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U.S. NEWS Monday 9 May 2022
St. Louis seeking to boost population with Afghan refugees

By JIM SALTER provides grants for business
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Inamul- startups.
lah Niazai sits on the front The St. Louis effort also pro-
porch step of his red-brick vided money to establish
St. Louis home and smiles an online Afghan newspa-
at the bustle of activity per, a chamber of com-
around him — his mother merce and a community
and father chatting in the center.
front yard, his two young "There's a mutual need. We
daughters munching choc- have been stagnant," Schli-
olate ice cream bars. chter said. "With this one-
"Anything is possible here," time opportunity with Af-
Niazai, 23, said. "We are so ghan refugees ending up
lucky that my family can be somewhere in this country,
here, together." we should take advantage
An aggressive effort in St. of it."
Louis is trying to lure Afghan Arrey Obenson, president
refugees like Niazai. About and CEO of the Interna-
600 have arrived so far and tional Institute of St. Louis,
another 750 are expected said he's confident that the
later this year. new refugees will revitalize
Civic leaders are hope- neighborhoods, just as the
ful that over the next few Bosnians did.
years, thousands more will Inamullah Niazai speaks during an interview Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in St. Louis. "The reality of the circum-
decide to relocate to the Associated Press stance we face is that if
Midwestern city, helping we look at St. Louis city and
to offset seven decades of go elsewhere. repair shops and other and more than 800 volun- the rate the population is
population loss and rejuve- In the 1990s, St. Louis be- businesses. They have their teers, and it has support declining, we have to find
nate urban neighborhoods came America's most own online newspaper, from the Roman Catholic a way to bring people into
— just as the arrival of Bos- popular landing spot for their own chamber of com- Archdiocese of St. Louis, the community to turn that
nian refugees did three de- Bosnians displaced by merce. the International Institute of around," Obenson said.
cades ago. war in the former Yugosla- The Bosnians also provided St. Louis and other nonprof- St. Louis isn't the only city
It's been nearly nine months via. Among the estimated a badly needed popula- it groups. Advocates say with a declining population
since the Afghan capital of 300,000 who fled to the U.S., tion boost in a city that's they've received no oppo- trying to attract Afghan ref-
Kabul was ceded to the some 40,000 now call St. been losing people at an sition to their efforts. ugees.
Taliban. Since last summer, Louis and the region home. alarming rate, dropping Jerry Schlichter, an attorney Detroit also reached its
more than 76,000 Afghan They revitalized an area from a peak of over 850,000 who is the organizer and a population apex in 1950,
refugees have relocated of the city's south side that in 1950 to just under 300,000 major funder, said the initia- when 1.85 million people
to the U.S. While California is now often referred to as today. tive helps find housing and lived there. Today, the
and Texas have taken in Little Bosnia. The area fea- St. Louis' Afghan Resettle- jobs, connects new arrivals population has dropped
most of the displaced Af- tures Bosnian-owned mar- ment Initiative is backed by to training such as classes by two-thirds, to about
ghans, many will eventually kets, coffee shops, auto over $1 million in donations on computer coding, and 640,000.q

Fire at Wisconsin anti-abortion office investigated as arson

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Ar- abortions aren't safe than lack of tolerance from the
son investigators were you aren't either" was spray- pro-abortion people to-
probing a fire Sunday inside painted on the building. ward those of us who are
the headquarters of anti- "It appears a specific non- pro-life," Appling said, who
abortion group Wisconsin profit that supports anti- said investigators found the
Family Action, where some- abortion measures was remnants of at least one
one had spray-painted a targeted," Madison Police Molotov cocktail.
message outside the build- Chief Shon Barnes said in a Appling said her group
ing. statement. won't be intimidated by the
Madison police spokes- The president of the lobby- vandalism.
woman Stephanie Fryer ing group, Julaine Appling, "We will repair our offices,
told the Wisconsin State said she considers the fire remain on the job, and
Journal that the fire report- a "direct threat against us" build an even stronger
ed shortly after 6 a.m. Sun- given that it happened just grassroots effort," Appling
day in Madison was suspi- a few days after a draft of said. "We will not back
cious in nature. Federal of- a U.S. Supreme Court opin- down. We will not stop do- Damage is seen in the interior of Madison's Wisconsin Family
ficials and the Madison Fire ion was leaked suggesting ing what we are doing. Too Action headquarters in Madison, Wis., on Sunday, May 8, 2022.
Department are helping the court may soon over- much is at stake." Associated Press
with the investigation. turn the Roe v. Wade de- Wisconsin politicians from
No one was injured, and cision that legalized abor- both parties, including forms, including the actions the way forward. Hurting
officials were still working tion in this country. She said Democratic Gov. Tony at Wisconsin Family Action others is never the answer."
to determine how much people could have been Evers and Republican U.S. in Madison last night," Evers Johnson said the actions
damage the fire caused. hurt if they had been work- Sen. Ron Johnson, swiftly said in a tweet. "We reject shouldn't be tolerated.
It wasn't immediately clear ing in the office at the time. criticized the vandalism violence against any per- "This attack is abhorrent
who vandalized the build- "This is the local manifesta- Sunday. "We condemn son for disagreeing with an- and should be condemned
ing, but the message "If tion of the anger and the violence and hatred in all other's view. Violence is not by all," Johnson said.q