Fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants outside Gaza’s largest hospital has prompted thousands of people to flee from the sprawling medical facility, but hundreds of patients remain inside, health officials said this morning.

Patients include dozens of babies at risk of dying because of a lack of electricity.

A fire closed a major interstate near downtown LA over the weekend, forcing commuters to work from home or take public transit to work. A mile-long I-10 closure between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue will have ripple effects on surface streets and other key freeways including State Route 60 and Interstate 5. 

The mayor said the fire’s long-term impact could be reminiscent of damage from the Northridge earthquake that flattened freeways in 1994.

On Thursday, North Dakota State University announced a new scholarship program amid higher education leaders’ worries of losing Minnesota students eligible for free tuition in their home state under a new program beginning next year. 

It will cover undergraduate tuition and fees at the state’s public post-secondary schools and tribal colleges for Minnesota residents whose family income is under $80,000, after they have used other sources of financial aid, such as grants and scholarships.

Sara Norton can be reached at nort7065@stthomas.edu.