Justice Gorsuch under fire for Trump hotel speech

Washington (AFP) - Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch was under fire Thursday as he prepared to deliver a speech at a Washington hotel owned by US President Donald Trump, who appointed him to the bench.

Denouncing it as a conflict of interest and apparent display of political support, which is prohibited by the Constitution, activists, lawyers and academics have unsuccessfully sought the cancellation of Gorsuch's speech at a luncheon at the Trump International Hotel.

Justices at the US Supreme Court may participate in events organized by institutes with clear political stances -- such as the conservative Fund for American Studies which organized Thursday's lunch -- but for critics, the fact that Gorsuch is a featured speaker at Trump's hotel raises ethical issues.

Although the confirmation process for Supreme Court justices is extremely political, the court's members are required to follow a code of conduct that prohibits them from expressing their political preferences.

They are also required to avoid activities out of court that could be construed as conflicts of interest.

Trump is the target of two lawsuits related to his hotel that could potentially be heard by the Supreme Court.

Some 200 Democratic lawmakers recently sued the president, arguing that he is violating the Constitution by accepting foreign payments through his empire of hotels, golf courses and other properties.

A separate suit filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and the US capital claims the Trump International Hotel, which opened a few weeks before the November election, enjoys an unfair advantage over rival venues due to its links to the presidency.

The location of Trump's luxury hotel, in a renovated former post office building, is a symbol in itself -- on Pennsylvania Avenue, which links the White House to the Capitol, the seat of legislative power.

Both lawsuits are underpinned by the notion that Trump is embroiled in a permanent conflict of interest, having failed to put sufficient distance between himself and his business empire: while the billionaire has entrusted his sons with day-to-day management of the Trump Organization, he retains his full stake.

"Gorsuch is either completely tone-deaf or he's decided to embrace the part of a politician-in-robes with both arms," said Nan Aron, the president of the Alliance for Justice, a liberal judicial advocacy organization.

Suspect In Slayings Of 2 Black Men Reportedly Had Hitler Speech At Home

A Louisiana man accused of killing two black men in what may have been racially motivated attacks last week reportedly had a copy of an Adolf Hitler speech in his home.

A police source, speaking to The Associated Press, confirmed the unsettling discovery by authorities at the Baton Rouge home of Kenneth Gleason. The 23-year-old, reportedly an Eagle Scout, faces two counts of first-degree murder for the separate shootings.

Authorities declined to comment on the discovery of a speech by the Nazi leader or on a possible motive in the killings at a Tuesday news conference, saying only that they’re looking into all possibilities at this time, including whether the killings were motivated by racism.

Baton Rouge police Sgt. L’Jean McKneely had previously told the AP that there was “a strong possibility that it could be racially motivated.” 

Gleason was arrested over the weekend on unrelated drug charges after authorities said they linked his red car to the deaths of 59-year-old Bruce Cofield on Sept. 12 and 49-year-old Donald Smart on Sept. 14.

Police had said that the victims, who were shot first from a car and then again at close range, appeared targeted at random.

Gleason posted bail Sunday on the drug charges before being arrested again in the slaying investigation as well as for suspicion of aggravated criminal damage for a third shooting in which a gunman fired at the home of a black family in Gleason’s neighborhood.

Police said shell casings recovered from the scenes matched and that Gleason’s DNA was found on some of them.

A conviction on the murder charges could bring a death sentence, said East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III, who described the attacks as “cold” and “calculated.”

“Had there not been a swift conclusion to this case, I feel confident that this killer probably would have killed again,” said Interim Police Chief Jonny Dunnam. 

Gleason, who was seen wearing what appeared to be a T-shirt for the Boy Scouts’ rugged Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico during his arrest Tuesday, earned the top Eagle Scout rank in 2012 after completing a construction project for a United Methodist Church, according to The Advocate in Baton Rouge.

In a statement to HuffPost, Boy Scouts of America CEO Gary Mertz, of the Istrouma Area Council, said they “were shocked to learn about the allegations against” Gleason.

“This behavior runs counter to everything for which the BSA stands. Although this matter is unrelated to Scouting, our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible tragedy,” Mertz said, adding that Gleason is not currently registered in Scouting and will not be welcomed back to any future programs.

This story has been updated with the BSA statement.

Federal officers arrested for hazing victims using 'rape table': Officials

Three Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to a specialized screening team at Newark Airport were arrested Wednesday for assaulting fellow officers, allegedly pinning the victims to what was known as a “rape table,” according to court records.

Tito Catota, Parmenio Perez and Michael Papagni are charged with forcibly assaulting, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with two men identified in court documents as “Victim One” and “Victim Two” while the victims were on duty as CBP officers.

The three officers and the alleged victims were part of the same unit that is involved in the identification and interception of passengers attempting to bring contraband into the United States or who might be associated with terrorist activity.

“The defendants, who were members of a unit responsible for identifying dangerous contraband and threats to national security, allegedly subjected their own colleagues to senseless physical abuse, all while on duty at Newark Liberty International Airport,” acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick said.

According to court records, the officers locked the victims in a secure room in Newark’s Terminal C and pinned them to a conference table that the CBP officers called their “rape table.” No clothing was removed but court records said the victims were subjected to “grinding” and the simulation of a sex act.

“This behavior would be abhorrent in any environment, especially one serving a critical law enforcement function,” Fitzpatrick said.

The Department of Homeland Security is conducting an investigation.

“DHS employees pledge to maintain the highest standards of conduct and the OIG ensures those employees are held accountable when they violate that obligation,” Special Agent in Charge Mark Tasky said.

The three officers appeared in Newark federal court Wednesday and did not enter pleas. They will be released on $100,000 bail. If convicted, they could face eight years in prison for each count.

CBP said it welcomed the indictments.

“We do not tolerate misconduct in our ranks and are committed to a safe workplace environment free of harassment or intimidation,” spokesman Anthony Bucci said. The agency first became aware of the alleged misconduct in January. At the time, 11 Newark employees, including three supervisors, were put on administrative duty and stripped of their access to guns, badges and sensitive information. The three supervisors have since been fired.

It was not immediately clear whether the accused had obtained lawyers.

Israeli PM's son under fire for anti-Semitic post

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli political leaders lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's eldest son Sunday for posting an anti-Semitic caricature aimed at his father's critics.

Yair Netanyahu's meme shows American Jewish billionaire George Soros and a figure that resembles Nazi depictions of world Jewry manipulating former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and two leaders of weekly protests calling on Netanyahu to step down over corruption allegations. The post was shared by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and other anti-Semites.

The opposition Labor Party's chairman Avi Gabbay told Army Radio the post "crossed every line imaginable," saying it was a "very sad" day for Israel and the Jewish people when the prime minister's son posts a cartoon that the leader of the Ku Klux Klan agrees with. Barak wondered on Twitter whether Yair Netanyahu, who enjoys a state-funded driver and bodyguard while living at the prime minister's official residence, absorbed such ideology at home.

"What is it, genetics or a spontaneous mental illness? It doesn't matter. In any case, we ought to pay for him to have a psychiatrist, not a bodyguard and a chauffeur," Barak wrote. Yair Netanyahu responded by calling Barak a drunk who needed geriatric care.

The 26-year-old Yair Netanyahu has drawn criticism for living a life of privilege at taxpayers' expense and for his crude social media posts.

The Netanyahu family is facing a slew of corruption allegations. The prime minister has been questioned about his ties to executives in media, international business and Hollywood. His associates have been engulfed in a probe relating to a possible conflict of interest involving a $2 billion purchase of German submarines. Israel's attorney general has said he intends to indict the prime minister's wife, Sara, for fraud over her bloated household expenses.

Yair Netanyahu, who has reportedly taken a leading role in his father's aggressive social media platform, has also been drawn into the scandals. Australian billionaire James Packer has reportedly lavished Yair with gifts that included extended stays at luxury hotels in Tel Aviv, New York and Aspen, Colorado, as well as the use of his private jet and dozens of tickets for concerts by Packer's former fiancee, Mariah Carey.

Police are trying to determine whether these constitute bribes, since Packer is reportedly seeking Israeli residency status for tax purposes.

The prime minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, portraying the accusations as a witch hunt against him and his family by a hostile media. He has resisted increasing calls to step down.

This Woman’s Flooded Store Looks Brand New After She Refused To Give Up Hope

Just a few days ago, Hanh Nguyen was waist-deep in water.

The water started rising at her store, Marie’s Seafood in Port Arthur, Texas, on Tuesday — the day that tropical storm Harvey dumped 26 inches of rain on the city, triggering flash flooding and causing thousands to evacuate.

HuffPost visited Nguyen’s store on Thursday, when the water was still up to her calves. She said she’s owned the place — which sells seafood and other food items — since 1999, and she has no flood insurance.

But Nguyen has not given up. She, her family and store workers were already tirelessly cleaning the place, using mops, towels, whatever they could find.

When we came back on Saturday afternoon — a day we saw no other open businesses in the immediate area — Marie’s Seafood looked as if nothing had ever happened. Customers had already started returning.

Employees said they worked tirelessly over the past three days to return the store to normal and serve the community.