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Four Rabbis Killed in a Jerusalem Synagogue; President Obama Rreviewing U.S. Policy on Hostage Negotiations; Honduran Beauty Queen and Her Sister Missing; Dave Isay Wins a $1 million Prize from TED

Aired November 18, 2014 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Bottom of the hour, you're watching CNN. And I'm Brooke Baldwin. We want you get back to our breaking news.

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the two men who killed those four rabbis inside a Jerusalem synagogue this morning. Quoting him, "came with great hatred and incitement for the Jewish people and its state." And he blames the Palestinian authority.

CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman is live for me in Jerusalem. And I'm hearing, I'm hearing crowds, Ben Wedeman. What's happening behind you?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, down in the street below me, there are approximately 150 to 200 Israelis, many of them youth, they chanting against the Arabs. Earlier they were chanting death to the Arabs and other obscenities. This is in reaction, obviously, to the killing of those four rabbis this morning. We heard when Prime Minister Netanyahu did give this speech that he warned people to stick to the law, not to take the law into their own hands. And the worry is that the passions whipped up by these murders this morning maybe hard to control. They were -- we were watching as police on horse and on foot were trying to keep the crowd under control, keep them back.

Now the last time I saw an angry crowd like this in the streets of Jerusalem just a few hours later, a young Palestinian in east Jerusalem was kidnapped and murdered. So, it gives you an idea of just how volatile the atmosphere in Jerusalem is at the moment, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Yes, talking to the mayor of Jerusalem. That was one of he kept talking about wanting peace, the fears of retaliation certainly on those sorts of attacks. What about in terms of safeguards and security there in Jerusalem and beyond. How are they working to raised security, especially. I mean, this was a synagogue and holy, holy sites.

WEDEMAN: And this is a place where the attack took place this morning is not an area that is normally the site of any trouble whatsoever. It's a quiet, religious neighborhood. But now we see the Israeli police and security forces have a dual challenge.

On the one hand, they want to prevent further attacks along the lines of what we saw this morning. They have gone and detained some of the relatives of the two Palestinian attackers from the synagogue attack this morning. They've deployed extra forces in the flash point neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.

And at the same time, they have to deal with angry crowds of Israelis in the street. Many of them calling for revenge against Palestinians. So it's a double challenge, which they've really got their hands full at the moment -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: You know, something else I wanted to ask you about. We heard from Netanyahu who is talking specifically about something that Israel does. This policy of demolishing the terrorists' homes. Why do this?

WEDEMAN: This is a policy that was instituted, actually, by the British during the British mandate period. And it's for one to punish the families of people involved in violence. And another Israeli officials will tell you, it's a deterrent that there is a price to pay for these attacks. And they say that in this instance, they're going to demolish the houses of the two Palestinian assailants. And it may become a much more commonly implemented policy in an attempt, as I said. And Israeli officials are saying to deter further attacks -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK. Ben Wedeman, thank you so much in Jerusalem, just after 10:30 your time in the evening.

Coming up, could America change its policy on negotiating with terrorists. The White House is apparently reviewing the rules involving hostages as ISIS has now executed yet another American. One question many have asked, should ransoms be paid?

Plus, developing right now, a beauty queen and her sister went to a party last week and then disappeared. While the biggest day of her life, the Miss World Pageant is just days away, what has happened to her? That mystery coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The president is reviewing U.S. policy on hostage negotiations. We know that White House official say President Obama order the review over the summer but no doubt, the tensions on it has intensified after this recent beheading of Peter Kassig. There on the right side of your screen, Kassig is the third American held hostage to die at the hands of ISIS.

However, there is one very specific piece of this policy that will not be on the table. So, on the table, I should say. So, let's go to Washington where chief Washington correspondent, host of "the LEAD" Jake Tapper.

And why don't we just begin with that nonnegotiable there, Jake.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, what the Obama administration says is non-negotiable is whether or not the United States government will ever pay ransom for Americans hostages. This is different from some of our European allies. ISIS, for example, was holding some Spanish and I believe Italian

prisoners -- I'm sorry, French prisoners earlier this Spring. And through an inter-media the Europeans paid ransom. But as the White House press secretary josh Earnest reiterated today, that will not change in this review.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: The reason for that is simple. We don't want to put other American citizens at even greater risk around the globe. And that knowing that terrorist organizations can extract a ransom from United States if they can take a hostage, it only puts American citizens at greater risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Now, critics of the Bowe Bergdahl swap earlier this year, you may recall Brooke, say that there really isn't much of a difference when it comes to incentivizing the hostage taking of Americans. Either way, whether it is for a prisoner swap or for ransom, you are giving terrorist groups a reason to take Americans hostage. But in any case, the undersecretary of defense is conducting this review right now.

And I think some of the things that are talking about reviewing is whether or not it should be one designated point person to deal with these families, and other ways that the administration can deal with these families, and some of whom, as you know, have criticized the Obama administration's handling of these cases.

BALDWIN: Just to follow up on that point, isn't that part of the issue? And I was talking to a former hostage last hour, sort of saying that is the frustration point. You know that the administration or whoever is doing the negotiating or communicating has that information. You know, and is not sharing it with these families who are hanging on every word to know if their loved one is OK. Do you think, having covered for, you know, this administration, do you think that may change? That, just communicating.

TAPPER: Yes, the communication. Well, there has been a lot of criticism, much of it behind the scenes. But there has been some strong criticism. You might remember after Mr. Foley was killed, was murdered by ISIS, his mother made some strong comments.

And I think that, first of all, the person who has been in charge of this, Liza Monaco, the president's counterterrorism adviser is somebody that, to be quite honest just has a lot on her plate and maybe doesn't -- maybe isn't the person who should be dealing with the families. Maybe there should be somebody else we should be dealing with them.

We're going to be talking to somebody else who was once a hostage, David Rohde, who I'm sure you know, he is a Reuters investigative reporter and he was held captive by the Taliban and Pakistan until he escaped seven months into his captivity. And there were negotiations going on with the Taliban trying to get money, trying to get prisoners in exchange for him and we'll talk to him and see what he thinks. He's been covering a lot of these families.

BALDWIN: We will look for that. Jake Tapper, thank you so much. We'll see you in 17 minutes from now at the top of the hour on "the LEAD."

Meantime, days before the start of the Miss World pageant, a beauty queen disappears. Where did she go? What happened to her? Is she in danger? That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just days before she was set to head to London for the Miss World pageant, this Honduran beauty queen went missing, vanished. Miss Honduras world and her sister have been missing since Thursday. They were last seen getting into a car after attending a party.

So let's go to our senior Latin-American affairs editor Rafael Romo.

And so, let's begin there. What details do you have on her disappearance and the search for her?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN-AMERICAN EDITOR: Brooke, there's a new twist in the investigation. Four people are now being held in the disappearance of Maria Jose Alvarado and her sister, Sophia Donita.

The Honduran national police say among those being held, listen to this, Brooke, are Sophia's boyfriend, that is the older sister, and the owner of a place they visited on Thursday. But police aren't saying why exactly they are being questioned.

Now, the beauty queen went missing Thursday and there's no signs of her whereabouts. Alvarado was supposed to travel this week to London to represent Honduras in the Miss World pageant to be held on December 14th. The 19-year-old and her sister disappeared last Thursday after attending a birthday party in the city of Santa Barbara in western Honduras. And Brooke, their mother seems to believe they were both kidnapped. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESA MUNIZ, BEAUTY QUEEN'S MOTHER (through translator): I asked them, I'm suffering too much. Don't make me suffer this much anymore. And please return them to me. Because I don't know why they took them anyway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Now, Alvarado is a very well known model. She has been working for a TV show in Honduras. She was a finalist in the Miss Teen Honduras in 2012 in a regional beauty pageant in least in August. Brooke, she beat 18 contestants to win the Miss World Honduras' crown in April and she was supposed to fly, like we said before to London Sunday for the Miss world pageant. Back to you.

BALDWIN: We'll stay in contact with you. Let us know, hopefully, when they find her and her sister. Rafael Romo, thank you.

You know, everyone has a story, and story corps is helping every day people tell them and save them. The founder of the project just won a huge, huge prizes. It is a big, big deal for them. Ahead, he'll tell us his own story and his dream for how he will spend that money.

Story telling coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Well, here's something I don't get to say very often, maybe never before. The entire United States today recorded below freezing temperatures. Look at that map. All right, 50 states, even the big island of Hawaii, dipped down to 31 degrees at one of its weather stations. The last time it was this cold, it was November 1976.

And snow blankets more than half of the country. Are you ready for this? Are you ready for this? I don't know. The biggest accumulations are around the great lakes where the water is relatively warm adding lots of moisture to the air.

In some places, it is coming down actually at a rate of four to five inches an hour. Hello, it's not even thanksgiving and this is what somebody's yard looks like? Saving Ryan (ph) , I'm sorry. This is in Buffalo, New York. Actually, some areas have two to three feet on the ground, even snowplows are reportedly getting stuck.

Before it's over, area south of Buffalo could be facing up to six feet of snow. Stay in if you can, man.

St down with this. I'm a big story core fan. I'm biased, let me put that out there. Ten years of listening to America, StoryCorps has reported tens of thousands of people. This oral history project documenting their stories of coming back from deployment, being robbed at gunpoint, long, you know, love of decade, their sickness treating Ebola patients. And stories like that of 81-year-old Dean Smith.

A former cowboy stunt double who considers legends like John Wayne family. Listen to just a snippet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to have to go out and fall off a horse or d a stunt fight, a broken couple of ribs here, I have had bruises, I lived pretty dangerously for 35, 40 years there. Guys like Roy Rogers and Gene Archie (ph) and John Wayne, all these guys, well, they were like my relatives. And then I woke up one morning and they had all gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So now the founder of StoryCorps, Dave Isay, is the newly minted recipient of a $1 million prize from T.E.D., the nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas. He will get to use that money toward a wish for the project which he could said to me in commercial break, a super, super top secret.

But Dave Isay is joining me now. It's such a pleasure. I love what you all do.

DAVE ISAY, FOUNDER, STORYCORPS: Thank you so much.

BALDWIN: And not to start this with such a morbid thought. But I was at my grandmother's funeral last week and sitting there listening to the pastor sort talking about, you know, she came from the air of pre- electricity, deep south. You know, stories being told around the kitchen table and in the kitchen. And that was one of the things I really took from that was I hope to continue pass that along in my own family and I'm wondering how that began with you?

ISAY: Well, and I should say, hope you'll come to StoryCorps to remember your grandma. I know you haven't, you are not going to have a chance to record her but, you know, this is second best. And the way StoryCoprs is a very simple idea. We have these booths across the country where you can come with a loved one. You are met by a facilitator and go inside and you have a conversation with, say, your grandma for 40 minutes and they are always very intense conversations.

As you know, the microphone gives you the license to talk about things you don't normally get to talk about. Then at the end of the 40 minutes, you get a CD or digital copy and another one comes to us and goes to the library of Congress. So some day, you know, generations, great, great, great grandchildren will get to know your grandmother through her voice and story.

BALDWIN: Were you told stories as a kid?

ISAY: You know, StoryCorps is more about listening, I think, than about story telling in many ways. And it is really about sitting with someone who matters to you, look them in the eye, you know, kind of keeping your mouth shut and letting them talk. And you know, saying, who are you, what have you learned in life, how do you want to be remembered? And I think listening to someone else can be one of the most like amazing gifts we can give to someone.

BALDWIN: Speaking of listening, let's listen to something else because this is one more story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just hugged the man that murdered my son and I instantly knew that all that anger and the animosity, all the stuff I had in my heart for 12 years for you, I knew it was over, that I had totally forgiven you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As far as receiving forgiveness from you, sometimes I still don't know how to take it because I haven't totally forgiven myself yet. It's something that I'm learning from you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Can you tell me a little bit more about those two? ISAY: Sure. That's a man named Oshea Israel and a woman named Mary

Johnson. When Oshea was 16 years old, he got in a fight at a party with her son, a guy name (INAUDIBLE) and murdered him. And many years into his prison sentence, Mary wanted to find out who this person was who had murdered her only child and went and talked to him. Obviously. it was very difficult for her. She was very, very, very angry but they developed friendship. And by the time he got out of prison, he ended up moving in next door to her. And this was recorded pretty soon after he got out of prison and it's the two of them talking about their friendship, their relationship. At the end of it, she calls him son. You know, it's just remarkable. And these are the kinds of story that we have done. We've recorded about 55,000 stories across the country.

BALDWIN: Fifty five thousand?

ISAY: Yes. And it's pairs of people. So it's about 100,000 of people and it's, you know, in thousands of places across America. And to me, these are the real American story. You know, we don't hear about them much. But they are the stories of courage and wisdom, you know, and decency that mark who we are as a country when you get down to it.

BALDWIN: So, as a result of all of this with the (INAUDIBLE) story, you know, here you are, I'm sitting next to the big T.E.D. winner and you have until march something, I think it is March 17th to come up and say, here's my wish for what I want.

ISAY: Yes.

BALDWIN: They told me that you cannot tell me. But do you know what it is?

ISAY: I can't. I have a good feeling about that, yes. And this is, you know, I feel like it was a very unlikely winner of this thing but it was a great surprise, you know. So, on Monday, you know, it turns out there's a $1 million prize and I'm thrilled. And what we're going to do is we are going to use it to further the mission of StoryCorps. And to kind of (INAUDIBLE). I had actually never even seen T.E.D. (INAUDIBLE) not to see one.

BALDWIN: Yes.

ISAY: But since then, I mean, I've learned a ton about them. And you know, they've got this incredible global reach. So we're going to take the simple idea of StoryCorps, this idea of listening, of communicating in an authentic way. You know, StoryCorps had to be opposite of reality TV. No one comes to get rich. No one comes to get famous. It's just an act of generosity and we're going to marry it to the global reach of T.E.D. and see what comes ahead.

BALDWIN: I'm excited for you.

ISAY: Yes, me too. Thank you.

BALDWIN: You have now entered this (INAUDIBLE) of many amazing people.

So Dave Isay, thank you so much.

ISAY: Thank you.

BALDWIN: StoryCorps, if you've never heard of it, get on it. Dave, thank you very much.

And that's it for me. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me here on this Tuesday watching CNN. Stay right here.

Let's go to Washington. My colleague Jake Tapper's "THE LEAD" starts right now.