NYPD
A candlelight vigil was held for NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in Brooklyn Sunday night. Reuters

The fallout from the weekend shooting deaths of two New York Police Department officers will remain an important issue in and around the state on Monday. The New York Times has a look at what the deaths of Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos mean for the city, while Mayor Bill de Blasio faces harsh criticism from the city's police unions. Below are some other news stories you should be reading today.

An Orangutan Granted Basic Human Rights

Sandra is shy and does not like large crowds -- a tough situation for an orangutan who was born and raised in zoos. Sandra currently resides at the Buenos Aires Zoo, and Argentina's Association of Professional Lawyers for Animal Rights argued she was being retained against her will, BBC reported. A court ruled in Sandra's favor, and if the zoo does not appeal, she will be transferred to a sanctuary.

Fill Up Your Sleigh With Cheap Gas

Gas prices in the U.S. are hitting five-year lows just before the holidays, Bloomberg reported. Average price at the pump is $2.48 per gallon, according to a report from Lundberg Survey Inc. based on data collected from 2,500 gas stations -- that's 79 cents cheaper, per gallon, than it was this time last year.

Hug Someone Today ... For Your Health

Hugging brings out the best in people, and even if you don't like to be touched, it should become a part of your daily routine, according to new research from Carnegie Mellon. Researchers concluded that hugs help protect people from stress and infection. Stress is a cold's best friend, so finding any way to fight an infection should be explored. "This suggests that being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the deleterious effects of stress," Sheldon Cohen, the Robert E. Doherty professor of psychology in CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, said in a statement.

Dueling Neighborhood Christmas Displays With A Twist

You hear stories about how neighbors try try to outdo each another for best Christmas display on the block. In Lansing, Mich., that competition is playing out between Detroit's Satanic Temple chapter and state Sen. Rick Jones at Michigan's Capitol building, the Associated Press reported. The Satanic Temple erected a "Snaketivity Scene" featuring a snake coiled around a Satanic cross, while Jones erected a Nativity scene.