White House says U.S. is getting better at rescuing hostages

The U.S. is better at rescuing American hostages and communicating with their families than it was when the Islamic State murdered Arizonan Kayla Mueller, a White House spokesman said Friday.

The Obama administration has instituted “important reforms” since then “that have resulted in more effective use of [U.S.] resources, and more effective use of the expertise within the federal government, to sharpen our efforts to secure the return or to rescue American citizens held against their will around the world,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest.