BRONX, New York – 20-year-old Reynaldo Cuevas was shot and killed by police at 2 a.m. on Fri., Sept. 2. Cuevas was reportedly fleeing from a gang of robbers holding-up his uncle’s bodega when he collided with a police officer. According to Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, the officer’s gun discharged accidentally. The entire episode was captured on security cameras; an internal investigation is pending.

SOUTH CHINA SEA – A decades-old territorial dispute over five small islands in the South China Sea erupted after the Japanese government announced plans to purchase the three Senkaku Islands from the Kurihara family, private citizens living in Tokyo, for 26 million dollars. China and Taiwan have both made claims to the island in the past and refute Japan’s right to nationalize them. Chinese protests broke out on the islands themselves last month only to be met with Japanese counter protests.

DENVER, Colorado – The record breaking heat over the summer has caused a different kind of crisis in Denver, Colorado. Bears and other animals have come down from the mountains to forage for food in local communities. Much of the plants that these bears eat dried out in the unusual high temperature, causing animals to search for alternative food sources; in some cases, this includes breaking into private homes.

TOKYO, Japan – Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met with antinuclear protesters on Aug. 22 who have rallied outside his office since July. Since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, activism in Japan has experienced an unprecedented rise. The protests, which began in April, increased exponentially in response to the government’s plan to restart the Oi nuclear power plant. While Noda has no plans to halt the Oi restart, he discussed the possibility of reducing Japan’s nuclear program.

ROCHESTER, New York – If your vacation budget is in the $200, 000 range, then next year, Richard Branson’s new company Virgin Galactica can take you to space for the day. Yes, if you are wealthy enough, you can now take an intergalactic leave of absence.  Virgin Galactica takes passengers 60 miles up in air on the SpaceShipTwo where you can experience five minutes of weightlessness on the edge of the atmosphere.