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NEW YORK (AP) — One of two new York City police officers shot to death in an ambush last weekend is being laid to rest today. Hundreds of fellow officers from around the country gathered in Queens for Officer Rafael Ramos' funeral, many standing outside Christ Tabernacle Church, which was filled to capacity. They applauded when Vice President Joe Biden called the New York Police Department the finest in the world. Funeral plans for Ramos' partner, Officer Wenjian Liu, have yet to be announced.
NEW YORK (AP) — Police officers have been demonstrating their anger at New York's mayor. Hundreds of officers standing outside the church where Officer Rafael Ramos' funeral was held turned their backs on Mayor Bill de Blasio as he spoke during the service. Police union officials have accused the mayor of contributing to a climate of mistrust amid anti-police protests.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A high school basketball tournament on the Northern California coast has become the latest flashpoint in the nationwide protests over police killings of unarmed black men. The boys and girls varsity basketball teams from Mendocino High School have been disinvited from the tournament at nearby Fort Bragg High because of concerns players would wear T-shirts with the words "I Can't Breathe" printed on them while warming up. Several professional basketball players have worn "I Can't Breathe" shirts during pre-game warmups.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea is fuming at President Barack Obama, saying he's behind the release of the movie "The Interview." The comedy depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Pyongyang calls it "dishonest and reactionary." North Korea's powerful National Defense Commission also is blaming the U.S. for shutting down its Internet, after Sony Pictures was targeted by a cyberattack. Using a racial slur, the commission blasts Obama as "reckless in words and deeds."
FRIPP ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina marine veterinarian says stormy weather is a likely explanation for the stranding of thousands of starfish on Fripp Island. The Island Packet of Hilton Head Island reports that Christmas Day beachgoers found starfish covering the beach. Al Segars of the state Department of Natural Resources says the starfish can't fight the current if there's strong wave action, and the phenomenon has happened before.
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