hello, everyone. i'm john berman. >> and i'm michaela pereira. we're following several major news stories qoes@this hour. the president has just finished a historic speech to the people of russia's baltic neighbor estonia reassuring them that they do indeed have u.s. and nato support should vladimir putin try anything there. all of this happening after a report of a cease-fire between russia and ukraine apparently

was exaggerated. and a video shows another beheading of steven sotloff. president obama is promising justice. whatever these murderers think they will achieve by killing innocent americans like stephen, they have already failed. they failed because like people around the world americans are repulsed by their barbarism. we will not be intimidated. they only unite us and stiffen our resolve against these terrorists and those who make the mistakes of harming americans will learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served. another big story that we hearing about right now is ebola. we're hearing from nancy

writebol. she's scheduled to pick for the first time since her diagnosis. >> you are looking at cameras at charlotte, north carolina. writebol and her husband has been spending time together at an undisclosed location. she was released from a hospital ebola--free. >> in the meantime, back to our top story, the president dealing with two very complicated crises on his trip overseas. one involving ukraine and the other the conflict with isis. the president speaking about both of those issues over the course of the morning. nick robertson is in newport, wales, the president headed in that direction right now. nick, we knew the president would have to respond to the execution of steven sotloff. we got on that plane yesterday headed for europe before talking

about it. he landed in this morning and he did final discuss it. >> reporter: he did, and certainly the message is a very cloud -- loud and clear one to those members of isis. he says that the united states will seek justice and get justice. he said that this will not put the united states off its course. those people of isis who think that this is going to change the united states. it's not going to happen. that -- those sentiments also echoed by british prime minister david cameron here today as well saying a country like ours will not be cowed by this. britain will not waver and certainly when president obama arrives here later tonight, he will be looking to those other nato nations and their leaders to help and assist in that fight, some sort of coalition to degrade and take down isis, which is what president obama

says he is intent to do. >> nick, are you getting a sense of the response that can be expected from some of those other nato nations about that? because we know it is what many voices are calling for and as you mentioned, the importance of having an international coalition, a nato coalition, take on this threat that is isis, this impending threat? >> we've heard from the british and i think we're going to hear from others as well, certainly they recognize the threat britain has an estimated 500 british nationals have joined isis in iraq and syria. france is in a similar position. many other european nations the same. one of the messages that we'll likely hear is an issue, the coalition building that will taken to the united nations as well. so president obama is going to find support here. certainly the feeling here is that this is something the british feeling if you will is a feeling that it cannot be

tackled along. a coalition needs to be built. it's toxic. building a coalition is their way forward. you are going to find a level of support here. you have to remember this issue, while it's rushed up the recent agenda was not on the originate toe agenda here, the three main talking points. it's going to have to find its way in other ways. >> along those lines, the president just finished up a speech in estonia and he was talking about the crisis roont -- right now, the conflict in eastern ukraine and russia and what it means to the rest of europe pea. he told the people in the baltics they lost their independence once and united states will make sure it doesn't happen again. >> he also made a pointed

statement to putin. we just heard in the last few minutes from the ukrainian national security and defense council announcing that it expects that there will be multinational military exercises later this month in ukraine that will involve troops, perhaps about a thousand troops from a number of different nations, including the united states. ukraine not a member of nato, but looking for nato to help it send a clear message to president putin to withdraw his influence, withdraw his troops, withdraw his weapons, and influence from the east of ukraine, but the message for those baltic states, part of a real effort to reassure those nato members on the east of europe that under chapter 5, if their sovereignty is violated, the other nato nations will step in to protect them.

>> one for one and one for all. cnn will be covering what comes out of the nato summit. so many pressing arns the globe. >> i want to turn back to isis right now and that awful video that was released yesterday, the execution of steven sotloff, we don't want to focus on that. we want to focus on is steven sotloff as a person. friends and family describe him as a brave journalist and a good friend. he had learned arabic. >> he spoke to cnn after the attack on the u.s. compound in libya back in 2012. he had a firsthand account from the guards who witnessed that violence. take a listen. >> there was no protest. they were armed with ak-47s, rpgs, they had blast demoliti demolitions, they had grenades. >> we'll have more on the steven sotloff later this hour. in the meantime we're going

to go back to charlotte, north carolina, we're about to hear from nancy writebol, she is the second victim to contract ebola in liberia. she's fully recovered, the 59-year-old health care worker speaking publicly for the first time. let's listen to what she says. >> a reference to a little bit of a story. during the time that nancy and i were in liberia, nancy was laying in bed, struggling with ebola, one of things we did is we read scripture and one particular time i read the entire letter of phillipians, i had been studying and thinking about it, it is the story of paul's letter to a church, he was in prison and people were saying that paul's mission had failed, and things were going to stop. and as i read that letter and i read it to nancy, it became kind

of a marker for our journey in that people were thinking, well, this is the end, this is not -- the mission has failed, and yet as i read that letter, it's such a joyful and celebration of paul's ministry and one of the things that he said, of many versus that are in phillipians is first 12 of chapter one. he said i want to you know brothers that what has happened to me or to us has served to advance the gospel, and then he goes on from there to explain that and to talk about that, and really that's -- that's what happened. we didn't ask for this assignment. we didn't choose it. it was given to us, and so we recognized and saw god in it and saw how god was really moving and has given us this wonderful platform a it's been a

challenge, but we are so humbled that god would choose us to tell that story. we are so humbled that god would return nancy to health when so many are dying and he would use us to tell that story, so we want to do it well. we want to give god all the credit and all the glory for what's happened. we are so very thankful, i am so very thankful that this beautiful woman is still with me. she's the best part of my life, and i told her so many times and continue to tell her she's the most beautiful woman i know, and i love her with all my heart, and i am so thankful that she is with me still for her recovery. i'm thankful for the prayers and the thoughts from others we've heard from around the world, literally. it's prayers of support and

cards and letters and so many ways that people have said they are praying for nancy and we're so thankful for the doctors and the staff at emory as they received it and gave her excellent and compassionate care. i wasn't afraid -- i told people two or three days after she's there, nancy is going to be running the place. and i think it happened. but they just love her, as i do, and i appreciate their work and compassion and her leadership of sim and samaritan's purse. they were thrust into a situation where difficult decisions were needed to be made and we had so many that are involved in making decisions and caring for us and seeing that things would happen so that nancy could return to the u.s.

i also want to express thanks for our friends. they are in liberia. doctors and nurses who selfle selflessly and tierlly -- tirelessly cared and worked for not only patients in the ebola isolation units, working with nancy and nancy working with them, but also in caring for nancy and also for dr. brantley when he was there. we're a team. we're a family. we're colleagues, and it's the way that the body of christ works together and loves each other and reaches out to the world and so that was on display on an hourly basis and continues even today in liberia and other places. and i would also like to highlight or mention there

continues to be a need for concern on the part of people for west africa. there continues to be a need for action to help in this crisis. it's still growing. it's still threatening, and there needs to be people who will be able to care for those who are dying. there will be those who need to express concern and provide for containing the spread of this disease, and it is a global threat, and this is what -- response -- this response is what we do as christians. that's what we have been given to do. our lord and saviour went about doing good and therefore we also should go about doing good and this is how we demonstrate the love of god to the world, and so we pray that resources would be brought to bear. we pray that this response would

indeed bring about the containment of the disease and also the healing and the health of many, many people there. nancy and i are going to continue to enjoy a season of rest and recuperation, and we want to see our children and grandchildren. we're looking forward to what god has for us in our next mission, and it is not a failure of mission, but simply another chapter in the unfolding story and the unfolding grace that god is showing to the world, and so we ask god to guide us. we pray -- we ask for your prayers that god would lead us and guide us, and again we thank you. we thank god and so i'm going to give it to my beautiful wife and let you hear her voice. thank you. >> well, good morning. it is wonderful to be with you.

it is a great privilege to be with you, and i say good morning to liberia too, to our dear brothers and sisters in africa. our prayers are for you. our prayers are with you in west africa, and i would just like to say thank you to some people that have been so part of this story, and really this is not our story. this is god's story. god is writing this, and i just want to express first of all my appreciation to the lord for his grace, for his mercy, and for his saving of my life. there were many mornings i woke up and thought i'm alive and there were many times when i thought i don't think i'm going to make it anymore.

i really would like to thank sim and our leadership for the way that they have cared for us during this, for the evacuation. i would like to thank sp, samaritan's purse and all of our colleagues at samaritan's purse for the way that they were involved and i'm not sure people really understand that we work on the same campus together. we're a partner, and partners help each other, and so when one person hurts, the other partner helps, and so we are so very thankful for the partnership and to be able to help in a time of need. i am thankful and very grateful to the doctors in liberia, the doctors who are still there serving, the doctors who attended to dr. brantly and myself during this very difficult time.

i thank you and i thank god for you. it is amazing to be able to be a part of a mission hospital. s.i.m. has been in liberia for over 60 years. there is a radio station that has broadcasted all over the world, a school, and also the mission hospital. it was a great privilege to be a part of the hospital during this difficult time of ebola. to be able to help patients and to be able to help dress doctors and nurses as they got ready to go into the ebola unit, to make sure that they were safe, and then to be able to -- when they came out, to deacon tam nate

them and to make sure the suits were coming off properly and doctors and nurses were kept safe. i would like to thank the doctors and nursing staff at emory. what a great, great nursing staff and what great doctors. i don't know that i have ever known five doctors who have cared so much and for the 21 nurses that served dr. brantly and myself, thank you. they were amazing people, and just a lot of fun to be around too. if you have to be in the hospital. i don't want to forget the people that have prayed for us and david has mentioned this. we thank you for your prayers during this time. prayers from all over the world. to god be the glory for what he is doing, and two last -- well, actually four, four last people

that i would actually like to thank is our amazing sons and their -- and our daughter-in-laws. never in my life, would i think those were the first faces that i knew when i arrived in atlanta and they were there the whole time. i'm so thankful for them and for the way that they have helped us in this very, very difficult time and for their wives who have been so supportive. i can't wait to put my arms around all of our children and all of our grandchildren and we hope that will be soon. some of you may be wondering why in the world did you go to liberia. and the answer is, of course, it

was god's call. why did we go? that was where we sensed that the lord was leading, confirmed in that by our leadership, and i have to tell you that it was a joy to be there, and there was not a fear there. every, every single day was new. you never knew what was going to happen every day, and so it was a wonderful place to be able to work and to serve and so i thank the lord for our team in liberia. i thank the lord for the opportunity to be able to go and to serve. i'm going to ask our dear friend bruce -- >> yeah, as i've been talking with david and nancy, i just want to ask them a couple of questions and share.

nancy and david, explain when you found out, how you found out -- >> okay. so we have been listening and watching quite an amazing thing. i want to point out to you that it was august 5th that this woman, a 59-year-old woman from north carolina, was essentially feeling as though she was on death's door. that's when she arrived at emory university hospital. you can hear her now. you can see her now. john, she looks fantastic. >> you want to point that out. one thing i want to point out, she's adorable. >> i love her already. >> she's adorable right now. >> she's really quite wonderful. >> you can see the joy in her face. she said it's wonderful to be with you. i bet it is. she said good morning to liberia. she made clear that she does send her prayers to the people in west africa suffering from ebola. >> even talking about the fact that in that isolation ward at emory university hospital, five doctors, 21 nurses involved in her care and in the care of dr.

ken brantly, how difficult it was, how tremendous the care and support they received but even the amount of fun. i don't think of fun when i think of an isolation unit. let's bring elizabeth cohen in. i'm sure you are taking note of the fact that a month it has been since she arrived at hospital. it's amazing. >> she looks adorable. you want to reach through the tv and hug her. yes, absolutely, and you know, it's interesting that it would be very easy for their narrative to be one of dramaticization. she has been through a lot. she said many times i thought i'm not going to make it anymore. it's not a narrative of trauma. it's a narrative of joy. her husband we are honored and humbled to make it through this challenge. >> she looks terrific. i can't believe just a couple of

weeks she was released from this unbelievable level of care. what does she has to deal with going forward? is the ebola now totally gone? >> they say she's passed two blood tests and both were negative. now, her husband said a bit ago that she was still weak from the effects of ebola. so she doesn't have ebola anymore, but he said a while back that she was still weak from the effects of it and i imagine that is still true now. she looks to me she's lost a little bit of weight which would not be surprising, so i don't think she's feeling 1 p 00% necessarily, but she does not have ebola and i think that's an important distinction to make. >> it certainly is. thank for joining us to talk about the amazing recovery that we've seen. other thing that surprises many of us, so many talk about this couple, they have done such missionary work around the world, is the fact that her husband says whatever mission comes next, they are ready to take it. >> this was a a little bit of hopeful news going on and we

need it. what can we learn about steven sotloff's final moments? we're going to talk about the clues left behind. >> is there a cease-fire or is there not? ukraine says yes. russia says no. what is going on. we'll bring you a report from kiev. protection? [ male voice ] i'm sorry, did you say identity distribution? no. protection. identity theft protection. you have selected identity distribution. your identity will now be shared with everyone. thank you. no, no, no -- [ click, dial tone ] [ female announcer ] not all credit report sites are equal. [ male voice ] we're good in here, howie. yeah, have a good night, brother. experian.com members get personalized help plus identity theft protection. join now at experian.com. with enrollment in experian credit tracker.

that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company.

like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call today to request a free decision guide. with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. join the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp... and provided by unitedhealthcare insurance company, which has over 30 years of experience behind it. with all the good years ahead, look for the experience and commitment to go the distance with you. call now to request your free decision guide. ♪

it's a brazen assault on the ukraine. it challenges that most basic of principles of our international system. that borders cannot be redrawn at the barrel of a gun. that nations have the right to determine their own future. >> president obama speaking out forcefully, strongly against russia's military movements in ukraine. meanwhile, there's some confusion over whether ukraine and russia have actually reached a cease-fire agreement today. ukraine's president said yes they agreed in a phone call, however vladimir putin's office will not confirm that, insisting that russia isn't involved in the conflict, so it can't be involved in the cease-fire. >> so is this just semantics or

is this a denial which would only be the latest denial since fighting started in april taking the lives of 2,600 people. we're lucky we have a reporter from kiev. what's going on here? is there a cease-fire or not? >> based on the information we have, john, there is no official cease-fire in place, but one could go in effect as early as friday. let's try to clear up some of the confusion and the ambiguous statements. this all started this morning when the russian news agency reported that russian president vladimir putin and ukrainian president petro poroshenko had had a phone call and they agreed to a road map with which they would get out of this conflict. then we heard from ukrainian officials here in kiev. they confirmed the phone call and took it a step further saying that the two leaders had

established an actual cease-fire. that term wasn't in the initial statement from moscow. so we reached out to moscow to clarify and that's when president putin's spokesperson said that mr. putin was not authorized to have a cease-fire, because russia was not involved in the conflict. several minutes ago, the office of president petro poroshenko confirmed that there was a discussion again and he said he is hopeful that the process to reach a cease-fire would begin on friday and that's when all sides of this conflict meet once again in belarus, john. >> maybe that we'll hold out hope as well that maybe some agreement can be reached. we're also learning that ukrainian officials have announced that nato is going to hold military exercises in ukraine. i understand their annual exercises but let's look at the current situation.

there's a conflict going on there. >> yeah, and i think that could be interpreted by moscow as a provocative move by washington and nato. this is an annual exercise that takes place every year in western ukraine. it was supposed to take place a couple of months ago. but it was postponed. it was agreed it would happen later this month in september. that means american troops will be on the ground in western ukraine outside of the conflict zone. we're eager to see what moscow's reaction is to that. >> thanks so much for clearing it up. it sounds like as far as a cease-fire goes, it's maybe. check back in friday. >> check back in friday and maybe the framework is there for something concrete. that's the hope. >> let's hope. from ukraine now to the u.s. strategy in the fight against isis. president obama vows he wants to destroy and degrade the group. he also says he wants to make

them a manageable group. >> we will not forget. our reach is long and that justice will be served. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy.

see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern.

our objective is clear and that is to degrade and destroy isil so it's no longer a threat to iraq and the region and to the united states and those who make the mistake of harming americans will learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served. >> that was the president vowing to degrade and destroy isis after the terror group released a video showing the beheading of a second american journalist.

>> the president isn't the only world leader serving up rhetoric in the face of unthinkable brutality. some say though his message isn't tough enough. take a listen to british prime minister david cameron. >> a country like ours will not be cowed by these killers. if they think we will weaken in the face of their threats, they are wrong. we do have an opportunity through the u.n. to marshall international support and backing for the view of thissism s lixt, so so-called islamic caliphate is unacceptable and squeezed out of existence. >> joining us is cnn political commentator and paul begala. the president did say he wants to destroy and degrade isis. he said his goal is to make them a manageable threat. there have been critic who pointed out over the last

several hours, in term of rhetoric, manageable threat sounds different than the only thing to fear is fear itself and tear down this wall. >> and very different from his immediate predecessor. when he was our president, george w. bush says it was his goal to end tir nanny in the world. some the democratic colleagues are saying this president may be too cautious. what he said today is degrade and destroy. you can't pledge to eliminate terrorism in the world. you can, but i think it's an empty pledge. what people want to see is action. the president has done. he's sending 350 more troops to iraq. the guy who got elected to end the war in iraq. he's been bombing isis in iraq and now let's see if he's going

to start in syria. >> there are voices on the right are too eager to suggest that david cameron and other world leaders have used stronger and decisive language. to be fair, you would ask where are their planes? >> you are hearing critics on the democratic side, dianne feinstein, and jane harmon, both from california. ultimately it comes down to what messages are sent by this president. go back two years ago, when the president said using chemical weapons in syria would be a red line and nothing happened. when you go back to last month, when the president said there was no strategy for dealing with isis even though he had been briefed on isis for a year. that sends a message. ultimately, congress will be willing to work with the president but they need to see some leadership on him. not a statement one day that's walked back later that day. >> but, paul, when the president

says manageable threat like he did today, and i understand the argument that you can perhaps never destroy them completely, couldn't you also say our goal is to destroy them completely? >> he said degrade and destroy. but he also said he wants to make that a manageable threat. i mean, i just think that's barack obama. he's being very realistic, and keep in mind, you know, because of social media and i'm on twitter and everything, we expect immediate action. this is really difficult and we can have long-term implications if we act wrong. it did take us almost a month before we even responded to 9/11, the worst attack on american soil in our history and still it took us a month to assemble a coalition and put the battle plans to respond. the american people are going to insist on action as far as isis. >> given all of this, given the

state of the world, given the foreign policy and how it's being examined in terms of where the president stands on it, his response to isis, the ongoing threat there and the situation in ukraine, how does it all line-up when you look at the clock ticking closer and closer in terms of the mid terms? >> obviously, the president is very unpopular in a lot of swing states. that's why you see the president in california and new york. not going to kentucky or louisiana. the president's numbers are hurting. the fact that he's shown weakness right now only hurts it further. >> i don't hear a lot of talk about isis and bombing in syria on the campaign trail from either democrats or republicans. >> this is not a national security election. mid terms rarely are. the last one we had was in 2006 where the democrats swept in because americans were sick

because of president bush's war on iraq. we'll know. we'll see the avalanche of the ads. >> thank you so much for joining us today. from proposal's reaction -- president obama's reaction to the clues left behind, the second beheading of an american, people are asking who is this man? is he the same man who killed james foley? ahead qoes@this hour.

♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities.

u.s. intelligence official are closely analyze being the grisly video of the killing of steven sotloff. they are looking at it frame by frame. analyzing it. examining it. looking for any kind of clues for the british executioner. his voice i want to you listen to it. >> because of your insistence of continuing your bombings despite your serious warnings, you, obama, have yet again for your actions -- another american citizens, your missiles to

strike our people, our knives will strike the necks of your people. >> there are awful similarities between this video and the one of james foley being killed. i want to talk about that. chris voss, i want to start with you. what similarities do you see in the two videos? >> thank for having me on. let's discuss this miscrean behind this mask. what he is he's a murderer hiding behind a mask. there are similarities here and this is someone who is obviously needs to elevate his status by being on camera, and that's what this is. this is a recruitment video. they are trying to agrandize this individual. what he is is a coward hiding behind a mask. >> paul, i want to bring you in because we had fareed on new day

this morning. this is a recruitment video. these are designed to goad u.s. into action. what do you make of that? does it seem more like a recruitment video or a goading? >> i'm not sure this is actually them goading. i think this is them doing the minimum possible to show that they are responding to u.s. air strikes. so i think this is actually as awful as it is quite a

calibrated response from isis. you hit us. we hit you. but they are not yet launching or plotting it would appear an attack against the west. >> chris, just like in the james foley video, these people said they would kill steven sotloff, in the steven sotloff video, they are threatening the life of a british hostage. is there any chance, do you think at this point, that that man's life will be spared? >> well, they are on a path and they have probably already chosen that path and paul makes a good point, we're talking about who the intended audience is for the video. there's a pretty good chance unfortunately that this british innocent person, that his fate has already been sealed and isis is simply waiting to try to maximize, to get as much mileage as they can out of this publicity campaign of theirs and the fact that they are engaging in publicity, is not an either

or. i think goading is third on their list and recruitment and satisfaction of the followers are primarily the objectives. unfortunately, more than likely, the risk level couldn't be higher for this british gentleman and it's probably -- it may have already happened. >> here's the thing, we know there are other journalists and hostages being held in the hands of rebels and in the hands of isis behind that, and there are likely other people whose lives are on the line, so how far does this go? we understand that the nato forces, the u.s. are working to try and figure out how to push back on isis, but in terms of these people, there have been several efforts made to rescue them and they have failed. >> they have failed and unfortunately now i think we can expect every couple of weeks another one of these terrible, grisly murders, executions from isis and the question is, you know, whether they escalate from here and there's real concern,

this is a group with reach into countries like jordan and turkey and lebanon, some u.s. interests, u.s. facilities in these countries. could they try and strike next against these type of targets. real concern that may be next here unfortunately. >> well, it's an appalling thought but we do appreciate you both joining us to talk about this video and what might be to come and talk about what the united states and other nations might need to do. thanks to both of you. >> we don't want that image with him as the knife to his throat of the last people think of steven sotloff. we want to get some reaction of some friends of this american journalist. >> steven was my hero.

he was someone who could not ignore pain and injustice. he felt responsible. and he had to respond. >> he was concerned that he had been on some kind of a list. and this was about the time that isis first turned up. >> he told me he had one last story that he was working on. he didn't tell me what it was. and he said this was kind of the end. he was a little bit tired of it all. >> he had the same fear that all of us have working in syria.

the paranoia it the fear. the uncertainty. >> those are friends and colleagues speak out now about steven sotloff, a man the president today called a devoted and courageous journalist. that's how his friends and family want him to be remembered. for the person he was. a good reporter. ready to risk anything to get the real story. not what isis militants tried to portray him when they forced him to speak out against his country and his president dressed like this in an orange jump suit with a knife at his throat. we understand you have had a chance to get to know this young man, this journalist, learn some more about him. can you tell us more what you've learned? >> well, we've learned that sotloff was born here in miami and that he had a very strong interest in journalism from a very young age. we also know that he went to high school in new hampshire and that while he was there, he helped revitalize the school's newspaper. that interest in journalism

followed him through college. he went to university of central florida and majored in journalism. like most people from miami, he was very much a fan of several local sports teams. i want to show you his twitter page, because that's where you really get a sense of that. if you look at his twitter page, you'll see posts about those teams mixed in with tweets about his work in the middle east. in fact, his last tweet, which was dated august 3rd of 2013, was about the miami heat, and it was posted just before, shortly before, he went missing in syria. >> a kid from florida who roots for the heat, probably roots for the dolphins, went to kimball union in new hampshire for a little bit. sotloff's mother, last week, we played that really heart wrenching video of shirley sotloff pleading for her son's life. what's the family now saying? >> well, john, if you go to the family's hoe, you'll see a growing media presence outside. so far, they have made the

decision not to talk to any reporters. you can imagine this family's going through what is perhaps the worst moment in their lives. they want to do this in private. they did release a statement yesterday though through a spokesperson and this person says the family is aware of the video and that they are grieving privately. i just want to make a note of the fact that you have to keep in mind the sotloff family has shied away from the media attention. in fact, a close friend of sotloff told me that only a handful of people, close friends and family, knew that steven sotloff had been kidnapped in august of last year. it wasn't until that other video, where you saw the beheading of james foley, that the rest of us learned about steven sotloff. >> quick final question. do we know why he chose the middle east? there's so many other places in the world. we knew he was dedicated to helping people and telling stories. why did he choose the middle east? >> according to one of his close friends at ucf, he says that

steven sotloff talked about going to the middle east, wanting to go to the middle east, and that this friend thought he was very curious about his jewish roots and wanted to explore that. >> how about that? >> obviously wanted to keep those jewish roots, i am sure, secret from isis when he was held captive. may have been one reason why the family wanted to keep things so close to the vest over those last several months. >> that was something that was important to all of us on our show to talk about this young man and who he was. >> if you want to remember steven sotloff, read his work. okay. so stay with cnn all day. later, our jim sciutto's going to interview defense secretary chuck hagel. they will speak about the u.s. strategy in the middle east right now dealing with isis. also, everything that's going on in ukraine. >> that's it for us "at this hour." >> "legal view" starts right after the break.

whenwork with equity experts who work with regional experts who work with portfolio management experts that's when expertise happens. mfs. because there is no expertise without collaboration.

suddenly you're a mouth breather. a mouth breather! how do you sleep like that? you dry up, your cold feels even worse. well, put on a breathe right strip and shut your mouth. cold medicines open your nose over time, but add a breathe right strip, and pow! it instantly opens your nose up to 38% more so you can breathe and do the one thing you want to do. sleep. add breathe right to your cold medicine. shut your mouth and sleep right. breathe right. but parallel parking isn't one you do a lof them.ings great. add breathe right to your cold medicine.

you're either too far from the curb. or too close to other cars... it's just a matter of time until you rip some guy's bumper off. so, here are your choices: take the bus. or get liberty mutual insurance. for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. see car insurance in a whole new light. call liberty mutual insurance. more beheadings. more mass killings. more suicide bombings. prompting president obama to order hundreds more u.s. troops to baghdad. their stated mission, for now, protecting the u.s. embassy and american personnel. also ahead, what does isis hope to gain