Trump denies judge made comments
VIVIAN SALAMA and KEN THOMAS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that comments by his Supreme Court nominee criticizing his attacks on the judiciary were “misrepresented,” even as Republican and Democratic lawmakers vouched for the veracity of the remarks.
Trump’s comments prompted a rebuke from Judge Neil Gorsuch, who said at a meeting with lawmakers that the president’s comments were “demoralizing and disheartening.”
Gorsuch, who was nominated by Trump last week to the nation’s highest court, made the comments in meetings with senators after Trump accused an appellate court considering his immigration and refugee executive order of being “so political.” Over the weekend, the president labelled a judge who ruled on his executive order a “socalled judge” and referred to the ruling as “ridiculous.”
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut first relayed Gorsuch’s remarks on Wednesday following a meeting with the judge. Trump’s own confirmation team for Gorsuch later confirmed he had made those remarks.
But Trump suggested that Blumenthal had misrepresented Gorsuch, tweeting early Thursday, “Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie), now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?”
Blumenthal, who served in the Marine Corps Reserves during Vietnam, apologized in 2010 for saying he had served in Vietnam.
Blumenthal argued Thursday that Gorsuch would need to go further to publicly condemn Trump’s attacks on judicial independence.
“He needs to condemn Donald Trump’s attacks publicly and it needs to be much stronger, more explicit and direct than has been done so far,” Blumenthal said. “Unless it is done publicly in a clear condemnation, it will not establish his independence.”
Lawmakers from both parties vouched for the veracity of the remarks. GOP former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is helping with Gorsuch’s confirmation and was at the meeting, issued a statement saying Gorsuch made clear he was not referring to any specific case. But she said the nominee said he finds any criticism of a judge’s integrity and independence to be “disheartening and demoralizing.” KIGALI, Rwanda — A U.S. federal judge has found that a Rwandan man actively participated in the country’s 1994 genocide. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Linda Reade in Iowa on Wednesday ruled that Gervais Ngombwa mobilized and incited members of his extremist party to exterminate ethnic Tutsis. More than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists in the genocide. Rwanda’s prosecution spokesman Justin Nkunsi welcomed the ruling Thursday. He said Rwanda’s government has petitioned the U.S. to extradite Ngombwa, 56. Ngombwa, who also has been convicted of immigration fraud, now faces more than 10 years in prison. During the trial last year, witnesses from Rwanda testified that Ngombwa personally killed several Tutsis and led attackers who killed Tutsis seeking refuge in churches.
Judge rules man participated in genocide Student group apologizes for Valentine’s Day card
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — A Central Michigan University Republican student group is apologizing for a Valentine’s Day card that mocks Jews who died in the Holocaust. The College Republicans group handed out gift bags to students Wednesday night, including one with a card that said “my love 4 u burns like 6,000 jews.” It had a photo of Adolf Hitler and was signed “XOXO, Courtney.” The group apologized on Facebook, saying it doesn’t condone antiSemitism and that the card was made and placed in the bag without its knowledge. The group didn’t identify the member who placed the card in the bag. Central Michigan spokeswoman Sherry Knight told Mount Pleasant’s the school is “deeply disappointed.” She says campus leaders are meeting to discuss the incident. that
Monarch butterfly numbers drop 27 per cent
MEXICO CITY — A new study has found that the number of monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico dropped by 27 per cent this year, reversing last year’s recovery from historically low numbers. Government and independent experts say the decline could be due to late winter storms last year that blew down more than 40 hectares of forests where migrating monarch butterflies spend the winter in central Mexico. Millions of monarchs make the 5,500-km migration from the U.S. and Canada each year, and they cluster tightly in the pine and fir forests west of Mexico City. They are counted not by individuals, but by the area they cover.
Flood warnings remain after dam breaks
ELKO, Nev. — A Nevada state road remained closed and impassible Thursday, a day after an earthen dam failed in a rural area of northeastern Nevada and released fast-moving water that covered low-lying roads and forced the rerouting of trains. The National Weather Service said flash-flood warnings have expired, but flood warnings remain in effect near Montello, Nev. Meteorologist Brian Boyd says most of the water that has built up behind the dam during a heavy snow season has now been released. Nevada State Route 233 remained closed to the Utah border Thursday morning, the day after the dam released waters up to a metre deep at times. Elko County Sheriff Jim Pitts said Wednesday that basements in the area flooded, but there were no immediate reports of injuries. The floods also forced delays or rerouting for more than a dozen freight and passenger trains on a main rail line that runs through the area, said Union Pacific spokesman Justin E. Jacobs. It’s unknown when service will be restored. The rural area affected is situated near the Utah border and about 50 km northeast of Wells, a key Nevada city along Interstate 80. The weather service said that a full breach and failure of the 21 Mile Dam sent water spilling out in a “dangerous and life-threatening situation.”