, we are virtually certain trump will not. andhat's another reason for doing it now. >> let me reiterate about roll on of roy cohn. the chief prosecution witness said greenberg said it was roy cohn specifically who came to him and said your wife has just told us something new, ethel rosenberg typed stuff up. david admitted he had no memory of her having typed it up. he said he doesn't the know if any typing occurred. he said he committed perjury to protect his wife. this is significant in a macabre way that he would end up being the mentor of the president-elect. >> we can say the ghost of ethel rosenberg is going to haunt the white house

skakel, who is ethel kennedy's nephew, was first found guilty for the decades old crime back in 2002, but after serving over ten years in prison, skakel's conviction was thrown out in 2013. skakel a free man, his family claiming the lawyer botched the defense. >> he had a terrible lawyer. he didn't get a fair trial and he's not guilty. >> reporter: now in a new twist, skakel will be back on his way to prison. his team failing to prove the attorney actually mishandled the case. >> it's very difficult for a defendant to establish ineffective counsel. there has to be a major defect in the way that the defense was presented. >> reporter: the victim's mother agreeing with the initial ruling. >> michael skakel got a fair trial. i really believe it. >> reporter: while skakel plans to comply with the new court order, he will continue to fight the decision. his cousin, robert kennedy jr. telling abc news overnight, right now we just want to concentrate on the legal process. now, in that 2013 appeal that set him free, skakel's attorney successfully argued his initial defense team failed to purs

that's right, michael skakel whose aunt ethel kennedy lived next door to martha moxley has been a free man for three years after posting a $1.2 million bail in 2013. now a 4-3 majority has rejected the argument his trial for murder was tainted by bad lawyering sending him back behind bars. this morning, troubled kennedy cousin michael skakel is a convicted murderer again. the connecticut supreme court reinstating his conviction for the 1975 murder of martha moxley. the 15-year-old girl killed in her backyard the night before halloween brutally beaten with a golf club belonging to the skakel family. skakel, who is ethel kennedy's nephew was first found guilty for the decades old crime back in 2002 but after serving over ten years in prison, skakel's conviction was thrown out in 2013. skakel a free man, his family claiming the lawyer botched the defense. >> he had a terrible lawyer. he didn't get a fair trial and he's not guilty. >> reporter: now in a new twist, skakel will be back on his way to prison. his team failing to prove the attorney actually mishandled the case. >> it's very dif

. >> reporter: ethel rucker is one of 36 women making the coats that are also transforming their lives this looks so nice. >> reporter: at 27 years old, veronica scott is now the ceo of the empowerment plan. >> i realized i sucked at sewing and i should not be the one sewing these, and it would make much more impact instead of giving them to the homeless, but hiring the homeless instead. >> repor and a donate button, they've sdrinted 20,000 coats worldwide, all request the hope of changing generational poverty one family at a time. >> are you aware of the impact that you are making? >> if it was just me all alone, this would not be here. it's an amazing group of people behind me that i owe everything to. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm linsey davis in detroit for nig . >>> thank you for watching abc news. thanks for the company, america, goodnight. >> welcome to "millionaire." it's a brand-new season for us, and a brand-new home; bally's las vegas. this city is all about winning big, and i can't wait to see if someone hits the jackpot on our show today. so let's play "who wants to be

i had a brief discussion with ethel.ry is well known about him talking to the kids and being sent back to hickory hill. what struck me was i was told that when you and john went to hickory hill, john walked into senator kennedy's private study. and saw that robert kennedy, the only political hero i've had in my life, had out a book of ralph waldo emerson's poetry. and it was opened up to a leaf in the book. there in the margins were comments made by robert kennedy. , i'mhe passage that john told, remembered was, or emerson said, this time, like all times, is a very good one, if we know what to do with it. the thing i like most about john was he knew from his upbringing that ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. and he believed, i believe, he was confident that every successive generation would know what to do with it. that is the charge i think john left us, annie. to join our nation's conquests as a challenges not only to fulfill a sacred duty, but to join in

michael skakel, ethel kennedy's nephew, was convicted in 2002 of bludgeoning his greenwich, connecticut, neighbor martha moxley to death in 1975, when they were both 15 years old. but a lower court threw the conviction out on the grounds that skakel's trial lawyer botched his defense. robert kennedy jr. strongly supports his cousin. >> he had a terrible lawyer. he didn't get a fair trial and he's not guilty. >> reporter: but late today, a divided state supreme court disagreed, reinstating skakel's conviction. the vote, 4 -- 3 the 15-year-old moxley was struck repeatedly in the head with a golf club belonging to the skakel family. no forensic evidence tied michael skakel to the murder, but he made incriminating statements to prep school classmates. moxley's mother believed skakel was guilty. >> michael skakel got a fair trial. i really believe that. >> reporter: skakel was sentenced to 20 years to life and served more than a decade before his release. now, he's likely headed back to prison. david wright abc news new york. >>> overseas now, and the mystery death of singer george michael.

. >> his eyes says evil to >> reporter: risher's mother, 70-year-old ethel lance, was among those murdered. >> who goes into a church and does that? >> it's unthinkable. >> i can't put that in words, the pain in my soul. >> reporter: relatives of the victims told roof at his >> we have to forgive. >> reporter: are you one of those people? >> no, i'm not one of those people. >> reporter: will you ever get to that point? >> i know i will. i have to. >> reporter: prosecutors will push for the death penalty. you don't want that? >> only because i don't believe in the death penalty for any person. >> reporter: if he gets the death penalty, there's part of you that thinks he got what's coming to him? >> yes, it's conflicting. >> reporter: roof's not contest that he committed the murders. they're trying to spare him the death penalty. scott, defense lawyer david bruck urged the jury not to "behave like the person who committed this crime." >> pe: lleymark strassmann, fascinating interview. mark, thank you very much. still ahead, did a job placement agency ignore black applicants while helping his

kennedy's widow, ethel. he was convicted of bludgeoning a neighbor, martha moxley, when leth were 15. skakel was released from prison in 2013 after a judge ruled his lawyer had botched his defense. but today, connecticut supreme jeurt rejected that ruling and reinstated skakel's conviction. police in chicago are facing 'sessure to bring the city's rising violence under control. more than 4,300 people have been shot this year, and there have been more than 750 homicides. woe worst numbers in two decades. in0 minutes" spent a week in chicago looking for answers. bire's a preview of bill whitaker's report. >> the shooter hopped out of the car. >> reporter: we were astonished by data we obtained from inside d e police department. it revealed that as killings rose, police activity fell. in august of 2015, cops stopped and questioned 49,257 people. a year later, those stops dropped to 8,859, down 80%. at the same time, arrests were off by a third from just over 10,000 to 6,900. ryu talk to cops every day. >> we do

she lost her mother ethel lance and two of her cousins in roof's rampage. some people would say dylann roof is the poster child for why the death penalty exists. >> right. that's true. if this case didn't warrant the death penalty, then i don't know what case would have. >> reporter: the death penalty phase of this trial begins january 3rd and roof wants to act as his own lawyer. scott, the judge told him today, okay, that's fine, you can do that, but you can't change your mind once the penalty phase begins. >> pelley: mark strassmann for us tonight. mark, thank you. we have exclusive new information tonight about an attack on the pentagon by russian hackers. national security correspondent david martin has learned how last year they seized the e-mail system used by the nation's top military officers, the joint chiefs of staff. >> reporter: then-chairman of the joint chief, martin dempsey was alerted to the attack by an early mourning phone call from the director of the national security agency, admiral mike rogers. now retired, dempsey told cbs news, "the

. >> buddy the, ethel if and sanity clause might be known as councilman squilla, but buddy elf and santaill be here tomorrow evening. if you are on the good list. >> i will try my best. >> come on down and give your list to santa, and hopefully he will put tonight for you. >> and the mayor too. >> so not only do we have carousal but we have the lights, we have also got the tent which is an interesting aspect of what you guys are doing. >> yes, we're always looking to make the experience better for the visitor. so one thing that we think is important is warmth. >> aubrey. >> you can warm up in the tent is there fire pits, sitting outside in our garden here but inside the tent there are great things to do for families. you can decorate cookies, make ginger bread houses, see fudge being made, doughnuts out of the hopper. for the adults on the weekend there is beer, spirit and cocktails. >> very important. >> yes. >> we will make fudge in the 6:00 o'clock hour. we will do it. we will go inside. we will get warm. for now, we will throw it back to you guys while we're freezing out here. >> the

families streamed out of the courtroom in tears, including one of the daughters of ethel lance, who told us after the killings that roof deserves little mercy. >> my sister made a comment, did she forgive him? however, i'm not at that point. >> reporter: roof's lawyer is telling jurors that roof did it all, and the only reason for this trial is because the government is pushing for death while he's arguing for life in prison. david? >> steve osunsami with us again tonight. steve, thank you. >>> next, this evening, to president-elect donald trump, named "time magazine's" person of the year. meanwhile, new reporting tonight on mr. trump's newest picks. among them, a woman many will remember from world wrestling entertainment. and who is weighing in on some of his cabinet picks? mr. trump indicated today, president obama himself. so, what's the white house saying? here's abc's tom llamas. >> reporter: today, the "time" magazine naming donald trump its man of the year. >> it's a great honor. it means a lot. especially me growing up reading "time magazine" and, you know, it's a very important

thank you, thank you ethel and bobby. those memories are beyond heart ache and joy. thank you so much for being here for dad and mother. i would also be remiss if i k, and dad -- than died nine days ago, and during that period of time there had people toup of celebrate him who knew him well and made this day possible. we were going to the body,l home to see dad's i knew i wanted to write something to put in the casket. i started writing my letter to -- as i wrote it, i realized i was actually writing what i wanted to say to all of you. started, soletter i you will hear me refer to him as my father. many people have mentioned february 20, 1962. have come up to me and say, what is it like to have a hero for a father and for the first time -- and from the first hat, i thoughted t about it and said, he is just my dad. you have beenyou have been my td and assist -- my nemesis. partners and my source. you taught me how to tie a necktie and slide a car on ice. you recommended i memorize my social security number and i learned that westerns are the highest form of entertainm

reverend sharon risher is the daughter of ethel lance, one of the nine people he executed in the basement of this historic black church, in the name of so called white supremacy. >> mama. mama. they got it right this time. they got it right. >> reporter: before their verdict, jurors saw again this backyard video. roof recorded it himself. prosecutors told jurors to watch how he practiced with the phonebook. they say that's how he killed many of the parishioners. standing over them as he shot them dead. felicia sanders was one of the three people praising the lord tonight that she survived. she watched roof kill her aunt and her son. >> he said he didn't have any friends, but he had nine friends sitting in the church that night. >> reporter: prosecutors say he laughed about the shooting nine times in this fbi confession. >> what kind of gun did you use? >> a glock .45. >> reporter: but he wasn't laughing today. he stood silenty, while families wept. in the words of prosecutors, "he chose to take their lives. he chose to break their bodies. but he doesn't get to chose who they were." they w