Latest news with #Florida-born
Miami Herald
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Muslim groups call for Florida officials to investigate killing of Tampa man in West Bank
Muslim groups in Florida are pressing for an investigation of a Florida-born man who was killed in the West Bank, reportedly in a clash with Israeli settlers. Days after Sayfollah 'Saif' Musallet, a 20-year-old Florida-born U.S. citizen, was reportedly beaten to death by Israeli settlers while visiting family in the West Bank, a Muslim advocacy group and Musallet's family are demanding a formal investigation by the DeSantis administration and the Department of Justice. 'When American citizens like Saif are killed overseas, especially by Israeli settlers backed by the Israeli government, looking the other way sends a dangerous message: that some American lives simply don't matter. We demand better,' said Imam Abdullah Jaber, executive director of the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement. While Florida officials have remained mostly silent about the death, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, asked Israel to 'aggressively investigate the murder' of Musallet, calling it a 'terrorist act.' 'There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old,' Huckabee said in a post on X yesterday. On Wednesday, a representative for CAIR-Florida responded to Huckabee's statements, saying that 'a lot more' can be done to push an investigation forward, especially by Florida officials. 'It needs our Governor, President, State Senators, and/ or Secretary of State to really pressure Israel to stop the settler's terrorist activities affecting US citizens,' Wilfredo Ruiz, CAIR-Florida's communications director, said in a message to the Miami Herald. The statement made by Huckabee on the social media site was perhaps the strongest response issued by the state department since Musallet's death. On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis was questioned about the murder allegation during a visit to Sarasota's New College. 'I don't have any information on it,' DeSantis said to an inquiry by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune at the New College of Florida press event. 'I've heard different reports on it, but I just don't have any information.' In response to DeSantis' comments, CAIR-Florida doubled down on its request for an investigation by Florida officials, demanding justice for the 20-year-old Tampa resident. 'If Gov. DeSantis won't even comment on — let alone call for a formal U.S. investigation into—the brutal murder of one of his own constituents, how can any Floridian trust him to stand up for them in a time of need?' Jaber said in a statement. Musallet was visiting family in the West Bank 'to protest the establishment of a new illegal Israeli outpost' that had been built on a Palestinian village called Khirbet al-Tal, according to Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel. He reportedly died before reaching the hospital after his ambulance was blocked by settlers, according to his family. A U.S. embassy spokesperson confirmed Musallet's death, according to reports from NPR. The Israeli military said that a confrontation had broken out between Palestinians and Israelis, and that officials were investigating reports of a Palestinian civilian killed. Musallet was born in Port Charlotte and grew up in Tampa with his family. He co-owned a small ice cream shop in Tampa. 'He was a young man with dreams and with plans and a future, but that future was cut short ... when he was brutally beaten to death by illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank,' said Hiba Rahim, the deputy executive director of the Florida chapter of CAIR at a Monday news conference in Tampa. CAIR-Florida pointed out that Israeli officials rarely prosecute those accused of violence against Palestinians. 'Where is the outrage from our government. Where is the justice for a family that is grieving,' Rahim said. 'If Saif was killed by anyone else or in another country there would already be investigations.' At Monday's press conference, Saif's uncle, Hesam Musallet, spoke about his nephew, saying that he was 'a very loving, caring' person. 'Everybody who met him just fell in love with him. He was respectful .. he's just going to be missed and loved,' Musallet said holding back tears. 'This is not an issue between Jews and non-Jews,' said Saleh Mubarak a national board member of CAIR, at the Monday press conference. 'For centuries we coexisted without any incident.' Mubarak, who is originally from Syria, said the issue is not about land ownership, but the 'equal value of human life.' 'Once we accept that all humans have the same value, I think we will come to the beginning of resolving this issue that has not been resolved.' This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Axios
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Bill would prevent ICE from detaining or deporting U.S. citizens
A new proposal in Congress would stop federal immigration agents from detaining and possibly deporting U.S. citizens. Why it matters: U.S. citizens aren't supposed to be arrested or detained unless agents allege they're breaking laws. But reports of citizens of Latino descent being detained — or stopped and asked to prove citizenship — are rippling through Latino communities nationwide. Critics say reports of ICE detaining citizens are instances of racial profiling and overzealous policing — something the U.S. Department of Homeland Security angrily denies. Zoom in: U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash) introduced legislation Wednesday to formally block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from detaining or deporting U.S. citizens. Dubbed the "Stop ICE from Kidnapping US Citizens Act," the bill would set penalties for ICE agents who unlawfully hold U.S. citizens and place them in immigration proceedings. The proposal is co-sponsored by several Democrats and will likely face a long-shot bid in the GOP-controlled House. Zoom out: The allegations of U.S. citizens detentions come as ICE continues raids in predominantly Latino communities in the Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Diego areas; cities in Texas, New Mexico, New York and Florida; and agricultural centers such as Central California. In May, ICE briefly detained Florida-born Leonardo Garcia Venegas from his job at a construction site in Foley, Alabama. Agents alleged that Garcia's Real ID was fake, according to Noticias Telemundo. He alleged agents forced him to his knees and handcuffed him. Immigration officials held U.S. citizen and Albuquerque resident Jose Hermosillo for 10 days in Arizona's Florence Correctional Center after arresting him, and didn't believe him when he said he was a citizen, per Arizona Public Media. Two U.S. citizen children in April were deported to Honduras after ICE detained their mother during a routine check-in. What they're saying:"ICE is acting like a rogue force, kidnapping and disappearing people off the streets with no due process," Jayapal said in a statement. "When ICE is conducting immigration enforcement, arresting and detaining U.S. citizens is illegal — and deporting U.S. citizens is illegal, full stop." Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, told Axios that recent reports of citizens wrongly being arrested are false — and that "the media is shamefully peddling a false narrative" to demonize ICE agents. "DHS enforcement operations are highly targeted and are not resulting in the arrest of U.S. citizens," McLaughlin said. "We do our due diligence." Yes, but: An Axios review of news reports, social media videos and claims by advocacy groups about raids since President Trump took office found several instances in which U.S. citizens alleged they were wrongfully detained. ICE hasn't released statistics on such detentions in months. Flashback: In May, House Republicans killed a measure in Trump's big budget bill that would have stopped ICE from being able to deport or detain U.S. citizens. The amendment, sponsored by Jayapal, would have prevented any funds earmarked for ICE from being used to detain or deport citizens. "The fact that Democrats ... feel the need to even introduce an amendment that says ICE cannot deport U.S. citizens is bats**t crazy," Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said on the House floor.
Scottish Sun
13-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
I woke up with Ted Bundy looming over me with log… he shattered my jaw & left me to die but I survived in stroke of luck
'I remember squinting into the dark, not wearing my glasses, and seeing this black shadow standing above me' BRUSH WITH DEATH I woke up with Ted Bundy looming over me with log… he shattered my jaw & left me to die but I survived in stroke of luck Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) KATHY Kleiner Rubin was in her second year at university when she was mercilessly attacked with a log by depraved serial killer, Ted Bundy. The Florida-born author is one of the few women to have survived an encounter with the sadist, who was later found guilty of rape, necrophilia, and murder. 11 Kathy Kleiner Rubin's first Christmas after she was attacked by Ted Bundy in 1978 Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy (front right) with her Chi Omega sorority sisters Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Theodore Bundy, more commonly known as Ted, waved to a TV camera following his indictment for the murders of Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman Credit: Getty Among his victims were 21-year-old Margaret Bowman and 20-year-old Lisa Levy, who were murdered just minutes before the 33-year-old launched his assault on Kathy. Bundy was executed in 1989, when he admitted to murdering at least 30 women in his four-year-long reign of horror. But his notoriety has lived on, with books and films often depicting the sadist as a charismatic killer who lured his victims with his good looks. Decades later, Kathy has revealed how she has found peace by giving a voice to his victims and exposing Bundy's "true" nature. Speaking exclusively to The Sun, she described him as a "loser and a sociopath" who craved the world's attention. NIGHT OF THE ATTACK When Kathy was attacked, she was a second-year student at Florida State University, living in Chi Omega sorority house with girls 'who felt like sisters'. She had spent the afternoon at a church friend's wedding but decided to head back early with her dormmate, Karen Chandler, to study for her calculus exam the following Monday. The pair's room was not dissimilar to any other dorm room: two single beds pushed against opposite walls, separated by a small trunk and a large bay window with curtains that remained open 'all the time'. When they turned the lights off at around 11:30pm, Kathy fell straight to sleep. In the early hours of the morning, she awoke to the 'swish' sound of the carpet. I'm a criminologist - Ted Bundy stood no chance against one particular type of victim, it's why he never targeted them 'I remember squinting into the dark, not wearing my glasses, and seeing this black shadow standing above me, looking at me. 'I was just waking up a little bit and he had that log in his hand. "I can close my eyes and I can see my room. And I can see him standing over me. And this is something I'll never forget," she said. Wielding the same log he had used to kill her two much-adored sorority sisters, and which he had stolen from the house's fireplace, Bundy struck Kathy's jaw. The sheer force shattered the bone and splintered her chin - exposing her teeth and almost severing her tongue. "When he hit me, my first feeling was like hitting a bag of potatoes. You know, it didn't hurt," she added. But it wasn't long before adrenaline turned to agonising pain. 11 Kathy has found peace by giving a voice to Bundy's victims Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy struggled in the period after the attack but held onto her faith to keep her going Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy married Scott Rubin, who she has been with for over three decades and who has been a 'wonderful father' to her son, Michael Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin "It hurt so bad. The most intense pain I have ever felt," she recalled. Moments later, a rustle in the neighbouring bed turned Bundy's attention to Karen. Tripping over Kathy's trunk, he stumbled to his next victim, before mercilessly bludgeoning her too. In a stroke of immense fortune, the pair were saved when a couple returning home parked up beside the sorority house. I thought I was yelling and screaming for help but all I was doing was making gurgling sounds from all the blood in my mouth Kathy Kleiner Rubin The headlights flooded the room with light, startling Bundy, who ran away. Kathy said: 'I was moaning and groaning and I thought I was yelling and screaming for help but all I was doing was making gurgling sounds from all the blood in my mouth. 'He came back over to my side of the room so I tucked myself into the smallest ball. I thought if he didn't see me, he wouldn't kill me.' 'He looked at me. He raised his arm up over his head, but just as he was about to hit me again, a bright light shone through our window, 'He got real antsy and started moving around. Then he ran out of the room." I thought if he didn't see me, he wouldn't kill me Kathy Kleiner Rubin Whimpering, Kathy tried calling for help but managed no more than a few "gurgling sounds" through all of the blood. Karen was able to stumble to get help as Kathy passed out from the pain. She recalled: 'I woke up and a police officer was standing at the head of my bed looking at me. 'I touched my face and it was warm with blood. I was in excruciating pain – it felt like daggers and knives. But he just told me 'it's going to be OK.'' "I knew, having been so scared that this person was going to take care of me." PATH TO HAPPINESS Kathy never returned to university and spent the next nine weeks with her jaw wired shut at her parents' house in Miami. Therapy wasn't an option for the young girl who was raised by Cuban parents, where sweeping problems under the rug was the "done thing". Instead, her parents did all they could to help her physically recover and protect her from the trauma of what happened. "My mum wanted to shield me from the news and hearing about my sorority sisters so she would take the newspaper and cut all of the articles out that would mention Bundy," she said. One day they were a victim and the next day they became a survivor Kathy Kleiner Rubin Meanwhile, Kathy took "baby steps" to heal from the psychological wounds left from Bundy's attack - but also from the anger and sadness of leaving behind her freedom and friends at university. She said: "I walked outside and felt the sun on my face and looked up at the trees and saw each individual leaf, that's part of the branch, that's part of the tree. "And looking at the bugs on the ground and seeing how they interact. That's life. "And I wanted to be part of life. I wanted to be part of what was so natural." Kathy recognised exposure therapy would be crucial in her path to recovery so she got a job working at a lumber yard, where she would be surrounded by men everyday. 11 Kathy now lives in Florida with her husband Scott Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy said sharing her story with the world has helped her heal and connect with other survivors Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin While she grew progressively less scared, dark thoughts of a figure standing behind her lingered. Leaning on her faith, she imagined herself walking away from the darkness - each day, taking one step closer to the "light" at the end of the road. She has since co-authored a book with writer Emilie Lebau-Luchessi, in which she revisited in painfully vivid detail the events of that night. Although challenging, Kathy said sharing her story with the world has helped her heal and connect with other survivors. "They just need to know that one day they were a victim and the next day they became a survivor. "That survivor has to live the rest of their life and they can talk about it and they can feel it but they shouldn't dwell on it. "They need to move on and and not let this put them in a box but just take baby steps to heal themselves," she said. 11 Kathy graduating from high school Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy in 1990, almost a decade after the attack Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin
The Irish Sun
13-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
I woke up with Ted Bundy looming over me with log… he shattered my jaw & left me to die but I survived in stroke of luck
KATHY Kleiner Rubin was in her second year at university when she was mercilessly attacked with a log by depraved serial killer, Ted Bundy. The Florida-born author is one of the few women to have survived an encounter with the sadist, who was later found guilty of rape, necrophilia, and murder. 11 Kathy Kleiner Rubin's first Christmas after she was attacked by Ted Bundy in 1978 Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy (front right) with her Chi Omega sorority sisters Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Theodore Bundy, more commonly known as Ted, waved to a TV camera following his indictment for the murders of Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman Credit: Getty Among his victims were 21-year-old Margaret Bowman and 20-year-old Lisa Levy, who were murdered just minutes before the 33-year-old launched his assault on Kathy. Bundy was executed in 1989, when he admitted to murdering at least 30 women in his four-year-long But his notoriety has lived on, with books and films often depicting the sadist as a charismatic killer who lured his victims with his good looks. Decades later, Kathy has revealed how she has found peace by giving a voice to his victims and exposing Bundy's "true" nature. Speaking exclusively to The Sun, she described him as a "loser and a sociopath" who craved the world's attention. NIGHT OF THE ATTACK When Kathy was attacked, she was a second-year student at Florida State University, living in Chi Omega sorority house with girls 'who felt like sisters'. She had spent the afternoon at a church friend's wedding but decided to head back early with her dormmate, Karen Chandler, to study for her calculus exam the following Monday. The pair's room was not dissimilar to any other dorm room: two single beds pushed against opposite walls, separated by a small trunk and a large bay window with curtains that remained open 'all the time'. Most read in The US Sun When they turned the lights off at around 11:30pm, Kathy fell straight to sleep. In the early hours of the morning, she awoke to the 'swish' sound of the carpet. I'm a criminologist - Ted Bundy stood no chance against one particular type of victim, it's why he never targeted them 'I remember squinting into the dark, not wearing my glasses, and seeing this black shadow standing above me, looking at me. 'I was just waking up a little bit and he had that log in his hand. "I can close my eyes and I can see my room. And I can see him standing over me. And this is something I'll never forget," she said. Wielding the same log he had used to kill her two much-adored sorority sisters, and which he had stolen from the house's fireplace, Bundy struck Kathy's jaw. The sheer force shattered the bone and splintered her chin - exposing her teeth and almost severing her tongue. "When he hit me, my first feeling was like hitting a bag of potatoes. You know, it didn't hurt," she added. But it wasn't long before adrenaline turned to agonising pain. 11 Kathy has found peace by giving a voice to Bundy's victims Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy struggled in the period after the attack but held onto her faith to keep her going Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy married Scott Rubin, who she has been with for over three decades and who has been a 'wonderful father' to her son, Michael Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin "It hurt so bad. The most intense pain I have ever felt," she recalled. Moments later, a rustle in the neighbouring bed turned Bundy's attention to Karen. Tripping over Kathy's trunk, he stumbled to his next victim, before mercilessly bludgeoning her too. In a stroke of immense fortune, the pair were saved when a couple returning home parked up beside the sorority house. I thought I was yelling and screaming for help but all I was doing was making gurgling sounds from all the blood in my mouth Kathy Kleiner Rubin The headlights flooded the room with light, startling Bundy, who ran away. Kathy said: 'I was moaning and groaning and I thought I was yelling and screaming for help but all I was doing was making gurgling sounds from all the blood in my mouth. 'He came back over to my side of the room so I tucked myself into the smallest ball. I thought if he didn't see me, he wouldn't kill me.' 'He looked at me. He raised his arm up over his head, but just as he was about to hit me again, a bright light shone through our window, 'He got real antsy and started moving around. Then he ran out of the room." I thought if he didn't see me, he wouldn't kill me Kathy Kleiner Rubin Whimpering, Kathy tried calling for help but managed no more than a few "gurgling sounds" through all of the blood. Karen was able to stumble to get help as Kathy passed out from the pain. She recalled: 'I woke up and a police officer was standing at the head of my bed looking at me. 'I touched my face and it was warm with blood. I was in excruciating pain – it felt like daggers and knives. But he just told me 'it's going to be OK.'' "I knew, having been so scared that this person was going to take care of me." PATH TO HAPPINESS Kathy never returned to university and spent the next nine weeks with her jaw wired shut at her parents' house in Miami. Therapy wasn't an option for the young girl who was raised by Cuban parents, where sweeping problems under the rug was the "done thing". Instead, her parents did all they could to help her physically recover and protect her from the trauma of what happened. "My mum wanted to shield me from the news and hearing about my sorority sisters so she would take the newspaper and cut all of the articles out that would mention Bundy," she said. One day they were a victim and the next day they became a survivor Kathy Kleiner Rubin Meanwhile, Kathy took "baby steps " to heal from the psychological wounds left from Bundy's attack - but also from the anger and sadness of leaving behind her freedom and friends at university. She said: "I walked outside and felt the sun on my face and looked up at the trees and saw each individual leaf, that's part of the branch, that's part of the tree. "And looking at the bugs on the ground and seeing how they interact. That's life. "And I wanted to be part of life. I wanted to be part of what was so natural." Kathy recognised exposure therapy would be crucial in her path to recovery so she got a job working at a lumber yard, where she would be surrounded by men everyday. 11 Kathy now lives in Florida with her husband Scott Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy said sharing her story with the world has helped her heal and connect with other survivors Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin While she grew progressively less scared, dark thoughts of a figure standing behind her lingered. Leaning on her faith, she imagined herself walking away from the darkness - each day, taking one step closer to the "light" at the end of the road. She has since co-authored a book with writer Emilie Lebau-Luchessi, in which she revisited in painfully vivid detail the events of that night. Although challenging, Kathy said sharing her story with the world has helped her heal and connect with other survivors. "They just need to know that one day they were a victim and the next day they became a survivor. Read more on the Irish Sun "That survivor has to live the rest of their life and they can talk about it and they can feel it but they shouldn't dwell on it. "They need to move on and and not let this put them in a box but just take baby steps to heal themselves," she said. 11 Kathy graduating from high school Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Kathy in 1990, almost a decade after the attack Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin 11 Pregnant Kathy with her beloved 41-year-old son Michael Credit: Kathy Kleiner Rubin
Middle East Eye
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Family of American killed by Israeli settlers urge US investigation
The family of a Palestinian American killed by Israeli settlers in Sinjil in the occupied West Bank has urged the US State Department to begin an "immediate investigation" into the incident. Israeli settlers killed Florida-born Seif al-Din Muslat on Friday. He arrived in Sinjil last month to visit relatives. "The mob of settlers blocked the ambulance and paramedics from providing life-saving aid," his family said, according to Haaretz. The statement added that he "died before making it to the hospital". Muslat was remembered as "kind, hard-working" and "known for his generosity, ambition, and connection to his Palestinian heritage".
