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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Peaceful Protests in Ferguson; New Witness to Brown Shooting; Secret Mission to Rescue Foley Failed; Netanyahu Vows Intensified Attacks; BOFA Nears $16.5B Deal
Aired August 21, 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.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: The breaking news this morning, calm on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, overnight as controversy over the deadly police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown grows. Attorney General Eric Holder meets with investigators as more witnesses come forward, and another deadly police shooting, caught on camera, keeps police in the spotlight. We are live.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: A new push to find and punish terrorists behind the murder of American journalist Jim Foley. This morning, the ransom ISIS militants had demanded for Foley's life as we learned new information about a failed secret mission to capture him, to rescue the captured journalist. We are live in Iraq with the very latest on that.
Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. A lot of developments this morning. I'm Christine Romans.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell in for John Berman. Good to be with you this morning. It is Thursday, August 21st, 5:00 a.m. here on the East Coast.
Tensions remain very high, but calm is slowly being restored in Ferguson. It was another night of mostly peaceful protests in the embattled Missouri town. A steamy rain keeping crowds down and tempers cool.
Earlier in the day though, Attorney General Eric Holder met with community leaders and the family of Michael Brown, the unarmed teen whose deadly encounter with the Ferguson police officer has touched off nearly two weeks of violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Hopefully, we'll have a calming influence on the area. If people know that a federal, thorough investigation is being done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Meanwhile, prosecutors have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury to determine whether the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown should be criminally charged. Stephanie Elam is live in Ferguson for us this morning. Stephanie, what are the people there saying about the attorney general's visit?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From the people I spoke to yesterday, they were happy that he was here. They were happy. They felt their voices were being heard by the higher levels of government. There's several people here who said they distrust the system here in St. Louis.
So they were happy to see that the attorney general is here. Some people are crediting the fact that we did have a much calmer evening here last night to the fact that he did make his way here including Captain Ron Johnson.
Just to put in perspective how much better last night was, there were only six arrests, compared to 47 the night before. Just take a listen to how Captain Johnson explains how the night went and then also listen to one protester who says he got roughed up by police.
But still came back out last night because he thought it was important to do because of Mike Brown. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. RON JOHNSON, MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL: The train is good. Yesterday's crowds were smaller than Mondays. As I said, the crowd was smaller tonight. We also had to respond to fewer incidents tonight. There were no Molotov cocktails tonight. No fires, no shootings. We did not see a single handgun. There were no confrontations.
LEON NELSON, FERGUSON PROTESTING VICTIM: I was in a parking lot. I guess a kid through a water bottle toward a police officer and they got mad and started chasing everybody. I was with my cousin and friend. They started chasing us and we started running.
We went the other way and we split up. I started running. They said turn around, officers behind my back with a taser. When I turned around, three more officers in front of me. They grabbed me and threw me on the ground. I said I didn't do anything. They cuffed me up and beat me in my head twice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ELAM: That young man saying that he was arrested and then released around 4:00 a.m. He says he was not charged with anything here. Speaking to what people say is the tension between the police force and the people of Ferguson here.
Others saying that they were coming out to make sure the tension didn't boil over. I have to tell you. It did not seem like it did. I saw an arrest take place. It was quick and swift. They were in. They got the person they wanted to arrest and then they were out.
Overall, most of the people out here were out here demonstrating peacefully, wanting to make sure that Mike Brown's death was not in vain and people would not forget it. Still, at the same time, a lot less people out here last night -- Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right, Stephanie Elam for us there in Ferguson. Stephanie, thank you.
ROMANS: A St. Louis County police officer has been relieved of his duties and suspended indefinitely for pointing a rifle at peaceful protesters and threatening to kill them. The entire incident was caught on camera Tuesday night. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back. Get back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to kill him. What's your name, sir? Your name is go (inaudible) yourself. Hello, officer (inaudible) yourself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A county police sergeant eventually forced the officer to lower his automatic weapon and leave the area.
BLACKWELL: A new witness is now coming forward claiming Michael Brown never rushed Officer Darren Wilson in the seconds before he was shot and killed. Officer Wilson claims Brown taunted him and charged him after a confrontation near his patrol car.
But listen to neighbor, Michael Brady, tell Anderson Cooper what he saw on that tragic day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "AC360": -- the officer's claim is that Mike Brown was running toward the officer. Did you see him running toward the officer in any way?
MICHAEL BRADY, WITNESS: No. When he was running away, no, not at all. By the time I'm coming outside, I'm thinking that he's now hit after I've seen the officer shooting at him while he was running away. I'm thinking that he's hit.
He's turned around like he was going down. It didn't look like he was giving up. Just like I'm hit. I'm going to go down now. That's what it looked like.
COOPER: That was your impression?
BRADY: Yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Brady goes on to tell Anderson Cooper he saw Officer Wilson get out of his car and immediately start firing at Michael Brown while he was trying to get away.
ROMANS: Another case of a deadly force by St. Louis Police captured on camera and released to the public. A 25-year-old came at police with a knife on Tuesday shouting shoot me, kill me now. Watch and listen as the two officers fire six shots a piece after the suspect refuses to drop his knife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drop the knife. Drop the knife.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Obviously frozen the picture of the moment the guns were fired. The names of the officers who fired the fatal shots are being withheld for their own safety. The St. Louis police chief took the unusual step of releasing the video in the name of transparency in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting. Stay with CNN all morning for that continuing coverage of the latest developments in Ferguson.
BLACKWELL: It turns out the U.S. launched a secret night time mission to rescue abducted Americans in Syria early this summer, but the operation failed. Among the captives, President Obama was hoping to save American journalist, James Foley.
Two dozen Delta Force commandos raiding an oil refinery in Northern Syria, but the hostages that apparently been moved before they arrived. Foley was beheaded by ISIS extremist earlier this week.
Now according to his family, the terror group demanded a multimillion dollar ransom for his release, a ransom the Obama administration refused to pay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Just God would stand for what they did yesterday and what they do every single day. There has to be a common effort to extract this cancer so that it does not spread.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Meanwhile, U.S. military commanders in the Middle East are pushing the Pentagon to step up the air wars against ISIS targets. Nick Paton Walsh striking the latest developments live from Erbil there in Iraq. The Department of Defense has kept this secret up to this point. Why release the details of this attempted raid now?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It seems like they didn't have much of a choice, really. The media were going to go with the story. They had to obviously confirm whether it was the case or not. Very complex situation obviously.
Because while people want to know what efforts have been made to rescue Jim Foley and it's clear they were the most extreme measures the U.S. could have taken launching a daring rescue raid like that.
It does, of course, complicate the possibility of any further rescue missions for those American and other western hostage still held by ISIS. A difficult decision all around there.
But, as these details come out slowly, you get an idea of how complex that operation must have been. Just a photograph or film, street scenes in ISIS-held areas is extraordinarily hard. We have to ask people to take great risk to do that.
So it's very hard for those U.S. commandos to be sure the place they were going to actually had those hostages. It's clear in this case they didn't. Now, of course, sadly the information is out the U.S. Special Forces were in action in Syria for the first time in this three year civil war.
That rescue mission is going to be hard for any further rescue missions and also confirms to ISIS too that such a bid was made. It would have been hard for them to know precisely that was the case until these reports came out.
So a very complex situation. "The Wall Street Journal" reporting that 100 million euro ransom was requested for Foley citing "The Global Post" CEO, he worked for them sometime. So a complex situation. You start delve into these kidnap situations.
The story of Jim Foley's gruesome disgusting murder is something everybody has to know as much as possible. At the same time, a delicate balance with the other American hostages still being and the need to get them out if that's at all possible. Everyone's thoughts and prayers with their families -- Victor.
BLACKWELL: Exactly. Stephen Sotloff, a picture of him or image of him right at the end of that beheading video. We'll see what happens moving forward trying to rescue the other Americans there. Nick Paton Walsh for us there in Erbil, thank you.
ROMANS: James Foley's parents are pleading with the militants who killed their son to spare the lives of those other hostages. John and Diane Foley meeting with reporters outside their New Hampshire home. They were remembering their son as a proud journalist with deep courage and an incredible heart.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN FOLEY, FATHER OF JAMES FOLEY: We know Jimmy is free. He's finally free. We know he's in God's hands. We know God's work and we know he's in heaven. So we're so proud of him. We have to be happy for him.
DIANE FOLEY, MOTHER OF JAMES FOLEY: We are the ones that --
JOHN FOLEY: We need the courage and the praise.
DIANE FOLEY: Right.
JOHN FOLEY: He was an inspiration for us and for so many others. So, we miss his courage, his love, his determination.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ROMANS: Can't imagine what they have been through. You know, we are told that they received an e-mail last week from his captor saying he would be executed. No demands, just a rant, political rant saying that he would be killed. The Foleys say they believe ISIS chose to kill their son first because they knew he symbolized the best of America.
All right, 10 minutes past the hour. We are following the latest on the hunt for ISIS and the Michael Brown investigation all morning long.
BLACKWELL: Yes, but first, Israel is escalating its attacks on Gaza this morning. Peace talks with Hamas have collapsed. We are live with what's happening right now after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Now to the renewed fighting in war ravaged Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to ramp up attacks on Hamas targets. The Israeli military launching nearly 100 air strikes on Wednesday. Hamas confirming three of its top military officials died in that attack.
Gaza is now in ruins. The U.N. says 350,000 people have been displaced during six weeks of violence. With the damage so severe, it could take nearly 20 years to rebuild.
In Gaza, we have Frederick Pleitgen. You point out that is under the best circumstances. This is not best circumstances. The rockets are outgoing and the missiles are incoming. And there's no rebuilding happening.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, there's absolutely no rebuilding happening. There's some clean up happening. The one thing that seems distant is a diplomatic solution. If you look at the situation this morning, it doesn't look as though it would be any closer.
The two sides clearly letting the weapons speak. What we are seeing are a lot of rocket launchers that are going out towards Israeli territory. We have seen a lot of Israeli airstrikes here in the Gaza area.
And then there was also, of course, as you mentioned, a very prominent strike in the south of the Gaza strip where they hit those three top level Hamas military commanders.
The big thing we are keeping an eye on is the international airport in Tel-Aviv. That Ben Gurion Airport where Hamas has said that it fired a major rocket towards that airport earlier this morning.
The Israeli Defense Forces say that's not the case. They have no indication that sort of rockets have been fired toward there. There is increased rocket fire in the town of Eshkol, south of Israel. Twelve mortars apparently launched at that town. One person was severely wounded on the flip side. Also more than a dozen people have been killed here in Gaza in those Israeli air strikes. A lot of carnage and no diplomatic solution on the horizon at this point -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right, Fred Pleitgen for us in Gaza this morning. Thanks, Fred.
BLACKWELL: There is a bleak outlook on the widening Ebola crisis from the World Health Organization. The head of the group says there's no end in sight. The outbreak is likely to last for many more months.
The death toll is rising in West Africa with well over 1,200 deaths and 2,200 suspected or confirmed cases. Violent clashes are now breaking up between residents of an Ebola stricken community and police in Liberia.
Thousands in Monrovia are angry about barricades designed to keep them from leaving the neighborhood. New fears this morning that the Ebola virus has spread to the Republic of Congo as well. Several people are dying there from Ebola-like symptoms.
As researchers report progress with an experimental vaccine being developed in British Columbia. That has successfully protected monkeys from an Ebola-related virus.
Let's go to California now where a patient who may have contracted Ebola remains in isolation in a Sacramento hospital. Health officials are still awaiting the results of blood tests from the Centers for Disease Control.
ROMANS: It's 17 minutes past the hour. Time for an EARLY START on your money, European stocks are up right now. Asian stocks are closed. They've already ended their day, mixed after reports showing relatively weak manufacturing activity in China.
U.S. stock futures are higher this hour. They are very close to records in U.S. stocks. The S&P 500 ended yesterday just a few points away from an all-time high. If this early optimism holds, you could see record territory today.
I want to talk about Bank of America. It's close to $16.5 billion settlement over mortgage securities fraud. The agreement could be announced as early today. It would be the largest settlement ever between the government and a single company. How much is $16.5 billion?
It's roughly equal to the bank's profits for the last three years. The government says the bank duped buyers into purchasing toxic mortgage securities before the financial crisis. The settlement we are told includes penalties and relief for homeowners.
When we have seen these big deals or other mortgage deals, relief deals for mortgage deals, people say that was five years ago. The relief for me is too little too late. So we'll watch that. BLACKWELL: So let me tell you about a woman in Idaho. Terrifying ordeal. The woman is Stephanie Ray. She's struck by lightning during a severe thunderstorm. That's in Hayden, Tuesday night. Her daughter captured the incident on cell phone.
You can see that bolt of lightning followed by a loud bang. I don't know if you can hear it over my voice. The sky lights up. She's glad nothing worse happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of a sudden, everything lit up and it sounded like a gun went off. Really wasn't sure what happened until two or three seconds afterward. I was like expletive, I think I got hit by lightning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Just one expletive? She felt a tingle in her body for several hours after the lightning strike. That's it.
ROMANS: I love her Budweiser T-shirt. Then she went in and drank a Budweiser. One or six, after being struck? What an amazing thing to catch on camera. Unbelievable.
BLACKWELL: Indra Petersons now has a look at the forecast.
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm stuck where she's talking seconds after that. Forecast wise, scattered showers across the area. Jet stream staying to the north. We are going to focus on this area with a threat for severe weather today.
A small threat today more likely the large hail, long, strong winds. Minneapolis, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis and Cincinnati, can you talk about air delays? They are major hubs here. So we are going to be concerned with that.
The line of storms making its way through. We are already seeing showers this morning, the northeast. We continue to see the lighter, scattered showers in the northeast. The heavier storms in Indiana and Ohio today. Two to four inches of rain.
Now, down to the south. It is already kind of muggy. You have all that humid air coming out of the gulf. Look at the temperatures. We are talking about mid to upper 90s. We haven't combined it here with the humidity factor.
Once you talk about the heat indexes, it's going to feel like triple digit heat. It is going to be a little bit milder. I want to tell you real quick, we have a tropical storm potential out there, 50 percent chance in the Atlantic. We are monitoring that closely.
ROMANS: You get to watch that. One thing I love about Indra is she calls this Thursday is Friday eve.
BLACKWELL: Yes. ROMANS: I feel better about Thursdays since Indra came to town.
PETERSONS: Thank you.
ROMANS: All right, Little League World Series sensation back on the mound. We have the details in the "Bleacher Report" next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Just into CNN, Kent Brantly, the American doctor infected with Ebola in Liberia will be released from Atlanta's Emory University Hospital today. We are going to bring you more on "NEW DAY." He released statements saying he felt better, is getting stronger and is able to leave the hospital.
ROMANS: Wish him the best.
OK, Little League pitching sensation Mo'ne Davis was in the championship with a spot on the line.
BLACKWELL: Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report" and also a rare honor for Mo'ne.
ANDY SCHOLES, "BLEACHER REPORT": Good morning. The 13-year-old Mo'ne Davis has been the talk of the Little League World Series. She even landed on this week's "Sports Illustrated" cover. But as we know, not always a good thing because of the dreaded SI curse.
Now a huge crowd was on hand to watch Mo'ne pitch in this semifinals games. Early on, she was just mowing batters down. She struck out six in 2 1/3 inning. In the end, big bats from Las Vegas were too good. They got the win, 8-1 to advance to the championship game. Mo'ne and her team will play Chicago in an elimination game tonight.
In the Majors last night, some brutal news for the Los Angeles Angels. Ace pitcher, Garett Richards was going to cover first when his knee buckled and he went down. The Angels are calling it a significant knee injury. The fear is, it's a torn tendon. Richards will be out for the year.
Tony Stewart will not race in this weekend's NASCAR event in Tennessee. It's the third straight race Stewart has skipped since he struck Kevin Ward Jr. during a dirt track race earlier this month. The head of Stewart's racing team says he is grieving and isn't yet ready to get back in the car.
Finally, here are some great news to start your morning with. Hall of fame quarterback, Jim Kelly is cancer free. Kelly underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation in the spring for sinus cancer.
And following a screening on Tuesday, doctors found no evidence of remaining cancer. Guys, the Kelly family has been public about his fight with cancer. He's been an inspiration to a lot of people. This is great, great news we are hearing that he is, in fact, cancer free.
ROMANS: Finally some good news. Thank you for bringing us that. BLACKWELL: We are following breaking news this morning out of Ferguson, Missouri. Overnight, protests remain peaceful as the investigation into the deadly police shooting of Michael Brown is continuing to ramp up.
The attorney general was in town as the grand jury convened. What we are learning about the grand jury and the investigation moving forward. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
