john berman cannot contain himself. it was vague. it's expected they will roll out two versions of the iphone 6. they are expected to have a bigger screen to battle with samsung. there's speculation the long awaits i watch will be available. there's a heavy focus on health and fitness. it's going to go run faster, run faster. >>> ten minutes after the hour. call it the audacity of taupe. i did not write that line, but i wish i had. president obama showed up wearing a tan suit or is it beige or khaki or all the above. >> stone? >> it may be. twitter went bonkers during this news conference because, the president usually wears gray or blue suits. he once said he only, only wears gray or blue suits. there are more than 4,000 tweets about this. people stopped talking about it once the president says he has no strategy, yet, to deal with isis in syria. >> it's usually the female politicians that get it. who cares about a pantsuit, i don't care about the blouse and the fancy clothes on whatever female cant. he got a lot of attention. >> yo

i'm christine romans. >> great to see you, i'm john berman. 29 minutes past the hour. a new front in the battle against isis militants. president obama signing off on surveillance flights over syria, talking about drones and spy planes, perhaps laying the ground work for air strikes on isis tarkt targets inside syria, soon. this comes as islamic militants seize the air base inside that country. the syrian government is showing their willingness from the united states and others to fight isis. nick paton walsh is following the latest developments. the spy flights are a sign of what may be to come. >> certainly. many believe if you are going to tackle in iraq it's pointless unless you tackle in northern syria. the syrian government pleaing with several caveats. the obama administration doesn't want to be seen as the air force of the regime that's killed tens of thousands of civilians. many say it's the root cause of radicalism and the support basis isis found in parts of syria. the decision to launch the flights over northern syria against isis, very complicated. you kno

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 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 stage or watching his

i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. 4:00 a.m. in the east. very, very busy news day. >>> reports of imminent air strikes against isis targets in syria. they are premature. president obama says there's no military strategy there, yet, in syria. he is under pressure to punish isis terrorists inside syria. he made it clear, he is not ready to take that step. doing that needs to be a regional effort. >> as i have said, ruling out a cancer like isil will not be quick or easy. i'm confident we can and we will working closely with allies and partners. it will be important for congress to weigh in. our conversations develop so the american people are part of the debate. i don't want to put the cart before the horse. we don't have a strategy, yet. >> the president says he is meeting with top advisers on the isis threat in syria and iraq and sending secretary of state, john kerry to the region to build support. isis militants claim to have carried out a mass execution of syrian soldiers. anna is live in erbil. the pictures are grizzly. >> reporter: abs

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 ama

i'm christine romans. >> i'm victor blackwell in for john berman. the hour now, we welcome our viewers here in the u.s. and around the world. slowly but surely returning to ferguson, missouri, it was another night of mostly peaceful protests in this town of 21,000. rain kept crowds down and tempers cooled. earlier in the day, attorney general, eric holder met with leaders and the family of michael brown. he's the teenager whose death touched off nearly two weeks of violence now. >> hopefully have a calming influence on the area. people know that federal, thorough investigation is being done. >> meanwhile, prosecutors have begun presenting evidence to determine whether the officer who shot and killed michael brown should be criminally charged. stephanie elam is live for us. stephanie, what the are officials contributing the calm. is it the weather or folks are tired? >> reporter: i think it's both, victor. if you look, less people showed up here last night. we did see they sort of came in waves and groups. at one point, a group was out marching in th

john berman is sticking with us.et's be honest, a change of leadership can make. the streets of ferguson, missouri largely quiet over night. a large change from the molotov cocktails and rubber bullets we saw flying. missouri state highway patrol was brought in to calm the situation after authorities were criticized in the wake of the police shooting of michael brown. >> thousands of people showing their support for brown and his family and protests in several cities last night for brown and family. protests in several cities, last night including new york and los angeles. the most notable question remaining -- who is the police officer who pulled the trigger? cnn has learned that the ferguson police department will identify that officer today. i want to bring in don lemon who has been in ferguson overnight on the ground there monitoring the situation. good morning, don. >> reporter: good morning to you. it a big difference. a sharp, sharp detour here in ferguson. all week protesters seem to be waiting for some sort

. >> i'm john berman. it is august 26, 4:00 a.m. in the east. up first, the u.s. is weighing new military action against isis in syria. president obama has now authorized flights over syria talking drones and spy planes. the first could happen at anytime now. this comes as isis seized a keierre base in syria and the syrian government is ready to accept support from the u.s. and others to fight the islamic terrorists. as for a possible isis attack here in the united states, the white house says there is no evidence of a current plot, but they are concerned about the potential threat. cnns nick paton walsh. the latest news, the authorization for the reconnaissance flights over syria itself. >> reporter: this is the prelude to air strikes which no u.s. official thinks they can fight isis without because they work in syria and iraq. it's a complex task putting drones in the air. normally, you like to put it with spies on the ground. the u.s. struggling to do that. it's extraordinarily hard to get people to film for you in isis territory as journalists. that will be a

welcome to "early start," i'm john berman. >> good morning, i'm christine romans. it's thursday, august 28, 4:00 a.m. in the east. a mother's desperate plea to the leader of isis to release her son. she asks the head of the terrorist group to send her son, stephen, whose been helds for a year home. >> i was always learned you can grant amnesty. i ask you to please release my child. >> stephen sotloff was captured. when they executed foley, they said sotloff would be next. karl penhaul is live. karl? >> this statement is important. it's an excellent strategy. what he says the statement is doing is really focusing on sotloff as a human being. they are looking at him as an individual and moving away from the idea he has an influence over what the u.s. government does. now, what this kidnapping expert said was this plea, yes, it is a desperate plea by a distraught mother, but it's a way of opening up lines of communication establishing some dialogue with the kidnappers, with isis in this case that could perhaps lead to some form of negotiation. the kidnap and ransom ex

john berman is off today. it is 32 minutes past the hour. want to get you up to speed on the breaking news this morning. following all that's happening in ferguson, missouri. police and protesters clashing, again, on those streets. grenades and tear gas fired by police. rocks and molotov cocktails were thrown at them. at least two people were shot, not by police, but other protesters. 31 arrests were made. some from as far away as california and new york. four officers were injured. president obama appealed for calm in ferguson. eric holder will get a look at the situation when he goes there tomorrow. i want to bring in ed lavandera there with our producer, steve. i'm curious, from your vantage point, this was a peaceful protest in the name of michael brown that turned, at some point, into a violent party. is that an accurate assessment? >> reporter: by the time it turned violent, once again, the vast majority of the people who came out to demonstrate left. i don't know if it's because they sensed something was going to take a turn for the w

i'm christine romans. >> i'm john berman. 31 minutes past the hour.ome all our viewers here in the united states and around the world. >> breaking news in missouri. violent protest stemming from the shooting of an unarmed teenager. cnn explains an eyewitness account of the death over michael brown. protests that started during the day, stretching well into the night. police using tear gas to break up the crowd. a television news crew had to flee from the mayhem. journalists were detained, then later released by police. president obama has been briefed, again, on the situation. jay nixon heading to missouri to try to help restore calm. meantime, new video surfaced showing the scene of brown was shot saturday. it shows officers keeping the teenager's family away from the body. the witness who took the video tells cnn the struggle began at the police car window. >> i didn't know exactly what was going on. it didn't look right for someone to be wrestling with the police through the police window. i didn't get the video because a shot was fired through the

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 spent decades makes us laugh. millions of americans coming to the realization he's gone. he committed suicide on monday. a spokesperson says he had been battling severe depression. now, a man who made us laugh for decades left all of us in tears. >> friends, family members, fans, you know, across this country and the world devastated this morning. his battle's with addiction well chronicled. his wife of three years, susan schneider releasing this statement, this morning i lost my husband and my best friend. the world lost one of the most beloved artists and human beings. i am utter le heart broken. it is the hope the focus is not on robin's death, but the joy and laughter he gave to millions. >> it was decades of joy and laughter. >> we were entertained, our kids have been entertained. >> a unique talent. not in his battles with depression. that is all too common. >> michelle turner looks back at the life and death of

i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it's wednesday, august

i'm john berman side by side with alisyn camerota. >> that's right.u guys again. >> good morning. >> and, of course, chris and kate have the day off. >> nice for them. >> up first this morning, the fight against isis hits home. an american douglas mccain has been killed fighting in syria for isis. his death comes as the united states considers options for slowing the isis threat in syria, and it raises fresh concerns about the reach of isis which is trying to recruit from around the world. cnn white house correspondent michelle kosinski has the very latest for us this morning. good morning, michelle. >> reporter: hi, john. right. the obama administration has authorized surveillance flights over syria and looks into what options might be available leading up to potentially air strikes. now we see that the reach of this barbaric terrorist group isis has affected the u.s. in more ways than one with this american citizen who grew up in minnesota now killed fighting with isis inside syria. his

great to see you, i'm john berman. >> nice to have you back. i'm christine romans.rnalist held nearly two years by terrorists is expected to be reunited with his family. he was freed sunday by an al qaeda linked group. he was kidnapped back in october, 2012. cnns nick paton walsh is following developments for us live in london. good morning, nick. >> at the heart of the release is also the story of a partially failed escape involving another american. he was peter theo's cell mate for six months in northern syria. they shared the torture together, hunger and deprive deprivation. theo pushed matthew up to the window. he reached down and theo was stuck in the window. he had to leave theo behind. wrestled with guilt since august. yesterday was the happiest day of his life. we finally learned he was free. peter's family saying how he had, in fact, been released in negotiations by the u.s. and ka tarry governments. no sign money changed hands. an interesting place where he was transferred. the israeli border of syria handed to u.n. peace keepers there, presumably by syri

i'm john berman. >> are you sure?sure. >> "legal view" with ashleigh banfield starts right now. >>> if you've got mail, odds are you've been hacked. in what may be the biggest cyberattack in the history of the world. more than $1 billion, that's billion, with a "b," folks, internet user names and passwards stolen from almost a half million websites. so who did this? more importantly, what can you do about it? also this hour, ambushed in afghanistan. by a supposed ally. a two-star u.s. general on a mission to train soldiers in afghanistan, instead become, the

i'm john berman. >> and i'm michaela pereira.view" starts now. >>> iraq's humanitarian crisis getting worse by the minute. the united states now considering a massive air evacuation to rescue the refugees trapped on mt. sinjar. does that mean more american boots open the ground? what about the thousands of other iraqis young and old who fled the mountain on foot, many without food, water or even shoes. some of them died just trying to make the journey. and they could all end up slaughtered if they try to

i'm john berman. >> welcome back, john berman. nice to see you. >> thank you very much. >> i'm christine romans. it is 4:00 a.m. in the east. we have good news about a hostage held over seas. he was kidnapped in october of 2012 by an al qaeda group. he's expected to be reunited with family shortly. friends and family of slain american slain journalist -- nick paton walsh has more. what can you tell us about the release? >> reporter: it happened about 6:40 local time yesterday between israel and syria. interesting place to be released so far away from where he was originally kidnapped in syria. held in aleppo for a long period of time. we just received a statement from another american who was held in aleppo. they shared a cell. matthew did escape from the cell. he had to leave fear behind. matthew released a statement earlier saying we were together over six months but never shared a day. now we dochlt they are now free. this day will go down as one of the happiest of my life. relief from the cell mate with the fear of leaving him

. >> i'm john berman. it's 4:00 a.m. in the east. we would like to welcome our viewers here in the united states and around the world. >>> after sunday's bombing of a u.n. shelter in gaza. they called the attack disgraceful. the u.n. described it as moral outrage and criminal attack. israel is suspending their fire for a seven hour humanitarian cease-fire. john, does hamas seem to be willing to support this cease-fire? if so, what can actually be physically achieved in seven hours? >> reporter: well, at this point, hamas says they will not go along with the cease-fire. they don't trust the israelis. they believe it's an attempt to divert attention away from what happened at the school. the israeli's say they were attacking three members of the jihad on a motorcycle. apparently, they passed near the front gates of the school. nine people died from shrapnel after it was fired. as for what can be done in the seven hour cease-fire, they need to get aid, tents, medical supplies into gaza and work out a way to get the water back on, fix th

i'm christine romans. >> i'm victor blackwell in for john berman.e our viewers from the u.s. and around the world. no more tear gas or chaos on the streets of ferguson. governor nixon tells them to withdrawal. demonstrators in the dozens now, instead of the thousands. the anger remains. nearly two weeks after the shooting death of michael brown. here is stephanie elam. >> reporter: victor and christine, another peaceful night here in ferguson. protesters took to the streets, but they stayed calm. the police also stayed out of their way. in fact, we listened to captain ron johnson talk about thousand night went. here is what he had to say? >> we pulled our patrol cars back from the streets to allow more room for marching. that trend is continuing. we had to respond to incidents tonight. there were no molotov cocktails tonight, no fires, no shootings. we did not seize a single handgun. again, tonight, we deployed no smoke devices, no tear gas and no mace. again, tonight, no police officer fired a single shot. >> captain johnson said there were seven a

i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it is 4:00 a.m. in the east. we welcome our viewers in the u.s. and around the world. >>> a vigil that turned into a violent confrontation with police. they attacked police cars. the reason behind all of this? the shooting death of an 18-year-old boy, michael brown, at the hands of police saturday. witnesses say brown was unarmed and did not instigate what happened. there was a physical confrontation with an officer and the officer's weapon. the police chief says brown was shot 35 feet away from the police car but declined to give more details, saying he did not want to prejudice the case. brown's mother, the boy's mother, could not contain her anger. >> you took my son away from me. you know how hard it was for me to get him to stay in school and graduate? you know how many black men graduate? not many. you bring them to this level. they are going to try to take me out anyway. >> the lawyer who handled the trayvon martin case, benjamin krump is now representing michael brown's family. >>> u.s. air strikes contin

. >> i'm john berman. we want to welcome all our viewers here in the united states and around the world. the cease-fire in the fourth hour and holding. israel and hamas pressing pause on the bloodshed halting a month long conflict. both sides keeping the peace will be difficult. meanwhile, cleaning up in gaza. so much of that region in ruins. one-fourth of the population displaced. the infrastructure damage tops $4 billion. our karl penhaul is in gaza. the cease-fire, four hours in, cuz seem to be holding. >> reporter: john, that is the good news. things seem to be quiet. the other good news as far as the palestinians are concerned is israeli ground troops pulled out. yesterday, israeli tanks were 3/4 of a mile from here. they have pulled back from the other side of the border. this 72-hour cease-fire is giving a valuable opportunity for gazan people to come home. but, take a look at that. this is what they are coming home to. they are finding, many of them, that they have nothing left. just a few moments

. >>> i'm john berman. >> and i'm christine romans. it's 4:00 a.m. in the east. we welcome all the viewers here in the united states and around the world. up first, robin williams' final details. the beloved actor's suicide. the marin county sheriff describing in detail how the troubled star hanged himself in his home. we're finding out robin williams was trying to get help for the depression that ultimately overcame him. more from cnn's tim rowlands. >> reporter: good morning. there was a tribute to williams at the san francisco giants game. he was a longtime giants fan and a member of this community. people really did have a special attachment with robin williams. and he had a special attachment with this area of the country. meanwhile, we did get the news yesterday on the specifics around his death. he did die of asphyxiation. that's the preliminary autopsy report. and he did die at his own hands, hanging using a belt in a closet. his wife was with him the night before his death. she went to bed around 10:30, the next morning left thinking that her husband was

i'm poppy harlow in for christine romans. >> and i'm john berman., august 6th, 5:00 a.m., we begin with peace, relatively speaking in gaza. foot-hour cease-fire now in its second day and saul quiet between israel and hamas. the peep in gaza emerging from the ruins. the israeli troops are gone. the tricky part now making this all stick. talks to build a more lasting peace. they will soon get started in cairo. the delegations have all arrived that city now. john vause live from gaza this morning, john, people are literally picking up the pieces of their lives. >> reporter: absolutely, john, gaza has not been this quiet. many hoping that the negotiations come up with a more permanent end to the fighting. in the meantime, there are pressing issues here for the people of gaza. among them electricity. israelis are now repairing the transmission lines that supply most of gaza with electricity. those transmission lines were damaged weeks ago when the fighting first started. and after gaza's only power plant took a direct hit last week, most of the 1.7 milli

. >> i'm victor blackwell in for john berman. tensions remain high, but calm is slowly being restored in ferguson. another night of mostly peaceful protests in the missouri town. a steamy rain keeping crowds down. eric holder met with community leaders and the family of michael brown, the unarmed teen whose death touched off nearly two weeks of violence. >> hopefully, we'll have a calming influence on the area. if people know a federal, thorough investigation is being done. >> 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. what are the people there saying about the attorney general's visit? >> reporter: 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. the attorney general is h

. >>> hello, i'm john berman. >> and i'm michaela pereira. welcome to tuesday. we begin with breaking news at this hour. senior palestinian official says that president abbas is set to announce a gaza cease-fire agreement one hour from now. just a few minutes ago, hamas official said a truce had been reached that would end the fighting between israel and militants in gaza. >> but a spokesman for israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu says word right now just reports. a senior government official says there is no cease-fire deal but we may have an announcement later today or tomorrow. so some conflicting information here. we want to go now live to gaza to figure it out. ian lee is on the ground. what are you hearing about the possibility about this more lasting cease-fire? >> well, john and michaela, over the -- [ no audio ] >> people killed in rafa but what we're hearing from hamas second in command, he said that they are on the cuss p of understanding the culminating victory for the palestinians saying that the cease-fire will come into effect. we're hearing

. >> i'm john berman. it is thursday, august 28th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. this morning remains to be seen what impact, if any, the emotional plea of the mother of a hostage will have on isis. a video message asking them to spare his life. >> stephen has no control over the actions of the u.s. government. he's an innocent journalist. i have always learned that you can grant amnesty. i ask you to please release my child. >> very interesting there. she refers to him as that. stephen sotloff was taken a year ago covering the civil war in syria. karl penhaul is following the latest developments. going line by line in the plea, it is fascinating. the analysts telling you, telling us here, this was a very effective message this mother was sending. >> reporter: yeah, absolutely a key message. the person we have been talking to, a kidnap and ransom adviser had a broad experience with this. he say this is kind of message and this kind of situation is very strategic message. what the statement aims to do is really to recast the debate to show stephen sotloff as a huma

i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it is 30 minutes past the hour. to the week. let's start with the candlelight vigil in missouri. hundreds of protesters showing their anger over the shooting death of 18-year-old michael brown at the hands of police. there are different accounts of what happened. witnesses say brown was unarmed and did not instigate the shooting. police say there was a physical confrontation with an officer. the police chief says brown was shot 35 feet away from the police car and declined to give more detail because he didn't want to prejudice the case. brown's mother could not contain her anger. >> you took my son away from me. you know how hard it was for me to get him to stay in school and graduate? you know how many black men graduate? not many. you bring them down to this level where they feel like they don't got nothing to live for anyway. they are going to take me out anyway. >> george howl joining us by phone. when you hear the distraught and angry mother, that is pretty much the voice and the sentiment that was running thr

i'm victor blackwell in for john berman. >> good to see you.e romans. 30 minutes haafter the hour. governor jay nixon ordering national guard to withdrawal. demonstrators in the hundreds now instead of the thousands. the anger is there. it remains two weeks after the shooting death of this man, michael brown. here is stephanie elam. >> reporter: victor and christine, another peaceful night here in ferguson. protesters took to the streets. they stayed calm. the police stayed out of their way. in fact, we listened to captain ron johnson talk about how the night went. here is what he had to say. >> we experimented with pulling patrol cars back from the streets. that trend is continuing. we had to respond to fewer incidents tonight. no molotov cocktails, no fires, no shootings. we did not seize a single handgun. tonight, we deployed no smoke devices, no tear gas and no mace. and again tonight, no police officer fired a single shot. >> captain johnson said there were seven arrests last night. compare it to two nights ago, 47 arrests. of the seven, t

i'm christine romans. >> i'm john berman.see you today, it's friday, august 1st, 5:00 a.m. in the east. up first, is there silence in gaza? we are four hours into a humanitarian cease-fire brokered by the united nations and the united states. a much needed pause, supposed to be, after the 24-hour israeli offensive against hamas and the rockets going into israel. we are going to saima mohsin. what is the situation? >> reporter: so far, we understand it is quiet. people are slowly, but surely coming out with trepidation. people who have been trapped in shelters, unable to get home. people who haven't seen their loved ones. as secretary of state, john kerry has been spearheading the efforts to get to this point, to get a cease-fire, he says, you know, they simply need to get back to the vital functions of life. let's not forget the people caught up in the cross fire of this fighting between the two sides. simply haven't been able to get food, water or medical attention. they say their first priority is getting people injured who

i'm michaela pereira. >> i'm john berman. view with ashleigh banfield" starts now. >>> russian tanks storming ukraine. ukrainian forces on the run. their commanders calling this a full-scale invasion. all the while, moscow saying it's all a lie. how will the u.s. and the world respond? >>> also this hour, you thought isis was a bunch of ragtag radicals. think again. we'll shou

i'm john berman. >> decided to come to work, did you? >> i did. >> good to see you. i'm michaela pereira. we've got a busy show. >> we're going to begin right outside st. louis where a solemn and peaceful march is scheduled to begin shortly for a teenager killed over the week by police. now, his death sparked violence overnight. police in full riot gear battlesing protesters. that's in ferguson, missouri, some threw bottles and kicked patrol cars. there was some vandalism and looting as well. 32 people were arrested. many in that crowd felt no doubt this violence followed other violence. >> 18-year-old michael brown was shot and killed by a police officer. there were conflicting reports on what happened that led to the shoot th. witnesses say that brown was unarmed and did nothing to instigate the shooting. >> he shot again and once my friend felt that shot, he turned around and he put his hands in the earth and he started to get down, but the officer still approached with his weapon drawn and he fired several more shots. >> the fbi says it is now assisting local pol

john berman is off. we're going to first look at ferguson this morning. michael brown's mother has said that justice will bring peace. at this hour, 11 days after a police officer shot and kill her 18-year-old son, justice might be getting closer as the focus goes from the anger on the street to the work of the court. attorney general eric holder is set to arrive there in ferguson today to check on the status of the federal investigation and also to meet with community leaders. there's also a parallel state investigation under way looking into whether brown's death could have been a criminal act. the grand jury inquiry could begin as soon as today. official are getting witnesses ready to testify. meanwhile protesters, they repeat their call at this hour for the st. louis prosecuting attorney to step aside. they insist his police ties run far too deep and they fear he could be biased in this case. meantime, the overnight protests in ferguson were calmer than on previous nights. there were some scuffles. nearly 50 arrests. >>> now to our other big story, a

john berman is off. so much more at this hour. cooler heads seem to be prevailing in ferguson, missouri. a short time ago attorney general eric holder spoke about his visit there. and about the investigation into michael brown's death. >> the people of ferguson can have confidence in the federal agents, investigators and prosecutors who are leading this process. our investigation will be fair, it will be thorough, and it will be independent. the national outcry we have seen speaks to a sense of mistrust and mutual suspicion that can take hold in the relationship between law enforcement and certain communities. >> it would appear that on the streets of ferguson, things seem to be calming down. the latest protests overnight were more peaceful, a few minor disturbances. only about six arrests. the relative calm could mean a shift in focus away from the fury and towards perhaps the facts and the forensics. a grand jury has started to hear evidence and now they must sift through the many different eyewitness accounts. it could take two

reaction to the death of robin williams is coming up on "early start" with christine romans and john bermanthat's next. >>> 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

i'm john berman.at. >> freudian slip. >> joined by allison which somehow i can say without screwing up. chris and kate are off. and california is waking up. good morning to you out, there as the bay area and napa valley start to clean up from the area's worst earthquake in 25 years. people there also dealing with dozens of aftershocks. 100 homes were condemned. the power is finally back on for most customers. schools in the area closed today. napa's airport is open, even look at this -- most of the windows in the air traffic control tower shattered. dan simon is on the street there. you see the rubble behind him. he has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, john. it's a mess here in downtown napa. you see the building behind me, these brick just crumbled to the ground. i tell you what, it's a good thing the earthquake happened at 3:20 in the morning. on the bottom is an outdoor cafe. you can imagine what would have happened if you had people on the sidewalk eating or sort of lingering.

i'm john berman joined again by alisyn camerota. chris and kate both off. coming to light. it may be from the very moment that the police shot and killed michael brown, the unarmed teenager in ferguson, missouri. it was recorded unintentionally during a video chat by a man who lives near the scene of the shooting there. we want you to listen to this. you can hear multiple gunshots trying to ignore the conversation that the man on this is having because it's a little confusing but listen to the gunshots right here. >> you are pretty. [ gunshots ] >> you're so fine. just going over some of your videos. how could i forget? [ gunshots." >> two sets of shots with a pause in between. cnn has not independently verified the recording but very, very interesting. stephanie elam in ferguson has the very latest. stephanie? >> reporter: john, when you take a listen to that audio and you hear that group of shots, it may be disturbing for some people to hear, but when you listen to it, it sounds to me like there's six shots and then a pause and then another four. if you t

. >>> hello, i'm john berman. >> and i'm michaela pereira. welcome to tuesday.gin with breaking news at this hour. senior palestinian official says that president abbas is set to announce a gaza cease-fire agreement one hour from now. just a few minutes ago, hamas official said a truce had been reached that would end the fighting between israel and militants in gaza. >> but a spokesman for israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu says word right now just reports. a senior government official says there is no cease-fire deal but we may have an announcement later today or tomorrow. so some conflicting information here. we want to go now live

. >>> hello, everyone, great to see you today, i'm john berman. >> and i'm michaela pereira. those stories in just a moment, but first we start with breaking news out of afghanistan. an attacker has opened fire on coalition forces, the pentagon says one american has been killed, 15 coalition troops, including americans have been wounded. >> this happened at a camp in kabul. we're told the attacker

i'm john berman. >> and i'm michaela

john berman is on assignment. we are 58 hours into the cease-fire in the middle east,

i'm john berman. >> and i'm michaela pereira. those stories and much more. the humanitarian cease-fire window has now been closed, for an hour. hamas saying it never agreed to it in the first place. >> now there are two reports of violence in jerusalem. israeli police telling cnn that a man on a motorcycle opened fire at the entrance of the mount scopeis tunnels and an israeli soldier was shot and wounded. this is after another attack in jersey. a palestinian man drawing a bulldozer vehicle slammed into a passenger bus and flipped it over. >> authorities shot and killed him. the bus driver was injured. the israeli military is now confirming that its forces launched as well an aerial strike earlier today on a refugee camp on gaza city but tells cnn the strike did not violate the human tarp cease-fire because it was an gog gsh on going operation. >> anderson cooper joins us. tell us what you are hearing. it's such a benefit to us to have you on the ground there about these attacks and how they are threatening this cease-fire. >> well, certainly, i mean it's on

a lot of rumors about the iwatch is going to be very fitness focused so it will tell john berman to rune's doing a triathlon tomorrow. >> i am. i may not be here on monday. >> good luck tomorrow, john. >>> nfl commissioner roger goodell admitted he messed up when he suspended ray rice for two games so he's making changes for how players are punish for domestic violence. andy scholes has more in this morning's bleacher report. hi, andy. >> goodel was heavily criticized when he suspended ray rice for only two games, and yesterday he flat out said, quote, i didn't get it right. as a result goodell announced new harsher punishments for players who are involved in a domestic violence incident. under the new plan offenders will receive a six-game suspension for the first offense and a possible lifetime ban for a second offense. this new policy applies to all nfl personnel, not just the players. >>> the college football season is now up and running. last night texas a&m pulled off the upset, putting beat-down on ninth ranked south carolina. in his very first start sophomore kenny hill threw fo

i'm alisyn camerota alongside john berman. great to be with you. with the desperate race to save the life of american hostage steven sotloff, last seen in the grisly isis video of james foley's beheading. sotloff's mother shirley delivering a video message directly to the leader of isis begging him to follies mick teaching and not hold her son responsible for the sins of others. this as we're now learning possibly a second american has died fighting alongside isis terrorists. cnn's miguel marquez has more. >> he's an honorable man and has always tried to help the weak. >> reporter: an impassioned plea by the mother of 31-year-old journalist steven sotloff held captive by isis. steven seen here in the same video after the sickening murder of james foley. >> my son steven is in your hands. >> reporter: shirley sotloff desperately appealing directly to the isis leader abu bakr al baghdadi, eight days after the militant group threatened to execute her son. in the nearly two-minute statement shirley demonstrates her knowledge of islamic history, culture

john berman is here. chris cuomo is off. fuming over the police shooting death of 18-year-old michael brown. take a look at this video from a local radio station. authorities used tear gas and flash bangs to try to break up the crowds there after they say molotov cocktails were thrown. almost two dozen people were arrested, including two reporters who were working, sitting at a fast food restaurant. >> officials are doing what they can, they say they are, to stem the confrontations. missouri's governor headed to ferguson again today. president obama being kept up-to-date while he is on vacation in martha's vineyard. now, cnn has obtained video showing the moments after the unarmed teen was shot. still no identification of the officer who opened fire. this as local police say they're trying to ensure his safety. live from missouri with the latest. ana, it was a long night. >> it was a long night. now, john, we're seeing what appears to be the calm after the storm, so to speak. we are outside the ferguson police station where

i'm john berman. >> and i'm michaela pereira. it's 11 a.m. in the east. 8 a.m.e west. >> remembering michael brown. what they are calling home going service for him. he was gunned down by a police officer in ferguson, missouri. you are looking at live pictures. music, singing. there are celebrities. there are stars. there are civil leaders, members of the black community there. the voices of outrage over the shooting are now silent. michael brown's father requested peace on this day, the day that he and his wife lay their son to rest. that request is being honored by the thousands of mourners gathered at this ceremony. there's so many people there. they have to use an overflow room. for many people, michael brown's death was a painful reminder of racial profiling and unequal treatment at the hands of law enforcement. >> i want to begin with don lemon outside the funeral service. stephanie elam is on the street where michael brown was killed. i want to go first to don outside this church and don we've seen this really remarkable procession over the last several m

. >>> ebl, everyone, i'm john berman. michaela is off today. to get straight away to the breaking news. the cease-fire blown to pieces. now an israeli soldier in the hands of hamas. this started 90 minutes into what was supposed to be a 27 -- 72-hour truce. two israeli soldiers were killed, one was captured. shelling and rocket fire ejuptd between the two sides. health officials in gaza say an israeli attack in rafah killed at least 40 people and wounded more than 250. each side blaming the other for violating the cease-fire. right now, we want to bring in our karl penhaul who is live in gaza, also wolf blitzer joins us in jerusalem. karl, we want to start with you us

john berman is on assignment. >> and i'm wolf blitzer in washington. michaela, stand by for a moment. i want to get straight to the escalation in iraq. a dramatic military escalation. u.s. war planes have dropped two 500 pound laser guided bombs on northern iraq. they did it a few miles ago. the president says he authorized the trieks to strikes to protect u.s. military and diplomatic personnel in northern iraq. it targets the military group of isis, near the town of irbil. the militants have given thousands of families of religious and ethnic minority a joist -- choice, you can convert to their brand of islam or you can guy. -- die. members are trapped in the mountains where they have fled. children have died from dehydration from intense summer hit -- heat. >> when we face the issues we have on that mountain, when we have a mandate to help, in this case, a request from the iraqi government, and and we have the unique capabilities to help avert a massacre, i believe the united states of america cannot turn a blind eye. >> the group isis has taken over

john berman has the day off. it is tuesday, august 19th, 5:00 a.m., exactly in the east. up first, a tense night in ferguson, missouri. police in riot gear fire iing -1 arrests made. some from as far away as california and new york. two people reported shot, not by police, but shot in the crowd. four officers injured last night. this is the first time the curfew was lifted and national guard troops were patrolling the streets. eric holder will arrive there tomorrow to get an update on the federal investigation. ed lavandera is there along with our producer. a peaceful protest about michael brown that turned very, very menacing after dark. >> reporter: once again, almost a repeat of the previous night where we saw things turn dramatically for the worse relatively quickly. you know, that's the disheartening thing for many of the demonstrators and protesters who came out in the hundreds to participate in the civil disobedience. once again, we saw what authorities here and many people in the street are telling us is just a small number of people that are simply too volatile i

john berman is off this morning. ift's tuesday, august 19th, 4:00 a.m. in the east. we welcome our