Haitian student forced to wear ankle monitor dies and more news from the states

Welcome to Wednesday, readers. This morning, we’re starting off with news out of Utah.

A judge ordered the 23-year-old Utah man charged with shooting and killing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk to stand trial for aggravated murder. Tyler Robinson’s defense team entered pleas of not guilty on his behalf to the murder charge and six other counts. Prosecutors have said they’ll seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.

In Massachusetts, Mike Minogue, a wealthy former medical device company CEO, defeated Brian Shortsleeve in the Republican gubernatorial primary race. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey cruised to victory in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate against U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton. Voters soundly rejected Moulton’s effort to turn the race into a referendum on Markey’s age.

Thanks for reading Daybreak. Your generous support helps us produce high-quality journalism without paywalls, popups or ads. Visit our website to learn more about how you can back States Newsroom’s mission.

National: As the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement leads to sweeping arrests, healthcare workers say those actions have hit children hard. Many healthcare providers report that since January 2025, they’ve seen a surge in missed pediatric appointments, delayed preventive care, and sick or injured kids going without treatment.

Arizona: The state attorney general’s office is investigating three fringe candidates for statewide office facing allegations that they falsely used voters’ information alongside fraudulent $5 donations to qualify for millions of dollars in public campaign funds.

Iowa: Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds warned of the risks associated with kratom and its newer, synthetic variants. Kratom is typically marketed as a natural or herbal supplement for pain and anxiety, and is commonly sold in liquid, capsule and powdered form at gas stations and convenience stores.

Colorado: Voters will decide this November on a ballot measure that would raise income taxes on the top 3% of earners and slightly cut them for everyone else. Backers of the initiative submitted a sufficient number of petition signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot, according to the Colorado secretary of state’s office.

Wisconsin: Milwaukee is tightening the leash around Flock automatic license plate reader cameras. A directive from the office of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley ordered county departments and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office to limit Flock-related operations.

New Jersey: Residents must be permitted to run small plug-in solar panels that could offset their energy costs under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Under the new law, landlords and local governments would be barred from blocking residents and tenants from setting up solar panels with a maximum power output of 1,200 watts.

See the rest of the news of the day from all 50 states, plus our D.C. Bureau and Stateline, on News From The States.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

A 20-year-old Haitian college student died in an apparent suicide Monday, which his father said came after the student was forced to wear an ankle monitor by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ohio Capital Journal reports.

Pierre Damas Bel, a Wright State University student, reportedly walked in front of a semitruck on Interstate 70 on Monday after being bullied by his classmates for wearing an ankle monitor, according to his family.  

“He called me at 8:03 on a video call, (and said) ‘I’m not feeling okay mentally because of the bullying,’ and I told him to come home so we can talk,” Damas Bel’s father, Pierre Ronal Bel, said in a statement.

“Around 11 the police showed at my door to report that my son threw himself under a truck.”

The Ohio State Highway Patrol did not respond to a request for the incident report. 

Haitians living in Springfield are required to report to the ICE offices in Blue Ash or Westerville to accept ankle monitors. 

This started after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to end temporary protected status for the 330,000 Haitians who’ve fled violence in their home country. Legal protected status for Haitians officially ended on July 27. 

Advances in battery technology and other innovations have made small, lightweight e-scooters designed to travel short distances cheaper — and faster — than ever, but Pennsylvania’s legal code and safety regulations haven’t kept up, Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports. 

The increasingly popular devices aren’t legal to operate on public streets in the commonwealth, and critics say car and truck drivers may be unprepared to share the road with their smaller counterparts.

“It’s like the Wild West out there,” Scott Slingerland, the executive director of the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, told state legislators in the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday. 

Some lawmakers have proposed limiting who can drive e-scooters and where they can ride, similar to laws passed in over two dozen other states. Democratic state Sen. Tim Kearney said thousands of people used e-scooters or similar vehicles across the commonwealth, but educating riders — especially minors — about safety considerations isn’t typical.