Arrests plummet following execution of cops  —  It's not a slowdown — it's a virtual work stoppage.  —  NYPD traffic tickets and summonses for minor offenses have dropped off by a staggering 94 percent following the execution of two cops — as officers feel betrayed by the mayor and fear for their safety, The Post has learned.

Republicans Try to Fix Damage Scalise's 2002 Speech Could Do in 2016  —  WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders, poised for a celebratory takeover of Congress next week, instead found themselves scrambling Tuesday to defuse a racially charged controversy over one lawmaker's speech a decade ago to a white supremacist group.

Obama approval at highest in over a year  —  President Obama's approval rating is at its highest in over a year, according to new Gallup polling.  —  The latest three-day polling average, from Dec. 27-29, puts Obama's approval at 48 percent, the highest it has been since August 2013.

Toddler accidentally shoots Hayden Walmart shopper  —  HAYDEN, Idaho—Employees evacuated the Hayden Walmart on Tuesday following a shooting inside the store.  —  Authorities on the scene around 11:15 a.m. described the shooting as “accidental.”  —  A woman was shopping with four kids …

Woman sues hospital after having limbs amputated  —  A 59-year-old Baltimore city woman is alleging she had to have her arms and legs amputated after Johns Hopkins doctors failed to diagnose an infection in her uterus.  —  Joyce E. Ferguson claims she went to the emergency room …

Police fatally shoot suspect in Drexel Hill  —  Police fatally shot a 52-year-old man Tuesday afternoon in Drexel Hill after he attempted to run them down with his vehicle, said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.  —  Officers had been trying to arrest the man …

Who Is Lena Dunham's Alleged Rapist?  —  Since its publication this fall, Lena Dunham's bestselling essay collection, Not That Kind of Girl, has inspired her fans and offered a different kind of inspiration to her foes.  The right-wing press, in particular, has taken Dunham's discursive set …

Edmonton mass murder: 6 adults, 2 children dead  —  ‘It is a tragic day for Edmonton,’ police Chief Rod Knecht tells news conference  —  Police have found nine people dead at three separate locations in Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan, one by an apparent suicide.

Obama Adviser Jonathan Gruber In 2009: Obamacare Will NOT Be Affordable  —  President Obama's health care adviser Jonathan Gruber said that the Affordable Care Act would definitely not be affordable while he was writing the bill with the White House.  —  As Gruber continues to withhold documents …

Potential Hillary Challenger Paid Nearly $100,000 In Campaign Donations To His Family  —  See Also  —  FORGET BRIDGEGATE: Chris Christie May Be Responsible For ‘Traffic Armageddon’ Across The Northeast  —  Hillary Clinton Is Getting Terrible Reviews On The Campaign Trail, And There Might Be A Very Simple Reason Why

Shifting clout  —  Economists' academic rankings and media influence vary wildly  —  ECONOMISTS measure their influence by looking at their publication count.  They obsess over their RePEc ("research papers in economics") ranking, a list topped by heavyweights who inspire awe among PhD students and blank stares everywhere else.

Norse Investigation Focusing on a Small Group, Including Sony Ex-Employees  —  An investigation into the massive breach at Sony has focused on a group of at least six individuals that may have worked to compromise the company's networks, including at least one ex-employee who had the technical background …

Palestinian statehood bid fails at UN Security Council as US, Australia vote against  —  The UN Security Council has failed to adopt the Arab coalition's bid calling for the creation of a Palestinian state and an end to Israeli “occupation”.  The US and Australia voted against the move with 5 abstentions.

Staten Island Prosecutor ‘Clear Front-Runner’ to Replace Michael Grimm: Sources  —  Congressman Michael Grimm's resignation is set to clear the way for a controversial Staten Island District Attorney to run for office with the Republican establishment's support, GOP sources say.