Bucharest Mayor Wins Opposition Party's Support for Romania Vote
Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan clinched the backing of a Romanian opposition party for next month's presidential election, in a boost for the pro-European candidate who's seen as having the best shot against the poll-leading nationalist politician.
The Save Romania Union opposition group has endorsed Dan, an independent, over its own leader, Elena Lasconi, deputy party leader Dominic Fritz told reporters on Wednesday.
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Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cheerleaders for Violence: The Troubling Defense of Terror in Boulder
It was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration. Instead, it ended in flames. But what came after the attack in Boulder may be even more incendiary, especially online, where some users in their teens and 20s were not condemning the violence. They were endorsing it. On a clear afternoon in late May, a pro-Israel demonstration on Boulder, Colorados iconic Pearl Street Mall turned into a scene of terror. An Egyptian citizen, wielding improvised firebombs, attacked the crowd, injuring 15 people and igniting panic in a city more often associated with peaceful protests and college town calm. Authorities swiftly arrested the suspect, now charged with multiple felonies including attempted murder and arson. Law enforcement has labeled the incident an act of terrorism. But while the violence rattled the city and the Jewish community in particular, a very different response was unfolding online. Videos posted by major outlets such as ABC News, Daily Mail, and MSNBC quickly amassed thousands of views on TikTok and Instagram. In the comment sections, a disturbing trend emerged: Rather than denouncing the attack, many young users applauded it. "He just wanted freedom for Palestine." "Keep up the good work brother! Hero." "Free him, he did no wrong. He did what we all wanted." "I was about to comment about how terrible this is and then I realized it was a pro-Israel rally and I suddenly didnt feel bad anymore." Some expressed outright Jew-hatred, writing things like, "Reduce their population" and "We owe Germany an apology." Others painted the attacker as a martyr or revolutionary. Several claimed the incident was staged entirely, a so-called "false flag" to build sympathy for Israel. This chorus of justification, denial, and celebration is jarring but not entirely surprising given the current climate. Recent polling shows a dramatic shift in how young Americans view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to Pew Research Center, 53% of U.S. adults now hold an unfavorable view of Israel. Support for the Palestinian cause has grown, particularly among Democrats and younger voters. In one RealClearPolling analysis,respondentsunder 28 years old were more likely than any other age group to sympathize with Palestinians over Israelis and to view Israels military actions in Gaza as unjustified. As someone from this generation, and from Boulder, Ive watched these sentiments evolve online, where politics blur with memes and moral lines often collapse under the weight of outrage or irony. Seeing this unfold in my own hometown made it feel less like an aberration and more like a wake-up call. Whats chilling isnt just the cruelty of the comments. Its how natural they seem to the people posting them, many of whom are my peers. Layered atop this political shift is a deepening distrust of institutions. A significant share of younger Americans express skepticism toward government narratives, traditional news media, and even the legitimacy of domestic law enforcement. According to the spring 2025 Harvard Youth Poll, fewer than one in three express trust in major institutions. But when that skepticism is applied to something as clear and violent as the Boulder attack, is it truly thoughtful or is it reflexive, corrosive doubt - the kind that opens the door to conspiracism and moral disengagement? That mindset helps explain the abundance of conspiracy-laden responses: "Yeah they set this up. Dont believe it at all," read one comment. Another called it a "planned distraction," while others insisted it was staged with actors. Though many of these reactions remain anonymous and ephemeral, they point to a generational divide not just in foreign policy, but in the moral frameworks through which violence is interpreted. Zoe Mardiks, a recent graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder and a Jewish student leader, was at her apartment when she learned of the attack. "My first reaction was to text some of my other Jewish friends to check in and ensure that everyone was okay and safe," she said. "I felt very scared that this had happened in my community." What disturbed her just as much as the attack itself was the flood of online comments defending it. "The ongoing justification for violence significantly downplays the rights of Jews and Israel to exist," Mardiks said. In her view, social media has warpedher generations sense of moral clarity. "Because of how the war has been broadcast on social media, everyone feels they have a say in the issue and believes they possess all the knowledge," she said. Mardiks said her response to those defending the attacker is simple: "If you truly care about saving or freeing anyone, we can only do that by educating each other in a non-attacking way … the line is drawn when you praise violence." The Boulder attack marks a grim milestone: a foreign conflict spilling onto American soil in the form of violence, and met, in some corners of the Internet, with tacit approval. That many of those corners are populated by Americans under 30 raises hard questions about what this generation, my generation, believes, whom they stand with, and what they consider justifiable resistance. For us, the line between protest and terrorism used to feel clear. Now, for too many, that line seems negotiable. "He did what we all wanted." If thats true, we may need to start asking what "we" really means now. Adair Teuton is a 2025 intern with RealClearPolitics.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mahmoud Khalil responds to 'grotesque' charges in new legal filing, says arrest caused 'irreparable harm'
Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student detained in March by immigration agents, responded for the first time to the charges against him and described the "irreparable harm" his arrest has had on him and his family. "I have suffered—and continue to suffer—as a result of the government's actions against me," he said in a declaration included in a letter his legal team filed on Thursday in support of his bid for a preliminary injunction in his federal case. "The most immediate and visceral harms I have experienced directly relate to the birth of my son, Deen. Instead of holding my wife's hand in the delivery room, I was crouched on a detention center floor, whispering through a crackling phone line as she labored alone," Khalil said. "I listened to her pain, trying to comfort her while 70 other men slept around me. When I heard my son's first cries, I buried my face in my arms so no one would see me weep." His wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, was eight months pregnant when Khalil was arrested March 8 at his New York apartment building. She said she had requested his presence at the birth but was denied by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Khalil said that not being able to see his family has been "devastating." In his declaration, he condemned the White House and President Donald Trump over the "grotesque and false" claims made against him. Khalil was targeted for deportation after he helped organize pro-Palestinian rallies on the university's campus. He is being held at a facility in rural Jena, Louisiana. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement that "it is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America." "When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans, and harass Jews, take over buildings and deface property, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country," the statement added. DHS said Khalil was granted a contact visit with his wife and son before his court appearance and has been given the option of self-deporting. The Department of Justice declined to comment, and ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "It is hard to describe the humiliation and pain of seeing mugshot-style images of myself circulated from the highest levels of the U.S. government—accompanied by inflammatory language, grotesque and false accusations, and open celebration of my deportation," Khalil said in the declaration. "These were not just attacks on my character; they were efforts to erase my humanity." Khalil said his wife and family have also been subjected to harassment after the government labeled him a "U.S. foreign policy concern" and accused him of supporting Hamas. He said the allegations against him are false and "deeply racist." Khalil's attorney said in the letter that his arrest has damaged his reputation and "severely" undermined his pursuit of one day working in international diplomacy and human rights advocacy. Khalil said he had accepted a position at Oxfam International as a policy advisor, but the job offer was revoked. "I strongly believe that the Rubio Determination, my arrest and detention—and the public stigma that followed— played a significant role in this decision," he said. "I was not surprised; roles like this depend on your reputation." Oxfam International said it does not comment on individual HR or personnel matters. In a separate declaration, Khalil's wife described how she is "afraid for our safety." "Mahmoud's case has impacted every aspect of our life," she said. "I have experienced Islamophobia my whole life as a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, but it has been amplified by Mahmoud's detention and ongoing case. Mahmoud's and my careers, our desire for a stable life, and Deen's future will forever be impacted by these false allegations against him." This article was originally published on
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Colorado anti-Semitic attack suspect due in federal court
June 6 (UPI) -- Mohamed Soliman is scheduled to appear in federal court in Colorado Friday, facing hate crime charges for allegedly carrying out an anti-Semitic attack in Boulder, Colo. Friday's appearance in U.S. District Court for Colorado comes a day after state officials filed their own set of 118 criminal counts, including 28 first-degree attempted murder charges. Soliman, 45, is appearing in U.S. District Court in Colorado less than a week after he reportedly used "makeshift flamethrower" and home-made Molotov cocktails to attack 14 people in a pro-Israel run meant to support the release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Authorities allege Soliman, who came to the United States legally from Egypt in 2022, yelled "Free Palestine" during the attack, according to an affidavit. Officials formally charged Soliman on Monday with the federal charges. On Thursday, a federal judge in Denver temporarily blocked the deportation of Soliman's wife and five children. In ordering the federal government to halt proceedings against Soliman's family, U.S. District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher said "deportation without process could work irreparable harm and an order must (be) issue(d) without notice due to the urgency this situation presents." Soliman's 41-year-old wife, Hayem El Gamal, and their five children are being held at a federal detention center in Dilley, Texas for families with minors. The family was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Thursday. The family had been set for "expedited removal," the White House said on X. The June 1 attack occurred on the evening of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Soliman is alleged to have injured 15 people between the ages of 25 and 88 at the Run for Their Lives. Two of the victims were airlifted to hospitals for treatment while several suffered severe burns. In addition to the attempted murder charges, Soliman also faces felony assault and incendiary device counts at the state level.
