NEWS OF THE DAY
_1 School shooting: The condition of a 13-year-old Indiana student who was critically wounded during a shooting at her middle school has improved, school officials said Monday. Ella Whistler was shot Friday at Noblesville West Middle School when an armed student walked into her seventh-grade classroom in suburban Indianapolis. Science teacher Jason Seaman tackled the armed student and is being credited with stopping the shooting. Seaman was also shot but not seriously injured. Speaking publicly for the first time since the shooting, the teacher said Ella’s courage is “nothing short of remarkable.”
_2 Beach clash: Police officers have been reassigned to administrative duty amid an investigation into a video posted online showing an officer punching a woman on a beach in New Jersey. Wildwood police said on their Facebook page that Emily Weinman, 20, of Philadelphia faces several charges, including two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. NJ.com reports video of Saturday’s incident shows an officer striking the woman’s head twice as she’s down on the sand. Voices are heard yelling “stop resisting,” though it’s unclear who was talking. The video doesn’t show what led to the confrontation. Police Chief Robert Regalbuto said he finds the video “alarming” but doesn’t want to “rush to any judgment” until the investigation is complete. _3 Manning tweet: A friend and colleague of Chelsea Manning said Monday that the convicted leaker of government secrets and longshot candidate for U.S. Senate is safe after a photo on her Twitter account apparently showed the 30-year-old standing on the edge of an upperstory window ledge. The photo was posted late Sunday with the words: “I’m sorry.” It was sent shortly after a separate tweet that said: “im not really cut out for this world.” The alarming tweets were deleted after about 10 minutes, followed by a message on her account saying Manning was OK and asking people to “give her some space.” Kelly Wright, a friend of Manning who also is the communications director for her Senate bid, said the transgender woman needs “space to heal.” Manning is running for a U.S. Senate in her adopted state of Maryland.
_4 Prison killing: California prison officials say a man convicted of murder two years ago is being investigated in the death of a fellow inmate after he was seen beating the man in a cell. Matthew Johnson, 29, has been placed in administrative segregation at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano (Kern County) during the probe, said the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Officials say prison staff saw Johnson hitting Richard Ruse, 51, in the head Thursday. After Johnson was pepper-sprayed and pulled away, staffers found a handmade weapon in the cell. Ruse died at a hospital.
_5 Bush health: Former President George H.W. Bush has been hospitalized in Maine after he experienced low blood pressure and fatigue, a spokesman said. Jim McGrath, a spokesman for the 93-year-old Bush, said he was awake, alert and not in any discomfort. He said Bush will spend at least a few days in the hospital for observation. Bush was taken to Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford on Sunday. Bush arrived in Maine for the summer May 20. Coming about a month after the death of his wife of 73 years, Barbara, the family said the 41st president was eager to return to the family compound on Walker’s Point. He has visited every summer since childhood, the only exception being the years of his World War II service.