Rubio is threatening integrity of foreign policy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio should be ashamed. He has stood aside as the Trump Administration demolished one of the United States’s most effective instruments of foreign policy.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has done an admirable job of projecting American soft power around the globe via its technical assistance to developing nations. As a former U.S. senator, Rubio knows the substantial impact of American assistance in the fields of health, nutrition and economic infrastructure.

Early in February Rubio said that he was taking over as administrator of the agency only to collapse to Elon Musk’s attack. His surrender deprives American diplomacy of an agency respected throughout the developing world. More recently he has justified the detention and possible deportation of Mahmoud Khalil under an antiquated law on the grounds that his presence in the United States may threaten the country’s foreign policy. Khalil is a green card-holding legal permanent resident of the United States who has supported the cause of the Palestinians. Indeed it is Rubio who is threatening the integrity of American foreign policy.

— Rob Mortimer, Boulder

New solution to handling vacancies is necessary

We had the opportunity to stand by our values and our hopes and dreams for the Democratic Party in the Senate District 17 vacancy election. Out of a field of 8 candidates, we had 5 candidates of color, all with amazing ties to the community, showing up to serve in many, many aspects of their lives.

Instead, those 5 candidates of color received a combined total of fewer votes than the winning candidate.

What this tells me is:

1. Those on the vacancy committee are not representative of the district. When membership is determined by the ability to lit drop one’s neighborhood, it will always be made up of those with time and availability, most likely retired, older, wealthy white people.

2. The vacancy committee process is very flawed, continuing to uphold systems that exclude and oppress. When given the opportunity to give a fully qualified person of color an easier path (vacancy versus a months-long campaign, which is often a deterrent), those on the committee continued to support what was easy and comfortable for them instead of what was right for the community.

To the Colorado Democratic Party, I implore you to seek a new solution to handling vacancies, one that would be more accessible to candidates of color, that values a diverse electorate and helps communities elect the best possible representatives for their needs. This is a time we must stand tall against erroneous attacks on inroads made to become a more inclusive and welcoming party.

— Nia Wassink, Longmont

We can be the hope when help can’t wait

Help can’t wait when disaster strikes. Whether a family needs shelter, food or a sympathetic ear, generous donations to the American Red Cross help ensure they never face a crisis alone.

The need for this support is constant. In just the first 50 days of 2025, Red Cross volunteers responded to more big disasters in the U.S. than days — and that’s on top of everyday crises like home fires that have upended lives here in the Mile High area.

With extreme disasters like wildfires showing no signs of letting up, your donation can provide relief and care, such as:

• $5 for a blanket to wrap around a person’s shoulders.

• $11 for a nutritious meal, snack and drink.

• $24 for comfort kits, each with supplies like a toothbrush, comb and shampoo, for two families of four.

No gift is too small — and we can do so much when we come together. Join our community movement by donating today at redcross.org/GivingDay. Your gift will be part of our annual Giving Day on March 26, which aims to rally 30,000 individuals to help people affected by disasters big and small.

— Gino Greco, chief executive officer, Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming