3 NYPD Officers Shot in 2 Incidents

Pichardo, left, Kozicki, center, Levay, right

Three New York Police officers were shot, Thursday night, in two separate shootings.

Around 18:30 EST, three robbers entered a used car dealership in the Bronx. One of them was armed and Officer Juan Pichardo, who was working off duty, fought him for the gun.

Despite being shot, in the thigh, Pichardo and a coworker subdued and unarmed the robber. The other two robbers took off running, but were later caught by other officers. Pichardo was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he is expected to fully recover.

At a Brooklyn subway station, Officers Michael Levay and Lukasz Kozick approached a man acting suspiciously, about 19:30 EST. They had seen him riding between subway cars, which is illegal.

The man pulled out a gun and shot both officers, Kozick three times, as well as a bystander, before Levay shot and killed the gunman. Both officers and the bystander were taken to Lutheran Medical Center, where they are expected to recover fully.

According to police, that gunman had a criminal history in both New York and California. His records include assault, a stabbing, and hopping trains. Witnesses say he seemed to be deliberately aiming low, so as to miss the officer's vests.

West Texas Hit by Blizzard

West Texas continued to deal with blizzard conditions, on Friday.

Interstate 10 was closed in both directions Thursday night and Friday morning, after the snow caused multiple accidents.

Some parts of West Texas have already seen more than four inches of snow, just within the last twenty-four hours.

As much as another eight inches are expected, by Saturday morning.

Flights in and out of El Paso have been cancelled and delayed, by the weather.

4 Israelis Hospitalized After Palestinians Hit Them With Rocks

Palestinian throws rock at Israeli border guards

Three Israeli civilians and a border guard were injured, on Friday, near Ramallah and Nablus.

All four were hit by rocks thrown by Palestinians, in the West Bank.

They all required hospital treatment.

Two of the civilians were driving along the border, when their car was pummeled by rocks.

IDF troops fired into the air in order to rescue them.

Fatah's First Gaza Rally in Years Cancelled Halfway Through

Thousands of Fatah supporters rallied in the Gaza Strip, on Friday.

It was the first time, since 2007, that Fatah had shown their face after Hamas took control of Gaza.

Hamas approved the rally, showing improved ties between the two rival Palestinian groups.

However, the rally was cancelled half way through the event after twenty people were injured.

Officials stated that it was shut down due to overcrowding and they feared more people would be injured.

But according to witnesses the people had been injured when fighting broke out between two of Fatah's internal factions.

Malala Yousufzai Relased From Hospital

Malala Yousufzai was released from Queen Elizabeth hospital in the UK, on Thursday.

The fifteen year old girl was shot in an assassination attempt, back in October, when she was only fourteen.

She had been becoming a symbol of justice for education, especially for women, in Pakistan.

The Taliban's attempt on her life solidified her status and gave her world wide status.

In the shooting a bullet broke her skull and lodged next to her brain, nearly killing her.

Yousufzai will have to return to the hospital, for further surgeries, but she no longer needs to stay there.

She says she desires to return to Pakistan, but concerns for her safety may prevent that from happening.

1 Point Safety in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl

A one point safety happened at the 2013 Fiesta Bowl, on Thursday.

It is the rarest of all ways to score in football.

This is the fourth time, in history, that it has occurred.

Kansas State blocked an Oregon extra point attempt, and it was caught by a defensive end, who lateraled it back to another Oregon player.

However, that player was tackled in the end zone.

In a normal play, that would result in two points, but during an extra point attempt it is only worth one.

California Court Reverses Rape Conviction as Rapist Pretended to be Boyfriend

The 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles has reversed a rape conviction, as the man impersonated the woman's boyfriend.

According to the court's decision:

"A man enters the dark bedroom of an unmarried woman after seeing her boyfriend leave late at night, and has sexual intercourse with the woman while pretending to be the boyfriend. Has the man committed rape? Because of historical anomalies in the law and the statutory definition of rape, the answer is no, even though, if the woman had been married and the man had impersonated her husband, the answer would be yes."

It concludes with: 

"Therefore, we reluctantly hold that a person who accomplishes sexual intercourse by impersonating someone other than a married victim's spouse is not guilty of the crime of rape of an unconscious person"

So, rape is now no longer a crime if the attacker pretends to be the boyfriend of an unmarried woman?

According to police reports and the prosecution, at the beginning of the rape, the woman had been asleep, but when the act awoke her she realized it wasn't her boyfriend, and tried to fight him off.

It is unclear exactly how the man pretended to be her boyfriend.

The defense's argument based everything on everything being consensual and argued that the defendant's original confession, to police, had been changed, by the officers.

Julio Morales, who's first trial ended in a hung jury, will now see a third trial, for the same crime.

Subaru to Recall 634,000 Vehicles

Around 634,000 Subaru's are set to be recalled, starting in February.

According to Subaru lights at the bottom of doors can be exposed to water causing a short.

The short can melt the plastic around it, which could then start a fire.

All Outbacks and Legacys from 2010 and 2011 are being recalled.


It also includes Tribecas from 2006 through 2012 and Foresters from 2009 to 2012.



Subaru will install an additional fuse, to prevent the shorts and fires, at no charge to owners.

Indian Men Charged With Murder After Gang Rape Victim Dies

Thousands of Indians protest after rape and death of woman.

Five Indian men, accused of gang raping a twenty-three year old student, were formally charged with murder, on Thursday.

They are also being charged with gang rape and criminal conspiracy.

A sixth person is accused of involvement in the attack, but is under eighteen, and so will be tried separately and in juvenile court.

The woman was attacked on December 16, and later died from her injuries.

Her father has led calls for the men to be hung, for their crimes.

Since the attack, India has seen mass protests, throughout the country, with thousands protesting in the major cities.

Indians are protesting what they see as a lack of protection for women, by the government.

Car Bomb Strikes Damascus Gas Station

A car exploded at a Damascus gas station, Thursday night.

At least nine people were killed, with thirty more injured, when the blast struck the Syrian capital.

Due to the severity of some of the injuries, the death toll is expected to rise.

It happened in the Masakin Barzeh neighborhood, which has seen little fighting, and is considered a loyalist area.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Jabhat al-Nusra is being blamed.

Jabhat al-Nusra, is listed as a terrorist organization, by the US and other countries, and has claimed bombing attacks before.

Most of the group's bombings have hit government buildings, but all of it's targets have been aimed at loyalists.

On Wednesday, a government air strike hit a gas station, in a neutral part of Damascus, killing dozens.

The UN lists over sixty thousand as having died during the twenty-two month long conflict.