happening now, power struggle in baghdad, adding to the chaos in iraq. the new prime minister announced as the old one refuses to step down. this as u.s. air strikes take down terrorists. we are live with the latest on the ground and whether the new government is capable of stabilizing the country. remembering a legend. this morning, the world reeling, we all are after robin williams was found dead from apparent suicide. we look back on his long battle with addiction.

good morning, everyone. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it is tus, august 12th, 4:00 a.m. in the east. let's begin with americans waking up with heavy hearts, trying to cope and come to grips with the stunning death of oscar winning actor and comedian, robin williams. >> he apparently committed suicide in his home on monday. the spokesman says he has been battling severe depression. he made us laugh for decades and left so many of us wondering how and why this happens. our coverage of the life and death of robin williams begins with holland reid live from atlanta. let's start with the good, first, holland. this career was extraordinary. robin williams was a man who could make everyone, i mean everyone laugh. >> absolutely. he was a genius.

he was a comedic genius. he could do all of these characters, all of these voices. he could em body everything efs given. you wade for what was next. it hit so many people in the gut when they heard this news. there is no what's next anymore. that made us want to continue to watch him no matter what project he was given. >> he was so funny and an amazing, dramatic actor. think about "good will hunting." he could be on and absolutely funny. his improvability was unbelievable. then, he could sit there with matt damon in that film and just break your heart with his quiet words, too. >> absolutely. this is an oscar winner, not a one-time winner, several nominations. he set to the challenge as a comedian to become a serious

actor. rebrought a vulnerability to his roles and will be sorely, sorely missed. >> the comedy was always right on the edge of manic. i think he was so funny because you always had the sense he was barely in control. >> absolutely. >> it brings me to the sad part here, the decades long battle with addiction and this word that he'd been battling depression over the last several months and this apparent suicide. what do you make of that? >> what's strange is he made a comment years ago that doing cocaine for him actually brought him down. it calmed him down. he was naturally like that all the time. his manic behavior was true to him and his nature. he battled alcoholism, he admitted to that. recent months, he was in a rehab

center to stay committed to sobriety. his behavior and instincts to be manic is what made him robin williams. i don't know if the addiction had added anything to that. he struggled with addiction and now as we see, depression as well with it ending his wife. >> holland reid, appreciate you being with us this morning. >> absolutely. >> such an incredible life. a sad subject to discuss. >> i can remember being at a charity event where he was with ben stiller, and stiller's wife. all these people sitting around the table. as ben stiller and other bright, funny people on the stage talking, under his breath, he's giving one liners and play-by-play. it was the funniest hour of my

life. that guy, it was as if he was brisling, kinettic energy. he couldn't stop it. >> he operated at a different level. >> different planet. >> fans, family members, friends, they are devastated by this loss. he spent time in rehab just last month. his wife of three years, susan snyder saying i lost my best friend and the world lost the most beloved artist. the focus will not be on robin's death, but the countless joy and laughter he gave to millions. >> the president said he was an icon, airman, doctor, genie, nanny, president, professor and everything in between. he arrived in our lives as an alien and ended up touching

every element of the human spirit. we look back at this remarkable career. >> reporter: his high octane comedy was his trademark public persona. robin williams proved himself. born in 1951, it was in his 20s when williams was unleashed as a tv star. >> run for your life. the emotions are coming. >> reporter: as mork from the planet ork on "mork and mindy." he showed he could do more than make people laugh. >> i'm ts gump. >> what's ts? >> terribly sexy. >> i was trained as an actor. it's not like they have to medicate me. >> reporter: that serious side

lost him oscar nominations for "the fisher king." >> good morning vietnam! >> "good morning vietnam" and the "debt poet society." he won an oscar for good will hunting. >> the others were just foreplay. it's extraordinary. >> reporter: he never stopped being funny. he helped launch and co-host eight telethons to help homeless. >> men who sleep with chickens and women who love them. >> reporter: comic relief earned more than $50 million. when he talked about his battle with drugs and alcohol, he talked about it with humor. >> it's nice of you to say that. >> reporter: he took three trips to rehab, most recently this summer. he talked about the process on "larry king live" in 2007.

>> people start the process of, you know, just saying no and being among others and learning you are not alone and working on giving up. >> do you lose your sense of humor in it? >> no, you are with people with a great sense of humor. >> reporter: in 2009 williams was rushed to the hospital with heart problems, forced to cancel his one-man show. he talked about his recovery on the ellen show. >> they open you up. they crack the box. you get vulnerable. you get very, very emotional about everything. i think that's a wonderful thing. it opens you up to everything. >> reporter: with a new lease on life, williams sprang back into action. in 2011, he made a broadway acting debut starring in the bangled tiger. that same year, he maried his

third wife, susan snyder. williams returned to the small screen, starring in "the crazy ones" reewe nilted with mindy. from stand-up to sitcoms and beyond, williams would delight audiences for decades with whacky humor and energy. he was the definition of full of life. now, his comic legend is destined to endure. >> we saw the clips there of comic relief. billy crystal, whoopee goldburg. they would laugh and robin williams would do his thing and they were uncontrollable. >> what an amazing talent. >> we'll bring you more of this heart breaking death. now, to the other news this morning, the struggle for control of iraq. the country's government is in

turmoil. iraq's president appointing a new prime minister. a move that the white house has been hoping to see for months. >> under the iraqi constitution, this is an important step toward forming a new government to unite iraq's communities. earlier today, vice president and i called him to congratulate him and urge him to form a new cabinet as quickly as possible. >> the current prime minister, nuri al maliki won't step down. he calls it a constitutional violation. he's threatening to use force to stay in office. the u.s. completed their fifth air drop of food and water on mount sinjar. i want to bring in nick paton walsh. you have a government in complete turmoil, people who are starving and need help. a u.s. involvement that is

targeted and limited. bring us up to speed if this is working. >> officials are acting as though nuri al maliki is history. they are saying he's moved on. john kerry -- a complex job ahead in the next 30 days to put together a cabinet. the west is moving forward as though iraq has a new prime minister. that's important, of course, to bring aid to iraq from the west. contingent on al maliki leaving power. he has three options ahead of him. giving a lot of power away. perhaps he wanted to hold on to

power using the security apparatus. he could have legal challenges. bear in mind, as well, it's the constitution that hasn't been tested in court. going to be scrappy. many have been saying the fight is turning against nuri al maliki. whether he wants to go out smoothly or cause as much trouble as possible. the parts of the shia minority right now. very tense and quiet in baghdad. >> that's the best we can hope for. thank you. 12 minutes after the hour. a lot going on. breaking news overnight, an angry crowd, again, filling the streets of a quiet missouri town furious over the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. we have new video overnight and new words from the teen's mother as well. stay with us. [ male announcer ] eligible for medicare? that's a good thing,

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welcome back to "early start," everyone. this morning, the shocking death of robin williams. a flood of reactions from fans

who followed his work and from the friends who knew him best. the comedian apparently took his own life tharks's what it looks like now. a spokesman says he was suffering from depression. williams was just 63. fellow comedian joy behar told cnn, it is a tremendous loss. >> he was a good soul. he was a very generous guy. he was nice to people. he was not a mean guy, you know? it's a terrible thing. i'm at somebody's house tonight and we are having dinner et cetera. people just screamed. it was shocking when this came through. well, what else can i say? it's a terrible, terrible, thing. >> the ability to make somebody laugh is a powerful, powerful gift. he had it more than almost anyone else. so many people are moved and touched by his death. we are going to have more all morning on cnn.

>> sometimes that laughter in comedy is masking. it's been another violent night in missouri following the shooting death of a black teenager by police. shots were heard in the area and tear gas used to dispurse the crowd of 300 people. arrests were made. we have not seen the widespread looting that shook that community 12 hours earlier. michael brown's parents rejected suggestions that the teenager, their son, went after the officer's gun before he was fatally shot. >> he just graduated on his way to college. we can't even celebrate, we gotta plan a funeral. >> trayvon was shot once. as we understand from the witnesses, this child was shot

multiple times and left on the ground like a dog. that's where i think people are reacting to. >> 32 people were arrested monday in connection with the violence from sunday night. they face charges of theft, assault and burglary. >> no criminal charges will be filed against tony stewart. he struck and killed kevin ward jr. as ward walked on a dirt racetrack over the weekend. the investigation remains open. at this point, no charges, again, in the accident. >> no facts that exist that support any criminal behavior or conduct or that any probable cause of a criminal act in this investigation. >> stewart's racing team says he has not decided if he will race this weekend at the nascar event in michigan. time for an "early start" on your money.

european shares are lower, asian mixed. the geo political risks come back. the u.s. stock futures pointing higher could mean a third day of gains for stocks if they hold. concerns about a correction. the correction is a 10% dip in stocks. stocks haven't fallen that much since 2011, the market needs a restart if stocks are going to continue climbing. many americans would accept lower pay for a bigger nest egg. 43% of workers would opt for a lower salary in exchange for a larger employer contribution to the 401(k) plan. they pitch in $3500 a year. a side from this report that got my attention, they say we should save 10% to 15% of our salary for a healthy retirement. are you?

>> it's a high bar. a high, high bar. crisis in ukraine. russia coming in for aid. does vladimir putin have other plans in mind? that's next.

reaction to the shocking death of actor robin williams is pouring in this morning. he died of an apparent suicide in his home on monday. these comments from joan rivers. i'm terribly saddened. he was an amazing talent and kind and giving man. everyone remembers him as a comedian. he was more than that. he was an extraordinary actor and generous in spirit. i cannot remember a time we were together that he didn't make me genuinely laugh. in gaza, the cease-fire is holding as indirect talks between palestinian and israeli negotiators for a permanent truce that gets under way in cairo. the egyptian intelligence officers are acting as intermediaries. the project began in 2000, israeli tanks and bombs destroyed it later.

agreeing to send aid to civilians in eastern ukraine. moscow agreeing to red cross oversight. there were concerns that vladimir putin might be planning to use this help as cover for a possible invasion. now the pro-russian separatists are surrounded in their two remaining strongholds. >> the latest on combatting the ebola outbreak in africa. the drug that helped two americans has been shipped to african nations. the company that makes it is working with the u.s. government to increase production. meanwhile, the death toll rises. 1,000 people in four west african countries are died. the confirmed number of cases nearing 2,000. three missionaries are back in the u.s. this morning. they do not have the virus, but

will be kept in quarantine in charlotte for three weeks as a precaution. 25 minutes after the hour. this morning, remembering robin williams. tributes pouring in. mourning this star too soon. we have complete coverage when we come back. g, to just losing their balance. and not being able to get up from a fall can have serious, lifetime consequences. being prepared is important. philips lifeline with autoalert is more than just a medical alert button. it's an advanced fall detection system designed to get you help quickly. if you fall and you're unable to push your button, the fall detection technology within autoalert can trigger the button to automatically place a call for help. our us-based staff will make sure you get the help you need right away. this is philips lifeline. we received a fall-detected signal. do you need help? call now about philips lifeline with autoalert, the only button with philips' advanced fall detection technology.

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power struggle in baghdad. a new prime minister named, but the old one refuses to go. nuri al maliki digging in his heels as militants terrorize the streets of iraq. we are live with the very latest. remembering robin williams. the comedian found dead at 63 in what investigates believe was a suicide. the world reeling from this legend gone too soon. welcome back to "early start." i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. we welcome our viewers here in the u.s. and around the world. hollywood coming to grips that robin williams is gone. >> the oscar winning actor, the hilarious comedian committed suicide on monday. a spokesman says he had been battling severe depression. now, this man who made us laugh for so