10 things you need to know today: December 30, 2014

1. Bodies and wreckage found in AirAsia search

Indonesian search and rescue crews looking for a missing AirAsia jet have recovered 40 bodies from the Java Sea near Borneo, Indonesian naval authorities said Tuesday. The Airbus A320 aircraft was bound for Singapore when it disappeared from radar early Sunday with 162 passengers and crew on board after hitting a line of severe tropical thunderstorms. Rescuers spotted only bodies and debris believed to be from the missing plane. There was no sign of survivors.

The Globe and Mail

2. New York congressman quits under fire

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.), who pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion two weeks ago, announced just before midnight Monday that he was resigning. Grimm previously said he would remain in office, but he reversed course shortly after meeting with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). "I do not believe that I can continue to be 100 percent effective in the next Congress, and therefore, out of respect for the office and the people I so proudly represent, it is time for me to start the next chapter of my life," he said.

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The New York Times

3. U.S. targets al-Shabab leader in airstrike

The U.S. targeted an al-Shabab leader in Somalia with an airstrike on Monday. The operation came four months after another U.S. airstrike reportedly killed the al Qaeda-linked Islamist terrorist group's head, Ahmed Abdi Godane, following the capture of its intelligence chief. The U.S. designated al-Shabab as a terrorist organization in 2008. It has launched a string of attacks on civilians in Uganda and Kenya, including a 2013 siege at a Nairobi mall that killed more than 60 people.

The Wall Street Journal

4. L.A. police officers targeted in shooting

Two men shot at a police car patrolling a high-crime area in Los Angeles on Monday, stoking fears of attacks in the California city mirroring the recent ambush murder of two officers in New York. "It was a complete unprovoked attack," LAPD Deputy Chief Bob Green said immediately after the incident. Later reports suggested the officers might have been inadvertently fired at after driving into a violent clash. One man was arrested shortly after the shooting.

The Associated Press

5. Scotland reports its first Ebola case

Scotland confirmed its first Ebola case on Monday. The patient — a female nurse — was diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus after returning from Sierra Leone, one of the West African nations hit hardest with this year's Ebola outbreak — the worst in history. The woman has not been identified by name or nationality. She worked for Save the Children's Ebola hospital in Kerry Town, near Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown. The patient is being transferred to a high-level isolation unit in London.

USA Today

6. De Blasio heckled at New York City police cadet graduation

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was greeted with both boos and applause on Monday while addressing a group of graduating police cadets. The incident came two days after thousands of officers, who accuse de Blasio of fueling anti-police anger over recent killings of unarmed black men by white officers, turned their backs on de Blasio at a funeral for one of the two policemen killed by a gunman on Dec. 20. When de Blasio praised the cadets for confronting problems they "didn't create," a heckler said, "You created them!"

Reuters

7. House majority whip admits speaking at a white nationalist group in 2002

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the House majority whip, acknowledged Monday that he had spoken at a gathering of white nationalists in 2002. At the time of the appearance at the European-American Unity and Rights Organization, which was founded by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, Scalise, 48, was a state representative. His office said he was not aware of the nature of the organization, which has been called a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The Washington Post

8. Oil prices continue falling to their lowest in five years

Oil prices dropped by more than $1 a barrel on Monday, reaching their lowest level since May 2009. Reported damage to Libya's oil facilities briefly buoyed prices before the reality of a worldwide oil glut dragged prices down again. Brent crude fell $1.57 to $57.88 at the end of the day, and U.S. crude dropped $1.12 to $53.60 per barrel. "Every time the market tries to pick itself up, it's just another wave of selling," said Tradition Energy senior analyst Gene McGillian.

Reuters

9. Australian teenage spear fisherman killed by shark

An Australian teenager was killed by a great white shark on Monday. The young man — Jay Muscat, 17 — was spearfishing with a friend when the shark, estimated to be between 13 and 16 feet long, attacked. The shark reportedly might have been injured by Muscat's diving companion, who told authorities he fired a spear at it. Officials closed nearby Cheynes Beach in Western Australia's south coast. Two weeks ago, an 18-year-old man was killed while spearfishing on eastern Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

The Associated Press

10. Mo'Ne Davis, 13, wins AP's Female Athlete of the Year

Thirteen-year-old Little League pitcher Mo'ne Davis has been chosen as the 2014 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. Davis this year became the first girl to win a game pitching in the Little League World Series. The eighth grader, who also stars on her school's high school varsity basketball team, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, was named Sports Kid of the Year by Sports Illustrated Kids, and has already met President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House.

USA Today