Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

New Details on Robin Williams' Death; U.S. Sends 130 Advisors to Iraq; Gaza Cease-fire Ends Today; Remembering Lauren Bacall

Aired August 13, 2014 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Crisis in Iraq. The U.S. sending more military advisers to help in the fight against ISIS. Could American troops soon be sent on a rescue mission?

We're live with the latest on the ground.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Temporary truce in Gaza. It ends just a few hours. The time is ticking now to come up with some kind of longer lasting peace deal of at least a truce. Can Israel and Hamas find an agreement to stop this violence?

We're live in Cairo with the very latest on the peace negotiation.

ROMANS: New details in the death of the tragic death of Robin Williams as Hollywood loses another legend. Lauren Bacall dead at 89. We're looking back at her iconic career.

All right. Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: And I'm John Berman. Great to see you this morning. Thirty minutes past the hour.

We would like to welcome all of our viewers here in the United States and around the world.

Up first, the grim new details about the tortured hours in the life of Robin Williams. The beloved actor's suicide confirmed by the Marin County's sheriff's office which described in really painful detail, how the troubled star hanged himself in his Northern California home. We're also learning this morning that Williams was trying to get help for the depression that ultimately killed him.

Let's get more now from CNN's Ted Rowlands.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Christine.

The folks here in the San Francisco Bay Area are still mourning the loss of Robin Williams. Last night, there was a tribute to Williams at the San Francisco Giants game. He was a longtime Giants fan and a member of this community. People really did have a special attachment with Robin Williams. And he had a special attachment with this area of the country.

Meanwhile, we did get the news yesterday on the specifics around his death. He did die of asphyxiation. That's the preliminary autopsy report. And he did die at his own hands, hanging using a belt in a closet.

His wife was with him the night before his death. She went to bed around 10:30, the next morning left thinking that her husband was just asleep. A personal assistant found Robin Williams just before noon. And he was in that state.

He also had cut his wrist with a knife, superficial cuts. They say it did not contribute to his death, but also just difficult to detail to hear from people that were just so in love with Robin Williams and his work, and the idea that this man who gave us so much joy was in so much pain, it really has been tough on not only the people here but people around the world -- John, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Ted Rowlands, thank you for that.

This morning the nation remembers another screen legend, Lauren Bacall, famous, of course for her throaty are voice, her sultry look on screen. She was a teenage model before becoming an overnight star in her movie debut. The debut was 1944's "To Have and Have Not." Her leading man in that film, the great Humphrey Bogart, would become the love of her life. The couple, Bogey and Bacall, really one of the greatest love stories I think of the 20th century. They married a year later and made several more films together.

Lauren Bacall died in her New York City home. She was 89 years old.

BERMAN: Such an indelible mark in the arts.

All right. Now chaos and war in Iraq. The country's Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki barely holding on to power and growing increasingly more isolated now that Iran and some of the most loyal militias in Iraq have turned their back on him. They're turning on him in favor of prime minister designate, Haider al Abadi. The United States sees al Abadi as the only hope for the new government in Iraq.

This as there are concerns among U.S. military officials that ISIS might change its tactics in the face of U.S. airstrikes, might soon blend in making it more difficult to target on the ground there.

The United States is escalating its involvement in Iraq, sending an additional 138 advisers to the northern part of the country to plan, help plan, the evacuation of thousands of refugees now under siege by the ISIS militants.

Our Nick Paton Walsh is in Baghdad, monitoring these developments.

And a lot of people here in the United States, Nick, waking up to the news that the United States is considering increasing its involvement there, maybe even help with a rescue operation -- a direct rescue operation of those Yazidis trapped on the mountain.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAP) that would be an extraordinarily difficult task, of course, within the U.S. military's capabilities but with so much risk, you have to wonder, the White House, how they're weighing that with the public tolerance now in the United States for putting troops back on the ground, particularly back in Iraq where war weariness would begin to define the end of conflict here for the United States.

Of course, an airlift would be the easiest thing, but then you'd have to presume they'd use large cargo planes to affect anything like the motion you need to get tens of thousands of Yazidis out of the area of threat where they could be safe. If and you try to use a grounds corridor, then you're going through extraordinary territory potentially Syria and Iraq, parts of Syria where they're under threats of ISIS militants and Iraq, of course, as well. That itself is extraordinarily conflict.

So, no easy task at all, potentially, you must imagine, the U.S. military is looking back at ways of pushing ISIS away from that mountain but still you have humanitarian catastrophe, people trapped on it. So, no easy task at all. And I'm sure it's something they're looking at cautiously at in the U.N. in seeing the scale of casualties we could see in the days ahead -- John.

BERMAN: And, of course, that's all happening as we see the pictures here.

Our Ivan Watson has been on the group, with that migration of people from Sinjar Mountain calls it biblical the people trying to escape, trying to get out.

Nick, as you said, this is happening in the shadow of the political turmoil where you are in Baghdad. There have been a lot of fears that the outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki would hang on to his job, perhaps even willing to use force to do so.

That seems -- that fear seems to be fading?

WALSH: To a degree. We've yet to hear, though, the key thing from Nouri al Maliki that he accepts what basically everybody else is saying that he's not political history. He has prime minister designate Haider al Abadi receiving support from Iran. The U.S.- backed Maliki from Saudi Arabia from the Sunni speaker of parliament who shook his hands as he received the nomination. Everyone really pointing to the future as Haider al Abadi.

And Haider al Abadi putting on his Facebook page a conciliatory message for Mr. Nouri al Maliki, and a facebook message saying look, you made a great contribution to the fight against terror here. You have a place in Iraq's political future. Many saw that as a conciliatory gesture to try to get Maliki to feel safe, to back down.

He did appear on military TV. We're still waiting to hear from him, though, that moment if he'll accept what everyone else is saying is happening. But this is so important because without the political uplifting, the U.S. won't deliver aid to the Iraqi militants. And ISIS militants won't get pushed out, most people saying -- John.

TAPPER: It does seem that Maliki has run out of friends at this point, with Iran and others turning their back on him. But as you say, Nick, it's such a crucial point it you that make. Until we hear from him directly, we don't know where this will go.

Nick Paton Walsh in Baghdad -- thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right. In the battle against the Ebola outbreak. A glimmer of hope in West Africa this morning an experimental vaccine to combat that virus is now being offered by Canada, 1,000 doses will be donated to the World Health Organization for distribution.

The WHO also pushing for faster production of ZMapp, it's an experimental drug you'd already on two American Ebola victims. They're hoping to have it ready by November because the deadly virus, frankly, is showing no sign of slowing down. Well-over 1,800 confirmed or suspected cases in four West African nations now. More than 1,000 deaths.

As for Ebola stricken American missionary Nancy Writebol, she's recovering in an Atlanta hospital. And her son said she still feels called to finish her work in Liberia and may go back if she gets better.

BERMAN: Can you imagine that dedication?

Texas Governor Rick Perry will meet today with members of the Texas National Guard. They are training for deployment to secure the U.S.- Mexico border. The program comes at a cost of $18 million a month. At that rate, money would dry up by October or so. But a Texas National Guard official said other states have offered to help share the costs.

A big meeting tonight in Martha's Vineyard, Hillary Clinton the former secretary of state and President Obama, they'll get together at the home of a mutual friend. You may have seen that the secretary of state called the president Tuesday, really to assure him that nothing she said in recent days was meant as an attack. But the fact that she felt the need to call says it all. The former secretary opened eyes, a lot of eyes, in the interview in "The Atlantic" when she called parts of the president's foreign policy a failure when he did not intervene more in Syria, when she recommended it. An aide to Hillary Clinton said tonight when they get together at Martha's Vineyard, they will hug it out.

ROMANS: Hug it out.

All right. Time for an EARLY START of your money this morning.

European stocks higher, utility and insurance stocks leading the way. Asian stocks managed to end the day higher despite a report of Japan's economic growth collapsing. U.S. stock futures about 50 points right now for the Dow futures, 54

points for the Dow. Dow futures and stocks ended the day lower yesterday, despite some positive news for job seekers. Job openings are at the highest level since February of 2001. That puts the number of unemployed people for every job opening at about 2.

Look at that chart -- I love this chart.

BERMAN: That's a good one.

ROMANS: I love this chart. That's the lowest since the beginning of 2008. It's a huge improvement from 2009. In 2009, there were almost seven people out of work for every job opening. Imagine that, seven job seekers for every job opening. Now, it's more like two.

BERMAN: All it takes is one chart to make you happy.

ROMANS: Yes, charts generally do it, in general. No, I like that. I mean, your odds are so much better.

BERMAN: It is a good chart, in your defense.

ROMANS: All right. Time is ticking this morning for a peace plan in Gaza. A temporary cease-fire just hours from ending. Can Hamas and Israel come to any kind of agreement to permanently stop that violence? We are live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: The cease-fire in Gaza ends in just over 12 hours and this morning, negotiators in Egypt are calling on Israel and Hamas to extend the truce and keep talking. Keep the dialogue open.

Reza Sayah tracking these negotiations for us live from Cairo this morning.

Where do we stand, Reza, here? Are we talking about extending the current truce? Or they're making any progress on a more lasting peace?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's what it looks like at this hour, Christine, that they're talking about at least Egypt and Israel are talking about, extending the current cease-fire beyond the midnight deadline tonight. We spoke to a senior Egyptian government official about an hour and a half ago. He didn't reveal any details of the proposal that Egypt has on the table. But he did tell us that they're pushing both sides to extend these talks and continue the cease-fire.

Here's what he told us: We want the two sides to agree to extend the cease-fire and continue talking. We're working on that. This is a very sensitive time in the negotiations. And it's hard to predict the outcome at this point.

And when you look at this statement, there's absolutely no indication that these two sides are talk about a permanent deal, a permanent truce. They're talking about extending the cease-fire. That's what Israel wants. And that's what the Palestinians do not want.

So, remember, the Palestinians have long accused Israel of using delay tactics in order to return to the status quo. And the Palestinians said they're simply not on board with that.

We've monitored two rounds of these indirect negotiations on and off for the past week, and absolutely no sign of progress. And unless something changes, it looks like we're headed down the same road as we went last week. And, of course, last week's cease-fire talks resulted in failure. And the fighting started back up again.

It's a little before 12:00 noon local time. The cease-fire, of course, ends at midnight tonight. So, the clock is ticking.

And the impasse, the reason for the impasse remains the same. On one hand, you have Hamas -- they want the complete lifting of the blockade. They want access to the outside world. They want a seaport, an airport. They say that's the only way for them to live with self-determination, live a life of dignity.

Israel on the other side, Christine, they say that we can't address those issues until we address our security concerns. They're asking for Hamas to be disarmed.

That's where things stand. We'll see what the coming hours went.

ROMANS: Two very well-known positions and a very difficult time getting any movement to the middle.

Thanks so much, Reza Sayah, for that.

BERMAN: Forty-seven minutes after the hour.

A huge 280-truck Russian convoy reportedly carrying thousands of tons of humanitarian aid for the people of eastern Ukraine now being blocked. Officials in Kiev saying they want international relief agencies to certify the convoy's contents before allowing them access. The Ukrainian government is concern the effort may be more of a threat than a real offer to help, leading that Russia may try to invade under the guise of the humanitarian operation.

ROMANS: It just shows you how much distrust there is.

BERMAN: A whole lot.

ROMANS: Like this is some sort of a Trojan horse, a pretext for an invasion. We don't -- we don't want your aid. We'd rather have it organized by the international community.

All right. Hollywood loses a screen legend. Lauren Bacall dead at the age of 89. A look back at her iconic career, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: This morning, we are remembering screen legend Lauren Bacall. The actress died Tuesday at her home here in New York City. She was 89.

ROMANS: One of Hollywood's all-time leading ladies, Bacall was known for her husky voice and her sultry beauty. She became a star practically overnight in the 1940s by showing the world how to whistle.

CNN's Nischelle Turner has more on the life of Lauren Bacall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAUREN BACALL, ACTRESS: You know how to do it, don't you, Steve, you just put your lips together and blow.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With those words in the film, "To Have and To Have Not", audience imagination soared and a screen icon was born. The confidence smoldering expression, the downturned face, and upturned eyes, earned Lauren Bacall the nickname "The Look".

Ironically, the 19-year-old struck the pose because she felt insecure.

BACALL: I mean, that's what started the look was nerves, just trying to keep my head steady.

TURNER: Bacall was more than a movie legend. She was from Hollywood's golden era and the wife of actor Humphrey Bogart.

"The Big Sleep" was among a handful of films they made together but their love affair was one of Tinseltown's greatest romances.

Bogart died of cancer in 1957, leaving Bacall a widow at 32, with two small children.

For a time, she was engaged to family friend and singer Frank Sinatra. When romance fizzled, Sinatra headed to Las Vegas.

Soon, Bacall fell in love again and married actor Jason Robards with whom she had a son. She blamed his drinking for their divorce.

BACALL: I don't even know if he enjoyed it, but he was hooked on it. And he was really almost destroyed, and fortunately did not.

TURNER: Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16th, 1924. Her parents were Jewish immigrants who divorced when she was 6. As a lanky teen, she modeled to earn extra money, taking her mother's maiden name Bacal, adding a second "L" to make it easier to pronounce.

Film director Howard Hawks saw her photograph on a magazine cover. A screen test later, and Hawks changed her name.

BACALL: He felt that Lauren Bacall was better sounding than Betty Bacall. He had a vision of his own. He was a Svengali, he wanted to mold me. He wanted to control me.

TURNER: Big screen or small, even her fellow actors viewed her as a legend. ADAM ARKIN, ACTOR: John Houston, Charlie Chapin, and she just knows or has been around everyone that has formed what we know of this business.

TURNER: Bacall films co-stars read like the who's who of Hollywood, but it was on Broadway where she achieved her most critical acclaim.

BACALL: Oh, I loved. That was my original dream anyway, to be on stage.

TURNER: She spent nearly 20 years on the stage, starring in "Cactus Flower", "Applause", and "Woman of the Year", earning two Tony Awards. In her later years, her film career saw a renaissance. She starred opposite Barbra Streisand in "The Mirror Has Two Faces", earning her only Oscar nomination.

And she was still acting in her 80s in such films as "Dogville" and "Birth" with Nicole Kidman -- a diva, a film star, a Broadway jewel, and the classic legend of an era gone by.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Classic.

ROMANS: All right. A new report, I know it's hard to even tease another story because she's just -- I don't know, the Bogey and Bacall love story of the 20th century is really something.

BERMAN: Go back and see those films. Go see "To Have and Have Not", "Key Largo", "The Big Sleep", they're so good.

ROMANS: I didn't realize she was a widow at just 32. That's something.

BERMAN: Married when she was 20.

ROMANS: All right. Fifty-five minutes past the hour.

On the ten best-paying jobs out there, what are they? The ten best paying jobs? Ours are not among them.

An EARLY START on your money is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: All right. Two minutes to the top of the hour.

Let's get an EARLY START on your money --

BERMAN: Poor Barney Miller --

ROMANS: John loves that music.

European shares are higher right now, utilities and insurance stocks leading the way in Europe. U.S. stock futures pointing higher as well after they fell yesterday. The Dow now lower for the year. The Dow has turned lower for the year, but the NASDAQ and S&P is still up about 5 percent despite all this volatility. These recent swings.

OK. Brand new this morning if you're looking to earn six figures. Think health care and a whole lot of school. According to Career Cast, the best-paying career this year: surgeons. Surgeons make an average of $233,000 a year. That's followed by general practice physicians. Psychiatrists.

Seven of the top ten jobs are in health care. And that could mean more than a decade of school from undergrad to medical school and residency. That six-figure salary -- well, let's just say it comes in handy when you have to pay the six-figure student loan debt. But according to Career Cast those are the top paying jobs this year, Dr. Berman.

BERMAN: And our history.

ROMANS: French major was not on the list.

BERMAN: All right. Fifty-nine minutes after the hour.

For our viewers around the world, "CNN NEWSROOM" is next.

For viewers here in the United States, EARLY START continues right now.