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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Tense But Peaceful Protests in Ferguson; ISIS Releases Beheading Video; Violence Erupts in Gaza; Phoenix Flash Floods Force Rescues

Aired August 20, 2014 - 04:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Thirty minutes past the hour.

Breaking news this morning: late night protests remaining mostly peaceful with some tense moments, dozens of arrests.

This morning, Attorney General Eric Holder arrives in Missouri to examine the deadly police shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. We are live with very latest on this.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. Thirty minutes past the hour.

We welcome all of our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world.

Those tense protests but no violence overnight in Ferguson. After 10 days of unrest, protesters remained mostly peaceful last night. This small town, though, still seething over the shooting death of an unarmed teen by police.

Attorney General Eric Holder heading to Ferguson today to oversee the federal investigation into the death of Michael Brown, as local prosecutors prepare to bring evidence today, to present evidence to a grand jury.

I want to bring in Stephanie Elam live from Ferguson.

Stephanie, was there something different last night in police tactics or in crowd tactics, that it was tense, but overall no violence.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Christine, I think there was a little bit of both on both sides. I think there was a change in tactic.

For one thing, most of the evening, we did see that the police did engage with people, talking to people, just asking them to move out there, maybe in bulletproof vests but without their helmets on, without baton drawn. They're just calmly asking people to move. That seemed to work. We saw people would disperse or move on as that happened. We also saw people from the community coming out and interacting with

people and telling them, hey, let's just keep moving. Let's just keep this peaceful. Let's keep it as engaged as you want to be, but also not causing any sort of disturbance here with the police, and we saw that working as well.

What happened, though, as we got closer to midnight, is that you could just feel the tension grow. And it was right by where our live location was at that time, and it just amped up. You could feel it about to burst. You saw one water bottle being thrown from the crowd side toward the police. And that's when we saw people running.

Now, the question is, what was really happening? And if you listen to police and if you listen to protesters, you get two different answers. I want you to first listen to one protester to hear what she said in her perspective of how things changed last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We had a large group of peaceful protesters who had been out here for hours, literally hours, walking in all of the designated areas, picking up their own trash, you know, keeping people in line, making sure that people were hydrated. The whole night was without incident. And at some point, the police decided that it was time for to us go, they began to agitate that situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And as they were agitating the situation from her perspective, is this when the police officers were lined up on the opposite side of the street. And they were preparing to disperse the crowd. That's what they were saying.

But at the same time, the officers put on their helmets, they had their shields up. And many believe that when they did that, that is was an aggressive move on their part and our Steve Kastenbaum did ask Captain Ron Johnson for the reason, why did they do that? Why didn't they stay the way they had been all night long without those helmets?

Here's is what his response was to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. RON JOHNSON, MISSOURI HIGHWAY PATROL: When I got home last night at 3:30 in the morning, my wife was up. The lights were on. When I walked through the door, I knew that I was in trouble. She didn't say hi, she said, why didn't you have your vest on? And when I left today, and I got here, the first text I had on my phone is, "you promised". And a promise means that I am going to come home. And these men and women are going to come home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And with that, keeping in mind he said safety is first when it comes to officers out there who are engaging in these sort of situations. I can tell you that the police said that they had 47 people arrested tonight, compared to 31 arrested the night before. Also, they said that they did not deploy any tear gas tonight. But they did use limited amount of pepper spray. They said overall, it's a better night and he's hopeful that this is a change in the right direction, Christine.

ROMANS: There have been a lot of complaints about that tear gas.

But there are also a lot of complaints, Stephanie, that the police just in the early days, at least, seemed so militarized, you know? With so much of the riot gear, and the tactical equipment, and some of the protesters, wait, is this a military or is this a police force that's supposed to protect the peace? Any sense that the police are responding to those criticisms?

ELAM: Definitely. I mean, when I was out there, I watched this one police officer who had some sort of gun. And when things got tense, he had it actually up and pointed at just the crowd. It kind of passed us in the media.

And you could see people from the crowd, people from the community yelling, hey, put that down. Put that down. I saw a police officer turn around and see it, and tell him, yes, put your gun down. We're not there. Like stop, bring it back down. Everyone take a pause there.

So, you are seeing this sort of engaging look at how militarized it is. As soon as that first pop-up of tension happened after that first water bottle was thrown, immediately, there were all kinds of military-looking vehicles that appeared on the street.

And there are a lot of people on the street who were talking about that. Had issues with the fact that it was so, so military-looking.

But at the same time, police are saying this is what we need to do to keep safe.

ROMANS: All right. Stephanie Elam --

ELAM: But they scaled it back. I should say, though, they scaled back definitely from the nights before that we've seen. They've learned in the 10 days this is happening that was too much.

ROMANS: All right. Stephanie Elam for us in Ferguson tonight -- thanks this morning now. You've been here all night. Thanks, Stephanie.

Another deadly shooting involving St. Louis police stirring up more anger. This is two miles, just two miles from Ferguson. Officers fatally wounding a 23-year-old man who allegedly came at them with a knife yelling "shot me, kill me now."

Witnesses say the suspect was acting erratically after stealing two energy drinks and pastries from a nearby convenience store.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon pleading with the people of Ferguson to stay calm. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JAY NIXON (D), MISSOURI: Last week, I met with and prayed with the mother of Michael Brown. She's lost a son who she can never bring back. But what we can do is work together to ensure that Michael Brown's death is not remembered as a tragedy that sparked a cycle of violence and distrust, but rather, marks the beginning of the process of healing and reconciliation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Police were asked why they didn't use tasers on the subject when he came with them with a knife, the St. Louis police chief responded by saying officers have the right to defend themselves. The mayor of St. Louis is promising a complete and transparent investigation.

We're going to be following all of the latest breaking developments in Ferguson all morning. Keep it right here on CNN.

U.S. officials trying to verify the authenticity of a gruesome video released by ISIS terrorists. It was posted online. It shows the beheading of American journalist James Foley. Foley was kidnapped in Syria just about two years ago. The video concludes with terrorists threatening to kill another American journalist.

Nick Paton Walsh, live from Irbil, Iraq.

And, Nick, the mother of Jim Foley issuing a statement saying that she's so proud of her son. It looks like the family is not doubting the authenticity of that -- of that video.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sadly, it's very hard to be 100 percent sure of its authenticity, but there's very little doubt left at this stage, including with the family.

Yes, Diane Foley, Jim's mother, saying she's very proud of her son. Reminding people that he was simply a journalist there initially to cover the civil war in Syria. And how suggested in that gruesome horrifying execution video that we won't show you, that in fact it's not a instrument or decision-maker in U.S. foreign policy. That is what's suggested, that somehow he was rolled up in the White House decision to launch airstrikes to push ISIS, the militant group, advancing across northern Iraq, who claimed responsibility for executing him, but somehow Jim Foley's tied up in that.

Now, many observing the situation have seen that a lot of Americans are being -- comparative large number of Americans being held by ISIS at this stage. There have always been fears if the U.S. did move against ISIS, because eventually, most believe ISIS presents a threat to the United States, but ISIS will respond by killing or something to do with the Americans that they're holding.

So, this sad development makes others, of course, deeply troubled for others held by ISIS at this time -- Christine. ROMANS: Nick, he had been abducted by three colleagues, I think, a

few years ago in Libya. And they were sort of dropped off in a hotel, I remember in Tripoli and then they were released. You could see video of that there. I remember that, and how sort of scared and relieved he and the others looked when they got back.

It's just remarkable, 40 years old, here is someone who has travelled some of the most dangerous places in the world, just trying to tell a story, to be killed like this.

What do we know about his colleague that they have threatened now?

WALSH: Limited amounts. There's not a huge amount really that the family wants to make public because of the complexity and sensitivity of the negotiations. There are a number of Americans being held, not all journalists.

The issue, of course, for Jim Foley, was that he was taken November 2012, when there really wasn't much of an ISIS presence in northern Iraq as they currently stand. He was taken when the Syrian civil war was in a comparatively early stage, when extremists were just getting going in the north of Syria. ISIS didn't really exist at that time.

So, it's possible he was taken by more criminal elements looking to make a quick buck by holding Westerners, we've seen that. And then maybe somehow transferring down the line to end up in this gruesome ISIS video. But it shows you how this complex morph how the militants here radicalized in what November 2012 may have started out as a business opportunity, gruesomely enough by those who took him as now morphed passed down the line, radicalization of militants has occurred to the point where you see that absolutely horrifying video -- a man on his knees in an orange jumpsuit about to be killed by black-glad militant -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Nick Paton Walsh -- thanks for that, Nick.

And our condolences to his family.

OK. We're following breaking news out of Ferguson, Missouri, this morning. Protests remaining mostly peaceful overnight with some very tense moments. The controversy over the deadly police shooting of the unarmed Michael Brown not going away anytime soon. New development in that case. We've got that for you, next.

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ROMANS: A few tense moments but the protesters kept things mostly peaceful overnight in Ferguson, Missouri, following 10 days now of unrest. Local residents tired of the tear gas, tired of the violence coming together to restore order.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't care how you shout it, I don't care how you fit. Don't go in the streets. Don't give no reason to come over here. We've been antagonized to police. And if you got some hang ups, I'm

going to ask that you let that go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Later today, Attorney General Eric Holder arrives in Ferguson to oversee the federal response to Michael Brown's death. His death at the hands of police. We're going to bring you live coverage of the breaking news from Ferguson all morning, right there on CNN.

Violence erupting again in Gaza, hopes for a lasting cease-fire all but shattered this morning. Israeli air strikes killing ten people and wounding at least 100 more after Hamas launched dozens of rockets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, claiming that the Israelis have opened, quote, a gateway to hell.

Let's get the latest from Fred Pleitgen in Gaza.

These hostilities so deep, so close to the surface, erupting in full conflict this morning.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. Those rocket barrages from Gaza towards Israel continue in the morning hours. Israeli defense forces are saying at least 30 rockets have been fired from Gaza towards Israel.

It seems like that number is outdated again, Christine. We're seeing rocketing outgoing almost to the minutes here. There was one just a couple minutes before we went on air. As you said, so far, 10 people have been confirmed dead.

The Israeli defense forces saying at least 80 rockets have been fired toward their territory since yesterday. Apparently, there is damage in the town of Ashkul (ph) for instance.

There is one airstrike that hit a house in central Gaza, three to four rockets hit that house. We're hearing from the sources here in Gaza, the target was a high-value target, the leader of the Qassam brigade, the military wing of Hamas, Mohammad al-Deif. What we're hearing from the Hamas leadership is that apparently he survived that attack but his wife and son were in it.

The IDF, again, for their part, are saying that they are checking on reports to see what exactly happened in the airstrike.

But you're absolutely right. At this point, it is the weapons that are speaking between these two sides. And it seems that the prospect for any sort of cease-fire is slim. We'll have to wait to see whether these two sides can come together in direct situation in Cairo in spite of the situation that's going on right now -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that report, Fred Pleitgen in Gaza.

Pope Francis is opening up about his health and his reflections about death. On a flight home from South Korea, the pope told reporters he thought he had two or three years left before he'll be off to the father's house. And he would consider stepping down before then if he can no longer perform his duties. Pope Francis also admitting he's suffering from nerve problems which require frequent medical treatment.

Breaking news overnight, protests in Ferguson, Missouri, turning tense but mostly calm. Following nights of violence, new video ahead.

Plus, severe storms flooding Phoenix. Look at those dramatic pictures, water rescues playing out. What happened, and is this over?

Indra Peterson knows. She's next.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The sounds of mostly peaceful demonstrations overnight in Ferguson, Missouri. There were no arrests but no violence. Attorney General Eric Holder heads to Ferguson today. He'll be there to oversee the federal response to the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by police. On the same day, prosecutors begin presenting evidence to a grand jury.

Stay with CNN all morning for continuing breaking coverage of the unrest in Ferguson.

All right. Crews battling a wildfire near Yosemite National Park in California, starting to get the upper hand on this blaze. Officials say it's 35 percent contained and has now been downgraded in size to just over 600 acres. Some of the 1,000 people in the town of Oakhurst who had to evacuate now are allowed to return. The cause of that fire is still being investigated.

Flash floods forcing dramatic water rescues in the Phoenix area. Look at that rushing water, a monsoon surge trapping people that their homes Thursday. Look at this person desperately flagging rescuers and news choppers. Crews also rescued people from flooded vehicles. This woman pulled out of a van to safety.

The rain, the flooding, the debris forcing authorities to close or restrict traffic on nearly two dozen roads, including a major Phoenix area freeway.

Indra Petersons has a look at your forecast.

Wow, those pictures are something.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's unbelievable. I mean, having lived in Arizona, it's unbelievable what a short period of time all of that rain to accumulate. Has nowhere to go except for a dry area. And for that reason, you start to get that severe flooding in a matter of minute. This is a 1 in a 1,000-year event. That's how much rain they got in just a very short period of time, 12 hours, 5 1/2 inches of rain. We saw the river stage go to major flooding within just 12 hours, over 20 feet of water in that river.

Now, the other concern we're going to be having now is tropical storm Lowell is out, as it's making its way closer. So, yesterday, they just had the monsoonal moisture alone. Now, the tropical storm making its way closer, although it's expected to curve out to sea, all that humid air and monsoonal moisture combining with this, broadening in effect for even bigger thunderstorms, the potential for them, as we go through the next several days. That is something that we're monitoring here.

Otherwise, eastern half of the country, Ohio Valley making its way into the northeast by tomorrow, will be the next system. We're going to be watching that for some scattered showers today, likely an inch or two of rain from that system.

But again, down in the South, still looking for minute showers, all of that humid air, still looking at all that moisture coming from the gulf as the jet stream is pretty high. So, with that, you're going to combine that humid air with now, high pressure building in, too.

So, you're talking about very hot and humid conditions over the next several days, building towards Friday. So, 100 degrees, feels like temperature, it's only going to get worse and seeing the temperatures climb, including what it feels like by Friday.

ROMANS: All right. Indra Petersons -- thank you for that, Indra.

Breaking news developments out of Ferguson, Missouri ahead. But first, you may not realize this, but your paycheck -- it's shrinking. An early check of your money, next.

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ROMANS: Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning.

Stocks approaching record highs. Features down slightly right now, a bit of a pause after two very good days in the market, a market where it looks like nothing can stop the bull from running. The NASDAQ at a 14-year high. S&P 500 just a few points away from its record. The Dow back near 17,000, driven by strong corporate earnings and very low interest rates.

European shares down right now. Asian shares ended the day mixed.

Your paycheck is shrinking. In the last five years, hourly wages have risen about 10.4 percent. But if you account for inflation, real wages have actually fallen slightly since 2009. And even this year, with solid job growth -- real wages haven't risen at all in six months.

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

For those of you here in the U.S., EARLY START continues right now.