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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Protests Turns Tense Overnight; ISIS Releases Beheading Video; Gaza Ceasefire Shattered; Water Rescues in Phoenix; Mo'ne Davis Lands Cover of Sports Illustrated

Aired August 20, 2014 - 05:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning: protests in Ferguson, Missouri, tense but mostly peaceful after nights of chaos and violence. Crowds furious over the deadly police shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

We are live with very latest.

A kidnapped American journalist executed by terrorists. New video showing James Foley beheaded by an ISIS militant. And afterwards, a threat to kill Americans again.

We are live in Iraq with the very latest.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It's Wednesday. It's August 20th, 5:00 a.m. exactly in the East.

Up first, passionate but mostly peaceful protests overnight in Ferguson, Missouri. Order restored at least for one night after 10 days of arrest. The small town still seething over the shooting death of unarmed teen by police.

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

Let's bring in Stephanie Elam live from Ferguson.

What changed things last night? I know last night, there was no tear gas for the first time in many days. Was that an important game- changer do you think?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think it was a big part of it, Christine. There was a big dialogue, a large dialogue that was being -- during the day when we got out here in the afternoon yesterday, about how the police needed to scale back on seeming like they were military. And that at the same time, the peaceful protesters needed to stay marching, doing what they were doing, on their side. So, if everyone just stuck to that plan that things would be OK.

For the most part, it did work out that way. It was close to midnight before we saw any sort of skirmish. But at that point, it depends on who you talk to about what started everything to just blow up a little bit.

And now, it's not like the other night that we've seen. But it definitely got tense, and it was right in front of our cameras, right where we were standing, right where we were live on CNN International and domestic at that time.

Take a listen to one protester, though, she's going to tell you what she saw happen from her perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just -- it was ridiculous, they arrested a legal observer, who was there from the National Lawyers Guild, just simply photographing an arrest. They just snatched him up, threw him on the ground and arrested him, took him away. They're just pulling -- they randomly pointing people out. The people weren't throwing bottles, people weren't doing anything, and some of them were being randomly pointed out, handcuffed and taken away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And so you hear his perspective that it was the police that were making things get contentious. Well, if you listen to the police and you listen to Captain Ron Johnson on his perspective on how things happened, it sounds a bit different. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLI)

CAPT. RON JOHNSON, MISSOURI HIGHWAY PATROL: I believe there was a turning point made. And I think that turning point was made by the clergy, the activists, the volunteers and the men and women of law enforcement who partnered together to make a difference. But also those citizens who took heed to what we talked about last night. Not allowing the criminals to amass themselves in a peaceful protest. They protested early, and they went home early, and allowed us a better visual look of those criminals and agitators roaming the streets of Florissant for their own agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And what we do know according to police from the presser that they had here in the middle of the night, that there were 47 people arrested last night, that compares to 31 arrested the night before. They also said there was no tear gas. They did use a little bit of pepper spray.

They also said it really helped out that people from the community did step in. And we saw that with our own eyes. We saw people coming out, telling people to just keep it calm. Don't interface. Don't throw things. Keep it calm. Asking people to keep moving, just regular citizens.

We also saw when that bit of tension really blew up. We saw there were some people from just the community who rank out and linked arms, forming a line between the police line and there the protesters were standing, doing their part to control the tension and bring it down. And it did seem to be effective last night.

So, I think that was a huge part of it as well. People from the community feeling empowered to make that change and change the tone and energy of what was happening out there last night.

ROMANS: Stephanie, what about the mix of the crowd, outside agitators, people from town, people who are just wanted to witness it, people who are outraged ten days on of the death of Michael Brown? I mean, are there still a lot of outsiders there, do you know?

ELAM: It would seem like there are. You know, taking a look at how the diversity has changed over the days. I saw all kinds of people throughout marching today. I saw men, I saw women, I saw white people, I saw black people. I saw Asian people. I saw Hispanic people.

All kinds of people are out there marching today, most of it very, very peaceful. By far, most everything I saw today or last night, I've been up all night so it's blurry, it was peaceful.

People were out there staying in their lane. They were chanting. They were marching. They were handing out water to each other. They were helping each other out if they needed to.

So, it does seem that there were people coming from other places based on the makeup of Ferguson, but at the same time during the day, I saw people from Ferguson who came out to protest when the sun was still up. They said they were planning to leave before the sun came down because they wanted to make it clear they were very unhappy what happened to Michael Brown. They were going to make their voices heard on that, but at the same time, they wanted to get out of the way in was any more friction with police, that it wasn't going to be confused with the people who are out there solely to make their voices heard on this one strong issue, that Michael Brown did not die in vain, Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Stephanie Elam for us in Ferguson this morning -- thank you, Stephanie, for your hard work all night. Thanks.

Two hours from there, in the heart of Ferguson, another deadly shoot involving St. Louis police. Officers fatally wounding a 23-year-old man who allegedly came with them with a knife yelling shoot me, kill me now. Witnesses say the man was acting erratically after stealing two energy drinks and pastries from a nearby convenient 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 the tragedy that sparked the 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 at them with a knife. The St. Louis police responded by saying officers, quote, "have the right to defend themselves." The mayor of St. Louis promising a complete and transparent investigation.

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

And now to a horrifying story unfolding in the Middle East. The terror group ISIS posting a video online showing 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.

Authorities have not confirmed the authenticity of this video. But his family, his mother issuing a statement saying she's very proud of her son and it sounds like the family doesn't doubt its authenticity.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, sadly, Diane, his mother, releasing a statement saying she's never been prouder of her son, and reminding everybody contrary to what the execution of the ISIS militants suggest, he was just a journalist abducted in Syria nearly two years ago.

So, really, the family felt he ended up in the hands of the ISIS militants killing him, because of U.S. intervention in Iraq, it shows you how complex and messy the civil war in Syria and the violence here in Iraq has become.

I think also it's hard for the family to see those pictures. It's a graphic video. The man doing the executing is seemingly a British citizen, speaks with a British accent and was in the video, too, another American journalist is clearly threatened here. We know that ISIS have a number of Americans in their captivity. And for months as the group is radicalized, and got bigger, gaining more territory the fear has been that eventually Washington might consider them a threat and move against them. And then there would be dire consequences for those Americans held, Christine.

ROMANS: This is something that is, certainly getting an awful lot of -- I don't think publicity is the right word -- but attention for. The CEO of Twitter this morning saying they're going to suspend the accounts of people sharing graphic imagery, ISIS imagery, like this. ISIS using these sorts of kidnappings and beheadings really to further its message.

WALSH: Yes, I mean, they seem to have kind of like a vanguard of fear, if you like. They use social media to push it. I've lost track of the number of just disgusting videos that they've posted. The aim is to make their enemies fear them. I've seen pictures of 50 soldiers they've captured in the center of town, I've seen mass execution videos of men shot next to a river.

I mean, there's no limit to what they will post online. It has been surprising that they haven't violated user policies on many of the sites they post these videos upon. There are some saying they're smart, they're giving away their IP addresses, where they are, what they're doing and allowing an elaborate online network very revealed to Western intelligence services. So, clearly, that part of online presence may come to an end if it is case that social media groups are clamping down upon them.

That's no be no comfort to family of Jim Foley. And the last -- I should point out, too, we did a story recently about an Iraqi soldier recruit murdered by ISIS in Iraq. And we spoke to his family in Sadr City, they were haunted by the video of his death. They saw him die on film.

And this is just part of the tactics by ISIS that leaves you wonder what the future will hold, if they can't be negotiated with, some suggest, they're basically by psychopathic -- Christine.

ROMANS: Psychopathic vanguard of fear. I think that's the best way to do it.

Nick, thank you so much.

And our condolences to the family of Jim Foley.

Violence erupting again in Gaza, hopes for a cease fire all but shattered. Israeli airstrikes killing at least 10 peoples and wounding at least 100 more after Hamas launched dozens of rockets at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

I want to get the latest on this from Fred Pleitgen, live in Gaza.

Twenty-four hours ago, Fred, you were telling us how fragile the cease-fire was, how so many people on both sides, citizens on both sides wanted to see promise in Cairo with lasting peace. And here you are back in a full-blown conflict again.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it seems as though -- absolutely, this conflict is right back to where it left often days ago, Christine. What we're seeing right now is a lot of rocket fire outgoing here from Gaza. There's also been a couple of airstrikes that we've seen just in the last couple of minutes. So, it's certainly seems as thought the conflict is back on full blown.

Now, what the Israeli Defense Forces are saying is that 80 rockets have been fired towards their territory since yesterday. They say some of them have been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. However, some of them have landed in the Eschol region, some villages there.

I'm going to say right now, there's rockets outgoing right behind us. So, it certainly seems as though things are back in full swing. It's really unclear whether or not the two sides will be able to come back together to reach some sort of diplomatic agreement. There was one major strike that happened in Gaza City where the Hamas

leadership saying that Israel started the head of the Qassam Brigade, the armed wing, the military wing of Hamas. His name is Mohammed al- Deif. They claimed that his wife and his son were killed in the airstrike. Israeli Defense Forces are saying they are looking to see who was actually hit in that airstrike.

So, that was another thing that certainly brought tensions even higher here in Gaza. At this point in time, you talk to people here, they don't seem to have very much hope that the two sides can get back together. Certainly, a long-term cease-fire seems like a distant prospect. But even short-term silencing of the weapons is something that right now, doesn't appear to be in the cards. But of course, we'll continue to monitor the situation, see how things go on the diplomatic front and certainly on the military front as we could see here from our vantage point, Christine.

ROMANS: Yes. There and in Cairo. All right. Thanks so much, Fred Pleitgen, in Gaza.

We're following the breaking news out of Ferguson, Missouri, where late-night protests remained mostly peaceful, only a few tense moments following days of violence on streets. Why was last night so different?

Plus, historic flooding in Arizona. People rescued from their homes and cars. Look at that. We've got the dramatic video of the scene, and we've got what comes next with Indra, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: A night of tense but peaceful protests following 10 days of unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, anger still palpable after the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.

But for one night at least, relative calm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In TV, it looks worse than it is, you know? It really looks terrible. That's why I came down, you know what I'm saying? My two sons live down here. And I said, I need to come down here and make sure my sons are all right. But it's nothing like what's going on TV.

Like, yesterday, all I seen was just the tear gas and heard about the shooting. But today, a totally different story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Attorney General Eric Holder arrives in Ferguson today to oversee the federal response to the Michael Brown shooting, as prosecutors prepare to present evidence to a grand jury later this morning.

Stay with CNN all morning for complete breaking coverage of all the developments in Ferguson.

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

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

Indra Petersons has a look at your forecast.

And when the water comes fast in Arizona, it comes fast.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's absolutely terrifying. You'll be in the highway, it starts raining. Before you know it, you see cars trying to get out of the way.

You're talking 5 1/2 inches of rain in 12 hours. It may not seem like much. But keep this in mind. It's a 1 in 1,000-year event. It's how much rain fall in a short period of time. That water has nowhere to go.

We're talking about rivers, they have flooded to over 20 feet in just 12 hours. It's all that runoff combined in one spot.

And here's the concern: it's been all of that monsoonal moisture that plagues the Southwest this time of year. But now, we're also going to be adding some tropical storm, low moisture in there well. The tropical moisture curving out to the sea but you can still pull some of that moisture in the region, so we're definitely going to be monitoring the southwest over the next several days for the threat, again, of more enhanced thunderstorms into the region.

Today into the Midwest and also into the Northeast, we're looking for the threat of more showers, likely about an inch or two out there, still a tiny bit of scattered showers in the southeast. The big story there is going to be all that moisture funneling in from that the gulf to that hot humid weather is still in place. But now, you're adding warm temperatures as well as high pressure is expanding.

So, what are you talking about? You're talking about temperatures that are very warm, above normal, and then you add the humidity, that feels like the temperatures will be sitting at the century mark and getting worse as we get towards the weekend.

ROMANS: All right. It is still summer. Thanks, Indra.

PETERSONS: It is summer, a reminder.

ROMANS: A reminder, indeed.

OK. Nineteen minutes past the hour. We're following breaking news out of Ferguson, Missouri. Tense protests overnight.

But first, Mo'ne Davis, 13 years old, taking the mound again today, showing the boys how it's done in the Little League World Series. Andy Scholes has the details in the "Bleacher Report", next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Yes, (INAUDIBLE) like a girl turns out to be a really good thing. Pitching sensation Mo'ne Davis is set to take the mound tonight for his team with the Little League World Series. And, boy, she has an arm.

Andy Scholes has more on this morning's "Bleacher Report".

Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey, good morning, Christine.

You know, Mo'ne Davis is breaking records at this year's Little League World Series. She's already the first girl ever to throw a shutout. And this week she became the first Little League ever to grace the cover of "Sports Illustrated."

Now, Mo'ne plays for the Mid-Atlantic team which hails from Philly, and tonight she will try to pitch them in the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MO'NE DAVIS, LITTLE LEAGUER: To come from Philadelphia and to be able to play in the final with international teams would be really great because you don't really see that much often. And to be like an inner city kid would be amazing to play in the final.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALL: Some brutal news for Ohio state fans coming down yesterday. Star quarterback Braxton Miller is going to miss the entire college football season after reinjuring his throwing shoulder in practice on Monday. Miller who is one of the favorites to win a Heisman trophy this year says he hopes to come back better than ever next season.

This story's getting a lot of clicks on bleacherreport.com this morning. Apparently, the NFL wants whoever performs during the halftime Super Bowl show to pay them. According to a report on "The Wall Street Journal", NFL has narrows the list down to Katy Perry, Rihanna and Coldplay as potential performers.

And they've asked them if they'd be willing to pay in exchange for the halftime gig. It's kind of weird. But I guess the NFL's thinking is they got over 100 million viewers for the Super Bowl. That kind of exposure for some artists may be worth paying for. So they're exploring that possibility.

ROMANS: Well, if 30 seconds of airtime is like $4 million, how much is the halftime show? How much do you pay to perform?

SCHOLES: Exactly. And Beyonce and Bruno Mars are proof because they were on tour right on the heels of their halftime performances, and their tours did very well.

ROMANS: All right. Sports, money. Yes.

All right. Andy Scholes, thanks so much.

Breaking news overnight: protests in Ferguson, Missouri, they turned tense. Demonstrators were arrested but it's mostly calm. Mostly calm we can report following nights of chaos and violence. We're going to tell you what made the difference last night.

Plus, Attorney General Eric Holder hearing the evidence in the case of Michael Brown shooting case today. We are live with that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)