memeorandum: 2014 frustrates US hopes for Israeli-Palestinian peace (Lara Jakes/Associated Press)

8:40 AM ET, December 21, 2014

Top Items:

2 NYPD cops shot dead ‘execution style’ in Brooklyn — A possible suspect was found shot at the scene and rushed to a nearby hospital. — Two uniformed NYPD officers were shot dead — execution style — as they sat in their marked police car on a Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, street corner.

Discussion: Fox News, Scared Monkeys, The Moderate Voice, Twitchy, Gawker, CANNONFIRE, TPNN, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, TheBlaze.com, The Jawa Report, Power Line, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, Slantpoint, JustOneMinute, Hot Air, TalkLeft and The Daily Caller

NY Daily News:

Two NYPD officers dead in ‘ambush’ while sitting in patrol car in Brooklyn by gunman who boasted on Instagram about killing cops for ‘revenge’ (GRAPHIC IMAGES) — Ismaaiyl Brinsley fired at the officers in their squad car outside of the Tompkins Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant sources said.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Newsmax, Mediaite, No More Mister Nice Blog, Slantpoint, TPNN, National Review and New York Magazine

New York Times:

Two N.Y.P.D. Officers Are Killed in Brooklyn Ambush; Suspect Commits Suicide — Two police officers sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn were shot at point-blank range and killed on Saturday afternoon by a man who, officials said, had traveled to the city from Baltimore vowing to kill officers.

Discussion: DNAinfo New York, The Agonist, Vox Popoli, Patterico's Pontifications, WIS-TV and Capital New York

Alyssa Zauderer / New York's PIX11:

VIDEO: NYPD officers turn away from Mayor de Blasio as he enters police presser for murdered cops — PIX11 — Police officers turned their backs on Mayor Bill de Blasio as he walked into the police press conference about the two NYPD officers shot and killed execution-style in Brooklyn.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, CBS New York, Capital New York, Raw Story, Truth Revolt and The Gateway Pundit

Fox News:

2 NYPD officers shot, killed in ambush on cop car — DEVELOPING: Two New York City police officer were shot and killed Saturday after they were shot by a gunman as they sat inside a patrol car. — The attack took place in Brooklyn at around 3 p.m., the New York Daily News reported.

Discussion: New York Post, Vox, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, American Spectator, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and The PJ Tatler

Justin Fenton / Baltimore Sun:

Killer of 2 NYPD officers first shot ex-girlfriend in Owings Mills — The shooting of a woman at an Owings Mills apartment complex was the precursor for the ambush killing of two New York City police officers later in the day, law enforcement officials said.

Discussion: NY Daily News, The Gateway Pundit and Business Insider

Andy Newman / New York Times:
Updates on Fatal Shooting of Two N.Y.P.D. Officers

Discussion: Capital New York

CNN:
2 New York police officers shot to death

Discussion: TheBlaze.com, New Jersey 101.5 and Balloon Juice

David Mack / BuzzFeed:
Gunman Kills Two NYPD Officers In Brooklyn

Discussion: TalkLeft and ThinkProgress

Alyssa Zauderer / New York's PIX11:
‘They were quite simply assassinated:’ 2 NYPD officers shot and killed execution-style in Brooklyn ambush

Discussion: KTLA, The Huffington Post, fox8.com and WTVR-TV

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Two NYC Police Officers Assassinated ‘Execution Style’

Discussion: BARE NAKED ISLAM, The Gateway Pundit and TPNN

Cory Bennett / The Hill:

Sony hack reveals threat of ‘psychological’ cyber warfare — The Sony Pictures hack has forced Americans to confront an aspect of cyber warfare common overseas but rarely discussed domestically — psychological cyberattacks. — When U.S. policymakers discuss the threat of cyberattacks …

Josh Lederman / Associated Press:

US mulls putting NKorea on terrorism sponsor list — HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama says the United States is reviewing whether to put North Korea back onto its list of state sponsors of terrorism. — Obama says the high-tech attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment isn't an act of war …

Josh Lederman / Associated Press: Obama: No justification for murder of NYC police

New York Times:
U.S. Asks China to Help Rein In Korean Hackers

Discussion: Fox News, RT and The Verge

Associated Press: GOP to back ‘The Interview’ if it gets to theaters

Josh Lederman / Associated Press: AP source: US seeks China's help after cyberattack

Cameron Joseph / The Hill:

Will Jeb stumble in Iowa? — With no love lost for Jeb Bush among the Republican base, the Iowa caucuses could be an early stumbling block in his 2016 quest. — The former Florida governor's business-friendly stances and willingness to criticize GOP hard-liners make him popular with the donor class.

Discussion: Political Wire

Lara Jakes / Associated Press:

2014 frustrates US hopes for Israeli-Palestinian peace — WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry is ending 2014 much in the same way he started it, frustrated in efforts to push Israel and Palestinians toward peace. — With a diplomatic showdown looming this past week over Arab plans …

Gary Langer / ABC News:

Clinton: Off Her Peak, but Still Towering — Hillary Clinton is off her peak but still overwhelmingly strong in support for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, while Elizabeth Warren has inched up in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll. — Clinton's backed by 61 percent …

Discussion: Political Wire

Jamey Keaten / Associated Press:

Tourism suffers in winter of EU-Russia discontent — Associated Press 1 hr ago — PARIS (AP) — Russia's tensions with the West over Ukraine and the slump for the ruble are echoing through the French Alps — and unfortunately for some businesses, just in time for ski season.