there would also be reorganizations to try to simplify the department's structure which is, as we reported, quite byzantine. "the lead" with jake tapper starting right now. how do you hunt one of the most dangerous men on the planet when you cannot even know for sure after you got him? jake tapper. this is "the lead." the world lead, is he dead or alive. ? u.s. air strikes target the leader of isis. he may have been killed, he may have been critically wounded. maybe he was a little wounded. maybe not even that. with hardly any intelligence on the ground in iraq, how can the u.s. know? also in world news, spectacular fireworks displays and president obama dressed as if he's kind of on the star trek landing party. either the chinese pulled out all the stops or we're also having the same really weird

dream. and the national lead, a bomb cyclone can't be a good thing. frigid cold whips down into the u.s. as millions brace for an arctic blast. and it's not even thanksgiving yet. good afternoon, everybody. welcome to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. we're going to begin with the world lead and a flurry of conflicting accounts on the fate of the evil mastermind because isis. the coalition seems disturbingly underinformed, shall we say, about where its bombs are going and who they are or are not hitting. air strikes took place targeting isis leaders near mosul. what's not been confirmed is whether the head of isis, abu bakr al baghdadi, survived the strikes or if he was even in that convoy to begin with. and most of the information trickling out seems to have come from social media with reports

of al baghdadi's death circulating on twitter from unconfirmed or phony accounts. iraq's minister of interior took to facebook yesterday announcing the leader had been severely wounded. but that statement has not been backed up by iraq's prime minister or iraq's minister of defense. let's bring in cnn pentagon correspondent barbara starr. barbara, what is the pentagon saying about these air strikes targeting isis leaders? what do we know? >> reporter: very little in the way of facts. right now, u.s. military intelligence is looking at all the rumors and trying to sort it all out. confusion about the fate of the elusive leader of isis. iraqi tv broadcast a statement that abu bakr al baghdadi, head of isis, was wounded in an iraqi air strike on saturday at the town of al qa'im on the border with syria. the iraqis did have intelligence

that he was in that border town. u.s. officials now believe it's less likely baghdadi was wounded or killed 250 miles away in mosul where coalition warplanes hit a convoy of ten isis armed trucks. rumors surfaced after that that baghdadi was there. the u.s. said the strike targeted a meeting of isis leaders but the outcome was unclear. >> we cannot confirm if isil leader baghdadi was among those present. >> reporter: the u.s. is scouring phone intercepts, reports from locals on the ground, anything for intelligence confirming baghdadi may have been killed or wounded. even if the coalition wounded or killed him, the war against isis still is far from over. >> it will morph and new leaders will emerge. in fact, bear in mind, isis leadership originated from saddam's military. these are very conventionally trained, very professional leaders. >> reporter: president obama says his decision to send 1,500

more troops to iraq to train iraqi forces is about getting them on the offense against isis. >> now what we need is ground troops -- iraqi ground troops that can start pushing them back. >> reporter: but even some of the president's own democrats, skeptical the iraqi government is up to the essential challenge of winning back sunnis who have turned to isis out of distrust with baghdad. >> these 1,500 troops are ultimately just going to be a temporary band-aid if there isn't a fully inclusive government inside baghdad. >> reporter: if all that's not enough, 50 u.s. troops landed back in anbar province west of baghdad at al assad air base. they will try to set up an operation for even more u.s. troops to go in as advisers. part of the u.s. effort to help. but u.s. troops back on the ground in anbar after leaving

more than three years ago. jake? >> barbara starr at the pentagon, thank you. so how big a deal would it be if al baghdadi were wounded or killed? joining me from new york is congressman peter king. good to see you as always. at this point, what on-the-ground intelligence do we have on this air strike that may or may not have taken out the isis leader? >> jake, we have very little intelligence at all in iraq. that's one of the hazards, one of the results of taking all our troops out in 2011. that pretty much effectively ended both defense intelligence, central intelligence. we have virtually no intelligence on the ground at all. so what we're looking for now is what you pick up in social media, what we can get from any sources we may have in the -- anywhere in that area. it's going to be difficult. we don't have the intelligence assets that he had prior to our troops being withdrawn. >> if baghdadi has been wounded or killed, how much in your

estimation would that affect the day-to-day operations of isis? wasn't someone else just take his place? >> well, he has deputies, turkmani and others are deputies of his that could stand in. but it would be a significant short-term effect to have such an outspoken leader as this, dynamic leader as this, taken out. in the short term, it would create an opening for us to take advantage of it. it also could have a demoralizing impact on isis. but, again, that would probably last just a few weeks or so. but it would give us a window of opportunity and would also show people in the area that isis is not invulnerable. that the u.s. can get anyone it goes after, just like we got bin laden. it's psychological and a short-term tactical victory. >> the u.s. has been sending troops and officials from the cia and others to iraq for a few months now.

do you find it at all troubling that we still know so little about what's going on on the ground there? this is iraq we're talking about, not syria. >> again, in iraq, we pull all our troops outs and we're talking about areas that isis has taken over. they have land mass both in syria and iraq larger than the size of great britain. so this is unfortunately a necessary result from what president obama's policy of withdrawing all our troops. yeah, we have a small number now in the country. that's not going to be anywhere near enough to get the intelligence that we need either to carry out prospective air strikes or to find out, again, what the dimensions of isis are. >> what have you heard about why president obama is doubling down in terms of the number of u.s. troops in iraq? i've heard that it's because of this need for more human intelligence. i've heard it's speculated that the u.s. overestimated the

strength of the iraqi military. what's your understanding of why there are going to be 3,000 u.s. troops in iraq soon? >> my estimate is it's all of the above. i think the president was wrong in the first place to siay he wasn't going to put forces on the ground. no way air strikes is going to be effective against isis. they have 25,000 to 30,000 fighters and five or ten air strikes a day? those are isolated attacks that are not going to -- they can slow isis down in certain areas like in northern syria. but the fact is, even there we're seeing great inroads being made by isis. in iraq, it's slowing them down around mosul. but having said that, i think the president was wrong to make this pledge in the beginning not to put troops on the ground. he's realizing we need them to provide training and coordination. we also need them to carry our special operations and to be spotters for the air attacks. >> but president obama has

increased the number of troops to be doing a lot of the things you just mentioned. is there anything you think u.s. forces need to be doing that they aren't currently doing or are about to do? >> i think we need a greater amount of troops. i don't see how 3,000 is going to be enough for all that he's talking about doing. once the president gets a strategy -- he hasn't really come up with any strategy that's consistent. first he said that there was no strategy. then he said, we're going to degrade and destroy. now he's saying he wants to isolate isis in iraq even though he said last month, he was going into syria. until we get a coordinated strategy, it's hard to give an exact number that we need. but it's definitely more than 3,000. >> republican congressman peter king, thank you so much. appreciate it. >> jake, thank you. it looked as though it could have been a scene out of the new "hunger games" movie. over-th over-the-top display, even a virtual red carpet for cars. except this wasn't a hollywood

production. it was the welcoming ceremony for world leaders in beijing, the great lengths that the country went to to impress. that's coming up next.

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the house tried to keep out all the water, but water got inside and ruined everybody's everythings. the house thought she let the family down. they just didn't think it could happen. they told the house they would take better care of her... always. announcer: protect what matters. get flood insurance. welcome back to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. continuing with some world news. president obama kicked off his trip to asia today. first stop, beijing, where attendees were greeted with a display that would make las vegas blush. the events included this photo of world leaders looking like something out of a magazine spreads "who wore it best?" . i know, it's a tradition. beijing didn't seem to hold anything back. today beijing rolled out its neon bright welcome mat for

president obama and the other world leaders meeting in beijing, a spectacular display and one that was a bit odd. the carefully choreographed dancers, the precise laser lights, the matching outfits, the last time we saw a public display quite like this was frankly in "the hunger games." this is the bright and shiny face china wants the world to see. but it takes a lot of work to get here. >> it is wonderful to be back in china. and i'm grateful for the chinese people's extraordinary hospitality. >> reporter: before president obama's arrival, chinese officials announced a six-day public holiday for central and city government employees which lasts until the summit is over. they will, of course, have to make up those days, working weekends after obama is long gone. thus, gone went the crowds, farewell to the smog and the traffic. they disappeared, though, of

people disappear in china.ys here the crowds were replaced by heightened security and odd/even license plate traffic ban and even electric buses. reminiscent of the glamorous makeover the city underwent before its dazzling debut of the 2008 summer olympics. 17,000 people worked then to build the innovative bird's nest stadium. inside the summit today, china is setting out to upend its grab communist image with an unprecedented show of national pride and international sophistication. but even that did not stop the president from telling china, they have to go beyond the surface to clean up their city. >> steady sustainable growth requires a planet where citizens can breathe clean air. >> reporter: president obama was greeted warmly by chinese president xi jinping.

coming up, it was a hard-fought race that ended up being the most expensive senate race in world history. more than $100 million spent. but was all that money worth it? we'll ask senator-elect thom tillis next. plus, a reunion that not even money can buy. the unbelievable offer led zeppelin frontman robert plant ripped up even after the rest of the band signed on. turn the trips you have to take, into one you'll never forget. earn triple points when you book with the expedia app. expedia plus rewards.

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welcome back to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. the politics lead now. it may have been less than one week ago, but those 2014 midterm elections seem like ancient history, frankly. buzz already in the air surrounding the potential 2016 presidential candidates. will mitt romney run? could there be a dynasty face-off with another clinton v. bush fight for the white house? this weekend, former george w. bush weighed in on the possibility of his little brother, jeb, throwing his hat into the ring.

>> i think it's 50/50. he and i are very close. on the other hand, he's not here knocking on my door agonizing about the decision. he knows exactly -- the ramifications on family, for example. he's seen his dad and his brother go through the presidency. i would give it a toss-up. >> can the republican party keep the momentum going heading into 2016? joining me now, the man who clinched the senate majority for republicans last week, winning the most expensive senate race in world history, north carolina senator-elect thom tillis. senator, thank you so much for joining us. i appreciate it and congratulations. >> thanks for having me. >> jeb bush endorsed you in your senate campaign. care to return the favor if he decides to run? >> you know, there's a lot of good candidates or a lot of potential candidates that are thinking about it. governor bush is a very impressive leader. he had a great reputation down

in florida. a number of other people being talked about have to make those decisions. then we'll figure out where to go from there. >> as soon as your sworn in, maybe even before, one of the first issues you have to deal with is immigration. a year ago at the bush library, jeb bush said many who come to america illegally do so as an act of love for their children and should be treated differently, he suggested, than those who overstay their visas. do you agree with that? >> well, i think that what we need to do is stay focused on exactly what we talked about during the campaign. first and foremost, seal the border, then talk about what you do once you've stabilized the growth of the population. and i think -- i'll take governor bush's comments at face value. i think it makes sense. i think republicans need to have a tone that we set that will convince everybody that immigration reform is necessary. but it starts with sealing the border.

>> speaking of tones, there's a lot of debate here in washington, d.c. about what exactly last tuesday's election meant. do you think that you were elected to stop president obama and his agenda or do you think you were elected to reach across the aisle and find common ground? >> i think i was elected to produce results. i believe that the american people are tired of congress not functioning. i think that still top of mine more than any issue is economy and jobs. taking burdens off businesses, getting tax policies that make sense, make it more likely that business will invest and grow jobs. that's what american people want to see. they're just tired of seeing bills come from the house and die in the senate. they want to see results. we owe it to the american bill not to go up there and be a different brand of inaction. we need to produce results and do it quickly. it's the smartest thing we can do to lay the groundwork for 2016. >> speaking of regulations and

taxes, let's talk about obamacare, which you talked about a lot on the campaign trail. you've said one of the senate goals moving forward should be to repeal it. a video recently surfaced of jonathan gruger from m.i.t., one of the architects of obamacare, listen to what he said about how the bill was passed and get your reaction. >> get a law that says healthy people are going to pay in and sick people get money, it would not have passed. lack of transparency is a huge advantage. and call it the stupidity of the american voter or whatever. but basically that was really, really critical to get it to pass. it's the second best argument. i wish mark was right, we could make it all transparent. but i'd rather have this law than not. >> senator-elect, your response? >> well, that sounds like the means justifies the ends -- or the ends justify the means, i'm sorry. that is exactly what the american people are tired of.

they want transparency. they want to be treated with respect. we did a lot of very difficult bills since i've been speaker of the house. some of them were controversial on both sides of the ideological spectrum. but we took the time to explain it to people and not do this sort of bob and weave. if the american people really knew the effects of obamacare, the affordable care act, i don't think it would have passed. what may have happened is a sustainable bill. what we have now is a bill that either must be repealed or substantially replaced. >> you won the most expensive senate race in history. looking back, more than $100 million -- does that embarrass you? are you proud of it? what's your feeling about it? >> well, we're not surprised by it. as late as july of last year, as early as july of last year, we estimated that it would be somewhere between $70 million and $90 million. much of that was spent by my opponent and her supporters. but it's just a testament to the

fact that north carolina is a swing state. voted for obama in 2008, for romney in 2012. it will continue to be a state that will be very expensive in part because of its importance in deciding elections, senate and national elections. but it's a large state. we have very expensive media markets. there are a variety of reasons why it was the most expensive state. >> senator-electorate thom tillis, thank you and congratulations again. >> thank you, jake. in world news, he is a ruthless dictator who reportedly murdered members of his own family. but this weekend, kim jong-un got a personal letter from president obama. was it what the president said that convinced the north korean leader to release two american prisoners? that's coming up. so i can reach ally bank 24/7, but there are no branches? 24/7 it's just i'm a little reluctant to try new things. what's wrong with trying new things? feel that in your muscles? yeah... i do... try a new way to bank, where no branches equals great rates.

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so ally bank really has no hidden fethat's right. accounts? it's just that i'm worried about you know "hidden things..." ok, why's that? no hidden fees, from the bank where no branches equals great rates. welcome back to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. more world news. emotional reunions for two americans kept prisoner by the north koreans until this weekend. but still unclear just how were

these two freed? and why? right now, kenneth bae and matthew todd miller are getting adjusted to life back in the u.s. after years in north korea including time in a labor camp. both men returned to their families over the weekend. today in beijing, president obama said the u.s. jumped on the opportunity to bring these men home. >> i couldn't be happier for the families as we enter into the holidays to know their loved ones are back. it's a goodnews story. >> the president also said the release did not involve high-level talks. but we know the u.s. sent national intelligence director general james clapper to pyongyang. clapper brought along a letter from president obama addressed to dear leader himself, kim jong-un. cnn chief national security correspondent jim sciutto joins me now. this mission almost didn't get off the ground. >> yes. we learned today that this lofty and diplomat ic mission almost didn't happen.

clapper's plane had to stop twice with mechanical problems. bae and miller might have been home free by friday otherwise. regardless, still a remarkable moment in the long troubled u.s./north korea relationship. the mission to bring americans kenneth bae and matthew miller home was the result of a elaborate behind-the-scenes planning and ultimately a risk. north korea approached the u.s. two weeks ago asking for a high-level u.s. envoy. >> we had indication that there was the possibility of the release of these two hostages, prisoners. and we pursued it. >> reporter: the u.s. responded with james clapper, the nation's top spy, but not a diplomat who might signal the opening of a broader negotiation. he carried a letter addressed to the north korean leader, kim jong- jong-un, stating he was traveling as the president's envoy solely to bring the two americans home. clapper, who did not meet with

kim himself, did not know he'd succeed in his mission until he, bae and miller were on their way back. >> it's been an amazing two years. i learned a lot. i grew a lot. lost a lot of weight in a good way. but i'm standing strong because of you. >> reporter: so why now? for one, north korea is under enormous international pressure following a damning u.n. report on human rights violations in its prison system. an effort is now underway through the international criminal court to charge senior north korean officials with crimes. more immediately, the world's leaders including president obama are now gathered in china. north korea's neighbor and sole ally. with a growing consensus that north korea and its nuclear program must be dealt with firmly. >> it's going to take a broader understanding on the part of the north koreans that all the

countries in the region consider this to be their number one security priority, making sure that we do not have a nuclearized korean peninsula. >> reporter: north korea's leader is under pressure at home at well, followed a month-long disappearance as a result of an operation on his foot. >> north korea's always looking for something. they used that something for their domestic audience to show that kim jong-un and north korea itself is such an important player. >> now, receiving america's top spy would certainly give north korean leaders face, that is, respectability. but for the u.s. dispatching the man who oversees the 16 intelligence agencies, many of which keep a close eye on north korea, also sends a message. now, if north korea was expecting a reward for the release of these americans as world leaders gather in beijing, that's unlikely. one western diplomat telling me this is likely to be a tough week for pyongyang in beijing. >> what are we expecting, if anything, to come out of the president's trip to china?

>> it's not going to be a lot. a lot of these things, they have very run of the mill deliverables. there are some peace extensions here. it has importance but it's not a grand scheme. you might have some progress on trade agreements, something that obama might be able to get through a republican-led congress. >> but nuclear programs -- >> disputes between china and japan or disputed islands, not going to see much. >> we're now left with more questions than answers with north korea. here to help us, former u.s. ambassador to south korea, chris hill. we're also joined by jamie me metsel. gentlemen, thank you for joining me. ambassador hill, as someone who has conducted negotiations with north korea, do you find it credible that the u.s.

government made no concessions and offered nothing in exchange for these prisoners? >> oh, i think the concession was in sending a senior official and i think they very artfully chose general clapper who's not known as someone who would come back from a trip like that and start suggesting that we ought to do more with the north koreans. he's a pretty tacit guy. i think from the obama administration's point of view it was the right move and from north korea's point of view, they get some face in the process. i think what's important to understand is kim jong-un has differed from his father in never showing the slightest interest in denuclearization. >> jamie, you heard the ambassador refer to face. how does it play domestically? is it really that big a deal. >> i think it is because north korea's leaders need to at least

put forward to their people some evidence that they are respected in the world. that's why they are so worried about this potential referral to the international criminal court. one other critical issue is relations between north korea and china have deteriorated significantly, especially since last december when kim jong-un's uncle was executed. he was the prime point of contact between north korea and china. so as north korea's relations with china deteriorate, they're also looking for other alternatives and a better relationship with everybody else is increasingly in their interest. >> ambassador hill, kenneth bae while in north korean custody, told cnn a few weeks ago he was being treated humanely but said his health was failing. how much could that failing health have played a role in this release now, in other words, the risk of bae dying in their custody, not being worth it? >> obviously, that would have been a risk. i don't know the particulars of

his health. but that would have been an enormous risk for the north koreans. i think the timing is clearly that they want to kind of take the edge off the summit meeting between president obama and xi jinping to try to give those in china some ammunition to say, look, the north koreans are doing something, can't you americans talk to them? but the problem is the north koreans have essentially refuted everything they previously agreed to and have shown no inclination to come back to talks for thpurpose of even discussing their nuclear program. so there's a big problem there and i think the obama administration has been right to be very standoffish on this. >> jamie, you mentioned north korea facing possible crimes against humanity charges. does this release help north korea avoid those charges in any way? >> it won't really. but they have had a charm offensive over the last couple of months with at least a preliminary effort to try to head off that referral.

and ultimately the referral won't happen because it would have to get through the security council and china and russia, of course, would have veto there. but the symbolism of a referral to the international criminal court for crimes against humanity and in the report that came out from the u.n. special raptu rapport rapporter, it's a bill deal and north korea has to be at least somewhat concerned about global legitimacy. as long as they have a lifeline to china, they need to worry less. as that umbilical cord connecting north korea to china weakens, they need to look for alternatives. right now, they're pretty isolated, as chris hill knows. >> ambassador hill, of course the world pays attention to north korea not just because of the crimes against humanity but perhaps much more so because of its nuclear weapons program and the fact that everybody's afraid that they're going to launch a nuke and hit south korea or

someone else. president obama said the u.s. is ready for nuclear talks and until that happens, there will be a core problem between the two countries. what needs to happen for these conversations to start or do you think we're just going to see gesture after gesture like the detainee release this weekend? >> oh, i think if the north koreans are serious about this, they could signal that if talks begin, there would be a quick understanding that they have accepted their previous commitment. so i think the ball is in the north korean court. if they really want to get going on this, they know our telephone number. they would know how to do that. i think, again, the problem is kim jong-un has been much more interested in the task of marrying up a nuclear device to a missile or to an artillery shell. so i think the he is very much supporting this nuclear program. his father was never from the disarmament camp. but clearly he was more interested in a process that

might have led to disarmament. so it's no accident that we've really made no progress on this in recent years and the north koreans have been busy trying to marry up a nuclear device and a missile. >> chilling. ambassador chris hill, jamie, thank you both so much. in other world news, a horrific attack on a school in nigeria. a bomb exploding outside the principal's office as children gathered for morning announcements. the suicide bomber was disguised as a student before setting off the blast. right now, no group is claiming responsibility. but police believe boko haram, the islamic terrorist group, is behind the attack. boko haram which translates to "western education is forbidden" has made students their targets before. they've targeted schools and dormitories and kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls from their homes in the middle of the night this past april. coming up, it's only the second week of november. but in parts of the u.s., it feels more like january. snow piling up, temperatures

dropping quickly and much more of the country is about to get hit. plus, he fooled the crowd and the announcers but he did not fool the other team. coming up, the unbelievably dumb move one college football player made after he thought he had scored a touchdown. [ female announcer ] you get sick, you can't breathe through your nose...

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welcome back to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. in our national lead, the polar plunge is back. much of the united states could experience a cold front this week with heavy snow and temperatures 40 to 50 degrees below normal. minneapolis is bracing for up to a foot of snow today into tomorrow.

melissa colorado of our affiliate is in golden valley, minnesota, just outside the twin cities. >> reporter: i'm melissa colorado. right here in the twin cities, we are getting pummelled by the season's first snowstorm. as you can see right behind me, inches of snow are starting to pile on. and road conditions are likely going to worsen. that's really the focus for a lot of state officials today is going to be the evening commute. that's because we are expecting those temperatures to dip even lower. and we're already seeing that snow accumulate. so we're likely going to be seeing some icy road conditions. we know that the minnesota department of transportation has all of their snowplows out in full force making sure the road conditions are going to be safe for drivers later tonight. some figures from the minnesota state patrol, since 5:00 a.m. today, statewide, troopers have responded to 180 crashes, 15 of those crashes involving

injuries, no serious or fatal injuries. and those numbers are likely going to climb up as the day goes on and we're expecting a more dicey road conditions as the day continues. that's the latest here in minneapolis. back to you. >> melissa colorado, thank you so much. so just where and when can we expect the mercury to dip? cnn meteorologist chad myers joins us live from the cnn severe weather center. we just saw the snow in minnesota. but the rest of the country can expect frigid temperatures in the coming days as well? >> it's that same polar mring. 16 inches. almost a foot and a half of snow just to the northwest of where that reporter was. minneapolis is going to pick up some snow, not 12 inches. this is the first cold plunge. it's significant because this is a big deal because it's now. there may be some pets without winter coats. you may not even have your winter coat yet.

this is the cold plunge right now, a foot and a half of snow to go in some spots. it was 63 degrees this morning in denver. now the windchill is 4. so if you went out thinking, what a great day and you're coming home now, your windchill is 4 degrees above zero. so when does it get to you or your city? if you're in chicago, it's coming. if you're in new york city, you have another day, maybe day and a half because it's still going to be in the 60s on wednesday. but then all of a sudden, this cold air goes all the way down to the south, all the way to dallas. dallas is going to be almost 80. 77 today. the morning low will be 30 by thursday morning, a drop of 50 degrees. look at rapid city. new york, you'll get 48. d.c. will get 55. but think about rapid city where the high will be 12, the morning low temperature, way below zero. and the morning low temperatures colder than that with the windchill. right now, even in denver, the winds are blowing 30. it's 71 degrees in kansas city. but right now, it's only 37 in

omaha. and that front is on its way. >> chad, this weather, quickly, if you would, it's not just annoyi annoying, it's dangerous. >> it is dangerous because people aren't ready for it just yet. this is what we're going to see. this is the precursor to what winter may look like. but it's dangerous if your pets are outside. some cattlemen are trying to make sure their herds are safe. this is the coldest we've seen this early in the season. >> thank you so much. wolf blitzer is here with a preview of "the situation room." you're discussing the american detainees released over the weekend, the ones from north korea? >> yes. and i've invited tony namkun to join me. he was there a few weeks ago. when i went to north korea with bill richardson four years ago, tony was there, played a significant role. i'm going to pick his brain on

what's going on right now in that mysterious place called north korea. he knows a lot that's going on over there. >> were you expecting a happy ending to this story? >> i'd heard a few weeks ago that the north koreans wanted to do something to improve their image. i didn't expect that all three of these americans would be released as quickly as they were. >> one of them released a few weeks ago. we'll be watching "the situation room" in eight minutes. when we come back, money apparently does not talk. that is, it doesn't talk if you're robert plant. the unbelievable sum of money he reportedly turned down for a led zeppelin reunion, coming up. do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic... ♪ ♪

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so right now if you get the 15 gig plan, we'll double the data and make it 30 gigs for the same price 30 gigs? wow - that's a lot. you don't have to do that for me. it's the same plan for everyone. families...businesses...whoever. riiiiight. (yelling) no celebrity treatment here! (yelling) really isn't any celebrity treatment. just a normal guy, getting a great deal. we're just saying it loudly for some reason. get 30 gigs of data to share with family or your business. switch to at&t, buy a new smartphone and get a $150 dollar credit per line. welcome back to "the lead." i'm jake tapper.

$800 million worth of money, this is news that has led zeppelin fans dazed an confused. a report claims that zeppelin frontman robert plant literally ripped up a contract for the band to reunite. a contract worth a whopping $800 million. ♪ that is a heartbreaker, no doubt. not just for zeppelin fans but for richard branson who's reportedly the one who made the offer. the group hasn't been together officially since 1980. other band members were said to be on board with the reunion. branson even offered to fly the group around in one of his fancy jets. but sources say plant played them like a fool in the rain. the rock star's publicist denied the claims calling the report, rubbish! still, it's a reminder of just how tough it can be to get an iconic band back together. ♪

some of you might remember when "saturday night live" creator lorne michael tried to get the beatles to come together. that was back in 1976. >> i'm lorne michaels. we're being seen by approximately 22 million viewers. but please allow me to address myself to four very special people, john, paul, george and ringo, the beatles. i'm inviting you to come on our show. well, if it's money you want, there's no problem here. the national broadcasting company has authorized me to offer you a certified check for $3,000. >> lorne went on to say if they wanted to give ringo a little less it was up to them. michaels made the offer a running gag on the show though

it never led to a beatles reunion. but paul mccartney revealed years later at one point they sort of considered it. >> i was at john's place and "saturday night live" was on. and he said -- john said to me, have you seen this? i said, no. i was living in england. he was living in america. he said, they're offering us money. he said, lorne came on last week. and he said, we should go down and show up, just you and me. take half the money. >> what stopped you from doing it? >> i don't know. it would have been work. we were having a night off. >> of course sometimes reunion rejection is for the best, just ask anyone who's seen the latest incarnation of menudo or guns n roses. that's it for "the lead." i'm jake tapper. i turn you over to wolf blitzer who's in "the situation room." happening now, on the front

lines, american troops return to iraq's bloody anbar province. their job is not to fight against isis but can they avoid it? and the fate of the top isis leader reportedly wounded. we'll have details. eliminate israel, that chilling declaration from iran's top leader, as a new wave of attacks takes the lives of two more israelis. behind the hostage release, stunning new information on north korea's freeing of two more americans and new insight on the brutal regime that let them go. plus, the suspect in the uva abduction case will be back in court. but why will he face a new judge? i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." let's get to the breaking news. the first u.s. troops iraq's anbar province, now at the center of a relentless isis onslaught.