There will never be a way for any of us to understand what so many faced at the hands of the Adolph Hitler and Nazi regime, unless we actually lived the horror.

I remember first learning about the Holocaust in depth in the 7th grade at Redwood Middle School. It became a memorable meeting as I listened to the author and survivor Barry Spanjaard talk about the horrors of Bergen-Belsen. His book ‘Don’t Fence Me In’ still sits on my book shelf.

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Since that time, I always take notice when yet another Nazi war criminal is caught, or even deported and have followed the hunt for Nazis a bit closer since I met Rabbi Marvin Hier a few years back. With the capture of a man in Washington state (alleged to be a member of the SS) and the hunt for ‘Dr Death’ Aribert Heim in South America, we decided to profile the hunt for Nazis 63 years after the fall of the ‘Third Reich.’

Our live report will be posted here, but I wanted to give you some raw interview video that will tug at your heart, make you appreciate your freedom. Elisabeth Mann still speaks at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles every Sunday and I had the fortunate opportunity to hang on her every word. She is a remarkable woman with incredible strength.

A portion of her interview is here, along with some thoughts from Rabbi Hier.

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It seems like only yesterday when a trip down Route 6 brought me to a new town, a new challenge in a league so storied for so many years. My two summers on the Cape will forever be fond times, from the chowder to the humidity, the people and sea, the Cape League remains a dream for so many college players intent on one day playing just down the road at Fenway.  

This trip brought back so many memories, can it actually be that long ago? I have come this time with a bit of a heavy heart, what you may not realize is that for so many young men in baseball, whether college level or lower minor leagues, living with host families becomes a home away from home…a family away from family. My family lost their mother and grandmother this past winter and the team, the Harwich Mariners, decided to give the family a plaque for such dedication to young men. Bev Chipman and her family have welcomed strangers into their home for more than 28 years and her daughter Julie and son in-law Jon, still do. I have come to pay my respects to such a great family and enjoy a game that I still miss, especially a summer game at Whitehouse Field.

As usual, the  night was a bit steamy and the skies threatened rain. The bugs weren’t as plentiful as I remembered, but the kids and stands still had the excitement as if this night was the first ever game. In fact, the night went all too fast. Tamera and I sat in the bleachers down the third base line, not far from the bull pen. Julie, John, their sister Donna, the kids and friends all enjoying the night. As I sat there I could still see Bev sitting in her folding chair, the family coming and going all around. I would be in the bull pen, antsy as always, waiting for the signal to get warm, waiting for another chance on the hill.

If you haven’t been to the Cape in the summer, I highly recommend it. You also need to take in a game, it’s the way our pastime was meant to be enjoyed. I miss those times and cherish them often. The sights, the smells, giving a ball to a kid. There’s not much better in a young life. By the way, there is a thought that many of the teams on the Cape (there’s 10 total) might have to change their names. The Mariners, Cardinals and a few others have the same names as big league teams…and while some of the cape teams are older, licensing may force them to change. Boy Bev and I would have had a great complaint session on that one!

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What a drag.  A big shoot we had planned today has been scrapped, and my crew and I are driving back to New York City from Providence, Rhode Island, right now.  It’s a 4 hour drive (with no traffic), which we had just made yesterday afternoon.  The drive is actually pretty nice, with lots of lofty trees that line the highway, making for a continuous streak of green to your left and to your right for the entire drive.    Our mission: was to be in place with our cameras today to watch the raising of the Juliet 484 out of the Providence harbor, as a follow up to a story we brought you last August when we came to the scene to film some of the salvage mission underway. 

Here she is, well, at least the top of her in this picture to the left.  The former Soviet cruise missile submarine K-77, turned Russian Sub Museum sank to the bottom of the silt and sand of the Providence River last April during a powerful Nor’easter which devoured the submarine.  

The Department of Defense came to the aid of museum operators to help deflect some of the costs of trying to bring her back to the surface, in exchange for the golden opportunity to train divers on a sunken submarine so close to the shore in relatively shallow waters.  A win win for everyone.  This shot here to the right shows the ship Navy and Army divers have been using for it’s platform to put divers in the water. 

This operation has been no easy task.  You know what it feels like to have your shoe stuck in the mud? Well, imagine having a 282 foot-long, 30 ton boot wedged into the gunk and try to pull it out.  That’s what the military has been dealing with for the last several months, and today was supposed to be the big day that it all the mathmatics, engineering, and sheer manpower came together.  Nyet! 

A safety briefing was called at 8:30 this morning to go over the details of what we were about to see, and much to our surprise, and disappointmnet of the folks at the Russian Sub Museum, the mission was delayed.    We were told that last minute safety checks raised significant safety concerns, and the planned lift would have to be delayed by 48-72 hours.  

Commander Dan Shultz informed us that he made the call at 2:35a.m., and wants to replace some of the equipment being used to bring up the Juliette, like the pontoons that have been laced under the submarine with “belly bands” to help lift her up out of the water.  Moments after he said that we heard a big “POOOF” come out of the water, and the divers underneath had released one of the pontoons.  I got a picture of it after it happened, but I sure wish I had a video camera rolling on that when it happened because it looked like a big fat spout shooting out of the water with the red pontoon floating up on top of it several feet in the air. 

Frank Lennon, the director for the Russian Sub Museum on hand was disappointed, but said he has waited this long… he can wait a few more days.  The big question remains- will the sub be able to return to it’s glory days as a museum that once attracted tens of thousands of tourists?  We’ll be in contact with the crew over the next few days and will let you know what happens.  Stay tuned!

A group formed here in Southern California called ‘The Coalition Against Militarism In Our Schools’ is out to change the access of military recruiters to high schools not only in Southern California, but across the country. This follows in the line of the JROTC controversy and the San Francisco school board, which as some critics note…”only recognizes the right to expression with which it agrees.” CAMS is a non-profit group of teachers, activists, students and parents in 50 schools, intent on criticizing the military, while presenting “alternatives which promote the value of human life, justice and equity for all persons.” Like the San Francisco School Board, the coalition aims to “eliminate the JROTC programs and the California Cadet Corps. If they get their way, students and parents wont even have the choice to join, which will hurt thousands of students across the state. They also have gone to the Los Angeles School Board demanding for equal time in the schools to counter military recruiting. What do you think? By the way, I snapped this photo as sailors took an oath of citizenship a few years back.

Police have executed a search warrant on a murdered mother’s Cary, NC home.

Investigators spent most of the day at the residence of Brad and Nancy Cooper. They filled at least half a dozen evidence bags with items apparently collected inside the house before examining the couple’s vehicles.

Cary Police Chief Pat Bazemore said the search warrant also allows investigators to collect DNA samples from the victim’s husband, who continues to cooperate with authorities.

Brad Cooper, was the last known person to see his wife Nancy. A friend reported her missing Saturday after she failed to return from a jog in the neighborhood.

A two day search involving 200 volunteers was called off Monday after a man walking his dog discovered the missing woman’s body near a storm drain less than three miles from the Coopers’ home.

Crime scene tape went up around the couple’s house late yesterday, when police ruled Nancy Cooper’s death a homicide.

Brad Cooper is not at the home. Police said he is staying with friends along with the couple’s two daughters, ages 2 and 4. Chief Bazemore said Cooper is allowing his in-laws to visit the girls.

In a press release, Cooper’s attorneys Howard Kurtz and Seth Blum write, “Brad is devastated by the news of Nancy’s death. He has and will continue to assist in law enforcement efforts to bring his wife’s killer or killers to justice.”

Authorities said police cars are stationed outside Brad Cooper’s current location, as well as his house and the location where his in-laws are staying. Police described this action as a “service” to the family.

Brad and Angelina at the 61st Cannes Film Festival

Today is a busy day. Normally I stick with one topic for the day, but today I’m all over the place…

11am: Interview Woody Harrelson about his environmentalism, his upcoming films and how he gets along with his co-stars. (More on that in a later blog).

2pm: Join Martha MacCallum and panelists on The Live Desk to debate several hot stories today!
–Miley Cyrus’ latest photo flap
–Brad and Angelina’s new twins, Knox and Vivienne
–Miss USA falling flat at the Miss Universe competition

6pm: Premiere of the latest Batman film, “The Dark Knight.” I’ll share all the details of the big event with you tomorrow. As you’ve heard, this is Heath Ledger’s last completed project. It is expected to be a huge box office hit. I’ll have all the scoop from the BLACK carpet for you!

Tune into the Live Desk today for more on the above stories, and click “comments” below to tell us what you think of the names Knox and Vivienne!

Others knew him much better, many of my colleagues are much closer, but I do cherish the friendship I enjoyed with Tony Snow. Like the time I ended up in the LA Bureau late and he was hungry, all he wanted was some Chinese food. “Hey Housley”, he said. “Can you find me some Chinese food?” We jumped in my car and headed down the street, where I bought him dinner and listened to so many great stories. What amazed me was how I really felt like he cared about my opinions and what I felt on an issue. Whether baseball (he was a big fan) or border issues. In fact, on a trip to Washington D.C, and coincidentally just a few days before he accepted the position in the White House, Tony heard I was in town and called me into his office. I remember thinking…wow…Tony Snow actually cares that I am in D.C.! He showed me the radio studio, teased Griff Jenkins and myself, then spent an hour asking me about baseball and about the border. At one point he even asked “what would you do?” This was a guy who even when he had no time, he found some. Time he spent humoring a correspondent based 3,000 miles away.

Sometimes the best way to measure someone is to understand how they treat those that maybe aren’t so close. Here is the best example. On a trip to Mexico City I was having breakfast with a man named Miguel Monterrubio; at the time he was the foreign press secretary for President Calderon. During our morning chat, Miguel mentioned he was a big baseball fan and a big fan of the Cincinnati Reds. I remembered that every time Tony and I chatted he cherished his Reds, so upon returning home to the states, I dropped Tony an e-mail. I mentioned that I had met Miguel and that he was a big Reds fan and that Tony should say hello when the Presidents meet in Merida. Much to my surprise, the plane had only been on the ground for a few minutes in Merida, Mexico when Tony asked President Calderon about Miguel and then headed right to the man and shook his hand. Miguel would tell me later that he was shocked, proud and grateful for such a gesture. Tony would later return to Washington and send Miguel a signed photo of the President throwing out the first pitch at a Reds game. Miguel hangs that picture and Tony’s note proudly. All that from an e-mail.

While not a best friend, or even a close friend, I too will miss Tony’s friendship. I sent him an e-mail only last week. I hope he got the chance to see it. I am lucky to have known him and I was very lucky to work on ‘Weekend Live’ every weekend and guest on “The Tony Snow’ radio show. He was always very warm and welcoming to me in every single instance. Always joking over the satellite while we were in commercial, usually teasing me about my teams (the Giants and A’s), or suggesting I should get warmed up to go back into the game. He will be missed and I am happy to say that I knew him. We should all have his energy, love of country and warmth.

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I actually found this at one of the so-called big box stores. For a few months I have been meaning to buy one, but it became one of those items always meant to be purchased, but never really remembered. So, when I stumbled across it, I snapped it up and took it home for a test drive. I have to say, I am very happy with the unit and several of my colleagues have purchased one as well. If you use a MAC, you know what I mean when I say it gets pretty darn hot. I used PC’s also, and some models heat up when used top the point that it burns to the touch. These cooling contraptions are starting to fill the market and not only do they save your legs/lap/desktop, but they will extend the life of your computer as well. Now the Belkin is the only one I have bought for myself and I have seen/used several others on occasion. This unit is light, and easy to pack. Here is the company description. Also…feel free to throw any of your tech questions at me, whether they involve this unit or any other thing. I should mention the Belkin Laptop Cooling Stand comes with a one year warranty and can be purchased in stores and online between $29 and $39.

COMPANY DESCRIPTION: The Laptop Cooling Pad’s unique patented wave design prevents your laptop from overheating. It uses natural convection to enhance fan cooling, and ensures low power consumption via your laptop’s USB port. It requires no bulky power adapters.

LATE THURSDAY UPDATE:   The winds are still staying away and we are noticing more air attacks even though the marine layer and smoke make it virtually impossible to see the mountains in the Los Padre National Forrest above Goleta. As we watch the fire fight from this fire base, a couple of men from a company called Flir stopped at our truck. The company is located in Goleta on the ocean side of the 101 freeway. From outside their office, infared camera’s can spot the fire several miles away. The pictures are stunning and this type of technology is beginning to help firefighters all across the globe. Here is the video and my interview of the men at their office, which happens to be just down the street.

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 No one can remember a time when fires burned this close to the coast this early in the summer. And by coast, I don’t mean San Diego or Los Angeles, where fuel dries much quicker and can be yellow by June in dry years.

These latest fires are in Big Sur and a couple hundred miles to the south in Goleta, where we are now. We began to watch this fire yesterday and the call came last night about 7:45 or so.

Within a short time I was back home and packing and then on the road for the two hour drive (without traffic). As I passed through Santa Barbara and the 101 turned more to the north, I could see the ever familiar red glow. For so many years and so many fires, the same glow lights up the senses like only an active fire can. Many times before the smell of smoke, or visual of falling ash, the glow tells us where to head.

A few miles north of Santa Barbara sits Goleta, the college town home to the University of California Santa Barbara. The setting here is stunning as the yellow topography of Southern California begins to give way to a more greenish plant life. As I come off the 101 freeway and head southwest on the overpass, to my right I see some massive orange and yellow flames dancing on the hillsides. The rim of red has drawn quite the crowd as streets are lined with onlookers, watching the flames put on a show.

The good news is the fire is headed downhill and the winds have calmed, homes are still a mile or so away. Firefighters have come from all over and the theme/complaint is again, “We are stretched so thin and there’s still so much time left in summer and fall fire season.”

As a native Californian and someone who has covered fires here for 10 years, I have never spoken with or seen anything like this year. So many fires burning so early and in areas that are normally not as fire prone. This picture, an engine next to a dozer, is one that is becoming too familiar.