tv Forensic Files CNN August 12, 2014 1:30am-2:01am PDT
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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 long left us all shaking
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our heads, wondserring how and why this happened. our coverage of the life and death of robin williams begins with richard. thank you so much for being with us. we look back on the decades robin williams gave us. he was so funny. i mean the humor was so extraordinary, yet he was also a very, very good actor. >> yes, you are absolutely right to mention the two aspects. first, you have this dazzling imagination and the ability to improvise, the whit, the stand-up comedian who it was almost impossible to follow on the stage, like topping the civil war, then you have a serious, dramatic actor. we saw it in "dead poet's society." >> unbelievable, his range of talent. you know, when he was on the
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stage or watching his friends on the stage, he was well known for being generous with his time, helping friends raise money for their causes. i remember being at an event raising money for cancer and thinking only robin williams can make cancer funny. here is a guy who would give his time. so funny, even when the camera wasn't on him. he was brisling with improv, with jokes, one liners. it's almost as if he couldn't turn it off. when i think about, when i saw him on mork and mindy, my children know him from "night at the museum." his talents span 30 years. >> it is extraordinary. he gave of himself. we are now reading the personal pain behind the mask of the comedian. i mean, so much comic relief
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visiting troops abroad. little question there was so much self-sacrifice there and yet he drove himself. i was reading a few minutes ago a piece where he was saying there was always something within him that said he had to do more. something that i wouldn't have believed, but he was so amazing. if you look at the deejay in "good morning vietnam," that was his personality come to life. >> dazzling. i see his performance as near manic, almost uncontrollable in some cases. it makes you wonder if you can be as funny as him, if you can walk that line and sometimes cross it as he did if there are inevitably deeper issues, problems going on there. >> we now know he had so many difficulties personally.
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as you say, you are looking at something, whether this very fine line where you have somebody who undoubtedly call a genius. somebody whose performances were unline anyone else and wonder how he lived with himself, how he prepared and how he was able to do this and how, also, the striving for a perfectionism and unique to him, then you can, of course, tip over and you strive and tempt. in good will hunting, he plays a therapist. nobody could be a therapist to robin williams, he would have outtalked him and made so many jokes they would be in the aisle. he had three best actor nominations. "good will hunting" was so amazing. the therapist learns about himself while coaching and attempting to help a genius.
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>> under stated performance, which shows his genius as a performer. he was able to keep it all inside. >> great to have you here with us to share your thoughts on this really, really sad story. >> his talent was unique, depression is not. people from all walks of life, depression is something that is insidious and so many people deal with it. it's the sad part. >> addiction as well. he was sober for 20 years until 2003, he started drinking on the set of "insomnia." open heart surgery. >> friends, family members, fans, devastated by the loss. his battles of addiction were well chronicled. his wife of three years releasing this statement. this morning, i lost my husband and best friend. the world lost a beloved artist and beautiful human being. i am utterly heart broken.
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it is our hope that the focus will not be on robin's death, but the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions. >> for decades, mork and mindy. as president obama put it, an airman, doctor, genie, president, professor and everything in between. he arrived in our lives as an alien. mork was so funny. he touched every element of the human spirit. michelle turner has a look back at this remarkable career. >> reporter: his high octane brand of comic was his trademark public persona. robin williams proved himself an oscar winner with a strong side. born in 1951, it was in his 20s when williams was unleashed, first as an american tv star. >> mindy, run for your life, the emotions are coming. >> reporter: as mork from the
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planet ork in "mork and mindy" he was a household name. in 1982, he showed he could do more than make people laugh. >> my name is ts gump. >> what does ts stand for? >> terribly sexy. >> reporter: the world according to garth. >> i was trained as an actor. they don't have to medicate me. >> reporter: that serious side earned him nominations for "the fisher king." >> good morning vietnam! >> reporter: "good morning vietnam" and the debt poet society." >> he won in 1998 for "good will hunting." this one, yes, the others were foreplay. it's extraordinary. >> reporter: williams never stopped being funny, even when the topic seemed serious. he helped launch and co-host eight telethons to help the
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homeless. >> men who sleep with chickens and women who love them. >> reporter: comic relief earned more than $50 million. when he talked about his battles with drugs and alcohol, he talked about it with humor. >> we were drunk. >> that'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 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 find it. >> you are funny there, too. >> you have to be. >> reporter: in 2009, williams was rushed to the hospital with heart problems, forced to temporarily cancel his one-man show to undergo surgery. he talked about his recovery on the ellen show. >> you have heart surgery and literally, they open you up and
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crack the box. you are vulnerable. a kitten. oh, hi. you get very, very emotional about everything. i think it'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 his broadway acting debut starring in the bangled tiger at the zoo. that year, he married his third wife, susan schneider. in 2013, he returned to the small screen, starring in "the crazy one." he reunited with mindy. >> never met anybody as screwy as you. you are like an alien. >> williams delighted audiences for decades with whacky humor and joyful energy. he was the definition of full of life. even now, his comic legend is
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destined to endure. >> his sitcom that aired last year was canceled. it wasn't picked up. you wonder if that had a role in this depression that had him check back into rehab. we are going to bring you reaction to this all morning on cnn. turning to the struggle for control of iraq. iraq's president appointing a new prime minister. a move the white house has been hoping to see for months. >> under the iraqi constitution this is a first step to unite iraq's communities. earlier today, we called dr. al-abadi to form a new government as quickly as possible. >> that guy, nuri al maliki is refusing to step down. he's threatening to use force to stay in place.
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meanwhile, the u.s. military conducted the fifth air drop of food and water for thousands of citizens trapped by isis on mount sinjar. i want to bring in nick paton walsh. i'm here, you are there. politically, it's a mess. for the people on mount sinjar, it's a mess. bring us up to speed about what's going on in iraq. >> reporter: the issue is what exactly does nuri al maliki see in the days ahead. clearly in the eyes of the west -- [ inaudible ] they wanted to see him away from nuri al maliki. they may allow him to bolster
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military aid. nuri al maliki is talking ability constitutional challenges. it's not clear where it lies on the issue. the issue is going to be a matter of power with the greatest sense of authority. nuri al maliki may have enough sway for the hold on power. on the streets just yet. step back -- former allies turning their back on him and particularly the obstacle getting more in the fight against isis. >> nick paton walsh for us. the next move is nuri al maliki's. thanks. 42 minutes after the hour.
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we are getting reaction this morning from every corner of the country to the death of oscar winning actor, robin williams. he died of suicide monday. listen to henry winkler remembering his friend from "happy days." >> we started practicing and i realize zed i was in the presence of greatness. i just realized my only job is to keep a straight face. >> it's a tough act to follow. no question. mork was on "happy days," once. >> it was a spin off on "happy days." you would think it would be silly. he makes it so brilliant the way he did it. >> stay with cnn all morning for
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coverage of the passing of robin williams. 46 minutes half the hour. another violent night in st. louis following the shooting death of a black teenager by police. ferguson police chief says shots were heard in the area and tear gas was used to disperse the crowd of 300 people, several arrests were made. we have not seen the looting that shook the community. michael brown's parents held an emotional news conference rejecting suggestions that teenager went off after the police officers gun when he was shot. >> just graduated, on his way to college. we can't even celebrate, we have to plan a funeral. >> trayvon was shot once. as we understand from the witnesses, this child was shot multiple times and left on the
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ground, like a dog. so, that's where i think people are reacting to. >> 32 people were arrested monday in connection with sunday night's violence. they face charges of theft, assault and burglary. time for an "early start" on your money. european shares lower, asian shares mixed. geopolitical risks are haunting the market. easing concerns about a much anticipated correction. the dip is something stocks haven't done since 2011. one stock soaring. the banana company promised cash to buy the banana producer. that sent shares climbing 30%. they were not impressed. they willstick with the plan to merge with an irish company to avoid u.s. taxes. >> there's money.
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so many people this morning trying to come to grips of the passing of a beloved entertainer. robin williams found dead in his northern california home monday. he was battling depression. the coroner suspects suicide. chevy chase weighing in saying robin and i were great friends suffering from the same known disease, depression. i'm overwhelmed with grief. what a wonderful man/boy and a tremendous talent. i loved him. >> 53 minutes after the hour. i want to bring in the latest on the effort to combat ebola in west africa. the drug that treated two americans has been shipped to two west african nations to treat infected doctors. the supply is now exhausted. the company that makes it is working with the u.s. government to try to increase production. the death toll from ebola keeps
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rising. more than 1,000 people in four west african countries has died. the total number of confirmed or suspected cases is nearing 2,000. those who worked with ebola are back in the u.s. they do not have the virus but will be kept in quarantine for three weeks. there's one place where it costs more than anywhere else to drive a car. you might be surprised which one it is. maybe it's your state. >> i hope i don't live there. >> an early check of your money, next.
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welcome back. let's get an "early start" on your money. european shares lower. u.s. stock futures are pointing higher. the latest edition is a ukraine vote to restrict oil and gas flow through europe. that's going to be important to watch. much anticipated correction, a 10% dip in stocks. they haven't fallen that much since 2011. they are up a bit this morning. services like uber employees
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ordered and canceled 5,000 rides since october. that limits available cars, wastes the drivers time and money. it's not just a few rogue employers but 200 people. lift tells us, when rival employees don't cancel, the ride turns into a short trip to recruit the lift driver to work for uber. where is the most expensive place to own a car. the national average, cost of ownership, $2200 a year, in wyoming, the most expensive state for car owners, 2700 bucks a year. the cheapest place to own a car, the midwest. everybody is happier in the midwest. they don't have to pay chuch. ohio, illinois pay less than $2,000 a year. >> the good news is the beach
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front property. >> the good news is, you live in wyoming. >> i'll take your word for that. "early start" continues right now. happening now, a power struggle in baghdad adding to the chaos in iraq. a new prime minister announced as the old one refuses to step down. this, as u.s. air strikes take down islamic terrorists who have taken over large parts. we are live in iraq on whether the new government is capable of stabilizing the country. this morning, remembering a legend. so many of us reeling after robin williams is found dead of apparent suicide. we are looking back an his historic moments and long battle with addiction. good morning. great to see you. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it is tuesday, august 12th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. he is a man that
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