MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS NEWS

LET'S ROCK! Check out the hottest stars storming the red carpet at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards — SEE THE PHOTOS

Is this perhaps music's biggest night? From Katy Perry to J. Lo, our favorite chart-topping stars rocked the red carpet and the stage at the Billboard Music Awards 2014 on May 18, 2014. read full story »

Lupica: Karl Rove, who suggests Hillary is suffering from brain damage, sounds like the loopy doughboy political version of Donald Sterling

Karl Rove (left) is not only a phony, but a smug one too. He questions Hillary Clinton's (right) health because he must be worried that no Republican can defeat her in the race for President. Rove is starting to look like a political Donald Sterling (inset).

Arizona dad jailed for hosing down and throwing toddler in pool as punishment for accidentally drowning puppy

The father of a toddler is in an Arizona jail after he threw the child in a swimming pool as punishment for drowning a puppy.

Towering, 1-ton crown of palm tree collapses and kills Los Angeles father

The crown of a towering palm tree fell to the ground and crushed a man to death as he spoke to his Los Angeles neighbor.

South Korea's president plans to disband coast guard following ferry disaster

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's president announced plans Monday to disband the coast guard and root out corruption and collusion between regulators and shipping companies that furious citizens believe led to a ferry disaster last month that left more than 300 people dead or missing.

OFFENSIVE MIX-UP: New Zealand beauty pageant winner stripped of title and told crown was meant for 'another Indian girl'

A woman who won a New Zealand beauty contest was later told by organizers that her prize was meant for "another Indian girl.” Synthia Nath, 19, is now suing the organizers of the Miss Globe New Zealand contest and seeking an apology.

PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: First look at brunette bombshell allegedly slapped by Jets coach

Corrections officer arrested after pulling gun at nightclub —'He said he was going to shoot everybody'

An irate Department of Corrections officer pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot Queens nightclub-goers early Sunday morning after bouncers refused to let him inside, police sources said.

MAJOR MERGER: AT&T buys DirecTV in whopping $49 billion deal

The agreement for $95 a share will expand the telecommunications giant's base of video subscribers in the battle against Comcast and Time Warner.

Nigerian terrorists set to deal for releasing kidnapped girls

The terrorist group holding more than 200 Nigerian girls snatched from their school last month is prepared to start swapping the hostages for prisoners as soon as this week, according to a report.

DIRE WARNING: Former NSA chief says 'a lot more terror attacks coming our way'

A former top U.S. security official fears the nation could be attacked again by terrorists.

Pamela reveals she was gang-raped by boyfriend, six others

Family including — two young kids and elderly grandma — found living in trailer covered with animal feces

A Pennsylvania couple allowed their two children and their elderly grandmother to live in a trailer filled with filth and animal feces, police said.

HUSH MONEY: V.A. paid out millions to settle 167 cases of delayed medical treatment: report

The Department of Veterans Affairs paid a combined $36.4 million to settle at least 167 cases related to delays in medical treatment, a new report alleges.

Lovett: Ex-Controller John Liu will run for state Senate against Dem incumbent Tony Avella

ALBANY — Former city Controller John Liu has decided to run for state Senate, a source close to him told the Daily News.

Teacher busted on drug-dealing charges says Rikers staff denied her medication

A sobbing former city substitute teacher busted on charges of dealing heroin and prescription painkillers questioned why Rikers Island correction officers were snubbing her need for pills Sunday.

J Lo shows off her famous derriere during concert

Donohue: Citi Bike may not be an option during the next bus, train strike as workers gear up to join transit workers union

TWU Local 100 — the transit workers union that tends to walk off the job every 20 years or so — is organizing Citi Bike workers into a chapter.

EXCLUSIVE Cops falsely arrested Queens men to get killer's confession: suits

Two Queens men say they were falsely arrested by cops in order to plant them in a jail cell with a maniac charged in a gruesome murder and get a confession from the killer. Aurelio Mandala, 42, and Daniel Corbett, 39, claim in separate lawsuits filed in Brooklyn Federal Court that they were coerced into becoming snitches for the NYPD.

26 women in affairs with priests plead to Pope Francis to end Catholic Church's celibacy vow

A group of 26 Italian women - all claiming to be in affairs with priests - have written to Pope Francis pleading with him to end the Catholic Church's celibacy vow.

North Korea apologizes to citizens for building collapse; Kim Jong-un reportedly can’t sleep over tragedy

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is said to be so upset he cannot sleep after scores were killed when a Pyongyang apartment block collapsed.

WACKO BACKO! Jackson hologram moonwalks at the Billboard Awards

Las Vegas police stop man driving with gunshot wounds

A Las Vegas man was caught driving with gunshot wounds — possibly after a drug deal turned bad.

CONSUMER ALERT Kraft recalls cottage cheese following spoilage scare

Kraft Foods Group is recalling some of its cottage cheese products, company officials announced Saturday.

Dominican immigrant creates tech startup to send money home to aunt

Dominican immigrant Edrizio De La Cruz sends money each month to his aunt Matilde in Santo Domingo to help her with groceries. But instead of wiring the funds, the 33-year-old recent Wharton School of Business graduate, came up with a new way to send cash.

AY, CHIHUAHUA! Dog rescued from Calif. highway reunited with family

A traffic-dodging Chihuahua is home safe. Charm, the tiny dog rescued from a busy California freeway, has been reunited with her grateful owners a week after a state trooper used a protein bar to lure her to safety.

Sam Schmidt, quadriplegic former racer, drives again at Indy Motor Speedway

Sam Schmidt is on the track again in Indianapolis. The once-popular IndyCar driver was left a quadriplegic in a racing accident in 2000. On Sunday, he took to the famed oval in a 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray adapted to his needs.

OH BABY! Hustler strip clubs offer Justin $1M to do raunchy TV ads

SEE IT: Paralyzed Rutgers player Eric LeGrand cheered at inspirational commencement speech

Paralyzed former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand implored his fellow graduates to remember that anything is possible in an emotional speech Sunday during the university’s commencement ceremony.

Dying Rikers prisoner spat blood on jail cell window after swallowing detergent: inmate

An inmate who died at Rikers Island after swallowing a 'soap ball' of detergent spit blood on his jail cell window in a desperate plea for help, claims a man who says he was in the next cell.

Chris Hadfield’s ‘Space Oddity’ copyright license expires

The out-of-this-world music video of Commander Chris Hadfield performing “Space Oddity” in a tin can is no more and there’s nothing he can do.

Bloomberg admits he’d run for President as independent only if he knew he could win

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday he’d be up for a 2016 presidential run — if he thought he could win.

Republican congressional candidate blames Democrats for ‘99%’ of mass shootings in U.S.

Rancher Gary Kiehne made the eye-opening claim during a GOP debate ahead of the party’s primary for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.

Bonjour, Paris! Kim, North en route to wedding destination

Prisoner found after slipping out of handcuffs at New York hospital: cops

George Jordan, 36, was arrested for shoplifting but escaped from St. John's Episcopal Hospital around 11 p.m. Friday, police said.

Heartless drug smuggler lets ‘mule’ die from drugs — then cuts stash from lifeless body

A drug mule who carried cocaine in his stomach from Colombia to Spain was allowed to die by a heartless smuggler who then cut out the package from his body.

Florida pastor found dead in apparent suicide amid $200K embezzlement investigation: cops

The Tampa Police Department said the Rev. Vladimir Dziadek, 56, was discovered by a maintenance worker Monday morning at the bottom of a staircase at the offices of St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Naomi Campbell stuns in revealing gown at BAFTAs

Bronx gym named for young Newtown victim Daniel Barden at mother's elementary school

When children gather together to play in the gymnasium of Our Lady of Refuge in the Bronx, they will be reminded of a little boy who loved life and reached out to his peers.

Brooklyn teen shot in eye speaks out against gun violence at hospital meeting

Brooklyn choirboy Gama Droiville, 13, showed up at Kings County Hospital’s community advisory board on Saturday and thanked the staff who treated him.

Obama to visit Baseball Hall of Fame to stress how tourism leads to jobs

President Obama says he’s heading to the Baseball Hall of Fame to stress how tourism can lead to good-paying jobs. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says he will be in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Thursday.

NYC First Lady on struggles as a mom, balancing work and family

Subtle racism can harm more than outburst: AG Holder

Port Authority exec testifies Bridgegate probe

Sports

NBA Playoffs: Pacers take Game 1 from LeBron, Heat

Indiana is done talking about home-court advantage. The top-seeded Pacers are ready to use it against the two-time defending champs. They took the first step Sunday, when Paul George finished with 24 points and seven assists, David West added 19 points and seven rebounds, and suddenly surging Indiana led wire-to-wire in a 107-96 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

NHL Playoffs: Crawford saves day for Chicago in Game 1

Corey Crawford is playing so well right now that nothing seems to bother him. When the Chicago Blackhawks had a goal waved off in the second period Sunday, Crawford picked up the slack for his disappointed teammates.

Leonard: Rangers give mourning St. Louis an assist

The death of Martin St. Louis’ mother and the Rangers’ playoff run this spring are undeniably and inextricably linked, even though everyone of course wishes, as Rangers center Brad Richards said last week, that France St. Louis had not died of a heart attack at 63 on May 8.