in a few minutes the french president will speak. president obama spoke earlier today and said many moving words. one of the most moving moments i saw from earlier was an elderly world war ii vet went up to the president, shook his hand, talked to him for a while. the president treated him with much respect. a very moving moment. i want to bring in historian ken davis right now. tell us a little bit about sword beach. there are a number of beaches on the shores of normandy. tell us the significance of this beach. we don't have ken yet. let's listen to the ceremony. they're playing the french national anthem now. ♪ >> the french president is about to approach the podium. he'll begin giving remarks. jim acosta is on omaha beach. you've been watching the ceremony all morning long. give us a little flavor, jim. >> that's right, carol. we've been standing here in normandy at the normandy american cemetery and memorial all morning long. i have to tell you i've had a chance to walk among these gravestones. it's really an inspiring and moving experience. but one thing that we did hear this morning and i think you touched on it a few moments ago is the president's tribute to the d-day veterans who were on hand here today and his tribute to what happened here at normandy 70 years ago, the president describing this place as democracy's beach head. carol, it was really striking because all morning long we've just seen veteran after veteran come through here along with their families, family members of the fallen who are here. some 9300 americans buried here in normandy. it's been a tremendous experience all morning long. as you mentioned, the president has been attending to other ceremonies here. he had the heads of state lunch up the coast at sword beach. and one thing we've been waiting to see if it's indeed going to happen is whether or not the president has a face-to-face encounter and speaks with russian president vladimir putin. from what we understand at this point, the two were close enough to touch one another, but in the presence of reporters who were right there with the two leaders, they did not observe the two leaders talking to one another or exchanging words at this point. we're waiting to hear from white house officials whether or not that indeed happened. carol, i can tell you, i talked to the president's national security adviser susan rice earlier this morning after the ceremony was over at omaha beach, and she said that, you know, the president has spoken with vladimir putin over the phone. she said putin knows where president obama is coming from, but if they have the chance to talk, she say it is president will communicate what he's been saying over the last several days. if the united states expects to ask the separatists in eastern ukraine, if the president has that chance to interact with vladimir putin, that will be the words expressed. as you know, carol, all week long this president has been distracted somewhat by the story of bowe bergdahl. we really didn't hear the president talk about that today, but i did have the chance to talk to susan rice about that. i asked susan rice about whether or not she felt at this point knowing the facts as they stand right now, whether or not bowe bergdahl was a deserter. she said we just don't have that information at this point. she went on to say that bowe bergdahl like other americans deserved to be considered innocent until proven guilty and he really hasn't had a chance to give his side of the story, and that until that side of the story is given, that americans shouldn't draw conclusions from that at this point. the other thing -- >> let me just interrupt you for just a second, jim. your interview with susan rice was spot on. it was a great get, and you're the first person to interview susan rice, the national security adviser, since she made those comments on abc news. i know you asked her the question did she regret calling bowe bergdahl a hero on national television on sunday, and she made no apologies for that. let's listen to what she told you now. >> i want to start off with bowe bergdahl. let's just jump right into it. i guess yesterday there were congressional sources telling reporters that had word leaked out about the deal to free bowe bergdahl, that he would have been killed. did the administration explain that to lawmakers, and is that the reason why the administration did not notify congress before this exchange took place? >> jim, we're very concerned about the well-being of bowe bergdahl. he has been in captivity for five years. we have indications that his health may be fragile. so there was a real sense of urgency to obtaining his freedom. the president had the opportunity to do so, and it was an opportunity that could well have been fleeting, and he chose to take it. he feels very strongly that that was the right decision. all of us on the national security team were unanimous in supporting and recommending that we take this opportunity. >> but was that the reason you didn't notify congress because there was this threat on his life if word leaked out. >> we had reason to be concerned about his life. we also had reason to be concerned that the 30-day period that would normally be honored was too long. that had we waited that long, we may have well missed what general dempsey called the last best opportunity to bring him back. we don't leave anybody on the battlefield, regardless of the conditions of their capture. as a prisoner of war, bowe bergdahl deserved and we had the obligation and the commander in chief had the obligation to do what was necessary to bring him home. >> let me ask you about some comments you made last sunday on one of the sunday talk shows. you said that bowe bergdahl served with honor and distinction. it's come out since then that some of his fellow soldiers say he was a deserter. he may have wandered off the post there in afghanistan. did you misspeak? did you get that wrong? >> jim, i realize there's been a lot of discussion and controversy around this, but what i was referring to is the fact that this was a young man who volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of war. that is itself a very honorable thing. >> but honor and distinction. >> jim, really. this is a young man whose circumstances we are still going to learn about. he is, as always americans, innocent until proven guilty. he's now being tried in the court of public opinion after having gone through an enormously traumatic five years of captivity, his parents the same. i think what we need to care most about is his health and well-being and recovery. there'll be an opportunity and the military has committed to review the circumstances of his capture. if there is a consequence that results from that, that will be delivered, but in the meantime, let's remember this is a young man who volunteered to serve his country. he was taken as a prisoner of war. he suffered in captivity. he's now trying to begin the process of recovery. let's let that happen and let's know the facts including his side of the story and then we can make a judgment. >> okay. do you know based on the latest information, was he a deserter? >> we don't have reason to come to that conclusion yet. obviously he needs to be debriefed. his side of the story matters, too. let the military work in the first instance to bring him back to health. we'll have a full and comprehensive review of what happened. >> after benghazi, you blamed that attack on an anti-muslim video. you know you've become a gop lightning rod, accused by republican critics of being fast and loose with the fact with some of these sunday talk show appearances. are you being up front by the american people or are you being guided by talking points? >> jim, i'm up front with the american people. i always do my best on behalf of my country and do my best until the facts as we know them. in the case of bowe bergdahl, for me to condemn him without any opportunity for him to have the chance to tell his side of the story, without any due process that we accord any american, that would be inherently unfair. similarly with benghazi, as has been recounted on many occasions, i provided the best information that the u.s. government had at the time. parts of it turned out to be wrong. i regret that the information i was provided was wrong and that i delivered to the american people. that doesn't make me a liar. that makes me a public servant trying to say what we knew at the time and when i gave that information i caveated it and noted it was what we knew then and there, but it could well change. >> i'm sure a lot of our viewers would like to dive further into the benghazi controversy. but let me move on to one of the main reasons why the president went on this trip, and that is to talk about the crisis in ukraine. we heard the president say during his news conference that russia has the chance to return to the lane of international law. >> i don't think those were his precise words. >> well, they have the opportunity to do that. but i guess what i'm curious about, and i know we were talking about this before the president may have an encounter with vladimir putin, is he letting russian president off the hook here? >> absolutely not. the international community led by the united states has been absolutely clear. russia's behavior has been contrary to international law, as the president said repeatedly, including just yesterday. the annexation of crimea was illegal. it was not recognized by any rational country or the majority of countries in the international community. we have rallied the countries of the world to impose costly sanctions on russia for its actions, and we continue to make clear that, if they are actively involved going forward in destabilizing ukraine, there's a very real prospect of additional sanctions and pressure. and what the president has done over the course of this week in meeting with our g-7 colleagues is to come together around a mutual understanding of what our shared posture will be and has been, and by holding together our western partners in europe and our allies around the world, we have successfully isolated russia and exacted real costs for its behavior in ukraine. >> it seems every one of these foreign trips he's had over the last couple months, there have been questions about his foreign policy. he described it as, well, sometimes you hit singles and doubles and you may occasionally get a home run. a lot of critics on the left and the right describe that as uninspiring. does the president want to have an inspiring foreign policy. >> jim, did you listen to his speech today? did you listen to his speech in warsaw? this is about american leadership, and president obama is deeply, deeply committed to america playing its unique role of leadership in the world, a role that no other country can match. here we are at the 70th celebration, commemoration of d-day side by side with our oldest ally in the world, france, on hallowed ground where over 9,000 americans are buried. this embodies american leadership and our commitment to a europe and a world that's whole and free, a democratic future, a future where the dignity of every man and woman is respected. that's what we stand for, what our leadership is about. that's why we have the greatest network of alliances and partnerships that the world has ever seen, including most profoundly here in europe where nato and the united states stand side by side as we have for generations. >> you acknowledge that these questions have hung overall these recent trips. do you bear any responsibility for that? has he been frustrated with you about this? >> jim, critics will be critics. we have the obligation in leading foreign policy. >> hasn't he struggled somewhat? >> i don't think criticism has been fair. i think the fact of the matter is we're living in complex times. there are many different challenges that the united states and the world faces. but our leadership is unmatched. our role is indispensable. there is no other country on the planet with our military might, our economy, our diversity, our resources, our growing energy independence and our alliances. everywhere we go, in each of the trips you've referred to, we have met and stood side by side with allies who look to the united states, not only for partnership and security, but for the moral leadership to ensure that we're living in a world where our values are upheld and where our security is maintained. so you may see one version of this. i'm sitting in the meetings and watching and seeing the interaction with the leaders and the people that we are engaging with. i can tell you they have confidence in president obama, they have confidence in the united states and its leadership. without that, they acknowledge they would be much, much less secure. >> you talked about d-day and how the u.s. and its allies stood up against aggression during world war ii. let me ask you about syria. do you think you're going to look back -- do you think this administration is going to look back and think that perhaps you missed an opportunity, a window of opportunity to stop bashar al assad and what has been an atrocity in that country. >> jim, we're all deeply concerned and heartbroken by the suffering in syria. that's why the united states has been the single largest contributor of humanitarian assistance, providing over $1.7 billion. that's why the united states has ramped up its support for the moderate vetted opposition, providing lethal and non-lethal support where we can to support both the civilian opposition and the military opposition. >> will we see training -- >> we're continuing to ramp that up as the president indicated at west point. we want to work with congress to be able to do that. but we're also working very importantly with our allies and partners in the region trying to help the neighbors of syria, countries like jordan and iraq, turkey and lebanon, who are also suffering the consequences of the spillover of the conflict to be able to protect their borders and protect their people. we're working on the counterterrorism challenge. as we have seen, there are increasingly emanating from syria the threat of terrorism to the neighbors and beyond. all of these are concerns we have. that's why our efforts are increasing and why we'll remain very much engaged both in trying to support the syrian people and trying to support the syrian opposition. >> and standing on this ground here, the weather is almost asthma jess tick as the ground we're standing on. what lessons do you draw from this anniversary? >> the most profound lesson is that americans have always been willing to sacrifice blood and treasure for what is right. we had the opportunity to honor those veterans who are here today, some in their 90s, my father's age when he passed. he also served in world war ii. i think all of us were very moved by their sacrifice and reminded of the sacrifice of our men and women of the 9/11 generation, who also were here represented today who are serving and have served at great risk and have done so with tremendous commitment. it makes us all, i think, certainly makes me exceedingly proud. >> they've been a great generation, too. madam ambassador, susan rice, thank you for joining us. appreciate your time. >> she certainly was not apologetic, jim acosta. she was a little defensive. does she realize she's a lightning rod for certain factions in this country? >> reporter: i think she knows that, carol. but frankly, i'm not sure she really cares that much. she a fierce defender of the president and his foreign policy. you heard me ask her about the fact that almost during all of these last trips he's been on over the last couple months his foreign policy has been questioned. it's been front and center. it's been subject of debates on the right and the left, and she was basically saying during that interview that the allies of the united states know where president obama stands and so she was unapologetic about that. i also think it was interesting, carol, that she is determined, and i think this administration is determined at least at this point to not draw any final conclusions about bowe bergdahl. yes, some of his fellow soldiers have called him a deserter. there are questions about how he landed in taliban hands. this administration at this point is saying, you know what? the pentagon needs to conduct its own investigation, and bergdahl needs to give his side of the story. wet haven't heard that at this point. so that is also interesting. one final thing i want to point out, carol, is during our discussion about syria, the white house has been fairly -- not very specific, frankly, about what kind of assistance they're providing to the syrian moderate opposition. you heard at one point during that interview where susan rice used the term lethal and non-lethal assistance. my understanding is that the white house has not really described it in that fashion. they've talked about military and non-military, a little bit of distinction there, but also a little bit of news that she described it as legal and non-lethal assistance. i'm sure up to this point that the white house has not gone that far in describing their assistance. >> we'll talk much mover about all this later on. you're watching angela merkel walking down the red carpet to greet the french president who will begin speaking on sword beach in a short time. you can see other world leaders are approaching their seats as well, accompanied by children, a nice scene there. earlier in the day president obama laid a wreath at the american cemetery overlooking omaha beach. the president declaring the story should be, quote, seared into the memory of future generations. he paid tribute to them during a moving speech. >> whenever the world makes you cynical, whenever you doubt that courage and goodness is possible, stop and think of these men, although i know we already gave them a rousing round of applause along with all our veterans at d-day. if you can stand, please stand. if not, please raise your hand. let us recognize your service once more. these men waged war so we might know peace. they sacrificed so we might be free. they fought in hopes of a day when we no longer need to fight. we are grateful to them. >> let's bring in christiane amanpour live on sword beach where the french president is about to speak, and kenneth davis, author of "don't know much about history." ken, i'd like to start with you. i'd like to focus on just the veterans who are there. they're in their 80s and 90s. there aren't many left, frankly. as you know, thousands of americans died storming the beaches of normandy. there was one moment when an elderly veteran approached president obama and had a brief conversation with him. it was a touching moment. did you catch it? >> i did not see that particular moment, carol. first of all, thank you for allowing me -- i'm honored to be part of this very, very important day in not only american history but world history. too many of us and especially the younger generation have forgotten what this day is about. the president is speaking about men and we see the older men there. but remember these were teenagers, many of them teenagers on that day 70 years ago. this is what abraham lincoln talked about when he talked about making the great sacrifice, giving the last full measure of devotion. that's what we're honoring today. >> i'm just looking at this picture. this elderly veteran, he walked himself up to the president, the president helping him back to his seat. the moment touched me. we're 70 years out now. and i think you're right, people do forget and they forget to pause and honor these men on this particular day. i find that sad. >> we just had memorial day, of course. that's a day on which we honor those who did give the last full measure of devotion as lincoln said. this is another day to reflect on that and what sacrifice means. unfortunately for a lot of americans today, the military and war has really been removed to us. during world war ii, no home was untouched by this, no household was untouched, everyone watched and waited for news of what was going on in europe every minute. of course, while the war was going on in europe, americans were also fighting in the pacific. this truly was a world war. we forget how all-encompassing this was 70 years ago and that, as eisenhower said, as he told the troops, this was a great crew said. this is fighting for something much, much larger than some of the things we sometimes think about. that's kind of what we're talking about today and when we say this is a turning point in history, it's a turning point in all of world history. it's not just an american moment. certainly the british were there, the french. the soviet union lost tens of millions of people in fighting the germans. and one of the reasons, of course, that president putin is there today. of course, there were no soviets in normandy that day, but this was an alliance that defeated naziism. >> i want to center on the politics of this with christiane right now. everyone was waiting for president putin and president putin to get together. apparently they did meet briefly according to the french president. i want to put up a picture, everyone had lunch. you can see the president sitting next to the queen of england. you can see president putin reading his program there. they certainly didn't talk at lunch. but at some time they did speak briefly. what do you suppose that was like, christiane? >> well, you know, they were seated frankly quite close to each other. a little bit of a tap dance situation going on. according to the pool, that picture you're showing, they talked after the lunch in an informal, before all coming here which is what's happening right now, coming to sword beach for the big celebration that is bound to be incredibly dramatic. i would say what went on in that conversation, if the president said what he was going to say in public yesterday, that he wants president putin to stop the flow of fighters and weapons into the eastern ukraine and to start proper talks and negotiations to authorize his top officials to engage with the ukrainian authorities, to defuse this crisis which putin himself started several months ago. that is what the west, president obama, the allies are demanding, asking of president putin. if not, they have said there will be more sanctions. even though maybe the world doesn't think those are very hefty, they have, in fact, had a significant impact. they've had an impact on not just the russian economy but also in the confidence of the russian system right now. people are not wanting to invest, not foreigners, not russians who are bringing their cash out in billions of dollars, and this is a big issue now for russia. so that is what clearly the message that will be transmitted from president obama to president putin. and we just saw a really touching historic moment. angela merkel, the chancellor of germany who has also had tough words with president putin came here. the germans were the enemy. nonetheless, she got a rousing welcome and cheer when she arrived here on this beach. and president hollande took her over to meet some of the veterans. it was really moving and touching, again, to see in 70 years, how far germany has come, what a solid, solid european democracy it is. and guess why? because the united states and the marshall plan really did help it. they enacted this enormous denazification program. they, too, in this case have tough words for president putin. everything here reeks of symbolism, not just for the past and commemoration and venn ration, not just for the people who died, but of those who also survived as well as using this to look forward to what has to happen right now, carol. >> all right. christiane amanpour, many thanks. thanks to you ken davis. i have to take a break. i'll be back with much more in the "newsroom." ♪ touch down... every morning... ten times! not just... now and then. once more on the rise... nuts to the flabby guys! go, you chicken fat, go away! go, you chicken fat, go! run, two, run (running) (like a tortoise) okay! 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battle would have changed the course of world war ii and along with it world history. as i said at this hour, the french president at the end of that red carpet here, he's welcoming his counterparts, about to speak ahead of a performance to spotlight d-day, the victory of allied forces in world were ii and rebuilding of europe. more than 156,000 troops rushed the english channel in 1944, many of them barely out of their teens. the survivors in their 80s and 90s also in attendance in what one observer said could be the last d-day gathering of this side. earlier today president obama laid a wreath at the american cemetery overlooking omaha beach, the final resting place for more than 9,000 u.s. servicemen. i want to go to omaha beach and bring in michelle kosinski and talk more sadly about the politics of this event because politics is always with us no matter what. it is important that president putin at least talked with president obama for a few moments. describe how that meeting took place. >> reporter: i think more is being made out of this than really needs to be. when you look at what this event is, it's a commemoration for these war veterans and the events that happened here in which russia played a significant role. it's just a strange kind of setup when you have the g-7 in the last few days. it would have been the g8 if yush yeah hadn't been essentially kicked out because of events in ukraine. all eyes have been on what's going to happen here between these leaders at this leaders' lunch. that's really all the interaction that they were going to have today. we even had body language experts around the world saying they couldn't wait to see what it would look like even between presidents putin and obama. what we saw going into this lunch, and, yes, we were all watching to see what exactly would happen. it almost seemed like a deliberate snub. there was a lot of friendliness and greeting going on. it did almost look like these two presidents were actively avoiding each other. now we know that a meeting on the sidelines, as it's being described, did take place. when you think about it, this is not a place or a time where you can expect real progress to be made. if they said hello and shook hands and had a few words, you have to ask what really could have come out of that. i think what has been interesting over the past few days is that vladimir putin has had official bilateral meetings with france, england, germany. he had a dinner with the french president last night. it's been so chilly between the u.s. and russia that president hollande actually had to schedule two separate dinners, one so he could meet with president obama alone and then another so he could meet with president putin. some of this odd setup, the awkwardness of it all has really fueled the excitement around what would happen. we're waiting from the white house to hear what, if anything, was talked about in that meeting. president obama made it clear when he was asked about this directly yesterday, if you to meet, what will you say? he said he would continue to convey that message that we've been hearing about throughout the ukraine crisis, that russia needs to actively deescalate the situation and that their behavior thus far has been unacceptable, carol. >> if other interesting meeting that took place, i understand president putin met briefly or brushed by the president elect of ukraine. do you know about that? >> reporter: i'm glad you brought that up. we were sort of surprised and heartened that hear that that had happened. all the information is coming out really within the last half hour or so. there are pool reporters in there kind of telling us in dribs and drabs what's happening. so, yes, they did have a meet and greet. everybody thinks, oh, that's nice, that's good. but as some of the world leaders mentioned yesterday, that's not exactly sitting down at the table and having a real discussion about how to deescalate this crisis. there's continuing violence on the ground and what the west continues to call for is for russia to truly sit down with the presidents elect of ukraine and have those productive discussions. not so much, hey, hello, nice to see you, over lunch. >> i'm watching the pictures of queen elizabeth walking down the red carpet. admiring her outfit. very bright and cheery. >> there's a lot of that going on. everybody looks at this sort of interesting setup of this, too. you have president hollande in the middle. on either side of him are two queens, queen elizabeth and the queen of denmark. on the sides of them, you president obama and president putin. very esteemed positions there. but the two seemingly, at least how they're relating to each other, could not be more far apart this day. i think that's what draws a lot of the interest. it's very chilly at best, and i guess awkward at the same time, carol. >> one of the most touching moments i think, and i'm going to bring this up again because i just admire the chutzpah of this elderly veteran who got up to shake president obama's hand and talk to him. we don't know what they said. he walked right up to the president like he was just any other guy and began speaking to him. the president took his hand and led him to the front row. i was touched by that. here is the moment, michelle. >> please now observe a moment of silence. >> do i still have you michelle? >> reporter: yes. are you listening? >>ist jufs going to watch the moment. i'm glad we watched it unfold in silence. it was so muching. there are not many veterans who are still on this earth, but those who are, seem to have turned out in force for this event. the other interesting thing is that some of the post 9/11 veterans also attended this ceremony and sat among these elderly veterans. that was also wonderful to see. >> reporter: right. and president obama, he didn't talk about modern day events so much during his speech. this was really to reflect on those moments during this extraordinary moment in history, and at the very end of the speech he did mention that post 9/11 veterans, their volunteering for the country in the same spirit, he put it, as did these men 70 years ago. you're right. i think some of the most touching moments weren't about the kind of pomp and circumstance, of course. but looking at the faces of these veterans and watching them listen to president obama's words, describing that day and kind of some of the details that he's gleaned from veterans over the years from the invasion here, you just wonder what's going through their minds. you look at them and, yes, they're in advanced years now, but you think some of them were only 16 years old when that happened. and i think it chokes a lot of people up to hear the speech and some of those descriptions that were given and the personal stories, and then you see them stand. when president obama said the veterans that were there and are here today, stand up if you can, and they got a big round of applause. because of your sacrifice we're free today. it reminds us of interviews we've done over the years with normandy veterans and how much in their advanced age that emotion is really on the surface. and they talked about it with us, that as they get older, because they never maybe really fully processed it psychologically through their lives, it was so traumatic, that now that they're older, they reflect on it more and it's more painful to them, some of them have told us. and often now they don't want to talk about it. you'll sit down for an interview and they know that's why they're there, but it's so difficult for them to speak of what they saw that day. for someone who isn't connected to it, even to watch it and try to imagine, it's really tough to imagine being there, especially at that age, carol. they were boys, 16, 17 years old. >> i know, and such bravery displayed on that day because they stormed the beaches and were immediately under fire. i think most people's memories of this war, at least the younger generation come from the movie "private ryan" and you see that opening scene. it was such a gripping scene. i do remember that. we're watching prince philip and camila walk down the red carpet. i want to go to ken davis, our historian. tell us, ken, why events are so important. >> for the reason that abraham lincoln said we should stand on sacred ground and remember that these dead shall not have died in vain. it's very easy, especially as time goes by and we lose the individual stories, not the dates and the battles and the speeches of what happened 70 years ago, but the stories of the boys, the young men who did give the last full measure of devotion, and this was a moment in history that could have gone the other way. we live in a world where time can change things very quickly. a few days before d-day, there had been a test run, a practice run in which 700 men died because a ship was sunk. if that had happened today and that news had leaked out, maybe the whole thing would have been called off. it was a very, very different time and every one of those lives is so precious. that's what we have to remember today. >> absolutely. i called prince charles prince philip. my apologies to all the prince charles fans out there. i want to bring in jim sciutto in washington right now. jim, i've sure you've been to normandy. i've always wanted to go. tell us what it's like there? >> reporter: it's a harrowing place, it's a holy place. it's full of -- when you're there, it's hard not to -- whatever you believe, it's hard not to feel the spirits of that moment 70 years ago. of course, you see it in the grave sites in those white crosses, those iconic white crosses. but also even on the beach as you walk, it's peaceful and uner in vingly peaceful in light of the violence that took place there 70 years ago. you mentioned that scene in "saving private ryan" which i think is probably all of our most realistic experience of what it must have felt like that day. and you contrast it. it also always seems that it's a blue sky day there at normandy, particularly for these events. i don't know if i have that right statistically. it seems that way. when i went there, it was the same way, kind of the blue sky, the peace, the beauty, the contrast with the carnage and the violence in that very costly but still important moment in our country's history, in europe's history, and i think the other thought today is just the line that can be drawn between that moment 70 years ago and what's happening now. this thought, we'd all hope, the specter of war in europe had been erased by world war ii, and not to compare the scale of world war ii is what is happening in eastern ukraine now. but when i was there last week to see violence -- remember ukraine is in europe, and to see violence and gunfire and armed forces fighting in the streets of eastern ukraine today in the year 2014, it's a reminder that these -- of the importance of diplomacy, of the importance of negotiation, face-to-face meetings like the ones you have today between president obama and president putin and also these organizations, nato, the g-7, designed to -- the eu, designed to prevent the repetition of what happened 70 years ago. it brings back memories and we'd like to think this is all behind us, but situations like we're seeing now in ukraine are a reminder that there are still challenges, still disagreements, still conflict. we, of course, want those resolved quickly. >> i'm going to interrupt you for just a second. we're watching president obama now arriving on sword beach. he'll probably get out of one of these vehicles to greet the french president. i'll go to ken davis. this happens every five to ten years. i must say it's a beautiful ceremony and i love the way they're doing it with children. actually, let's stop and listen. ♪ as we watch president obama walk down the red carpet, i want to bring in christiane amanpour. it's a beautiful moment. >> it really is, and he had a huge cheer that just went up as the president came down. everywhere he's gone today, huge cheers have gone up, whether people see him on big screens or in real life. listen. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: did you see president putin clapping? >> i did, not enthusiastically i might add. >> well, he still clapped and that's a big deal. first of all, he's very popular, president obama overseas. secondly, the american effort, the supremely heroic effort of the united states under general eisenhower and president roosevelt during world war ii has been one that the whole continent has thanked america for for the last 70 years, and today president hollande in his speeches was very, very clear in every single speech and in all the literature that we've all been given, all the press kids and all the rest of it, this is a day to thank the united states and pay tribute to all of those who fell on these normandy beaches, and to thank america and the rest of the allies, but most particularly america for turning around the course of history. i'm telling you, president putin is not getting an incredibly warm welcome herement whenever his picture goes up, it's not good. people here are really clapping president obama and he paid enormous tribute to obviously the american forces who gave their lives 70 years ago. he gave that marvelous speech at the cemetery where more than 9,000 american graves are represented by those simple, simple white crosses. it's a graveyard, a cemetery that we've seen many, many times over the years. every single time it's incredibly moving. and there they are together. >> are they? >> it's a split screen. >> reporter: everybody here is reacting. the entire place is reacting to that. >> this is french tv by the way, just so people know where this is coming from. >> reporter: it's not just french tv, it's the global television. this is the pool. this is what the world is seeing and it's being put up on that massive screen that is behind me. those screens that are now gray that look like barricades are, in fact, big video screens. you just saw something remarkable and you saw this entire crowd full of veterans, full of guests, full of dignitaries, 19 world leaders, kings, queens, presidents, prime ministerless and obviously a healthy dose of the press, there was a huge reaction to that split screen. perhaps, carol, if i might be so bold, part of it is because it's an interesting picture to see on a day like this and a time like this when so clearly these world leaders are at loggerheads. it's also a very, very important moment because what happened here 70 years ago turned the world around, turned around the course of history, made the beginning of the democratize asian and liberation of europe. that is something that has been guarded over the last 70 years. there was the soviet union for so many years. even that for the last 25 years, this continent has been one of freedom and democracy. now that is threatened. obviously not in the scale that we saw back then, but at a very, very important moment. eastern ukraine is posing the biggest challenge to the west, the biggest chill has descended between east and west since the cold war, and that little part of europe is now very, very significant because many people are saying that it could really be on the abyss of tipping into a full-scale civil war. this is something that at all costs has to be stopped, and president obama has had private meeting the day with president putin, sort of an aside after the lunch before they came here. president putin has had one-on-ones with the chancellor of germany, president of france, prime minister of great britain. he's getting one message, and that is back off, stop supporting the separatists in ukraine. stop the flow of fighters and arms into eastern ukraine. take this window of opportunity now pa petro poroshenko has been elected the president of ukraine and let's get this back on an equal and level footing and re-enter the lane of international norms and international law. that and this is a very, very important moment for that message to sink in because president putin has been reaping the woes of what he has sewn. russia's economy is suffering. russia's popularity is suffering. russia is now a risk nation. people don't want to invest there as much as they did before. they are worried. this is a moment for president putin as these world leaders are telling him to seize this day and to shake petro poroshenko's hand. >> incredible cheers as the american president arrived. the not so warm welcome that president putin received. when both men were put on the screen together, the audience reacted. does that matter in the circles of diplomacy, jim? >> it shows where people want this to go. they want a peaceful resolution of this conflict. is throwback to the cold war. the u.s. and west at loggerheads with russia and sadly violence resulting from it. i wonder if we see a window opening in putin's exile, russia's exile since the start of the crisis. you have had bilateral meetings and this casual informal meeting on margins of the lunch with president obama. a unified message from all of them saying back off but at the same time an olive branch offered as the president said yesterday that trust can be rebuilt within a time frame. president said we'll get this two, three, four weeks to see if russia backs off and storms sending arms to the fighter in the east. when the ukraine crisis was at the worst, russia was booted out of the g-8. it's the g-7 again. a suspension at least for now. here you have them standing within proximity of president obama. they were at lunch close together. they shook hands at lunch and spoke for 10 to 15 minutes we're told. an opening there. you know, patience limited. that's the other message as well. and just reiterating the point how you draw a line between this conflict 70 years ago and what's happening today, nothing on the same scale as what happened during world war ii but it is a reminder that peace in europe is built on agreement and diplomacy. that's broken down in eastern ukraine. and there's real violence and real fears of a civil war there. >> understood. jim sciutto, christiane amanpour, ken davis, stand by. we have to take a break. we'll be back with more in the "newsroom." a woman who loves to share her passions. grandma! mary has atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts her at a greater risk of stroke. rome? 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good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for joining me. national security adviser susan rice makes no apologies for calling sergeant bowe bergdahl's service honorable. for the first time since rice stirred the hornet's nest on national television, she sat down with jim accosta in france where ceremonies are under way honoring soldiers that invaded the beaches of normandy bringing an end to world war ii. >> what i was referring to is the fact that this was a young man who volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of war. that's a very honorable thing. and. >> reporter: honor and distinction. >> this is a young man whose circumstances we are still going to learn about. as all americans, he's innocent until proven guilty. he's now being tried in the court of public opinion after having gone through enormously traumatic five years of captivity. his parents, the same. what we need to care most about is his health and well-being and recovery. there will be an opportunity and the military has committed to review the circumstances of his capture. if there is a consequence that results from that, that will be delivered. in the meantime, let's remember this is a young man who volunteered to serve his country. he was taken as a prisoner of war. he suffered in captivity. he's now trying to begin the process of recovery. let's let that happen. and then let's know the facts including his side of the story and then we can make a judgment. >> it is interesting to note rice did not repeat the assertions, the strong assertions she made about bergdahl on abc last sunday. >> he's going to be safely reunited with his family. he served the united states with honor and distinction. >> so you can see the difference between the two remarks. cnn's senior white house correspondent jim accosta is in france and candy crowley is in washington. i want to start with you, jim. he asked the white house about the new story line the taliban would kill bergdahl if a swap wasn't made. what did she say about that? >> she didn't exactly confirm what we heard that the administration gave this briefing a couple days ago on capitol hill and told senators that if word had leaked out, if they notified congress about this deal to trade bergdahl for five taliban prisoners, that bergdahl would have been killed. she didn't exactly confirm that but there was a concern for his life and national security team had no regrets about the deal that freed the former p.o.w. >> we're very concerned about bergdahl. he had been in captivity for five years. indications that he may be fragile. there was a sense of urgency to obtaining his freedom. the president had the opportunity to do so. and it was an opportunity that could well have been fleeting. he chose to take it. and he feels very strongly that that was the right decision. all of us on the national security team were unanimous in supporting and recommending that we take this opportunity. >> was that the reason why you didn't notify congress because there was this threat on his life if word leaked out? >> we had reason to be concerned about his life but also reason to be concerned the 30-day period that would normally be honored was too long. had we waited that long, we may have well missed what general dempsey called the last best opportunity to bring him back. we don't leave anybody on the battlefield regardless of the conditions of their capture. as a prisoner of war, bowe bergdahl deserved and we had the obligation and commander in chief had the obligation to do what was necessary to bring him home. >> and so susan rice really echoed what we heard from senior administration officials all week. one senior officials yesterday told reporters if president obama had to do it all over again, he would. carol? >> jim accosta reporting live from france this morning. i want to bring in cnn chief political correspondent candy crowley now. a question for you. the administration appears just to be swimming upstream at this point. why not get ahead of this? come out and say he may have been a deserter and we knew that. why not say it now? >> clearly they knew that all along. i think the stories about how the white house is stunned by the reaction, the reaction they were expecting was anti-taliban. why are you negotiating with terrorists because it was more than the taliban. it was the network listed by the state department as a terrorist group. they seemed prepared for that. they did not seem prepared for the kind of blowback and indeed at least one senior administration has told me and i think others, we didn't expect they would go after bergdahl and we didn't expect they would go after his parents. >> seriously? because there are charges of desertion out there they didn't think people would notice that? >> the fact is that the one thing that appears to have happened and there are documents about this that none of us have been able to see, is that he was awol. he was off the base without leave. what happened in that time, no one knows. they looked at the circumstances and said this guy is a u.s. soldier in captivity and they just didn't expect that that would be questioned. why would he -- the underlying message why would we save him and let five terrorists release for a guy that left. >> most americans get that part. what they don't get is susan rice going on national television saying he served honorably when he went awol more than once. >> again, i don't think they thought that's where the focus would be. understand this comes off a fairly bad va, veterans administration. those problems are going on. they clearly -- or they wouldn't have a rose garden ceremony. didn't expect people would say, wait, was he worth it. why she said that, i'm not overly sure because it didn't have to come out like that. she could have said he was serving. he was a member of the service. and we needed to bring him home. why she went that step further is unclear to me. >> candy crowley, thanks as usual, for your insight. bowe bergdahl remains in germany at a military hospital and speaking more english and eating better but his psychological state remains tenuous. bergdahl's platoon mates continue to accuse him of desertion. general "spider" marks joins me now. there's little doubt bergdahl is being tried in the public eye. last night his platoon members appeared on national television accusing him of being a deserter. accusing him of worse things actually. in your long military career, is it unusual that so many members of a soldier's platoon would talk publicly about a fellow soldier? >> it is in this case. clearly the fellow soldiers see this as something far greater than just bergdahl and his condition and they see this as how it affected the team and fundamentally that's what every military organization is all about. it's about the team, carol. so that's their view of all of this. a lot of what we get from platoon and they have every right and they know to it to speak up. the military specifically has not come forward and said this is the result of our investigation as it pertains to the capture of sergeant bergdahl. so that has to come out. everything we do is we're kind of jumping from lillie pad to lillie pad trying to figure this thing out. what needs to take place is we need to go straight to the army and say what are the results of this thing called a 15-6 investigation. what does the investigation look like? what do we think are circumstances around his capture? >> nobody seems to talk about the leadership here. bergdahl left his post twice before. he came back. he obviously did not gel with his platoon members. why was he still serving in battle zone after leaving his post twice? where's the leadership? >> the leadership is all over that. you have soldiers all the time in every organization that need additional care and additional focus. they need to be able to continue to work toward what we call a successful outcome. because he's having a hard time working in, it's the obligation of the leadership to work through this to ensure that he can work in and integrate and be a functioning part of that organization. in this particular case, i don't think leadership had enough time to get that accomplished because he unilaterally decided he was diagnose to depart. we don't know that. we need to -- >> i want to ask you this question, general. i'm not passionate? >> and i'm not. >> we've had conversations. i know. in the spirit of telling the whole storstory, these shots sh there was trouble in bergdahl's unit. they show soldiers without helmets and body armor. that would be flouting army rules? an army source says discipline in this platoon was not there. >> if there's a problem of leadership, you're spot on. you go straight to that platoon leader, company commander, battalion commander, you figure out what's going wrong in this organization. also, let's compare it to what's going right. it's very early for us to start to draw those conclusions. it's absolutely inappropriate for a soldier within that organization to unilaterally make a decision he'll depart from this organization because he or she may not like what's going on. the obligation is to raise a hand and make opinions known and have those be absorbed by leadership. either taken aboard or not. that soldier has no right to walk off the base. the point is we don't know this yet. we don't have the investigation. the real issue in this clearly is what are these five bad guys doing in qatar and what is the united states doing to ensure that these guys don't disappear? >> right. i just want to go back to that video if we might. i want to point out that the guy with the pipe that you see, we'll see him soon. this is not it. this is not it either. it's at the end unfortunately. it will play through, general. you can see bowe bergdahl has a pipe in his mouth working with members of his platoon and they seem to be getting along. who knows? and again they're without body armor. some without helmets. they're in dangerous territory here. >> certainly without getting into all of this stuff, it is important since we're peeling this thing back if you're on the forward operating base, you can take your kevlar off and body armor off and you have other tasks to perform and when you leave that to engage with the enemy, you are completely outfitted and kited up as we call it. so for us to draw conclusions based on this antidotal video is another piece that needs to be include. we need totality of this picture. we need it. >> general "spider" marks. thank you for your inside. i appreciate it. the economy gained back all of the jobs it lost in the recession but are we really any better for it? >> christine romans is here to talk about that. >> at this pace it will take two or three years to absorb the new entrants into the workforce and get back to full employment but the stock market really likes this report. 217,000 jobs created. i'll break down numbers for you right after the break. what can i do on a $7 a month android plan from tracfone? check the weather. borrow ted's wheelbarrow. post big tomato pics. buy a birdhouse for sparrows. download gardening apps. answer my wife's texts. search how to sculpt hedges into a t-rex. i can do all that with my android from tracfone for as low as $7 a month. 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i'm joined by the managing principle for capital investment and also the senior policy analyst for the heritage foundation. welcome to you both. >> good to be here. >> monica, hiring is back on the upswing. these aren't necessarily the kinds of jobs that push up the middle class, are they? >> no. we're still seeing really kind of a barbell effect with this recovery. better jobs with consulting, professional services, healthcare, energy, some jobs make $70,000 a year but in the lower ends of our economy, you find people asking themselves and others do you want fries with that? we're not making those good blue collar jobs anymore. we've imported them away and frankly technology has gotten rid of a lot of those opportunities as well. this is a structural problem. it's been happening for a long time. this economic recession that we've been experiencing has really shed light on this big structural problem that we have. >> of course we're all wonder how long to fix that structural problem. because we have that structural problem, you can understand these poll numbers i'm about to lay by you. a new cnn poll found that for people who don't think the economy is in full recovery, nearly one-third believe it will be five years before we get there. there's clearly something wrong here because unless people have confidence that the economy is getting better, it won't get that much better, will it? >> i think they are right that we are a long way behind. if you look at the employment to population ratio, despite the big drop in the unemployment rate, more people aren't finding jobs as a fraction of the total population. and i think people are right that we're a long way. i don't know if it's five years, but we're a long way from the kind of economy where anybody who wants a job can go out and get one. >> once you get that job, that job probably doesn't pay very much and you talked a lot about that just moments ago. wage growth is nearly flat. we're not meeting inflation rates. is this a sign we should embrace a $10 or $15 minimum wage like they just did in seattle. >> bottom line is the american dream was never about working in a fast food restaurant. i think the bigger problem is we're not creating good bread winner jobs for the blue collar and the middle class anymore. i saw a statistic that was staggering. 52% of people can't afford the house that they live in anymore. one out of every six adult men is not working who is in working age. we're leaving young people behind. we're leaving the poor behind. and while we can raise the minimum wage and that will give them more money for their day-to-day expenses now, we're still not giving people that american dream and that hope is what really lifts an entire society and so we have to work a lot harder than just raising the minimum wage. we need to start creating good jobs that people can actually raise a family with. >> thanks so much for being here. i appreciate it. still to come in the "newsroom," after weeks of tensions over the crisis in ukraine, president obama and vladimir putin come face to face in france. details on that meeting just ahead. ups is a global company, but most of our employees live in the same communities that we serve. people here know that our operations have an impact locally. we're using more natural gas vehicles than ever before. the trucks are reliable, that's good for business. but they also reduce emissions, and that's good for everyone. it makes me feel very good about the future of our company. ♪ the clean air act stops polluters from... poisoning his air with arsenic, lead and mercury. now the loop hole that lets them pump unlimited carbon... pollution into his air is closing too. if polluters and their friends in washington don't interfere. don't let polluters weaken our clean air protections. c1úre?>&';mx(cx fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. yeah. everybody knows that. did you know there is an oldest trick in the book? what? trick number one. look-est over there. ha ha. made-est thou look. so end-eth the trick. hey.... yes.... geico. fifteen minutes could save you... well, you know. tensions between russia and its western counterparts on full display as vladimir putin is excluded from g-7 meetings. could there have been a sign the frosty relations between the united states and russia are beginning to thaw? after sitting apart at a luncheon today part of the 70th anniversary of storming of normandy beach, white house officials confirm that vladimir putin and president obama had a personal meeting on the sidelines of that meal. both men sit far apart at the table. they were close enough to shake hands. cnn chief international correspondent christiane amanpour joins me now. one of the other images that i kind of enjoyed is when president obama was walking down the red carpet at sword beach where you are to meet the french president, you could see president putin there sort of clapping. he did clap. that's important. >> reporter: yes. i mean, it's really amazing what's happening here right now. over my shoulder you can probably see and hear this rousing speech. all commemorating and enumerating the sacrifices of the veterans and he's been really rousing. we have challenges today. and those challenges obviously the big one right now in europe is ukraine and to that end president obama did shake hands and meet with president putin. it wasn't formal but clearly there have been words exchanged. this comes after the german chancellor and the french president orchestrated a meeting between the lunch between president putin and the new ukrainian president-elect. according to the office, they decided and discussed the fact that they need to sit down and talk about a cease-fire to try to stop this civil war that could explode beyond control at any point. so there's some -- it looks like there's some cause for potential diplomatic progress. we'll see. it looks like trying to use this occasion of this gathering to also address the very current big, big problems between russia and the west right now. obviously syria as well. no word on whether any of this will lead to any help to tamp down the war in syria. the united states has been thanked and thanks to the british and those that came here to liberate this continent. it was a rousing speech with very many huge rhetorical flourishes. he called that day 70 years ago when these 20-year-olds who should enjoy the most beautiful days of their lives and this generation of 20 year olds had taken on the ultimate sacrifice and ultimate duty and they came here on this day 70 years ago and he described the dark and clouds and the fumes of battle and gunpowder and war they were engulfed with saying look at this beautiful, calm atlantic ocean and then it was a battle scene. it was foaming with ships and with bodies and red with the blood of those who had been killed and he said you are all heroes because you advanced and you advanced and you kept advancing for our liberty, he said, and you reclaimed the continent of europe meter by meter from this beach. he's just finished his speech. you can see the camera panning across president obama now standing. you just saw the queen of england. and angela merkel. it was remarkable. he kept talking about fighting to defeat this regime and save victims of naziisms. angela merkel is here. she's democratic. there you have her clapping and clapping at each mention of the diabolical face. >> christiane amanpour, many thanks to you. still to come in the "newsroom," a college student hailed as a hero. he tackled a gunman who had opened fire on campus. you'll meet him next. what if a photo were more than a memory? what if it were more than something to share? what if a photo could build that shelf you've always wanted? or fix a leaky faucet? or even give you your saturday back? the new snapfix app revolutionizes local service. just snap a photo and angie's list coordinates a top-rated provider to do the work on your schedule. the app makes it easy. the power of angie's list makes it work. download snapfix for free. good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for being with me. a seattle college campus becomes the scene of the latest school shooting in america. a gunman opens fire killing one student and wounding two others. but when the gunman reloads, another student tackles him and brings him down. that student is a hero. reporter christian drew of cuomo has more. >> reporter: student john brings a sigh of relief after coming face to face with the shooter on seattle pacific's campus. >> i don't think it's that far outside of his character. >> reporter: a senior electrical engineering student is a volunteer at the security desk. >> he saw the guy and got his pepper spray and sprayed him and tackled him. >> a fellow classmate and friend said he's not surprised he put his life in danger to save others. >> i could have been one of these people that was injured or in critical condition. a lot of us were in that building. and he stopped him in the lobby. he didn't get any farther than that. i'm grateful for him. >> reporter: during the shooting, other students also risked their lives to protect fellow classmates. >> we thought it was an experiment at first. then we heard screaming. >> reporter: this student found a pipe in his physics class and stood next to the door with another classmate fearing the suspect might try to come inside. >> eventually the cops came in through another door from another classroom because they're connected. they escorted us out. >> reporter: as students left, a crime scene was scattered across the first floor of the science building. >> there were a lot of shotgun shells on the ground. some were expired. some of them were not fired yet. it looked like he was, you know, planning to go the distance and john stopped him. >> john was taken away from the scene on a stretcher and then brought to the hospital. his friends are relieved he's okay and proud of his heroic actions. >> he had a lot to live for and he acted quick. i owe him a beer. a lot more people would be not here if he hadn't done that. >> i think he owes him more than one beer. cnn's dan simon is in seattle. dan, tell us more about this hero. an incredible story. >> reporter: it really is. everybody is so thankful he had the presence of mind to grab that pepper spray and basically put down the alleged shooter here. what we know according to seattle times is he is quiet but comes prepared and has that pepper spray with him. he's being hailed a hero today. >> unbelievable. do we know anything more about this gunman and why he decided to open fire on this college campus? >> reporter: you know, that's the real question. at this point police have not been able to establish any connection between the suspect and the university. he didn't go here. he's 26 years old. and didn't know any of his victims. so why he chose this university and specifically why he chose this building behind me is still very much a mystery and part of the investigation. >> dan simon reporting live this morning. thank you. a decorated u.s. marine suffering from ptsd is behind bars in mexico after more than two months. the sergeant's ordeal began after he drove across the border with guns in his truck. he and his family say it was an accident. he didn't leave the united states intentionally. he just happened to accidentally get to mexico. there are details of abuse that drove him to attempt suicide with a shattered light bulb. >> i had one hand above my head. i was laying on the bed. one leg was on one opposite wall and the other on the other wall above my head. maybe a foot and a half, two feet. and i did when i got the opportunity, i decided to stab myself in the neck with a light bulb. >> why? >> i was paranoid. i had been abused. i was thinking they were going to come and abuse me more and torture me and get information about my family from me and so i said i'm not going to allow them to do that. >> i want to ask you about something else, sergeant. i'm sorry if it seems like i'm t trying. you're trying to get treatment for ptsd. are you supposed to take medications now and do you have them? >> i'm treating myself. i don't believe i need medication to treat myself right now. i believe i'm doing just fine. >> the only reason you wound up in mexico this time is because of a couple wrong left turns, yes? >> yes, that is correct. >> a newspaper says you crossed the border internationally and intentionally several times and you stayed at a hotel earlier during the day in question. is any of that true? >> i did stay in the hotel earlier in the day. earlier in the day i parked my truck at a parking lot on the american side across from mexico. i walk into mexico with a backpack with extra clothes and hygiene supplies and passport and wallet and decide to hang out in mexico for some good mexican food, inexpensive place to stay and hang out. i was in mexico four times previous to the time that i got arrested. i went with my friend a couple of times to mexico just to hang out. >> you know what authorities are going to say, sergeant. they're going to say that these frequent, short duration stays in mexico are proof not only that you knew where you were and where you should have been going, but that you may have been there trafficking weapons opposed to just visiting. how do you respond? >> i know what they're going to say. they're going to say a bunch of lies. they are already saying a bunch of lies. i just know that the truth will set me free. and that -- i'm not worried about the officials. they have already been caught in lies. they've already been caught in their lies. >> let's just correct the record then from your perspective. were you in mexico trafficking weapons? >> no. absolutely not. absolutely not. >> had you been making trips there that weren't just visits but were for some other specific business purpose? >> negative. not at all. >> did you know where you were going when you were caught in mexico this time, were you there on purpose? >> absolutely not. i would like everyone to know i'm an innocent man. it was a big mistake. i had no intention of bringing weapons into mexico or committing any crime at all. unfortunately i wasn't treated right at the border and my rights were violated. >> the sergeant has been in custody since his march 31st arrest. allegations a bank defrauded its own investors. we'll tell you which one and how many billions they may have to pay next. avo: waves don't care what age you are. take them on the way you always have. live healthy and take one a day men's 50+. a complete multivitamin with 7 antioxidants to support cell health. age? 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"wall street journal" reporting that $5 billion of 12 billion is expected to go to what's known as consumer relief. things like reducing homeowners principle amounts and monthly payments and spruce up neighborhoods where the crisis left abandoned buildings and other eyesores. that figure is more than jpmorgan had to pay in its settlement last year so b of a is the poster child especially since the government wants b of a to pony up more than that. that's some of the reason you'll see this take a while to get ironed out. probably not official for several weeks talking about this deal. if two sides can't reach a deal, the justice department may file a civil lawsuit against bank of america. >> thanks so much. this bit of news just into cnn. a team from the san antonio military medical center in germany is standing by to transport sergeant bowe bergdahl -- that was confusing. let me short-hand this for you. we know bowe bergdahl is being treated in germany right now. that military hospital. eventually he's going to be brought back to san antonio. we just got an update about his continue. martin savidge is on the phone to tell us more. >> reporter: good morning, carol. every day the medical team up there in germany caring for sergeant bergdahl meets in the morning to assess where things stand how he's doing physically and mentally. and each day they make a determination as to whether or not they believe that he's ready to travel and head back to the united states. that would be phase three of his reintegration process. big thing is reunion with the family. they say he's not ready for that particular transition. he remains in germany. the team that's standing by to transport him to san antonio, the san antonio medical center here, they are ready. they had been there for some time because the idea here is that they do not want sergeant bergdahl to suddenly see a new team of strange faces. so they actually have been working with the sergeant there and they are standing by to transport him to the united states. this doesn't mean that he's leaving or that he's leaving from germany is imminent. it just means that everything is in place. everything is ready in this well rehearsed scenario to bring him back home when doctors say he's ready. >> when you say team, there are many team members, aren't there? >> reporter: huge. i was surprised to learn that it now encompasses hundreds of people in ways that you would expect. the doctors and psychiatrists. that's a given. other team members you might not consider. not so much in germany but standing by here to lend support including attorneys, attorneys that could help them in a number of ways. and also financial experts to begin talking about money. you have other people that are here to talk about dietary concerns. people need it for security and public affairs and transportation. on and on and on. every member of that team whether it be the pilots that fly them to the united states, the ambulance driver that takes him to the medical center, they have rehearsed every six months for a week at a time since he was taken captive. that means over five years they have rehearsed his arrival here and treatment ten times. >> unbelievable. that's amazing. martin savidge, thanks so much. still to come in the "newsroom," we're going to talk sports. lebron james. i'll be right back. she's still the one for you. and cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial. 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"@ this hour" with berman and michaela starts now. >> a cnn exclusive. she's been at the center of the controversy since her statement that bowe bergdahl served with honor and distinction. now susan rice faces questions from cnn. major milestone for the economy today. getting back all of the jobs lost during the recession. are these the jobs we need? >> her book is not out for days but we're making sure you know everything inside hillary clinton's "hard choices." the new details and the distance she's creating between herself and the president. >> great to see you this

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