Brooklyn medical student charged with attempted murder after allegedly shoving man into subway train

CNN Newsource on January 3, 2026

By Andrew Ramos

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    NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — A Brooklyn medical student has been charged with attempted murder after police say he pushed a 73-year-old grandfather into a moving subway train in the Bronx.

The disturbing attack happened on New Year’s Day, only a few hours after many celebrated the start of 2026.

Victim sustained head injuries after unprovoked attack, police say It happened around 3:30 a.m. Thursday at the 161st Street-Yankee Stadium subway station.

Police said Julio Figueroa was standing on the platform when a complete stranger approached him and shoved him into a southbound 4 train that had just entered the station. Figueroa bounced off the moving train and hit the platform, sustaining head injuries, according to police.

Anton Aleshin, a 29-year-old medical student, was arrested in connection to the unprovoked attack. He faces a number of charges, including attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and harassment.

He pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail. He’s due back in court on Tuesday.

Aleshin’s attorney is affiliated with the nonprofit organization Legal Aid. They had no comment.

According to prosecutors, Aleshin is part of residency program at Brookdale University Hospital. A spokesperson for One Brooklyn Health system, which represents Brookdale, declined to comment on the case.

Victim recovering in ICU Figueroa, a grandfather to 17 children, is still on the mend in the ICU at Lincoln Hospital. His niece Venis Falu said he has stitches in the back of his head.

“He doesn’t really remember what happened,” she said.

Falu said her uncle was on his way home from a night at Empire City Casino in Yonkers.

“It’s crazy that this could happen to a person who normally goes out, doesn’t bother anybody,” she said.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear.

“To me, it had to be either he was drunk or having a bad day, but that’s no excuse to hurt anybody,” Falu said.

Loved ones are praying for a speedy recovery, but they still want to know why the suspect did this.

“It made no sense,” Falu said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Instead of building snowmen, a local family builds a hockey rink in their backyard

CNN Newsource on January 3, 2026

By Web Staff

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    FRANKLIN, Wisconsin (WDJT) — For the past 7 years, a family in Franklin has had a different winter tradition.

Instead of building snowmen, the Howell family builds a hockey rink in their backyard.

Jacob Howell built the hockey rink in his backyard for his kids and their teammates.

The rink is 40 feet by 80 feet, bumping right up to his property lines.

He told CBS 58 that he works in construction by trade and builds the framing and netting himself before putting in a liner and flooding it when the weather gets cold enough.

But it’s not just for the family, local kids also benefit from extra time on the ice.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Asheville-based puppet collective brings eco-friendly creations to life

CNN Newsource on January 3, 2026

By Ben Robinson

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — For 13 years, the Street Creature Puppet Collective has been meeting primarily for one purpose: making puppets.

These puppets are made to be on the go and can be seen at many local parades. Many of the puppets that appear at these events are made from found materials, a popular one being willow reeds.

“It’s very light and easy to bend,” said cooperative member Meka Bunch. “What’s great about it is that it’s sustainable. We use a lot of found materials.”

These materials include bamboo, pool noodles, and even coffee filters. When the puppet collective meets, everyone brings projects to work on, and an experienced puppet engineer is usually on hand to help out.

“I love making things together in community,” said member Jen Murphy. “I also love being out in the street with giant puppets interacting with people.”

Murphy hopes that seeing these puppets in action will spur others to continue this eco-friendly activity.

“You’re showing people, look, you can make this stuff out of garbage!” said Murphy.

This is definitely a case where someone’s trash can be another person’s treasure.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Mountain lion struck by vehicle in Country Club Village on Friday

News-Press NOW on January 3, 2026

Cameron Montemayor

COUNTRY CLUB VILLAGE, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Country Club Village authorities reported a mountain lion was struck by a vehicle Friday evening in the area of 71 Highway and Miller Road.

The department confirmed multiple earlier sightings of the cougar by residents after the collision occurred around 5:20 p.m. Friday in Country Club Village.

Agents with the Missouri Department of Conservation were able to locate the feline, which had serious injuries likely as a result of the collision and had to be euthanized according to reporting from KQ2.

“I’m sure everyone is concerned about the mountain lion that was seen in Country Club Village earlier this evening. We would like to thank the Missouri Department of Conservation and Andrew County Sheriff’s Department for their quick response and handling the situation,” a Facebook post from the Country Club Village Police Department reads.

The incident marks the second confirmed sighting by MDC of a mountain lion in Northwest Missouri in the last four months following a confirmed sighting in October in DeKalb County. The lion was reportedly seen in multiple locations near Amazonia and later by Clarksdale, Missouri.

As of late 2024, the Missouri Department of Conservation had confirmed roughly 120 mountain lion sightings and reports since 1996. More than a dozen official sightings have occurred statewide in 2025.

Measuring up to 8 feet long and weighing between 64 and 265 pounds, depending on whether it’s male or female, mountain lions are solitary animals and attacks on humans are rare.

According to MDC, a majority of sightings statewide have been single male mountain lions likely grown up and traveling along the Missouri River corridor in search of their own territory. Genetic samples in the past from cougars found traveling through Missouri suggest many are coming from western states, according to the department’s website.

Missouri does not have an established breeding population, and no evidence has been recorded of reproduction in the state.

This trail camera screenshot from Sept. 22 shows a confirmed sighting of mountain lion walking west of Clarksdale, Missouri, just before 10 p.m., roughly 15 miles northeast of St. Joseph.

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“It’s just been an honor to be his mother.” – Justin Jiminez’s Mother Remembers Her Son Following His Death

KTVZ on January 3, 2026

Spencer Sacks

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — “My son was a reflection of everything this guy was not. and, I’ll never be able to wrap my mind around that.” Justin Jiminez is being remembered Friday by his mother, Jodi Ojeda.

On December 31st, Jodi got a call no mother wants to get, that her son Justin was shot and killed.

According to Jodi, Justin was a fun kid who was goofy and funny, always making people laugh.

Ojeda told KTVZ News, “Anybody who knows them will say he was funny. Just always there humor in the crowd and and joy to be around them. It was like that every time we were together. It was just always funny and a joy to be with them.”

Justin was the second son of five. All five of them born within 7 years.

This year has been hard for Jodi, as her 3rd child, Justin’s younger brother, died in April.

Jodi says Justin was the perfect older brother, and a perfect son.

“He was perfectly placed in number two position. And that’s, a big void now between number one and number 4 or 5 and, our family size is, you know, cut in half and then some,” Ojeda told KTVZ News. “It’s just been an honor to be his mother.”

Justin’s family launched a fundraising campaign to help with some of the costs.

Justin leaves behind a family and his two kids.

He was 32 years old.

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Local shops share how they faired after the New Year holiday

KYMA on January 3, 2026

Joaquin Hight

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – With the new year officially kicked off, some local shops celebrated by kicking off new sales, and clearance events.

So let’s take a look at how some shops did after the holiday.

Owner of Rebel & Rove, Selena Koogle, shared how they had lines right outside the doors around 6:30 in the morning, just trying to get to those sales.

She says this exceeded her expectations as it does every year.

Now is the perfect time to start supporting your local shops, as the start of the year can be tough for them.

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Wrapping up: Last chance to see ‘Mummies’ at Museum of Idaho

KIFI on January 3, 2026

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The Mummies of the World exhibit is wrapping up this weekend after an exhilarating seven-month run at the Museum of Idaho.

Nearly 50,000 guests have visited the museum so far to see mummified bodies of people and animals from across the globe. 

“This exhibit is incredible for the community because it’s one of the largest exhibits the Museum of Idaho has ever brought,” said Camille Thomas, the museum’s director of marketing.

The exhibit takes guests through 4,500 of history, showcasing mummies embalmed both by man and nature.

“We have mummies from every continent,” Thomas added. “We have mummies from Peru, which really surprised me. We have ancient Egyptian mummies, mummies from Europe, and even one from the U.S. that was mummified in 1994 for science.”

The body of one-year-old Johannes Vac was mummified naturally in a crypt, after the baby likely died of ‘white fever’ or tuberculosis.

The exhibit includes a family of three from Hungary, who likely died from tuberculosis, and German mummies preserved in a vault.

Across the ocean in Peru, people were mummified in baskets so they could be carried around during rituals, Thomas explained.

Many people are also surprised by the Burns display, she said, which showcases the work of a Scottish doctor who mummified human medical specimens for research.

Idaho Falls is one of the exhibit’s final stops in its 16-year tour across America. 

You can catch a final glimpse from 10 AM to 6 PM on Saturday and 1 PM to 5 PM Sunday. After closing, the mummies will leave forever and make one final trip to an exhibition in Los Angeles.

For more information, visit museumofidaho.org.

MUMAB, an American mummy preserved in 1994 using Egyptian techniques, is displayed at the Museum of Idaho.

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Man allegedly bites deputy after DUI crash

KIFI on January 3, 2026

Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A man is facing two felony counts of battery on an officer after deputies say he became violent with first responders following a suspected drunk driving crash just after midnight on New Year’s.

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Brian Lovell said deputies and Idaho Falls Fire responded to an injury crash at the intersection of South Holmes Avenue and 49th South on the south side of Idaho Falls shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day.

Two vehicles were involved. Investigators say one driver failed to stop at a stop sign, causing the collision. That driver was identified as Colby Clark, who showed “a lot of signs of intoxication” and other impairment, according to Lovell.

Lovell said Clark quickly became belligerent with deputies and fire personnel at the scene.

“At one point, [he] spit in one of our deputies’ face,” Lovell said.

Clark was detained, placed in an ambulance and taken to a hospital for medical clearance. While there, deputies obtained a warrant for a blood draw to determine his level of intoxication in connection with the crash.

Lovell said Clark continued to struggle with hospital staff and deputies and at one point bit a deputy on the arm.

“He actually bit one of our deputies on the arm,” Lovell said. 

Clark was booked on two counts of felony battery on an officer, Lovell said. Potential charges related to driving under the influence are pending the results of the blood test.

Despite the crash and confrontation, injuries were minor.

Lovell said the occupants of the other vehicle were evaluated and released at the scene.

“Overall, there weren’t any significant injuries to anybody, which is very lucky,” he said, noting that crashes involving alcohol often result in serious or fatal injuries.

The deputy who was bitten and the deputy who was spat on were checked after the incident and were able to finish their shifts. Lovell said the bite did not break the skin.

Possible penalties for the felony charges will depend on the judge and any additional charges that may follow the DUI investigation, Lovell said. In Idaho, felony convictions can carry fines and a year or more in state prison, along with the possibility of probation.

Lovell said the incident is a reminder of holiday safety messages from law enforcement about not driving while intoxicated.

“Luckily no one was killed or seriously injured,” he said. “But a crash did happen, there were injuries, and there were behavior issues as well that had to be dealt with.”

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A ‘Parade’ of Storms Continues to Pass Through the Central Coast with Gushing Rain Totals

KEYT on January 3, 2026

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – With over 30 inches of rain in some areas of the Central Coast since November 1st, this wet weather season is already one to remember for years.

Some of the more intense areas have been San Marcos Pass and Gibraltar Lake.

Another weekend of rain, at times very steady, has arrived.

This, combined with the winter King Tides during the full moon cycle – and there is likely to be more impacts to the coastline, creeks, and some of the two lane highways. Already tons of debris have been pushed out by the runoff and then pushed back on shore with the tides. This includes full sized trees.

Rainfall totals will vary from 1 – 3 inches along the already saturated coast.

The tides will be among the highest the area will experience. Saturday morning about 8 a.m. will be an active hour. Barricades are already up along the breakwater wall near the Santa Barbara Yacht club. Yellow tape is along the sand berm coming in from the west. Much of it has eroded away but underneath in some areas are large boulders.

Just as one crashed boat has been removed from a Santa Barbara beach east of Stearns Wharf this week by Marborg, another is on shore by the volleyball courts.

Friends and passersby who wanted to help the owner Nya Burke, shoveled out sand at low tide and were able to turn the vessel back to the ocean. They wait now, for the high tide to see if it will float and get pulled out.

“It was all the way, like, maybe ten feet over there and then got pushed up. So angle it, anchor it. So when it starts to float, we’ll have an angle out,” said Burke.

One of those helping out has done this before, when he was a kid, helping his dad working for insurance companies.

Dave Abernathy said, “some salvage work up there in Fort Bragg. Sent me in with a line to get it off the beach, you know.”

As they worked on the vessel the Green Flash, he said, “just a bunch of, volunteers right there to dig out a spot where you can turn. Yeah, we’re going to spin around.”

By nightfall it was going the right direction and awaiting the rising tide.

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Coast Village Road Sign Wiped Out in New Year’s Day Crash

KEYT on January 3, 2026

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – One of the the first repair orders for Santa Barbara’s Coast Village Road to start the year will be a repaired sign.

The wooden sign that welcomes the public to the popular street near Montecito was damaged in a car crash on New Year’s Day.

It’s the oldest of the two signs welcoming people to the area coming from west to east. Half the sign is still up and twisted. The bottom half is broken off and on the ground.

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