What we’re reading: Active-duty U.S. airman sets himself on fire, Abbott supports IVF and more

By Zahra Ahmad, Staff Writer

Published Feb 26, 2024

In this image taken from video, police are deployed outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, after an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force was critically injured after setting himself ablaze outside the diplomatic compound. (WJLA via AP)

Active-duty U.S. airman sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy

An active-duty US Air Force member has died after authorities say he set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. on Sunday, according to ABC News. The U.S. Secret Service and the Washington Metropolitan Police Department responded immediately to the incident around 1 p.m. ET. The Israeli embassy told CBS News in a statement that no staff members in the embassy were injured, and the Airman was unknown to the embassy.

In this image taken from video, police are deployed outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, after an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force was critically injured after setting himself ablaze outside the diplomatic compound. (WJLA via AP) (AP)

In a now deleted video uploaded to the live streaming platform Twitch, obtained by CBS News, the man, who identified himself as Aaron Bushnell according to CNN, said he would “no longer be complicit in genocide.” He said he was “about to engage in an extreme act of protest.” After he set himself on fire, he yelled “free Palestine” repeatedly. The MPD’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit was also present at the scene, as police investigated a suspicious vehicle in the area believed by authorities to be linked to the airman. The vehicle was searched, but no hazardous material was found. The area was cleared by 4 p.m. ET, police said.

Texas Gov. Abbott supports IVF in light of Alabama Supreme Court decision

After the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the couples who were trying to conceive with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and lost frozen embryos in an accident at a south Alabama storage facility could sue under the state’s wrongful death law, several IVF clinics across Alabama halted care to avoid liability, according to AP News. Many people fled to other states, including Texas, to receive care amidst the legal fallout.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott visits the field during warmups before an NCAA college football game between Texas and Alabama, Sept. 9, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

In a CNN interview on Sunday, Governor Greg Abott was asked whether Texas would protect access to IVF. Gov. Abott said, “Texas is a pro-life state, and we want to do everything possible that we can to maintain Texas being a pro-life state. But at the very same time, I think Texans agree with what (former) President Trump said, and that is we, as a state, want to ensure that we promote life – we bring more life into the world – and we empower parents to be able to have more children.” The Democratic Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels has introduced a bill that would establish, under state law, that fertilized human eggs stored outside a uterus are not considered human beings. Republican state senators are expected to file similar legislation, but the timing is unclear, according to CNN.

Kenneth Mitchell, ‘Star Trek’ actor, dead at 49

Kenneth Mitchell, an actor who appeared in “Star Trek: Discovery” and Marvel’s “Captain Marvel,” has died at 49, according to CBS. In a statement shared on his verified social media Sunday, his family announced, “with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell, beloved father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend.” Mitchell was diagnosed with ALS in 2018. He took to social media last year to speak about his struggles with ALS, marking five years since his diagnosis. The actor shared what it was like living with ALS on Instagram.

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A post shared by Kenneth Mitchell (@mr_kenneth_mitchell)

From 2017 to 2021, Mitchell played the Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha, Tenavik and Aurellio, in “Star Trek: Discovery.” He also played the father of Carol Danvers in Marvel’s 2019 “Captain Marvel,” and an Olympic hopeful in the 2004 hockey film “Miracle.” Mitchell appeared in dozens of TV series, including “Jericho,” “The Astronaut Wives Club” and “Switched at Birth,” according to CNN.