Seattle Judge Derided By Trump Known as Conservative Jurist

Seattle — The Seattle judge derided by President Donald Trump on Twitter on Saturday after blocking Trump’s executive order on immigration is known for his conservative legal views, for a record of helping disadvantaged children that includes fostering six of them, and for dramatically declaring “black lives matter” during a hearing on police reform in 2015.

Judge James L. Robart, 69, was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush in 2004, following a distinguished 30-year career in private practice that included his selection to the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honor bestowed on less than 1 percent of lawyers. The judge made the most high-profile ruling of his tenure on Friday when he temporarily invalidated Trump’s ban on travel to the U.S. from seven primarily Muslim nations.

The ruling did not sit well with the president, who on Twitter called Robart a “so-called judge” and the ruling “ridiculous.” The president later falsely claimed the decision meant “anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.”

The comments are unlikely to sway Robart, according to those who know him.

Priest Abuse Victims’ Group Founder Resigns After 29 Years

Chicago — The founder of the group that advocates for priest abuse victims has stepped down after three decades of campaigning to force the Catholic Church to recognize the extent of the scandal and compensate thousands of people affected.

Barbara Blaine, president and founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said she was abused herself and the organization was created through her efforts to reach out to other victims, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“I knew there were other survivors out there and wondered if they felt the same debilitating hurt and if so, how they coped with it. I thought they might hold the wisdom I lacked. I looked for other survivors and asked if they would be willing to talk,” Blaine said in a statement.

Blaine did not say why she resigned.

U.S. Utilities Seek Solar Power As Trump Sides with Coal, Fossil Fuels

Raleigh, n.c. — The plunging cost of solar power is leading U.S. electric companies to capture more of the sun just when President Donald Trump is moving to boost coal and other fossil fuels.

Solar power represents just about 1 percent of the electricity U.S. utilities generate today, but that could grow substantially as major electric utilities move into smaller-scale solar farming, a niche developed by local cooperatives and non-profits.

It’s both an opportunity and a defensive maneuver: Sunshine-capturing technology has become so cheap, so quickly, that utilities are moving to preserve their core business against competition from household solar panels.

The transition away from coal-burning power plants now seems unstoppable, even if Trump scraps rules requiring utilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The average lifetime cost for utility-scale wind and solar generation in the U.S. now is cheaper than coal or nuclear and comparable to natural gas, according to financial advisory firm Lazard, which compared the fuel costs without their federal tax subsidies.

Third-Party Report Clears ‘A Dog’s Purpose’

Los Angeles — Leaked video showing a frightened dog being forced into churning water during filming of A Dog’s Purpose was misleadingly edited and the German shepherd was unharmed, according to third-party findings released by American Humane, the group responsible for overseeing animal safety on the movie set.

An independent animal-cruelty expert found that preventative safety measures were in place to protect the dog, Hercules, American Humane said. The board-certified veterinarian, who was not identified, concluded that the dog was momentarily stressed but suffered no lasting ill effects.

“The video was deliberately edited for the purpose of misleading the public and stoking outrage. In fact, the two scenes shown in the edited video were filmed at different times,” the group said in reporting the findings.

Texas Boy Finds Rattlesnake Hiding in Toilet

Abilene, Texas — A snake removal expert said rattlesnakes often hide in rural Texas homes, but having one peer up from a toilet is an unusual occurrence.

Nathan Hawkins said on Friday that he was called to a home near Abilene recently after a boy lifted the toilet lid and was surprised to find an adult rattlesnake poking out of the water with most of its body extended down into the drain.

Hawkins said the snake found its way into the house’s plumbing through an exposed pipe.

The boy’s mother decapitated the snake and Hawkins removed 23 others that he found nesting in the storm cellar and beneath the home.

— Wire reports