SOCIETY

Brazilian authorities on Thursday said they are trying to evacuate 20,000 people in the state of Rio de Janeiro after a dam burst following days of torrential rain.

GSP Trooper Donald Crozier, who was involved in the car crash with an Atlanta Braves trainer, killing the trainer's wife, has been fired.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will close four Roman Catholic high schools and close or combine 44 elementary schools, according to the head of the teachers' union, reported The Associated Press.

Many post-holidays fitness campaigns feature buffed and bronzed babes frolicking on the beach, reminding us that bikini and swimsuit season is fast approaching and time to shed unwanted pounds. A Dubai gym and fitness center, however, took a slightly different approach by promoting an ad campaign using Auschwitz as the promotion for weight loss.

Army officials finally conceded that Private Danny Chen, a 19-year-old Chinese American, was subject to repeated cases of abuse by fellow service members.

The Swiss ski resort of Zermatt has seen so much snow in the last few days that it caused an avalanche, trapping vacationers.

A wake was held on Thursday for Jamie Gonzalez, the 8th-grader who was shot and killed by police at Cummings Middle School in Brownsville Texas on Wednesday.

For those of you who have never heard of a Bark Mitzvah for dogs, word on the street is that it's not the latest trend, but a quite a long-existing tradition to celebrate the coming of age of a dog. The fad has gained steam again after The Associated Press released new footage of a New Jersey dog named Nicky, photographed wearing a kippah for a ceremony attended by his owner and friends.

Doctors claim that Jack Jablonski, a high school hockey player who severely injured his spinal cord during a game, will never walk again and may not regain use of his hands. Galicich believes Jablonski's injuries were caused when he tucked his chin after being checked from behind into a board at a high school hockey game.

A booze-filled New Year's Eve brawl at the New Dynasty Restaurant in Chinatown, Montreal has caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages, and the video must be seen to be believed.

A Dubai gym and fitness center is under fire for promoting an ad campaign centered around a theme of the Holocaust for its latest fitness campaign, leading the owner of Circuit Factory, Phil Parkinson, to issue an apology.

The commentator and former Buccaneers coach made a big gaffe at the Clemson-West Virginia Orange Bowl when he mistook a photo of the First Lady for a picture of ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters (watch here). Nor was Gruden's flub the only awkward moment: Darwin Cook plowed into the Orange Bowl mascot and only later realized that Obie was a girl.

Joran van der Sloot, prime suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, goes on trial Friday for the murder of a Peruvian woman in May, 2010

Harry Potter's owl Hedwig was a beloved creature in the magical Harry Potter series. Magic became reality when people began spotting a species of majestic white owls in abundant numbers this winter.

On signs that the U.S. economy is back on track and tensions with Iran may lead to further disturbance in exports in the Middle East countries, crude oil futures headed for a weekly gain in New York. Futures of West Texas Intermediate have surged 3.4 percent this week.

Amanda Cummings, a teenager who may have committed suicide due to bullying, is still mocked after her death via her memorial Facebook page.

Girls Scouts of the USA has launched a new cookie called Savannah Smiles for 2012, joining classics like Thin Mints and Tagalongs. But if they don't know any Girl Scouts in the area, where can families order their cookies? Find out where to get everything from Samoas to Trefoils here, and when your area's cookie season starts.

A Navy SEAL is on life support after accidentally shot himself in the head in Thursday morning at his Pacific Beach home. San Diego Police said the 22-year-old brought back a woman from a bar and wanted to prove to her that the gun was unloaded by pointing it to his head and pulling the trigger.

A mother killed her one-year-old daughter, by drowning her in a bucket of water, during a Skype Call while her boyfriend watched the incident live.

The determining factors for the best-governed cities include access to jobs, crime rate, poverty rate and the percentage of high school graduate population.

Southern California authorities have warned homeless people in Orange County to be careful if they sleep alone on the streets, following reports that a serial killer targeting homeless people has already killed three men.

Apple's new iPhone 4S consumes on average twice as much data as the previous iPhone model and even more than iPad tablets due to increasing use of online services like the virtual personal assistant Siri, an industry study showed.

A German newspaper clipping from 1894 found in the city of Passau is compelling historians to believe in the local legends that has it that Adolf Hitler was saved from drowning as a 4-year-old boy in River Inn in the Lower Bavarian city.

A press conference at MetroTech in Brooklyn, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a complete overhaul of the current 911 system on Thursday.

French teen Kristy Bamu was tortured and murdered in East London by his own family for being a witch. The Old Bailey court heard the case against Eric Bikubi and Magalie Bamu on Wednesday.

A shootout in Ogden, Utah last night saw one police officer killed and five wounded after a search warrant by an anti-drug task force turned ugly. Suspect Matthew Stewart, the alleged shooter, is a U.S. war veteran, and was suffering from depression and self-medicating when the officers raided his house.

A series of memos from the days following Jerry Sandusky's arrest show the PSU board of trustees and President Erickson were focused more on donor funding and maintaining secrecy than on the abuse that allegedly took place. The four memos detail Penn State's efforts to monitor its image, as well as adjust to a new university president.

A story about 1,100-year-old Mayan ruins having been built in North Georgia has stirred much debate and gone viral, according to ABCNews.com.

On Dec. 27, 2011, 15-year-old Staten Islander Amanda Cummings walked in front of a bus on Hylan Blvd, ending her young life. Police say it was deliberate, as they found a suicide note her in pocket. Six days later, she succumbed to her injuries. What can be done to make sure this does not happen again?