Garland grows emotional talking about family's Holocaust experience Garland grew emotional as he discussed how his family fled religious persecution last century in his opening statement. "My family fled religious persecution in Eastern Europe at the start of the 20th century. My grandmother, who was one of five children born in what is now Belarus, made it to the United States, as did two of her siblings," Garland said. "Two did not. Those two were later killed in the Holocaust." "If not for America, there is little doubt that the same would have happened to my grandmother," he continued. "But...