Within the confines that president castro has outlined, i really donts know. Sreenivasan plus, a couple of bestselling authors share their favorite reads of 2014. Those are some of the stories were covering on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by at bae systems, our pride and dedication show in everything we do; from Electronics Systems to intelligence analysis and cyber operations; from combat vehicles and weapons to the maintenance and modernization of ships, aircraft, and critical infrastructure. Knowing our work makes a difference inspires us everyday. Thats bae systems. Thats inspired work. Lincoln financial committed to helping you take charge of your life and become youre own chief life officer. And the william and flora hewlett foundation, helping people build immeasurably better lives. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Sreenivasan we begin with that missing airliner in indonesia. The mystery came into better focus today when search teams found the remains of victims, and mangled metal, off the coast of borneo. Shaken, grieving relatives of the victims filed out of a Crisis Center in surabaya after their agonizing wait ended with a jolt. A short time earlier, as they watched indonesian television, images of bodies and wreckage flashed on screen, with no warning. The multinational search had found what it was looking for in the java sea, as Indonesias National Search and rescue chief confirmed. translated the area was where the plane crashed and the debris came from the missing plane that we have been searching for. Sreenivasan the drama began sunday when airasia flight 8501 left surabaya, indonesia on a twohour trip to singapore. 162 people, mostly indonesians were on board. But the plane disappeared off radar, without warning, about halfway into its route traveling through stormy weather. Searchers found the first debris about ten miles from the planes lastknown location, in less than 100 feet of water. Initial efforts brought back a blue suitcase, an oxygen tank and Aircraft Parts matching the serial number of the lost plane. Even after the discovery, some refused to give up on the chance their loved ones might have survived. translated i still hope that they can find the plane and, from the bottom of my heart, i want them to still be alive. Sreenivasan but for most, the grim reality set in, and indonesian president joko widodo arrived at the surabaya airport to offer what comfort he could. translated my deep condolences go out to the families of the passengers and crew. I am feeling their loss and pray that they are given all the courage and strength to face this tragedy. Sreenivasan airasias c. E. O. , tony fernandes, also spoke again today, expressing deep regrets over the carriers first fatal crash. I apologize profusely for what theyre going through. I am the leader of this company and i have to take responsibility. It is the worst feeling one could have but we stay strong for the families out there to ensure that we can look after them even after this incident. Sreenivasan the search operation now shifts to retrieving more bodies and finding more of the plane. About 30 ships, 15 aircraft and seven helicopters from six countries are assisting in the effort, and the destroyer u. S. S. Sampson is heading to the scene. Dozens of elite military divers will also comb the underwater site, looking especially for the planes black box recorders. Their data may tell exactly what happened to flight 8501. Joining me now is wall street journal reporter andy pasztor. Andy, we just rattled off these different resources bringing to bear on this search. Whats next . How long might it take . Under the best of circumstances, it could be days or weeks. The water is relatively shallow. Much shallower than the previous crashes you may be aware of such as malaysian 370cies 370 disappearance where theyre still kook looking and also currents to contend with. But this is a scenario where investigators and experts hope they can find what they want relatively quickly. Sreenivasan okay. So how do they go about piecing together a cause, even after after they get this black box . Of course, they will construct a time line and try to determine precisely what was happening in the cockpit at what point and, also there will be recordings of what the pilots were saying and doing. And i think, to put this in some perspective, as tragic this is for the families and for the airline, this is probably not going to be a seminal investigation. Experts call it a classic High Altitude stall, High Altitude upset instance which was probably exacerbated by storms. But i think we should talk a little bit about why it could be a very important investigation. It could be a turning point for the industry because this might be what they needed or what they require to put on tracking systems on all aircraft and also to be able to stream data off aircraft so that investigators know what happened and where the plane ended much more quickly than they do now. Sreenivasan theres also almost in this collective moment where the world wonders why is it that i can find my smartphone with such precision and i cant find something thats a thousand times as big . Thats right. And the industry, so far, for the most part, has called malaysia 370 a oneoff event and the response to the disappearance of that aircraft was a slow and very cautious effort to make sure airliners can be tracked everywhere in the world regardless of where theyre finding. Three days thats how long it took to find this aircraft debris. Is that too long and should we be looking at a system that allows investigators and the airline and the flying public to know where a plane crashed and what was happening on board the plane much more quickly than the three days it took this time. Sreenivasan and what about the role of the u. S. U. S. Samson . What can that do in a search like this . I think at this point its an ancillary role because i dont believe they have underwater search capability or technology on that ship, but the u. S. Probably will be asked and will help out in some underwater search efforts as this develops, and there are assets underway to the site now to be able to findn3 the bodies and the black box and the parts of the plane that may help answer what happened. Sreenivasan andy pasztor of the wall street journal joining us tonight, thanks so much. Youre welcome. Sreenivasan fresh protests erupted in moscow this evening, after a leading opponent of russian president Vladimir Putin was convicted of fraud. Alexei navalny got a suspended sentence of three and a half years, but his brother was sent to prison. Later, navalny was seen being rounded up by police when he broke the terms of his ongoing house arrest and tried to attend the rally. The demonstration itself drew several thousand people, with chants of freedom and putin go away ringing through the air in red square. translated i came here first of all because i am against any repression, against politically motivated cases and prosecution for views. I think every person has the right to express his opinion. Sreenivasan after nearly two hours, police broke up the protests and detained about 100 opposition supporters. The United States denounced the convictions of navalny and his brother as another sign of a russian crackdown on independent voices. Theres word today of a jordanian pilot whos being held by Islamic State militants in syria. Muath al kasaesbeh was flying a Coalition Air raid when his plane went down last week. Now, the Islamic States englishlanguage, online magazine has published a purported interview with the captive. In it, hes asked do you know what the Islamic State will do with you . He answers yes, they will kill me. The u. N. Security council has turned back a palestinian push to end israeli control in the west bank and East Jerusalem by 2017. The vote this evening fell one vote short of the nine needed. The resolution called for an independent state, with palestinians arguing negotiations with israel have gone nowhere. But u. S. Ambassador Samantha Power criticized the palestinian effort the staged confrontation in the u. N. Security council will not pri the parties closer to achieving a twostate solution. We voted against this resolution not because we are indifferent the daily hardships or security threats endured by palestinians and israelis but because we know these hardships will not cease and the threats will not subside until the parties reach a comprehensive settlement achieved through negotiations. Sreenivasan the u. S. Had been expected to veto the resolution, even if it did pass. Back in this country, the third ranking republican in the u. S. House said today he regrets addressing a white supremacist group, in 2002. At the time, majority whip Steve Scalise was a state lawmaker in louisiana. He initially said he did not know the groups background. Today, he said it was a mistake, and i emphatically oppose the divisive racial and religious views that groups like these hold. In his own statement, House Speaker john boehner said scalise made an error in judgment, but still has his full confidence. Republican congressman Michael Grimm of new york has announced hes resigning january 5th. He pleaded guilty last week to tax evasion, after hed been re elected to a third term. In a Statement Last night, grimm said he can no longer be effective in congress. Former president george h. W. Bush was released from a houston hospital today after a weeklong stay. A spokesman said he is resting comfortably at home. Mr. Bush is now 90, and is the oldest living former president. He suffers from parkisons disease and was admitted to the hospital last week with shortness of breath. On wall street, stocks were down, partly on profittaking, and partly on worries about greece. The government there has called early elections that could unravel an international bailout deal. For the day, the Dow Jones Industrial average lost 55 points, to close at 17,983. The nasdaq fell 29 points to close at 4,777. And the s p 500 dropped 10, to finish at 2,080. Still to come on the newshour how washington plans to normalize relations with havana. Nonprofits, big and small, seek to boost their profiles and contributions online. Two best selling authors share their Favorite Books of 2014. High School Students on how they get their news and the stories that mattered to them. And, a conversation with a long serving member of congress as he prepares to exit, stage left. Sreenivasan one of the great surprises of 2014 was president obamas stunning announcement after a more than 50year standoff, that the u. S. Would reopen diplomatic relations with cuba. Tonight, chief Foreign Affairs correspondent Margaret Warner takes a closer look at the challenges ahead, and talks with an american diplomat leading the charge. We will end an oudated approach that, for decades, has failed to advance our interests neither the american nor cuban people are well served by a rigid policy that is rooted in events that took place before most of us were born. Woodruff among the changes, the president said he would reopen the u. S. Embassy in havana. Further ease u. S. Travel, credit and export limits to direct u. S. Investment to cubas new small entrepeneurial class. He also urged congress to lift the 54yearold u. S. Economic embargo on the island. Cuban president raul castro issued a similar announcement simultaneously. But what this opening will mean, in reality, depends on hard headed negotiations between the two governments, due to start in havana in midjanuary. Leading the u. S. Negotiating team will be Roberta Jacobson the assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs. We spoke in her office yesterday. Assistant secretary jacobson, thank you for having us. Thank you margaret. Reporter when you head to havana in a couple weeks time to launch these talks, what evidence are you looking for that the cuba government bureaucracy is interested in the kind of opening up president castro said they were ready to do . I think weve seen some signs of that already. Were hopeful that when we sit down in havana well have a broad range of conversations, but starting with the normalization. Reporter in terms of opening up the economy a lot of things the president said he wants to do. Those are things that will chip away at the economic monopoly this cuban government has. Exactly. Reporter are they ready for that . I think thats a very good question margaret and i think thats exactly what well find out. We certainly hope that the cuban government will allow us to engage with those who are selfemployed, those who are entrepreneurs. We certainly hope that the Telecommunications Sector which is one where the cuban government has said theyre interested in modernizing in giving more access to cubans, to information that they will be willing to go as far as we can get our business sector to go. Reporter when president castro spoke to i think his parliament, he said his goal is a prosperous and sustainable communism. Does that sound like someone who wants to retain val Party Control but revitalize the economy. Is that doable . It sounds like something that may be impossible. I think when you look at whots going on in cuba you sew an economy in a tail spin a model thats not really working and the liberalization youve seen take place although many people have commented on it, is very very minor small and slow and is still based on one patron whose own economic model is failing. I think one of the things we want to do is see how far we can really encourage cubans to take control of their own destiny. Whether that is going to be able to exist within the confines that president castro has outlined i really dont know. But thats why the new policy was designed. Many cuban dissidents who fought a long fight down there are very upset by the president s announcement. When the cuban government continues to spy on them to restrict their freedom of speech and their freedom of assembly, can the biewben people expect any greater freedoms in the short term as a result of this deal . I dont know but i would say were skeptical and we dont have illusions about this government or their willingness to allow those freedoms. I think theyre still fighting that fight. What you see is people beginning to lose their fear. You see performance artists. You see independent librarians and journalists and people speaking out. Thats what we want to encourage. But there is no doubt that the government continues to want to maintain a level of control and a level of repression, even if that repression may be shorttermed detention or other forms of repression that differ from the way it has in the past and that really does have to end. Reporter in the negotiations, did the u. S. Try to get any greater assurances on this front . I think one of the things you have to remember is what was negotiated was the intelligence asset for the three intelligence agents of cuba in the United States. Reporter the exchange. The other things that were discussed were things we discussed with the cubans or they discussed with us but they werent necessarily negotiated. Reporter the cuban government has said it will release 53 political prisoners. Have they released any or all of them . The cuban government said those people will be released as their own decision. Some of those people have been released, for example one to have the ladies in white. There have been others who have been released. We expect all of them will be released. Reporter is the cuban government obliged to notify you when the 53 are released . There is god communications on the islands and among the activists with our intersection in havana so we expect to know when the people are released. Reporter you say the talks are focused on the normalization of government to government. Part of that, president obama said, was to open an embassy in have navment members of the new congress but Many Democrats as well said they will do anything in their power to frustrate that including using the power of the purse. Can Congress Stand in the way of opening an embassy . Well, there are certain things well do to transition the intersection to the embassy. Reporter the intersection already in havana. One of the largest intersections in havana. There are things we can do to transition that wont cost any money. We believe well baibilityd do that. The conduct of diplomatic relations is within the president s purview. When it comes time for things that will cost money, obviously, well have to discuss those with congress. But the transition to an embassy is something that is within the president s power to do. Reporter so a fundamental critique to have the president s decision to upup relations is cuba is gasping for air here and theyre just on the verge of losing this Subsidized Oil from venezuela and essentially the United States is throwing it a lifeline that will enable the castro communist regime to sustain itself. Well, i dont think thats true. For one thing, the embargo is still in place. For ute thing, if you look at what the president has authorized were talking about supporting selfemployed, supporting entrepreneurs, supporting the intelligence sector which is information and providing cubans with Accurate Information about the world, providing the ability for cubans to meet real americans in humanitarian Missions Church groups, athletics. These are not things that are necessarily going to allow the cuban government to survive or not survive or the cuban model to survive or not survive. These are the kinds of things that greatly empower Cuban Civil Society and cuban individuals to help give them a sense of their own future and enable them to get the resources t