Cop Dead In Fiery Crash; Ta-Nehisi's New NYU Gig; Westminster Has Cats Now: Patch PM

NEW YORK, NY — Wondering where your bodega man went? He's fighting for his rights in Downtown Brooklyn tonight. Below, a live dispatch from the protest, and 9 more top local news stories for Thursday, Feb. 2, as pulled from our 28 neighborhood Patch sites across NYC.

Bianca Bennett, East Village NYPD Officer, Killed In Fiery Bronx Crash

Bennett's car overturned and caught fire, police say.

Ta-Nehisi Coates To Teach Journalism At NYU

Atlantic writer and official "genius" Ta-Nehisi Coates will become NYU journalism faculty next fall.

Bushwick Gym Employee Was Choked Until She Blacked Out, Police Say

A homeless man allegedly pushed the 26-year-old woman into a bathroom stall and suffocated her.

Don't Drink Discolored South Brooklyn Water, City Warns

Or else.

Hillary And Bill Clinton Cheered Leaving Broadway Play In Midtown

The couple saw "In Transit" at the Circle in the Square Theatre.

The Westminster Dog Show Has Cats Now, And Everything Else You Need To Know About The 2017 Event

Two frightening new dog breeds will also make their debut this year.

Bernie Sanders Named As Brooklyn College's 2017 Commencement Speaker

Local boy Bernie Sanders is scheduled to spit and gesture wildly at Brooklyn College's graduating class at Barclays in May.

We're Live From The Huge Yemeni Bodega Worker Rally In Brooklyn

Hundreds of strikers and supporters had already arrived to Brooklyn Borough Hall by 4 p.m., an hour before the "Muslim ban" protest's start time.

Second Ave Subway Is Stealing Riders From 4, 5, 6 Lines: MTA

Ridership data released this week shows that the Second Avenue Subway is changing how Upper East Siders commute.

NYC Taxi Union Will Protest Outside Uber's Office In Queens Tonight

The Yemeni bodega rally's got competition.