CHICAGO
Suicide attempts fall with law
Teen suicide attempts in the U.S. declined after same-sex marriage became legal and the biggest impact was among gay, lesbian and bisexual kids, a study found. The research found declines in states that passed laws allowing gays to marry before the Supreme Court made it legal nationwide. The results don’t prove there’s a connection, but researchers said policymakers should be aware of the measures’ potential benefits for youth mental health. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for all U.S. teens. Suicidal behavior is much more common among gay, lesbian and bisexual kids and adults; about 29 percent of these teens in the study reported attempting suicide, compared with just 6 percent of straight teens. The study was published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.
LOS ANGELES
Police: Gangster kills officer
A gang member who was recently freed from jail killed his cousin and stole his car Monday then shot and killed a California police officer and wounded his partner before being wounded himself, authorities said. Whittier Officer Keith Lane Boyer died and Officer Patrick Hazel was wounded when they answered a report of a traffic accident in the Los Angeles County suburb. A motorist pointed out the location of the car that had rear-ended his vehicle, and the officers approached the driver. The man then pulled a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and opened fire at the officers, who were wearing bulletproof vests and shot back, police said.
WASHINGTON
Lawmaker to sue over art
The office of a Missouri congressman says he intends to file a federal lawsuit over the removal of a constituent’s painting from its display on Capitol Hill. The painting, which shows a pig in a police uniform, divided members of Congress for its depiction of Ferguson, Mo., where protests occurred after the police shooting of an unarmed black man. The painting, one of 400-plus winning entries in the Congressional Arts Competition, hung in a tunnel leading to the Capitol. Some conservative media outlets called for its removal and GOP lawmakers took it down and returned it to Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay’s office. Clay’s office said he will file a lawsuit Tuesday “in response to the arbitrary and unconstitutional disqualification and removal” of the painting.
Panda is bound for China
The National Zoo is packing up its American-born panda cub Bao Bao for a one-way flight to China, where the 3-year-old will eventually join a panda breeding program. The cub, who will take a 16-hour, nonstop flight Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday, will travel with a keeper and a veterinarian.
Compiled from wire reports