Shooter Brought 2 Rifles And Her Son To Houston Church

The New York Times: Houston Megachurch Shooter Had an AR-15 and Brought Her 7-Year-Old Son
As afternoon services were beginning at Lakewood Church in Houston on Sunday, a woman arrived in a trench coat and carrying a backpack, her 7-year-old son at her side. She brought two rifles and had a piece of yellow rope resembling a detonation cord, law enforcement officials said on Monday. The woman pointed an AR-15 at an unarmed security guard, officials said, and then made her way inside the church, which is led by the televangelist Joel Osteen. Almost immediately, she opened fire in a hallway with the assault-style rifle. (Goodman, Sandoval and Graham, 2/12)

The Washington Post: Lakewood Church Shooter Had Troubled Past, Police Say 
The person who opened fire Sunday in one of the country’s largest megachurches — using an AR-15 adorned with the word “Palestine” — was subject to an emergency detention order in 2016 due to mental health issues and was caught up in a fraught dispute with her ex-husband and his family, officials said Monday. Genesse Moreno, 36, pulled up outside Lakewood Church about 2 p.m., walked inside with her 7-year-old son just before the start of a Spanish-language service and started shooting. The gunfire set off a panic in the cavernous building, with two off-duty officers confronting Moreno, who was wearing a trench coat, according to police and a search warrant executed early Monday. (Hennessy-Fiske and Boorstein, 2/12)

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Minnesota Public Radio: In Minnesota, Jail Deaths Spiked Last Year Despite New Protections
After Del Shea Perry’s son died in the Beltrami County jail of an untreated illness more than five years ago, she became a vocal advocate for better protections for incarcerated people. In 2021, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Hardel Sherrell Act, named after her son. It set minimum standards for medical care, mental health, suicide prevention and death reviews in jails and prisons. (Marohn, 2/12)

The Washington Post: Trans Women Should Be Arrested Over Bathroom Use, N.C. Gubernatorial Candidate Says 
North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, a leading candidate in this year’s gubernatorial election, said this month that transgender women who use women’s restrooms “will be arrested” and suggested they instead “find a corner outside somewhere.” “We’re going to defend women in this state,” Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) said at a campaign event. “That means if you’re a man on Friday night, and all of a sudden Saturday you feel like a woman and you want to go in the women’s bathroom in the hall, you will be arrested — or whatever we got to do to you.” (Edwards, 2/12)

The Colorado Sun: Lawmakers Tout New Medical College To Aid Health Worker Shortage
Gov. Jared Polis and a bipartisan group of Colorado lawmakers are proposing to dramatically expand health care education programs at higher education institutions across the state to combat persistent workforce shortages in health care fields, including by creating a new medical college at the University of Northern Colorado that would graduate about 150 medical professionals a year. (Breunlin, 2/12)

CBS News: Wayne County Considers Plan To Erase Medical Debt For Over 300,000 Residents
Wayne County commissioners will consider a plan on Thursday that may erase medical debt for more than 300,000 residents. According to the Wayne County Health director, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, one in six residents has the burden of medical debt. In total, they owe $700 million. "We feel that this is an opportunity that we cannot pass up," El-Sayed said while addressing Wayne County's Committee of the Whole at a recent meeting. (Gutierrez, 2/12)

Reuters: US Judge Blocks Ohio Law Restricting Children's Use Of Social Media
A federal judge on Monday prevented Ohio from implementing a new law that requires social media companies, including Meta Platform's Instagram and ByteDance's TikTok, to obtain parental consent before allowing children under 16 to use their platforms. Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley in Columbia agreed with the tech industry trade group NetChoice that the law violated minors' free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.(Raymond, 2/12)

WUSF: Making A Case For And Against A Florida Bill Banning Kids From Social Media
Supporters say the measure would protect children from "addictive features" to modify the way that kids behave, while opponents say it would infringe on First Amendment rights. (Pinos, 2/12)