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Straits Times
02-06-2025
- Straits Times
Colorado attack suspect charged with assault, use of explosives
Police tape cordons off the site of an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt Law enforcement officers work at the scene, after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt Police work at the scene after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado. via KMGH REUTERS FILE PHOTO: Boulder attack suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman poses for a jail booking photograph after his arrest in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 2, 2025. Boulder Police Department/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY THIS PICTURE WAS PROCESSED BY REUTERS TO ENHANCE QUALITY. AN UNPROCESSED VERSION HAS BEEN PROVIDED SEPARATELY./File Photo Law enforcement officers detain a suspect, after an attack that injured multiple people, in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 1, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media. X/@OpusObscuraX/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. THIS PICTURE WAS PROCESSED BY REUTERS TO ENHANCE QUALITY. AN UNPROCESSED VERSION HAS BEEN PROVIDED SEPARATELY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY A suspect in an attack on a pro-Israeli rally in Colorado that injured eight people was being held on Monday on an array of charges, including assault and the use of explosives, in lieu of a $10-million bail, according to Boulder County records. The posted list of felony charges against suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, in the attack on Sunday also includes charges of murder in the first degree, although police in the city of Boulder have said on social media that no victims died in the attack. Authorities could not be reached immediately to clarify. Witnesses reported the suspect used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. He was heard to yell "Free Palestine" during the attack, according to the FBI, in what the agency called a "targeted terror attack." Four women and four men between 52 and 88 years of age were transported to hospitals after the attack, Boulder Police said. The attack took place on the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian shopping district near the University of Colorado, during an event organized by Run for Their Lives, an organization devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized in the aftermath of Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel. Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, the Chabad director at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told CBS Colorado that the 88-year-old victim was a Holocaust refugee who fled Europe. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Soliman had entered the country in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023. He filed for asylum in September 2022. "The suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country," the spokesperson said. The FBI raided and searched Soliman's home in El Paso County, Colorado, the agency said on social media. "As this is an ongoing investigation, no additional information is available at this time." The attack in Boulder was the latest act of violence aimed at Jewish Americans linked to outrage over Israel's escalating military offensive in Gaza. It followed the fatal shooting of two Israel Embassy aides that took place outside Washington's Capital Jewish Museum last month. Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, said after the shooting there was a question of how far security perimeters outside Jewish institutions should extend. Boulder Police said they would hold a press conference later on Monday to discuss details of the Colorado attack. The Denver office of the FBI, which is handling the case, did not immediately respond to emails or phone calls seeking clarification on the homicide charges or other details in the case. Officials from the Boulder County Jail, Boulder Police and Boulder County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to inquiries. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Barnama
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Trump Administration To Reverse Termination Of Legal Status Of Int'l Students
US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt SAN FRANCISCO, April 26 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- The Trump administration said on Friday that it will reverse the termination of the legal statuses of more than 1,200 international students amid legal challenges, Xinhua reported. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is in the process of manually restoring the status for individuals whose Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records were terminated in recent weeks, a government attorney told a federal court in Oakland, California. A similar statement was made by a government lawyer during a separate hearing in Washington, D.C. bootstrap slideshow "ICE is developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations. Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be re-activated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC (National Crime Information Centre) finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination," said a copy of the statement provided to media by Brian Green, attorney representing the plaintiffs. SEVIS is the database that tracks compliance of international students with their visa requirements. NCIC, operated by the FBI, contains criminal records and other law enforcement data. More than 1,200 international students have had their immigration statuses upended since late March, according to The Associated Press. The mass termination had triggered a wave of lawsuits filed by students across the country, leading federal judges to issue temporary restraining orders to halt the practice. -- BERNAMA-XINHUA
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Coloradans want lawmakers to safeguard state voting rights
Darryl Walker fills out his ballot while voting on Super Tuesday in Denver, March 5, 2024. (Kevin Mohatt for Colorado Newsline) Our foundational voting rights are at risk. Americans are watching as the new presidential administration dangerously hacks away at institutions of our federal government at the expense of the people, with a slew of executive orders that violate the Constitution and aim to strip Americans of cherished civil liberties they have known for generations. We can no longer rely on Congress as a backstop. The Trump administration has ordered the Department of Justice to cease all involvement in civil rights cases, including enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), which has protected Americans' right to vote since the civil rights era. Congress has refused to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and is responsible for continuing to renew the VRA, and federal courts have been slowly eroding federal voting rights protections for years. The Supreme Court has notoriously ruled against landmark provisions of the VRA, like the 2013 Shelby v. Holder decision and the 2021 Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee decision. Yet, in this time of uncertainty and national instability, Colorado can act on its own to strengthen the right to vote for Coloradans. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Senate Bill 25-1, the Colorado Voting Rights Act, will protect the access to the ballot Colorado voters currently have while protecting the state from the dismantling of the federal Voting Rights Act, any federal or state administration changes, and future attempts to undermine fair and accessible elections, regardless of who controls Congress or the White House. And it's not just democracy advocates who support this move — two-thirds of Coloradans agree. A new poll from the State Innovation Exchange found that voters support a Colorado Voting Rights Act by a wide margin of 61%, with 46% supporting it strongly, more than all of those who oppose it combined. Coloradans from all walks of life support the Colorado Voting Rights Act and see it as a policy that protects all communities, not just some, garnering an additional stamp of approval from 64% of centrist voters, and 62% of independent voters. Despite all the strides Colorado has made in breaking down barriers to voter participation, we still have one of the widest racial turnout gaps in the nation. The COVRA addresses this while codifying anti-discrimination protections into state law. Specifically, the COVRA will help build a more equitable democracy by setting clear and fair standards to ensure election administrators employ practices that do not create systemic disparities in participation between communities. The COVRA also prohibits election methods that dilute the vote of communities of color, targeting classic cases of gerrymandering that result in communities being underrepresented. All local jurisdictions in Colorado are already subject to anti-discrimination standards under the federal VRA. Unlike the federal VRA, the COVRA is designed to help resolve disagreements over election rules outside of court whenever possible. Local governments would remain free to continue running their elections independently and according to their own rules and practices; the new bill simply sets standards in state law to prevent and address discriminatory practices. Additionally, the bill creates explicit protections for LGBTQ+ voters, voters with disabilities, and eligible voters who are confined in jail during an election so that every Coloradan with the right to vote is protected under state law. Colorado must take decisive action to protect our civil rights and liberties before it is too late. Our attorney general currently lacks the authority to enforce the VRA, and we need to equip our state to defend voting rights if federal protections fall. Democracy includes everyone — no matter their race, background, ZIP code, or income — and every single eligible Coloradan deserves to fairly cast a ballot. The Colorado Voting Rights Act will ensure that every voter's voice is protected in future elections, no matter who is in charge. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Colorado improves in report that grades states on reproductive health care access
Abortion rights supporters protest outside the state Capitol in Denver on May 7, 2022. (Kevin Mohatt for Colorado Newsline) A national reproductive rights 'report card' gave Colorado marks that are improved from last year after a constitutional amendment allows the state to provide Medicaid coverage for reproductive health care. The annual report card from rePROS Fight Back — an initiative of the Population Institute, which advocates gender equality and universal access to sexual and reproductive health services — grades each state based on various factors that either improve or hinder access to reproductive health care. The initiative has published the report since 2012. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Factors considered include prevention efforts, such as sex education and access to contraception; affordability, including Medicaid and health insurance coverage; and access, including restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming care. Colorado received a B+ grade, up from a C- last year. Colorado voters in November approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to abortion in Colorado, which bumped up this year's grade, as the state is no longer prohibited from using state funding to support reproductive health care. The state earned additional points from last year because it now has Medicaid expansion options for family planning and reproductive health care services. Colorado also earned high marks for its shield laws that protect abortion care providers and gender-affirming care for transgender youth. It is one of only 16 states to receive a B grade or higher, though it did not receive an A because it does not mandate sex education. Jennie Wetter, director of rePROs Fight Back and author of the report, said Colorado deserves partial credit for requiring schools that do teach sex education to ensure it is medically accurate, LGBTQ+ inclusive and includes information on healthy relationships and consent. 'But since they don't mandate any form of sex education, they don't get points for the things they require, since some schools may then not teach sex education since it's not mandated,' Wetter said. Five states received an A grade, and 25 states received an F grade. The U.S. as a whole earned a failing grade because of continued fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned the national right to abortion guaranteed by Roe v. Wade. 'The Trump Administration is pouring fuel on this raging fire by blocking health agencies from collecting and reporting critical data related to reproductive health,' Wetter said in a statement. 'The threats to the health and well-being of children and families are simply unprecedented.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colorado Voting Rights Act picks up nine amendments and clears first committee
A sorting machine processes ballots at the Adams County Government Center in Brighton on Nov. 7, 2023. (Kevin Mohatt for Colorado Newsline) A Colorado Senate committee approved a bill Tuesday intended to establish protections in the federal Voting Rights Act at the state level in Colorado after hours of testimony and several amendments. Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat and sponsor of Senate Bill 25-1, said the Colorado Voting Rights Act is necessary since the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 is 'under attack.' Several court decisions have weakened the federal VRA over the last decade, and there's growing concern that President Donald Trump's administration could try to further erode its protections. The Colorado bill would mirror the VRA to 'prohibit election practices that create disparities in participation for communities of color and other protected groups,' Gonzales said. It also includes protections for LGBTQ+ voters, expands multilingual ballot access, and requires accommodations for people with disabilities at residential facilities. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The state attorney general could enforce voting rights under the Colorado measure, so 'we don't have to rely on the federal government or federal courts,' Gonzales said. The provisions of the bill would apply to all state and municipal elections. Voters whose rights are violated under the act can take action along with civil rights groups. The Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee passed the bill on a 3-2 party line vote, with both Republicans, Sen. Byran Pelton of Sterling and Sen. Rod Pelton of Cheyenne Wells, voting against it. Senators on the committee said their communities haven't had any complaints of discrimination that prevented someone from voting and asked why this measure was necessary given Colorado's status as having the 'gold standard' of elections. 'If you actually zoom out and look at the municipalities and the differences between the standards for statewide elections and our municipal elections, there is no requirement that municipal elections have any polling places or in-person assistance for voting,' Gonzales responded. 'If a local municipality does send mail-in ballots, they're not required to have more than one location to drop off ballots, regardless of the size of the population or geography, which is a very different practice for statewide elections.' Gonzales said some municipalities also don't allow same-day voter registration, with a deadline of the Friday before an election. She led an effort in 2021 to expand access to multilingual ballots for Coloradans, and sponsored a measure in 2024 to require a day of in-person voting in county jails. Aly Belknap, executive director of Colorado Common Cause, told Colorado Newsline that anti-discrimination protections under the federal VRA must be enforced by the federal government, and the Colorado version would allow the state 'to enforce our own voting rights' in state court. 'The Trump administration has signaled that they certainly will not enforce the VRA, and also are actively working to dismantle the Department of Justice,' Belknap said. 'They are who enforces our federal voting rights.' Belknap said municipalities should still run their own elections as they wish, but it's 'long overdue' that they have clear and fair standards to prevent practices that can result in unfair barriers to voter participation for certain populations. She also said there's 'no centralized information' about how municipalities run elections in Colorado. A poll found that two-thirds of Coloradans support protecting voting rights at the state level, and 61% support the Colorado Voting Rights Act, while 33% oppose it. Eight states have passed their own versions, and two more are considering similar measures this year, too. Heather Stauffer, advocacy director at the Colorado Municipal League, said the nonpartisan nonprofit that represents cities and towns across the state is concerned about the constitutionality of the Colorado Voting Rights Act because of its applicability to home rule municipalities. She said while municipalities are committed to ensuring all voters can have their voices heard without barriers, the Colorado Constitution says municipalities have 'the full right of self government in all matters pertaining to municipal elections.' 'The Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals confirmed for 113 years that municipal elections are a matter of purely local concern,' Stauffer testified before the committee Tuesday. 'Even if the state had a plausible interest in combating unidentified discrimination, there is not sufficient justification to override express language of the constitution.' Stauffer also said defending a Voting Rights Act claim could be financially 'devastating' for the smallest communities with the least amount of resources. She suggested the Legislature refer a measure to the ballot if lawmakers want all elections to be conducted in November. Gonzales said 'respectfully, we disagree' on the constitutionality of the bill, because she believes that applying anti-discrimination standards to elections 'is a matter of statewide concern.' She said there should not be separate sets of rules for elections that happen in the spring versus the fall. 'We believe that under this bill, local control is respected,' Gonzales said. 'Jurisdictions are free to continue their current election methods and practices, but if a court finds that the voting practices of a local governing body are systematically discriminating against a set of voters, there really does need to be appropriate recourse.' As introduced, the bill would have created a new state office with 22 staff to run a database of election information. The committee approved an amendment that moves that responsibility to the secretary of state's elections division, 'drastically' reducing the bill's cost in a tight budget year, Gonzales said. No new data will be collected, nor any private voter information made public — the database would compile existing information county clerks have about their elections. 'Right now, we don't track as a state how local elections are conducted, and we need more tools to understand disparities in participation across the state,' Gonzales said. 'This election database would empower the state and the public with this information.' That amendment also clarifies that the secretary of state does not have an investigatory role, and that data for the database must only be provided if it is already available and if the secretary does not already have the data. One amendment removed a tribe's ability to request an in-person Voter Service and Polling Center on tribal land for up to 15 days, which Gonzales said was based on feedback from the Southern Ute Tribe and county clerks. It also removes a requirement that the secretary of state verify addresses on tribal lands for voter registration purposes. Gonzales said initially, bill sponsors wanted to extend multilingual ballot requirements to all municipalities. An amendment she introduced changed it so that only municipalities 'that exist wholly or partially' within a county already required to provide multilingual ballots under the 2021 law have to provide them as well. Currently, 20 Colorado counties need to provide Spanish ballots under that law. Gonzales said she's still working with the Colorado Municipal League to determine the potential to exempt small counties with limited Spanish speakers. Another amendment, supported by the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, adds protections for eligible voters confined in jails, ensuring those who wish to vote don't have 'unfair barriers' preventing their participation. Gonzales also introduced an amendment to clarify requirements for residential facilities for people with disabilities, making it so they only have to post election information for general elections and specifying where that information be posted. Other amendments made various language clarifications in different sections of the bill. The legislation will go to the Senate Appropriations Committee before it is considered on the Senate floor. It will then need to go through House committee hearings and floor votes. House Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat, and Rep. Junie Joseph, a Boulder Democrat, are the House sponsors of the bill. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
