Condition of another student hurt in Michigan State shooting improves
DETROIT — One of the five Michigan State University students wounded in the Feb. 13 shootings on campus has improved from critical condition to serious but stable condition since Tuesday, said John Foren, a spokesman for Sparrow Health System.
The injured student whose status was recently upgraded has been transferred from the intensive care unit to a step-down unit, which provides an intermediate level of care between the ICU and the general wards.
One student remains in critical condition, three are in serious but stable condition and one is in fair condition as of Wednesday morning, Foren said.
The students were injured after a 43-year-old Lansing man opened fire on MSU's campus. Three of their peers were killed and funeral services for the victims concluded on Tuesday.
MSU will cover the medical bills for the five students injured in the shooting, the university announced Sunday. Two of the wounded students have been identified through GoFundMe fundraisers as Guadalupe "Lupe" Huapilla-Perez, a hospitality business junior, and John Hao, a 20-year-old international student.
—The Detroit News
10 dead and dozens injured in Israeli military operation in Nablus
TEL AVIV, Israel — At least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military operation in Nablus in the West Bank, according to Palestinian authorities.
More than 100 others were injured, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in Ramallah on Wednesday. At least five of them are in critical condition. Among the dead were a 72-year-old and a 16-year-old.
The Israeli military said a fire fight erupted after their forces came under attack during the attempted arrest of three terrorist suspects. All three suspects were shot dead.
According to the military, the three had planned and partially carried out attacks. Ammunition and weapons were seized from the building where they were holed up.
Two of the suspects belonged to the armed group Lions' Den, another to the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad.
According to Palestinian accounts, Israeli forces surrounded a house in the city during a raid, which led to clashes with Palestinian militants. Witnesses reported explosions and gunfire.
—dpa
Gender-neutral bathroom bill introduced for California schools
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A California state senator has introduced legislation that, if passed, would require all K-12 schools in the state to have at least one gender-neutral restroom — the first bill of its kind in the nation.
“It’s hard enough to be questioning your gender or sexuality at that age. But to not be able to use the bathroom without some combination of anxiety, stigma, shame, bullying? That’s just a terrible place to put kids,” said Sen. Josh Newman, a Fullerton Democrat, who is also chair of the Senate Committee on Education.
Introduction of the bill, SB 760, comes just days after a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found staggering rates of violence and mental health challenges among LGBTQ+ youth. In 2021, nearly one in four LGBTQ+ students were bullied at school, compared to just over one in 10 of their heterosexual counterparts. Rates of sadness among LGBTQ+ students were nearly double that of their straight peers. And almost half of LGBTQ+ students seriously considered suicide, the report found.
Advocates of the bill hope gender-neutral restrooms could ultimately lead to a decline of harassment and mental health issues among the LGBTQ+ population.
—The Mercury News
Montana Sen. Jon Tester will seek reelection in boost for Democrats
Montana Sen. Jon Tester Wednesday announced he will seek reelection in 2024, a big boost for Democrats as they seek to hold onto their narrow majority.
Tester vowed to be a “fighter” and “hold our government accountable” if he scores a fourth term in Washington, D.C.
“(I’ll) demand Washington stand up for veterans and lower costs for families,” he said in a tweet. “I will always fight to defend our Montana values. Let’s get to work.”
The 66-year-old farmer from rural Havre is one of three Democrats facing tough battles in states that voted for former President Donald Trump, a group that includes Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
Democrats now hold 51 seats, meaning they likely can afford to lose only one of those seats and hope to stay in power.
Manchin is considered a major underdog because West Virginia has become a nearly impenetrable GOP stronghold.
Tester is well-known and liked in the Big Sky State and holds narrow leads in polls.
But he could be vulnerable if President Joe Biden remains unpopular in red state America heading into the presidential election contest.
—New York Daily News
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