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Vigil Tonight For Movie Crew Member Shot With Prop Gun; Police: Alec Baldwin Didn't Know Prop Gun Had Live Round; Obama On Campaign Trail In Virginia And New Jersey; McAuliffe, Youngkin In Tight Race For Virginia Governor; Interview With Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ); Michigan Town In State Of Emergency Due To Toxic Lead Pipes; "Architect Of The Holocaust" Trial Resonates 60 Years Later; Former Space Station Commander On New Thriller; West Coast Braces For Flooding, Snow, Strong Winds. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired October 23, 2021 - 20:00   ET

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

[20:00:00]

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE REPORTER: And he does speak freely about what he was hearing and what he saw, that allows the committee to have a new level of insight into the people around Trump, what Trump was saying directly to acolytes of his, and what other people who were pushing this election fraud idea thought and wanted to do at that time.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Yes, and you know we covered DOJ. It was stunning this little-known official ended up really central in this plot.

Thank you so much, Katelyn Polantz.

(voice-over): An assistant director yelled "cold gun" as he gave a prop firearm to Alec Baldwin, according to an affidavit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Usually you would try and avoid using a real gun unless you have to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Investigators are now combing through the evidence from the movie set including Alec Baldwin's bloodstained clothes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Next, in the Gabby Petito case, investigators turn to Brian Laundrie's parents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Making a statement, we haven't seen him, is not reporting someone missing.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Part of that investigation will be to discern and determine what if anything the family members know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Powerful Pacific storms set to bring heavy rain, flash flooding and strong damaging winds to the northwest and California starting tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I travel light so if they say evacuations, I just get the hell out of dodge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: President Obama on the stump for Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign in Virginia slams Republicans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Why is it Republicans don't want you to vote? What is it they're so afraid of?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN (on camera): Top of the hour now. I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Saturday. Thank you so much for taking time out of your night to be here with us.

And tonight, a vigil by candlelight about to get underway in New Mexico. It is to honor the movie crew member accidently shot to death by actor, Alec Baldwin, on the set of a western film.

Police say Baldwin unknowingly fired a live round from what was supposed to be a prop gun. The shot killed cinematographer, Halyna Hutchens, and injured movie director, Joel Souza.

A sheriff's office affidavit is shedding new light this weekend on just what happened there on the set.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov joins us live from that vigil.

So what is the scene like there, Lucy?

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Pam. People have been trickling in. Again, this is a gathering to honor and mourn the passing of 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins, who was a rising star by all accounts in the film industry.

She lived in Los Angeles with her husband and her young son. She was born in Ukraine.

And we're, you know, seeing people walk around with candles. It's still early yet. We're waiting for the vigil to get under way.

But a lot of grief and a lot of unanswered questions about how this could have taken place, how this tragedy could have taken place because there are usually so many safety precautions on film sets to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Now, you mentioned the affidavit. We are getting more details about

the timeline of how all of this unfolded.

We understand that it was early afternoon on Thursday. Alec Baldwin was wearing his western clothing for the shoot of this film. He was inside a structure with the film crew getting ready to film his scene.

We understand there were three prop weapons that were placed on a tray outside of the structure by the head armorer.

The assistant director then picked up one of the prop guns. He walked it inside the structure handing it to Alec Baldwin, shouting "cold gun," which in the industry means the weapon should not have had any live rounds.

We all, unfortunately, know what happened afterwards. According to the affidavit, Alec Baldwin pulled the trigger, the shot hit Ms. Hutchins in the chest. She was airlifted to a hospital, pronounced dead on scene. And also wounded the director Joel Souza.

A lot of questions about why the assistant director handed the weapon to Mr. Baldwin, and where the head armorer was.

She was named in the affidavit as, pardon me, as Hannah Gutierrez. We understand she is 24 years old. She was trained by her father, who was a legendary gunsmith.

This is only her second film production in which she served as the head armorer.

And she did give an interview back in September to a podcast about a previous experience in doing that role in which she expressed some nervousness about doing the job.

Again, a lot of unanswered questions.

We know that authorities are investigating all of the details here. They don't expect to update the public before Monday.

But right now, this is an evening to remember and to mourn a rising star in the film industry who so tragically lost her life -- Pam?

BROWN: It's just truly heartbreaking.

Lucy Kafanov, thank you so much.

Well, there's a new headliner on the Democrat's campaign trail and his name is -- you may recognize this name -- Barack Obama, the former president.

He's injecting his star power into the Virginia and New Jersey governor races.

[20:04:59]

Democrats are desperately hoping to energize their base in the off- year general elections because of the high stakes.

These elections will help measure the danger of voter fatigue and could be an early indicator of next year's all-important midterms and control of Congress in the post-Trump era.

Athena Jones joins me now with more.

So former President Obama has spoken today in both Virginia and New Jersey, Athena, two states, two governors races. What was the central theme?

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Pamela. Well, one of the central themes is this is something the president clearly enjoys doing, back on the stump delivering classic lines like, "Don't boo, vote. Don't be bamboozled."

He was here seeking to make sure the Democratic base is fired up and ready to turn out and make sure that Democrats don't lose these two governorships.

The focus today in New Jersey was on in-person early voting. That starts today in the state. This is the first time anyone's ever been able to vote early in person in New Jersey.

Of course, people can vote early by mail. People can vote on Election Day. But the purpose here was to make sure people come out and vote.

As you mentioned, these are the races people are going to be looking to see, what does it say Democrats might have to face in 2020.

Just like in Virginia, we heard President Obama talk up Murphy's record, just like he talked up McAuliffe's record, and repeat a line about Republicans not wanting people to vote.

He argued, if Republicans had better policies, they wouldn't have to focus so much on worrying about trying to rig elections. So he was really driving home the point people need to get out and vote.

And also, as he did in Virginia, in Virginia, he tied Glenn Youngkin, the Republican candidate there, to President Trump.

And did the same to Jack Ciattarelli, who is running against Governor Phil Murphy, slamming him for speaking at a Stop the Steal rally.

Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: When you got a candidate who spoke at a Stop the Steal rally, you can bet he's not going to be a champion of democracy.

(CHEERING)

OBAMA: Apparently, Phil's opponents says he didn't know it was a rally to overturn the results of the last election, didn't know it.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: Come on!

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: When you're standing in front of a sign that says Stop the Steal, and there's a guy in the crowd waving a Confederate flag, you know this isn't a neighborhood barbecue.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: You know it's not a League of Women Voters rally.

Come on. Come on, man.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And so there you heard it, linking Murphy's opponent to Trump.

But bottom line this is all about turnout. This event was held in Essex County, a Democratic stronghold. It has the most-registered Democrats in the state of New Jersey.

Newark a big part of that strong hold. Democrats in Essex County outnumber Republicans five to one.

So the goal here, get people out now and up until Election Day to make sure the Democrats win -- Pam?

BROWN: Athena Jones, thanks so much for that.

President Obama harnessing his star power on stage was equal parts charmer and attack dog as we heard.

Listen to what he said about Glenn Youngkin, the Republican nominee for governor, in hotly contested Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: You can't run ads telling me you're a regular old hoops- playing, dish-washing, fleece-wearing guy but quietly cultivate support from those who seek to tear down our democracy.

Either he actually believes in the same conspiracy theories that resulted in a mob or he doesn't believe it but he's willing to go along with it to say or do anything to get elected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: As Obama stumped, Youngkin rolled, launching a bus tour in Virginia.

And CNN's Evan McKend there.

So, Eva, what has his message been today?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: As you can imagine, Pam, Glenn Youngkin leaving the stage now and it's a little hard to hear you.

But I would say his loudest applause line tonight is when he spoke about parental rights. It's an issue he's been focusing on for weeks.

He thinks it's a messaging resonating with Virginians. So many parents feeling isolated from their schools, especially in the midst of pandemic. And he really is speaking to that vulnerability.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLENN YOUNGKIN (R), VIRGINA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I will ban Critical Race Theory in our schools.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: So you heard Glenn Youngkin there talking about how racial history, racial education is taught in schools, a big issue he stressed here.

[20:10:02]

Some of the other greatest hits included lowering taxes and overhauling how state agencies are run.

BROWN: All right. Things are certainly heating up there.

Eva McKend, thank you for bringing us the latest there from Glen Allen, Virginia.

And up next, a Democratic lawmaker who is ready to fight for his life inside the U.S. capitol on January 6th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-AZ): I was ready to fight. I saw a lot of shit back in my day but I was not going to die on the floor of the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) House of Representatives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Congressman Ruben Gallego joins me live on that and the state of the Biden agenda, up next.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BROWN: More than nine months later, we are still learning horrifying new details about what unfolded at the U.S. capitol on January 6th, thanks to a new HBO documentary.

[20:15:00]

One Democratic Congressman described how he was preparing to fight for his life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GALLEGO: You know, people are hyperventilating. It was just bad. They were scared. They were really, really scared.

I was an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps. I had to deal with some very aggressive crowds when I was in Iraq.

Individuals themselves aren't usually a problem. But when they get collectively together and they create a mob, the mob is the weapon.

(SHOUTING)

GALLEGO: I was ready to fight. I saw a lot of shit back in my day but I was not going to die on the floor of the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) House of Representatives.

I was not going to get taken out by some insurrectionist bastard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: That was Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego of Arizona. And he joins me now live.

Congressman, thanks for taking time out for us.

What was it like to relive that horrible day when you hear some of your Republican colleague down-playing what happened, the same colleagues you saw running for their lives?

GALLEGO: Well, I'm scared. And I'm not scared for my health. I'm scared for the health of this democracy.

You know, clearly these politicians -- and I don't want to use that word because they don't deserve to be called that -- are cowards.

And instead of dealing with reality and trying to explain what happened, they're more afraid of Donald Trump and Donald Trump's base than telling the truth.

So they're just going to lie hoping that this, you know, somehow doesn't happen again.

But I am scared because -- because of their lies, because of their cover-up, they're going to try this again.

And I've been saying this for quite a while. We need to be throwing the books at all these people involved, those finance it, organize it, that were complicit one way or the other.

Because right now, the only party that's having any accountability and actually trying to protect democracy is the Democratic Party.

BROWN: When you were going through everything that day did you maybe think, well, if this isn't a wakeup call, what is?

Maybe this will change things in terms of taking the threat seriously in terms of what could happen in a democracy?

GALLEGO: I knew some people would take a seriously. I knew my Democratic colleagues and many Independents, men and women out there had taken it seriously.

But I also knew, you know, knowing the Republicans, knowing how they've acted in the past -- let's not forget this actually has, you know, some roots that goes even further back.

This goes further back to when we basically decided in Bush v. Gore that Bush was going to be president. When that happened, when that was allowed to happen, it basically allowed this to happen, you know, almost 20 years later.

When we've allowed continuous --

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: What do you mean by that? Just to be clear, what do you mean by that?

GALLEGO: Well, when Bush v. Gore was decided and basically there wasn't as much objection that I think it should have had, it encouraged the Republican Party in their anti-democratic tendencies to continue going forward to 20 years later.

And if you look at what they're also doing in terms of disenfranchising voters, we've been allowing this to happen for so long that it all built-up to 2020.

If you go back to the Tea Party, you were hearing these stirrings of anti-democratic, you know, rhetoric in asking for violence, and we all ignored it or people just made excuses, no it's not.

They made excused. They just said I've got economic anxiety, which is they knew what was going on there, which is the fact they hated we have a black president.

So this is something that's been going on for a while. We need to push back on it.

The Republican Party has been feeding this monster. The monster now has taken over the party.

BROWN: In your view.

Of course, I interviewed a Republican earlier in the show who would obviously say, no, that's not true.

There are Republicans who care about democracy -- this was Congressman Meyer of Michigan -- who was willing to take tough votes and who are willing to go against the party president.

So, you know --

(CROSSTALK)

GALLEGO: There are still some people out there but they have no power. They're losing primaries. They just kicked out, you know, Cheney from leadership of the Republican Party.

So I'm glad there are some token Republicans out there that are still fighting with us. But they're the last resistance within the Republican Party.

The Republican Party is a broken party. And it is going to continue to be a big danger to democracy.

BROWN: I want to talk to you about the Biden agenda. You are a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Democrats hope to have a deal on the spending bill by yesterday. That didn't happen.

Do you worry Democratic inaction could cost you the governor's mansion in New Jersey or Virginia?

GALLEGO: Well, I think it can, absolutely.

I think we need to pass a bill that works to really transform the American middle class. You know, obviously the side effect and benefit of that would make sure we save these two good governors.

[20:20:04]

But I think we're going to get there. We'll just have to come to a compromise. I hope the two Senators understand that.

And we can pass a bill that will actually move this country forward.

BROWN: But time is running out, as you well know, with the election being held on November 2nd and early voting under way right now.

Was it mistake to wait to vote on infrastructure given both bills are at risk now? Nothing's passed yet.

GALLEGO: I think it was a mistake those two Senators actually did not negotiate in good faith early enough so that we could get this done.

Let's be clear that the Democrats in Congress, not progressives, passed a bill supportive of 98 percent of the caucus.

And we were very clear at the beginning of this, there was a deal made that there would be a two-track approach to this, the Build Back Better agenda and the infrastructure bill.

And halfway through, about a month and a half ago they -- the two Senators decided to pull the rug out of that deal.

Well, at the end of the day, you still need two sides of this. You need the House to vote and the Senate to vote.

And we don't have the votes for the infrastructure deal without the Build Back Better agenda because that was the deal to begin with.

If you don't have a deal, if you don't have a compromise among your own caucus, it's going to be a difficult time to govern.

BROWN: One of those Senators, of course, you're talking about Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema.

You've not ruled out a potential primary challenge to Senator Sinema. If jumping in will put pressure on her to jump behind the president's bill. would you do it?

GALLEGO: I know Senator Sinema very well. She doesn't really feel pressure in that manner.

What I'm going to do, what I'm going to continue to do is focus on landing this plane, running for re-election, making sure that the Democrats hold the House. And then, we'll see what happens in 2023.

BROWN: OK, so you didn't really answer my question there, Congressman Gallego. Are you contemplating a run against Congresswoman Sinema? Is that something that you're contemplating right now?

GALLEGO: No, at this point, what I care about at this point is getting re-elected, finishing the Build Back Better agenda, winning the House and holding the House.

BROWN: But you're not ruling out the possibility?

GALLEGO: The future is the future. We have to see where we got to go. But right now, 2022 is all we should worry about.

BROWN: Very quickly, you said you know her very well. Are you talking about what concessions and compromises she'd make in this bill?

She's notoriously tight-lipped with other members of Congress, just really negotiating with the White House. Have you been talking to her?

GALLEGO: No. And look, I think that's the biggest complaint among many people. I don't think it's a problem she's not talking to members of Congress.

I think the problem is she's not talking to her constituents. She's negotiating and I hope she's negotiating in good faith.

But not really explaining why she's moving in the direction she's moving, there's a lot of people in Arizona that are very frustrated by that.

I don't agree all the time with my own constituents, but I have to explain to them where I stand and why I stand. I think, at the end of the day. she'd do well in speaking to the

people who helped her get there or speaking to constituents in a manner that you can have a free exchange of ideas.

BROWN: And are you hearing that frustration from those who supported her feel as though she's not speaking to them enough?

GALLEGO: Absolutely.

BROWN: All right, Democrat Congressman Ruben Gallego, thank you so much.

GALLEGO: Thank you. Have a good one.

BROWN: You, too.

Right now, in the richest nation on earth, some people are struggling to access safe water. We're going to take you to the Michigan town where residents are frustrated and furious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. EDWARD PINKNEY, PRESIDENT & CEO, BENTON HARBOR COMMUNITY WATER COUNCIL: Nobody, nobody should have water that they can't drink that they have to pay for it. Nobody should have contaminated water.

This is America. This should not be happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:28:13]

BROWN: Developing tonight, people in a small Michigan town are under a state of emergency because of lead contamination in their water.

Residents of Benton Harbor say their water has been unsafe for years. Now many of them must rely on bottled water for everyday use.

CNN's Miguel Marquez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Courtney Sherrod and her family of five go through a lot of bottled water.

COURTNEY SHERROD, BENTON HARBOR RESIDENT: About 200 bottles a week.

MARQUEZ (on camera): A week?

SHERROD: I have three children and a big husband at home.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): She says they sometimes go to the gym in the next town over just for a shower.

SHERROD: My children had to go to school the next day so we went to the "Y" and made sure everybody took showers at the "Y" the night before so that they could go to school.

MARQUEZ (on camera): The "Y" is in a different town?

SHERROD: It's in St. Joe.

MARQUEZ: Right.

SHERROD: Where the water is clean and they pay lower water bills than us.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Benton Harbor, population 10,000, the latest high-profile American town dealing with lead in the water.

TONY SMITH, BENTON HARBOR RESIDENT: I'm really concerned about it because I've heard the danger of it. So we want to stay away from it as much as you can.

MARQUEZ (on camera): What do you use bottled water for?

SMITH: Drinking, cooking, and brushing your teeth.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Since 2018, samples of water taken from hundreds of homes here have shown lead above the federal threshold of 15 parts per billion gallons of water.

PINKNEY: Nobody, nobody should have water that they can't drink that they have to pay for it. Nobody should have contaminated water.

This is America. This should not be happening. To any community.

MARQUEZ: But Benton Harbor isn't alone. The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, estimates some 22 million Americans, most in the Midwest and northeast, may be getting their drinking water, at least in part, from lead pipes.

[20:29:01]

DR. MONA HANNA-ATTISHA, PEDIATRIC PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE: They are concentrated in these older communities, which also are disproportionately where we have more vulnerable populations, people who are poor and predominantly people of color.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Michigan's democratic governor signed an executive directive to expedite the replacement of lead pipes here, asking for more money from the state legislature. The Republican-led state legislature, so far, has responded by opening an investigation into the governor's response to the water crisis. None of it building confidence for those who live here.

The governor says they have a plan that you'll replace all the lead pipes in 18 months. Do you believe it?

COURTNEY SHERROD, BENTON HARBOR, MI RESIDENT: No.

MARQUEZ: Why?

SHERROD: Nothing has happened all this time. So, why should I -- that's when we have new waterpipes?

MARQUEZ: They're still working on it.

SHERROD: OK. There you go.

MARQUEZ: Miguel Marquez, CNN, Benton Harbor, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And still ahead, he was known as the Architect of the Holocaust. How lessons from the trial of Adolf Eichmann 60 years ago are just as relevant today.

Plus, get the latest news from investigators on the Gabby Petito case, the CNN Special Report, "Gabby Petito: And the Hunt for Justice," tonight 11:00 Eastern on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:35:53]

BROWN: He was known as the Architect of the Holocaust. More than 60 years ago, the notorious Nazi officer, Adolf Eichmann, stood trial charged with unimaginable crimes against humanity. The murder of millions.

People around the world watched on television as survivors recounted the horrors Eichmann set in motion. CNN senior legal analyst, Elie Honig joins us now. Elie, you are the grandson of two holocaust survivors. You spoke to a prosecutor and an investigator from the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem. Tell us about that.

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Pam. As the grandson of two holocaust survivors, it was really an extraordinary privilege to speak to these two men, a prosecutor and an investigator who stood up to evil and who pursued justice. Both of these men are truly living history and I think the lessons of what they did 60 years ago still resonate today. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

E. HONIG (voice over): Sixty years ago, the world saw evil. In 1961, millions of people across the globe watched as Adolf Eichmann, the notorious Nazi official, known as the Architect of the Holocaust, stood trial in Jerusalem for crimes against humanity.

Eleven months earlier, Israeli Mossad agents had captured Eichmann in Argentina, where he'd been living as a fugitive for a decade. They brought Eichmann to Jerusalem to face justice for his role in the systematic execution of more than six million Jews during World War Two. MURRAY HONIG, SON OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS: Your grandma is here, she's the fourth from the right.

E. HONIG (on camera): Right. So, the vast majority of the people in this picture did not make it.

M. HONIG: Did not survive.

E. HONIG (voice over): My father, the son of two Holocaust survivors, remembers the trial as a turning point.

M. HONIG: You have to understand, now, everyone knows the Holocaust with a capital H.

E, HONIG: Right.

M. HONIG: When we grew up, this was not a thing. The Holocaust was not a thing. It was a private tragedy. It was a -- it was a -- it was a tragedy of the Jewish people. So, a lot of it wasn't spoken about, until Eichmann.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The accused together with others during the period 1939 to 1945, caused the killing of millions of Jews in his capacity as the person responsible for the execution of the Nazi plan for the physical extermination of the Jews, known as the Final Solution.

E. HONIG: Gabriel Bach, now 94 years old, was one of the prosecutors who tried Eichmann in Israel's newly formed court systems.

GABRIEL BACH, ISRAELI JUDGE: This was really a very, very special moment that here in a Jewish state, in a Jewish trial, we as representatives of the Jewish people, and that we can show that the man who murdered millions of people from -- of our society that that was very, very justifiable and very just that we should do that and not leave it to a court of another country.

E. HONIG: It was one of the first televised trials the world had ever seen, and it was a pivotal moment in the world's reckoning with the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis.

MICHAEL GOLDMANN-GILEAD, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR (through translator): I was about 17 when the Nazis took over. In July 1942, my parents and my sister were taken onto a train. We did not know where at the time, but later found out it was the Belzec extermination camp. My sister was 10 years old. The last time I saw them was on my birthday. It was July 26, 1942. And I saw them for 15 minutes.

E. HONIG: Like my grandmother, Michael Goldmann-Gilead, now 96 years old, lost most of his family to the Holocaust. He survived the horrors of multiple concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and he survived the infamous death march.

Little did Goldmann-Gilead know, he would go on to play a pivotal role as an investigator in the trial of Adolf Eichmann.

[20:40:07] GOLDMANN-GILEAD (through translator): I was in my investigation room and when he entered the room, I saw a poor frightened person shaking. And in comparison to Eichmann in his SS uniform, this Ubermensch, I couldn't believe it, it was the same person standing in front of me responsible for the death of my parents. But when he opened his mouth, I cannot forget this. When he opened his mouth. I saw the doors of the crematorium open.

E. HONIG: After months of the prosecution presenting its case, Eichmann finally took the stand in his own defense.

Under cross-examination, despite being confronted with documents that showed his direct involvement, Eichmann repeatedly claimed he was just following orders.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am not beating around the bush. I was Hungary also one of those receiving orders and not giving orders.

GODMANN-GILEAD (through translator): He lied through and through, he was acting. He was acting all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In September1939, the accused committed acts of expelling, uprooting, and exterminating the population in coordination with message.

E. HONIG: Finally, in December 1961, the trial was over and the verdict was in. The court found Eichmann guilty and sentenced him to death.

BACH: Here was a man who was appointed to be in charge of causing the carrying out of the murder of millions of people. So, if any person deserves it, it was him.

E. HONIG: After Eichmann had exhausted all of his legal appeals, he was hanged just a few minutes past midnight on June 1st, 1962.

Sixty years later, with the number of living witnesses to the Nazi campaign of terror shrinking by the day, the risk of Holocaust distortion and denial is a threat that makes the lessons of the Eichmann trial more relevant today than ever.

The fight against hate based on race, religion, ethnicity, sex, is a battle that's still being fought.

White supremacy and racial hatred remains serious threats and they're on the rise.

GOLDMANN-GILEAD (through translator): With the death of Eichmann, the murderous ideology of nationalist socialism was not scattered, it's still existing here and there in the form of hatred, hatred, that is dangerous, and we must be on guard so that catastrophes do not repeat themselves. Hatred can cause catastrophes and bring an end to this world to this planet. And we must educate the new generations not to hate and to avoid such hatred. Otherwise, our struggle against evil will be in vain.

E. HONIG: As the grandson of two Holocaust survivors, I am part of one of those new generations.

Sixty years ago, Gabriel Bach and Michael Goldmann-Gilead stood up and fought for justice for their own families, for mine, and for millions of others.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HONIG: Pam, both of these men understand that they are among the last living direct eyewitnesses to the atrocities committed by the Holocaust. And they both stressed to me that it's so important that their story be told and retold and remembered because as they both told me, we cannot forget the lessons of the Holocaust, and of the quest to bring Adolf Eichmann to justice.

BROWN: I mean, I had chills. That was such a powerful story, Elie, and it's so relevant for us. All that watch that and know -- look at the warning signs, right?

I want to ask you, you did this piece before the audio came out of a school administrator in Texas, saying classroom libraries should include, quote, opposing views of the Holocaust. What was your reaction to that when you heard it?

HONIG: Two things, Pam. First of all, it's a good reminder that this kind of hatred and ignorance still continue to this day. And to anyone who continues to deny or minimize the Holocaust, and this is the second point, I would ask you to watch the full piece because in it, Michael Goldmann, he survived Auschwitz as a teenager, and he, to this day, still has his prisoner number tattooed on his left forearm, and he showed that to us.

So, anyone who thinks the Holocaust was fabricated or exaggerated, take a look at Michael Goldmann, that's history and that's truth.

BROWN: That is history, that is truth. You can't whitewash that. You laid it out for us. It is history. It is truth. Elie Honig, thank you for bringing that to us.

HONIG: Thank you, Pam.

BROWN: And still ahead, a secret mission in a dangerous face-off between the Soviets and the U.S. in space. The fictional story from a real-life astronaut. Former International Space Station Commander, Chris Hadfield, is here live to talk about that more, up next.

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[20:45:38]

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BROWN: Maybe the most out of this world music video ever. Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield, singing that famous song Space Oddity on the International Space Station in 2013. [20:50:10]

Former astronaut and pretty good singer or really good singer, Colonel Chris Hadfield joins me now he has a new book out called the "Apollo Murders," a thriller about the Cold War and the space race.

Hey, Chris, thanks for joining us. We're going to talk about your book in just a minute. But I want to start with the new space race. China just sent three of its astronauts to live on its space station for six months China is going alone on this project. What do you think about that? Does that concern you? Or are we about to see a new Cold War, but in space this time?

CHRIS HADFIELD, FORMER INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION COMMANDER: I think it is somewhat concerning, Pamela. But it's not that much different than the history with the Soviet Union and the United States. And, you know, all those years of separate programs Soviet space stations, American shuttle program.

But as history as so clearly lays out for almost 30 years now, we've been cooperating every single day on the International Space Station with the Russians. And for next week, it'll be exactly 21 years that we've had international crews all living and working on the International Space Station.

So, even though it's currently a split, you know, how China's got their own space station, and the rest of the world has another, never say never, but it's going to take a lot of work to try and bring those programs together, but I think it'd be better for us all.

BROWN: You have worked with astronauts from many different countries, the advancements in space, obviously come with collaboration. Displace -- the space exploration suffer if you don't share what you learn.

HADFIELD: Well, I mean, a little competition is always healthy, you know, that's why we have the Olympic games. But spaceflight is complicated and dangerous. I mean, we're now getting the suborbital flights where they're safe enough to take passengers. But the real space exploration is still really complex.

And by joining forces with Russia, I mean, we saved their bacon when their ship got grounded for a while, they saved ours after the Columbia accident, otherwise, the International Space Station would have had to be abandoned. And each country goes through all their political and financial cycles, it's way stronger together.

And also, all the science that comes back from it and the information we gain and our understanding of Earth itself, you know, that's a wonderful thing to be able to share as a result of this cooperative work. So, you know, there's lots of pressures as to, you know, why we need to stand strong against China, but at the same time, there's some pretty significant ones, at least in some areas where we should find good ways to cooperate.

BROWN: Let's get to your book the "Apollo Murders." How did you come up with it? And did your time on the International Space Station help you write it?

HADFIELD: Well, I flew in space three times and I was NASA's director in Russia, and I was the pilot of a Russian ship. So, yes, my 21-year service as an astronaut was extremely good background research for the "Apollo Murders." But it's an alternative history fiction and it's getting great reviews all over the place, which just delights me, because I'm a first-time fiction author.

But what the story is essentially a NASA crew Apollo eight-team with a military component in a very interesting Soviet space station at the time. A lot of reality in the book to the moon and back with a tremendous amount of intrigue, and I'm just delighted. It's already a best seller in several countries, which just flabbergasted me, but I think it's a fun story.

BROWN: Really quick. What do you miss most about being on space?

HADFIELD: Well, it's still with me every day, Pamela. I don't -- I guess -- I wish I could be weightless. That is the coolest, most fun thing. It's like having a superpower. If I could make you weightless for a minute, you would never want to come back to gravity.

BROWN: Wow, that is intriguing. That's enough for me to really want to go up to space.

Colonel Chris Hadfield, thank you so much for joining us.

HADFIELD: Thanks, Pamela.

BROWN: Bracing for a bomb cyclone, the severe weather threats as the West Coast on the West Coast, I should say as soon as tonight. We'll be right back.

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[20:55:53]

BROWN: New warnings in place tonight for parts of California suffering from extreme drought. They are now facing possible flooding, mountain snow, and strong winds.

Meteorologist Gene Norman is in the CNN Severe Weather Center. What can you tell us, Gene?

GENE NORMAN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Pamela, good to join you. We're talking about a bomb cyclone, it's basically an air of low pressure that intensifies rapidly in a 24-hour period. We measure pressure inside of a storm. If it drops 24 millibars in 24 hours, that's considered a bomb. And it's going to help propel Sunday storm which is right now off the coast of California and push it inland. Something rare.

The National Weather Service issued an excessive rainfall risk in the high category indicated by the purple coloring you see here. That's a lot of central and northern California because of wind, the fact that we're going to see eight to 10 inches of rain. That's going to fall over places like the Dixie fire and the Caldor fire. Those burn scars could lead to mudslides and they're already, we're hearing, of the possible evacuations in Santa Cruz County.

So, if you live in those areas, watch out for that. When does this move in? In the next couple of hours, really. We're talking about periods of rain ending up with eight to 10 inches and mountain snow, Pamela, two to four feet in the Sierra Nevada.

BROWN: All right. Gene, thanks so much. And thank you for joining me this evening. I'm Pamela Brown. I'll see you again tomorrow night, right here, starting at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

The CNN Original Series, "Diana" is next.