An earthquake has occurred according to The US Geological Survey, M6.4 - 57km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico. A strong 6.5-magnitude quake struck off the coast of Puerto Rico at a shallow depth of less than 30 km.

The quake hit some 56 km off the northern coast of the island. The capital, San Juan, where nearly one half million people live on the same side of the island.

No immediate injuries or damage has been reported. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake couldn't trigger a local tsunami.

This Week in History, Jan 12 - Jan 18

Jan 12, 1926
Original Amos 'n' Andy debuts on Chicago radio. On this day in 1926, the two-man comedy series "Sam 'n' Henry" debuts on Chicago's WGN radio station. Two years later, after changing its name to "Amos 'n' Andy," the show became one of the most popular radio programs in American history. Though the creators and the stars of the new radio program, Freeman Gosden and Charles Carrell, were both white, the characters they played were two black men from the Deep South who moved to Chicago to seek their fortunes. By that time, white actors performing in dark stage makeup--or "blackface"--had been a significant tradition in American theater for over 100 years. Gosden and Carrell, both vaudeville performers, were doing a Chicago comedy act in blackface when an employee at the Chicago Tribune suggested they create a radio show.

Jan 13, 1128
Pope recognizes Knights Templar. On this day in 1128, Pope Honorius II grants a papal sanction to the military order known as the Knights Templar, declaring it to be an army of God. Led by the Frenchman Hughes de Payens, the Knights Templar organization was founded in 1118. Its self-imposed mission was to protect Christian pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land during the Crusades, the series of military expeditions aimed at defeating Muslims in Palestine. The Templars took their name from the location of their headquarters, at Jerusalem's Temple Mount. For a while, the Templars had only nine members, mostly due to their rigid rules. In addition to having noble birth, the knights were required to take strict vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. In 1127, new promotional efforts convinced many more noblemen to join the order, gradually increasing its size and influence.

Jan 14, 1875
Albert Schweitzer born. The theologian, musician, philosopher and Nobel Prize-winning physician Albert Schweitzer is born on this day in 1875 in Upper-Alsace, Germany (now Haut-Rhin, France). The son and grandson of ministers, Schweitzer studied theology and philosophy at the universities of Strasbourg, Paris and Berlin. After working as a pastor, he entered medical school in 1905 with the dream of becoming a missionary in Africa. Schweitzer was also an acclaimed concert organist who played professional engagements to earn money for his education. By the time he received his M.D. in 1913, the overachieving Schweitzer had published several books, including the influential The Quest for the Historical Jesus and a book on the composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

Jan 15, 1967
Packers face Chiefs in first Super Bowl. On this day in 1967, at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the first-ever world championship game of American football. In the mid-1960s, the intense competition for players and fans between the National Football League (NFL) and the upstart American Football League (AFL) led to talks of a possible merger. It was decided that the winners of each league's championship would meet each year in a single game to determine the "world champion of football."

Jan 16, 1919
Prohibition takes effect. The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes," is ratified on this day in 1919 and becomes the law of the land. The movement for the prohibition of alcohol began in the early 19th century, when Americans concerned about the adverse effects of drinking began forming temperance societies. By the late 19th century, these groups had become a powerful political force, campaigning on the state level and calling for total national abstinence. In December 1917, the 18th Amendment, also known as the Prohibition Amendment, was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.

Jan 17, 1950
Boston thieves pull off historic robbery. On this day in 1950, 11 men steal more than $2 million from the Brinks Armored Car depot in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the perfect crime--almost--as the culprits weren't caught until January 1956, just days before the statute of limitations for the theft expired. The robbery's mastermind was Anthony "Fats" Pino, a career criminal who recruited a group of 10 other men to stake out the depot for 18 months to figure out when it held the most money. Pino's men then managed to steal plans for the depot's alarm system, returning them before anyone noticed they were gone.

Major League Baseball has dropped a bomb on The Bronx Bombers. It's the longest suspension in Baseball history. NY Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez is now suspended for the 2014 season, as an arbitrator upheld most of a 211-game suspension MLB assessed him in August.

Today's ruling will cost Rodriguez $25 million in wages, and cast a large shadow of a doubt over the All-Star's slugger's career.

Alex Rodriguez turns 40 during the 2015 season. He vows to fight in court, so this is not the last inning.

After all was said and done, it was unanimous decision. Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito was elected 51-0 as New York City Council Speaker Wednesday, the first Latina to hold the second-most powerful position in city government.

"I want to thank every one of my colleagues. Whether you're from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, or Manhattan, we all have the pleasure of serving in the greatest city in the world," she stated.

Ms. Mark-Viverito is a liberal Democrat representing East Harlem. She grew up in Puerto Rico and moved to New York at age 18. Since that time she has devoted her professional career to nonprofits, labor, and politics.

For more than a decade, NYC's Board Of Education has been controlled by business executives, or a political flak. Carmen Fariña becomes the first chancellor who has a background in the educational field. None of the previous chancellors had classroom teaching experience with children.

The decision to select Fariña as new chancellor is being described as Mayor de Blasio “has officially ended the era of beating up on teachers and public school parents,” according to the New York Daily News.

For a time Fariña served as deputy chancellor of the B.O.E under Mayor Bloomberg but resigned because of difference she described as being, “philosophical.” But now it seems Fariña has found a philosophical understanding regarding the city’s educational system in Mayor de Blasio.
Both Fariña and Mayor Blasio assure that major changes will being coming to the New York City Board of Education.

In New York City there are a total of 40% of Latino school children from various Latin countries around the world, and sadly they still encounter the same issue Fariña faced. Fariña also adds to this statement that because of this discrimination, teachers sometimes pressure said students to Anglicize their names.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has died aged 85 after spending eight years in a coma following a stroke. He devoted his entire life fighting for Israel.

Sharon was known as The Bulldozer to his people, but Palestinians also called him a butcher. He was a warrior and a politician, with a blustering figure who came to dominate his country's domestic politics by his sheer physical presence as by his powerful rhetoric.

Israelis saw Ariel Sharon as a heroic warrior, who effectively led his clearly decisive campaigns in the 1967 and 1973 wars.

Since everything in politics is short-term, lets take a look at the current playing field.

Since NJ Governor Chris Christie is fighting for his political future, the Republicans still have US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who has lately been overshadowed by other GOP figures waging the battles over Obamacare and the federal budget. These include Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas, but the Florida conservative has political skills and resources that will sustain him as a 2016 contender when other flavors-of-the-month fade.

Rubio and Florida's other potential presidential contender, former Governor Jeb Bush, are victims of the increasingly bitter split in the Republican Party between the moderates and the right wing, partly over immigration and other hot button issues.

The Democrats have Vice President Joe Biden, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.

A recent poll indicated that out of nearly 400 Democrats who were asked chose Hillary Clinton as their next candidate, with 63 percent in favor of the former secretary of state. Biden ranked second, with 12 percent of the vote, while Warren came in third, with 7 percent. 12 percent of responders did not choose any of the other above candidates.

Forecasters are expecting a wintry mix of freezing rain and snow will affect the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Friday, gradually changing to rain through the day. Flooding potential is high for the Northeast this weekend.

A COMBINATION OF SPOTTY LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE AS WELL AS PATCHY FREEZING FOG WILL CREATE SLIPPERY CONDITIONS FOR SOME AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTRA CAUTION WHEN COMMUTING AND BE ALERT FOR THESE SLIPPERY CONDITIONS.

HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...

* FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.